Shattered Destiny
Chapter 28: The Stormcloaks
Screaming probably wasn't the best idea, depending on how the Stormcloaks treat me. Three Stormcloak spirits are carrying me back to their camp. I'm just a child in their eyes, I can keep it that way.
"The boy's cold as ice." The spirit carrying me says casting a look over her shoulder at me. I can't feel her, so how can she feel me?
"Did he kill the bear?" One of the other soldiers asks the others.
"If he did, he'll grow up to be one of Skyrim's mightiest warriors."
"We're not in Skyrim." I mumble into the soldier's cloak.
"Say something?" The soldier carrying me asks, and I stay silent. "Welcome to our camp." We pass the treeline and emerge into a camp, the chopping of wood and the laughter of people by the fire.
It would be homely, if not for the whole ghost thing. "Who are you guys?" I finally speak up.
Speech is now level 6. +6 Character XP (137/200)
"We are the Stormcloaks, rightful heirs of Skyrim… Although this isn't the Skyrim I remember growing up in." The Soldier answers, offloading me by the fire. "Give the boy a blanket, he's freezing to death."
"D-do you have a leader?" I ask as a fleece blanket is draped across my shoulders.
"Ulfric Stormcloak, the true high king!" The soldier booms and there is a cheer ringing throughout the camp. "The Imperials tried to kill him, but he survived." he boasts.
"What happened?"
Speech is now level 7. +7 Character XP (144/200)
"The Imperials stormed Windhelm, reduced it to ruin and they 'paraded his body like a prize around the holds'." The Stormcloak spits. "I knew it wasn't true, and I've seen living proof of it!" Again more cheers.
There is more cheering as a hunter returns with a deer. "Tonight we feast like Kings!" The cheer erupts into a roar.
I stand, using the blanket to further hide my ninja gear, and explore the camp. There is someone that's different from the rest, a robed man by a table with a stone and some carving on it. "What are you?" I ask the strange man.
"I am a Stormcloak, but you already knew that." The old man chuckles. "Horadric Jorvung, resident mage."
"Mage?"
Horadric holds a hand out and ignites his hand. "Magic."
My eyes bulge, I shouldn't be surprised, but seeing someone else casually show off what only I could do for the longest time, it's strange to say the least.
"Flames, Fire Bolt?" I ask before I could hold my tongue.
"Oh? Do you have an interest in magic, lad?" The mage wonders.
"Sort of." I press my fingers together from under the blanket.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, if anything I'm happy you've taken an interest in the arcane arts."
"What're you doing?" I point at the table.
"Researching the local flora and fauna, I've never seen anything like this before." He holds a rose out for me to look at. "What's more is that they react to magic in strange ways."
"How?"
Speech is now level 8. +8 Character XP (152/200)
"Like this." His hands glow, and the rose's red brightens as if it were in full bloom instead of being plucked a week ago.
"Wow!" It's so pretty!
A Stormcloak runs into the camp panting. "Imperials!" He shouts.
"That's not good, run and hide young…"
"Keiki Sekine."
"Key-key Sea-Kine." He has trouble pronouncing my name.
"O-Okay, Jorvlung-sama." I bow respectfully, taking off to hide in the forest.
You are now hidden.
The imperials breech the treeline and invade the camp, Jorvung throwing firebolts at an Imperial Mage who's throwing Sparks at him while the rest of the soldiers swarm one another in a way that they tried teaching me to avoid at the Academy. "For Ulfric Stormcloak!"
"Damn you!"
"Quit running!" Who's running? It looks like everyone's participating in the fight.
Sneak is now level 23. +23 Character XP (175/200)
Part of me wants to join in from the shadows, but something holds me back. What did Alduin know about these people? No. I simply don't want to get involved with mortals.
"This is the end for you!"
I sit on the branch of a tree, watching the carnage below with an amused yet curious look on my face. Some of the soldiers took blades to the head, sure they're ghosts but none of them are fazed by the death defying experience. How thick skulled are these Nords?
This blanket is going to get in the way, but it's so warm… I'll put it away for now. Where am I? I never found out before being found, and I still don't know.
I climb the tree, walking up the side of the tree with no hurry.
Sneak is now level 24. +24 Character XP (199/200)
At the top of the tree I can see the fog that hides the village just to the north, I've wandered quite a ways before Alduin ran out of energy. "As the most important person of Kirigakure, my team will be looking frantically for me." I hold a hand to my chin and think aloud.
Sneak is now level 25. +25 Character XP (224/200)
You are now level level 6 (24/225)
I don't even think about it.
Max Chakra is now 130.
More chakra, more firestorms. Should I help the Stormcloaks from the shadows? At the very least it'll train me in Elemental Ninjutsu. I walk down the tree.
You are being searched for.
Sneak is now level 26. +26 character XP (50/225)
Oh? I drop to the ground and pull out the blanket, wary of Lightning Shinobi. The Stormcloaks won, but it looks like they've taken heavy losses.
The corpses are being stripped of equipment, and if they're Imperial they're burned at the bonfire as graves are being dug for the fallen. The confusing part is that they didn't melt into piles of goo.
"Lad!"
You have been discovered.
A stormcloak runs up to me. "There could be more imperials in the woods, it's not safe."
Among other things. "It stinks." I state surprised, I didn't think spectral corpses could smell this bad.
"Aye, it's the smell of death, of our enemies… and our battle brothers and sisters." He ushers me to Horadric. "Here's the boy 'with promise', Mage." He pats me on the back and tells Horadric respectfully.
A cut on the mage's face closes while I'm watching. They have my regeneration as well as my jutsu… what kind of world was Skyrim? "Good to see that you're safe." He gives me a hug. "I don't know how I would have felt if a potential apprentice died before I could make him the offer."
"A-apprentice?" I sputter. I already have a sensei, Koi-sama… "S-sure!"
Q\/e$t c()m|\le_e: J()i|\i|\g t\e S|o|-mlo k$.
()-u s| S|a|-t d: F|r$t Le$$o|\s:
O|j ct|v : U$e |_e$s r \/\/a|d
The first quest didn't go away, it's there flickering while the next quest slips in under it, just as broken as the first.
Useless.
"Excellent! Do you know a Ward Spell?"
"What's that?"
"This." Horadric holds a hand out, the hint of a white glow in the palm of his hand, he holds it out and a shimmering shield appears in front of him.
"I can't do that." I shake my head.
"I can teach you." He kneels next to me and has me hold my hand palm up. "Wards belong to the Restoration branch of Magic."
Magic, Wulfgar told me about how Magic and Chakra are the one and the same… I killed his ghost didn't I? "Restoration?" I dare to ask.
"Yes, one of five types of magic. Restoration, Destruction, Alteration, Conjuration, and illusion."
I blink at my new mentor.
"Restoration, the ability to heal and protect, Destruction the ability to use the elements to destroy, Alteration the ability to change what's already there, Conjuration the ability to create out of thin air, Illusion the ability to bend the wills of those around you to your will."
Medical Ninjutsu, Elemental Ninjutsu, Ninjutsu, Summoning, and Genjutsu. But what about Fuinjutsu? "Is there another?"
"You seek to learn about Enchanting?" My mentor looks at me with a new light in his eyes. "We'll start with novice magic for now, enchanting can come later."
"Okay, Yorlung-sama."
"Yorvung, Key-Key." He corrects me helpfully.
"Keiki." I helpfully correct him. I get the feeling he doesn't like me, despite how friendly he seems.
"Would you like to learn the Lesser Ward Spell, Keyki?"
"Yes." I bob my head up and down.
"Hold your hand out." I do so, and he places his hand, glowing with the Ward spell, over mine and passes it onto me.
You have learned Lesser Ward.
I pull my hand back, glowing with my first Medical Ninjutsu jutsu. I was expecting more, is 'magic' really this easy to teach? "Is this how everyone is taught?"
"Yes, nothing teaches how to cast a spell than having to wield it for oneself."
-34 Chakra.
-34 Chakra.
-34 Chakra.
-28 Chakra.
You don't have enough Chakra.
I was able to keep Ward up for almost four seconds, A bright shield of light shimmering in the air in front of me, this is by far the most chakra intensive Jutsu I've got. And just using it didn't seem to level my Medical Ninjutsu just by having it up. "What does Lesser Ward do?"
"It's a protection spell, it blocks incoming attacks and spells but it's not indestructible." Horadric further explains.
"Horadric!" A soldier calls on approach.
"What is it?"
"We're running low on healing potions, think you can make some more?"
"I'm running out of alchemy supplies… Wasn't there a wild wheat field somewhere nearby?"
"Aye."
"Get me some of them."
"Yes Horadric!"
"A wheat field? Won't the people of Kumogakure be mad that you stole their grain?" I ask.
"What's Kumogakure?" Horadric turns his attention to me.
"The Village Hidden in the Clouds, it's not far from here." I point in its general direction.
"Who's side are they on?" Horadric asks, a worried look coming over his face.
I almost ask what he means but then I remember. They're at war. Again I almost answer that they don't have a side in their war, but then I had an idea.
If they attack Kumogakure there won't be a need for Alduin to do it. "The Imperials." I flat out lie.
Speech is now Level 7. +7 character XP (57/225)
"I was worried about that, you seem to know this region very well lad." He praises my intel.
"I've been here once or twice, with a map." I answer honestly.
"We must tell the captain this at once!"
"What about my training?"
"If there's an imperial controlled village nearby we need to be ready for an attack, I'm sorry but your training will have to come after." Horadric tells me without apologizing.
I pout but say nothing as I follow the mage to the biggest tent in the encampment. There are a lot of Stormcloaks here, not as much as in Frost, but it's still a staggering amount. How massive is the Stormcloak army in its entirety? How big are the imperials to keep such an army in a war?!
"This child here is a native of the region, and he has grave news." Horadric tells the guards to the tent.
"About what? We haven't seen any dragons in months, I think that's cause for celebration!"
More questions, but I don't speak. "Keyki here claims that there's a village close by here who has sided with the Imperials."
"Oh? The captain will want to hear this for herself." The guards step aside, one opens the flap. "Horadric's got some news you'd want to hear, captain."
"Let him in."
Horadric ushers me in first before entering himself. "What is it Mage, I'm busy planning our next move against the imperials, our scouts have found them setting up camp nearby." The captain looks up from the map she's been tirelessly working at.
"What's this?" I don't recognize any part of the map, is this of Skyrim?
"Tell her what you told me, lad." Horadric encourages me.
"Oh, there's a village nearby called Kumogakure, they've sided with the Imperials." I try to say as nonchalantly as possible, but my hands are shaking.
She looks at me, then to Horadric. "Where is this village." She asks me.
I point in the general direction, hoping that she can't see my tells.
Speech is now level 8. +8 Character XP (65/225)
The captain nods and I let out an inward sigh. "Change of plans then, We're going to attack the Imperial camp immediately and wipe it off of the face of Tamriel!" She announces. She looks past me. "Get an attack force ready, we move out immediately!" The captain picks up a sword and shield and marches out of the tent.
Horadric and I backpedal out of the tent and out of her way. "Maybe we'll get some time to practice magic afterall." Horadric notes as the captain barks for soldiers to rally.
"Yes!" I can't help but cheer.
"I see you're excited for it." Horadric chuckles. "We'll start with using Ward to block a firebolt."
It uses so much chakra to maintain though… Didn't I level earlier? Is there a Medical Ninjutsu Mastery Talent?
Medical Ninjutsu Mastery 1/2 obtained.
I guess every Jutsu talent tree starts with that. I should double check at some point. "Whenever you're ready, Keyki."
"Keiki!"
"Keikey."
I let out a groan, but throw up the ward.
-22 Chakra.
-22 Chakra.
-0 health. +25 Medical ninjutsu XP (25/75)
-22 Chakra.
Q\/e$t C0m|)le|e: F|r$t Le$$o|\s
"Well done!" Horadric praises as I drop the ward. I let out a chuckle with a large smile on my face. "The Ward will also help protect against physical attacks as well, but too much damage with break the ward."
"Yes Sensei." I give him a respectful bow.
"Sensei?"
"Y-yeah?" We fall into silence, I become increasingly self conscious with each heartbeat. Did I say something wrong?
"I don't know what a Sensei is, but I can see you meant no harm."
I let out a sigh, on one hand I'm relieved, but on the other hand I'm not sure what the confusion was about.
We are a people of a different world, an immensely different world of gods and demons. "Are you okay? You look pale." Horadric asks.
"I'm fine." I bring myself back to reality, feeling a bit… split on the inside. "What were we doing?"
"Master the Ward spell I taught you, it will protect you."
"Yes, Sen-Jorlung-san." I nod. It's time I truly practiced with my Chakra, and find out how Magic works with Chakra.
"I need to prepare my workstation, but when I have some time I'll check up on you." Horadric promises as I walk away. I stand in the center of the camp and hold Lesser Ward in my hand, looking at the light with awe.
It's so easy to pick up new Jutsu, how come every Stormcloak doesn't already know magic? With the light in my hands I make a hand sign and redirect my chakra to them. My Chakra bar isn't emptying so I know I'm using the right type of Chakra.
"Ward!" I throw a hand out and cast Ward.
-22 chakra.
A faint barrier appears, curved slightly towards me, and slightly bigger than the original lesser ward spell I used.
-22 chakra.
I put more of my natural chakra into it and watch the barrier shimmer, unstable and trying to expand.
-22 chakra.
I pull my natural chakra back and the lesser ward shrinks back to the simple wall I was just taught.
-22 chakra.
I stop the jutsu, almost running out of chakra. I can't help but feel like what I'm doing is wrong, a hiccup, but I push those thoughts away. If I'm to avoid using my full might, I'll need to learn what I can do, and how much I can get away with. "I'm going to go relieve myself." I lie to the perimeter guard.
"A bit young to be off on your own in these dangerous woods." He notes.
"I can take care of myself." I reassure the guard, showing a pair of flaming hands.
"What are you, a prodigy?" He asks amazed.
Close, a Dragon. I walk into the woods for some privacy. Let's see what I can really do, as restricted as I am.
When nobody looks I allow my arm to break apart into pure chakra and dragonbone and inhale sharply. Too much to fast, I reign in the wild energy so it doesn't break my arm apart, unfortunately it's little better than a child's.
I let out a breath and pull back further, allowing my limb to change back to 'normal'. Mortals are so frail, how could I fall to such weaklings? Where are you, my father Akatosh?