Shattered Destiny
Chapter 29: A Lesson of Stormcloaks
I wash my arm in the stream, watching the blood from the painful transformation get swept down the stream. It still stings from the sudden rupture, but it's healed now.
Once the blood is gone I stand and use my natural chakra to cast Lesser Ward. The ward goes up without issue, I can feel the strain on my system but I have loads of natural energy to give it.
Slaughterfish flock for the spot I was washing my arm, seeking flesh to go with the crimson fluid.
I use my natural chakra to fry the water with my free arm, amping up the current until it's more than just Sparks. The Slaughterfish that succumb to the electricity float to the surface, and I get nothing but a corpse.
A mud crab leaps out of the dirt besides me and snatches a slaughterfish before turning towards me, shoving the fish into it's maw and threateningly snapping it's claws.
This time I use Tutorial's Chakra, and watch it scream and squirm under the lethal current.
-6 chakra. +8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (193/275)
-6 chakra. +8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (201/275)
-6 chakra. +8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (209/275)
-6 chakra. +8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (217/275)
-6 chakra. +8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (225/275)
The crab falls limp with residue of electricity sparking from it's carcass, and I stop using chakra having learned what I wanted from that. Burnt meat stinks up the air, better move on before something bigger comes along that I can't deal with.
"Tiid." Time slows and I walk away, who knows what was attracted by the sounds of fighting and the stench of fried meat. Tamriel may have it's horrors, but this world isn't shy of it's own.
I wipe away blood from my chin… Speaking in my native tongue hurts me to the point of spitting up blood. My shoulder slumps as yet again I'm reminded of my new reality.
Someone has a sick sense of humor, and I'm going to kill whoever did this to me. Why have you forsaken me Akatosh?
Time Stop ends and I return to the normal flow of time, alternating chakra types as I practice with Lesser Ward.
-20 chakra.
I swap from Tutorial's chakra to my own, and feel the strain it puts on me. I'll keep this a secret for right now, no one needs to know that I can break the limits I once thought I had.
"You get lost lad?" The same sentry I passed on the way out asks me as I return.
"Mud crab, it's dead now." I answer honestly.
"If it wasn't, I'd question if you were a prodigy or a child playing pretend." The sentry jokes with a light chuckle.
I pout at the mortal, but make my way back to the center of the camp. The air is warm and welcoming, but I don't trust it. We could be attacked at any moment, or they could realize that I'm a Shinobi and turn on me like rabid wolves on a dying mammoth.
Until they put two and two together, I'll continue hiding my headband. Horadric's working on more potions as the soldiers continue bringing more ingredients. I can only recognize wheat. "What's all this?" I ask the mage, examining the pile of alchemy stuff.
"Ambrosia, Blue Dartwing, Marshmerrow, some ingredients for potions of healing." Horadric explains with only a glance at the pile.
I'm not a native of Lightning, but none of these look native either. "How do you make potions of healing?" I get on my toes to see into the mortar and pestle.
"Two of any of these ingredients, pound until mush, put into bottle and mix with water." Horadric explains quickly, demonstrating each step for me. "The cleaner the water the better."
"Why?"
"That way you don't end up drinking someone's piss."
"Ew!"
"Just a joke Keykey." Horadric chuckles. "It's possible to get poisoned because of filthy water, ocean water is just as bad because of the salt." To his side is a complex glass beaker with water turning into steam at one point condenses it back into water at another point, which is poured into a bottle of health potion gunk and mixed until a bright red.
"You used Wheat and dragonflies, why's it red?" I furrow my brow at the strange change of color.
"It means I successfully made a health potion." Horadric shrugs, setting the newly made potion off to the side.
Alchemy has leveled to 2. +2 character XP (67/225)
I'll have to check the talents for Alchemy sometime. How does one make potions better through metaphysical ability? A yawn tells me that I'm spending too much energy thinking things through. "It's been a long day, hasn't it." Horadric notes.
"Uhm."
"Go see about getting some food and then get some rest, we can resume our training tomorrow."
My stomach agrees with the mage, I head for the bonfire where the soldiers are gathering and pray that there's something to eat.
I feel like I'm forgetting something but I'm not sure what... At least I'm feeling better. Part of me doesn't want to get out of the bedroll, but as a shinobi I need to stay alert. Reluctantly I pull myself out from the covers and stretch. It's still strange to see ghosts, did they always have some color? I can't seem to remember.
The smell of a meal being cooked reaches my nose, I get up from the bedroll and look around. In the bushes nearby I can see the shape of something not wanting to be seen.
Anyone with a brain will notice that I don't remotely look like a Stormcloak, I'd rather whatever it was was a bear than a person just so I don't have to worry about being discovered. Thinking about it I should always have the blanket I was given on to hide my uniform.
I take a moment to do just that, hopefully it was a bird, but another part of me is skeptical still. "Morning lad." One of the soldiers greets me. "Hungry?"
"Uhm."
"Cook!"
"I'm right here idiot."
"A plate for the boy, he needs to grow up big and strong, like me!" The soldier flexes an arm, garnering a laugh from his companions.
I don't get what's funny, so I stay silent until I'm handed a plate. "Thank you!"
"Don't mention it, it warms my heart to see a child take interest in our cause." The chef says gratefully.
"Thanks?"
"No, thank you."
"I thought I saw something when I woke up." I decide to tell the soldier next to me.
"Oh? Did you get a good look?"
"No, but I saw something."
"Hmm, I'll tell the captain, you stay safe." The soldier stands.
I don't think I've seen the captain yet. "Keykey?" Horadric calls.
"Y-yes Sensei?" I snap to attention.
"Once your done I could use some help."
"Yes Sensei!" I bring myself out of my thoughts and inhale my food as fast as I can so I can help my new sensei. Horadric is infinitely better than Goro.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't care at all for my teammates, just the Jonin. Where are Junchi-san and Mei-chan now? I hope I didn't hurt them when Alduin took over, I don't know if I'd be able to forgive myself.
"I'm done!" I tell my Sensei, ready for whatever task he has in mind.
"I'm busy with a new batch of potions, but can you take these to the medical tent, the healers are eagerly anticipating them." Horadric picks up a crate filled with red and green potions and lowers them for me to hold, and they are heavy! Almost dropping the box before using some of the dragon's power to keep from dropping the precious liquids. "Will you be alright?" Horadric asks concerned.
"I got it." I reassure my sensei, hiding the chakra and dragonbone arms beneath the blanket. While it's not easy still, it's at least bearable.
"Hurry, before you drop it." Horadric urges.
"Yes Sensei!"
Quest Started: Potion Delivery
Deliver the Potions:
I almost drop the crate in surprise, Quests have always been about something important, is this batch of Potions so important that I need to take extra care? Will this quest send me on a suicide mission in Kumogakure? I shiver at the thought.
"Are those new potions?" The doctor of the Stormcloaks asks as I enter the medical tent, the stench of blood fills my nostrils and almost makes me gag. "Set them down on the table, I'll take care of them from there."
I do as I'm told and sprint out of the tent. Ghosts don't have blood, so why did it stink like that?! My arms turn back to normal, but with splotches of blood sticking my arms to the blanket.
Quest Complete: Potion Delivery
What? No it's lying, no quest have ever finished this quickly, the last chain I had took weeks and near death to complete, I wait for the next prompt to appear, but it doesn't. Leaving me speechless.
Snap out of it before the stormcloaks start wondering what's wrong with you. "Keiki!" I can hear a fierce whisper.
My head snaps aside, and hidden amid barrels is and Angry Junchi. "Junchi-san!" I whisper back, taken aback.
"We've spent days looking for you, idiot!"
"I'm just a kid to the Stormcloaks, I'm safe." I reassure him.
"Oh that's just great!"
"Keep it down before you attract attention!" I quietly scold the genin.
"Before I attract- you let Alduin loose and engaged three separate shinobi teams before we had to break off!"
"Is someone there?" A stormcloak guard calls out to me.
I turn my attention back to Junchi, eyebrow raised. He bites his tongue waiting to see what I'll do. "A rat, it's dead now."
Speech has leveled to 9. +9 character XP (74/225
"You will grow to become a strong warrior!" The soldier cheers in approval.
"Where are the others?" I whisper behind me, feigning embarrassment for the watching soldiers.
"Close by, you've scared the hell out of the others." Junchi seethes, and then vanishes in a puff of smoke.
I cough and wave the smoke off. "What was that?" Several soldiers run over with weapons drawn, ready for a fight but not necessarily searching the area. Not wanting to look suspicious I glance around as well.
One of the soldiers is standing on top of the spot Junchi was moments ago. "Must have been my imagination." In unison the soldiers put their weapons away and return to their everyday activities.
I watch the dispersing soldiers mystified, they didn't spend a minute looking for the source, and not very well. After seeing that display, I think my identity as a shinobi is safe from the Stormcloaks. "Keykey, the captain would like to see you." A soldier tells me.
"O-okay." I nod, suddenly my certainty is replaced with uncertainty.
Quest started: $t()r^^c]o k Proving Ground
Speak to the $t()r^^c]o k captain:
With a gulp I follow the soldier to the command tent. "I've brought the boy." The soldier announces as the tent flap is opened.
"The bear and Skeever killer?"
"Aye."
"Y-yes sir."
"I'm told you are quite the warrior, so I want to see it for myself." The captain comes around and levels with me, hands on my shoulders. "There is a troll in the area, I want you and a few soldiers to go take care of it so we won't have to worry about a troll strolling in in the middle of the night."
"What's a Troll?"
"A monster that must be killed quickly, or it won't die."
Quest updated: Proving Ground
Kill the Troll:
"O-okay." I don't think I have a choice, I don't like the sound of this. 'Troll' sounds like something from Tamriel, and one of the last things I fought from Tamriel was the Frostbite spider and that was terrifying.
"I know where the troll is, we can be there in a minute." The soldier escorting me tells me.
"How convenient." I say unenthused.
We leave the tent and there are two soldiers waiting for us to leave, without a word exchanged the four of us leave the camp along a dirt path. "The beast will be waiting for us."
Great.
The trees change drastically all of a sudden, from sprawling and towering far overhead, to being big and contained, the leaves even change shape. It's as if this piece of land were pulled straight from another world. And knowing what I do, it probably was.
The troll's cave comes into view, the beast is standing in the middle of the cave doing nothing, blankly staring ahead.
You are now hidden.
It can't see us? How is that-
You have been discovered.
The Troll growls and runs at us.
-26 Chakra. +30 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (215/275)
My first instinct is to throw a firebolt at it, it doesn't react to the flames covering its body.
-26 Chakra. +30 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (245/275)
"Damn you!" The stormcloaks charge the troll.
"I'll send you straight to Sovngarde!" They begin carving at the troll, and it swings back, staggering one of the soldiers.
-26 Chakra. +30 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (275/275)
Elemental Ninjutsu is now level 10. +10 Character XP (84/225)
The Stormcloak who was struck gets back up and resumes the attack. The Troll raises both arms and brings them down on one of the soldiers, knocking her back into a tree, blood splattering from the impact.
Blood? But they're ghosts. I can't see through them anymore, what's happening!? The soldier gets back up with little problem and returns to the battle.
The troll is hitting hard, as every strike makes one of them stagger, but with how the stormcloaks are shrugging each one off it's as if they're stuck in an eternal struggle. Is this what it looked like when I had that hole in my chest? I fall to my knees, watching mesmerized by the display.
And then one of the soldiers doesn't get back up and it snaps with me. They have their own Tutorials helping them out, just like me. I knew they came from Tamriel, but I never expected… this.
-26 Chakra. +30 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (30/300)
Then that means that the Troll also has a Tutorial, I just have to break the damage threshold and it will die.
The troll turns to me, and I begin backpedaling, throwing pairs of birebolts.
-26 Chakra. +30 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (60/300)
Not enough Chakra.
It's charging me, with the stormcloaks attacking it from behind.
I jump back as the troll strikes the ground I was just at, it stares at me with all three of its eyes, absolutely terrifying. It jumps and makes another strike.
-35 Health.
A pained yelp escapes from me as I can feel ribs break under the troll's powerful arms.
Trolls, disgusting creatures. "Yol Toor Shul!" Blood and fire propel themselves from my throat as I shout the third word of the Thuum.
Fire washes over and behind the creature, scorching the land and the air around and behind the troll. The stormcloaks behind the burning pile of flesh raise shields to protect against the flames.
The monstrosity staggers back and falls over, dead. Without warning I'm stuck by dizziness and nearly fall over, a hand on my head. Did I just shout? "You can shout." A stormcloak approaches me with reverence.
"Catch him before he falls over." The other soldier urges her companion.
I fall into the arms of a stormcloak, and we return to camp. In the foliage I can see Goro staring at me with wide concerned eyes.
I'm placed on a bedroll in a tent set aside for me, word of my use of the thu'um has already circulated around the camp and there have been mixed responses to it. Excitement that they might have found a Dovahkiin, and caution that I might be imperial like the last one was. "Get some rest little cub." The soldier tucks me into the bedroll before leaving.
And more enters behind her trying not to be seen. "Are you awake?"
"Dizzy." I answer dryly.
"We need to get you out of here." Goro tells us.
"No, I'm learning so much here, and they think I'm just a child!"
"How long until they realize you're a shinobi of Water?" Junchi asks.
"They won't, because they're from Tamriel and know nothing about the Elemental Nations, child soldiers are unheard of."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I share Alduin's memories, and I hate him."
There is dead silence as I mention the dragon once more.
"You have control over it?" Mei-chan asks, letting out a sigh of relief.
I laugh at how absurd that thought is. Me, control the First Born of Akatosh?
"Mind filling us in?" Junchi asks.
"I haven't talked to the dragon yet, but I know from his memories that he's consumed by blind rage." I explain.
"Don't need to tell me that." Mei-chan rubs some old bandages on her arm.
"D-did I…"
"Not directly." She says as if navigating a field covered in hidden explosive notes.
"Is it possible to speak to Alduin?"
Speak to me? "I'm to weak for that." I mumble.
"Weak? You fought the Jinchuuriki of the Eight Tails to a near standstill!" Junchi spits.
"And almost died in the process, I remember very little of what happened."
"Keiki, I'm-" Goro trails off.
"Keiki? Oh right." yeah that is my new name isn't it?
"Al-Alduin?" Goro sputters, caught off guard.
"Hm?" The tension in the air has risen immensely. "What? Afraid I'm going to let him loose and enrage again?"
Goro clears his throat to collect himself. "What about Keiki?"
"What about him?"
My teammates fall silent. "Great, just great." Junchi throws his arms into the air.
"S-sensei?" Mei asks Goro with great concern.
"I… think it might be time we returned to Kiri, discreetly."
"No, I'm staying here."
"Who are you?"
"Genin of the Land of Water, and first born of Akatosh."