Baldar sat against the door with both his arms crossed and eyes closed to in an attempt to look as if he was asleep. . However, that was not the case for the Kajhit. He pretended to be resting as He didn't want anyone to have an excuse to blame him for something or other. Though to be fair, the idea of him getting blamed for something that he did do brought a weird smile to his face and an odd sensation in his stomach. It was a strange combination of Anxiety, Fear, Adrenaline, and possibly Euphoria ins some cases.
"Hey, cat! Why aren't you in your room?" The owner asked, stepping up to her desk breaking the Kajhit out of his pretend nap time
He opened his eyes and looked over at her with a blank face. "My owner locked me outside. She said I was to watch the door."
"Sure she did, and I'm sure you didn't pilfer anything from my counter." She replied , starting to look through her drawers.
Baldar reached around his neck and showed her a rope that went around his neck and under the door. Granted, it didn't have another end to anything, but she didn't know that and would assume he was actually leashed to the door. This wasn't going to be enough, though; he'd have to make up something about the rope that would make her think that he couldn't take it off. Luckily, he had it all planned out before she was even awake.
"My owner uses this enchanted rope to keep me leashed to the door, so she doesn't have to worry about me stealing things." Something in his mind told him that he used lies like this before.
She looked at him with suspicion before going back down and starting to wipe the counter down. "Well, nothing seems to be missing. She usually throws you out of the rooms?"
"Unfortunately, yes. My master's temper is shorter than a deer's tail." He informed, sighing as he barely got enough sleep as is.
The innkeeper's lips cracked into a smile as she went back to cleaning her counter a little more chipper than before. By his best guess, he'd say she was going to use his description of Magna to try and get him flogged just for the fun of it. Baldar knew that Magna wouldn't do it, though; from what he could tell from their time together at least he knew that much. Then again, he did save her and yet he was stuck outside the room for the night so maybe she wasn't as forgiving as he thought.
His hand reached up, and he started to knock on her door but then refrained from doing it. She was tired and needed her sleep now. He would just have to put up with the discomfort a little longer. That was alright, though, with what he just learned about her she could spend a week in there, and he'd be fine with it. The loss was a concept that was not new to him, especially now that he lost his memory.
The thought of his memory sent him diving into his head in search of something from his past. It was like everything was just out of reach, and he couldn't reclaim it for himself anymore. Like somebody owned those memories now and no matter how hard he begged, he could never receive them back.
Baldar closed his eyes and tried to imagine something from his past that wouldn't come up and forced him to wonder where it had gone. There were things that were missing that he knew he had somewhere in his head. A childhood that he couldn't find the key to and people who were important to him. His file was a series of doors in a hallway, and they were all shut to him.
He sighed and looked to the woman at the bar before his eyes darted to her coin pouch at her hip. It was at the perfect angle to get snatched easily and get away with before she could react. He knew ever motion he would take and just how he could get away without her being able to pin it on him. Sadly, he didn't know how he knew all of these things.
In the room behind him, there was a faint stirring that signaled Magna had awoken from her slumber. A few moments later there was some huffing and puffing as the strong box scraped across the floor, moving out of the way of the door.
THUD
Baldar found himself looking up at the ceiling as his only back support was removed violently when his traveling companion jerked the door open. Glaring down at Baldar Magna seemed to be back to whatever her normal may have been before the attack.
Baldar pushed himself up and stretched a bit so he could get some feeling back in his legs. He was left stiff for the most of the night so now, and it was a relief to stand up finally. The knowledge that he was finally free was a little relieving as he now went to step inside the room.
"Good morning, master. Did you sleep well?"
The girl followed him as he stood up with her eyes glaring up at him now rather than down. With her lips drawn in a thin line across her face, Baldar figured she was still mad over last night and his little stunt.
"I'm going to be doing something today; you can go do whatever the fuck you want I don't care. I don't want to talk to you yet after what you did." Magna bluntly spoke in as even of a tone she could muster up. Pushing past Baldar she paused and looked back at him for a moment before giving him a scowl. "If you do stick around and only the gods would understand why then just tell them I let you roam around to do chores or something. I don't know how that works."
"Well, I can't do that without being arrested or stabbed."
He sighed and watched her walk, from the room and leaning on the bed. It wasn't his place to tell her what to do, but he felt responsible now that he'd gone through with saving her. So, he just sat down on the bed and started looking through his bag until he found a journal.
Something hit his face a moment later from the doorway, a scroll landing in his lap with the girl standing at the door. "There, it's a note saying that you are free to walk around without me to do chores. Have fun." Rolling her eyes, she walked out of the room once again leaving him behind.
"Thank you, but I do not understand why you are so angry, Magna. It's not like I did anything wrong." He said, deciding it was better to speak now then let the silence between them continue further.
"Think about it; I'm sure someone like you can figure it out." Magna shot back from the front door before opening it up and leaving the Inn.
Once she was gone, he sighed and threw his bag over his shoulder with the scroll in his hand tight. He didn't want to get in trouble in the town, but worse was that he felt like he'd been there before and it hadn't gone right. Looking down at his journal, he brought it up to his face and looked it over. There was this sort of aura to it that made him afraid of what could come if he were to read it.
His hands moved with a mind of their own though and pulled the book open to a specific page. He was worried at first since it looked like the journal specially written in gibberish but after a few more seconds it came to him. It was easy to read for the most part, but there were some things that confused him about it. Though, there was one phrase that stuck out to him in particular.
I met with Karliah in Falkreath today.
That name stuck with him and tugged at his heartstrings so intensely that he had to grab his chest. A flood of smells, sights and sounds flooded his senses and then died down to be forgotten again
"Damn it." He threw his bag over his shoulder and kept the journal in his hand tightly. Whoever this person was, they had to be here in the city or at least some information about them must have been.
Baldar stepped out into the city and looked around; it was brighter out than the previous day. All the Nords walked around with their ignorant stares that could stop anyone heart by a look. It was unsettling for him since they all seemed to glance at him every so often, but he also knew that none of them would do anything. He had his note on hand if anything did arise since he was here as a 'slave.'
The Khajiit moved to the general store and stepped inside to get supplies for their journey to the next place. Though he didn't much know where that was; you could get anywhere in Skyrim with at most a five-day journey. Inside the building though was a strange sight to behold as a man in robes stood at the counter with his hands clasped together.
"Please sir, I only need enough gold to help me catch a wagon to Winterhold. Surely, you can supply that for a spell tome." He pleaded, showing his tome with a fiery hand with a circular center symbol. "This is the entrance exam for the Mage's college. If you have this, then you can sell this to someone who wishes to attend."
The man looked at the tome and shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, but I can't take this at all. I'm not in the business of magic and spells. Along with that, you're trying to hock that in Skyrim. If there is one thing that Nords don't like, it's magic."
"Among other things…" Baldar started, making his presence known to the two men in the room. "You said that tome is the one that is used by the college to allow entrance, yes?"
"Why, yes it is!" The man said, holding it out to him with a smile and nod. "It's the spell they are testing for this month! If you purchase it now, you can have it practiced by the time you get there. Don't worry too; It's a safe place for all kinds of people, even Khajiits."
"Thanks, but I'm not interested in the college myself but my… master says that she wishes to attend. How much gold will get you to the college?" He asked, reaching his hand out for the book.
The man pulled it away though and refused to give it to the Khajiit. "Fifty gold, though this tome is worth far more than that."
"Well, if you wish to be able to take the cart there, which I'm assuming you do base on what you said, then you won't try to haggle the price with me. After all, Falkreath doesn't have a dedicated cart, so you'll only be able to catch it when it's passing through." He said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a pouch of fifty coins. He liked to have his money in batches of fifty since it was the easiest way to count it out for both large and small purchases.
The man looked at the gold and then at his tome and then to the gold. "But this is the entrance exam spell."
"And you are desperate. You've already shown this, and therefore you have lost the argument. Take it or leave it." He said, tossing the coins up and down in his hand.
The man let out a huff and stuck the tome into the Khajiit's hand before reaching his own out for the gold. The cat opened the book to check and made sure that it hadn't been used. Luckily, it had not been and thus he was fine with the price. A toss of the gold and the man took off out the door with it as fast as possible.
"Thanks, that bloody mage has been in here all day trying to get that tome sold. Glad, you had a use for it." The owner said as he leaned on the counter with relief. "So, what brings you to the store lad?"
"I just need some supplies for a journey to the college." He said, taking out two more patches of gold and setting them down on the table for him. "Can I get a wheel of cheese, some loaves of bread, cured meat, and some cabbage?"
The owner put the items on the counter and charged him an appropriate sum. After that, he parted the store and traveled through the town. The land of Falkreath was fairly beautiful in the mornings as the entire place held his autumn glow year round. It always smells like spring thanks to the berry bushes that grew natively around it.
After a fairly boring day, Baldar went back to the inn that he and Magna were staying at. On his way in Baldar spotted Magna talking to an older looking man in front of the forge that was across from the Inn. Laying across the railing was her leather top armor leaving her in just the longer green shirt that had been lifted up and tied off under her chest to allow her skin to breath, even her blond hair had been pulled back out of her face. Even against the chilly weather Baldar spotted the light sheen across her pale skin that indicated that she was sweating or was just recently. Magna seemed happier, almost at ease with her conversation she was having with the local blacksmith, not her broken, upset, or hell fire angry self she had been before. As Baldar touched his claws to the doors, his ears picked up on the tail ends of the conversation that Magna was having, the last few words having to do with getting some food before getting some rest as she picked up a freshly made bow stringing it up onto her back.
Knowing this could be his chance to make it up to the girl, Baldar made his way through and to found her sitting going to sit in the inn with a plate of food in hand. Giving his best swagger, the Khajiit walked over to the table and took a seat next to her. His smile was one of knowing and excitement for what he had in store for her
"So, Magna, any ideas on where you want to go now?"
By now Magna attire was back to normal once more, with her hair down. However, that did not stop her from glancing over at Baldar, giving him a small eye roll while letting the air fill with a heavy pregnant pause.
"What is this part of your act too? Acting slow minded?" Magna shot at Baldar giving him one quick glance before taking a bite of her food chewing before letting out a sigh. "Yes I do, but none you don't already know about." The Khajiit sitting next to her would pick up on the faint tone of bitterness.
"Ah yes, well, I was wondering if we could make a detour to a place near Winterhold. You already know the Mage's college, yeah?" He asked, slipping his hand into his bag and noticing that his eyebrow was wiggling.
"What… about it?" Magna bitterness seemed to melt away into a quite hesitant wary tone, edging away from Baldar.
"Well, while I was at the store, I met someone dressed as a mage that said he was on his way to the mage's college. Anyway, there was some talk and he sold me this." Baldar pulled out a spell tome and sat it on the table but kept his hand on it. "This here is supposed to be the test for entry this month. I figure I could learn the spell and try my hand at mage craft."
Her eyes widen just a fraction but long enough for Baldar to catch the look in her eyes before it tried to return to the neutral expression. "You do realize, my creepy stalker, that book holds an apprentice level spell correctly? One that beginners can't learn until they have some time practicing and I hate, oh who am I kidding, you won't have enough time to learn a beginner's spell, practice, then learn that spell in time by the end of the month. For someone like me if I started tomorrow I would have a chance to learn it in time to join the college." Magna pointed out with a hint of smug satisfaction.
"Well, that's a shame. Guess I'll just toss it then." He said, picking the book up and moving toward the trash hole in the room. Before he even had the chance to take two steps to throw away the book a solid weight slammed into his back staggering him while making a grab at the spell tome.
"Oh no, you don't, not this again! You will not burn that book so help me Baldar!"
He started stumbling around the room while trying to grab at her with his free hand. This led him to slam her into a wood pillar. His body was in fight mode and trying to get to a better state. "You hagraven! It was a jest! I was going to give this to you!"
"You don't joke about burning books you simple mi-" Magna gasped for air as she was slammed into the pillar, the noise drawing the attention of all the Inn patterns, including the owner who was shooting Baldar with daggers while some of the men started to stand up only seeing a slave acting out against his 'helpless' master.
Baldar noticed the people seeing their altercation and sprinted for the door and out into the town. Once out, he took off for the exit of the town with her hanging on. "Magna, get off you're drawing eyes!"
"You're the one who backed me into a pillar! And was going to burn a book!" Magna spat back but dropped from his back with a ungraceful huff.
The Khajiit steps away from Magna with the book still in hand and pointing to it. "I wasn't going to burn it. I was jesting, Magna. You're the one that overreacted to it. Do you even really think I would try to learn magic?"
Watching the girl pick herself up from the ground while giving him a glare the girl crossed her arms. "Seeing how you burned the scroll from before, I can't be too sure with you. And to remind you since you seem to keep forgetting, I don't know you at all, very little if anything. I don't know what your ticks are, what your personality is, or frankly, anything outside of the fact you don't have any concept of personal boundaries what so ever, sticking around when you have no ties to keep you around and need to get on my every damn nerve!" Magna huffed as they stood in front of the gates to leave the city, her back turned to him now as she kept her arms crossed. Silence filled the air between them for a few minutes before her shoulders relaxed visibly, the shifting of her blond locks indicating her head had shifted down as if to look at the ground.
"Look, Baldar." Magna started in an almost begrudging tone almost as if she trying to force herself to say the words. "Sorry for… overreacting, I just really don't like it when people joke about burning books alright?" Magna still had her back turned to him, for a simple girl from a simple town she was almost too trusting of almost strangers, born out of probably inexperienced Baldar found himself thinking while watching her.
"Magna, do you even know how scrolls work? Once you use them then, that's it. The writing disappears off the paper completely, and it's gone. The magic they are imbued with is used up. I burned the paper because there was nothing move that I needed from it." He said, pinching the bridge of his nose in anguish after facing the girl's lack of experience. "Besides, I only spoke about throwing it away because you decided to suggest that you could study the spell and learn it for the entrance exam like a Jarl with their head up their ass. Just because you have talent in magic does not give you the right nor allow you to be cocky about it."
Once Baldar said his words he threw the book over to Magna's feet and sighed sitting across from her against a tree. "Go ahead and learn the spell."
The girl looked at the book that was thrown at her feet taking a step away from it like it was a snake that tried to bite her. But after a moment she seemed to rethink about it and bent down to pick it up.
"Magna, you may not know me, but at this point, I don't even know myself. You're the first person that I saw when I woke, and you healed me. You're the closest thing to someone I can trust." Baldar stated, leaning against the tree and looking down at the ground.
"So you go around and listen in on other people's conversations that you say you trust?" Magna sighed holding the book close to her chest.
"I didn't know how to talk to you about it… It was just easier to listen in while that old man was talking to you." He said, bringing his hand up and rubbing his forehead.
"Seemed more like you were telling him what to say more than listening." Magna pointed out with a huff.
"I did after a while. I didn't want to reveal myself, but I wanted to comfort you in your time of need." He said, pushing his hair back and looking at her with an honest look.
"Well, maybe you should have thought about how creepy and invasive that was!" Magna stomped her foot a little bit rounding on him with a reddened face. "I was not ready to talk about it! I still don't want to talk about it! I just… want to forget this whole nightmare or not think about it too much okay…" Magna voice quieted down a bit at the end turning to the side to look away, shifting almost uncomfortable.
"They why did you talk about it with an old man that you met just passing through a room!" HE said, standing up and looking at her with a glare. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't want to talk to me about it because I'm a Khajiit!"
Magna sputtered and turned back around, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of the water as he could quite literally see her mind grinding to a halt. "W... Well… um… well…" Magna shut her mouth and turned away but not before Baldar caught the red hot flush that was creeping into her cheeks. "Well... "Magna falter again before turning to give him a small glare. "It's not that… it's just I don't know you… and… look fine maybe it was some part of that okay! But maybe it was also the part of the person who kept being creepy and talking about life debts and stuff, oh and forcing me to pretend that I'm your slave master? That also had a part to do with the whole I'm not comfortable talking to you about it yet!" Magna huffed clearly uncomfortable at being called out on her underlying racism.
"Forcing you? You took only a single utterance of convincing, and you gladly took the title of master, just like any Nord. As for being creepy, I'm surprised you would refer to me as such after I fought off an entire bandit group to save you. Anyone else and you would have thanked them immensely, but you never said a single word of thanks. No, instead you just stayed quiet as I carried you on my back for miles to the nearest city. My burned back from the fire that you set upon me!" He said, glaring at her now as he realized how unthankful she had been.
"I didn't ask to be saved okay! Maybe I wanted to die; maybe I wanted to join my father if I could after running away and leaving him alone to die in hellfire from a monster that should not even be real! Maybe I'm still trying to understand a beat that could call down the sky to destroy my town, the only place I have ever known in my entire life is gone, wiped out, everyone I know is dead." Magna countered her voice was steadily rising as she tried to defend herself. "I'm sorry that I didn't bow down and kiss your feet for saving me! Sorry if I didn't think your suggestion though all the way after trying to cope without having to be more of a burden to you. In case you forgot I tried to make you go away; I tried so hard Baldar but noooooo you forced my hand, and I panicked. But oh wait I also left you my last potion so you could heal because I didn't want to hurt you I just wanted to… I just wanted…" Magna voice faltered the rage still burning in her eyes, but the fire had burned down while she stood there turning her eyes to the ground, her face contorted with anguish and regret she was trying to hold back.
"I'm… sorry."
The Khajiit moved from his place of rest to the girl and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head into his chest. "No, I'm sorry. I let myself get carried away there. It's okay, though; I'm not just going to leave you alone in this world after what has happened to you, Magna. The world has not been kind to you, and I have no place joining it."
Magna stood there stiffening up as soon as he touched her, almost like she was unused or maybe even surprised by the physical contact. "And yeah… that is totally not what a creep would say..." Magna voice came from his chest, muffled by the rough cloth that he was wearing, it sounded heavy with sarcasm to him but also heavy with something else. Maybe tears? Sadness? It was anyone's guess at this point. "And... no, I was wrong Balder I been… very ungrateful and maybe ill thinking of you…"
"It's alright, Magna. You're not alone in your thinking as this entire country carries the same mindset as you do." Baldar looked around for any sign of someone seeing them, but it looked like they were in the clear for now to deal with this. "And I am here to talk if you need to, Magna. I want to see you safe, not hurting okay?"
"I will… try to keep that in mind. I cannot help something that was ingrained into me from birth you do understand that correct? But… out of respect for you helping me so much, I will try not to think like that of you. As for the talking…" The girl coughed and pushed away from Baldar to give them room between them looking away, still holding onto the spell tome with an iron grip. "I… still have boundaries, even to a stranger who has helped me this much. I… hope you understand."
"Alright then," Baldar said, nodding in agreement to Magna's words, glad that they were coming to some sort of understanding. "So, you've got the book, and we still have half a month before they switch to a new spell. What do you want to do?" As Baldar watched Magna shifted for a moment glancing down at the book in her arms before glancing back up at him.
"Well… if we could make it to College, then I... think I can learn it in time to join. After that, you won't have to worry about me anymore so you can go back to finding your memories that you lost." Magna shifted again looking a little uncomfortable. "But... I don't think we can go back to the Inn after our... Disagreement."
"Well, I have everything in my-" Baldar heard a rustling of a large creature coming from the bushes behind him. His reflexes kicked in, and he drew a dagger from his bag before getting between the sound and Magna. Ears swiveling to hone in from the new stress, he found that he heard multiple light footsteps like several creatures with four legs were circling them. "Magna, get ready to burn something. I think we are facing wolves."
"What?! This close to the town? That is not normal behavior for wolf's…" Magna squeaked at the sudden turn of events taking a step back away from him. "Wait… where are the town guards?" Magna questioned from behind him her voice rising a little bit in tone confusion and fear was laced among her wounds.
That was when a large, black dog leaped from the bushes at the two of them. There wasn't enough time for Baldar to take it head on but he had another option. He ducked down, pulling Magna with him just in time to watch the dog go soaring over them. The dagger then plunged upward and stabbed into the dog as it landed down away from them.
"Ha-ha got it!" Baldar said, but the dog didn't seem to realize or care as it turned around to them like nothing had happened. "Shit."
The two faced off with a large muscular dog, all the fur that it once wore fallen off leaving behind it's jet black skin that smoked an inky black air. Glowing red eyes drew focus to the decaying and necrotic face of the hound that bared its teeth at the pair through a lipless maw, the bone around where a nose would have been long ago stayed motionless. A chill swept over the odd pair as the hound crept closer to them, the rotting smell assaulting Baldar nose.
"Quick kill it with fire!" Magna piped up from behind him, sticking out her hand as flames erupted from her palm in a display of magic, igniting the hound on fire while it howled in pain but kept creeping ever closer to them. The decaying flesh odor quickly changed into a searing burnt meat that pounded at his senses.
That was when another leaped out from another bush aiming for Baldar's neck. His backup plan kicked in as fast as he could move. Claws flicked out from Baldar's hands, and he slashed upward, knocking the dog's head. It fell away from them but started to circle as well leaving them trapped between two dogs that were ready to pounce.
It was at that moment that the master of these hounds revealed himself but kept his face in the dark. "Well well well, what have my hounds found now? A girl and her pet cat?"
Baldar scanned the man and saw he was wearing some sort of armor tailored to be formal seeming. There were plates that held similar looks to vampire wings, crisscrossing his chest and a red cape that fell back behind him. In one of his hands was a steel sword and the other lit up with black and red magica unlike anything Baldar's short memory could comprehend.
Behind him Magna fire ran out, leaving her panting quietly as the girl shifted closer, enough to touch his back with her own. "Careful, that is an enchanted blade… can you give me cover for a moment? I have a spell that might make the dog things peaceful." Magna whispered harshly from behind followed by the ever so familiar sound of a bowstring being drawn back; Baldar guessed it must have been the bow that she had on her back all this time.
"As much as I can," Baldar stated, reaching back and pulling off his bow and arrow. "You there, dark man. Why are you attacking us?"
"Because, I'm starving!" The man laughed, his dogs taking that as their cue to attack again.
The cat's reflexes were luckily on point, and he turned to the first incoming dog and put the arrow right into its eye. This time, it was hurt and reeled back in pain while shaking its head furiously. The next leaped into the air, and he was forced to meet it head on in an attack by punching it in the snout with his bow hand. It dropped right by his feet, and he started putting arrow after arrow into the dog's head, but something was wrong.
"Magna, how long is this gonna take?" He asked, looking over to the man and seeing he was using some spell on him that was absorbing his energy.
As he questioned Magna, a flash of yellowish gold, magical energy burst from her mouth as an echoing ring filled the still air of the night. For a moment all was silent until the growling of the unnatural dogs filled the void once more, whatever spell that Magna had tried to use having failed to work on whatever kind of monsters that was attacking them.
"S... Shit, they are not normal dogs that should have worked! That normally works!" Magna panicked from behind him, shuffling around to face the man trying to drain Baldar. Taking her bow Magna pulled back trying to place one of her arrows into the attacking man, landing an arrow into his shoulder.
The man reeled back and grabbed his shoulder giving Baldar an opening to gain an advantage on him. The cat's palm thrust out toward the remaining dog and the black tendril shot from it before sucking the dog dry. It landed on the ground with a puff and that left him feeling energized but also something more. He leaped out and smashed into the dark man clawing him in the face but not before five sharp nails slammed into Baldar's side and pierced his flesh.
The thief howled into the air before feeling a jaw clamp around the side of his neck. His mouth opened for an even louder howl, but only blood sprayed out from it. It was beginning to look like he was going to be a goner when the sound of a gear turning and a whizz were followed by an arrow piercing the vampire's head that the Khajiit was freed. He could only fall back into the dirt with all his strength drained from him.
Looking over to Magna, he went to speak, but only blood came from his mouth. Baldar watched as Magna froze in her spot her eyes widening at the sight glancing back between him and the vampire nearby. But his garbled words seemed to startle her out of the frozen state, the girl dashing to close the distance between them as quick as she could. Behind her, the last remaining demon like a dog locked eyes on the moving target and leaped through the air after the unaware Magna. Just as it's jawed was about to snap down onto her neck another whizz of turning gears came from the side, and in the next moment, the hound was sent flying away from Magna with a cross bolt erupting from its heart.
"Get away from him!" Magna took her bow and swung at the vampire with all her might to send him stumbling back away from Baldar laying prone on the ground. A heavy thud came from beside his fluffy ears as Magna fell to her knees next to his bleeding body. "Just hold on, Baldar." A small glow enveloped her hand followed by the burning pressure of healing spell working its way through his neck as it tried to mend the flesh back together.
Even in his pain, the cat didn't stop scanning for danger and was trying to be ready to move at a moment's notice. Another dark figure came from the shadows, lumbering heavier and looking more muscular than the previous man. In his hand was a crossbow that was cocked back and ready to fire. Magna was too busy to notice him, but he stood over the two and looked Baldar dead in the eyes.
It was a strange sense of relief to know that this was where he died as if something ahead of him in life scared him more deeply than its end. However, the man had a different idea of what to do on this occasion and kneeled down beside the can. His hand gently placed on Magna's shoulder while his orcish face came into view.
"Do not waste more magika girl. I have potions for his current state." The Orc said, sounding professional and like this was a regular occurrence to him.
"Excuse me but wh…." Magna started into the Orc before turning her head to look at who was speaking, her words seeming to die on her lips as she swallowed hard. Staring at the Orc with a mouth agape Baldar watched as Magna slowly moved off to the side allowing the Orc to have more room next to his side.
The Orc kneeled down next to him and pulled out two bottles from a sack on his left him. One was small and red while the other was large and pink. "Girl, pinch his nose shut and hold his mouth open. We have to make sure he drinks all the health potion."
Magna seemed to eye the two potions, hesitating to obey the newcomer with her lips turning down into a thin hard line. In her eyes, there was a clear struggle on if this Orc was to be trusted or not but one quick glance back at the dying vampire made up her mind. Baldar felt his nose being closed off as Magna grabbed hold of it with her other hand slowly pried open his mouth, the pressure by the joint in his jaw making him open wide against his will.
The Orc leaned over the Khajiit and popped the cork off both bottles. "This is a healing potion, and the other is a potion for diseases. This should help him fight what is to come."
The green skin then began to pour both bottles into Baldar's mouth, and the liquid took effect quickly. He felt the bleeding in his side start to stop up and the wounds shifting. It all felt like a change in his body and then the disease cure started to hit.
"What do you mean by changes?" Magna questioned the Orc, her voice sounding farther away than it was before. Then his body started to foam and convulse with
"He's been bitten by a vampire. The venom from its fangs and traveling through his veins. Within three days he'd be one if he doesn't drink both of these potions." Foam then began to bubble out Baldar's nose, and he gargled the potions before starting to convulse. He tried to hold it down as best as he could but it hurt him so bad, and his body wanted to throw it up. "Quickly girl, use some of your healing magic to numb him from the effects."
"Oh, now you want me to use my magic." A soothing sensation swept over his neck and chest easing the effects of the potions.
The healing magic did enough to keep him from throwing up, but it all still was taking its toll on his body. Finally, it finished when the last drops of potion managed to fall down his throat. The Orc then removed himself from the Khajiit and watched as he convulsed on the ground. His wounds finally closing up before he spewed a torrent of black sludge from his mouth.
"Ack, ack, what was… what the hell is that? Vampirism never had these kinds of effects before!" Baldar roared, wondering how he knew about that.
"I have no idea; I was dispatched here to help the guards hunt down this vampire." The Orc replied, standing up and putting his hands together and cracking his knuckles. "Vampirism has been getting more volatile lately as if a reaction to… Hm, interesting."
"Ew ew ew ew, it's on my hand!" Magna rocked back onto her heels flinging her hand around trying to remove some of the black sludge that had seemed to have fallen on her hand.
"Well, what have you got?" Baldar asked, shakily getting up and using Magna to lean on in his weakened state.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with." The Orc declared, picking his crossbow up from the ground and throwing it over his shoulder. "This is Dawngaurd business."
"Dawngaurd? What in oblivion is that?" Baldar felt Magna shift under his weight, letting him rest on her back while she turned to face the Orc from their spot on the ground.
"Vampire hunters." He said, crossing his arms and standing up taller. "We take care of the enemies that the regular people are too afraid to acknowledge."
"Oh boy, just what Skyrim needs, another guild," Baldar said, pushing off toward the gates and trying to get to safety. "Well, good luck with your hunting. I'm sure you are doing us a great service."
"Baldar wait where do you think you're going like that? Did you forget why we were outside of the town in the first place?" Magna called after him, the sound of the gravel scraping against leather signal her standing up and following along behind him.
Baldar looked at the ground when he realized that Magna was right and sighed. "Damn it, you're right. Ugh, in all of Mundas, why did we have to be here. Alright, let's start heading to Riverwood."
"Absolutely not Baldar! Your hurt and tried let alone in any condition to keep walking tonight. Why don't we just take your tent and set up just outside of the gates? That way if anything happens we can just run inside while the guards take care of it if they don't all, go missing as they are now."
"Not after what just happened. We need to be somewhere safe." Baldar stated, pushing off of her and starting down the cobblestone road. "Orc, how much do you charge for protection?"
"Well, considering you are still recovering from the vampire attack. I would consider this part of the cities cost." He said, looking back at the pile of ashes the Vampire had become. Baldar heard a foot stomping on the road and a loud huff from Magna from probably being ignored in her advice. "Fine, whatever don't listen to the voice of reason." Magna huffed from behind him, taking a few quick steps to walk beside him.
Baldar marched on into the night, holding his now only sore side as he walked. Behind him, he heard the steps of Magna and the Orc man. The day had been long, and it was only going to be longer until they reached Riverwood. He bemoaned the trip ahead though since it would mean having to make their way around Helgen since he refused to revisit the blasted place again.
"Just keep walking Magna. There is a long walk ahead of us."
