Day Forty-nine Part Two

The iron doors slammed shut and the silence was almost too much to bear at first. The only thing I could hear were the fires burning in braziers around some large stone obelisk in the center of the room. I could see crypts lining the walls. Hopefully these would stay intact, though the smell of living death, all dust and moldy clothes, wafted in the air. There were definitely draugr about somewhere.

I kept my sword ready in my right hand and the Sanguine staff in the other. I know the charges in the staff were limited and I was not sure how many soul gems I had to recharge it with so I would only use it if something nasty or numerous appeared.

I spotted the draugr walking around, oblivious to my presence. They seemed the simple sort so I switched to my bow to catch them by surprise. I decided to start with my orcish arrows. They were good enough for these guys. As soon as I took out the first one, however, four more appeared, and they were the more commanding type. I shouted three back into the next room then whipped out the Sanguine staff and my sword. Kynval was more than happy to set them on fire while I finished off another with my sword and shield techniques. Kynval had dropped one by the time I reached him and together we killed the other two easy enough. An alter held some coins in a bunch of urns, but nothing else really, a potion or two for stamina, that was all.

I followed some stairs upwards to another chamber. This one was dustier than the other. I could barely see the puzzle stones in the middle beneath a small arch. Beyond them I could see two closed gates. I assumed the puzzle would open the gates. Before I tried it out, though, more draugr appeared, one of them hitting me with a beam of frost. I went after him first, bashing him to stop the magic. Did he not realize I was a Nord? His frost was like a window draft to me. He was probably an idiot even when he was alive. The other draugr were not much of a challenge, though I did retreat briefly to use my magic to heal up.

The puzzle was no match for my intellect, despite what Lydia would have you believe. It turned out to be like the others, just matching the symbols on the stones with the figures on nearby plaques. I hit the lever and the gate on the right slid open. I found a chest with some gold and a healing potion. I took those then got my sword and shield before heading back to the lever. I changed the middle stone to a snake, the symbol above the other door. The other gate opened. I got down into a sneaking crouch and headed further into the temple.

I followed a ramp up to a narrow ledge. I barely had time to register that the next room was some sunken chamber before an arrow hit me in the hip. It didn't go in far but the point must have found a vein. I backed up to yank the filthy arrow out and heal up.

"So you want to play bows and arrows, huh?" I yelled out at him. I got out my bow and found a bottle of poison which I laced my arrows with. I used the ledge for cover and timed my shots in between his. His first shot must have been a fluke because the rest clattered harmlessly all around me. I waited until he went down on one knee then lined up a shot to his unprotected skull.

"When you get back to Oblivion, tell them Ralos Ravenclaw sent you... and to expect more."

The arrow caved in the side of his skull. The sunken chamber was a trap if I ever saw one. Crypts lined the walls around an alter table in the center. I could only see one exit, I thought, but it was covered with spiderwebs. I got out my sword and staff and started down the stairs.

As soon as I got to the ground, another draugr appeared from the side. I circled the table, waiting for more to bust out from the crypts, but none did. I put my staff away and with my shield to block his sword, took him out quickly. The table had little of value, as did a chest that had been stashed beneath the stairs. So far, I would have to say that Skuldafn was not impressing me with its riches. I cut through the spiderwebs and crept along slowly, suspecting what would be ahead. It did not take long to be right, as usual.

"Spiders," I whispered to myself. "Why'd it have to be spiders? I hate these things. Oh, Kynval."

I summoned the Dramora Lord. He materialized and sniffed the air. "You reek of fear, human."

"Whatever. That's lavender and juniper berry soap, I'll have you know, a proprietary blend I found at a temple of Dibella. You're probably smelling your armor. When was the last time you had that thing cleaned?"

He rolled his demonic eyes. "Was there a reason you chose to annoy me?"

"Up ahead there's some bugs I want help with."

"Bugs? That's it."

"Big bugs," I corrected, "You don't poison easily, do you?"

Kynval unsheated his sword, "Bah," he said and charged forward.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," I yelled after him then followed with my shield held high.

Creepy as they were, the spiders were not as much trouble as I anticipated. I thought Kynval's fiery sword had a lot to do with that, though one did manage to splat some poison on my arm. The hairy arachnids seemed to lose their will to fight once they caught fire. The smell of burning spider hair was even worse than roasted skeever in the narrow confines of the stairs. I counted five spiders by the time I reached another door though I was surprised that was it, considering the multitude of egg sacs all over the place. I was tempted to set them ablaze but that might have just sent thousands of little ones scurrying everywhere. The last thing I needed was to worry about any of them crawling in my ear while fighting off a draugr. I found one chest covered by a thick net of webs but it only contained a few gold coins, an iron sword, and a healing potion.

Alone again, I opened the door and caught some movement to my left. I was able to raise my shield in time to block the draugr's sword, mostly. He reeled back from the impact which allowed me to get in an extra shot from my sword. He swung again but I bashed him in the skull with my shield. I hit him twice more then suddenly felt a sharp pain in my back. I spun to see another draugr with a bow coming down a ramp. Damn cowards, shooting me in the back. I force shouted the archer into a jumble of bones then returned to finish off the first attacker. The archer was just getting his bow aligned when I swung my shield into him. I cut him down, first his leg, then a slash across his neck to send him back to rest.

The room turned out to be another puzzle. I found the lever at the top of the ramp but could not see what it would open. I figured out the symbols and got my sword out before throwing the lever. A wooden ramp fell, revealing another door. I was hoping for a chest with some decent loot for a change, but Alduin was probably keeping all the good stuff for himself. Undeterred, I moved on.
As soon as I opened the door, a helmeted draugr standing behind another alter table hurled small ice shards at me. The ice shattered against my armor but the fragments dug like needles into any exposed flesh. I leapt over the table and used my full weight to smash into him with my shield. I had to kick him off the spikes to continue my attack with my sword. He pressed his attack with a beam of frost aimed at my head but besides freezing the snot in my nose, it did little to stop me.

I started healing what little damage was done but then arrows began hitting me from both sides. I did not even notice the two draugr pacing on a ledge above me. Sneaky little dead guys. I quickly looked around to see how to get to them, suffering more arrows in the process. I found a ramp and with one hand healing, ran towards them.

I reequipped my shield as the first engaged me at the top of the ramp. He dropped his bow but only managed to get in one meager swipe with a short sword before I sent him spinning to the lower floor. Arrows from the other archers had done more damage during the fight. He seemed inaccessible on the other side until I realized there was a passage leading to him. I reached a corner and fully healed with my dual magic. I peeked around the next corner to see him ready with another arrow. I let him fire, dodged it behind the wall, then ran at him with my sword and shield ready. Like a typical archer, he held his bow too long and only managed to get off one more arrow before I was upon him. He never even had the chance to change weapons before I left him as a pile of rotting bones on the floor.

I admit I was starting to enjoy this, feeling what could only be a sort of battle-rage. My eyes were wide as I searched out another foe to fight. My hand gripped my sword so tight it began to ache. I decided I needed to settle down. The last thing I wanted to do was rush into some blade trap or a chamber filled with mages. I sheathed my sword and returned through the tunnel. There had been a chest near the table and I had left it to deal with the archers. That would give me time to calm down and think clearly. The chest, as usual, held only a little gold and a green potion to help with stamina. I took it and went back up the ramp to see where the tunnel would lead past the last archer draugr.

My blood was still heated from fighting. I had not realized how much I had been relying on Lydia during my fights. Through all the barrows and keeps we had been through, I did not remember getting this worked up and now I think it is because she was always taking the point of the battles while I was able to pick and choose who and how I wanted to fight. I know it was part of the description of a housecarl, but looking back on it, Lydia seemed to relish her defender role. I thought of getting her a basket of sweetrolls when I got back. It was the least I could do.

Between my battle-rage and thinking of Lydia, I was too distracted and did not notice the pressure plate just inside the next doorway. Inside the small room was a spiral staircase leading up. I could smell the oil on the floor before I even entered. The pressure plate triggered a firepot to fall to floor where it bounced once then set the oil on fire. I was too far away to be hurt by it, but at the same time poison darts began pelting me from the far wall. I dove back out of the room but not before being struck several times by the darts. I laid there, feeling sick and weak. I had no potions to cure me so I was forced to stay there and let it run its course. My healing magic kept it at bay. I thought I heard draugr laughing from above.

I finally felt better so I stepped into the room, mindful of the plate on the floor. I checked a bookcase by the stairs and picked up a few more potions of healing. There was a large soul gem, but it looked empty. I could still taste the poison running through me. I had to focus and stay calm, not let my natural Nord battle-blood get too heated. Also I needed to not think of Lydia. She was just too distracting right now, especially recalling what she had whispered to me before I left. I readied my sword and shield and climbed the stairs.

At the top, a draugr came running at me from a small alcove. I also noticed two more bone-knockers still inside. I met the one's charge with my shield. His axe rang against my shield and I retaliated with a bash and a crushing blow from my elven sword. I felt two arrows hit me at the same time and realized the two shy draugr were just archers waiting to pick me off in safety. My first foe stood again so I repeated my tactic with a bash and slash and he fell inside the room. He landed with a splash and I realized the floor inside was filled with more oil. I decided to delve into my seldom used magic and sent a gout of flame into the room. The draugr archers realized they were trapped and tried to get out. I stood in the doorway and used my shield to bash them back until they finally fell apart, their skulls frozen in silent screams of death.

I looked around for the next way to go and only found a dark tunnel blocked by a locked metal gate. I didn't see a chain or anything nearby so after a quick search, decided to look inside the alcove with the toasted archers. I held my breath against the stench long enough to find a lever. I pulled it and saw through a hole the gate open for me. I quickly left, breathed in some only slightly better air, and moved on slowly.

The hallway beyond the gate was like a tunnel with tattered tapestries hanging from the ceiling every fifty feet or so. It was cold and there was a draft making the tapestries wave languidly in the dusty air. Obviously this would lead to some open area. I thought there was water on the floor so I assumed it must have rained recently and there were leaks in the ceiling. It turned out on closer inspection that the water was actually diluted oil, its smell decayed over the years like the temple's inhabitants. I was glad there was enough light so I did not need a torch. Having to mind an open fire if I was attacked would have made holding a torch... precarious, at best.

I noticed a chest out of the corner of my right eye and stopped to check it. As soon as I opened it I heard the familiar clink of a firepot releasing from the ceiling. I saw the flame bloom ahead of me and knew I was in trouble if I stayed, instantly recalling what I had just done to the draugr minutes ago. I abandoned the chest and took off running back the other way. I could feel the heat of the flames on my neck and could smell my own hair burning. I dove to the ground near the gate where it looked like the oil had stopped. I rolled painfully onto my injured shoulder and came to a stop with my back against the wall. The entire tunnel was an inferno but it dissipated quickly once the oil was burned off. Once again I was glad I did not have an injured leg, though my shoulder was once again throbbing. I picked myself up and shrugged off the pain. I needed to be more cautious. I thought I would just ignore the chests and urns from now on. They had not yielded anything worth keeping anyway.