The Heart of a Daedra
By The Grey Knight
Chapter 24:
A few hours later, Sjern walked back through the doors of Proudspire once more. Dropping the sack of food supplies that he had gone out to get, he noticed that the front hall was empty. Dropping the sack of supplies, Sjern drew the Daedric War Axe and got into a crouched position. Carefully making his way over to the stairs, he decided to check the downstairs first only to find it devoid of any life. Then, with a moment of realisation, Sjern quietly whispered
"Laas Yah Nir!"
The Aura Whisper Shout was one of his lesser used Shouts but still came in handy in situations such as these. The Shout revealed there to be three moving entities upstairs. Taking reassurance that it was his friends, Sjern shouted up to them that he was home, getting a greeting shouted down to him.
'Why am I so on edge all of a sudden?' Sjern asked of himself. 'Maybe it's just the impending war we have to fight. Yeah that's it.'
Storing each of the food items in their respective containers, he cast a mild Frostbite spell at the bottom of the two barrels that held the fish and meats. Happy that they should stay cold for a few days at least, he tossed the now empty sack into a corner and trotted up the stairs. As the Aura Whisper Shout had revealed, Infernus, Shadowfang and Knight Zacharias were all upstairs. The Knight was sitting down, his arms folded and his steel blade on the table. Infernus was showing Shadowfang how to control her fire spell to a point that she could summon a tiny flame to burn naught else but a dry leaf. While she was still Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, it was evident that Infernus was the greater Pyromancer by far. Then again, he had been using and killing with fire for years on end. Even so, he was still proficient with his Blades' Sword and could move around the house without a single sound being made.
"Dragonborn, welcome home!" Shadowfang reiterated, lifting her focus from the small flame and setting Infernus' hood on fire. "Oops, sorry Infernus."
Putting the flame out casually, as if he were waving a strand of hair from his eyes, the Breton dismissed her apology and greeted Sjern in the same way.
"I understand that your new armour has been commissioned Dragonborn. I sincerely hope that it does you well in battle."
"As do I Infernus, as do I." Sjern replied.
"On a side note Dragonborn, a courier called to the door and handed this in for you. He said it was from the Jarl of Morthal. Something to do with a vampire issue or something like that so we told him you'd be right over. Don't fret, we'll watch the house for you."
Sjern nodded and walked back upstairs to his room. Grabbing a bag filled with magicka and health potions, he chose to forgo any armour and rely on magicka instead. A small knock on the door startled him and he spun, his uneasiness taking control once again.
"I just wanted to ask if you wanted any help or company on this trip." Shadowfang asked. "I'm good at dealing with vampires and I have a strange feeling that my sister may be there. If she is, you will need help Dragonborn."
"Aye that he will. Nothing like a good flame to reduce some vampiric scum to ashes eh?" Infernus quipped from behind her.
"I thought you said you were going to watch the house?" Sjern said to the Pyromancer, stuffing a cheese roll into the bag.
"Nah, killing the undead is way more fun than house-sitting. Also, if Ol Ebonyclaw here is right and we do meet her sister, well a little extra help never burned anyone, did it?"
"I'm coming along too Dragonborn. It has been to long since we last travelled together and as loathe as I am to claim I enjoy killing, if it is causing havoc in these lands then I will do what is necessary to stop it." Came the voice of Knight Zacharias.
Sjern nodded firmly to his friends.
"Very well, we leave in fifteen minutes. Pack only the essentials and meet me outside the Solitude Gates."
With his travelling bag over his shoulder, Sjern strode out the door and towards the main gate of Solitude. As he walked however, he saw three men in strange yellow-orange robes with masks on, talking to one of the guards, who then pointed over at Sjern. Gripping the handle of the Daedric War Axe, Sjern stood ready to attack as the three men walked over.
"Are you the one they call Dragonborn?" The leader asked.
"Aye, what can I do for you?" Sjern replied tentatively.
"It's quite simple really. You can fall dead at our master's feet you imposter! There is only one true Dragonborn!"
When he said this, the other two men drew small daggers, raised them high and shouted "FOR MIRAAK!" before lunging at Sjern.
Not having enough time to unhook his axe right away, Sjern stepped forward and kicked the leader of the strange men backwards, tripping the other two over. Having bought himself some time, he pulled out the Daedric Axe and swung for one of the men. Catching him at the base of the skull, the sharp edge of the War Axe buried itself in his head with a sickening crack of the man's skull. Wrenching the axe from his scalp, Sjern spun on the spot and hacked at the second man, who had just gotten to his feet, in one swift movement. Once again, the sharp edge of the Daedric Axe cut deep into flesh and bone as it cut through the man's neck, decapitating him.
The final man, the leader, had recuperated from the kick by this stage. However, seeing how easily his brethren had been cut down, he turned tail and began to run away from Sjern. Shaking his head sorrowfully, Sjern threw the War Axe with great precision, burying it in the man's spine. Walking over to him, he pulled the War Axe out of the man's back and placed one foot on the wound, causing him to scream in pain through his mask.
"Who sent you?" Sjern demanded. "Who, in the name of all that is holy, is Miraak?"
The man merely coughed once and screamed out once more.
"Forgive me Lord Miraak! I have failed you!"
With those final words, he breathed his last and his body went limp. Taking his foot off of the man, Sjern ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. Checking the man's robe pockets, he found a note ordering them to come to Skyrim and slay Sjern. The note had his name on him and addressed him as the 'False Dragonborn', something that caught Sjern's eye.
'In the name of the Nine, who are these people?' Sjern thought as he crumpled up the note.
Knowing of only one sea captain who would ever sail to Solstheim, Sjern made up his mind that as soon as the war with the Daedra was over, he would travel to Solstheim and find out what these people wanted with him.
Another very short and very uninteresting chapter. This one basically sets up the sequel story which should be very obvious from what just happened to Sjern. I'm sorry this one took so long but the damned block won't leave my mind. Thanks for reading guys! Talos guide you all. Peace.