AN: Sorry for the delay ya'll. My Beta moved and just recently got his house in order enough to sit down and write. It also doesn't help that Diablo dropped and took up massive amounts of his attention (Looking at you V3X).
Betaed by V3X
Review Response:
Guest: Good guess. I'll just say you have to keep reading to find out who Wulfgar is. He's going to play a big part in the story later.
(9th of Hearthfire 195 4E)
Red sat at the table in his and Aela's room. The sounds of his fingers slowly tapping the hardwood filled the room as he stared down at the small blank parchment. Taking a sip of mead, he mulled over everything he had taught Naruto; basic survival, seals, basic jutsu, just about anything the boy could use.
Naruto wasn't the quickest learner, but Red had managed to beat the lessons into place. Well, the companions did that for him. Between Skjor, Vilkas, and Farkas, plenty of lessons were best taught through, as Aela called it, tough love. But there were a few subjects that escaped him, mainly magic.
He knew that the blond had at least some form of magic. His grandfather had come from here, but no matter how much Naruto studied the tomes Aela had gotten him, it never seemed to click the same way charka did.
Red had known since he was born that his elemental affinities were fire and wind. Picking up the small piece of paper, he held it between his fingers and gently pushed a bit of charka into it. Blue flames quickly burned it into fine ash as the wind scattered them into the air leaving nearly no trace of it.
Setting his mead down, he looked at the small piece he got Naruto to use, or at least what he could find. The small strip of charka paper had been shredded into so many pieces it looked like a pack of rabid wolves had gotten ahold of it. This was as clear an indication as possible that Naruto's first affinity was wind, and from the looks of it, just as powerful as Red's own wind affinity.
'Maybe that has something to do with it?' Red mused. Holding a finger out, he formed a small blue flame on its tip. For him, it was as easy as breathing. Here in this world, he knew of only three main types of combat magic. There was fire, frost, lightning, and various types of lost magics, but no wind magic.
To most here in this world, it would look like he was just using magic, hence why it was one of the few charka-based skills he could get away with in public. Sure, the color was off, and it burned hotter, but he could make it look like he was throwing a fireball or spewing flames from his hand, so many didn't pay him much mind.
Lucia, on the other hand, was a natural with magic. It was almost like she had been blessed by a divine or something with the level of control the girl had over the magic. She used magic almost absentmindedly sometimes when she was in thought. He had seen her reading a book as flames weaved in between her fingers like a thin line of rope, her eyes never once leaving the pages.
Something else he would have to look into later.
Red frowned as he silently wished Aela was here so he could ask her what magic was like in this world, but with it being the full moon tonight, the only thing on her mind was the hunt.
Another thing that worried him greatly.
Taking the last sip of mead, he slowly stood up and stretched his back out. After sitting so long, everything was sore. He felt like he was just chasing his tail round and round with all the thinking he had done.
Lifting the wooden bar on his door, he silently walked through the sleeping area of Jorrvaskr. From the way he felt, it had to be well past ten at night, meaning everyone should be either asleep in their beds or passed out drunk on the floors above.
Stopping at the door at the end, he opened it as quietly as possible. He winced a little as the hinges creaked and peered into the darkness.
A ghost of a smile graced Red's face as he looked at the sleeping forms of Naruto and Lucia. He still didn't know what to call the feeling he had towards the boy yet, but he could say for certain he cared about him.
Closing the door, he stifled a yawn as he returned to his room. 'Tomorrow, I'll head and talk to someone more magically inclined.' he thought as he lay down on the bed.
(10th of Hearthfire 195 4E)
The soft, gentle music of a lute echoed across the floor of the Bannered Mare as Red slowly ate the cooked horker steak. It was fatty, salted from being cured, and tough, but the subtle hints of pepper, juniper, and snowberries balanced the meat nicely.
Wiping his mouth with the rag, his hand froze as he picked up his fork. His eyes widened, and his muscles tensed as he heard the stool beside him shuffle against the hard oaken floors. "Brandy, if you would." an imperial voice said with an accent that he hadn't heard before. "Fine day outside today, wouldn't you say, Master Red?"
Red turned his head slightly as he stared into the imperial's eyes. The blue orbs were brimming with power; though old, he carried an aura of something dangerous. He wore a tattered brown cloak hiding his imperial armor under it. Red's fingers twitched as he stared at the man. "Do I know you?"
"Calm yourself, Master Red. I did not come here to start a fight, just to talk." the man said while Red felt a calming sensation come over him. Taking the glass of brandy from the barmaid, the man calmly took a sip before silently swirling it in his glass. "No, you don't. But I've heard of you, Red Bloodmane. The man said to be able to match even a giant in strength." the imperial took another small sip of mead, "It took me a while to find you, and even longer to confirm you were the one I was looking for, but the trip was well worth the effort."
"Trip, you make it sound like you have traveled far. Hard to believe at your age." Red replied as sweat started forming on his brow. This man was dangerous. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to run, run as far as he could from the man beside him.
"From Daggerfall to Blackmarsh, Morrowind to Hammerfell, and finally here, Whiterun hold in Skyrim." the man replied calmly, "You are an, how should I say it, an oddity...no that does not fit you, unnatural being that fits better."
Red urged his body to move, but his limbs were locked in place. He could feel the world around him humming with power, power on par with his father, the Sage. Frozen, he looked around the room. No one else seemed to feel what he felt. The bard played his lute, the barmaid cleaned her glass, and the guard captain in the corner silently ate his stew.
"How is the young shadowalker, Ms. Pullo?" Red raised an eyebrow at the question. He didn't know who it was the man spoke of. "Ah, forgive me, I mean young Lucia Pullo. Magic courses through her veins, her blood. Blood dating back to the first era. A rarity, I might add. Took me a while to find someone like her, and crossing the mountains, oh, that was murder on these old bones of mine."
Lucia, what in the name of the gods did any of this have to do with her? "Lucia has become quite attached to the kit. It's almost like they knew each other their whole lives." Red replied, feeling compelled to do so.
"Good, no wonderful!" the cloaked man said as he slowly clapped his hands. "I was hoping I made the right choice. It seemed like all my fears were unfound. She has so much untapped potential. A potential that I hope comes to help the kit, as you call him."
Lifting his glass once more, the man stared into the crimson liquid. "Humor, this old man once more, if you would. How is life treating the young Septim?" the man asked as he traced the rim of his glass with his fingertip.
The metal fork in his hand snapped like a dry stick as Red played the man's question over and over in his head. He didn't want to answer. He tried to play dumb like he didn't know what the imperial was talking about. "Fine, he is being looked after by all the companions. Naruto grows stronger every day." once more, his lips betrayed him.
"Good, very good…" he held out his palm and stared at it. "The boy has the world in the palm of his hand. Whether he falls to the forces of the world or rises to heights unknown will be decided soon." blue eyes stared at him as if they were peering into his soul. "Train him well, push him to the breaking point and then beyond. Teach him your ways, the ways of the world from wince, you hail."
Taking the final sip of his brandy, the imperial nodded his head. "This is good stuff, far better than the old swill I was served ages ago. Ah, how I missed the drinks here in Skyrim. Always strong and full of flavor, unlike that vinegar water called wine from the White-Gold tower. I'll take another if you would!"
Silently as if she was in a trance, Hulda filled his glass before walking away to clean her mugs. No, it wasn't a different mug. It was the same mug she had been cleaning since this man arrived. Red's eyes scanned the room again; the bard had been playing the same song repeatedly, and the guard captain had still not finished his stew.
"Don't worry about them. They are fine." the man said calmly as Red's eyes landed back on him. "I quite enjoy our talk, no need for others to make themselves privy to it." taking a sip, the imperial cocked an eyebrow. "Unless, of course, you want them to be?"
"No, better they not…." Red said, trying to understand what was happening around him. The pair sat silently, Red unable to move from his seat and the imperial calmly drinking. "Who are you?"
"That is the question, isn't it?" the man said, setting his glass down. "I am a man, same as you are now. You hide the tail well, but you are no less a man than anyone here."
Red's eye twitched slightly in annoyance. "No, you are more than a man."
"I may be, I may not be, who is to tell?" the man replied with a sly smile. "Today, I am no one. Tomorrow I may be someone. An eon from now, I may fade into Oblivion. What was once my name forever forgotten to all."
Finishing his brandy once more, the man sat the empty glass down on the counter. "Go, you have to meet someone, do you not? Do not expect all the answers to come to you. Soon deals will be made, brother will raise arms against his brother, and war will consume this world once more…" he paused for a second as if trying to think of something. "Forgive the ramblings of this old man. It's pointless to tell you now." the man said, waving his hand in front of his face dismissively.
Red watched as the man stood up and seemingly dusted himself off, "You answered my questions and sated my curiosity for now, Red Bloodmane." Red felt his body freeze as the man reached out and touched his head, "But you will not remember today, just as these people won't. But I will let you remember these final words, etched into the recesses of your mind. You will see things. Things that will only make sense to you, and in time those visions may come to pass. Only time will tell if they do. Some good, some bad, some dug up from the deepest pits of Oblivion, but you have a part to play, a part that could etch your name forever into the fabric of this world."
Red's eyes widened as he felt something deep within him stir, "Besides, it's too early for me to step into the light. The board is still being set, and the die has yet to be cast. Till we meet again, Red Bloodmane, you carry your father's legacy well, even if you have strayed from the path somewhat. Farewell…"
In a blink, the man was gone.
Red picked up his knife and slowly cut away at the steak on his plate. "When did I place this glass here?" he heard Hulda ask as she walked over and picked up the stray glass.
Red stared at the glass in her hands. Something was missing, so close yet so far, a fleeting feeling that he forgot something. "Say, Hulda, was there someone here just now?"
Hulda got a faraway stare in her eye. "No, I don't think so," she replied.
"Huh swore there was…" mumbled Red as he stared down at a single Septim left on the counter.
The Last Septim
Red pushed through the doors of Dragonsreach, the impressive castle fort that the city of Whiterun was founded on many eras ago. The leader of this hold was a young man named Balgruuf the Greater. His father died during the war, leaving him as Jarl of Whiterun once the war was over.
As much as he hated the high elves, Balgruuf hated dishonest men more. If you were honest and fair with him, he would be much the same to you in kind. While he was a kind and reasonable man, his housecarl, on the other hand, was not so kind of a woman, more of an annoyance.
Ducking under the sword swung at his head, Red rolled forward and took a fighting stance. "You carry that toothpick with you, yet you never use it!" the dark elf yelled, pointing her steel sword at him. "Some warrior you are!" she roared as she charged him.
"Well, hello to you too, Irileth, ya pain in my ass!" Red yelled, blocking the sword strike with the metal plate on his gauntlet. Sparks flew as he let the blade skim across the metal.
Grabbing hold of her wrist before she could pull it back, he twisted and pulled the woman over his shoulder. He heard her gasp for air as her back met the hard wooden floor. "An this is why I say you're still green behind those blue ears of yours. A man put you on your ass without even drawing his sword." Red told her calmly, holding her down with a boot on her leather chest plate. "Give it a rest already, you've been trying to beat me for years, and it always ends like this."
Irileth glared up at him as she spat on the floor. Taking his boot off her chest, he held his hand out to help her up. Taking the hand, she pulled hard. "HA!" she yelled as she tried to punch him in the face using her upwards momentum.
Seeing the strike coming, Red just leaned his head to the side, bringing his head back, and headbutted her hard, sending her back to the ground. "Had enough?" he asked.
Holding her head Irileth just nodded. "You have a hard head." she mumbled.
"Yeah, and you give me a headache each time, this time quite literally. Where's Farengar?" Red asked as she forced herself into a sitting position.
"He's out right now. Went to the college up in Winterhold for something involving his research," she replied as she tried to stand, the sudden movement making her legs shake. "Damn, I need a drink…"
"You can get that yourself. I need to see Balgruuf then," Red said as he turned to walk away. "Is he in the study today, or is he still in bed from your nightly actives?" He asked with a sly, knowing grin. It was about the worst-kept secret that Irileth had been warming Balgruuf's bed at night ever since his wife died.
"It's well after lunch. There's no wa-" she stopped herself from saying any more as she glared daggers at the man.
Red couldn't help but try and stifle a chuckle. "Study it is then," he said, continuing his walk up the long set of stairs leading up to the great hall.
Snaking his way past all the tables and chairs, he looked up another set of stairs leading to the upper levels of Dragonsreach. 'Makes me wish the damn dwemer were still around. They might have made one of those lifts just to avoid these.' Red thought as he crested the top of the stairs.
Looking around the study, Red nodded slightly to the guard as he passed. No one in Whiterun but Irileth was dumb enough to try and stop the man, and even then, it was more of a one-sided rivalry between the two. Plus, they all knew he was a Companion meaning he wasn't going to try anything. Rounding the corner, he spotted the man he wanted to see. "Hard at work, or hardly working?"
Looking up from his desk Bulgruuf just chuckled. "I'll have you know I am always working," he replied, sitting his quill down. "I'm surprised Irileth let you by without a fight," he said, motioning for the man to sit.
Taking a seat in front of the desk, Red leaned back and rubbed his head. "Trust me, she tried. Chances are she's nursing a headache right now."
"You do tend to have that effect on people..." Bulgruuf replied, resting his head on his hands. Red felt the aura in the room change from one of joking to one of work. "So, what is it I can do for you Red? It's not often you come to me for something."
"What I need isn't from you but from your court mage." Red said, getting a motion from Balgruuf to continue, "In the many books I've read, something that kept coming up involving magic. Fahr Stones, an old magic stone from the mythic era that could tell what types of magic one was capable of using."
"And you think Farengar has one of these stones?" the Jarl asked, leaning back in his chair as Red stared blankly at him. Red didn't just know Farengar had one. He had seen the damn stone disguised as a crystal ball, "If memory serves me correct, those stones are highly sought after and not to mention dangerous in the wrong hands."
Red nodded and thought back on the book. Channel enough magic into the stone, and you have an explosion that could be on par with his own Tailed Beast Bomb, but the amount needed was far beyond what any single person could muster. "Yes, I know they are, but right now, I am having trouble with something involving the kits training."
"You mean your son's?" Balgruuf asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Look, people don't even need to know Farengar has the stone. All I want is for someone to test Naruto and tell me what his magical affinity is so I can properly train him." Red replied, ignoring the comment about Naruto being his son, "Please, if there is something that needs to be done, I'll do it, a trade if you will."
"You have my attention, I may not personally need anything, but there is something Farengar needs for his research into the mythic era." Balgruuf told the man while he picked up a blank sheet of paper and started writing, "I'll pass this along to him. The final decision is on him. It is his stone, after all."
"That is all I ask for," Red replied as he stood up and bowed slightly. "By your leave then."
"My door is always open to you and the rest of the companions," Balgruuf replied, nodding slightly in return. "May the gods smile upon your battles, my friend," Red heard the man say as he started down the stairs once more.
(11th of Hearthfire 195 4E)
Naruto sat at the table with Lucia. "Why does none of this make sense…" he grumbled as he looked over one of the tomes Aela had gotten him for his birthday last year. "I understand charka-based spells perfectly, but Magicka just makes my head spin."
The nine-year-old took a bite of her stew and silently mulled it over in her head. "Have you ever thought that your body is just so used to dealing with that charka stuff that magic as a whole is out of your reach?" she asked. "The few times your Pa let me train with you, I couldn't even muster a single ounce of your power."
Slamming his head against the table, Naruto just glared at the girl. "Says the one who learned flames and frost both in under an hour…" he shot up and got down on his knees. "Teach me your way, oh wise one!" he begged.
Blowing on the spoon of stew, Lucia looked at the boy. "It's really straightforward. All you do is gather the Magicka in your palm and direct it."
"How do you do it?! It can't be that simple?" Naruto said, trying to wrap his head around the girl's use of magic.
"It really isn't that simple." A man said as he walked down the stairs towards them, wearing blue mage robes and leather boots. An iron dagger was strapped to his side right next to an apothecary satchel, telling Naruto the knife was more for utility than defense. "To learn even basic spells, most have to practice the prerequisites of magic." Naruto eyed the Nord, trying to figure out where he had seen him before, "Mana channeling would be first, getting a feel for your magic and roughly how much you have. Then type channeling would be second." The mage explained before a glowing ball of light rose into the air above him.
Naruto and Lucia both watched as the ball hung suspended in the air above him before silently fizzling out. "You wouldn't want to cast an Illumination spell when you need a ward spell. And lastly, learning the basics in any particular school of magic if you wish to further yourself." the man looked down at the tome on the table "Flames, basic enough that a few weeks of study in the first two prerequisites would allow anyone to learn it in time."
"Ah, Farengar!" Naruto heard Aela yell as she and Red quickly walked up from the sleeping quarters of Jorrvaskr. He watched Aela run her hand through her hair, trying to comb it straight, and Red's armor was unbuckled in places. "I was glad you were able to come so quickly. I wasn't expecting you to be able to."
"Ah yes, well, the Jarl has a good relationship with the Companions, so when he received a request asking for help on the subject of magic, I was more than happy to help. The offer you made did have some impact, though…" The mage said, sitting his bag on the table, "Sadly, not much work requires my attention at Dragonsreach, although that might soon change."
"We've been hearing the rumors about the increase in draugr, another reason why I reached out." Red said, not saying anything further on the matter. "Anyway, on to the subject at hand, you have met Naruto and Lucia. That makes this simple."
"So you are the son of Aela and Red Bloodmane," Farengar said, looking at the blond. "Based on what I see so far, you should have both the intelligence and willpower for magic, but if you're struggling so much that Red came to me, there must be something you are lacking."
Reaching into his satchel, the mage pulled out a simple orb. "This is a mage's orb. It allows me to see one's aptitude for magic as well as the schools one has an affinity for," he said, placing the orb on the table. "Most mages have a natural level of skill in one school or the other, and polar opposites like restoration and destruction will take most mages a lifetime to learn if they can learn them at all." he motioned for the blond to place his hand on it.
Farengar peered into the orb. Within the darkness, streaks of red swirled around like an angry serpent. Occasionally, Naruto saw little specks of light dancing about, as if among the black void and red streaks a lighting storm raged within the orb. Naruto watched as the mage slowly picked up the sphere. A low hum came from Farengar's throat while he inspected it. "Intriguing. I have heard what a Nightblade's mana looks like before, but I have never had the chance to see it for myself."
"Nightblade?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow, hope welling up within him at the thought of learning magic.
"Ah yes, very sorry, most of the nightblades are skilled in the art of stealth and combat. If memory serves me correctly, their first mention was during the first era with the Dragonguard, and then later, they were more well-documented during the Alliance War of the second era." he eyed Naruto, seeming to take in his attire and stature. "Sadly, most Nightblades were wiped out during the Great War, and those few that survived were either hunted down because of them being in the Blades or recruited to become the new guard of the Mede's."
"Get to the point. No one here wanted a history lesson." Aela told the man with a flick of her wrist. "If I wanted a history lesson, I would ask Vilkas about the War of Red Mountain."
"Ah, sorry, I forget history is unwanted here." Farengar mumbled before continuing." Nightblades have next to no skill in the arts of destruction, summoning, and restoration, but what they lack in the combat schools of magic they make up for in a natural aptitude for illusion and alteration magic." Farengar added, "As I said before, most nightblade-specific spells are either used by the now disbanded blades or by the current Imperial Guard. There are other less than honest groups that might have nightblades as well."
"In other words, the chances of obtaining these spells are next to none." Red said, understanding what the mage was talking about. "What about basics like flame, frost, and restore?"
"As I said, it should be possible with the right amount of study. Doubt it will be much more beyond using a small flame to light a fire or candle or healing a minor cut from a kitchen knife," he told the pair before his eyes looked over at Lucia. "Now Lucia, was it?"
"Yes."
"Place your hand on the ball if you would. I'm quite interested in your magical abilities." she complied and watched as the ball did nothing. "Odd, I expected some magical response from it. If nothing else, then from the way you were talking earlier."
"Is that a good thing?" she asked hopefully.
"I…" he stared, "How does one form magic yet have no skill in it?" the mage mumbled, barely loud enough for them to hear. "I truly don't know. This will require more research." he looked towards the pair of companions. "I will contact you once I have learned more about this. Till then, I expect your end of the bargain to be held up."
"Yeah, yeah, we'll get your ole dusty tomes." Naruto and Lucia just looked at the pair, confused.
AN: We will see more of the Nightblade and Lucia's own magic come up in the later chapters. Cookie to anyone who can guess what type of mage she is.
Some of ya'll might be mad I'm throwing some ESO stuff into the story and I can't really blame you. While I liked ESO it wasn't Elder Scrolls the way I liked it, but some of the lore it introduced was helpful, and hurtful, when it came to filling in some of the gaps in the lore.
As for Wulfgar, as I said above, he will start playing a larger part in the story, but for now he will remain in the shadows. Another cookie to anyone who can guess who he is as well. Only hint I will give is he is lore friendly.
I think I've rambled on enough today. Like it? Hate it? Leave me a review and let me know what I did right or wrong!