The three of us all sat around a fire in the tomb.
Chloe had found an alternate exit, but we had decided it was best to wait until morning to leave. Everything in here was already dead, and we were all exhausted from the fight. From what I understand, it would take a fair chunk of time to reach Feoh, so we had better wait until the sun was out, and we were properly rested and recovered.
Our bedrolls were already rolled out; Olga's and Chloe's were side by side next to the fire, while I was stuck on the far side of the room. This was non-negotiable for Chloe, and despite my irritation at her insistence that I stay as far away from them as possible, I accepted her terms, if only to get her to put the matter to rest.
Despite this, I kept my mind focused on the recent events that brought me a few baffling revelations about my situation. Despite the rational part of my mind trying to dismiss what just happened as something fake, I knew instinctively that what had happened was real: I had fought a Dragon Priest right out of Skyrim, and absorbed knowledge from a Word Wall.
The significance of those two events wasn't lost on me. I was either Dragonborn, or I had lost my mind somewhere, and was jumbling up memories of my favorite game and favorite hentai.
And considering I'm positive I haven't lost my mind to insanity yet, that meant I must be a Dragonborn… or at least something similar. I can't recall ever being Dragonborn before I ended up here, so something must have happened in the time between when I was playing Skyrim and waking up in the dungeon to give me this power.
It… it frightened me, to be honest. The idea that some kind of higher power decided to do this to me, and could —at this very moment— be watching my every move...
Was it a Divine from Tamriel? The Goddess of Kuroinu? Or maybe it was just some kind of cosmic coincidence that this happened all to me… I doubt that last one, though.
What was I going to tell Olga and Chloe? Or Celestine, for that matter? They'll want answers that I can't give without coming off as some sort of insane person.
'That's right, I'm from another world, with the powers from a game bestowed upon me! And by the way, all of you were in a rape fantasy, and if I hadn't arrived, you would have all been raped by Vault!'
Yeah, that sounds super sane, alright.
My only option was to lie as best I could. The truth was too insane, too unbelievable for them to accept, and I didn't want to give them any reason to distrust me more than they currently do. As much as I hated doing it, I had to.
While I was rewarming the food I had saved from Vault, so that the three of us had something to eat at least before we turned in for the night, I noticed Olga staring intently at me while I did this. The reason wasn't lost on me.
"So…" I began. "What do you want to know?" I asked, preparing myself.
"Let us start with your home." She folded her hands in her lap. "You recognized what that creature was from a story in your homeland. That tells me you are not native to Eostia, so I have to naturally assume you are from somewhere beyond the borders of this kingdom. Is that correct?"
I nodded. "Yeah, but I'll tell you now, it's farther than you can think of." I leaned back, watching the embers rise from the fire. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I got here. This entire place is so foreign to me that I might as well have come from another world," I told them. "When I woke up in the White Citadel, I was alone in a prison cell, with no idea how I got there."
I didn't want to go into too much detail on it, but the best lies are based on the truth, at least in part.
"Impossible," Chloe denied. "No one can simply appear somewhere out of thin air."
I almost smiled at that. "Well, then ask Celestine yourself when you meet her. I don't know what else to tell you."
Olga sat there with a thoughtful expression. "What evidence can you provide to show that you are telling the truth?" she asked.
Well, at least she was willing to hear me out. Unfortunately, she also hit me with a difficult question, and now I possess the burden of proof. What could I do or say that would be good enough for her?
"What would you like? Besides asking Celestine about it, I don't really have anything on me that would prove it."
Olga placed her hand on her chin in thought. "Hmm… I understand." The Dark Queen closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. "In that case, I will withhold any further questions on that topic. There is little point in continuing that particular line of questioning until you can prove you are from a foreign land or not. So for now, I shall withhold my judgment in this regard." She opened her eyes to look at me before continuing.
"However, that brings us to our next topic: The story you mentioned that this… creature is from, do you know it?" she asked, gazing over at the pile of ashes.
With a nod, I took out its mask and passed it to the Dark Elf, who carefully took it and began inspecting it herself.
"I did. It's… kind of a legend and a prophecy in one, though," I informed. "In a time immemorial, the world was ruled by Dragons, who enslaved mankind for worship. Many worshiped them as gods, and their most zealous supporters were granted many boons in life: a temple dedicated to their worship, a magical mask and staff, blessings from their gods, and even the power to live after death."
"Live after death?" Chloe asked, before glancing at the ashes. "It's not going to come back, is it?"
I shook my head. "It shouldn't. From how I understand it, their second life is the only one they get. No coming back from ashes, it seems."
"Ah… that is good to know," The Dark Queen's knight said, relaxing a bit. Now that I answered her question, I resumed my story.
"They ruled the world with an iron fist, until mankind finally began to rebel against them. It wasn't an equal fight, and mankind was woefully outmatched by the Dragon Cult and their masters."
Chloe held a strange expression, almost conflicted. "Leave it to humans to pick the most impossible fights."
"If I recall right, our escape from the Black Citadel also seemed impossible, and yet we did," I smugly replied, watching as Chloe begrudgingly accepted that I had a point. "As I was saying, this war was terribly one-sided, and humanity never stood a chance against them." I raised a finger. "Until, that is, some divine intercession. A Goddess intervened, and several dragons rebelled against their leader."
The Dark Queen adopted a strange expression. "Why would they betray their own kind for humanity?"
"No one knows the real reason. Maybe it was their leader's claim to godhood that made his own people rise up against him. Maybe it was by the Goddess' grace that they switched sides, but one thing's for certain. This turned the tide in the rebellion's favor." I turned to look over at the Word Wall.
"They taught mankind how to wield the same power they had used to oppress them: the Thu'um."
"Thu'um?"
"The Voice. The power that many dragons took for granted was used against them, and it was thanks to that power that the Dragon Cult was defeated, and their master banished."
I knew I was paraphrasing, and probably underselling the entire conflict, but to delve deeper into it would mean making connections to Skyrim that didn't exist here.
"But that isn't the end of it. The dragons' leader was foretold to one day return by the Dragon Cult, and their priests departed to prepare for the return of their master, far from where anyone could stop them."
Olga's eyes traveled back up to me. "So these priests came here long ago to prepare for the return of their masters?" She asked for clarification, to which I nodded.
"And what is that, then? It did something to you, didn't it?" She pointed at the Word Wall.
"Those walls are meant to be memorials to the Priests who were buried in these tombs. They are written in Dovahzul, the language of dragons, and that gives them a special kind of power." I took a long breath, "Only somebody who has studied the language can understand it… or those who possess a Dragon Soul."
The Dark Queen gave me a strange look of disbelief without really changing her face beyond a scrutinizing squint.
"Are you telling me that you contain the soul of a dragon?" She questioned, and all I could do was nod. "If you are trying to deceive me, you are doing a remarkably poor job," she said with dismissal heavy in her tone. "You are a Human, nothing more. You may have some talents that others of your race do not possess, but that does not mean you are anything but a Human."
A heavy sigh escaped my mouth. "I had a feeling you wouldn't believe me."
Chloe grabbed two plates of food, handing one to Olga. "It's not a matter of belief, but rather one of proof," she corrected. "You can make as many claims as you wish, but without anything to support them, how are we expected to believe anything you say, especially something as outlandish and absurd as a man with a dragon's soul."
I glanced down. A part of me wanted to attempt shouting, to prove that I was being truthful. I knew I could, every instinct I had told me that my voice was ready, despite never having done it before.
At the same time however, this was a cave, and as much as I wanted to try it out, I didn't want to bring the roof down on our heads. Not to mention, Shouts are loud, even one word can be like localized thunder. And this is a very enclosed space with nowhere for that sound to go.
"I can prove it."
The Dark Elf looked at me with an unreadable expression. "Prove what?"
"That I do have the soul of a dragon. Tomorrow, once we are outside, I'll use the Voice. Would that be proof enough?"
Olga closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "If you are so sure of it, then I will accept it. Although for now, we all should eat and rest. We have a long journey in the morning, and I would like to get an early start before that wretched sun rises," she allowed, and I felt relieved; at least I had the chance to prove I wasn't lying.
… Wait.
"What's wrong with the sun?"
Chloe answered for her mistress. "In case you hadn't noticed, my Queen is a pure Dark Elf," she informed me as if that was an answer. I gave her a questioning look, prompting her to continue.
"The Dark Elves' domain is darkness, where little natural light is needed. The sunlight is too bright for her to see correctly."
Huh, really?
"I didn't know that. Will you be alright when the sun is up?"
Olga nodded. "I will be, so long as my sight has time to adjust. I am certain you have noticed the sky around my citadel was different, correct?" I nodded. "I had used a spell to prevent natural light from polluting the area."
Huh, so that's why the sky was all creepy looking when I arrived. But that raised another question.
"Where do you live, that light can't reach normally?"
Olga's eyes shifted upwards towards the roof. "Underground, in caves filled to the brim with crystals that carry the light from the surface down to the lowest reaches of the world. What little light makes it that far is plenty for my people to see clearly."
I stared at Olga with a critical eye. "You don't really look like a cave dweller to me." I told her. Or at least, not how I imagined cave dwellers were. Falmer from Skyrim came to mind, but so did the Dwemer… although I never saw how they looked.
The Dark Queen turned her gaze towards me. "No, I suppose I do not have the traits many would expect from one." She paused, carefully cutting a piece of her chicken and stabbing it with her fork, then lifting it to her mouth…
I had a feeling she wouldn't elaborate more than that, so I took the lull in conversation to begin eating my own food, taking a bite of my own chicken and getting repulsed looks from the elves…
Swallowing my food, I could only ask, "What?"
"Must you eat like a savage?" Chloe asked with disgust.
I glanced down at my food and the chicken on my fork. "I don't believe manners matter in the current situation," I told them, gesturing to the surrounding tomb. "We're sitting in an ancient burial site for a creature that shouldn't exist outside of a story, with a fire made from old torches, and there are only the three of us down here." I started gesturing with my arms at each point. "I think we can forgo that stuff in this case."
"That is no excuse for a lack of table manners," the blonde chided.
I gave her a deadpan glare. "We're not at a table."
She opened her mouth to speak, but Olga held up her hand to silence her. She swallowed her own food and said, "That is enough, Chloe. Simply ignore it and focus on your own meal, there is no point in arguing about something so trivial as manners."
I smiled, while Chloe pouted. I win.
"There is no point trying to hold one of his kind to our standards," she continued.
The smile vanished from my face, and Chloe took the small victory.
"Understood, Lady Olga," the Half-Elf said smugly.
I grumbled, but continued to eat in silence. Soon enough, we were all finished, and got ready to go to sleep. Unfortunately for me, though, I was having a few problems.
Mainly, I hadn't been able to brush my teeth in a while, and I knew my hair was getting greasy. Hopefully, when we get to Feoh, I can wash it and brush them properly. Being with the Black Dogs took its toll on my hygiene, that's for sure.
Once the fire turned into nothing but embers, I began getting ready for bed. Once I had the chance, though, I wanted to get fresh bedrolls, because I didn't trust the insides of these. And neither did Olga nor Chloe, evidently.
I took off the chest plate and gloves, dropping them beside me, followed by my boots and shirt. The pants I had to keep; not because they were comfy, but I didn't want them getting the wrong idea from me stripping down to my underwear.
We all laid down, and tried to get to sleep.
The key word there being tried.
I laid on that bedroll for a few hours… or maybe minutes, but it felt like hours.
Firstly, it was kind of uncomfortable. The material was rough, softer than the stone, for sure, but still not exactly the comfiest thing to sleep on. Second was the fact that I was still recovering from the events of today, replaying them over and over in my head and the implications of it all.
But the biggest thing that kept me up?
I could hear the chattering of the two elves who were sleeping by the remains of the fire.
Despite my best efforts to try and ignore them, it was an impossible task. I could hear their discomfort from here. I was tempted to ask if they were all right, but I wasn't entirely sure if I should. What if they were asleep, and I accidentally woke them up by asking if they needed anything?
I wasn't sure what to do in this situation, but after an especially loud noise of discomfort from Olga, I just had to ask.
"Is everything okay over there?" I inquired, raising myself up slightly.
As soon as I spoke, the noises stopped. "No, go to sleep," Chloe ordered, but I just rolled my eyes in the darkness.
"Then why can I hear you shivering all the way over here?"
I heard a long sigh from Olga. "It is cold here, more so now that the fire is out," she answered.
"Well… If you two are fine with it, you could always-"
Chloe glared at me through the darkness. "Watch your words, Human."
Anyways, I ignored her and continued. "Always cuddle with each other for warmth," I suggested. "Sharing body heat and all that stuff, you know?"
Now, I couldn't see her that well in the dark, but I just knew her eyes lit up at the suggestion.
"Would that work?" she asked, her tone taking a massive shift from the warning she had given me before.
"It should. Body heat is best shared with as few clothes as possible, but given your outfits, I doubt you'll need to strip further than what you already are."
If I remember right, I saw on a documentary that some hikers had managed to survive because they stripped down and cuddled close in one sleeping bag. The situation isn't exactly the same, and I doubt either is going to die of hypothermia down here, but so long as they —and by extension, me— can get to sleep tonight, that's fine by me.
I watched as Chloe and Olga had a relatively quiet conversation between themselves on the other end of the room, before they finally began spooning, with the former as the little spoon and the latter as the big one.
Something about their situation was amusing to me. The light was dim, but I could still make out the stupid smile Chloe had as Olga pressed herself into her, wrapping her arm around her servant's torso. In the animation, the Half-Elf had a strange loyalty/attraction to Olga, so this situation that had her being used as a body pillow for her mistress must have been hitting both of her buttons right now.
I turned my head back to the ceiling and tried to sleep again, now that they were all situated and warming each other. Only, while I stared at the roof of the tomb, I couldn't fall asleep, my mind still plaguing me with thoughts about the implications of the situation I'm currently in. I laid there motionless for a few hours, simply thinking about it over and over.
After a seeming eternity of this, waiting for sleep to take me, I sighed heavily. Rest appeared to be an elusive concept to me right now. With a groan, I stood up and walked out of the room.
Carefully shutting the doors so as not to disturb the Dark Elves' rest, I traveled back down the hall, noticing that Chloe had taken the time to move the bodies in her search for the exit. They were now all piled just outside the entrance we came in at, and I mentally noted how much this place looked like a Nordic ruin now that the connection to Skyrim had been made apparent to me.
Opening my satchel, I carefully extracted the candlelight spell from it and examined the case.
How had I not noticed this before? The symbol on the book is clearly the alteration tree, and yet I just… glossed over it, or ignored it. How many connections are there to Elder Scrolls that I either didn't notice or ignored?
After putting the book down, my hands went to cradle my face as I thought long and hard about the situation. It reeks of foreign involvement, but I cannot for the life of me say who did what.
I was a Dragonborn… So maybe Akatosh chose me? Unlikely, a Divine doesn't strike me as the sort to involve themselves so directly with the affairs of other worlds… if he even exists.
Maybe the Goddess of this world did it? Also unlikely, because I doubt she would choose someone who once took enjoyment in the destruction of this world to save it, not to mention all the connections to Elder Scrolls.
A Daedra perhaps? No, I don't think any of them would care enough to do something like throwing me into another world with powers from a video game. Besides, if one is involved, so would the others; and I'm pretty sure Molag Bal would have a field day with this place if he ever found out about it.
As cliché as it sounds, maybe a R.O.B did it? As outlandish as it sounds, I cannot think of anyone else who would do something like this, except for the entertainment value of watching me trip and stumble my way through this place.
While I was busy reflecting on all of this, I heard the door to the burial chamber slowly open, and watched as the Dark Queen herself quietly left the room. She noticed me sitting near the far end of the hall, and for a moment seemed to consider returning, only to then change her mind and come towards me.
"It seems that sleep eludes you too?" she asked, approaching me silently.
"Yeah," I replied simply. "There's a lot on my mind right now."
The Dark Queen hummed and took a seat across from me. "I understand."
As she sat, I noticed Chloe was nowhere to be found, and Olga seemed to notice that I was looking for her.
"Chloe is still asleep, it was myself who was having issues resting."
"Ah, I see."
Olga nodded, but didn't say anything else. She glanced down at her tattoo, and gave a weary sigh.
"May I ask you something, Human?"
I chuckled lightly. "Didn't you just?"
The Dark Elf frowned at my attempt at humor. "Please, this is no time for jests."
"Right, sorry. Go ahead and ask me whatever you want."
Another sigh escaped her lips as she mustered up the courage to ask her question.
"Why didn't you side with Vault?"
Ah… that's what she wanted to know.
"I have been pondering it for some time. Yet, no matter how much I try, I cannot fathom why you would go against him, even in the face of an army."
I could only shrug. "It was the right thing to do."
"We were your enemy and prisoners," she stated. "As far as you were aware, we wanted nothing but the extermination of mankind. You would not be unjustified in enacting whatever cruel punishments you saw fit. And yet you refused, and denied those that desired to do so. I cannot understand it."
My eyes closed, and I leaned back. "There isn't really anything to understand," I told her. "I just wanted to do the right thing, and that means making sure you got out of there and received the fair trial you deserve."
Oh, right. That reminds me.
"Speaking of, I believe I promised to hear your side of this conflict." I noticed how her eyes narrowed and quickly apologized. "Sorry, just don't know what else to call it."
"As I have stated, it is a false narrative. I bear no truly malicious intentions for humanity as a whole, and neither should I. You and your ilk are transient. You are born, live, and die; while myself, Chloe, and others like us shall live on to see your bodies crumble to dust and blow away in the winds of time." She folded one leg over the other. "I came from my home to human lands to fulfill an ancient duty to my people. I chose a land devoid of any humans, rare animals or plants, to erect my tower, purely to avoid antagonizing the human kingdoms."
I held up a hand to halt her story. "You chose an empty land?" I asked. If she's telling the truth, then Celestine might be able to confirm her claim that it was indeed desolate.
She nodded. "Indeed, I checked and checked again before having my Citadel constructed. I did not wish to initiate any hostilities because it would have been inconvenient to me if I had to focus both on defending against the kingdoms of men and my duties."
I guess that makes sense. She doesn't strike me as the type of person who would attack without a reason.
However, if she chose somewhere unoccupied, that raises the question.
"If you chose somewhere vacant, why would you ruin the land around your tower?"
The Dark Queen's reply was a simple one.
"Deterrence," she stated. "I did not wish to enter into any sort of conflict with you and your kind. I believed that eventually, someone may be foolish enough to try and claim the land I had chosen to reside in at some point or another, so I had every animal chased out of it, and turned it into nothing more than a wasteland. If the land itself had no value, no one would attempt to evict me, or worse, capture and enslave me."
"As much as I would like to argue that people wouldn't do that, recent events have proven that would have been a very real possibility," I admitted.
I hated it, but the men of Kuroinu were morally bankrupt, which made it harder to defend humanity as a whole when we're just as bad, if not worse, than the monsters that live in this world.
"Indeed," she agreed. "To keep them out and away, I poisoned the air and waters, and rooted my tower so deep inside that territory that none could reach me. Or so I had believed, anyway." The Dark Elf looked away, in the direction of the Dragon Priest's chamber. "It was only after that I discovered that the creatures of the north were not only immune to my poisoned and inhospitable land, but were empowered by it. This led to them naming me their Queen, and I foolishly accepted the title, if only to keep them pacified."
Again, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Why would they do that?"
Olga sighed deeply. "Monsters. Creatures of Darkness. Beasts. Whatever you wish to call them, all share a single trait: They follow the strong. In my prime, I was among the strongest sorceresses among my people, second only to a younger Dark Elf who had been banished before she could truly tap into her gifts. Altering the land and creating my defenses were but child's play to me, and the power I had back then could have leveled the entire tower with ease, if I so desired."
I saw a faint smile across her face as she remembered it. However, it soon turned into a frown.
"What a fool I was, allowing them to remain so close for so long," she muttered, her tone bitter and regretful.
Well, if they follow strength, that partly explains it; but Olga, while powerful, was still a woman. I doubt they would have followed her, no matter how powerful she was. So why did they?
"Okay, you became their Queen. What did you do then?"
"Truthfully? Nothing," she answered plainly. "During the first few years, some of them tried their hand at usurping me, but as I stated before, my power was unmatched back then. None of them stood a chance against me, and after a few years of fruitlessly trying to rape me, they eventually stopped trying and simply settled in the lower levels of the tower, occasionally bringing food from outside the territory for me, and I allowed them that. My duties were too important to neglect, so I allowed them to do as they wished, so long as they did not disturb me."
As I listened quietly, I began to wonder if she was telling me the truth. The idea that she had no direct involvement in the conflict raises many questions, and none of them have a rational explanation, other than her own pride stopping her from doing anything else.
"What's this duty you are referring to?"
Olga frowned at me and shook her head. "That is a private affair," she warned. "You may not be like any other human, but that does not mean I will reveal such a thing to you."
Her tone was calm, but I could tell there was a certain level of threat behind her words.
I raised my hands in surrender. "Okay, I won't ask about it again."
Whatever this duty of hers is, it must be serious, but that actually raises another question.
"If this duty is so important, why has it taken centuries to complete it? As far as I know, you've been on the surface for a long time. Shouldn't it be done by now?"
The Dark Elf's eyes went to the ground. "To accomplish this task, there are certain prerequisite tasks that need to be completed first, the most important of which being that whoever is selected must possess a vast amount of magical power, even more than what I had in my prime. There are methods of increasing it, and those take time. However, a recent development in the creatures and beasts that had taken residence in my land and tower has led to them learning how to absorb the power I had." She let out a small sigh, regret and disappointment heavy in her voice.
"It started as a minor drain, one I believed came from maintaining the spells I had cast as a deterrent. But as more and more beasts came to my lands and "pledged" themselves to me, I began losing more and more. Eventually it stopped being a negligible difference, or one so easily corrected. The rate I was losing power was overtaking the amount I gained."
"So why not simply purge your tower? Kill everything inside it and wipe out the surrounding lands?"
A low chuckle escaped from her lips. "I tried that once before. The power they absorbed from me enhanced them more than I had initially predicted. By the time most of the tower had been cleared, I realized I had been wasting my magic on a fruitless endeavor to go through with. When I was done with exterminating them, I had exhausted myself and retired to my room, only to discover the next morning that during my rest, it had been overrun again."
"There wasn't anything else you could do?"
She shook her head. "Unfortunately not. They had gained increased strength, stamina, and regenerative properties that make it difficult for many to kill them. I was forced to stop trying to rid myself of them and had to focus on slowing the drain. I managed to stem the tide, reducing the loss from a raging river to a gentle stream. For centuries, I lived alone, trying to come up with a solution, but never could."
"Why didn't you try going to Celestine or just leave by yourself?" I asked. Surely, word must have reached her about who Celestine was.
"I had already received word that they blamed me for their issues. And seeing as I took on the role of their Queen, allowed them into my home, and it was my magic that had given them their power… To do so would be a death sentence for me. I am uncertain if it is now, but I have no choice now but to face judgment for it."
Ah… right. I suppose that would make any ideas like that a bad choice.
"Is there anything else you can tell me?"
The Dark Queen shook her head. "No, nothing that I believe is important, and I am sure you can figure out what happened next."
I guess I could, she gets Chloe somehow, and then we eventually attack and capture her.
Leaning back in my chair, I thought about what I had heard. If she was telling me the truth, how much of this can we really say is her fault? When we get to Geofu, after I warn Celestine and everyone else about the coming invasion, we'll need to figure out how to approach this situation. She isn't exactly innocent, but given everything she told me, I am not sure how much guilt can truly be placed on her.
"Well," I began, slowly rising from my seat, "that puts some things into perspective. I'll need to talk to Celestine about this when we get to Geofu…"
I noticed her downcast and sullen expression, and felt a bit sorry for her. Maybe this was a manipulation, or maybe it wasn't, but seeing a beautiful woman looking dejected like that wasn't right. So against my better judgment, I put my hand on her shoulder, earning a surprised glance from the Dark Elf.
"It'll be alright, I promise."
Surprisingly, she didn't push my hand away, but simply lifted it off her shoulder and let it fall back to my side.
"I do not need your platitudes… but they are appreciated." She stood up. "I suppose it is best for us to try to rest again, even some sleep is better than none."
She made her way back, with me following by her side. After arriving back in the chamber, I noticed a humorous sight, and that was Chloe using her own bedroll as a blanket and laying on Olga's. The Dark Queen's face adopted a frown, which confused me.
"What's the matter?" I asked in a whisper.
The Dark Queen pointed at Chloe wrapped in her bedroll, but I didn't see anything wrong with it.
"I cannot sleep next to her now."
… What?
"Why not?"
Discordia sighed. "Chloe is sleeping. You are not aware of this, but… she has poor sleeping habits."
"Like what? She kicks you or something?"
She shook her head. "No, she had a… problematic childhood. It is not my place to tell you exactly what."
Right… child sex slave.
"However, I am afraid of triggering a nightmare in her if I slip into bed with her while she is sound asleep. When I first took her in, so many small things would set her off… I am glad to say many of them have faded with time, but not all have."
I glanced down at Chloe, sleeping soundly despite the current situation, and couldn't help but feel bad for her. "If that's the case, why get out of bed at all?"
Olga turned towards me. "Truthfully, I was hoping it was early enough to begin preparing to leave. However, when I noticed you were not dressing yourself or preparing in any real way, I made an educated guess that it must still be the middle of the night."
"Well, I guess I can't blame you for that, it's hard to figure out the time of night in a cave, after all." I put a hand on my chin for a moment. "Why don't you use my bedroll?"
The instant I suggested that, Olga put up her guard.
"What?!" she whisper-yelled at me. For a moment, I didn't understand why, until I realized how that must have sounded.
"I mean, why don't you use mine while I sleep somewhere else?" I elaborated.
While the floor wasn't the comfiest thing to sleep on, I could make do. Something tells me I'll need to get used to sleeping in uncomfortable places in the future.
Olga visibly lowered her guard. "I see. I apologize, I made a careless assumption." She glanced around. "Where will you sleep? I see no other options here."
"It's fine. I'll… figure something out," I tried to assure her. In truth, I had no idea where I was going to sleep. Nowhere here appeared especially comfortable.
Olga stared down at my bedroll, and sighed. "You may sleep next to me," she said finally, much to my surprise. My face must have been enough to convey my shock, because she instantly raised a hand in a waiting gesture.
"Do not overthink this, Human, it is simply the best option for now. If you are to lead us to the human fortress tomorrow, you will need to rest as well. To that end, you will have your back to me and your hands to yourself, otherwise I will not hesitate to call for Chloe. Am I understood?"
As appealing as that sounds, I didn't want Chloe getting the wrong idea and slitting my throat in the middle of the night. Even though I can fight her, it would be hard to do from a sleeping position.
"We don't have to do that. I can sleep somewhere else, just need to find the right spot, that's all," I tried to decline. However, Olga simply raised an eyebrow at me, as if challenging me; but I wasn't going to back down. I was making okay progress with them for now, and didn't want to risk it by doing anything they were uncomfortable with.
After a few paces around the room, and examining a few spots, I realized that nowhere on this floor was a good enough place to sleep. I tried laying down on the smoothest stone I could, but there were ridges and curves that made it too uncomfortable to even try to get some rest. The wall led to neck issues, which I knew would be a pain in the ass if I slept there, so that was a no-go.
I even thought about leaning back on the Word Wall… but the dust made me sneeze and bang my head against the stone. I didn't hit it hard, but it's like bumping your head when you lean back too quickly, and it makes your mood switch faster than anything else in the world.
"Are you finished?" Olga asked expectantly.
I wanted to say no, but at this point I was exhausted and upset enough to give in. "Are you sure you're fine with this?" I asked, trying my best to keep my frustration out of my voice. "I know you're not exactly the biggest fan of humans in general, let alone sleeping next to one. I don't want you to do something you're uncomfortable with."
The Dark Elf sat on the bedroll elegantly. "You are not wrong, I do not like humans. However, I am willing to make an exception just this once, since regardless of my own desires, you need to be well rested far more than I do," she told me. "My own magical power is low, and if we are attacked, I would rather have you and Chloe refreshed and ready to fight if the need arises."
While I knew her logic was sound, that didn't make me feel much better about it. I sat down next to her and laid facing away from her, while she did the same. I hadn't really had the chance to notice it before, but her hair was soft on my back, and a lot more silky than I had imagined it would be for someone in a fantasy story. Part of me knew it would have been. After all, these women were designed to be as attractive as possible, but it still came as a bit of a shock to feel it against me.
Unfortunately, I couldn't focus on how she felt the entire time, as I knew I was dozing off already; but my last thoughts before I lost consciousness were that of mundane curiosity: How does she care for her hair for it to be so long and silky and soft? Magic must be involved, I am... almost positive.
When I woke up in the morning, I was feeling good; better than I would have expected for sleeping on the floor with only a bedroll between me and the stone. I didn't know the time outside, but I figured it must be at least close to morning.
I attempted to sit up, only to realize that there was a hand hooked under my arm and across my chest. As I registered that, I noticed that I could feel two massive mounds pressing into my upper back, along with a slender body close enough to feel against the rest of my back and even against my own rear.
A quiet alarm ran up my spine as I realized this was a terrible situation. I mean, I liked the feeling; but at the same time, this was bad on so many levels.
Olga was spooning me; and not simply hugging me from the back, I mean she was flush against me. Her breath was on my neck, her boobs were on my back, her crotch was on my butt, and I could even feel her legs against mine. Most people would love this, I am sure, but considering I didn't want to deal with an enraged… Wait a minute…
Where's Chloe?
My head was unfortunately a bit stuck facing forward, and I couldn't turn it everywhere or look behind me well since, you know, the dark elf breathing on my neck. My eyes shifted towards the Word Wall, and saw nothing, then down towards the door, and only saw it slightly ajar. Between those two points, I didn't see anything. Then, finally, I looked as far behind me as possible.
The Half-Elf was staring down at me, a tranquil fury on her face, and murder in her eyes.
"I can explain…" I said meekly. This was a dangerous spot for me to be in, and the fact that Chloe looked about ready to lose it at the drop of a hat… I needed to be careful not to set her off.
She raised her hand to stop me from talking. "You are extraordinarily lucky it is her doing this to you. If the situation were reversed, then I would not have waited before slitting your throat," she growled out with barely contained rage. "You had better pray to whatever god you worship, because if she wakes, and I learn this was not her choice, then I will not hesitate to castrate you."
As much as I would have liked to remind her that I won our last fight, I was somewhat exposed right now. No armor, my sword and axe are with my stuff a few feet away, but Chloe is standing between me and them, which is a problem. I have magic, but something tells me I wouldn't be able to stop her at this distance.
"Understood," I replied quietly. I was going to guess we were going to wait for Olga to wake up, since Chloe made no moves, nor did I want to risk angering her further right now.
Calling this situation a powder keg right now wouldn't be inaccurate. If Olga reacted with surprise, or said this was not what we agreed to, then Chloe would turn on me so swiftly that I am sure I would be at a severe disadvantage in a fight right now. I've got magic and the Voice, but she's standing, her sword is loosely at her side, and she's remarkably quick when she is serious.
Neither of us had to wait long before Olga herself began to stir.
"Mhmm…" she moaned before she did something that surprised both myself and Chloe: The Pure Dark Elf Queen snuggled closer. Her hand wrapped tighter, her body pressed closer, and I was this close to scrambling out of bed regardless of whether she was fully awake or not.
"Are you awake?" I asked in the quietest voice I could manage. Her response was to groan and pretend not to hear me. My eyes traveled up to Chloe, who had her mouth agape in shock.
"Help, please."
The blonde looked torn, weighing her options. She gazed at her mistress, and then back to me, and then back to Olga. "I will, but the instant you are free, you and I will have words," she agreed quietly. With light movements, she began guiding Olga's hand off of me, letting me wiggle away.
Chloe lowered the hand and draped her with one of the bedrolls the Half-Elf had been laying on the night before, letting out a sigh of relief as her Queen didn't wake. Once I had managed to stand up, she quickly rushed me off to a corner of the room.
"You have precisely one chance to tell me why you and Lady Olga were laying together. And be quick, because I am in a very bad mood," she growled out.
And so I told her everything that happened last night, from getting up to think and look around to listening to Olga's side of the conflict. Then finally, of how when we came back, she didn't wish to disturb her, but also didn't want to deprive me of my own rest.
When I mentioned that last fact, Chloe took on a disappointed face. "I see." Her tone matched her expression.
"He is telling you the truth, Chloe."
We both looked over and saw Olga sitting up and stretching out… I might have let my eyes linger a bit longer than I should have, but it is hard to resist looking. The way she arched her back and let out a small moan as she raised her hands above her head and slowly rolled her neck… It was difficult to look away from. I knew I should try to give them what little respect I can, but when they do things like that, it's hard for me not to stare.
"I believe it is time for all of us to prepare to leave. Is there any food left from last night?"
Nodding, I left Chloe and began pulling out food from my satchel, taking out some more meat for breakfast.
"Damn… Should have got like bread and cheese while I could have," I grumbled out as I handed off what I took out. It wasn't as much as I would have liked to take out, but in case we needed to travel another day, I didn't want to eat it all.
We ate our food relatively quickly, and while they took turns drinking the water we got last night, I had to get my armor back on. Once I was all dressed, it was my turn to drink… if there was anything left.
Damn it, and I had some bad cotton mouth too.
Anyway, I opened up the Candlelight spell, and felt the familiar rush of information. Once it was done a moment later, I created a small but bright light in my hand and released it, allowing it to hover around me. Which was pretty cool, I'd have to say. Never have to touch a torch again if I can simply make this all the time.
"Alright, where's the exit you found?"
Chloe simply pointed her thumb behind her. She led us back into the hallway, and hidden behind a shelf was a small button. When she pushed it, a bookshelf slowly swung out, revealing another door, perfectly hidden behind it.
Although the path was dark behind the door, my new light was perfectly suitable for illuminating the way. That meant I got to lead us down the tunnel; not that I minded taking the lead in this case. The light I cast was easily bright enough to give us a clear view further down the passage, much better than Olga's staff did on our way in. However, there was one issue I was having.
It was too damn quiet in here.
"So…" I began. "Have you ever heard the joke about paper?"
Glancing back, I saw the two shake their heads.
"No jokes," Olga said with slightly furrowed brows. Chloe just nodded along with her mistress in agreement.
Good, they fell right into my trap…
"Oh that's okay, it was TEARable."
I could barely contain the grin on my face when I heard the simultaneous groans of both Elves. Over the course of our walk down the tunnel, I told pun after pun, dad joke after dad joke. Anything I could think of, I told them.
"What's brown and sticky?"
"Stop…" Chloe groaned, which only made me all the more glad to finish the joke.
"A stick!"
The punchline made the Half-Elf let out a low yell into her hands.
The temptation to laugh was strong, especially when I heard the long and drawn out sigh come from the Dark Queen.
"How much longer will you keep this up?" she asked. "I believe that is enough punishment for one day."
The instant she said that word, my eyes lit up as I turned my head to face her with the stupidest grin on my face, while Chloe had the biggest expression of betrayal as she herself turned on her mistress. Olga looked at me confused for a moment, before realization dawned on her. I could see the exact moment the words she said registered in her own head.
I couldn't stop myself from laughing as the realization hit in seemingly slow motion. But then Olga began lightly chuckling herself at the unintentional pun she had made, followed by Chloe.
"Looks like I'm not the only PUNny one here."
It was strange to laugh like this, especially after last night, but it was a good strange, I suppose.
Olga facepalmed herself. "Idiot," she muttered quietly. I was still chuckling from it before she waved her hand.
"Yes, yes, laugh while you can, because I will not be doing that again." A ghost of a smile fell upon her face.
When the light laughter died down, I couldn't help but keep the smile on my face. It was strange to think that puns of all things would help improve their mood, even if it wasn't mine that actually got them to smile. I opened my mouth to tell another one, but as I did, I noticed orange rays begin peeking into the cave.
"I reckon the exit is up ahead," I informed them as we continued. It took us a few minutes to reach the end, and sure enough, just beyond another turn and a slope upward was the exit.
As I helped Chloe and Olga out of the cave, I noticed the former had to squint her eyes as we got her into the light.
"Damn sun," she complained as she held a hand out to block the light from her eyes… which was strange to me, considering the sunlight wasn't that bad right now. The Half-Elf took her master's hand and slowly guided her down into the trees away from the direct light, with me following close behind them.
While Olga's eyes adjusted to the brightness of the dawn, I began examining one of the compasses we took yesterday. "Alright, looks like the west is that way," I pointed while gazing at the device. "Hopefully we'll find a proper road and maybe a sign to get us heading in the right direction," I told them, pocketing the compass. "But first, I believe I have something to prove."
The two stared at me with confusion for a moment before they recalled what I had told them last night.
"Ah, that's right, you're going to prove you have a Dragon Soul." Chloe sounded dismissive. "Very well, then, prove it to us."
With a nod, I turned my back to them. This was going to be loud, and I desperately hope I won't draw too much attention to us, but if I do, at least we're close to a decent hiding place. I closed my eyes and focused on the word in my mind.
I stood there for a few moments. This wasn't like a spell where you had to focus on casting a specific magic. This had a much more instinctive feel to it, but also somehow deeper than that.
It's not something you can just know or focus on, it's something you have to both know and comprehend at the most basic form.
Break down the entirety of the word and understand that this wasn't merely a different type of magic.
It was power at its most primal level.
"FUS!"
Before the word left my mouth, I had anticipated a result similar to the game: Dirt being lifted, rocks flung away… It would be a weak but noticeable force.
I was wrong.
The Shout left my mouth in a sky-blue wave, and while it didn't travel far, the area where it passed through was damaged beyond anything I had expected. It did more than pull up dirt or throw a few rocks.
No, it uprooted the bushes and knocked over the trees; the gentle breeze in the air changing into a deadly gale. The grass on the ground was uprooted, leaving a new bald spot on the ground. Trees that had grown and stood strong over years upon years were knocked over as if their roots had all but let go of the ground. Even the rocks that would have taken the combined effort of many men were tossed as if they were but pebbles.
My throat burned from using the Thu'um; but I must admit, even if I couldn't find the other words, this would be a valuable tool against Vault and his army.
But if merely a single word is strong enough to push down trees, extirpate bushes and push over boulders, what would the full Shout do?
I turned back to the Dark Elves, and saw them holding their ears tightly.
"What in the world was that?!" Chloe asked/yelled as she stared at me with surprise, shock clear in her eyes.
Olga, on the other hand, held an expression she normally would have done her hardest to keep hidden: Disbelief. Her jaw was slightly agape, and her eyes were wide.
"By the Giant's…" she quietly uttered. "That… was not normal magic," she spoke slowly, trying to comprehend the power that had just left my mouth.
Nodding my head, I said, "That was the Thu'um, the Voice. It is the power that the Dragons had in the old stories."
I can't think of better proof of my claims than that. After all, it's a power that isn't supposed to exist in this world.
"So, do you believe me now?"
My question was genuine, but I couldn't keep the smugness out of my voice. After all, how were they going to refute that?
The first of the two to recover was Olga. "While I am still reluctant to put stock in a human's words… I can recognize that I have little explanation for what I have recently witnessed," she said calmly. "Make no mistake, this does not mean I fully believe you. There are parts of your tale that make no sense, such as humans allowing such tales to fade, or that there would be no evidence of such a conflict." She closed her eyes in thought, taking a few moments to reflect. "While I do not believe you are, as you say, a human with a dragon's soul, it is clear to me that you are not like most of your race."
As much as I wanted to argue, I wasn't too surprised by her skepticism. Despite the presence of Elder Scrolls elements here, I can only assume they appeared around the same time I did. There is no evidence of anything I say, because it literally didn't exist until I woke up in this land.
"Well, I can't make you believe anything. But if you can think of a better explanation, feel free to share it with me."
Olga sighed heavily. "That is the crux of the issue, is it not? Those ruins are ancient, containing a creature I had never known could exist, and they gave you a power I had never seen before in my life. I have no explanation, and yours makes too little sense to be the truth," the Dark Queen explained. While her face hid her confusion, her voice did not.
I kind of felt sorry for her, because I have a feeling this was only the beginning. I doubt this was the only ruin like this in the kingdom now.
"I think it would be best if we started moving, human," Chloe suggested. "There is a lot of ground we need to cover, and that… Shout has bound to grab something's attention. We can figure out the truth of this situation when we are not out in the wilds."
That's a good idea, a bit of a shock coming from her.
"Right, come on. Hopefully we haven't gone too far off course, but if Geofu is any indication, the fortresses are a bit hard to miss."
We were going west, and unfortunately the map wasn't as detailed as I would have liked; but if my guesstimates were right, then Feoh shouldn't be too far. I can only see it being a few hours on foot, since we traveled a lot last night, and those tunnels were pretty long.
In a stroke of luck for us, we found a road which, after consulting the compass, we began following southwest. As much as I would like to just cut through the forest again, I wasn't in the mood to get into another fight so soon. Thankfully, after consulting a helpful sign, we managed to get on track.
"Human," Olga's voice got my attention away from the road.
"Yeah?" I asked, glancing back at her.
"Once we arrive at the human fortress, how will we reach the capital?" she asked… and to be honest, the question actually got me thinking. How was this gonna work?
When we get to Feoh, do I simply pass them off to the authorities? I'm not a fan of that idea, because people here tend to abuse their power in every sense of the word. Leaving them alone with guards might be condemning them both if they're left in the care of men.
Maybe I should just keep them close and deliver them myself? I'll also need to find a way to warn Alicia before Vault gets the chance to attack… if I end up arriving before he does, that is. The guy can make his men move deceptively fast when he wants them to.
If Feoh has already fallen by the time I arrive, then… I guess we're going straight for Geofu, no detours.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I should wait and see who's in control of the fortress before I decide on anything solid. However, I do know that I should keep those two close. I can't trust anyone who isn't a woman or Claudia's husband. Sexist as that is, I'm not taking any chances with these guys.
The Black Dogs at least I know are untrustworthy. Regular people though? They're a coin toss that I really don't want to take a chance on.
"We'll figure that out when we get there."
A part of me thought she would have had more questions, but from the look on her face, it seems my answer was all she needed to know. The two of them had sour expressions, and I had the feeling it was because we were so close to our destination and our journey was coming to an end.
"May I at least request I be imprisoned with Lady Olga?" Chloe's voice had taken a pleading tone, one that I thought was wholly unnecessary.
"I don't have any intentions on separating you both. Hell, I might not even be handing you over to the authorities of Feoh."
As much as I wanted to be free of them, I don't think I can trust Feoh's officials, especially when they still have at least one high-ranking traitor in their midst.
Chloe accepted my answer, and they both remained silent for a time, at least until we finally managed to spot flags flying high in the distance, barely peeking over the trees.
"Is that it?" I felt compelled to ask, but I was more focused on the fact that they weren't black and red. That's a good sign, because it meant Vault hadn't conquered the fortress yet, and I still had time to warn who was in charge. It was Alicia… I think?
It was strange to think that if I had been obsessed with this Hentai, I might have a better grasp on the situation. It will never not be funny to me that being a bigger pervert would have been more beneficial to me than not.
Once we were past most of the trees and finally got a good look at the fortress, I had to say: It was a lot bigger than I had imagined.
By that I mean way, WAY bigger.
The watch towers were so high, I wouldn't be surprised if they could see the other fortresses or even the Black Citadel itself from the top of one. The walls were sturdy and tall, with high bulwarks and damn near hundreds of arrow slits. It was clear that those out here were the smallest in the fortress, because even standing outside, we could clearly see another set of larger walls deeper inside.
I guess there was a reason this was called a Fortress City.
"Alright, come on, let's get going," I told them. Now we just needed to find a gate, which wasn't too hard to do, but man… it was packed.
People were crowding to get in, trying to force their way past the guards and into the safety of the city. If only they knew that this place wasn't as safe as they believed it was. I made sure to grab Olga and Chloe's hands despite their protests, since I didn't want to lose them in the crowd. Who knows what opportunists were waiting for a chance to get their hands on a pair of beautiful Dark Eves?
Pushing through the crowd was difficult, especially with the amount of people trying to force themselves into the opening.
"CALM DOWN! WE'LL GET YOU ALL INSIDE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION!" One of the guards called out, but her voice fell on deaf ears, as the mob was too busy trying to enter to listen to her.
As shameful as it was to admit, I was one of them.
I more or less took on the essence of a bulldozer, pushing people out of the way by virtue of being an unstoppable force. I needed to get in here, or else they would all be screwed.
"Hey! Hold it!" A guard told me, placing her hand on my chest plate and doing her best to stop my advance.
"What is it? I need to get in here," I told her as calmly as I could. I didn't want to reveal why I was there to her, or accidentally cause a panic by speaking carelessly.
The guard nodded her head. "I understand sir, you and many other people. I just need you to give me your name and the entry fee."
Okay, name and entry fee, simple enough.
"James Hind, and as for my entry fee…" I turned my head back to see who I could let go of to grab my satchel, but the instant I looked behind myself… I couldn't keep the alarm from my voice.
"What the-!"
My satchel was gone, but not only that. I gazed down at my hands in slowly dawning distress: I was holding onto Olga's sleeve, and Chloe's glove, not their hands.
"OLGA! CHLOE!" I desperately called out.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Special thanks to LittleWhiteMouse for helping me with this fic and being an all around awesome guy.
AN: Woo, we're on time! I think. I finished this chapter on the 27th, but it might not be published on the same day.
Alright, I told you this would be a bit dialogue and exposition heavy, didn't I?
It's not exactly my specialty, but I tried my best. If it is any good to you guys, it is probably because of the changes my friend has made to make this fic more legible, and actually, you know, good to read. Honestly, I don't think I would have gotten five chapters without his help.
Okay, so some of you have been asking what exactly James looks like, and I was intentionally keeping it from being said outright because I wanted you, my readers to be able to put your own traits on James. If you think he has brown hair? then he has brown hair. If you think he has blonde hair? He has blonde hair. You think he has green eyes? He has Green eyes. If you think he has Blue eyes? He has Blue eyes.
I wanted you guys to make up what James looks like in your head, and I figured if I didn't say exactly what he looked like you would have an easier time doing that. I'm gonna set up a Poll, let you guys vote on if you want James to have a definitive look, or if you want to just imagine what he looks like in your head.
Also, woo, 555 Favorites, 710 followers. Thank you all so much for investing time into reading this fic.
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