Percy awoke early the following day. He had proved to be unlucky in his desire to seek quick passage to Solitude. The only traveling carriage that served as taxi for Falkreath had departed some days before his own arrival, and was already halfway to Windhelm. It would have likely been weeks before its return, which meant he would be setting out on foot which meant he'd need supplies. He found a general store which was willing to sell him enough rations to get him through. It wasn't much but he believed he had enough to at least reach Solitude.
An early fog had settled along the cobbles of the road. It was cool, and a soft breeze tickled at his cheeks. He was immensely thankful for Lod's forward thinking with respect to Percy's armor. His cheeks might have been cold, but the rest of his was warm and comfortable.
A small rabbit danced out of the undergrowth, nibbling at some greenery along the edge of the road. Percy watched it for a moment, before it darted back into the tangle of weeds and trees. He'd been walking for only a few minutes when he heard something that drew his attention. It sounded like someone was speaking, though the voice was muffled, and coming from some distance away.
He paused, and considered it for a moment. Ultimately, he decided that it was none of his business and kept walking along the road. But as he walked, the voice grew louder, and Percy could make out muttered curses. There was a path just off the road. A worn dirt trail that meandered through the growth. The voice had grown louder, and each curse was accompanied by a soft hiss of pain and what sounded like a strangled sob.
Percy stopped his approach again, and worried at his lip. He should have kept walking. Should have pressed onward. Whatever was occurring was none of his business. It could even be a trap. A ruse. A ploy to bring in unsuspecting, kind-natured travelers and robbing them of their coin. But Percy was more than capable of looking after himself. He rather doubted the ability of a couple of highwaymen to pose him a threat, and had he not sworn to himself that he wouldn't leave one in need again?
His teeth ground together, and he cursed his own bleeding heart. Turning directions, he marched up the dirt path. The path turned a sharp corner, coming into an outcropping of trees. The canopy of the forest acted as a makeshift cover for the mouth of a large cave. There was a man at the edge of the cave, resting against a log, his head in his hands. He looked a rather poor sight. His traveling leathers were ripped and matted with blood that still shone in the light of the early morning sun. His long brown hair was tangled and a mess of dirt and twigs. Percy could see a rather pronounced wound in the man's torso. Blood pooled in a small puddle under the man's leather boots and his shoulders shook with each heaving sob.
"Are you all right?" Percy asked gently, and the man jumped. His hand leaping towards a discarded dagger lying next to him on the ground. Percy raised his hands in the air in a show of peace.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." The man eyed Percy warily, before slumping even further down the log.
"You're wounded," said Percy, slowly reaching into his pouch and pulling free a small red vial. He placed it on the ground and it rolled it gently to the man. The stranger hesitated for a moment, before reaching out a trembling hand and snagging the vial. He ripped the cork free with his teeth, and began to down the foul concoction. Glimmering light shone across his body, and Percy watched in morbid fascination as the skin along his wound began to slowly stitch itself back together.
The man finished the potion, and tossed the empty vial down to the ground.
"Thank you, friend," said the stranger. His voice was deep, and raspy.
"What's your name?" Percy asked, "I'm Percy."
"Valdr," the man grunted.
"What happened here, Valdr?" Percy asked, approaching slowly, "Bandits?"
The man laughed mournfully, "If it were so simple." He shook his head, "I am a hunter. Me and my…" He gulped heavily, "Me and my companions are…were…hunters. We'd been tracking a bear for the last couple of days. Tracked it here. We followed it inside, but…" His eyes closed and he averted his gaze. Percy allowed the man a couple of moments to compose himself.
"Spriggan's," Valdr said softly. "An entire fucking drove of 'em. Matron and all. They just…they tore us to pieces and Ari…and Niels…" Tears welled up in his eyes and he ducked his head. Percy's own head ducked in solemn understanding. He allowed the man to grieve in peace, his own heart aching on the man's behalf. His gaze wandered over to the entrance to the cave. Before he even had a chance to question it, he was drawing his blade and marching over to the entrance.
"What are you doing?"
Valdr's voice cut over his trance like march, and Percy blinked. He glanced over his shoulder.
"I'm going to go kill those things, and gather your friends. Get them out of there."
A dark expression crossed over Valdr's face, and he made to get to his feet. But he winced painfully, clutching at the wound at his chest.
"Don't," Percy warned. "The potion's working but you're in no shape to be moving right now, let alone fighting."
Valdr snarled, "I'm not standing by and allowing a man I don't know get revenge on my behalf!"
"I'm not getting revenge for anyone," said Percy calmly. "These things are a threat, and will probably continue killing anyone unfortunate enough to wander in."
"Those things still killed my friends!" Valor roared, "They were as good as family, and I will see them honored."
"You go in there like that, and the only way you'll be honoring them is in a foolhardy death." Percy glared coolly at the man. "How do you think they'd react to that? To you foolishly throwing your life away in a vain attempt to honor their memory." His tone softened and turned to approach the man. He walked over and knelt in the dirt, resting one hand on his knee as he looked up and met the man's gaze.
"You want to honor them? Live for them. Live for their memory, and find happiness. If they were truly as good as family, then they would want you to live. Not to throw your life away."
Valdr looked like he wanted little more than to disagree, but surrendered. He ducked his head, his shoulders slumping. Percy stood up, not sparing the man another glance. He didn't need to look to know that the man wasn't going to come with. It was for the best.
As silence descended on the clearing, Percy marched into the cave. It was dark, and it took a couple of seconds for his eyes to adjust to the light. When he could finally see clearly, he was momentarily taken aback. The inside of the cave looked…little like an actual cave. Rather, it was more like he'd stepped into a forest. Green moss covered the rocky floor. Vines dangled from the ceiling, and he could make out what appeared to be a miniature lake at the other end of the cave.
His hairs stood up on the back of his neck, and he pulled his shield from his back as his grip tightened on his sword. He took a cautious step forward, his eyes darting around the cave. But as he traversed deeper into the cave, he didn't see anything dangerous. After about a dozen paces however, he did find something far more depressing. Propped up against the wall of the cave, was a woman.
Her dark red hair, styled in a mowhak, was matted with blood and grime. Blood trickled down from the corners of her mouth, her eyes wide in horror. Frozen in fear, the final minutes of her life caught reflected on her features. There was a gaping hole in her chest. Right over her heart. As though someone had reached into her chest and pulled the organ free. Percy sighed and closed his eyes. Kneeling onto the ground, he pressed his fingers to her eyes and gently closed them.
His attention departed from the corpse as magic swirled behind him, and he swiveled. He only just managed to bring his shield up in time as gnarled claw shot forward. The claw slammed into the shield, and the force of the blow reverberated up his arm. He glanced over the top of the shield, and glared at the spriggan that had materialized out of the ether.
Percy had only run into the foul creatures once before. They were like sentient trees. Their bodies made entirely of a magical bark. Branches of the enchanted bark wrapped around the monster like armor. Flecks of green, leaf-like magic flowed around the horn-like branches on its head. Its green eyes glowed in the dark, like ethereal pools light that reverberated in the darkness.
It pulled back its hand and jutted its other out, a strange glow around its fingertips. Percy felt something odd grip at his heart. A strange…pulling sensation gripping at his chest and he could feel something try and drain him of his vitality. As though the creature was trying to drain at his very life-force. Percy snarled, his blade arcing out. The steel bit into the bark of its chest, digging into the creature. Its chest was hard, like solid iron, but Percy's enhanced strength forced the blade deep and chips of bark splintered off from its chest.
The spriggan snarled in fury, and the grip on Percy's heart increased. But Percy's magic was inherently divine. It would take something far more powerful than a spriggan to affect him. Percy ducked, the spriggan's claws swinging through the air just over his head. The trick to killing a spriggan was killing the magical wooden organ in the middle of its chest. But the armor of the spriggan was far thicker around its chest. It would take more than stabbing it to create the necessary opening. Dropping into a roll, he slashed out at the creature's ankles. The armor around its legs was far weaker than its chest, and the blade bit into its ankle, cutting through the appendage like smooth butter.
The creature unleashed an unearthly howl of misery as the leg broke free, and it collapsed to one knee. Percy impaled the sword into the dirt as he shot to his feet behind the spriggan. He dug his fingers into the spriggan's armor, bark and wood digging into his fingernails. He ignored the pain as he found joints in the armor, and pulled. The wood creaked and groaned, before splintering entirely.
The spriggan's back opened, and Percy could see the green organ that was its heart. It was brown as tree bark, with odd green veins pulsating along its various chambers. It pumped and pulsated, acting entirely too similar to a normal heart. It was a disconcerting sight, as Percy could see the magic it was pumping through its body. Odd, twig-like appendages wrapped around the organ like muscle fibers.
With a snarl of his own, Percy's hand shot forward and gripped the organ in his hand. The wood was course, rough and a surge of raw, magical power danced over his hands.
Gritting his teeth, Percy pulled. The spriggan screeched in horror, as Percy tugged its heart free from the armor. The light of the organ faded, as the spriggan shuddered. The green in its eyes faded and it fell to the floor. There was a burst of raw magical power, before the spriggan dissolved into nothingness. Percy had to shield his eyes from the burst of light, but then all was quiet. All that remained of the creature, was the heart still in Percy's hand, and the small pile of faded and dead leaves on the ground.
With a sigh, Percy wiped the sweat from his forehead. He glanced down at the large wooden heart in his hands. Glaring at the foul thing he dropped it to the ground, and smashed it into splinters with his boot.
The hairs on the back of his neck didn't bow down. Not a surprise, if there was a matron in this cave then there was likely a number of the bastards inside. For a brief moment, Percy cursed his desire to use a sword instead of opting for a war-hammer. The blunt weapon would have been far more helpful in splintering the wooden bastards.
Pulling his weapon free from the dirt, he stalked forward. His eyes scanned the confines of the cave. Something shifted in the darkness above him, before launching at him. Percy rolled out of the way, just as an enormous grizzly bear slammed into the moss-covered earth. It unleashed a bestial roar, one of its massive paws darting out. Percy swatted the arm away. As powerful as the bear was, it had nowhere near the strength of the werebear Percy had killed. Stabbing down, the steel of Percy's blade impaled the creature through its massive neck. Blood spurt into the air, and Percy grunted in annoyance.
He pulled the blade free, and followed it up with a powerful strike down. The blade pierced through the bear's neck once more, cutting through the bone and muscle, and severing its head. The dismembered head plopped to the ground with a wet squelching noise, and the bear's body collapsed to the ground.
Stepping over the body, he continued moving forward. The cave opened up as he approached nearer to the lake. The thickness of the forest grew. A number of trees standing tall and hiding the ceiling of the cave from sight.
Magic pulsated around him and a pair of spriggans stepped out of the trunks of a pair of nearby trees. In unison, the spriggan's reached out their hands and magic erupted from their gnarled fingertips. The now familiar tug around his heart began again, but Percy ignored it.
He darted forward, trying to repeat the tactic he'd used on the first spriggan. But the pair must have seen the first duel, because as Percy's blade darted out at its ankle, it scrambled out of the way. Percy grunted in pain, as something sharp and powerful smashed into the back of his breastplate. He grunted, stumbling forward and raising his shield just in time to block another strike. He growled in frustration, and jumped away from the spriggans. Conventional attacks weren't going to work. Not outnumbered as he was. But that begged the question.
What the hell did he do now?
He considered for a moment about trying to summon a hurricane, but quickly discarded that idea. Doing so would likely cause the entire cave to collapse on top of him. So brute force was likely out, which left what? He couldn't get his hands on the creatures to open their chest while there was another wandering around. Doing so would be exposing himself. He could have flooded the cavern, but he didn't want to desecrate the corpses of Valdr's friends any more than absolutely necessary. He'd made a promise to the man, and Percy prided himself on being true to his word. As he wracked his brain, he had an idea. He'd never tried it before, but he was never one to shy away from experimenting in the midst of combat.
He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, and began to summon his divine magic. A familiar warmth washed over him, and he could feel the very earth itself answer his call to action. He washed his hand over the blade, coating the blade in raw magical power. He channeled his power of storms into the blade. Sweat dribbled down his cheeks, and his temples throbbed. He'd never been good at precision, and it was taking a lot out of him to focus so much power into such a precise location. But his efforts bore fruit. A blue shine shimmered around the edge of the blade. Glowing brightly in the dull light of the cave.
He looked at the blade, and grinned wickedly. Darting forward, Percy swung the blade. Wind and lightning exploded from the edge of the blade, sharper and more powerful than any blade he'd ever wielded. The blast of wind slammed into the pair of spriggans. The monsters were lifted into the air and thrown across the cave. Wood splintered off of their armor as they were thrown to the ground. Not a moment later, the electric currents slammed into them. They screeched in misery, their bodies twitching and contorting as arcs of electricity danced along their torsos.
Percy raced forward, his blade dancing through the air. He leapt, soaring through the sky as he dropped down on one of the fallen spriggans. His blade found purchase in the chest armor of the monster. The added edge of the blade pierced through the armor, puncturing the its heart. He rolled off the spriggan as it exploded in magic behind him, just as the other spriggan managed to roll to its feet.
Its hand slashed out, and Percy ducked out of the way. Though he wasn't quite quick enough to avoid the edges of its claws as they nicked the side of his cheek. Growling in fury, he buried the tip of his magically enchanted blade into the creature's chest. Its eyes bulged, and Percy pulled the blade free as it too, exploded in magical power.
Percy panted, whirling around and glaring at the cave around him. It was empty, quiet and for a brief moment it appeared that he was alone. But there was still the matron to worry about, and Percy wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect. He'd never faced one before, and could only imagine how much more powerful it would have been compared to its offspring. Wanting to give himself every possible advantage when it showed itself, Percy wandered forward and into the small lake in the middle of the cavern.
The moment his feet stepped into the water, relief washed over him. Newfound energy swelled within him, and he could feel the cuts on his cheek stitch themselves back together. He could feel magic swirl behind him. Raw, powerful energy. Far stronger than that of the previous spriggans. Percy watched, his blade held at the ready, as orange energy exploded at the edge of the pool. Orange and red leaves swirled in the breeze created by the unleashed magical power.
A figure materialized out of the mass of energy. It was far taller than the others. Standing at well over eight feet in height, where the other spriggans glowed green from their power the Matron glowed bright orange. Brilliant orange glowing from the center of its chest, spreading through its arms and coalescing in the eyes. The branches on its head were enormous, like a crown of wooden branches. It unleashed a bestial roar and charged forward, moving far faster than the others.
But Percy was quite literally within his own element. He darted out of the way, veritably gliding along the edge of the water. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and barked a command at the water. The pool roared to life, and a cyclone of water exploded around the matron. A magical wind roared to life, battering into the Matron over and over again. It screeched in fury. Howling and raging as it thrashed against the watery prison.
Magic exploded around the Matron, dispelling the conjured cyclone. The Matron shot forward, hand outstretched as more magic pumped from its beating heart. Percy screamed in agony, as something sharp and jagged clenched around his own beating heart. The raw power of the creature's magic strong enough even to break through his own magical defenses.
Snarling in fury, Percy stomped a foot into the pool, and a small tidal wave formed from the impact. It shot forward, slamming into the Matron. An idea occurred to him. He'd never tried it before, but it seemed worth the effort. With another burst of divine power, the water froze around the Matron, trapping it in place. Percy could feel the Matron channeling power, trying desperately to break itself free.
Percy raced through the pool. With another burst of power, the ice shattered, freeing the Matron. He waved his sword through the air, and the shards of shattered ice soared through the air. The Matron screamed in unfettered agony as the ice pierced through its armor, and Percy found his opening. Thrusting his blade forward, the enchanted steel hacked into the creature's heart. It screamed, and wave after wave of powerful magic flowed through the cavern. Like the others, the Spriggan Matron exploded. The raw power threw Percy through the air, and he landed in a heap in the pool.
For a moment, he allowed himself to lay there. He closed his eyes, and basked in the comfort the cool waters provided him. He wasn't sure how long he laid there, but eventually he managed to pull himself to his feet. He stepped out of the pool, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him. His muscles ached, and his temples throbbed. He groaned. The after effects of using his divine magic could be…painful. He was hoping that prolonged usage would eventually negate some of the worse side effects.
He glanced around the, now empty, cave. He'd been a little preoccupied, but he still needed to find the other hunter. After a couple of minutes of wandering around, he found the poor soul. The hunter, who must have been Niels, had been mauled. Either by the bear, or by one of the spriggans. There…wasn't much left of the man's face, and Percy sighed. Percy hadn't travelled much during his time in Helgen. He'd only seen a handful of the monstrosities that called Skyrim home, but he was becoming increasingly aware of just how…dangerous the place could be.
Between the civil war raging across the country, the hordes of bandits meandering around, the natural wildlife that seemed more lethal than anything he'd encountered, aside from literal gods, in his home world, and godsdamned dragons…Skyrim was becoming less and less hospitable with each passing moment. What the hell was wrong with this place. Was it little more than a dumping ground for the worst the gods of this world had to offer? Was there nobody to protect the innocents from the evils of the world? He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
Maybe he was better off leaving the country all together.
With a heavy heart, he made his way back to the entrance of the cave. He wanted Valdr to be there to collect the bodies. The poor man deserved that much.
Valdr was waiting impatiently for Percy as he emerged from the cave. Pacing a well-worn groove into the sodden earth. He was moving well, and the wound on his side was little more than a patchy red mark.
His face morphed into one of utter relief as Percy emerged.
"Thank the Nine," he breathed, "I could hear the sounds of battle from out here…I did not think I would be seeing you again."
"They were powerful," admitted Percy, "You were…you were lucky to escape as you did."
Valdr grimaced, but didn't respond. Percy could recognize the expression on the man's face. Approaching the hunter, Percy clapped his arm on the man's shoulder.
"Don't do that," he said gruffly. "Don't blame yourself. You had no way of knowing. No way of being prepared."
"And yet you managed yourself just fine," Valdr snapped, ripping his arm free and taking a few steps back. "I could have done something…should have done something. Should have stayed-should have fought."
"And you would have died," Percy snapped. "Some thank you. Some way of honoring their memory. They die, and your idea of honoring their memory is suicide by cop!"
Valdr didn't seem to understand the colloquialism, but was smart enough to piece together its meaning. He looked away, his hands balling into tight fists. He knew that Percy was right. But that didn't take the sting away.
"Come on," said Percy. "Let's collect them, and give them the burial the deserve yeah?"
It was a solemn task, and it took most of the day. Every couple of minutes, Percy would stop and avert his eyes, allowing Valdr time to compose himself. Valdr and his companions had worked and lived out of Falkreath, and so Percy was forced to re-trace his steps back to the city. Say what one will about the city's cemetery, but because of its size it was always ready for new inhabitants.
Within a couple of hours, the bodies were embalmed and buried.
Percy felt like an intruder. He stood a couple yards away from Valdr, who was preoccupied staring at the new headstones belonging to his friends. It was an intimate moment. The final moments one spent with a loved one often were. Percy wanted to grant the man the privacy he deserved, and there was enough daylight left that he could make some progress before having to set up camp for the night.
Percy was nearly at the front gate when he heard someone approaching. He glanced over his shoulder, stopping short of the gate as Valdr came to a running stop a couple feet away. His face was slick with sweat, and his eyes were red and raw with emotion.
"Percy…" he panted, "I am glad I caught you." He wiped at his face for a moment, before he fumbled with something at the back of his leathers. From the back of his belt, he withdrew a simple dagger, sheathed in a leather holster. He held the weapon out to Percy.
"I don't know what to say beyond…thank you. Your kindness today…it is more than I could have hoped for." His gaze dropped to the dagger, then back to Percy. "This was Ari's dagger…she always said that it brought her good luck…" Tears welled at the corner of the mans eyes, and he fought to blink them away as he was momentarily lost in memory.
"I want you to have it…I don't have much, but, I can give you this."
Percy eyed the dagger for a moment, before looking back at Valdr.
"I can't accept that," he said softly, "She was your companion. Your family. Keep it."
"Please," the man pleaded, his voice growing weak. "Please…accept. I just…you were right. But I can't allow you to leave without something. Ari would want you to have this…please."
Percy continued to stare at the man. He closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded.
"I'll take care of it," he said solemnly, "I give you my word."
"I know," said Valdr, smiling sadly. "Thank you again Percy. Know that you have earned a friend this day. You will always be welcome in my home." He reached a hand out, and Percy smiled, gripping the man's forearm. The man was hurting. He likely would for some time. But Percy hoped that he had given the man a chance to at least have some chance at peace.
As Percy walked back through the gates, the smile remained on his face. Maybe there was hope for this godsforsaken country after all.
AN: Thanks again to my boy IDK for being a walking goddamn encyclopedia of knowledge and helping me with his brilliant idea. He's the man and you should check out his stuff 'cause they're all bangers. As always, thanks to my boy Double for being the best Beta of all time. Hit up the link in my bio to join the Emerald Library where I hang out with some of the best authors out there. Thanks again for all the love and support, and I'll see you next week.
Love,
LilDB