Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Silver Soul, Dragon's Heart
by Storm Wolf77415, Wing Commander White Wolf, and Centurious the Azure
Dungeon Crawl
Sebastian, Phoebe, Laura, and Fianna had departed Whiterun and traveled northward into the Hold known as the Pale. It had been a relatively unremarkable journey, aside from a couple of wild animals that had been quickly felled thanks to his and Laura's blades. But then they had come upon a horde of bandits and were fully engaged. It had given everyone time to let their respective combat styles merge into one and make their unit more cohesive. For Sebastian, a bandit was pretty much the same no matter what world you were in, and they died all the same. As soon as one of the brigand's lifelessly slid off his steel blade, another wielding a rusty old iron dagger came at him.
He lasted about as long as expected. Sebastian smirked, watching as the thief's head sailed through the air, trailing blood as his body slumped to the ground dead. He conjured up a shield to keep from being flash frozen by a magic user's Frostbite spell. The shield broke and Sebastian knocked him back with a quick Aard, leaving the brigand on his back. He showed no emotion as he plunged the tip of his sword into his neck. With the immediate threat out of the way. The Witcher took note of his companions and how they fought.
Phoebe's magic was a known quantity, her accuracy with those icicle spears was as frightful as ever. As another bandit found out the hard way, getting sent flying back a good ten feet. "Why you little mage bitch!" The dead brigand's friend ran in, only to be met with an arcing bolt of lightning. His entire body twisted and spasmed before he was raised into the air by Phoebe's telekinesis, an ability she hadn't demonstrated before now, a subtle push and he was sent arcing into the air, hitting the ground dead.
"You're going to pay for that!" Phoebe then had a rare chance to show off her chops with the Arseid School's staff techniques when one of them tried to get her from behind. She spun in a circle, and the brigand's jaw went flying off into the nearby stream before she torched another of the brigands with a quick gout of flame. She raised her staff to the sky, calling down a flurry of lightning bolts. Phoebe smiled as she spun her staff. "I'm not just a mage, I'm a daughter of the Arseid family, and we don't fall so easily!"
Likewise, the blue-haired mage's cousin was equally impressive. Laura swung her giant blade, Valkyria, with a grace and precision that shouldn't have been possible. But with it came a great deal of power. She was squaring up against a large, beefy man in tattered hide armor wielding a giant warhammer. "Oh, what's this? Some little girl with an oversized butter knife? I'll enjoy breaking you, and then breaking you in later tonight!" Laura was repulsed at his yellowed, decaying teeth. Not to mention he clearly hadn't bathed in his whole lifetime.
The daughter of the Radiant Blademaster said nothing, just wearing a disgusted frown. The hammer-wielding bandit raised his mighty weapon, looking to turn Laura's head to a pulp. But all the oversized nail driver would hit is air as Laura deftly sidestepped to the right. The warhammer slammed into the dirt with a dulled thud. That was the opening she was waiting for. Laura brought her blade back, swinging in a wide circle. The bandit raised his hammer to protect himself, Valkyria splintered the wooden shaft before slicing down into his shoulder, reducing him to raw hamburger.
Fianna's battle prowess had proven surprising. The red-haired bard weaved in and out of the bandits with the footwork of a prima ballerina, her feet never fully touching on the ground. The bard elbowed one of the thugs in the gut before burying one of her twin steel daggers into his throat. Fianna then whipped around back kicking a bandit in poorly maintained leather armor in the face. A steel-tipped arrow flew by her face, and she found herself staring down a Bosmer archer in banded iron armor. "Aw does someone want to play? Then come on, honey." She beckoned with her finger. "I'll show you a good time! But I'll let you know, you won't get lucky with those arrows a second time. You'll need to get closer."
The archer just sneered, going for the Orcish dagger at his side. He stabbed toward her midsection, but she deftly twisted her body to the side, letting her evade the worst of it. Fianna responded by palm striking him in the face, before bringing one of her own knives up, plunging it into his shoulder. The bandit screamed in pain, flailing about. Fianna demonstrated some impressive acrobatics, leaping in the air, spinning before impaling her would-be adversary in the top of the head. She landed in a crouch position, and winked at Sebastian when she realized he'd been watching the whole time.
"I know what you're thinking Phoebe." Sebastian didn't need to look at the mage and already pictured the irritated glare he gave her. "You can't deny Fianna is a very good fighter. I suppose it's because the only other bard I know couldn't fight to save his life." He became wistful, recalling the Wolf School's resident troubadour. "I'll give Uncle Dandelion credit, it's thanks to his songs that people like me aren't totally vilified," Phoebe said nothing, remembering the conversation they had just before departing Whiterun. Only for him to catch sight of one of the last brigands come straight at them.
He wielded a rusty iron battle-axe. Sebastian put himself in front of Phoebe, sword ready to block. Only for a pink flash to sweep by the corner of their vision. "Sorry I'm late." Lacrima hissed, her tongue flickering out as she brandished her steel daggers, flicking the blood off them. The bandit that had made to attack him stood there for a second, before he fell to the ground in pieces, slashed to bloody chunks of various sizes. "Had some business to tend to over in Riften." The faint Skyrim sun caught off her pink scales, giving them a slightly iridescent sheen to them. "Master Iskar insisted I join you with all haste."
"Your timing couldn't be better," Sebastian said, taking note of the scattered corpses. "Looks like the vultures will eat well tonight." He sheathed his steel sword. "We should get moving. I don't want to waste any more time." He walked down the path.
After traveling another day or so. The party arrived at their destination. "So this is High Gate Ruins." Sebastian looked upward at the towering edifice before him. Carved into the side of a large crag. Large stone arches carved with nordic scrollery and wicked-looking gargoyles. A jagged point reaching up into the sky toward Nirn's twin moons. "Certainly, looks impressive. Reminds me of a few ruins I've been in back home. Not to mention some unpleasant surprises I bet."
You're sure this is the place, Phoebe?" Sebastian looked over to the blue-haired mage. She had traded out her normal mage robes for clothes more suitable for traveling. A long violet-gray button-up tunic that came to her knees, over which she wore a fur-lined cloak colored a deep violet. Given Skyrim's harsh environs, she had never been more grateful for it. The expensive, fur-lined leather boots were also welcome to her toes. She had never been fully able to get used to the more frigid environs of the northern province.
"According to the documents you retrieved from Fort Greymoor. That's what it says." She looked through the various sheets of parchment retrieved from the former bandit holdout, now under the firm control of the Whiterun Hold Guard. Phoebe squinted, trying to make sense of the scratchy writing. "This scholar heard rumors of an artifact of great value being kept in these ruins. He traveled all the way here from Cyrodil to find it, but apparently, he ran afoul of the Scar Wolves and killed him. I'd pale to think what would happen if they got their hands on something so powerful."
The Witcher snorted, eyes flickering around the perimeter. "Odds are it would have probably killed them. None of them struck me as having much in the realm of working brains. It's something I've seen far too much for my tastes over the years. Some poor scrub messes with some cursed artifact or relic they shouldn't, and it either kills them, or worse possesses them, needing someone like me to sort through the mess. In which case they still end up dead. It really would be the best-case scenario if it had killed them instantly."
"That's an awfully cold-blooded to say such a thing," Laura said. He met the young woman's stern gaze with one of his own.
"It is cold-blooded, Lady Arseid. But sadly, it's also the truth. I've seen this particular scenario happen far too many times for my own liking. If those bandits had found whatever is in here, odds are they would have met a very gruesome fate." He had no further words and the quartet entered the tomb. They found the scattered bodies of draugr and some adventurers were strewn about. "Case in point." He didn't even blink as he moved past the bodies, noting that the adventurers seemed to have died in the past couple of weeks.
"Draugr. Ugh, I hate Draugr so much! So filthy and unattractive." Fianna noted with disgust. Shuddering and hugging her chest as the party passed by another of the desiccated corpses. "When I die, I want my body to be cremated, and my ashes spread off the Throat of the World. I do not want to end up looking like that!"
"If you hate Draugr so much. Then why did you come along, Fianna?" Phoebe was enjoying the sight of her rival's discomfort of the undead. It wasn't often she saw the redhead be vulnerable. Sebastian quietly reflected that despite her rather demure manner, she would have fit in perfectly with the sorceresses of his world, for she had clearly mastered the greatest weapon of all, sass! "Old Nordic Tombs are chock full of them after all."
Fianna just folded her arms and stuck her nose up in the air. Trying to make herself look important while hiding her earlier insecurity. None of her party members bought it for a second. "A bard doesn't shy away from danger so easily. If there's a story to be told, then as an artist I have an obligation to be there to record it for posterity in my songs."
Sebastian and Phoebe just looked to each other. "Riiiggghttt." They both said, ignoring Fianna's pout as they pushed further into the dungeon. Laura said nothing, but her lips twitched upward in a slight show of amusement as she followed behind the others. This trip up north had taken an unexpected turn. But like any good warrior, Laura was always striving to push her limits and reach a new level. This was just another rung on the ladder to her. Not to mention a few laughs along the way.
They entered the main antechamber, the stagnant odor of death hung in the air. Fianna and Phoebe both whimpered, holding their noses shut to try and repel the stench. Laura remained stoic as always, but she was clearly uncomfortable at the miasma of rotting flesh permeating the air. Lacrima seemed unaffected as well. She was also checking out for any possible draugr attacks. They slowly entered, climbing up the stairs. Phoebe cast a spell, sending a few balls of light floating above her head. Walking up some stairs they found an unexpected sight in this palace of death, another living person.
Sebastian halted in his tracks when he laid eyes on the woman. A single word escaped his lips. "Ciri." He just stood there, frozen in place, Fianna tapping him on the shoulder the only thing breaking his trance. She looked at him questioningly, cocking her head as if asking if he was okay. "I'm fine." That was all he said, not wanting to reveal that particular vulnerability at the moment.
The woman with ash blonde hair looked relieved at the new arrivals. "Oh wow, I wasn't expecting to see other people with a pulse in this place." Her Nordic accent was thick. "My name is Anska. Are all of you adventurers? If you are, then would it be too much to ask in helping me out? I finally found the tomb of Vokun. It took me several years to find this place. Can't say I was looking forward to exploring this draugr hive all by myself."
"I suppose we can be. My name is Sebastian Connor, I'm a Witcher of the Wolf School, this is Phoebe Spring-Rain, an apprentice of Farengar Secret-Fire, the court mage of Jarl Balgruuf. Lacrima Raging-Winter, from the clan of the same name, and Fianna Redblaze, our resident bard. If you're looking to explore this place then we're at your service."
"Vokun, that name sounds familiar." Phoebe started going through the parchments again. Her mouth dropped open in silent shock. "Vokun, he was one of the eight highest-ranking priests of the Dragon Cult that ruled over Skyrim in the Merethic Era. The artifact we're searching for belonged to him! Please excuse me, ma'am, but what exactly are you looking for? Because anything related to Vokun may have some unintended consequences." She looked to the Witcher with those words.
But to everyone's relief, Anska shook her head. "What I'm looking for isn't related to Vokun himself. But it is located here in these ruins. It would probably mean nothing to you. But I'm looking for a scroll. According to my family's legend, the scroll contains information that traces our bloodline all the way back to Ysgramor himself. But if what you say about Vokun is true, then I'm definitely going to need your help."
It took Sebastian of all five seconds to make up. A job was a job and if coin was to be made, how could he say no? "Very well then, Miss Anska. We'll help you find your scroll, but you must know we're not doing this purely for the sake of altruism. I am a professional after all, and I will want to be paid."
"That doesn't bother me. You can have whatever loot you find in here. All I want is the scroll." Anska replied. "I'm a fairly capable mage, mostly with lightning and fire magic, so don't worry about me slowing you down. You won't have to protect me or anything."
Sebastian gave her a nod of acknowledgment. Escort missions were always dicey, and it was always a good thing if the client could defend themselves. The party, along with their guest made their way deeper into High Gate Ruins.
The Witcher looked down the dim corridor, watching the flames of the torches dance on the walls. A sense of nostalgia hit him "You know, it's a real shame my friend, Felecia, isn't here." He spoke to Phoebe. Visions of a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair clad in blue and a playful smile danced in his head. "She's a treasure hunter, for her this is practically a second home. The dank chambers, the musty scent, none of it bothers her at all. A chance to explore the ruins of an alien world, that would absolute paradise for Felecia."
Phoebe and Laura exchanged glances with each other, noting the wistful tone in the sole male member of their party. Fianna made a mental note of it as well. They soon came upon a horde of Draugr. Anska's statement of being a capable mage was putting it mildly. She threw out a pair of wicked lightning bolts, smiting a trio of Draugr faster than Sebastian and Laura could draw their weapons. She just gave them a cheeky little smile, raising her hand to let the bolts dance on her fingertips.
"Just you wait and see what I do to Vokun!" A part of Phoebe wondered why she needed the whole party if she had magic as powerful as that! Putting the question aside they continued killing Draugr and picking up any random loot they could salvage. By exploring the various urns, they managed to next nearly 300 Septims. Along with a smattering of various types of gems, a few pieces of armor, and weapons, including a two-handed battle-axe made out of ebony.
The next chamber the party entered was a confusing one. A large metal grate, surrounded by four braziers took up a good part of the floor. A spiraling staircase loomed into the darkness below. "This is different." Phoebe began looking around the room. "I don't see any other entry point besides where we came in. I must assume the route to Vokun is beneath that grate. Everyone started looking around for some kind of activation mechanism. A lever, a pull chain. It has to be here."
The entire party began scanning every inch of the chamber. "Found something!" Fianna called out, standing in front of an ancient lever. "Although I don't think it's going to be that simple." She indicated to the plaque containing the squiggling form of a serpent. It reminded Sebastian of the Viper School's symbol.
"She's right," Anska called out a far corner of the room. "There's another one over here!" Sebastian looked to where their client stood in front of another lever with a plaque marked with a very familiar animal. He reached out to touch his fingers along the metallic surface, where the stylized fox was engraved. He knew Mark would have approved of it. The Witcher was starting to put the pieces together. He made for the stairs the party came down earlier. He passed a look to Lacrima, who followed him down the steps.
"There's two more levers up here, Marked with a whale and some kind of a bird. An eagle or a hawk I want to say?" He came back down, everyone reconvened near the grate. "Okay, clearly this is some kind of puzzle, we'll have to throw the levers in a certain order so the grate can open. I've been in plenty of ruins like these with Felecia. If there's a puzzle to be solved, usually some kind of clue gets left around to help solve it, so let's start looking."
Everyone began casing the room, looking about for any kind of markers. "I think I found it!" Fianna called out, pointing upwards. The symbols on the levers were arrayed high on the wall. First was the hawk, then the whale, next the fox, and finally the snake. "So the question before us now is, which order do we go in?"
"I think the most likely answer is to just go left to right," Lacrima suggested, tongue flicking out once again. "I mean it's simply common sense. Why overthink it?"
No one had any words for her statement. It was the truth. "I don't have a better answer for it. Let's pull the levers in that order and let's keep moving." Sebastian nodded to Lacrima. "Since you were the one who came up with the solution. Why don't you do the honors Lacrima?" The lizard woman just hissed slightly, tongue flickering out one last time. She flipped the hawk lever first, causing one of the braziers to suddenly erupt to life as the light of a brilliant flame snapped into existence.
"I think that's a good sign," Fianna said, watching as the second brazier flared to life. Two more levers were pulled and soon all four braziers were ablaze. Phoebe covered her ears as the grate rolled back. Smirking, Fianna leaned in. "Aw, does the sound hurt the princess's ears too much? I can help you with that if it bothers you too much." She reached toward Phoebe's chest, a perverted leer on her face and a wicked gleam in her eyes as she made to fondle the mage. "It had been a while since I've sampled your fertile lands after all!" Phoebe shrank back, hoping that Laura or Sebastian would save her, but they had already gone down the steps. Only for a scaly arm to suddenly yank the red-haired musician away.
"Don't even think about laying a finger on Lady Phoebe you pervy bard!" Lacrima hissed, holding Fianna by the collar of her shirt, so they were both eye to eye. Her nictitating membrane flapping open and shut in an intimidating manner. Phoebe mouthed a silent thanks to the Argonian rogue. He eyed Fianna dismissively. "Need I remind you that her cousin is present? Something tells me Lady Laura wouldn't enjoy seeing anyone molest another member of her family. Do remember why we're here and keep your urges in check just once in your life?" She dropped Fianna, who landed easily on her feet, quickly ushering Phoebe down the steps.
Fianna pouted for a second. "What a killjoy." But the pout was replaced by a wicked smirk. "Oh well, it just means I'll have to get my dear mage later!" She skipped down the steps. The atmosphere grew ever more stagnant the deeper the party moved into the ruins, and that meant many more draugr to be fought. With six experienced fighters, the undead Nord warriors stood little chance. Until one draugr approached them, and Sebastian could sense a difference in this particular creature. It carried itself with a gravitas, unlike his brethren undead, almost with a commanding air about it.
Phoebe recognized it for what it was in a second. "That's a Deathlord! Sebastian, be careful, they're some of the most powerful draugr known to exist!" The Wolf Witcher sized up his opponent. Unlike many of the other draugr they had fought to this point, many had been clad in very little, tattered furs or a couple of rusted pieces of armor. But this one was nearly garbed in old-style Nordic armor. A pair of wicked horns adorned the helmet which framed a leathery, dried-out face. What caught his attention the most was the weapon this elite draugr carried. An Ebony Sword, much like the one he saw back at Adrienne's shop.
Sebastian smirked; he definitely was going to claim that sliver of pure night for himself! Silver sword drawn, he circled the Deathlord. When he heard a raspy voice utter three simple words. "Fus Ro Dah!" Shockwaves of pure power erupted from the draugr's mouth. Sebastian had no time to throw up a Quen or just get out of the way, it sent him flying across the room, slamming into the wall where corpses lay at rest in alcoves dug out of the rock. He had never been so grateful for the alchemical decoctions that altered his body at that moment. Sebastian staggered to his feet where the Deathlord let out a mocking laugh.
"Congratulations, you just ate your first Thu'um. I'll admit you took it like a real champ." Lacrima said, trying to hide the amusement in her voice. Sebastian just rolled his eyes as he squared up with his opponent. "The Thu'um, the Shout. An ancient form of magic was used by the dragons in ancient times when they ruled this part of the continent. It's not like any kind of magic you're probably used to. Monster Hunter."
"It's certainly different, but I adapt quickly," Sebastian said, sword in a ready position, and this time with Quen activated. "Try that again why don't you, you walking corpse?" The Deathlord wasn't intimidating, going in blade to blade, silver meeting ebony with a metallic symphony as draugr and Witcher engaged in a running back and forth of strikes, parries, and blocks. Sebastian saw the way the Deathlord's weathered chest puffed out, a sign he was going to use another shout, but this time he was ready. Raising a hand to use Aard, the telekinetic blast staggered the draugr, allowing Sebastian to get a firm hit on the undead monster's shoulder. "How about a taste of your own medicine!"
The draugr howled in rage. Only for Sebastian to hit him with a second Aard, before using Igni, the Deathlord's right arm now burst with flames. The Witcher was on his prey in seconds, swinging his silver blade down ad severing the still burning arm at the shoulder, the Ebony Sword still clenched in hand. The Deathlord launched another Thu'um, but this time Sebastian was ready, throwing out another Aard to stagger the monster one more time before going in for the kill, cleaving the draugr's head from its shoulders.
It slumped to the musty floor with the rest of its dead brethren. Sebastian sheathed the silver sword, and claimed his new prize. Fianna whistled. "Now that's a nice little trophy for the wall. Or are you going to add that to your arsenal?"
"I don't know yet." Sebastian seriously considered making use of such an exotic weapon, or at least have it melted down for future usage. He looked to Anska, a huge pile of draugrs at her feet. "Think we're much further to getting this scroll of yours? Because I don't want to have to fight something like that." He indicates to the headless corpse of the Draugr Deathlord on the ground. "For a while at least! It was bad as a Leshen." He muttered, ignoring the giggles from Phoebe and Fianna.
Anska settled for an amused half-smile. "We should be getting close to Vokun's throne room, Master Witcher. I appreciate what your entire party had done for me. It's been a huge asset in helping me get this far. Besides, I doubt you can complain much with your new trophy." She indicated to the jet-black weapon hanging on his belt. With no further words, the party soon entered a wide room, where a long black coffin was situated on a raised dais. Sebastian didn't need to heed the mad vibrating of his medallion. The aura of menace in the room was quite palpable on its own.
An eerie screech rang through the air, the top of the coffin flew off disgorging a creature that made the previous battle seem like nothing. "Okay, I take it back. Forget about the Draugr Deathlord. That thing!" Sebastian indicated to the lich in tattered robes floating above the tomb, roaring at them in challenge. "Is in the league of a Leshen!" He brought his silver sword out, watching intently what the foul abomination in front of him would do. Vokun let out a wordless cry, conjuring up a flaming ball in its hands. Sebastian dodged to the side, throwing up a Quen to protect himself.
While Phoebe projected her own ward shield to guard herself and her cousin. Fianna simply leapt out of the way. Using her natural athleticism to evade the numerous fireballs the Dragon Priest threw out. Phoebe conjured a frigid wave of ice and frozen mist at Vokun. But he was soon surrounded by an icy shroud that completely negated the spell's effectiveness. Lacrima produced two handfuls of throwing knives that Phoebe enchanted with lightning magic, before chucking them at the Dragon Priest. The knives tore into the undead being, the violet bolts causing it to convulse and writhe in pain.
Fianna took that as her cue, vaulting off Laura's shoulders twisting in the air to avoid another barrage of fireballs, before stabbing downwards with her daggers into Vokun's shoulders. She bit down at the growing chill in her fingertips. It wasn't hard to focus on something else because she was staring at the Dragon Priest right in his masked visage. "Ugh, I don't even want to think about what's beneath that mask you're wearing! So kindly get out of my face!" If not for the mask and the fact he was already dead, the bard's kick probably would have knocked Vokun's jaw clean off.
Vokun staggered about, allowing Sebastian and Laura to go in with twin sword strikes. The Witcher delivered a swift double swing before finishing with a powerful overhead strike. Before throwing a point-blank Igni right into his face. "You're not the only one who likes to sling around flames!" He sneered, running the edge of his silver sword along the Dragon Priest's chest, before diving to the right, opening up Vokun as Phoebe hurled another Ice Spear right at his chest.
The Arseid heiress primed one of her stronger attacks. "Brilliant Spin!" She spun, causing a powerful vortex that swept Vokun into it, this dispelled the Frost Cloak he had conjured. The shining blade cleaved through the lich, causing a noxious black ichor to erupt from its back. Lacrima came in with her hand axe striking at his face. It was a testament to the mask's durability that she didn't split his face clean in half with that move.
But Vokun wasn't done for just yet. It conjured up two strange creatures, one had a lithe, feminine figure whose body seemed to be made of fire. The other resembled a shattered statue with a cracked frowning face, and chunks of rock connected by dark purple storm clouds and stabbing lightning bolts that crackled as they floated about. "Flame and Storm Atronachs, elemental daedric spirits summoned from the depths of Oblivion itself!" Phoebe exclaimed as she and Sebastian threw up their respective shields to avoid being roasted by flame and lightning alike.
Sebastian quickly evaluated their options. He was familiar with elementals and knew they could be dangerous, but the corpse-like visage of Vokun was still quite dangerous in his weakened state. "Anska, Lacrima, deal with our sparky friend. Phoebe, Laura, quench that lady's flames. Once you've prepared yourself, Fianna, you and I will take on the big guy directly!"
The red-haired bard just winked at the Witcher, and everyone squared off against their respective opponents. Sebastian threw up a Quen and launched another Aard at Vokun. He was a bit surprised when the bard clasped her hands on his shoulders, flipping up and even balancing there for a second before crashing down to slam Vokun in the head with a well-timed kick.
She then followed it by slashing her daggers in a X motion, across Vokun's torso. Sebastian followed it by blasting him with Igni and coming in for a wide horizontal swing with his silver sword. He then went for a double kick of his own, before swinging upwards and hitting him with Aard. Fianna was right behind him, stabbing her blades into Vokun's shoulders. The lich roared, throwing out a jet of flame at the bard, which Sebastian met with his own roaring fire. The bard looking to get close.
Across the way, the Arseid cousins demonstrated remarkable teamwork against the flaming specter. Phoebe went mostly for ice spells while Laura further showed her grace and prowess with the greatsword. She was a flash of blue and white as she flipped in midair. Her sword slammed into the ground, releasing an Earth Cleaver technique, causing rocky shards to shoot upwards to trap the Flame spirit. "Now Phoebe!" She called to her cousin.
Once again, the braided mage tried her Ice Storm spell, the slow-moving cloud of icy mist catching the Atronach head-on in the chest. Laura delivered the final blow, embedding Valkyria right into the fire daedra's chest as it slumped to the ground dead. "Laura, get clear!" Phoebe cried, throwing up a shield to protect them both as a huge gout of fire erupted from the dead creature's death throes.
"Quick timing with the shield, Phoebe," Laura said, the two cautiously approaching the flame elemental's smoldering corpse. She poked it with the tip of Valkyria. "I think it's safe that the creature is dead." Phoebe stooped, reaching into her leather bag for something. "What are you doing, Cousin?" She got her answer as the blue-haired mage produced a silver dagger with ornate runes, plunging it into the dead creature's side and cutting a deep wound.
"Fire Salts, a very potent alchemy ingredient, not to mention highly expensive and hard to come by. But I can harvest it from one of these things for no charge at all." She said, as an orange powder with a slight glow started pouring into the small pouch she pulled from her bag. Once she had enough, Phoebe closed it up. "Come on, Laura. I'm sure the others will need our help. Plus, it's a chance to harvest some Void Salts from that Storm Atronach!"
Anska and Lacrima were handling the lightning elemental with some effort. The latter struck quickly and hard with her daggers while dodging the massive fireballs the former was tossing out. The Storm Atronach shot lightning bolts and electrically charged punches at his adversaries. Lacrima stabbed with her dagger before swinging her tail sending him flying backward. The Atronach roared, swinging a rocky fist at the Argonian, bending backward to avoid being smacked, and shocked in the face at the same time.
Lacrima swung her hatchet three times across the Storm Atronach's rocky form, and one of its punches connected, sending a painful jolt of electricity into her body, temporarily paralyzing her. Anska was quick to make the save with a fireball. And then the Arseid cousins jumped in, Phoebe throwing a burst of frosty wind while Laura swung Valkyria through a Radiant Spin, cleaving the monster in twain. Anska and Phoebe pooled their magics to create a stronger barrier than either of them could make alone to protect them from the lightning being thrown out.
That just left Vokun, and all six adventurers were determined to put him down right then and there. Everyone throwing their respective attacks at the Dragon Priest, Lacrima, flanked by Laura and Fianna, swung their blades in a barrage of steel. Followed by ice and flames from Anska's bare hands and Phoebe's. The Witcher went last. Impaling Vokun right in its spectral chest. The last thing the undead monster saw was Sebastian's outstretched hand, a jet of flame sending Vokun to his eternal rest, it was long overdue!
A final spectral roar echoed off the musty walls. All that remained of Vokun were some tattered robes, a pile of dust, and the mask bearing his name. It hit the ground, sliding right up to Sebastian's booted feet. He stooped and picked it up. "I think this is the relic we came for; don't you think Phoebe?" He handed the mask to the blue-haired mage, who began looking it over. He then looked to their client. "Anska, think your scroll is close by? Because I really hope it is." The blonde mage looked quite eager; she was so close to the goal she could taste it.
"I see a staircase over here. Perhaps it leads to what we're looking for?" Laura offered. The party entered the next room. Phoebe gasped at what they found, a curved wall that took up one whole side of the chamber, ornately decorated and engraved with a strange unintelligible language. Her inner scholar fully awakened, she ran over to begin inspecting it, followed by her cousin and the bard. Anska picked up a rolled-up parchment lying on the table. She unfurled it and smiled.
"I take that's what we came for?" Sebastian asked. The wide grin was all the answer he needed.
"Indeed, it is! My family tree goes all the back to Ysgramor himself. Although I'm pretty sure this is overshadowed by our other discovery." Anska bowed to Sebastian. "Thank you so much, Master Witcher. I wouldn't have been able to do this without your aid and the rest of your companions. I will always remember this." She took her leave and departed out through the exit Lacrima found. With their main objectives completed. The party inspected the strange wall. Sebastian took note of the runes, unlike anything they have ever seen like they were scratched by a beast's claws.
"So let me ask the obvious question, what is it?" Lacrima asked the awestruck mage, madly writing down notes in her journal.
"It's a Word Wall," Phoebe explained, continuing to take in every inch of it. "Oh, look at it! I can't believe in how good of a condition it is!" She looked so excited at this find. "I have to show Master Farengar this!" Putting her journal away, she pulled out some charcoal and a roll of blank parchment out of her satchel. "He's extensively studied the ancient Dragon Cult that ruled Skyrim during the Merethic Era. The writing on this wall is the language of the Dragons. Master Farengar should be able to decipher it." She started making a rubbing of the entire wall.
"You know, maybe we had it all wrong," Lacrima remarked, watching as Phoebe was engrossed in her work, getting Laura and Fianna to hold up the paper so she could get every single inch of it. "Maybe the relic those bandits were looking to acquire wasn't the mask of the Dragon Priest. Maybe it was the wall itself?" No one had any words for her comment, but it did make a lot of sense.
"That could very well be true." Fianna sounded remarkably serious for a moment, before that cocky grin came back, she gracefully pirouetted so she was now standing between Sebastian and Laura, putting her arms around their shoulders. "But that's a question for another day! In the meantime, we have triumphed greatly, not only did we help a fair citizen of Skyrim, but we've also slain a nasty monster! I think that alone is more than worthy of song." Her grin grew even wider. And a scary gleam appeared in her eyes. "When we get back to Whiterun, we are going to party!"
(Whiterun, A Couple Days Later)
The trip back to Whiterun was thankfully uneventful. Not even any bandits decided to harry the party. Although Sebastian would have welcomed it. After fighting a bunch of undead. Mere bandits would have been a refreshing change of pace. Nevertheless, everyone was happy to see Whiterun, a jewel on the plains that shared its name. Everyone was even more grateful to finally reach the front gate, where Iskar stood at the guardhouse. "Always nice to get a warm welcome. It's good to see you, Master Iskar." Phoebe said, acknowledging the slight bow the Argonian ranger gave to him.
"Glad to see you all made it back in one piece. I trust your expedition bore fruit?" Phoebe produced Vokun's mask from her bag, tossing it over to Iskar, catching it deftly in his clawed hands. His tongue flickered out as he inspected it. "I needn't say anything else."
"We took down a Dragon Priest, nasty bastard," Sebastian said. "That belonged to him."
"And that's only the tip of the iceberg!" Phoebe's voice barely held her excitement in. Iskar just motioned for her to continue. Phoebe let out her inner scholar. "We found a Word Wall in the ruins, Iskar. A fully intact Word Wall! Most others we've found are just crumbling piles of stone. But this one was pristine. This could be a huge boost to Master Farengar's research." She pulled the roll of paper out as well. "I even managed to take a rubbing of it. So, I'm hoping to get it to him immediately."
"Glad to see you came back with such a rich boon. I'm sure he'll be quite eager to start dissecting its meaning." Iskar said. "Speaking of Master Farengar. Laura, Phoebe you have another visitor. She's up at the castle with him right now. She was quite apologetic for not being able to get here sooner." Phoebe squealed with delight, looking to her cousin who gave her usual reserved smile and both girls sprinted up to the Cloud District.
"Wow, something got them worked up." Sebastian looked to Iskar. He just shrugged his broad shoulders. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"
"Now where would the fun be in that?" The big Argonian said. "You have feet, just go up to Dragonsreach and see for yourself."
Lacrima hissed as she ran her claws along those brilliant scales that gleamed so many colors in the quickly rising sun. "As much as I enjoy stomping Draugr into the ground, I'm exhausted. I'm going to get some rest and then have Adrienne look over my gear before returning to Windstad. You are quite an impressive sight, Master Witcher. I look forward to working with you again in the future." With that the pink scaled lizard headed for Warmaiden's. Which left Sebastian alone with Fianna.
She put her arm through his. "Come on, we have to go up to see Jarl Balgruuf anyway. I did say we're going to celebrate taking down that awful lich." Sebastian didn't see any point in arguing. So, the two walked through town and made their way up to the palace, the spires reaching high into the heavens. The two guards snapped to attention as they made their way through the doors into the grand hall of Dragonsreach. They didn't see Phoebe, who was most likely with Farengar in his laboratory, discussing her findings from the ruins.
Laura was standing near the fire pit, talking to a young woman her age. Her long violet hair was tied up in a thick braid, adorned with a silver crescent moon hairclip. She was clearly of noble birth if the expensive deep purple dress she wore under the lavender cardigan sweater was any indication. Fancy brown leather boots with exposed laces adorned her feet. Her blue eyes carried a scholarly air about her, suggesting to Sebastian she was very well educated. Not to mention the fact she was very well endowed if the way her chest stuck out was any indication.
Fianna meanwhile was hyperventilating at the Divine in mortal form. She let out a merry squee, all but ready to catapult herself across the room to glomp the poor woman. Only for Iskar to grab the bard by the shoulder. "Don't even think about it, Miss Redblaze. Do not even think about it." The bard let out a pouty whine. But Iskar quietly ushered her toward the throne. "Come now, you did say that you wanted to ask the Jarl about throwing a celebration for felling that Dragon Priest, correct?" Her disappointment temporarily forgotten she skipped up to the Jarl.
Sebastian just smiled, patting Fianna on the head while giving a silent thank you to Iskar. He then walked up to the girls. "So Laura, this is your mystery friend Phoebe was so eager to meet?" Sebastian took in the new arrival. Zeroing in on her chest for a slight minute. Wow, she could put Leona to shame and that's no small feat! Although he quickly put that thought away, bowing slightly to her. "I suppose it would be rude not to introduce myself. I'm Sebastian Connor, Witcher, long story short, I'm a magical troubleshooter of sorts." He gently kissed her hand. "Welcome to Whiterun."
"Why thank you." She said, blushing. "My name is Emma Millstein. It's nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Connor." The girl replied in a sweet, melodic tone, dropping into a slight curtsy. "My family has long been friends with the Arseids. We have a vacation home in Legram. So I've known Laura since we were children. Phoebe and I both studied in magic in the Imperial City." She then took him by surprise, reaching out to touch his medallion. Before quickly jerking back. "Oh my, I'm sorry about that." She said, apologetically. "I just couldn't help but be intrigued by that talisman you're wearing. It pulses with magicka."
He just smirked, fingering it. The ice had now broken, and they found a common subject to discuss. "It's quite all right. This is actually a pretty vital tool in my line of work, right up there with my blades." He indicated to the swords on his back. "It's my own personal alarm when large concentrations of magic are around, usually magic artifacts or creatures. Saved my neck more times than I'd like to admit." He then held it out for Emma to inspect closer. "So, what brings you up to these frosty lands?"
"I was initially supposed to accompany Laura and Viscount Arseid down from Cyrodil a couple of weeks ago, but I was studying for a very important exam that I couldn't postpone so they had to come without me. As for why I'm here. I've always had a fascination with the history of Skyrim, and the many Nordic ruins that dot its landscape. I was hoping to explore a few of them with Phoebe. Imagine my surprise when I found out you went inside one of them."
"We'll be sure to include you in the next dungeon crawl then. If you're a mage like Phoebe, then I'm sure you can handle yourself in a fight." Sebastian said, looking to where Fianna was animatedly talking with Balgruuf and Proventus. "If anything, else you made it back in time for the celebration."
(The Following Day)
When Fianna said she and the Scattered Feathers knew how to throw a party, they weren't lying! With the blessing of Jarl Balgruuf, the entire troupe flooded the Wind District Plaza and made their victory at High Gate Ruins a full-blown festival. Many of the locals even got into the spirit, providing food and beverages. The band played joyful music as the children ran about playing. Even Nazeem was being less of an annoyance than normal. Banners flew from the pergola surrounding the Gildergreen. Everything seemed so lively and peaceful.
The bard in question was preparing for the big show, swapping out her usual attire for a very revealing performance costume. A brilliant red low cut, halter top decked out with gold and silver sequins did little to hide her full perky breasts. Her bare midriff, flat and very well-toned exposed for all to see. A pair of hot pants, also red like her top, done up with sequins and long red fringe did nothing to hide a very well-toned rear end. The outfit was topped off with red and gold feathers decorating her hair.
"We are going to light this place on fire!" Fianna said, checking her makeup one last time. She winked at Sebastian and Laura. "You're going to love the performance we have lined up today, Sebby. It's a huge hit wherever we go in Tamriel. And it's so great that Emma and Phoebe volunteered to join me in the dancing. It gives it that extra little bit of pizzaz!"
"I have no doubt," Sebastian said dryly.
"Indeed, it should be quite the show," Laura said.
"Phoebe, Emma, come on out girls, there's no need to be shy!" She said to the tent being used a makeshift dressing room for the performers. "It's almost show time. You said you'd be my backup dancers. You're not going to bail out on me now, are you?"
"That was before you squeezed us into these Oblivion forsaken outfits!" Phoebe cried out indignantly. "I can't believe how much this shows off my body. I'm not coming out dressed like this!"
"Neither am I! It's so tight against my chest and rear!" Emma whined. "How come we have to do this, and Laura doesn't?"
"I promise you I was sorely tempted, but Master Iskar convinced me it was a very bad idea to incur the wrath of the Radiant Blademaster. I'm a thrill-seeker, but even I'm not that stupid." Fianna tapped her foot impatiently. "If you don't come out, I'll come in and pull both of you out!" she said in a sing-song voice. "That means I'll squeeze and fondle both of you in every way I can, and these outfits make it very easy to do so!"
"She wouldn't!" Emma cried in terror.
"Oh, trust me, she would!" Phoebe said resignedly. "Come on, Emma. We may as well just embrace our fate. We're coming out!"
The Witcher just took it all in as the two ladies emerged in their own costumes. As they said, both were just as form-fitting as Fianna's, albeit thankfully in one piece rather than two. Emma's outfit was a purple long-sleeved leotard with silver sequins running along the edge of the sleeves and neckline, showing off her very ample chest. A train of purple chiffon hung from the back, also containing sequins. Thick shiny black tights covered her legs, finished with a pair of sleek black leather knee-high boots. Her hair was still in its usual braid, albeit signs of glitter could be seen.
Phoebe's costume was in a deep blue with a high neck that left her shoulders bare, and detached sleeves adorning her arms, navy blue fringe hanging off the ends. Hundreds of blue and silver sequins ran along the edges of the costume, shining in the sun. Shimmery toast-colored tights adorned Phoebe's legs with blue ankle-length boots. Unlike Emma, her hair hung free in loose waves, with blue feathers pinned in them. The blue-haired mage was surprisingly buxom, not as much as Emma, but still quite prominent. Both girls were covered in very heavy makeup, but it took away none of their charms.
Bowing her head, Phoebe felt her cheeks burn with shame until she looked up and saw Sebastian look at her. He simply took hold of her hand, letting the tingles run through her. "You look truly beautiful Phoebe. I'm certain you and Emma will have no problem keeping up with Fianna during whatever performance you put on. This is a time for all of us to relax and have fun." Phoebe's cheeks were still burning but now it was from a totally different sensation.
Fianna giggled as Emma looked on questioningly. Sebastian then took the purple-haired mage's hand, eliciting a quiet "eep" as she got her own taste of the tingles. "Same with you, Emma. There's no reason for you to be ashamed. If we can bring some smiles to the people in a difficult time. Then that makes the day worth it don't you think?"
"Y-yes," Emma said, still flustered at the strange sensation from when she held Sebastian's hand, filing it away for study later. Fianna giggled, grabbing both Phoebe and Emma by the arm. It was time to put on a show and give light to the people of Whiterun. For a few minutes, it was easy to forget about the conflict between the Stormcloaks and the Empire. The entire civil war was tearing apart the gorgeous land that was Skyrim. It all seemed so far away.
(Skyrim Border)
Erik's life had gone to shit. After six long years of working as a mercenary in the heartlands of Cyrodil. He finally decided it was time to return to his native land of Skyrim, and what kind of welcome did he get? Nearly being run over by a no-good horse thief, on top of that he was arrested for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time! He had been shuttled between various camps and border outposts. No one was sure what to do with him. On top of that, he had lost all of his gear, custom-made for him by one of the best craftsmen in the Imperial City. No justice in the world.
His current place of residency was a freestanding steel cage in a sizable arrangement of tents and even some temporary wooden buildings. The brilliant red banner bearing the black dragon crest of the Septim Empire flying everywhere. Erik sighed as he leaned back on the thin mat lined with straw that was his bed, wondering how long he would have to stay here before moving next. On the other hand, being held captive meant he could at least eavesdrop on the soldiers. Such gossip was almost always bound to cough up a couple of prospective leads once he was set free.
"Did you hear about that weird disturbance last week?" One legionnaire said to another as they passed by Erik's cell. "The whole thing with the Dragon and the weird things in robes flying through the sky? Apparently, it made every mage in the province shit their collective pants!" This made Erik perk up a little. He did remember feeling a nasty chill in the air that particular night when he was camping out in the wilderness. While most Nords may not like magic, Erik had a stronger connection to the Clever Craft than most of his kinsmen. His mother had been a mage herself before dying during the Great War.
He knew the basic Flames spell, also having picked up Frostbite during his travels in Cyrodil. Not to mention Healing and Lesser Ward from the Restoration school. Plus, he even took up the Bound Sword spell from the Conjuration school, but it was more difficult to pull off. It made him feel closer to his mother that way. Besides from a practical standpoint, a well times Ward or jet of fire was often what turned the tide of battle. Erik wasn't going to dismiss anything that could give him an advantage in combat. Nonetheless, he listened intently to what the soldiers were saying about the weird phenomena.
Another legionnaire just scoffed. "Oh please! It was probably nothing! Those mages spend all their time buried in their books or hunched over the enchanting tables; a simple mouse would rattle those milk drinkers." Erik would have begged to differ. He knew that Imperial Battlemages were nothing to sneeze at, having met quite a few during his sword for hire days. Erik continued to play the part of the hapless prisoner as the Imperial soldiers continued bantering.
"If it was a hallucination, then how come reports are coming in from all over the province?" The first legionnaire pointed out. "I have a sister who lives in Dragon's Landing, she's training to be a mage, and I got a letter from her just yesterday saying she was completely overwhelmed by a sense of pure wrong. Her exact words. My sister doesn't spend all her time indoors either. Something happened, I know it!" The second legionnaire had nothing to say, and the soldiers walked off.
Erik folded his arms as he digested these particular nuggets of information. Clearly, something was happening in Skyrim. His thoughts about returning home to Windhelm were quietly shelved as he realized there was an opportunity for someone like him. He just wasn't sure what that was yet, but he knew how to keep his eyes and ears open. It was then a whole squad of legionnaires on horseback surged through the camp. His eyes widened in disbelief at who they had with them in a wagon bound up in heavy iron chains.
The Legate in charge in the camp looked in awe at the tribune who was leading the convoy. "Well, this is quite the surprise." He said, not sure he wanted to believe it. "Ulfric Stormcloak and Galmar Stone-Fist at the same time?" A heavy gag tied over the former's mouth. "How did you manage such a feat?"
"It was almost painfully easy! They tried raiding our camp. Caught them with their pants down." The tribune's smug tone said it all. "Just staring at the night sky. It was kind of pathetic really." The officer ignored the hateful glares from the Stormcloak leaders. "But hey when the Divines hand you a gift, it would be poor sport to say no, right?"
"Indeed.' the legate remarked. "I want you to take these prisoners and a few others to Helgen. I'll send a fast courier to Solitude. General Tullius will certainly want to be informed of this turn of events!"