Author's Note

A short one, but I couldn't space it out for the next chapter.

Uploaded

01/24/2024

LEGEND BELOW

"I smell goblins, no goblins? Hmm..." = Normal speech.

Chapter 19

A Goblin Slayer receives a special request.

Rated-M

M rating for mature themes, nudity, romance, violence, blood, adult themes, and of course, sex.

Music of the day

Skyrim - A Winter's Tale

Torches lined the walls of a large yet dimly lit hall, elegant blue carpet laid out that extended from the two large doors at the front all the way towards the throne situated at the rear. Placed in the center of the room was a large dining table set for thirty, yet its many chairs went empty.

Few could be seen wandering the halls, reserved for a mere handful of Nordic guards, adorned in blue armor and dark brown fur.

The symbol of a blue bear was plastered over their coats and on the shields of any equipped with one, their stances firm and rigid.

Sitting at the end of the hall, comfortably resting on a wooden throne was a powerful looking man, his Nordic heritage apparent. He was adorned in rare furs and metal plates with ancient Nordic symbols carved into his armor, hair pulled into a long dirty blonde ponytail.

The man stroked his beard, dull green eyes narrowed deeply in thought. It was where he'd been for the duration of the morning, dark and cloudy as it always was.

However, the silence would eventually be shattered when the doors to his grand hall were parted, a freezing wind blowing through the halls.

He didn't even flinch at the shift in temperature, instead turning his gaze towards the man that approached him in a hurry.

"Ulfric!" Man shouted, quickly walking yo to the leader situated on the throne.

"Galmar, I see you've returned." Ulfric quipped with a mix of amusement and a stern tone. "What is it? What has you so worked up?" He asked lowly, curious to find out why his second in command would appear before him so quickly.

"I've just received interesting reports, and I believe you need to know." Galmar stated, huffing gruffly as she stood before the other Nord. "My spies have returned from Whiterun, and they have come bearing terrible news."

"Speak, Stone-Fist." Ulfric ordered firmly.

"Ulfric, a new Dragonborn has emerged. And Whiterun has its claws in him. My spies have confirmed his existence, he uses the Voice with terrific efficiency and ease." Galmar exclaimed.

Ulfric's eyes widened. "Are you certain?" He asked lowly.

"I am afraid so. It seems he single-handedly felled a dragon, before consuming its soul. Then he shouted a word, breathing a wave of fire." The other man explained. "Ulfric, if a new Dragonborn has emerged, in this time, this place, it cannot be a mere coincidence. The gods have offered us a hand." He stepped forward.

"If we can bring the Dragonborn to our cause, we can destroy those Imperials with ease. Skyrim will be ours, and those damned Thalmor shall be sent to their graves." He sounded so sure. "Ulfric, I think with this new information in our hands, we must act." Galmar urged.

"How can you be so confident that this new Dragonborn will join us? If he is Whiterun, it may already be too late to stop him." The Nord leader muttered, eyes narrowed.

"That narrow minded Balgruuf has yet to place his hands in either side of this war. If he has still yet to show his allegiance, then perhaps the Dragonborn too has not picked his side." Galmar exclaimed heatedly.

Ulfric's eyes widened, before a stern look washed over his face.

If what the man was saying was true, then having an asset as prominent as a Dragonborn on their side would prove invaluable.

But, on the other hand, having him standing against them would pose a massive threat to his cause.

He was going to need to play his hand very carefully if he was to achieve his goals.

"Galmar, see to it that your spies watch him closely from now on. Find out what makes him tick, what drives him, what his desires are. If we can play to those, we may be able to lure him from that blasted Balgruuf." Ulfric ordered lowly.

"I shall see to it that your orders are fulfilled." The aged Nord swore, before vacating the room.

Ulfric's eyes narrowed. "Galmar… If this Dragonborn cannot be converted to our cause, if he doesn't see the reason he should join us, then he cannot be allowed to live. Legend or not, the Dragonborn is still mortal, he can be killed like anyone else." He muttered lowly, gaze hardened.

Stone-Fist nodded sharply, before vanishing out of the hall.

Ulfric was alone now.

He had much to think about now.

Winter was nearing its most harsh time of the year, the air cooling, rain turning to snow, temperatures falling dangerously low in the nights. For most residents of Skyrim, they were no stranger to the frigid snow-lands that made up a third of the region, yet most chose to stay away and live in the warmer climate centered in the valleys.

However, it seemed that no one could truly escape the winter, for there was part of the year that covered even those lands in a freezing layer of white powder.

And that season had finally arrived once again, greeting the citizens of Whiterun with a chilly wind and a promise of snow on the horizon.

It was during this season that Goblin Slayer found himself, not hunting goblins, surprisingly enough, but instead assisting the local people in their everyday lives.

There was one profound reason for this decision.

Goblins did not come out of their caves during the winter, and therefore would be unlikely to attack people or steal livestock. Like bears, they huddled away to ride out the season until the warmer months returned in full. Tracking down goblins who chose to hide away would be difficult, and he didn't feel like dragging his wives along for such journeys.

And that meant that he had quite a bit of downtime on his hands, time he had decided to spend helping the people around him.

Aela was one of the higher members of the Companion's Guild, the central organization in Skyrim that routed quests not usually handled by the Jarl's of a hold. The guild was entirely neutral to whatever political faction was vying for their attention, and had existed in such a manner for quite some time.

With the winter quickly approaching, some of the smaller villages around the hold had seen the need to request help preparing for said winter.

Most had been sent to the Jarl who divvied up the requests for aid to his advisers, then depending on the type or assistance needed, would send the request to the guild for further investigation.

However, there was occasionally a personal request that would come in, usually when someone wished for a specific adventurer to come their way.

It was for that very reason that Goblin Slayer had been called in to Dragon's Reach early in the morning.

A month had passed since the man known for slaying goblins had found himself as the husband of a thousand year old vampire, and subsequently the husband of a few more women who had become infatuated with him for various reasons…

Reasons he still didn't fully understand, yet he didn't let that affect his decision to look after them for as long as he breathed.

In that month her managed to slay two giants, kill a dragon, weed out a goblin infestation, stop a summoning ritual from bringing chaos; Which was how he'd found a certain fire demon as his third wife, and create a seemingly well know reputation for himself within the city walls.

He wasn't going out of his way to draw attention to himself, yet he supposed that when one is responsible for saving a city thrice over, the people there tended to grow fond of said person.

It didn't help that his second wife was a high ranking member of the guild, nor did his position as Thane of Whiterun do him any favors if his intentions were to lay low.

Yes, frankly speaking, he had become the hero of Whiterun, and he was greeted everywhere he went with friendly faces and pleasant greetings.

He supposed that was better than when half the populace wished Serana harm for being a vampire, something few have been foolish enough to bring up since.

But that is besides the point.

One month had passed since his fate changing meeting with a certain busty vampire, and he'd been a busy man ever since.

When he awoke one morning to find he'd been summoned to the Jarl's side, he was mildly curious. With his armor on and his ever loyal companions sticking by his side, he'd gone in to the great hall when the sun was still young in the skies of Skyrim.

"Ah! Goblin Slayer, I see that you've got word of my summons." Balgruuf greeted the man, leveling a light gaze at the seasoned adventurer as he stepped into the halls of Dragon's Reach, flanked by his seemingly ever growing number of women.

Ignis, the fire demon that had submitted herself to him as his loyal servant had changed positions since he'd last seen her, the fire pixie now sitting atop his helmet, her legs hanging causally in front of the man's visor.

He'd been extremely wary of the Flame Atronach since her initial release from Oblivion, yet she'd at the very least proved to not be a danger to his people thus far. If she continued her actions he may even consider giving her a semblance of freedom within his city walls.

But that was besides the point.

"Yeah." The armored man muttered simply, hands resting by his side.

"Good good. As you know, winter is fast approaching. We've had many quests come in for assistance from the smaller villages in the hold. However, one such quest specifically requested you." Balgruuf spoke, snapping his fingers.

The steward stepped forward, offering over a piece of parchment with the information. Goblin Slayer took hold of his, scanning it over.

"I know you don't take quests unless they involve goblins, but I felt compelled to ask you nonetheless. The request comes from a small farming community far east of Whiterun, a little village named-" The Jarl started.

"Rorikstead…" Goblin Slayer muttered softly.

"Oh? You know of it?" Balgruuf asked curiously, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah." The man in armor muttered, rolling the scroll up into his hands, sealing it away in his pouch. "I'll take this quest."

"Rorikstead? I've never heard of that village…" Serana muttered softly, holding a hand to her chin. "Have you been there before, Master?" She turned her attention to her man.

"It's rare that we ever get a request for a quest from Rorikstead… I wonder why they've requested your help specifically. Do you know someone there?" A certain werewolf inquired, glancing up at Goblin Slayer.

"Yeah… Something like that." He mumbled, turning to make his way back towards the door. "Come on, we've got to prepare for the journey." He stated.

"E-Eh? We're going so soon?" Priestess squeaked in surprise, watching him walk away. "B-But there's no goblin…"

"They need our help." He shrugged, disappearing out through the large doors. "Pack your bags. It'll take two days to get there on foot…" The man muttered nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders as he made his way out of the grand hall.

His words hung over the young blonde's head, her eyes widening in horror. "T-Two days?!" Her expression fell when Aela patted her on the back, grinning down at her.

"You're not afraid of a little walking, are you?" The werewolf teased. "I thought you were a priestess of her word, how are you going to help him out if you let a little bit of walking stop you?" She asked curiously, yet the quirk of her lips gave away her jesting nature.

Priestess frowned, pouting up at the older woman. "Of course not!" She huffed, rushing after him.

Aela laughed, placing her hands on her hips. "That's my girl." She grinned.

"You sure love teasing her, Aela." Serana added softly, standing beside the other woman.

"Growing up I was a single child. I'm enjoying my time here as the older sister." She explained lightly, her expression softening. "It makes me feel like a mother, if only for a moment…" She added after a moment of soft silence.

A gentle smile graced the busty vampire's features, a longing look filling her gaze. She turned her gaze towards the man she called her master, a yearning filling her chest. "A mother… huh?" She muttered, almost to herself. "I think I'd like that…" She muttered quietly, eyes glancing down to her belly.

Aela turned to glance at her, eyebrow raised in question. "What was that?" She asked lightly in question.

Serana shook her head. "Oh, it was nothing…"

Chapter

19

End