Chapter 6: High Up on the Mountain, Where Can You Praise the Sun
After arriving at Ivarstead, the Party began to make their way up the Throat of the World. It was tiring and cold, and they had to weave around the mountain in order to make it up to High Hrothgar. Luckily, the path was easy to follow and keep track of.
"I spy with my little eye… something white," Subaru said. "Everyone place your bets."
"It's either the clouds or snow," Patches said, stepping over a big rock.
"It was the snow," the Japanese man said. "Your turn, Patches."
The bald man groaned in frustration. "Why do you insist on playing this stupid game?!"
"Well, we don't exactly have license plates! I have to make do with what I have!"
Erik let out a small chuckle at their antics, as the party kept walking up the mountain. The air was cold up here, which made sense, given how high up they were. They were even higher than some clouds! Still, that didn't occupy his mind.
He had other thoughts in mind. Such as his newfound compatriots.
"Hey, Patches. How long have you and Subaru known each other?" Erik asked.
"Over four hundred years now." Patches answered nonchalantly.
Emilia was slightly surprised by that. "So, right before the Great Calamity?"
Patches corrected, "Around three years prior to that."
Erik hummed a bit. "I see. I always wondered whether or not I should become an Undead myself. I'd never have to worry about dying, and I would never have to worry about not coming home."
"I wouldn't exactly say that," the nasty-eyed Undead warned the dirty blond. "There's always the risk of you going Hollow. Some say it's a fate worse than death."
Erik looked confused. "Going Hollow? What's that?"
"It's when an Undead loses their mind," Subaru explained. "If you lose your purpose, or die too many times, you become a soul-devouring monster, kinda like a Zombie. It's a pretty nasty thing."
Emilia looked concerned at Subaru's explanation. "Wait, how many times can you die before you risk going hollow?"
"Your skin is the indicator." Subarun pointed to himself. "If it looks like mine and Patches', you're good. If it starts looking like a dried grape, you better restore your Humanity before it's too late.
Erik, however, remained confused. "Restore your humanity?"
"All Humans have this thing called "Humanity." It's our power derived from the Dark Soul, and the Undead like myself and Patches use it to stay physically sane," Subaru answered.
Emilia never heard of such a thing. "The Dark Soul?"
"One of the four Lord Souls, originating from the First Flame," Subaru said. "That, along with the Death Soul, the Life Soul, and the… Light… Soul…? What the hell…?"
"Subaru? Are you okay?" Emilia asked.
Subaru, however, pointed towards something ahead of them. "Hey, is it just me, or does everyone else see that helmeted dude over there staring out towards the cliff?"
The party looked ahead to see a man in a full suit of armor, standing near the edge of the cliff. He looked to be basking in the sun's rays.
He was… dressed oddly. His helmet was cylindrical, with a red feather adorning the top of his helm. The base of chainmail next to his sparse armor plates were a dark gray, with his main robe being a far lighter color, and moss-like shoulder pads.
The most interesting part, however, was the part the group couldn't yet see. A red-and-yellow sun adorned his chest, one with a face.
"Want me to push him off?" Patches asked, a bit too eagerly.
"You will do no such thing!" Emilia hissed. "Besides, he might not be a bad person."
Erik shrugged. "Well, might as well ask him."
The group decide to approach the individual, to which Emilia calls out to him first.
Emilia decided to speak first. "Excuse me, sir. Are you lost?"
The helmeted man turned around to see the newcomers. "Ah, hello. You all don't look Hollow. Far from it. But as for your question, no, I am not lost. I'm simply staring at the sun."
"Who are you?" Erik asked.
"I am Solaire of Astora, an Undead and an adherent of the Lord of Sunlight."
"You mean Magnus?" The Nord had read many stories where the God, Magnus, inadvertently created the Sun.
"No, I mean Gwyn, the Lord of Cinder, the man who linked the First Flame," Solaire said.
Emilia leaned over and whispered, "Subaru, isn't Gwyn kind of a jerk from what you said?"
"Yeah, but the general populace don't know that. His propaganda's good," he whispered back.
Solaire, not hearing what the two of them said, continued to speak. "Since you are climbing the Throat of the World, I can only assume you seek to speak to the Greybeards, correct?"
Erik nodded. "Yes, that's right. Do you also have some sort of business with them, perhaps?"
"They have been gracious enough to allow me to stay with them, as I seek to learn the Way of the Voice, which in turn I believe will aid me in my quest to help others find their inner sun."
Patches cringed at what Solaire said. "That's so cheesy, I wanna vomit."
Emilia elbowed Patches. "Be nice. Anyways, would you lead us to them, Mr. Solaire?"
Solaire nodded. "Certainly. I enjoy engaging in jolly cooperation with others! Follow me!"
The party of five, being led by their newfound companion, now continued their way up to the Throat of the World, with Subaru deciding to make small talk until then.
"So, you're an Undead too, Solaire?" Subaru asked.
The helmeted man nodded. "Yes, I became one willingly."
"And what's your purpose?" Emilia asked.
"Originally, it was to find my own sun. But now, it is to help others find their sun." When no one immediately responded, Solaire turned back and asked, "Does that seem strange to you?"
Erik just looked confused once again. "What do you mean by "find your sun"?"
"The sun is a wondrous body. Like a magnificent father," Solaire laughed, as he waved his hand over the sun above them. "If only I could be so grossly incandescent!"
Emilia simply gave Solaire a funny look. "Umm... what?"
"I get that look all the time," Solaire said, sighing. "I suppose my answer is unclear, and perhaps so is my purpose. Which is why I have also decided to help others in their quests."
Subaru thought about the words for a second and gave his own interpretation. "So... you wanna help others find inner peace and happiness?"
"If that's what your sun is, then yes," the bucket-helmeted man nodded.
Emilia decided to touch on another subject. "Earlier, you said you were being trained in the "Way of the Voice"?"
"Ah, yes. The wizards up here teach a form of strange magic that uses your voice for a multitude of capabilities," he explained. "In a land brimming with danger, it does not hurt to be prepared!"
"Oh, that's actually why we're here," the silver-haired Half-Elf said.
"Well, of course! These wizards are known for the "Way of the Voice"! To not know this, you must be blind! Ahahaha!" Solaire lightly laughed at his own joke.
Subaru smiled at such sheer sunshine energy. "Jolly, this one is."
Patches, meanwhile, simply scowled. "Such positivity is making me sick."
Soon enough, the group made it to High Hrothgar.
This place was massive, bigger than even Ulfric's base of operations, with both parts of the fortress being built inside the mountain, and other parts of it looking like the medieval equivalent of skyscrapers.
"Holy hell…" Subaru whispered. "This place is fucking impressive…"
As the party entered inside the front gate, one of the Greybeards approached the group. He wore dark robes, and had a long, light… gray beard.
Huh. Fitting.
Solaire gave a quick bow. "Ah, Arngeir. I bring four individuals seeking your aid."
"Hi, we're the four individuals," Subaru said, waving at the old man.
Arngeir bowed to the four, as a gesture of welcomeness. "Welcome to High Hrothgar. My name is Arngeir, and I am already aware of the reason for your visit."
"Oh, are you psychic?" the Japanese man asked.
"We have felt an emergence recently, and we believe it is a sign that the Dragonborn has returned," was all that was said.
"You're correct!" Patches said, pointing to Emilia. "She's to your left."
"So, you are the Dragonborn…" Arngeir said as he took a moment to examine Emilia. "I wish for you to demonstrate your voice. Do not worry about harming us, we are more than capable of withstanding it."
"Okay, then… FUS!"
BOOM!
Emilia once again unleashed another force, proving to the Greybeards that she was indeed the Dragonborn.
"So, it is true... the Dragonborn has indeed returned…"
Patches rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we already established that."
Arngeir ignored the bald man, asking, "What brings you to High Hrothgar?"
"We need answers. What exactly am I? How do I use this power? What am I supposed to do? What is my purpose?" Emilia asked a barrage of questions, as Arngeir put up his hand to let Emilia know to stop.
"I understand your desire to know what your purpose is, and I promise that all will be revealed."
Erik was surprised at how easy it was. "Really? Just like that?"
Arngeir nodded. "Of course. It is the duty of the Greybeards to assist the Dragonborn in mastering their Thu'um, we will do our best to help her in fulfillment of her destiny."
"Wonderful!" Subaru clapped his hands. "Ready to begin, Emilia?"
Emilia took notice of the last comment. "What is my destiny?"
"That is for you to discover. We can show you the way, but not your destination," Arngeir answered.
"They're the door, you're the key," Patches commented smugly, which just made Subaru want to slap him.
"Dude, stop pretending to be wise. It's cringy."
Emilia then took on a determined look. "Okay, I'm ready."
"Excellent. Then let us begin."
"So, what will I be learning first?" Emilia asked.
"You have shown you are Dragonborn. You have the inborn gift, but do you have the discipline and temperament to follow the path laid out for you?"
Emilia huffed. "Not like I have much of a choice."
Arngeir shook his head. "You will always have a choice. Destiny is carved out by the individual in question, not the world around him or her. However, there will be times when the world will call out for help from others. It is your choice whether you will answer or not."
"That's good wisdom," Erik said, unaware of what he had just uttered.
Arngeir continued. "Without training, you have already taken the first step into projecting your voice into a Thu'um. A Shout. Now, let us see if you are willing, and able, to learn."
Emilia's eyes gained a steely, determined look. "Bring it on."
Arngeir and the Greybeard then take the group outside to the courtyard. Subaru and the others hang back, while Emilia is with the Greybeards.
"When you Shout, you speak in the language of Dragons. Your Dragon blood gives you the ability to learn Words of Power much faster than any man can hope," Arngeir explained, causing confusion in Emilia.
"Dragon blood? But I'm a Half-Elf," Emilia said.
"Indeed, you are. However, you also have the soul and blood of a Dragon in a mortal body."
"Is that like… metaphorical?" Emilia asked, hopelessly confused.
"That is for you to decide," the bearded elder said.
Emilia decided to move from that. "Okay… so, what do I say?"
"All Shouts are made up of three words. You already know the first word of your Unrelenting Force: Fus. The next word of Unrelenting Force is "Ro", meaning "Balance"."
Emilia impatiently asked, "And the third?"
"We will get to that. Try using the first and second word of Unrelenting Force."
Emilia abided by the request. "Umm… okay…. FUSRO!"
Emilia was expecting another force to be expelled, but nothing happened.
"Umm… nothing happened."
"Maybe it's a performance issue," Patches said. "It's not rare. One out of five –"
SLAP!
"OW! Subaru, why?!"
"Patches, for once, just shut up and let her figure it out."
"Fine, prick…"
The old man chuckled at their display, before he spoke.
"Because you tried to say it in one word. In order to fully unleash your Shout, you must understand that you are saying three words in total. In this case, you must say two words." Arngeir explained, which allowed the Half-Elf's mind to click.
"Ohh!" Emilia realized her error. "Okay… FUS RO!"
BOOOM!
This time, Emilia successfully unleashes a more powerful force than previously.
"Yay! I did it!" Emilia cheered, jumping up and down.
"Well done, young Emilia." Arngeir nodded in approval. "Now, we will move onto the final word of Unrelenting Force: "Dah", meaning "Push "."
"All right!" Emilia said, excited, before shouting, "FUS RO DAH!"
BOOOOOM!
This time, the force was so powerful, everyone felt the shockwave. And the snow stopped falling for a few seconds.
RUMBLE…
Emilia blushed, embarrassed, at what she did. "Oops."
Arngeir chuckled for a bit. "There is no need to feel ashamed. You just achieved in seconds what a normal man would take years to accomplish."
Emilia's eyes widened in amazement. "Really? That's so amazing!"
"Tell me, do you know any other Words of Power?" The Greybeard asked, which caused Emilia to shake her head.
"I see. Unfortunately, I believe this is all the training we can do for now," Arngeir said.
Emilia looked a bit disappointed. "Oh… will there be more later?"
Arngeir nodded. "Of course. Come inside, we still have much to discuss."
Emilia follows behind the old man, with everyone else in tow.
The inside of the High Hrothgar was just as impressive as the outside, if not more.
The underground parts resembled the forges of old, but with the architecture being a part of the inside of the mountain, almost as if natural. And the main hall!
It had a round table, with a fireplace adorning the center, giving the room a light glow. Combined with the interior decorating, this place almost seemed… futuristic.
"It's like I'm at the Jedi temple itself…" Subaru said, sitting down.
Soon, everyone was at a sort of dining room, taking a seat at the table.
"Oh, are we having dinner?" Erik asked.
"Of course," Arngeir affirmed as some of the servants brought out some food.
"Ooh, well, what do we have here?" Patches rubbed his hands in anticipation.
Everyone has a delicious dinner, leaving everyone stuffed.
Subaru stretched his back on the comfy chair. "Hm… that was oddly savory."
"So, will we continue training?" Emilia asked.
Arngeir unfortunately shook his head. "At the moment, it would seem that you can only continue to master your Unrelenting Force. Although we can indeed teach you the words of other shouts, you would be unable to use them at the moment."
"The knowledge would still be useful, though," Patches said. "You could just write them down, and she could practice them on the road!"
Arngeir, once again, shook his head. "I'm afraid that they would be useless to her, as she is now."
"Lack of experience, or muscle?" Subaru asked.
"You are Undead. You have the ability to gain the souls of your fallen victims, correct?" Arngeir asked, confusing Subaru and the others.
Subaru nodded at what the old man said. "That's right."
Arngeir gestured to Emilia. "Much like Undead, the Dragonborn possesses a similar ability to absorb the souls of the Dragons she slays."
"And only Dragons?" Subaru asked for clarification.
"Yes. Dragons of Gusteko are naturally immortal, similar to Undead. Even should they somehow be killed, they are capable of resurrecting themselves or their fellow kin. However, the Dragonborn can absorb the souls of the Dragons they kill, ending their ability to resurrect," Arngeir explained.
That piqued Emilia's curiosity. "Does that mean I can be revived?"
Arngeir shook his head. "I am afraid not. Although you do possess the spirit and blood of a Dragon, your body is still somewhat mortal. You will no longer age once you reach your prime, but once you eventually die, your life shall forever perish."
Patches cringed at that. "Oof. Sucks to be you."
"However, as a Dragonborn, you are not bound by the same laws of Thu'um as we are." That made everyone confused.
"Because of her Dragonborn status?" Erik asked.
Arngeir nodded. "Truth be told, all of humanity has the ability to shout as the Dragonborn does. However, not only do we have to learn Thu'um through years of meditation and training, but Thu'um is not to be used as a weapon."
"Then why is it so destructive?" Patches asked.
"The Thu'um was gifted to humanity by Kynerath, Goddess of Storms, in order to give humanity a fighting chance against the Dragons during the Dragon War over three hundred years ago. However, once the war was over, the true purpose of the Thu'um changed to worshiping her. Although it can be used in self-defense, it is never to be used to incite conflict."
"So… the shouts are prayers…?" Patches didn't understand it.
"Not exactly," Arngeir said. "However, that should not discourage you, young Dragonborn."
"So, I'm allowed to use it however I want?" Emilia asked.
"It all boils down to a technicality. Unlike the rest of humanity, your Thu'um was gifted by Akatosh himself, not Kynerath. As such, you are free to use the Thu'um however you see fit," Arngeir explained.
Erik smiled at that. "Well, isn't that convenient?"
"Regardless, we have a map leading to all shrines of the Dragon Language, each one likely to be guarded by a Dragon. Once you slay the Dragon and absorb its power at each shrine, you can learn the Word of Power on the shrine, and unlock a new shout. Once that is done, you are free to come back and train to master your new shout."
Patches looked at the man questioningly. "You just have a map like that?"
"We have kept it precisely for this outcome. Allow me to fetch it," Arngeir said, as he got up and walked away from the table. It was quiet for a few minutes, until…
"So… while we wait for him to come back… what are all of your stories?" Solaire asked.
The amethyst-eyed woman went first. "I used to live in Elior Forest in Lugnica, until it was frozen, and I was pretty much run out of Lugnica, coming here to start a new life."
"I'm from a faraway island to the east, before I came to the mainland four hundred years ago, and then became an Undead after the Great Calamity," Subaru said.
Erik was next. "I'm from Rorikstead, and recently tagged along with them, hoping to explore Gusteko, slay monsters, and collect artifacts and weapons.."
"I've been lots of things. An Undead, a spider, a Tarnished, a merchant, but above all, I'm the one who punishes the greedy," Patches. "Oh, I also hate clerics with a passion."
"I see. You are easily the most interesting group I have ever encountered," Solaire said.
"Yeah, we've all got issues," Subaru joked.
Erik looked over to the helmeted man. "So, what's your story, Solaire?"
"Oh, there's not much to it," Solaire said. "I always wanted to find my own sun, so I joined Gwyn's covenant, and when I had the chance to become an Undead, I took it."
"Even though you could risk going Hollow?" Emilia asked.
Solaire nodded. "Yes, indeed. However, I am determined to see my quest through!"
Subaru gave the sun-loving man a thumbs up. "Same here, buddy!"
"We're three of a piece!" Patches joined the duo.
"So, how did you come by the Greybeards?" Emilia asked. Solaire.
"Well, originally, I climbed the mountain to be closer to the sun," the bucket-helmeted man explained. "As it turns out, the Greybeards aren't fond of squatters, so I figured I would learn their Way of the Voice to help me achieve a deeper understanding of my goal before leaving and continuing on my quest."
Arngeir returned to the dining room, handing the map to Emilia. "Here you go, young Dragonborn. This map will lead you to all Dragon Shrine located in Gusteko. I advise you to be careful, as dragons are still powerful beings and not to be taken lightly."
Emilia bowed to the Greybeard. "Thank you, Arngeir-sama."
Arngeir bowed in return to the Dragonborn. "Voice be with you."
Authors' Note: Next up, lots and lots of Dragon Shrine hunting.
But yeah, Solaire of Astora has now made his debut! I love this guy (Pretty sure everyone does), and before you ask, yes, he is joining the party. You're all welcome.
(Also, I want to bring up how we will be handling Dragon Souls and Shouts in a way that will not leave narrative loopholes. As the people who played Skyrim know, Two words of Unrelenting Force, one word of Whirlwind Sprint, and all three words of Clear Skies are shared by the Greybeards, but we have decided to exclude feature, especially since you can't get any other shouts that way, which is stupid. We will be having the Party word hunt for a few chapters, but the Party will have a much better and more efficient way of teaching Emilia Shouts later on.)
Now with that out of the way, it's time for the comments:
5queso: I'm glad you like the worldbuilding we've been crafting, sometimes people just skip over it. And when it comes to the future fight scenes and Undead shenanigans, we've only just gotten started. Glad you're liking it, see you next chapter!
Kifhjoofff: Me alegra ver que tenemos un amante de la Tierra Media en la fiesta.
Mogustard (Guest): Remember, there are new chapters every Monday! And of course we'll be interacting with each comment, we need to fill our word count somehow!
OST_Enjoyer: Glad we could be of help! It's great to see others be inspired by us, and even better if they post their own stories because of us! We'll be sure to continue!
Anyways, that's all the comments we have for this week!
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That's all for today, thanks for reading, and we'll see you next time!
- Ernalore and Infinite the Celestian