Hircine wasn't one to willingly go and seek out his fellow Princes.
He prefers being secluded, focusing on his Hunts and his worshipers on Nirn, than interacting with the other Princes of his own free will.
If they come to him first, for one reason or the other, then he won't turn them away – Unless it's Sheogorath – and always takes care of his end of the struck deal.
So color him surprised when one of his most beloved children requests him to try and get in contact with Vaermina so to strike up a deal.
He was proud, he can openly admit that. In his eyes, it was like an ant trying to strike a deal with a sabertooth cat. The courage Hildr shows always reminds him why he blessed her Ancestors all those years ago.
Blessed with Lycanthropy, each of her Ancestors were natural born hounds that relished in their hunts, and had control over their Werewolf form that few could rival.
And then Hildr was born, blessed way more than all of her other Ancestors. Too much power for a little pup to safely learn how to use.
Born with great magical might and immense potential with her Lycanthropy… It all went wrong when her Magic and her Werewolf form merged, making her unable to keep her thoughts clear, and easily overwhelm and slay her parents before her grandmother blinded one of her eyes to make her come back to her senses.
Gretel was the same as her older sister, but lacked the innate magical talent and was a simple natural-born hound.
At two years old, she hunted and snapped the neck of a rabbit within the first five minutes of catching its scent.
At three years old, she disemboweled a deer within seconds of catching sight of it.
And at four years old, she overwhelmed a brown bear in her Werewolf form and feasted upon its flesh while offering its heart to him.
That was one of the many reasons those two children were his favorites.
His gaze remained locked on the bowed form of his child, pride filling his being at seeing her old sharpness slowly return.
Truly, that undead fool deserved way more than just one of his best hunters as a reward.
"Whatever your request is, I shall do my best to achieve it." Hildr promises as her head remains bowed towards the robed woman that is Vaermina. And a promise from one of his children means a lot.
"I know you will." Vaermina sniffs, her distant gaze flicking away to stare towards the horizon, "Hircine's children are known to keep their promises, after all."
Slowly, the robed woman stands, her dark clothes whipping through the air from a non-existent wind, "Though, you currently lack the strength to achieve the task I have for you." Pitch-black eyes turn to regard Hildr, who has no reaction at seemingly being called 'weak'. "Even if that Undead friend of yours were to join you, you still wouldn't be capable of achieving this task."
This time Vaermina's words do bring a reaction out of Hildr. The rust-haired woman's lone eye widens at that information.
Leonidas was an utter monster in her mind. A man capable of changing simple Spells on a whim, and turning them into powerful monstrosities that can slay Dragons with ease.
And even with his help, she wouldn't be able to complete this task?
Still, she grits her teeth, "What do I need to do?" She questions, lifting her gaze to stare into those abyss-like eyes staring at her without emotions in them.
Vaermina keeps her gaze on Hildr for a few quiet, yet eternally long seconds, before letting out a long drawn out hum and turning away, "There is an… Ancient artifact, sealed and buried inside an ancient city, and guarded by an army of ancient Draugr that have grown infinitely stronger due to being in the general vicinity of said Artifact."
Hildr furrows her brows, "So… You want me to bring you this Artifact?"
The answer from Vaermina surprises her, "No." Hildr blinks at that, very surprised, "I care not what you do with it once you obtain it. I only care that you unseal it and bring it out of that city. Simple as that."
Hildr narrows her lone eye, feeling like this deal was too good to be true. Clear difficulty of the task given aside, it just sounded too good to be true.
Her eye then flickers back to the deer that is the avatar of her Lord, who slowly nods the deer head at her. That simple action relieves her of all of her worries instantly, so she bows her head once more.
"You should question your Undead friend about Saarthal." Vaermina suggests, ignoring the flinch from Hildr, "I'm sure he knows plenty about it, and the Artifact I want you to unseal."
Flexing her jaw, Hildr lets out a sigh through her nostrils before nodding, "Understood." Slowly, she stands and straightens herself and locks eyes with Prince of Dreams. "And once I manage to free this Artifact, you'll grant Leonidas the ability to sleep once more?"
"Indeed." Vaermina nods, a smile gracing her freckled face, "No tricks, no hidden agenda. Free the Artifact, and your friend shall be able to sleep once more, even as an Undead being."
Hildr allows herself to relax even further, a smile gracing her own features before she bows deeply, "You have my deepest thanks, Lady Vaermina."
A faint laugh leaves the Prince's lips, "Go on now, child. Just know that this task is far more difficult than you may realize." Hildr nods grimly, then bows towards the silent deer that is Hircine's avart.
Who, with a simple flex of his powers, sends his child back to Nirn, not even a second having passed there since her appearance within this simple domain created for this short meeting.
With Hildr now gone, Hircine turns to regard his fellow Prince with a scrutinizing gaze, "Why do you wish to free that thing?" He questions, remembering that Vaermina had a form of relationship with Magnus, the architect of Nirn.
Vaermina's gaze is distant, and when she speaks, her voice is quiet, "Don't you find it hypocritical of us?" The deer that is his current avatar tilts its head at her question, "The way we partake on Nirn, on its people, on its wildlife and everything else it has to offer… When we refused to even help in its creation?"
Hircine's thoughts halt for a moment due to Vaermina's words.
He still remembers that day, when Lorkhan came to them seeking to create Nirn, trying to persuade them with flowery words and grand promises.
Many agreed to that plan, and many more abstained from giving assistance… And in the end, Nirn was not completed.
Magnus realized the trickery, realized he was dying, and pierced a hole through the sky of Nirn to leave, becoming its Sun, while the others became the stars in the night sky.
Yet… Magnus had never truly given up on completing that work.
He did leave Nirn, and has long since disappeared and gone quiet… But he also left something behind.
A part of him.
His Heart.
That thing, releasing endless amount of Magicka, was modified in a way that it would keep working to sustain and work towards slowly completing Nirn, keeping it alive and flourishing.
Yet, it had been sealed away, so it wasn't working as efficiently.
And now that Hircine thinks about it… Magic had deteriorated greatly since that part of Magnus had been sealed. Way less talented magicians born, less breakthroughs in magical studies compared to before. He found it peculiar.
Perhaps, it was also Magnus's way to give the inhabitants of Nirn a gift. A part of his will, making sure his passion is shared and flourishes.
"You regret not accepting Lorkhan's request, don't you?" Hircine questions as he gazes at his fellow Prince, "...You miss him. Magnus."
Vaermina's gaze remains distant. Unreadable. Sometimes, the woman reminds him of Sheogorath with how her real motives and desires are basically unknown to all.
"I made a choice, so I must live with the consequences of it." Her eyes close, and a slow breath leaves her lips, "But remember this, Hircine… Without Nirn, we would be nothing."
"Our Domains are only relevant because of it." And with those parting words, Vaermina disappears within the blink of an eye.
Hircine hated how right she was.
Yes, there are countless other dimensions and planes of existence… But none really matched the beauty of Nirn.
All of his Hunters, all of his Hounds, all of his children and worshipers… They all come from Nirn.
The plane of existence he was in collapses as the Prince of the Hunt returns to his own hunting grounds, pride filling his form at the sight of his Hounds and Hunters feasting upon the flesh and organs of the filth that dared try to go after his precious Gretel.
Now he too was regretting not accepting Lorkhan's offer.
Though… Hircine's gargantuan form turns as he beholds his hunting grounds, the seemingly endless valleys and mountains and forests, rivers and lakes and oceans, all looking normal to him.
Yet he still felt like something was… off.
Turning once more to take in the rest of his domain, Hircine's form comes to a halt when his gaze lands on something that is not meant to be there. Something that all of his Hunters and Hounds also take notice off at the same time as he does.
There, in an empty valley, lay a mountain.
A mountain of molten cheese.
Shaped like an equine phallus.
Hircine felt like he might pop a vein as Sheogorath's insane cackling started ringing out all across his Realm.
This is because he interacted with Leonidas, isn't it?
Fucking Sheogorath…
xxxXXXxxx
"Stalhrim?" Teeba-Gei, the Argonian member of the Whiterun Merchant Guild, questions softly at my request, "You wish to buy Stalhrim?"
I nod, robed arms crossed before my chest, "A good amount of it too, if possible." It's a material that is basically fit for me. I'm sure the effects here are way better than in the game.
In the game, Stalhrim made all Ice-Type Enchantments on gear and armor twenty-five percent stronger, stacking up with all the other buffs and stuff.
I couldn't find anything on it here, but that doesn't mean I cannot gain some and see how it fits me.
I want to request for a weapon, staff and armored robes to be made for me using that material, since my current stuff isn't of really high grade and capabilities.
My Magistone Staff is a great help, but I am still a squishy Undead that is very easy to break and snap like a twig. While I can't do much about it with armor, I gotta focus on pure Offense.
By boosting my offensive capabilities, I can protect myself even better. My now named Draconian Howl is pure firepower, but I should also start focusing a lot on my Cryomancy.
While Draconian Howl barely uses much of my quite large Magicka Reserves, it is not something that I can use when close to my allies.
I can deal with the Sonic Boom, their fleshy bits can't.
Plus, my Cryomancy is very versatile. Making it stronger will help me a lot in the long run.
Speaking of Cryomancy; I just got Winter's Wrath, but I feel like I might need to Evolve it already. It's… too messy, as it hits even my allies.
While I, like any normal dude, loves massive AoE Spells and destruction, I would also like to have control and not just place an environmental hazard that can fuck up even those that I do not want to hit.
Something to think about, especially since it'll require nine Souls to Evolve it again.
I can tell that Spell Evolution takes my thoughts and desires into account, hence why Winter's Wrath came out like that due to my wanting a large scale Spell that could hit a massive target like the titanic Dragon from Falkreath.
"I see…" Teeba-Gei's snake-like tongue flicks out to wet the scales of his lips as he hums in thought, "I believe you have been to Falkreath recently, yes?"
I tilt my head in confusion at the strange question, but nod nonetheless.
"The people of Solstheim are even worse than them." Oh for fuck's sake… "So we, unfortunately, have no Stalhrim in stock."
I sigh and sag my shoulders at that, "And it's not possible to get some?"
At that, Teeba-Gei gives me a fanged grin, "I never said that." There's a reason I like this dude. "Money can make move the greed of many seasoned warriors… And even rouse the greed of those that do not like outsiders."
"Then you can acquire some?"
"Give me a month, and I shall have a cart full of Stalhrim for you." Yeah, this dude is a fucking legend.
"You're the best, Teeba!" I clasp his hand in an eager handshake at his bold yet confident promise, "How many Septims are we talking?"
Teeba-Gei chuckles in a way that makes me feel bad. For the folks of Solstheim, that is. "Solstheim is entirely cut off from Skyrim, thriving on a self-sustaining economy from their own fertile lands, fishing and cattle… So prices there are laughably low."
Oh… Oh I can tell what he is plotting.
"I can get you a cart full of Stalhrim at a lower cost than a measly iron sword at a nearby blacksmith."
Yep, this dude is my best bud.
"Why haven't you done this before?" I question, and Teeba-Gei instantly looks sheepish.
"...I may have forgotten about this old plan of mine due to the whole Dragon issue."
Entirely understandable.
"Oh yeah, how's the situation with the merchant routes now?"
"Not bad, but not too good either." Teeba-Gei sighs, "The Empire has the roads leading up to Skyrim covered and well guarded, but beyond that… Trolls, bandits, and maybe even Dragons. Risks are rising, and so are prices."
And the fact that I cannot help irks me a little bit.
I'll have to check at the College, but I want to see if there's anything that allows teleportation over great distances. It could help a lot, if it's possible.
"That aside, is there anything else I may help you with, my friend?"
I hum, then stop myself before giving Teeba-Gei a negative response, "You sell Spell Tomes here, right?" I question, and the Argonian nods with a smile and flick of his tongue. "Anything on Ash Magic?"
"We do have some indeed." Teeba-Gei answers, though he does tilt his head curiously, looking very much like a scrutinizing snake, "But are you not a Frost Mage?"
I chuckle and wave my hand, "It's not for me, but for a friend who uses Fire Magic." A noise of understanding, then a nod.
"We don't have many – Five in total, if I remember one." I nod myself, "One of each, I presume?" He knows me well.
I might as well treat Hildr well since I'll be annoying her plenty soon enough.
Soon, I left the Merchant Guild with my new purchase, having barely spent much on all five tomes. Something tells me that Ash Magic isn't very developed just yet.
Still, the Spells aren't that bad. Ash Burst, a Spell to create a large fog of flammable ash to either cover sight or… well, set alight in a very explosive way.
Ash Bullet, which is similar to the Burst one, just weaker and able to be shot like a projectile. Packs a punch, especially since the ash is flammable, and also very hot.
Ash Blast, a far stronger and larger scale form of the Bullet one.
Ash Cloud, which is basically a far greater and more intense form of the Burst Spell. Then, finally, Caustic Ash, a very dense and thick cloud of ash that can be best described as a pyroclastic cloud.
You know, the thing that turned Pompeii into a graveyard of statues.
Good thing my dumbass is already dead, cause I know for a fact Hildr is gonna use this shit on me one of these days.
Almost without even thinking about it, my right arm reaches out to grab the back of Gretel's clothes, then effortlessly lift her in the air even as her little legs keep running.
"What are you doing?" I question flatly as her legs still keep running in the air, her gaze now focused on me. Her arms? Wrapped around a large pile of raw dry aged sausages.
She smiles innocently at me, "Going home after making a purchase, of course!" What a little shit.
"You don't look like someone who just made a purchase, but someone who did something else." Her smile only widens, pure honesty in her eyes, not a care in the world on her face.
"Are you accusing me of having committed a crime?" Gretel questions me, and goddammit is this stupid brat adorable.
"Did you do a crime?"
"Would you believe me if I said no?"
"Will you say no?"
"Nah, I totally stole this shit, and am proud of it!" I fucking adore her. So goddamn much.
"I'm pretty sure me and Aurelia gave you money to buy whatever you want, you know?" And it wasn't a small sum either, because we both could never resist the desire to spoil this adorable brat.
Gretel sniffs, then shrugs, "Why waste money when everything can be free?" A fine outlook on life- No, wait, I should be teaching her to be good!
...Who am I kidding. I'm the worst possible influence on her.
"Stealing is a crime." I point out.
"Only if you get caught." Gretel points out right back.
"My, those are some fine sausages you bought with your allowance!" I set her down and pat her head, making her grin brightly and let out an adorable giggle.
Meh, the Jarl can handle this shit. And if she gets caught, she has my permission to go full Werewolf on the guards and cause mayhem.
"So, where are the ladies?" I question the little brat, who had already shoved a dry aged sausage in her mouth.
And it only takes her a few bites before downing the whole thing, "Big sis is back home, probably doing a quick offering for Lord Hircine!" Ah right, it's a daily thing of theirs. "Aurelia went to the temple of Arkay for a quick prayer, but she should already be back home."
Home, huh?
I've been here for barely two months, but I already have a place I can call that.
Despite being thrown here against my own will, I adapted quickly and found a lot of enjoyment. And a lovely lady to boot.
So it is very nice to have a place that I can call home. A place to belong to.
Hence why I'll try my hardest to make sure Whiterun stands and thrives as long as I… Breathe? Rot? Exist? Cause problems? Whatever.
"What do you think about Whiterun?" I ask Gretel, who is mowing through the stolen sausages like a feral beast who hasn't eaten in days. "Enjoying yourself?"
She looks at me while she has five pieces of dry aged meat between her teeth, her cute cheeks all round and puffed up from how much she is devouring at once.
And once again, it takes her just a few bites to gulp it all down, "It's very nice!" She laughs softly, relaxed and very happy, "Far better than Falkreath. That shithole always felt like… like a prison. So stiff, so stuck in the old ways and beliefs and fears."
I pat her head, and she cutely leans into the touch, "Not that many folks for you to torture, huh?" She grunts and sniffs, as if confirming my question.
"I mostly hated that place due to how they treated Big Sis. She loves magic, and they treated her like she was fucking diseased." A low growl escapes her lips, containing all of her anger and disgust, "And then they had the audacity of being angry and confused when I'd shank a son of a rabid skeever at least once a week with a fuckin' rusty dagger."
I can understand her pain. Dealing with Nords can be very difficult. Most of them are basically dumb barbarians, and you'd surprised if one could do a simple two plus two or even count to ten.
They put fighting before education, and prefer swords to Magic. While hatred towards Magic isn't as widespread right now as I am sure it was in the past, it's still not something that is easily accepted.
There is fear, mistrust, hate and disgust, and it isn't even surprising that the major source of all of this for the Nords are actually the Thalmors.
Some move on, like the many people of Whiterun and those that fought alongside me against Krosis or Mirmulnir, and who now openly call me 'Brother' or 'Friend' when we walk by each other instead of 'Spell-Flinger'.
For Nords, respect and trust is earned through battle. By fighting alongside each other, and not standing behind an army and launching Spells.
And because I, a Mage, shoved my arm up a Dragon's asshole and blew it the fuck up, I gained the respect of all of Whiterun. To the point that now the soldiers use that as a strategy to win against Dragons.
I am not even sorry. I'm actually proud.
"Well, your sis won't get bullied with me around." I assure Gretel, "Pretty sure I'll have to fist fight her Familiar to get to whoever tries to talk shit to her, though…"
It shall be a mighty battle where I'll get folded within the first five seconds.
"You better protect her while you two are at the College, alright?" Gretel pretty much orders me, a cute glare in her eyes, "Anyone insults her? I want them dead in a ditch within five seconds. Anyone tries to hit on her? I want 'em- Meh, she ain't gonna get hit on."
Now that's just rude and evil. But I guess that's a sibling.
"Why do you say that? Hildr is very beautiful." And that is very true, Hildr is an incredible beauty.
Aurelia is more of that refined, cool and radiant beauty, while Hildr is that rough, snarky and violent gal.
Gretel gives me a weird look at my words, "You're a weird dude."
"You just realized that?"
"Nah, it clicked in when ya went all 'crackhead mode' on those fuckers back in Falkreath." She giggles happily at that, "You fuckin' tied one of 'em bitches to a horse! Hah!"
I snort myself, "I'm not the one that bounced on a certain bastard's nuts with utter glee."
"I shit you not, I swear I heard and felt one of 'em pop while I was stompin' on them!" Oof, that poor fucker… He should suffer through that a couple billion times more.
"You're a national treasure, Gretel." I chuckle and pat her head fondly, bringing another cute giggle out of her, "Never change."
"Just national? I must work harder then!"
I laugh at that, "Fuck domestic violence, let's go international!"
"You took the words right outta my fuckin' mouth!"
Yeah, this girl is a goddamn treasure.
"I meant to ask, but why do you swear so much?" I don't mind it. Every person has their own peculiar thing and whatnot.
Plus, in my opinion, this makes Gretel cuter.
"Apparently, it's a family thing." Gretel hums, then shrugs, "Trust me, my granny had such a foul mouth that Lord Hircine actually stopped speakin' to her. I'm not joking."
What in the actual fuck…?
"I've heard from one of our neighbors that when granny was young, a guard tried hitting on her, and she insulted him so badly that the guy left Skyrim the very next day. Like, just packed his shit and left."
What a goddamn legend… That woman could have thrived in the Call of Duty lobbies.
"You got one hell of a family, huh?" Gretel puffs her chest out proudly at that, another sausage locked between her teeth. Adorable brat.
Soon enough, we finally reach home, with the inside being filled with light chatter from Hildr and Aurelia, both women in the kitchen and preparing food for themselves and Gretel.
"I am back and ready to become a headache!" I call out, instantly evoking two loud groans from both women. A truly warm and lovely welcome home!
"My smile disappeared so fast." Hildr grunts out, lying through her teeth as I can see a fain smile on her face. Her gaze then flickers down towards Gretel, still holding a few sausages in her arms.
Both sisters stare at each other for a few quiet seconds before Hildr speaks up, "I'm spanking you later, you little shit."
Gretel lets out an indignant squawk, "He bought them for me!" She points a small finger at me, desperation within her eyes as she lies as easily as she breathes, not an ounce of shame on her face.
I give Hildr a thumbs up, "Yup, totally did."
The rust-haired woman gives me a very flat gaze, "Gretel only looks smug after stabbing someone, or after stealing something." Her gaze flickers towards the sausages that Gretel is now trying to hide behind her back. "She is holding the stolen goods right now."
I drop my thumbs up and look at Gretel, "You're on your own, brat."
"Fuck you!"
Hildr glares at me with her lone eye, "You're lucky you are already dead, else I'd be chocking you for lying to cover for her."
I gasp in excitement at that, "Crush my skull between your thighs and I'd be happy to die a second time!"
Hildr stumbles and crashes into the table of the living room at my words, her face going redder than her hair as she chokes on her, words failing her.
"LEO!" Came Aurelia's indignant scream, her head peeking out of the kitchen, her long hair tied in a high ponytail, "Stop being a degenerate!"
"You're asking me to stop being me, woman!"
"I will hit you!"
"Jokes on you, I can't feel that shit! And your God blessed me so I can't feel Holy Light either!"
The scream Aurelia lets out is downright feral, and I end up with a wooden spoon lodged into my skull not even a second later.
I just ignore it and turn back towards Hildr, who is coughing her lungs out and still recovering from my shameless words, with Gretel staring at her sister in utter shock, "First time I've seen her like this…"
I hum and pull the wooden spoon out of my skull, "Has she never been hit on?" I ask out of pure curiosity.
"Oh no, she has." Gretel nods and turns towards me, "Dude had big guts, called her beautiful and all, put his arm around her shoulders too. Big Sis just set him on fire."
Why does this family use violence to answer everything?
"W-We don't talk about that, Gretel…" Hildr coughs out, face still flushed as she throws a nasty glare my way, "Must you say such things in front of my little sister?" Would you look at that! A loophole in her words!
"Oh, so if we were alone, it would be fine?" A wooden fork is lodged into my skull this time, courtesy of Aurelia once more. I can see her breathe flames and glare lighting my way from the kitchen while making threatening gestures.
All of them are about killing me, of course.
Of course, my words make Gretel cackle as Hildr chokes on air once more, face going as dark as her hair again, "W-What the fuck is wrong with you!?"
"A lot of things." I shrug, "Want me to start in alphabetical order? We might need a couple days to go through everything though."
Seeing the embers spark to life in Hildr's hands, I am quite sure that she is about to throw a fireball at my face.
Quick! Discombobulate!
"Catch!" I shout and throw the books wrapped in cloth and thin ropes at her without warning, hitting her in the stomach and making her release an 'Oof!' noise.
Still, she grabs them before they could fall from the ground, her "What the fuck is wrong with you-" being cut short when she notices what is actually wrapped in the cloth. "Are these… Spell tomes?"
My shoulders sag at her soft, near fragile tone of voice. "Yup." I pop the 'p', my tone light and happy, "Ash Magic, very flammable. A good fit for your Fire Magic, if you can learn these Spells." Though I have a feeling she won't have much of a problem with that.
"Ash Magic?" Aurelia questions, stepping out of the kitchen while cleaning her hands, "I've never heard of that branch of magic before…"
I shrug as Hildr checks the books out with a lone wide eye, "It's probably new, or it just started spreading since it is from Solstheim. Apparently the people there are even worse than those in Falkreath." Both Gretel and Aurelia shudder at that, disgust etched on their faces.
Yep, nobody likes the old Nords. Maybe even their fellow Nords do not like them.
"Wait, where's this Solstheim?" Gretel suddenly asks, cute chubby face all scrunched up in curiosity.
"Kinda North-East of Skyrim, far out into the sea." I believe. It might be more East than North-East, but whatever. "Large island, used to be a part of Skyrim before a moron fucked around, found out, and got the shit beaten outta him so horribly that not only did he help create a new island, but he also had to get his ass saved by a Daedric Prince."
Miraak really went 'With this treasure I summon Daddy Mora!', what a pussy.
Still, he'll be a massive threat in the future, now that I think about it.
"These are amazing!" Hildr cries out, having gone through the general description of each Spell within this short span of time, her usually grumpy face now glowing with pure happiness and excitement, "They sound and look complicated, but they also fit me very well!"
That's good to know. Still, I wonder why the ash is flammable. A peculiarity of the magic, or perhaps it's just the ash of that volcano on Solstheim that is very flammable?
Something to figure out later on, I guess.
"Those are all the tomes the Merchant Guild had on Ash Magic, so if you want more you'll have to check if the College has some once we get there." I shrug and cross my arms, "Still, this should keep your mind occupied while we are traveling."
A lone green eye flicks up to meet my hidden ones, then narrows momentarily before Hildr sighs, arms and shoulders slumping, "You're an asshole."
I throw my hands in the air at that, "Why am I an asshole even when I do nice things?!"
"Just take it as a compliment like you always do, Leo." Aurelia laughs softly, giving Hildr a quick one-armed hug that the rust-haired woman leans into while hugging the spell tomes against her chest.
I scoff and childishly kick the ground. Meanies, the lots of 'em.
"Right, I…" Hildr starts, suddenly looking very nervous and hesitant, which draws my attention, "I have a question for you, Leonidas."
I tilt my head at her, curious but quiet, so I wave my hand to give her the go ahead.
"What's Saarthal?" I freeze at Hildr's question, "And what's the Artifact sealed there?"
I slowly uncross my arms, keeping my gaze firmly locked onto Hildr's nervous face as I do so.
She shouldn't know about this. About the Eye of Magnus. Saarthal might be common knowledge for all I care, but it might also not be.
So how did Hildr come to know about both of these things all of a sudden?
"Leo?" Aurelia speaks up at my silence, her voice tinged with a hint of nervousness.
I keep my gaze on the now very nervous Hildr as I tilt my head, "What did you do?" I question her, utterly serious, making her visibly flinch, "Gaining knowledge of Saarthal might be easy, but no one should know about the Artifact it holds." Aside from the Psijich Order bastards that take it for themselves while acting like holy saviors.
Aurelia snaps her gaze to Hildr, who wilts under our stares and starts to nervously rub at her left forearm with her right hand, "Hildr, what did you do…?"
A sigh escapes the woman's lips before she straightens herself, "I made a deal with the Daedric Prince Vaermina."
…
And I am the dumb fucking dude here.
I don't waste time with words. No, I just grab Gretel by the scruff of her neck, pick her up, then toss her towards Hildr with a "Gretel, I chose you!" cry.
Said girl instantly adapts, and with a feral cry of rage, she slaps her sister across the face with a half eaten sausage before they both fell to the ground.
Aurelia instantly looms over the downed and hissing Hildr, with Gretel using her weaponized sausage to wack her sister in the head repeatedly while hurling insults and slurs and other profanities. "Why would you ever do such a stupid thing, Hildr?"
With a grunt, Hildr shoves a hand in her sister's face and pushes her off so she could sit up, "I did it for Leonidas." I pause at that, pointing a finger at my face as she glares towards me, "By completing Lady Vaermina's task, she'll grant you the ability to sleep once more."
I freeze at that.
Sleep… I kind of gave up on being able to do that again. Or even eat, or feel things.
But I guess it was stupid of me to not try and reach out towards a Daedric Prince like Vaermina, who is clearly capable of fixing my issue.
They are clearly interested in me, and focused on both me and Aurelia both, so getting in contact with them should be easy.
Well, getting in contact with any that aren't Sheogorath. My brother from another mother is getting jumped by everyone to try and keep us two away.
It shall not last.
"Wow, you managed to leave Leo speechless…" Aurelia mutters aloud, a wide beaming and very happy smile on her face.
"I'm just thinking about the war-crimes I will unleash upon her flesh and mind."
"I take that back. Don't let Leo think. Never." Why must you look so horrified, my dear Aurelia?
Hildr snorts, "Your presence is torture enough, thank you very much." That's kinda fair too.
Still, I sigh and rest my hands on my hips. "You didn't have to do that, you know?"
The rust-haired woman nods with a frown, "I didn't have to, but I wanted you." She states firmly as she stands and straightens herself, "Lord Hircine may have rewarded for your help, but I wanted to repay you myself, one way or the other."
Gently, Aurelia rests a hand on Hildr's shoulder with a warm smile on her beautiful face, "We didn't do it because we wanted you to owe us, Hildr. We are just happy you and Gretel are both safe."
Hildr grunts, her face slightly flushed and her lone eye a bit red and teary, "It's not just that!" Her voice cracks lightly at the end, making her take a quick deep breath to calm herself, "It's everything else! All this! Gretel being able to do what she loves, and me being able to follow my dream!"
"You just can't grant our dreams like that and expect me not to want to repay you!"
With a gentle and warm smile, Aurelia easily moves in and brings Hildr into a tight hug, allowing the woman high on emotion to let out a light sob and hug her tightly right back.
If I could, I'd be smiling until my face hurt right now, so instead I settle myself with patting Gretel on the head.
She is quiet, but with the way she is playing with her skirt and looking down, I know that she feels the same way as her sister, but just has more trouble in showing it.
"What's this Saarthal place, Leo?" Aurelia asks instead as she soothes Hildr, letting the woman work off her bottled up emotions quietly.
"Ancient capital of Skyrim, founded by the first Atmoran settlers, progenitors of the Nords, Imperials, Bretons and the Nede." I recount off the top of my head as I cross my arms, "When they first settled here, they uncovered an ancient and powerful Artifact, and built a city around it."
"But the native Snow Elves of Skyrim, who either coveted it or held it dear due to their culture, led a massacre upon the city known as the Night of Tears and took it over… Though Ysgramor, one of the first Atmoran settlers, managed to escape, then returned with the Five-Hundred Companions."
"With the help of a powerful and talented Enchanter called Ahzidal, the Five Hundred Companions led what can only be called a genocide, slaughtering the Snow Elves in the ensuing war."
Ahzidal… Poor dude. Lost himself to revenge and hunger for power after his family in Saarthal was slaughtered while he was away, then even after helping Ysgramor and his Companions, he still couldn't give up his hunger for power and went mad.
Which led to him becoming a puppet of Hermaeus Mora.
Why does it feel like that bastard is actively building a damn army?
"So the original Companions led the Snow Elves to extinction?" Gretel asks curiously, then blinks in surprise when I shake my head.
"They are still alive, but you know them by a different name now." Hildr, now recovered, regards me with an equally curious look, "You call them the 'Falmers' now."
The sheer shock and horror at my reveal is nearly palpable. Weird, i thought it was common knowledge... Huh.
Seems like it's not really widespread knowledge what happened to the Falmers. Some well learned sorts might know, but not many in Skyrim actively read books.
Few probably know that the Falmers were the former Snow Elves, and that their loss against the Companions led them to willingly let themselves be enslaved by the Dwemers.
Then, when the Dwemers went 'Watch this shit-!' and popped out of existence, they left the blind Snow Elves to themselves.
Inbreeding, living underground, and who knows how many more problems and things led to them not even being able to talk and become crazed beasts that kill without a second thought. And do a lot more disturbing shit too.
"Those… horrifying news aside." Hildr gulps, then shakes her head to recover some color on her pale face, "What's this Artifact in Saarthal?"
I hum and lean back, "It's called the 'Eye of Magnus'. It is a large spherical object that releases an unlimited amount of Magicka without stop."
I know Vaermina is usually described as a mage, but why would she want the Eye of Magnus?
Aurelia gulps aloud, "A-An unlimited amount of Magicka…?" I nod, making her face grow even paler than it usually is. "I guess that could be why a Daedric Prince would want it, then…"
I go to nod, but Hildr instantly cuts in, "Lady Vaermina doesn't want this 'Eye of Magnus'." She reveals, stunning me a lot, but also making me quite happy. "She just wants it to be 'unsealed'."
Unsealed? I do know that it is locked in Saarthal, but I wouldn't call it sealed… Unless something is different here.
"Fuck, the Undead near that damn thing are going to be juiced up on Magicka…" I mutter aloud, cupping my chin in pure horror.
Swole Undead breathing and shitting out pure Magicka. Those bastards are going to be able to throw down with a Dragon and win without a problem.
"Where's this place, by the way?" Aurelia questions, making me perk up and throw away those terrifying thoughts.
"Oh, it's actually close to the College of Winterhold. I'm sure that they are already funding the excavation to find and reach the city at this very moment."
I saw no news on it being already found and discovered, so I'd say it'll take another month or two before the place pops up and we can go explore it, so to get a feel of how dangerous it is.
"Huh…" Hildr slumps her shoulder, lone eye blinking with surprise, "That's a stroke of good luck, I guess…"
Quite, though I wonder what Vaermina wants with the Eye of Magnus being 'unsealed' as she so put it.
Well, it is said that she has a form of relationship with Magnus, but I do not know the extent of it. And it just leaves me questioning her motives even more.
"Oh, speaking of the College!" Aurelia suddenly perks up, as if remembering something, "Remember the Dragon Priest that is close to it too?" I tilt my head and nod her way, "I ran into Farengar while I was out and asked him if he knew about any peculiar location in the waters close to the College, and he did mention something curious."
"He said that, visible from the College, is an island with clear ruins on it. According to him, it used to be an ancient Gaol dating back to the Merethic Era."
A prison, huh? That's peculiar. "It must've been left behind after the battle that shattered Solstheim away from Skyrim." I mutter to myself, though Aurelia speaks up again.
"It's not all though." Her face and voice grows serious, "According to Farengar, no one ever had the guts to approach it, as they feel as if there is a terrifyingly powerful monster in those ruins."
Ah, like Dinok? That doesn't bode well.
So is the Gaol meant to hold this Dragon Priest… Or is a Dragon Priest the one that watches over it?
"I'll have to check it out when I get there, then." I muse, then pause when a knock rings out from the door.
Gretel hops forward and swiftly goes to answer, and I prepare myself to atomize a Delphine out of existence if it's actually her- Oh good, it's just Aela.
"Aela!" Gretel happily greets the woman with a wide grin, receiving a grin right back from her fellow redhead who pats her head.
"Hey there, little pup'." The archer woman greets warmly before her gaze flicks towards us and she nods in greeting, "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Aurelia shakes her head with a warm smile, "Not at all! Come on in!" Gretel eagerly drags Aela inside, with the woman not bothered at all from the attention the young girl gives her, "What can we do for you?"
"Oh, I'm more here for Hildr there." Aela states, making the older sister perk up, "Since we are all happy to take care for the little pup' here, we actually wanted to know what to train her in and what not to touch."
Ah right, Gretel wants to join the Companions. I'm surprised that they are already thinking about training her, though.
Hildr lets out a noise of understanding, "You're a Werewolf too, right?" The rust-haired woman questions, "I can smell it."
Aela blinks, then nods, "Quite a few members of the Companions are Werewolves. It's not common knowledge in Whiterun, but the Jarl does know, and so do the other Companions."
Huh, I didn't expect that. So they are quite open here.
Hildr nods, a light smile on her lips, "Then do you mind taking Gretel out for hunts? It's a ritual in our family, where we hunt for Lord Hircine at least once a day and give him an offering." I don't miss the slight bit of guilt in Hildr's voice and on her face.
She probably hasn't been able to hunt for Hircine as often due to having to take care of herself, her grandma and Gretel at the same time.
"An excuse to go out and stretch my Werewolf legs? You have yourself a deal!" Aela chuckles, her gaze lowering down to Gretel as she does so, "You got any control over your transformation, girl?"
Gretel nods with an excited grin, "Yup! I hunted plenty of Brown Bears back home!" Even Aela whistles at that.
"And you're not even fully grown… You girls blessed or something?" Surprisingly enough, Hildr actually nods with a proud smile.
"Our family is very blessed by Lord Hircine. In fact, six of my Ancestors were Champions of Hircine."
Aela's eyes blow wide open, both respect and surprise in them, "Hounds or Hunters?"
"Mix of both." Hildr answers, then nods towards Gretel, "She wants to become a Hound."
I do remember Hircine telling me that my new Minotaur buddy was one of his 'Hunters', though I do not know what it means. "What's the difference between the two?" I question curiously, drawing Aela's gaze to me.
"The Hunters, despite their name, are the savage warriors of Hircine." The Companion answers, "The Hounds instead are those that do the Hunts. The best trackers, the best senses, the best stealth – There is no target that they cannot find."
Huh, that sounds quite terrifying, but also very cool.
Oh right, now that Aela is here, I might as well give her that thing I wrote down.
I quickly excuse myself and go to my 'plotting room' with the map of Skyrim, then grab the small notebook I wrote through the night and set aside. Almost forgot I did this.
Once in my hands, I turn around to leave and rejoin the others, only to walk into something- No, someone.
"I'm so happy for you." Aurelia whispers softly, hugging me tightly, the door to the room partially shut for some privacy.
I falter slightly, both from surprise and from not knowing what to say exactly, so Aurelia speaks again, her voice oh so warm and gentle, "I know the lack of everything has taken a massive toll on you, and I am overjoyed that you'll soon be able to rest."
"I just wish I could have done more myself." She sighs and pulls back, her beautiful face so close to mine.
For a few short seconds, I just let myself take in all of her features. Drink in all of her beauty.
Her pale skin and hair, her near violet eyes, her soft looking and glossy lips, her small and cute nose- She is just beyond perfect in my eyes. I'll never grow tired of staring at her.
"I think you failed to grasp something." I start, my voice just as gentle as hers as my hands come up to grasp the ones resting on my shoulders.
"The only reason I've been able to stay sane for so long is because of you." And that is the truth.
It's because I've simply given her my whole attention, and used all the quiet and long nights to just think about ways to better help her, that I've been able to just ignore the fact that I do not sleep.
It's stressful. I am tired. I just want to sit down, close my eyes and sleep for entire days, but I can't, so I can only try and make sure that my first friend here and someone I've grown to adore deeply survives and thrives.
Aurelia's cheeks flush and her eyes redden at my words, her lower lip quivering momentarily before she pulls me back in for a tight hug once more.
I enjoy her presence and action, and lean into her embrace despite the fact that I cannot feel it.
We stay like that for a short minute before she swiftly pulls back, face all red and cute, so she turns around and moves her hair so to cover herself from my sight.
I still managed to burn the view into my very Soul.
I grab her hand, give it a quick squeeze, then let it go and walk back out first to rejoin Aela and the sisters, so to give Aurelia some time to get her bearings back.
"-Mammoths are off limits for a while. You can bring Gretel to hunt them only when you feel like she is ready." Gretel pouts angrily towards her sister, but a single glare from Hildr makes the little girl look down and kick the ground.
Aela winches at that, "Yeah, those bastards go down swinging. The Giants guarding them makes it more annoying." Reaching down, she gives Gretel a reassuring pat on the head, "Still, I'm glad I don't have to restrain her too much and can bring her on hunts."
I take that moment to speak up, "I've also got something for you." Aela perks up and turns to me, raising a lone brow when I offer her the small notebook, "I wrote down anything that will be useful to the Companions."
"Like the locations of the Silver Hand camps and bases, and the location of the Wuuthrad fragments!" The huntress nearly drops the notebook, her eyes going so wide that they might roll out, "Plus, a way to heal Lycanthropy without having to ask Hircine."
Pretty sure I already shared that one with them, but I did it all of a sudden and caught her off-guard, so I wouldn't blame her if she forgot.
I've added all I remember of their questline from the game in the notebook, coupled with all the things they will need to finish Wuuthrad and give Kodlak what he wants.
"How do you even know all this shit!?" Aela cries out, flicking through the notebook with near crazy eyes, "Do you know how valuable all this could be?!"
I shrug, "Meh."
I think she is ready to punch me in the face.
"Are you sure you're fine giving this to us for free, though?" The huntress questions softly, and I chuckle.
"I do have a small request. It's at the end of the notebook." I point out, and Aela swiftly flicks there to check it out, both of her brows going up at the sight of it.
All the Stalhrim I bought will be useless if it doesn't get used by a good Blacksmith, and the Companions might as well have the best Blacksmith in the whole of Skyrim.
Plus, the best forge.
I've already informed Teeba-Gei that the Companions can get their hands on the Stalhrim when it arrives, so there shouldn't be a problem.
"Well, this is easily manageable…" Aela hums, then punches my shoulder, "Thanks, dumbass. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to bed me."
Why do I feel Aurelia glaring holes through the back of my head?
"Still, will you be alright with dealing with the Silver Hand?" While the Companions are powerful, they do not really have numbers on their side.
I'd say there's at least two or three hundred of them in Whiterun, and I do not know if the Silver Hand has more members under their banner.
Aela nods, a vicious smirk on her lips, "We'll just have to call back all the others across Skyrim and the Empire. It'll take a month or two before we can move on these bastards, but we are willing to bide our time."
Especially since they will all gladly gather to go after the broken remnants of their Ancestor's weapon and reforge it. It'll be their lives greatest honor.
"Also, do be very careful." I warn Aela, making her narrow her eyes, "Once you start pressing the Silver Hand, they won't have problems attacking you right here, in the middle of the city."
It happened in the game, and there they stole the gathered Wuuthrad pieces and killed Kodlak, so if I can make them put their guard up and avoid such a situation, then even better.
Especially since Gretel will be around here, and I refuse to let her come to harm.
"Damn bastards…" Aela clicks her tongue, then shakes her head and gives me a grateful nod, then sending one towards Hildr and Aurelia, "I'll get going now. Best inform the others about this."
The girl cry out their goodbyes as Aela goes to leave, her eyes trailing along the notebook in her hands, before she comes to a halt in front of the doors.
"Why the fuck is there a list for 'Warcrimes that Gretel can unleash on Nazeem' in here?!"
I don't have time to answer before said girl does it for me.
By unleashing an ungodly screech and flying across the house to latch onto the now screaming Aela's face.
Damn, Gretel became a Face-Hugger…
….
"Of all the things I expected to do today, talking with a dead man wasn't among them."
Balgruuf truly did not know what to expect when Irileth talked about a 'secret meeting' with an important person.
Now that the grand hall of Dragonsreach was vacated, and only his court mage and Irileth herself were left, he finally managed to lay eyes on the one he was supposed to meet.
Someone who he was sure was dead, for news of his demise had reached his ears not too long ago. When the Imperials conquered Dawnstar.
"News of my death were greatly exaggerated." Skald the Elder, former Jarl of Dawnstar, gruffly states as he takes a seat, "All on purpose, of course."
Balgruuf hums, finding himself at loss for words. "Do I speak to the Jarl of Dawnstar, or to a respected elder?"
Skald scoffs, "You speak to a ghost, my friend." Those words made Balgruuf relax a great deal, yet also filled him with so many questions.
"Then to what do I owe this visit?"
Balgruuf knows that Skald was one of Ulfric most staunch supporters. One of the few Jarls who openly admitted it, even.
He stood with Ulfric when the he cursed the Empire for banning the worship of Talos.
Stood with Ulfric when the man refused to let that law stand within his Hold.
Stood with Ulfric when the man aspired to become the next High King of Skyrim.
Yet… Things felt different now.
Crossing his arms above the table, the bearded elder gazes at the Jarl before him with fiery easy alight with determination, "I seek your aid in putting an end to this Civil War, Jarl Balgruuf."
Balgruuf blinks, then leans forward, forearms coming to rest on his knees as he did so, "I thought you supported Ulfric?"
Skald nods, a nasty glower on his aged face, "I did." He spits those words out with pure hate and disgust, "Until that bastard refused to put the Civil War on hold in order to deal with the Dragons first."
"Riften has been attacked thrice, and he did not lend aid. Solitude faced two attacks not too long ago, leading to the deaths of countless innocents, and he laughed."
Balgruuf breathes out at that, eyes wide. So many attacks, and he barely even got news of them…
They are becoming more frequent, it seems.
"I've struck a partnership of sort with the new Jarl of Dawnstar, Brina Merilis." Balgruuf remembers the woman. Fine warrior, and good head on her shoulders. "The Empire has been trying to gain a ceasefire to deal with the Dragons. A momentary pause on the Civil War, to deal with a bigger threat."
General Tullius was in favor of this, and his word was law among the Imperials in Skyrim, despite what Jarl Elisif might think.
"Ulfric keeps ignoring the Moot summons." Balgruuf states, one hand clenching into a tight fist. Just how stubborn can one man be? "He is the only Jarl ignoring the Moot summons."
Skald nods, gaze hateful, "I know. He told me." His gaze then turns to Irileth, making Balgruuf raise a brow, "Show it to him."
Turning his head, Balgruuf watches Irileth walk towards one of the empty tables in the hall, where a large cloth lay.
Her glowing eyes flick to meet his as her hand grasps the cloth, "Jarl Ulfric has sent this to you, my Jarl." The cloth is pulled away, and a war-ax is revealed resting upon the table.
A declaration of War.
A declaration of War against the neutral Whiterun.
Balgruuf finds his nostrils flare, pure rage filling his being as his muscles swell and his knuckles creak. "Ulfric has become quite daring, it seems."
He clearly wanted to control the Hold in the center of Skyrim, with the biggest Merchant Guild in it.
Fertile lands, impossible to ambush, and a perfect strategic position.
"That is why I want to kill him, Jarl Balgruuf." Skald reveals, stunning Balgruuf to the point where he forgets about his building rage, "He thinks my family is dead, killed during the taking of Dawnstar."
"He thinks I came to seek refuge and I am on his side." A cold, cruel chuckle leaves his lips, "I am sure I can convince him to accept the Moot summons if I try hard enough."
Crossing his hands together, Balgruuf narrows his eyes at the older man, "But what is your goal?"
Skald the Elder breathes in, looking oh so old and tired, "We need to gather our strength to fight back against the Thalmor. We need to prepare, not fight and kill each other like idiots."
"Ulfric doesn't understand that. He'll keep throwing bodies at the Imperials until he gets what he wants, making us weaker and the Thalmor stronger."
"By killing him, I can assure you that there will be a temporary hold on the Civil War, and it'll last until the Dragons are gone."
Taking in a deep breath, aged eyes full of determination land on Jarl Balgruuf.
"And during that time… Please, become the next High King of Skyrim."
A.N. Dun Dun Duuuuun!
I know that Skald is very different from his in-game self, but there's a reason for that.
Nords are all about fighting and helping each other, yet Ulfric does not embody that. He says he fights for the people, but only makes things worse.
When Alduin landed in Helgen, all he thought about was running away, while the Imperials openly fought against Alduin to keep the people safe. Ulfric didn't.
So yeah, certain things happened, and Skald became a wise elder and not the usual stupid elder.
This chapter was bigger than I thought, and I just had to add news about the rest of Skyrim. It'll happen more often in the coming chapters too.
Anyway, this is the last lull chapter. Next one is the travel and getting to the College/High Hrothgar. I think.
Also, I cannot wait to write about the Dragon Priest near the College. You guys will love him, I promise!
And remember, if you wish to read FIVE CHAPTERS ahead of this one, then hop on over to my !
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Toodles!