Hey look a new chapter already! I'll be quite honest I feel on a bit of a roll with this story, I still don't know how long it'll be though.
It was the week before the banquet at the embassy. I had gone through it with Time that we would just stay there for an hour or two then head home; we weren't going to stay long because we had more important things to do then kiss up to the rich snobs of Skyrim. That seemed to keep Time happy about going along as my body guard, he told me before he despised rich parties. We were discussing it at length in the Riverwood tavern when the barkeep handed me a note. "Dragonborn, ask the innkeeper for the attic room, we need to talk. –A Friend" Was what the note said, Time was quick to get on his feet holding the handle of Redemption. "It's alright, if I'm in danger at all I'll shout and see you at home." I had whispered to him before I walked up to the blonde woman tending the fire. "Hello I'd like to rent the attic room for the night." I had asked the woman, she nodded for a moment. "Attic Room huh? Well we don't have an attic room but you can have the one on the left." The woman had said in a bit of an annoyed tone but it seemed like more for a split second. I thanked her and walked over to the room to the left and waited for a moment.
The same woman entered the room and closed the door behind her. "Sorry for the discrete nature of this but we need to talk, Can you and your guard come with me please?" She had asked, I nodded and started to follow the woman waving Time along with me to the Innkeeper's room. "Close the door." She had said stopping at the wardrobe, Time nodded and closed the door into the room and she immediately opened the wardrobe and I heard the false plate open up inside. "Good now we can talk down here, follow me." The woman said walking down a staircase behind the wardrobe, Time watched behind as we descended down to what was like a work room, a map was laid out on a table and the Dragon Stone was sitting on the desk. "So that's where that went." I had pointed out getting a grunt from Time. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you officially Dragonborn, I expected the Greybeards would have sent you to retrieve the horn here, but I guess things were different with you." The woman had said putting an ancient horn on the desk. "What's the meaning of this meeting girl?" Time had said his hand was still on his sword. "I don't mean either of you harm, I'm asking for your help in relation to the Dragons, and the Thalmor who I think are behind it. I'm one of the last members of an order that served the Dragonborn." The woman had said, our heads snapped to her. "You're one of the last of the blades? I was sure you were all killed off." I had said to her and for a moment she looked down. "Regrettably I am one of the last survivors, but right now that's not important, I heard about you through the vine how you've been on the road travelling, and Just now overheard you're going to attend Elenwen's banquet. I needed to collaborate with you as soon as I could." The woman said as she had rummaged out a few books.
Time looked over the desk. "So you're the one that can help us defeat Alduin yeah? I read up on the blades during Lady Kotera's recovery, her kin was the grandmaster that forged it, Ilgrad Kilyerd he was a Hylian royal guard when Alduin was brought to Hyrule and Ilgrad escaped here, his brother apparently made it too." Time had mentioned. "You're the descendant of the grandmaster? Had I known I would have sought you out sooner, I didn't know about the creator of our order." The woman said in shock before she shook her head. "Anyway we're getting off topic, My name is Delphine and yes I am a member of the blades sworn to serve the ultimate dragon killer. And you're going to prove you are one because we're going to kill the next dragon to be raised, and I know where it's going to be." Delphine had said pointing to the map at Kynesgrove. "How do you know that's where the next Dragon will be raised?" Time had asked coming closer to look at the map. "Well for months Alduin had been quiet, it puzzled me that he's only been reviving the common dragon, I've been to the other gravesites and only one of them so far has been empty, this one here in Kynesgrove is the next closest one holding a dragon Alduin was close with. I found it strange they weren't the first he went to revive." Delphine had explained, she seemed puzzled by his actions. "He was watching that day…when you were discovered as Dragonborn." Time had said like a revelation suddenly slapped him in the face. "How can you be certain?" Delphine asked him looking to his mask for an answer. "I mean it makes sense doesn't it? He's raising the Dragons but after his first Lieutenant raised is suddenly slain in the same day and the Dragonborn is called out from the heavens, He's hesitant, he knows Kotera is out there able to defeat him, and he's planning his steps more carefully."
Time was talking as if the dragon was a strategist. "That does oddly make sense, if Mirmulnir was being watched by Alduin from somewhere it explains why everything has been so quiet lately, Alduin is weighing his options after seeing his kin be slain so easily by a common girl." I had said thinking back to having slain my first dragon there were others months later that we would catch flying about but they wouldn't acknowledge us, they just flew off somewhere far to the north. We talked for an hour more before we decided to make the journey to Kynesgrove together. It was a long walk from Riverwood to Kynesgrove so we made camp for a night. Time and Delphine spent a quarter of the night talking about the order of the blades and my ancestor while I lay down and looked up at the stars. It bothered me that Alduin had been extremely quiet, as if he was waiting for something either out of fear that he knows his death is after him, or out of anger that a Lieutenants death came so quickly, but why would he wait and why would all the other lesser dragons fly off north somewhere? I didn't get it and I didn't like it, but I needed to sleep so I shut my eyes for several minutes before Time shook me awake. I looked up to see a Dragon had landed just a short distance across the plains from us, it was feeding or at least trying to.
Time and I crept over to it while it was distracted, I drew the Great Sea Bow and pulled back the string causing my energy to pool to create the light arrow. I loosed the arrow and it struck home in the hide of the dragon encasing the entire wing in a cage of light. The beast panicked and roared as it tried in vain to turn itself stumbling as its wing was being held by a force of light. Time and I made quick work of it then. Time had run forward behind the dragon and sliced its ankles causing it to lay down flat. It turned its head and let out a gust of ice so cold it was leaving a layer on the grass and the trees as if it had freshly snowed. I pulled the Master Sword to my hand and walked over to it. "Tell me something Dragon…" I had started and the Dragons head turned to me for a moment and I could feel both anger and fear. "What is your master planning? Why have all the other dragons fled north?" I had asked it, it hissed and grumbled something in the dragon tongue before it tried to rear its head back and blow frost again. I didn't give it that time as I rushed forward jamming the Master Sword through its exposed chest, the dragon fell silent and limp before its energy gathered into my body.
"How do you know it wasn't telling you anything important?" Delphine had asked me, I shrugged. "I don't understand the dragon language, for all I know he was saying my mother's ugly, but his tone told me everything I needed to know, he wasn't going to be of use." I had explained, I was probably right, the dragon probably asked why he'd help us after clipping him, might as well have just killed him. The energy that flooded to me didn't fix the pit in my stomach, part of my was sorry to the dragon because in a way they're just following their nature as well, and the other part was furious at them that I was here in Skyrim hunting down their master my life thrust into this journey because of Alduin. We packed up camp and moved on and oddly enough we were just another hour away from Kynesgrove. We started up the hill and a woman came running at us. "Don't go up there, there's a dragon attacking!" She shouted, we looked up in just enough time to see a glimpse of black zip under the trees. "Get inside and don't come out." I had said as Time and I went up one side of the hill and Delphine went up the other. I heard a voice in the distance as I climbed the hill. "Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse!" It had said, and when I reached the top of the hill I saw the devil himself flying above one of the mounds. "Slen Tiid Vo!" Alduin shouted into the mound and suddenly a skeletal form crawled from the mound and began to quickly grow its white and blue flesh.
"Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?" The revived Dragon spoke, Time and I kept our distance from the two as they talked. Instinctively I started walking forward drawing both their attention as the Master Sword began to glow. "Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi." Alduin had said for a moment and after getting no reaction from me spoke again. "You do not even know our tongue do you? Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah!" Alduin spoke with disgust. "Well you're the one who kept me from the chopping block, funny how attacking Helgan set us both on the path to meeting again worm! You indirectly saved the one that will carve out that black heart and use it to restore Hyrule to glory!" I shouted to him pointing the blade at him. The dragon's eyes narrowed. "That name…sounds familiar, that weapon and insignia, yes that strange world was filling, it gave me the strength to return here. I bested your kin before girl and you'll be no different, another dead fool believing a false goddess will help your blade strike true!" Alduin said before he turned to Sahloknir "Sahloknir Krii Daar Joorre!" Alduin said before he began to fly off.
"COME BACK YOU COWARDLY WORM!" I shouted before a wall of frost separated me from giving chase to Alduin. "Don't dare ignore me mortal! I am Sahloknir! Hear my voice and despair!" The other dragon had shouted before taking to the sky. I looked to the dragon and scowled before I reached down for the Ocarina on my hip. After the tower of the gods Time had taught me many of the magic songs on the Ocarina, much to the fear and dismay of the Whiterun guards that we decided to move my musical training to New Hyrule. I brought the Ocarina to my mouth playing the song of storms. With its strange tune whipped a furious thunder across the sky as rain began to assault the ground. Time had said my magic nature in my body made the songs twice as powerful than when he used the Ocarina. I could see the dragon confused for a moment as the sky went from grey to black, the rumble in the sky bringing forth a torrent of rain. The dragon circled back and I assumed was looking for me blinded by the wall of rain. I brought back out the Great Sea Bow and took aim giving him my position with a beam of light from the arrow drawn in the bow. "HEAR ME SCOURGE, YOU FALL TO KOTERA THE HYLIAN DRAGON!" I shouted loosing an arrow through the sky and in that moment the arrow of light smashed into the chest of Sahloknir, a bolt of lightning slammed into his body causing him to spiral and plummet to the ground digging a sizeable crater as his body slid towards the burial mound again.
I pulled the Master Sword back out from its sheath and walked over and everything in my body was buzzing with rage as I walked up to the stunned shuddering dragon as it struggled in the static the bolt left behind. It looked up from the crater at me and I assume the only thing it saw was the look of disgust and fury on my face as the next strike of lightning illuminated the area given the sudden widening of his serpentine eyes. I slid down and the Dragon went to bite at me in vain as I swung the Master Sword cleaving part of its mouth causing him to scream in agony as the sword easily swiped through his body. "Return to the hell you belong Demon!" I shouted in Hylian as I sliced through his neck causing the dragon to rear back trying to scream as it gurgled before I drove the sword to find his heart. Its head whipped around for a moment before the body fell limp, I swung the blade severing his head as it fell towards me in a furious roar in rage that my true target eluded me.
Covered in dragon blood, the soul coursing into my body I walked from the crater and used the power I infused in the storm. "Hon Pruzah, Alduin! Hin Dinok Fen Bo Ahst Dii Haal Fah Hin Nivahriin!" I shouted to the heavens in dragon tongue as its understanding flooded my mind, my voice felt like it shook the very earth before the energy finally calmed and the blood evaporated, I looked to Time and Delphine who stood in awe for a moment before Time hurried to me. "My Lady…Are you alright?" Time had asked patting my body and looking me over. "I'm fine…This one didn't get the pleasure of gutting me like his kin did before him." I had said spitting towards the bones that now lay in the crater. Time slid down to the dragon and harvested the bones like he had the other dragon we had slain just before coming here He held them out to me and I put them to the void. "Why are we doing this?" I had asked him still feeling the rage in my body. "Well, we're going to make weapons and armor out of it eventually, I need plenty of samples to work with before then." Time had said, I just nodded and walked to Delphine. "Come now we need to get out of this storm." Time had said behind me as we walked back down the mountain before I could get a word in to Delphine. When we got back down to the tavern the woman was on its porch watching the sky. "This storm…was it from the dragon? Can they make such furious maelstroms?" The woman asked, Time had shaken his head. "This storm is not the doing of the slain worm, but of My Lady here who called upon the heavens to strike the snake from the sky!" Time had said with cheer in his voice.
The woman treated us to horns of ale and a free meal as Time had told the story to the tavern. "Though it is my task to protect Kotera on her journey all I could do was watch on as she played the tune on the Ocarina and a furious storm answered the call, the dragon blinded by the furious rain could do nothing as she took the very sun to her bow and shot the cowardly lizard in his breast and lightning met the arrow from the other side and brought it to the ground, clipping its wings forever before My Lady went into the crater it created and was the only one to walk out of the crater!" Time embellished a little because he knew the common people wouldn't understand Hylian magic so he made it as though the divines were blessing me with god like powers to slay the dragon. "Now the furious Sahloknir is no more than worm food!" Time had finished getting cheers from everyone in the tavern.
We stayed there for the rest of the night as I rested from using up so much of my energy. I didn't even recall my dream at all before I was awake again, Delphine left a note to meet her back at her hiding place at the Inn so Time and I teleported to New Hyrule. Sahloknir's soul was still in the Master Sword so I needed to fulfill my duty first and foremost. I walked to the temple with the sword in my hand, Time had stayed behind I had a feeling he had words to say but didn't want to approach the subject. The light inside the temple was warming I felt the rage in my heart dissipating with each breath inside the temple. When I reached the pedestal of the Master Sword I could feel the soul inside the blade trying to claw its way out until I plunged the blade down and the coldest wind blew through the temple as my world again began to shake. However the shake this time was far more violent and the sense of vertigo returned. I felt dizzy for a moment and nearly fell over; only by sheer will did I hold onto the Master Sword as the rest of my body shuddered. I felt something was pulling towards New Hyrule like it was being magnetized from all over Nirn. When everything returned to the still calm I looked around the temple to see there were now sconces lit around the chamber of the Sword.
I walked out of the temple to see that it was now an enormous building in its full glory surrounded by the grove however it was less mountainous than it was before as if the place had widened. "Well I wasn't expecting this kind of change." Time had said next to me, he told me that he witnessed the very land grow and change after I went into the temple, as it expanded the temple faded into view. I looked up at the temple to see the stained glass mural high above, a visage of the Hero holding sword and shield and Hylian for the word Shout was projected to the mural of a dragon. The Hylian crest displayed high above in reverence and a holy circle enshrined the Triforce itself as the glowing force high above. "Hylia watches you, young hero." I turned to see a serpentine visage of light staring down at me. "We only met once before, I am Lanayru one of the light spirits and guardian deities of Hyrule. We witnessed the battle between you and the frozen scourge Sahloknir, your craft of the Ocarina although in a furious rage, brought forth a hurricane that shouted your name to the heavens." The spirit mentioned, I turned my head away when the spirit mentioned that I was lost in my anger. The hard truth was whenever I saw a dragon I felt nothing but rage, I chose to come slay Alduin in order to put Hyrule to rest to let my family live in peace. The more I learned about how it all happened the more furious I felt.
"You shouldn't feel bad for the anger fueling your heart child, let that keep the fire in your soul burning to strengthen your resolve, as long as you have the understanding that you shouldn't let it rule your judgment your anger can be a powerful tool, but a tool is only as effective as the hand using it. I suggest keeping your mind stable when it comes to the dragon scourge. I know of only one in Nirn that is worth talking to and it is not any of the dragons currently being raised from the grave." The spirit said as if in warning before it vanished leaving Time and Myself alone. "Lanayru was always the cryptic one of the guardians. Come on we should get back to Delphine and get this under way, the party is in a few days." Time had said as he waved me on, I took a deep breath and teleported us back to Riverwood where I had placed a glyph marking months ago to quickly check up on Alvor and the others.
We stepped into the Inn and I noticed a familiar figure sitting at the bar looking glum for a bit, I snuck up quietly behind him motioning Time to follow. "Alright Stormcloak your days are done now!" I had said grabbing the man by the shoulders, all color left his body as he tried to quickly flee away before he realized who the voice came from. "Shor's bones, don't do that to me…" Ralof had said, he looked more ragged than the last time we had seen each other. "You look rough, what happened?" I had asked him holding my hand out to help him up, he just batted it away. "Just…taking some time away honestly, with the dragon crisis I told Ulfric I needed some time to spend with my family to make sure they were safe, Galmar didn't like the idea at first but they let me do it. They mentioned you a lot when I was stationed at his hall you know, they're afraid of what you're capable of if you joined the wrong side of this war. Well Galmar is anyway, Ulfric seems to have faith in you that you'd remain out of it as you said." Ralof went on a tangent getting back up into the chair. "And the Imperials around didn't take a problem to you being here?" I had asked him noting there were more Imperial sympathizers than there were Stormcloaks when it came to Riverwood. "I had a talk with Hadvar and asked him for a truce just so I could be with my family, he agreed before he left for Solitude that he would pretend he never saw me here." Ralof had said, his tone was depressed; he was probably in honest debate if the civil war was even worth anything in the face of the dragon crisis.
I patted him on the back and went down to see Delphine, who was pouring over her notes. "Oh good, you finally made it here, and I was beginning to wonder if you just decided to go on a rampage somewhere else." She had said not even looking up from her map. "Ease off girl, that's Hylian blood you're insulting." Time had said "We both saw it, the power she has at her fingertips although somewhat welcome for slaying dragons, it's dangerous and we could have been caught in the crossfire." Delphine had said slamming her hand on the table, Time took that as a threat and pressed forward pushing her to the wall. "The only one dangerous here is you, you're a fool if you think that girl is going to use that power on the innocent, the second innocent blood stains that blade it'll reject her blood and the entire hero cycle will be nothing but ash. Do you really believe this girl would be that foolish?" Time had asked pointing to me, In honesty I didn't know that was a term of holding the blade of dragon's bane The Master Sword. "You're right…Sorry; my judgment was misplaced after seeing that display in Kynesgrove. We need to focus on the task at hand, getting you into the embassy to snoop around to see if the Thalmor had anything to do with these dragon attacks." Delphine explained as Time had let her go returning to my side. "Well we've got the invite side down so that's not going to be suspicious that the Dragonborn suddenly arrived to a rich idiot's party, the problem is sneaking away if everyone's supposed to stay in the main hall." Time had said handing her the invite letter.
She poured over it for a moment before looking back up. "I have someone in solitude who can get your gear in discreetly obviously they're going to see a problem if you go to a party in that shimmering armor of yours as much as it would be a conversation starter to the people there. He's a wood elf named Malborn, enough reason to hate the Thalmor to betray them. He's been my spy for a little while now." Delphine had said, I shrugged before pulling the bow from my void storage. "Believe me, sneaking my gear in will be no problem, I just don't have fancy clothes to wear to the party, but I had asked Alvor's wife if she'd make me something Hylian themed that way I could go and still embrace who I am." I had told her, we agreed I'd meet her spy first in Solitude to get to know his face to find him at the party then I would get on the horse and from there I would have to improvise how to slip away and snoop. I left the Inn and walked over to Alvor's house who had been standing just aside from his forge. "Ah Kotera, my wife said she had your order ready for you, it's waiting inside for her to help fit it to you." Alvor had said before grabbing my shoulder gently. "Thanks a lot for this, I mean it." I had said handing him a hefty bag of gold. I had amassed a bit of wealth in my odd jobs and this order I was paying triple on to help out those who helped me. "Think nothing of it." He had said before I walked inside to see Sigrid who was already getting the outfit ready.
"Good timing, I need you to try this on for me so I can hem the length of the dress." Sigrid had said with a needle in her mouth, I walked over and told Time to wait outside to which he hurriedly moved out of the door and I assumed was standing guard. The dress was a beautiful forest green; the trim around the collar was colored gold and blue while the Triforce was stitched in along the color. On the back of the dress the Hylian royal crest was stitched in to cover the whole back. I undressed and quickly got the dress on. "I'm glad you know that my armor does not reflect my figure Sigrid." I had said as the dress fit my form almost perfectly aside from the length. "Sometimes I'm awestruck how you even fit in your armor…That looks like it has to be wildly uncomfortable." She had remarked as she fixed the length quick and hemmed around the bottom of the dress. "Well sometimes uncomfortable is good, it keeps you alert, if it means I feel like I'm squeezed a little in my armor but it keeps me alive then so be it." I had said as she had finished I spun in the dress for her and she clapped. "You look stunning, I'm sure the Jarls and whoever else is going to that party won't be able to take their eyes off you." Sigrid had said, I shuddered at the thought. "Honestly that just sounds creepy, I'd rather not have the old men eyeing me up like I'm a sweet roll, but I guess that's what Time is going to be there for I can just tell him to knock into them for me." I had joked getting a laugh out of the woman. "Well go on, you've got a party to attend with that." Sigrid had said as she waved me out.
I walked out and as soon as Time got a look at me the old hero stuttered. "Y-You look incredible." He had said to me, I just rolled my eyes. "I was honestly never the one to get all dressed up; I'm not the girly type." I had pointed out looking down at myself. "Yeah that kind of runs in our blood that we're the rough and tough, to which you take after us in that aspect, I gather your looks are about the extent of taking after the Princess in any way." Time had said, I almost feel insulted but I remembered the only admiration and romance he only had was towards the Princess of his time or at least I think anyway I didn't want to pry into his past life. I went to talk to Alvor for a minute, I saw Time lean over to Sigrid and ask her something that she quickly looked at me, smiled, and nodded to Time who gave her a thumbs up before she retreated back into the house. When I looked back I saw Alvor smiling. "I knew that dress would look perfect on you, my wife is very skilled when it comes to making clothes. But I gather you should get home and get back into your armor before you catch your death." He had pointed out and like always he was right, I would catch a cold if I kept like this I told Time I'd see him at home and I quickly teleported myself to New Hyrule, probably much to his dismay that he had to walk alone to Whiterun but I wanted the privacy.
I quickly walked over to the temple and went inside; from there I took my time getting dressed again before folding up the party dress and putting it in my storage. "Well now that's settled I've got two days before the party, perhaps I should make a visit to Winds to talk, I feel he'll have some advice." I said to myself willing myself to the outside of the ocean temple. I looked up to the statues that stood silent and still. "Move aside please." I had said and suddenly the statues came to life and nodded before stepping aside and opening the door for me. "Thank you for guarding the temple." I had said to them before I took the elevator back down. The water had drained away since I was last here; Winds had been busy as the temple was better lit and welcoming. "I thought I sensed you enter the temple again, what brings you here? And alone for that matter, I thought Time would be glued to your side like a watch dog." Winds had said as he appeared near the portal to the inner sanctum. "I came here myself, I was just between New Hyrule when I decided to come here, kill some time before my next mission." I had told him, he took a breath and nodded. "What is on your mind that it brought you here?" He had asked me putting his hands behind his head and floating in the air.
"Honestly, I've noticed my anger a lot of the time gets the best of me, I never really had solid control over my emotions since I was as young as you look, I'm afraid of doing the wrong thing and hurting those around me on accident." I had explained to him sitting on the floor, it was true, ever since I was seven I've had emotional outbursts, be it out of anger, sadness, or a happiness I don't know the origin of, my emotions ran rampant throughout my life that I had no way to control them or understand them at first. As I grew up however I just hid my feelings so I wouldn't get scolded by Mother or Father when we were out in public it drove me a little crazy. "I see, you're worried your powers will go out of control during an outburst and you'll use them on someone you don't mean to. Yeah sounds about how our lives are, I looked through our histories in my time in the afterlife through our connection and all of the chosen heroes were kind of the same way, unable to express themselves other than myself or two of the others. The Heroes Duty was engraved in our souls through a curse many eons ago which is part of why we reincarnate luckily the cycle wasn't broken and a Hylian family made it out of the turmoil." Winds had started explaining, the thought vexed me for a moment. "Wait if you can see the history of the others does that mean you can see mine as well?" I asked him, he only shook his head and I let out a sigh of relief. "Right that would be pretty silly wouldn't it?" I said to him getting a childish laugh out of the spirit.
"Yes that would be silly to be able to see the past or future of a current self, however I am able to connect into your thoughts and glimpse into your memories if that's something you would truly wish?" Winds had suggested and instinctively I put my arms over my chest. "No thank you, my memories would probably scar you for life…or afterlife rather." I had said blushing furiously at the thought that he could access literally any of my memories at all. We sat there in silence for a moment before we both started laughing hysterically for some reason or another when our eyes met. "No I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, seeing someone's memories…it's a very intimate thing you don't just share your view of everything in your life with anyone. To come around to your earlier doubts, I personally think you have nothing to worry about. You must have faith in yourself, our power partially comes from the faith we have in Hylia and ourselves, it fuels our unwavering courage and allows us to thrive and achieve our goals no matter the cost." Winds had said, his words were encouraging and soothing to my thoughts, Delphine had it wrong and Time was right. "I guess I should trust Time's words more often when he goes on about me being a paragon for Hyrule." I had joked getting a snort from Winds. "He's one of the wisest of us to be quite honest with you, the other two didn't see the things he did…I think honestly he's more weighed down that he isn't the paragon he use to be, his sin weighs heavily on his mind and I can feel it, though I can't access that memory even though I should be able to. I can't see the memory he's so chained down by that he called his ultimate sin against us." Winds had explained putting his hand up to his head like he was trying to pull something from his mind.
"Thank you ancestor for giving me your insight, your words did help me quite a lot. I feel much more confident about it than I did earlier." I had said standing back up and brushing myself off. "Well I am here to serve the current hero, I take it my extra strength has already proven well when it came to using the Ocarina." Winds pointed out, suddenly the realization hit me, my powers were so immense with the Ocarina because he's been giving it strength from this temple. "I..It has, I thought my nature itself was the cause, Nirn Magika is a very violent force of nature and it already enhances my Hylian abilities."I had explained to him and received a nod. "Yes, your natural magic does increase the output of your Hylian born abilities, but you must take in mind that the spirits you cleanse in the temples will also enhance that power, you'll find you are much stronger than you were before, in fact you'll find healing magic is much more potent to you now that this temple is now rooted in your energy." Winds had mentioned, I haven't even much relied on healing spells so I never really noticed at all.
We talked for a few minutes more, I told him about Sahloknir and how I struck him from the sky, and I told him about my adventure since then, we laughed about it like two kids who should have been long in bed after dark. When I was getting ready to leave he walked or rather floated me back to the elevator. "It was good talking to you Kotera, I enjoy hearing of your adventure and I hope in the end I'll get to see it for myself when you put us old spirits to rest. May Hylia guide your blade and your heart young hero." Winds had said to me as the elevator ascended to the top of the tower again. The phantoms opened the door for me and bowed for a moment. I went to reach for my energy before one of the Phantoms patted me on the shoulder a moment and pointed downwards into the water. "What is it, is there something beneath the surface?" I had asked, it only nodded. "Can you retrieve it for me, since you're not able to feel the cold or drown? I can't swim very well in this armor, and the cold will surly freeze me to death if I tried." I had asked it, It simply nodded and attached its sword to the tower walkway before it leapt into the water, a spiritual chain unraveled from the sword as brilliantly colored as a rainbow as the phantom descended. I heard the thud deep in the water before suddenly the chain started winding back up. I'll admit it scared me when suddenly the Phantom rose from the water from a horizontal pose and went completely vertical in a split second setting down a chest at my feet.
I opened the chest and saw a glowing gold fragment under a letter. "To whoever finds this chest, I hope you're Hylian…or whatever your people were before Alduin struck, I made it to this strange world with this fragment to keep it safe it was the only thing keeping me warm before my time approached, my wound is deep and I fear time isn't on my side anymore, there's no scheming my way out of this one. I hope the one that finds this fragment of the Triforce safeguards it with their life and gifts it to the next hero so they can slay that infernal dragon and avenge our bright blue sea. I grow cold in this dark indigo frozen sea. –The adventurous and brilliant Linebeck" Was what the note read, I picked up the fragment and felt an enormous energy rush into my body as the fragment quickly leapt from my hand and slammed into my chest, I felt no pain as it quickly fused with my body and I felt that feeling of vertigo again, and glimpsed other fragments underwater, on mountains, in caves, all over the world there were twenty of them total. But I knew not where they were.
When the feeling receded I took a deep breath and sat up to find the phantoms had returned to their statue forms. I wasted no time teleporting to New Hyrule and then back home to Time who quickly ran to me and grabbed my shoulders. "Kotera! Do you know what you just found? And what it's awakened?" Time had said to me as my head spun before I had fallen over into sleep. My time unconscious I was in and out hearing Time and Lydia speak amongst themselves. "Hopefully she wakes up before the party, what happened to her? One second you were freaking out about her having discovered something dormant and then when she appeared and you went to question her she passed out and hasn't woken up since yesterday." Lydia asked for some kind of explanation, I tried to say anything but my body wouldn't listen to my commands as if it were stuck. "She discovered a fragment of the Triforce, from what I sensed there's twenty fragments in total ten light and ten dark. The problem now is finding where they are I only got glimpses. As for why she passed out, her body is trying to use her magic reserves to plant it to her spirit, I hold the same hope you do but there's no guarantee she'll wake." Time had said before I slipped back into my sleep.
The next time I felt my eyes open I shot upright making Lydia jump and nearly drop the pitcher of water she was carrying. "Thank the Divines you're awake but don't scare me like that!" She had said and seconds later I heard Time running up the stairs and into the room. He slumped a little when he saw me. "You scream like a girl." I had said in a groggy tone coughing a bit before Time held out a horn of water to me "I am a girl!" Lydia protested and Time had just snorted behind his mask. "Welcome back to the land of the living, kid. I suppose you should get dressed for the party we got to get to Solitude to talk to Malborn before we go up." Time had said patting my back, I could hear the relief in his voice. "What were you going to do go up by yourself?" I had joked and got a nudge in return, "I'd have just sent a letter no way I'm going in there alone, what fun would it be without you there causing trouble by my side?" He had said in retort. "I always knew you fancied me." I said getting a snort from Lydia, "Yeah, you got me I'm totally infatuated…Now get ready!" Time said before he left the room.
Lydia helped me up and I pulled the dress from my void storage. "It looks beautiful…" Lydia pointed out as I quickly got out of my night clothes and into the dress. I put my armor and my gear into my void storage, anything that would have been left behind. When I walked down to Time he was just finishing up putting on his armor again. "Alright, journey to Solitude party of two." I had said getting a chuckle out of Time before he held onto my shoulder and I had brought us to New Hyrule for a moment and we both took a look before I teleported us outside Solitude's gate much to the horror of the guards that a woman clothed in an elegant green dress and a hulking bodyguard suddenly appeared at the gate. "Gentlemen…" Time had said before we walked into the city and made a quick B-line to the winking skeever.
We found Malborn and sat at the table behind him getting two mugs of ale. "Hey did you hear about that party going on up the mountain?" I had whispered to him. "Yeah I'm supposed to be the one serving drinks up there. Are you one of the guests?" He had turned to ask me, "Yeah a friend got us in so I guess we'll see you there?" I had emphasized friend and his eyes widened, "You're the one she's sending, alright what gear should I smuggle?" He turned around and whispered from his drink. "not necessary, just came to look at who we needed to see." I had replied as if talking to Time who just nodded along.
We sat and finished our drinks before heading back out towards the carriage that would take us up the mountain to see Delphine just aside of it. "The dress looks great, should blend right in, but what about Time? I'm sure they won't let him in armed to the teeth." Delphine remarked looking Time up and down. "Good point, Sword…" I had said to Time, he was hesitant to hand over Redemption to me but once he did I put it into my void storage. "If it comes to killing, leave it to me My Lady." Time had said to me aloud "I've got plenty of daggers so don't count me out totally." I had muttered climbing into the carriage almost falling back if Time wasn't right behind me pushing my lower back to keep me from tumbling backwards. "Let's just hope you not often wearing a dress doesn't blow your cover…" Delphine had pointed out with not much faith in her voice. "Hey, I've worn dresses, just none this fancy…" I had retorted as the carriage started moving the second Time sat down.
"What would your parents think if they saw you this dressed up?" Time had asked to make conversation while we waited. "I think my father's head would roll off his shoulders, come to think of it, since they're not too far from beyond the boarder we could probably take a day trip down to visit, I could set a portal point there as well, would sure make my journey home easier when this is all over." I had said, I chuckled at the thought of my father and mother seeing me this dolled up knocking on the door to the house. I think mother would faint.
The carriage soon reached the estate, it looked smaller than I thought it would given the pompous attitude of the Thalmor. I yawned as we hopped from the carriage and made our way to the front door where one of the guards had stopped us. "Invitations please." The woman asked, Time held out our invitations. "I don't need to search you both for weapons do I?" the guard behind us asked in an annoyed lazy tone as he eyed the both of us. "Touch her in any way and I WILL snap your neck." Time had said stepping between the guard and I making the man hesitant. "They'll be fine, He's her body guard so we can assume she's unarmed." The woman said nonchalantly as she waved us in like a fool.
When we stepped in we were greeted at the door by the hostess herself. "Ah, welcome you must be the Dragonborn and her body guard. Is it true you're a walking corpse?" Elenwen had asked looking between the both of us. "Yes, I am Kotera Kilyerd. This is my protector Time, we're really only here as a formality, best to not look a gift horse in the mouth as they say." I had said getting a chuckle from the woman. "We'll have to have a long chat sometime, I think I'll like you." Elenwen had said before Malborn had asked her about uncorking a new bottle. When she angrily told him not to bother her with such minor trifles she walked away to tend to her other guests, I nodded to Malborn and just happened to lean against the bar. "We'll move when everyone isn't looking, find some way to get them distracted from this direction." The wood elf whispered, I nodded and moved away to mingle with the other guests until one specifically caught my attention. "Best leave me be girl, or I might just expose your little operation here." Maven Black-Briar had snarled quietly, Time made quick work of stepping in "Go to do so and I'll make like you just tried to assassinate Kotera and put you down like a sick dog, threats work fine on the common rabble but threaten her and I'll be happy to make another notch on my kill list." Time had said to her in a sincerity that made her smile. "Very cunning, we'll see each other again, but I am serious when I mean leave me be." She had replied we took the hint and I moved to the most depressed face in the room. The widowed wife of the late High King Torygg, she sat by the window drinking down whatever was in her glass. "Not enjoying yourself Lady Elisif?" I had asked her, the woman looked to me for a moment before clearing her throat. "No that isn't it at all, I'm just not very good at these things, they were always Torygg's crowd." The woman said with a heavy heart.
I guess I couldn't really blame her there the two of us were alike in that regard. "Yeah I'm not one for the political nonsense either but I guess we all have to be diplomatic to some extent to keep everything together. I'm sorry about your loss." I had said to her, she had smiled and turned around from the window just sitting still "Thank you, and your right that we do need to keep up a diplomatic front if we're to unite Skyrim." She had said looking me up and down. "If I may, My Lady and Lady Elisif…Though we've lost those we love be it to time, war, or even a heinous murder we must resolve to press on in their name, it is okay to feel saddened by the loss of those you love, we all know it's not good to hold back the tears we shed but we must not let that sadness rule our lives for they may have returned to stardust their name and their memories live on through us and it's because of that we must stand and take those steps forward and better ourselves for their sake." Time had gone on, and it seemed to encourage her if only a little. "Thank you Sir, I needed that...It's been difficult finding my feet after we lost Torygg, I'm terrified of ruling Skyrim…But I must if we're to unite the realm." She had said taking a deep breath and relaxing her shoulders. The two of us talked a bit more getting to know each other and she seemed to be more at ease talking to someone who wasn't there for her royal title.
"That dress is really very lovely Lady Kotera; the design looks so elegant that I think people would mistake you for a noble rather than the Dragonborn." Elisif had said reaching up feeling the trim of the collar out of curiosity. "It's the symbol my people held in high regard, in a way I am a noble, the last of the Hylians alive as far as I know." I had said quietly trying not to catch the ears of the Thalmor in the room. Elisif nodded. "My Lady you may not have been born with the blood of the royal family but you are indeed the new royalty of Hyrule." Time had said putting his hand on my shoulder before he noticed the bards in the room, one of them having a harp in her hand he had walked over with excitement in his stride. "Very flattering that one, he seems to have a lot of faith in you." Elisif mentioned as I had gotten up and flattened my dress a little. "Well, he is my ancestor in a new body so I guess that just makes him excited that his people still live on." I had noted getting a nod from Elisif before she had returned to looking out the window.
Time was quick to get back to me and sent to my head. "I got us a distraction, let's get over to Malborn." He sent to my head and we quietly scooted over to the bar again Time had tapped his gauntlet against the bar and Malborn nodded getting ready to move as we all looked to the bard. "This was a request from one of the guests, It sounds like a strange song in another language but I will give it a shot." The woman had said before a familiar tune began to play on her lyre harp "En dašebu nobe šundu tje̞ šutwu kewenu swa lei, en dašebu nobe šundu tje̞ šutwu kewenu swa lei" The woman sang as she played the notes on the harp, quickly catching everyone's attention as if the song had spellbound their ears. We snuck out behind the bar and made our way towards the kitchen. "Who are you bringing into my kitchen Malborn? You know I don't like strange smells." A Khajiit woman had asked him. "I'm just escorting a guest to the privy leave them be." Malborn had said, it was a decent lie and it was still following the rules of the party. "I thought the guards were meant to do that?" She had asked him remembering the other half of the rule. "I was making my way in that direction to the wine storage anyway, one of the guards said I might as well." He replied as he ushered us through another room. "That's fair enough, two birds and a single stone." The woman said before he closed the door behind himself.
"Well she bought that easy enough, you're on your own from here, I'll stick around here for another few minutes before I grab one of the wine bottles I stashed here and go back to the party, good luck." Malborn whispered as he led us to the other door. "You're a good man son let's uh…turn away for a moment." Time had said looking to me for a moment before the both faced the other door again. I quickly got out of my dress and got my light gear out of my storage quickly slipping it on and putting a dagger on my hip before I tapped Time handing him Redemption and another dagger. "You're getting better at that." Time noted I just nudged him and we snuck from the room hearing two of the guards bantering about the dragon problem. "I'm not as concerned about the dragons as I am about the murderer on the loose, we lost five search parties this month alone to whatever that thing is. The dragons haven't really attacked any of our groups but whatever that thing is, it strikes fast and only leaves a single entry wound." One of them talked about as we snuck by the door into a storage room. "That sounds very familiar…" Time had whispered as I was busy looting the magic enchanted Thalmor clothes those idiots left out. "Alright their backs are turned, how do you want to play it?" Time had asked me I looked down their entryway before looking back to Time. "Knock them out we don't want to kill them here." I had said, we wasted no time sneaking up on the two looking down the opposite hallway before putting them both in a headlock and bringing them to the ground.
We removed their armor and weapons stuffing them in the closet tied and gagged before we moved on outside. Peeking around the corner we saw the side house and started making our way there. Sneaking by the outside guards in the middle of the night wasn't too difficult and we were able to quickly find the back door. When we were inside it was completely silent, unnervingly so the only thing we could hear was a dripping. On the way in I stumbled upon a chest with several books inside, files about Thalmor targets and one of them had my name on it. Another just had a symbol I was familiar with, I showed it to time and his eyes went wide. "What do they want with the Sheikah?" Time whispered, I shrugged and we made our way downstairs where we came across the source of the dripping. A corpse was hanging from the entry way, the front door barred by the crushed leg. I was surprised they didn't hear anything outside, this man would have definitely screamed because it looks like it was broken before he was killed.
In the room leading to the basement was another trail of blood, we followed it down and walked into a complete nightmare in their prison chamber. Three Thalmor bodies were strung from the balcony, stabbed through their armor with a single pointed weapon it seemed, whatever was strong enough to puncture their armor it left them with a frozen face of fear. Time ripped part of a sack from the corner and held it out to me. "Cover your nose and mouth." He had told me, I did as he asked and we moved down to the cage where a whimpering man was cowering in his chains. "Get away Demon! You won't take me too!" The man shouted, his eyes were covered in a silk cloth I moved to remove the cover from his eyes and the material felt…otherworldly before it fizzled away. "What happened here?" I had asked him quietly the man was still shaking in disbelief. "T…they were interrogating me about some old man down in the rat way when suddenly something killed the guards, when I thought it was the Inquisitor coming back it was this tall man with glowing red eyes with needles for daggers that were stained in blood on his hip while he slung the inquisitor over the ledge and hung him with some kind of wire through his neck. I screamed and suddenly that thing had appeared in front of me in a flash and covered my eyes and told me to be silent. And I don't know how long it was until you happened in here…" The man had stuttered out his story before we heard the door being shoved open.
"Alright Spy, we know you're here, we found your-Oh Divines, what on earth happened here?!" I heard a Thalmor voice say before I heard one of them throwing up. "Fan out, the spy has to be the slayer!" The captain had ordered we were going to sneak out quietly when suddenly I saw something climb from the shadow under the balcony, with two quick jabs the needle blades pierced the throats of the guards before it pulled them both over the railing causing them to thud to the ground violently. The captain shrieked in terror for a moment before I saw the creature snap his neck and bite in as Malborn was tossed aside. Time was quick to stand between me and the creature. "Alright you may have done us a favor killing them but I won't let you get to Lady Kotera!" Time snarled in anger, the creature craned his head and looked to the both of us for a moment before he wiped his needle blades off on the corpses, Time lowered Redemption for a moment as we both saw the insignia on the chest of the tight fitting outfit of the creature. "Wait a minute, A Sheikah? No, No way, it can't be you…" Time had said before sheathing his blade having spoken in Hylian. "A pleasure to meet the old traitor, Hero Of Time, I assume this girl is the next hero? I sensed her Hylian magic when she stepped in here." The voice had said before he leapt down. "As a matter of fact, this is your two times great niece…Kotera Kilyerd." Time had said, and suddenly it made sense who I was looking at. "That so? Ilgrad actually found someone…color me impressed I was wondering why that face looked so familiar." Domic Kilyerd had said, my Hylian great uncle was standing before me a member of the Sheikah clan.
I was confused as to how he could be alive before he was leading us to an exit ushering Malborn and the prisoner named Etienne along with us. We snuck down through a cave system finding a dead troll on the way there, but no blood was anywhere to be found. "So that's how you got in before us…" Time had mentioned as we passed it. "Yeah, partly anyway, I came here in search for the file they had on me so I could destroy it, they were on my trail and were getting closer to discovering me." Domic had explained before I held up a book. "You mean this one?" I had said and in a flash the book was in his hand. "Precisely, looks like they were much closer than I thought." He had said grumbling before we were out in the open and Malborn had taken off. "Why were they after you uncle?" I had asked him, and I could have sworn the double take he did his heart must have skipped a beat. "Because they were snooping around Morwitijaal, the ruin I live near when I killed their search parties, since they sent more afterwards I kept changing the locations I would leave the bodies and make them think someone was hunting them down instead of the other way around." Domic explained as he put the book away in his side pack. "Well this is great, now you can come stay in New Hyrule, they can't cross its threshold and you're the first Hylian I've come across alive since Time." I had said, Domic let out a sigh, "Sorry kid, as much as I'd love catching up with family, I can't cross the threshold, the spirits demanded I cured myself of this curse before I was even allowed to step foot beyond the barrier or face their wrath, as they called it." Domic said regrettably as he turned away from us. "Well then come to my home in Whiterun, you can stay with us that way, You're the first bit of family I've met since I've been in Skyrim." I had told him trying to quickly catch up to him before he would have vanished.
"You don't get it kid…There is nothing I'd like more than to give up this life to go back to my routes, but this is my curse." Domic had said before Time had socked him across the mouth. "Shut up…You overdramatic moron, your niece just offered you a place to stay, take it and wait to hear what she has to say." Time had said before Domic pulled two things from his pouch, a shimmering gold fragment and a charcoal black fragment. "Take them, two more to your twenty. Don't worry this isn't a goodbye forever, I just can't stay with you. I'll see you around when I've tracked down all the ones here in Nirn, kid." Domic had said setting the fragments on the ground and vanishing in the shadows. With that I reached down and grabbed the two fragments feeling them merge into my body much easier this time before I grabbed Time's shoulder and teleported us to New Hyrule a moment before teleporting us to Solitude. "Why here? Don't you think the Thalmor will be looking for us here?" Time had asked me, I shook my head and we walked into the inn before I got back into my dress in a closed room and coming back out disheveling my hair and rubbing dirt on my face. "Come on, I have a plan to keep them off our tail." I had said as I started walking towards the barracks where we saw Tullius last.
When we went in I made myself out of breath before running into the room they were talking in. "Kotera, gods girl what happened to you?" He had asked me. "I was at the Thalmor party when I went to uh..well I won't get into that part but I was kidnapped by something that killed a whole bunch of Thalmor, it asked me questions about what I knew of it and when I didn't know anything it dumped me outside the city…Can you please tell Elenwen I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly? I need to get home now…" I had asked him, Tullius had just nodded and I waved and I made my way out back to Time who was waiting in the other room. When I teleported us home through New Hyrule again I had taken a deep breath. "That was a cunning idea, playing like you were just in the crossfire, now they won't be looking for you." Time had said sitting at the table. "Yeah and we got the information Delphine needs as well." I said holding up a book titled Esbern.
And that's it for this Chapter, I promise I'm going to try and get more out to make up for the Age long Hiatus I had where I was stuck in a rut of not knowing where to go with it and how.