Disclaimer: I do not own Elder Scrolls or A Song of Ice and Fire. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 19
Summer Isles 297 AC
The night sky was covered by thick clouds, blocking any trace of light and making the night the perfect time for an ambush or an assassination attempt.
In one of the mountains near the city of Tall Trees Town, there was an underground fortress where a man named Koroxhar lived. Koroxhar was a man of the Summer Isles through and through his skin was as dark as ebony, his eyes almond-shaped, and his hair as black as jet, curly at the ends. Or at least, that had been his appearance once. Now, every time he looked in the mirrors, he saw a different man: his skin, pale as milk, and his left eye, once normal, was now a deep red, while his sclera had acquired a tone as black as the sky that surrounded him that night.
But those were not the only changes. He had also undergone a psychological transformation. He had gone from being an honorable merchant to becoming someone who, if his old self saw him, would probably not recognize. It all began the day he was returning from the legendary Asshai. That day, his ship was attacked by a pirate ship from the Basilisk Isles. The assault was repelled, and the pirates were annihilated by the armed forces with the Goldenheart bows men carried.
When they boarded the enemy ship and took the loot, that was where he saw the gem... That bright and polished jewel that put any ruby he had ever seen to shame. When he touched it, he felt it, the voices whispered, not in his mind, but in his heart. That melodious voice could only be that of a god. The whispers revealed the truth to him: he was not destined to be a mere merchant, but to rule over all the islands of the Summer Sea.
Armed with those whispers, he returned home and presented the stone to the priests, hoping that everyone would hear the voice of the god granting him a divine right to rule. However, those fools paid no heed, labeling the gem as evil, something that threatened their people, and without a second thought, ordered him to destroy it. But he did not obey. That very night, the voice commanded him to make the greatest sacrifice to obtain his throne. So, in the darkness of a night without moon or stars, he slit the throats of all his relatives, one by one. He made no distinction between the elderly, adults, children, men, or women; all were killed while they slept. After that act, he fled the city, taking with him the hearts of his victims.
Upon reaching this place, he ventured deep into a cave, where he drew a seal following the instructions of the voices. When he finished, he crushed the hearts and poured the blood over the seal, in the center of which he had placed the gem. The gem briefly glowed before shrinking to a smaller size, like a fist. Then, it moved at incredible speed until it embedded itself in his chest, where his heart should have been.
It was at that moment that he ceased to be who he was, transforming into what he is now: an avatar of a god. With the power granted by the gem, he raised several slaves and built this fortress. The fortress was almost impregnable; its only entrance was small and guarded by two beings he had created himself with the divine power he had.
'All my loyal warriors have been created by the power of a god. So, there is no disloyalty from them.' Koroxhar thought as he sat on his stone-carved throne, which was connected to the cave itself. 'It's only a matter of time before my troops are ready. When that happens, first this city, then the whole island, and finally all the islands of the Summer Isles will be mine.'
Jon's steps were calm and soft, as were those of his friends, who walked a few steps behind him. The reason they could move silently was thanks to the enchantment on their armor. These were reinforced leather, designed to be as stealthy as possible during this mission. Therefore, the armor they wore was black leather, with the characteristic style of a Skyrim faction. They were replicas of the "Thieves Guild" armor. Additionally, for this mission, they carried different weapons than they usually used. Long swords and shields had been left behind, replaced by short swords, daggers, and bows with arrows.
"Let's move quickly, I don't want the rain to catch us outside that damn cave." whispered Grenn, adjusting the hood of his armor.
"Yes, I don't want to fight soaked. Also, if the bowstrings get wet, it will be problematic for us." added Edd, looking at the sky, which was covered by dark clouds, a sign of the impending rain.
Jon saw his friends and remembered how they got into this situation.
Flashback
The crew of the «StarWolf» was gathered in a room of a tavern, guarded by Ghost, who watched outside the door to deter anyone who dared to spy on them.
"So, you're going to an underground fortress to kill someone who seems to have one of those crazy stones we're looking for?" Pyp asked, looking at Jon.
"Yes, I'm going to kill an idiot and recover that stone. If it really is one of those stones, it would be something very, very good. With that, we wouldn't have to go to the Isle of Toads in the Basilisk Isles."
"That's a relief, I don't want to go to an island full of pirates." commented Sam.
"Yes, although the Stepstones used to have pirates, now that they are almost empty, we have a clear path. Something that wouldn't be possible with the pirates who used to invade those islands. So, if we manage to avoid going there, we only have a few places left before the final madness, right?"
Grenn's words were met with nods from the others, who looked at Jon.
"So, what's the plan?" Sam asked, looking him in the eyes.
"Plan?" Jon responded.
"Yes, a plan. I suppose we need one to infiltrate that fortress."
"There is no infiltration. I'll go alone, you stay here."
"Oh, no. We're coming too." said Grenn, looking him in the eyes, while his friends nodded, as they also wanted to join the fight.
"Yes, Jon. We're not going to let you go alone." added Pyp, smiling.
"Exactly, if you die, we're screwed because no one knows how to navigate that ship."
Edd's words made everyone look at him.
"That wasn't necessary, Edd." said Grenn and Pyp in unison.
"But it's the truth. If Jon dies, we're stuck on this island."
"Well, that's true, but you didn't have to say it like that. You changed the mood. It was starting to feel like an epic scene of loyal friends who don't want their group leader to die. Now, we seem like opportunists."
Jon watched the exchange between Grenn, Pyp, and Edd with a smile on his face. He stood up, looked at his friends, and, reaching into his bag, pulled out the device Edzard had used years ago to show him the map of Westeros.
"Well, since you're willing to come, shall we begin?"
End Flashback
'The plan was simple: infiltrate as stealthily as possible, eliminate all enemies we encountered until we reached the leader, and then kill him to recover that seal stone.' Jon thought as they approached the fortress.
The group of five, since Daenerys had stayed with Ghost at the inn, continued walking along the mountain paths. They had been walking for several hours, reaching the entrance of the fortress almost at the hour of the wolf.
"The hour of the wolf... Seems like a good time to attack a fortress." said Grenn, as he and the others drew their bows and nocked arrows.
"Yes, the hour makes us harder to spot." said Jon, squinting to see the sentries. The «night vision» spell allowed him to see that there were two guards outside the cave. The cave entrance was between two mountain outcrops, with a simple double wooden door.
"It looks like there are only two guards there." said Jon, as he began to aim at them. "They're wearing steel armor with gauntlets and greaves, but it seems they're not wearing chainmail under the plate."
Jon's words made the other four roll their eyes.
"Jon... only you would wear chainmail under plate armor." commented Edd.
"Yes, the rest of us mortals don't wear so much stuff. The weight wouldn't let us move well."
Jon's eyes blinked, and then he remembered that it was true, he was the only one in his group with super strength, while his friends had the strength of normal humans. Remembering this, Jon smiled awkwardly and then signaled.
The group continued advancing silently. When they were a few meters from leaving the cover provided by the darkness of the night and some nearby trees, Jon signaled again. Everyone stopped and began to line up in a single file.
"We don't know if they're human or a magical construct." Jon pointed out, as he nocked an arrow in his bow. "That's why every shot is crucial. If we leave one alive, they'll raise the alarm, and we'll be more surrounded than a piece of bread in Flea Bottom."
Jon's phrase caused concern among his friends, who, having seen the slums of King's Landing, knew what would happen in such a place. Just imagining something similar sent a shiver down their spines.
"D-don't pressure us, Jon." said Pyp with some difficulty.
"Yes, Jon. If you make us nervous, it's obvious we'll miss the shots." added Grenn, as he drew an arrow from his quiver.
"I always imagined dying in many ways, but being eaten was second on my list." commented Edd, already aiming with his bow.
Jon looked at them, smiling to see that none of them hesitated to aim. Even Samwell, though nervous, kept his arrow in shooting position with surprising skill. Jon sighed, looked ahead again, and also aimed. His hands moved, seeking the right moment and position to shoot, as holding the bowstring for so long was exhausting.
'I don't understand why some commanders usually say: "Archers, load, aim, and then fire." The seconds lost in those little moments are exhausting for the archers. The best thing, when it's not a large-scale stealth attack, is simply to order: "Fire at will." That way, the archers themselves will take the initiative, and since not everyone reloads at the same speed, it will allow the arrows to fall continuously.' Jon thought for a few seconds before whispering an order. "Fire at will."
The moment the order left Jon's lips, the four friends simultaneously released their bowstrings. The arrows flew through the night sky, quickly covering the distance between them and the two guards. The four arrows hit their targets but in different places. Grenn's arrow hit one guard's neck, Pyp's hit his mouth, while Edd's struck the shoulder of the other enemy. Sam's arrow hit the last guard's armor, causing him to stagger but not fall dead at once. Just as he was about to raise the alarm, a fifth arrow, Jon's, pierced his throat, silencing him. Additionally, the force of the arrow pinned the enemy to one of the wooden beams at the entrance of the underground fortress.
"What happened, Sam? Why did you miss your shot?" whispered Pyp with concern.
"I... I..."
Whatever the son of House Tarly was going to say was interrupted when Jon gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"Relax, Sam." Jon said as he saw his friend's hand. "There's no such thing as an infallible archer. Even a veteran archer can miss sometimes."
Jon's words made Sam feel better, so he smiled as he got up to walk to the entrance with the others. Upon arrival, Jon knelt and, removing the helmets from the two corpses, saw something that caused him disgust. Under the helmets, the bodies were not of recently deceased people but of corpses in an advanced state of decomposition, although with some parts still in relatively good condition.
"Jon, what the hell is this?" asked Grenn, who, upon approaching, could smell the stench emanating from the corpses.
"It seems they are undead, but there's something strange about them. Although they are in a fairly advanced state of decomposition, their main tendons and muscles are still in good condition, allowing them to move and have some agility. Additionally, their eyes are in excellent condition, enabling them to see almost like a living human. If this is true, then it's possible that the rest of their senses still function normally."
Jon's response made it clear what was happening, and everyone understood instantly. They spoke in unison, saying a word that summarized the situation: "Necromancy..."
"Yes, in a way." Jon added as he saw the weaponry the corpses carried. "They seem well-armed."
"Yes, it shows." said Sam, who crouched to take the sword from one of the dead. Although he had never been very interested in the art of war, he knew that the Lords of Westeros valued maesters with military knowledge, so he had attended some lectures on the subject. That was how he learned to differentiate the quality of weapons. "These are excellent quality steel weapons, almost as if forged in a castle."
"This is strange... How did he get these weapons?" asked Grenn, looking at his friends. "According to the priestess, no one in the city trades with that merchant since he fled after killing his entire family."
"Yes, but he was a merchant, so maybe he got a contact outside this island to get these weapons." Sam quickly responded.
"Sam is right, that explains the weapons. He might have made a deal with someone to get them. So, once we finish here, we'll have to investigate a bit more to see if there's anyone else involved, as that person could also be under the influence of the stone." Jon said, determined to conduct a quick investigation when everything was over.
After that, the group began to strip the corpses of their weapons and armor to store them in their magical bags. Later, they would divide the loot.
While Jon and the rest ventured into the enemy fortress, deep within it, Koroxhar, the former merchant, was sitting on his throne. Suddenly, he felt that something had happened to his servants. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he had lost connection with two of them, the ones stationed at the entrance. Realizing that something strange was happening in his fortress, he stood up from his chair and, looking at his other servants, moved a hand. Instantly, they began to approach him.
When they were all in front of his throne, he stood up, looked at them, and gave an order:
"It seems there are intruders. Find them and eliminate them!"
Koroxhar's voice had a mix of authority and fury, as he finally understood what was happening. The intruders had been careless and left the corpses intact, allowing him to send a bit of his power to them to see their last moments. This revealed to him how the two guards had died at the hands of arrows. The scene puzzled him, as his servants were supposed to be stronger than a normal human, but it seemed that wasn't entirely true, as they had been easily killed by a surprise attack.
The undead in the room quickly growled in response to their master's orders and began to leave, leaving Koroxhar alone to think about what to do in case his servants failed.
'I spent a year gathering all the strength I possess, I will not allow anyone to destroy the power that will lead me to my destiny.' Koroxhar growled as he sat back on his throne, hoping his servants would eliminate the intruders. 'The fools who dared to enter my domain are mere humans. They pose no threat to the avatar of a god.'
Jon's sword pierced the throat of an undead, ironically causing it to die again. The body fell abruptly, making some echo, although the sound went unnoticed by its undead companions, as several battles were raging around them. In fact, around Jon, his friends were fighting other undead.
Grenn was skillfully dodging, or at least that's what he would call skillful, the attacks of the undead he was facing. It wore chainmail armor with some plate pieces and wielded a slightly curved sword and a round shield. The undead swung its sword from side to side, trying to kill the young man, but, to its bad luck, it couldn't, as Grenn defended himself perfectly, using his own sword to deflect and block the blows.
Grenn's forehead was marked by a frown, as he maintained his concentration to the maximum; he didn't want a mistake to cost him his life. He did his best to stay firm for a few seconds until the undead launched a vertical slash, which Grenn dodged by stepping sideways. In doing so, he saw that the undead's shield was in a bad position, giving him the perfect opportunity. Taking advantage of that gap, the young warrior quickly moved his sword and cut at an unprotected point in his enemy's armor. If the undead weren't a creature raised by necromancy, it would probably have died choking on its own blood, but that didn't happen. The undead fell to the ground without making another sound other than that of its body hitting the floor.
Just as Grenn's enemy's corpse touched the ground, the sounds of three other bodies falling echoed in the room. Grenn and Jon looked to the side and saw how the undead fighting their other friends fell dead. All the undead had died similarly: beheaded, as they wore chainmail armor with some plate pieces, making it difficult to eliminate them with short swords.
"Uff... That was exhausting." commented Pyp as he approached his friends, with a smile on his face.
"Yes, those things fight well... for being dead." said Edd, making a strange joke.
Edd's bad joke made everyone look at him oddly, which ended up making him sigh.
"It was a bad joke, Ed." commented Grenn, rolling his eyes.
"Yes, Edd... jokes aren't your thing, leave that to me."
"Yes, leave it to the experienced mime." Grenn responded with a smile.
"Hey!" shouted Pyp, pretending to be offended and making a face while looking at Grenn.
The way the young man with big ears looked at Grenn made everyone chuckle.
"Alright... we've laughed enough. Now we need to get serious." said Jon, as he stopped laughing.
"Yes. We need to hurry." affirmed Sam as he began to follow Jon, who had already started walking through the fortress tunnels.
The group of five friends walked with firm but careful steps, as they had to tread cautiously. This was because they had recently suffered a surprise attack by a trap. The trap had been triggered by a false tile, which fired forged iron darts. Fortunately, none of them were hit, as Jon reacted quickly, throwing the darts to the ground to prevent them from hitting. When the trap stopped functioning, they quickly got up and reached the room where they had fought the undead.
"We need to be careful. We don't want to—"
Pyp's words were interrupted when Jon yanked him by the hood.
Jon's action made Pyp try to reprimand him, but his words died instantly when he saw a kind of battering ram hitting the wall where he had been standing.
"That was close..." said Jon, as he released Pyp.
"Yeah..." responded the young man with big ears, still trying to process that he had almost died from a trap.
"They almost made you a fortress door, Pyp." said Grenn mockingly as he passed by his friend and gave him a pat on the shoulder to snap him out of it.
After that, the rest of the group passed by Pyp, who managed to recover a few seconds later and began to walk to catch up with his friends.
The group continued their march, quickly eliminating every undead they met. They did this for a good while until they finally reached a room with a double door.
"So... is this it?" asked Sam, looking at the door.
Jon took a few steps, approached the door, and placed his hand on it, concentrating on sensing the magic in the environment, or at least trying to detect if there was any magic. When he closed his eyes, he felt a pulse of chaotic and nauseating magic emanating from the other side. The repulsion caused by that sensation was so intense that he had to fight to avoid vomiting.
"Jon..." his friends said softly, seeing him start to retch, though without actually vomiting.
"I-it's behind this door." said Jon, taking several breaths to avoid being affected again by the unpleasant sensation caused by that aura. After a few moments, he felt well enough to continue. Then, he extended his left hand and conjured a red sphere. The spell he was using was called «Detect Life», a spell that allowed him to perceive a person's life force. If there were living beings on the other side of the door, he would know. Although he didn't expect to find signs of life, he was surprised to see a red spot in the room, indicating the presence of a living being. Faced with this, Jon was tempted to open the door and launch an attack, but he remembered the undead they had recently defeated, so he decided to use another spell to check for any other enemies. Raising the same hand again, Jon used «Detect Dead», which allowed him to see that there were several undead people in the room.
"Jon?" asked Edd, seeing his friend stop using magic.
"There are more undead inside."
Jon's words made his friends glance at each other for a few seconds until Sam asked:
"Jon, how many are there?"
"About ten, though there could be more. I'm not sure, the room is bigger than we expected."
"Really?" asked Grenn, curious.
"Yes, it's almost as big as the great hall of a small fortress."
"Ummm... I see, which means it's about fifty square meters." commented Sam, bringing his hand to his chin. After thinking for a moment, he realized something. "If the room is that big..."
"We can use our regular weapons." interrupted and completed Pyp, with a smile on his face.
"Yes. That's the good thing, since our weapons are now enchanted, which makes us stronger." said Edd with a smile.
Jon looked at his friends and nodded. It was true: with the enchanted weapons, the battles would be a bit easier. After that, the five young men unbuckled their weapons and, storing them in their bags, took out their regular ones, all enchanted with various spells. Along with their weapons, Grenn, Pyp, and Eddison also took a shield each, as that was their fighting style.
"Alright, are you ready?" asked Jon while holding «Gandravar» in his right hand, leaving the other free to use his spells if necessary.
The four friends of the bastard of Winterfell nodded, showing they were ready for what was to come.
Seeing his friends' affirmation, Jon took a few steps back and, after a quick breath, advanced towards the door. When he was about to reach it, he lifted his right foot and gave it a strong stomp.
The door, which seemed to be made of oak, creaked as it tried to resist the impact. The hinges squealed for a few seconds before finally giving way under the pressure. The door broke into five pieces, which shot into the room, fortuitously killing two undead, who were impaled by the wood, pierced through the abdomen.
"Move quickly and keep an eye on yourselves!" Jon shouted to his friends as he began to run towards his enemy, who was sitting on a throne seeing what had happened without much surprise.
staying, Sam, and Edd nodded and, without a second thought, launched themselves at the remaining undead, leaving the path clear for Jon to face the one sitting on the throne.
Seeing his friends start the fight, Jon wasted no time and ran towards the throne. He quickly approached the man sitting there, a being he knew was named Koroxhar. But when he was about ten meters away, he was forced to jump back, as the islander quickly moved his right hand, and from it appeared a burst of Magicka that began to freeze the ground at great speed.
'Ice magic...' Jon thought as he landed and adopted a stance that allowed him to easily switch from defense to attack. 'Ice magic that freezes everything so quickly... Yes, it must be powered by some ability or, rather, by that stone that enhances his powers...'
These thoughts were the result of a quick analysis of the situation, which he could understand somewhat thanks to seeing the gem he was looking for in his enemy's chest.
"Umm... I never thought someone could dodge that attack so easily." said Koroxhar as he stood up from his throne. He began to walk towards Jon, moving his fingers somewhat nonchalantly while a bit of Magicka appeared between them. "Tell me something, are you also chosen by the gods?"
The question from the strange being in front of his eyes made Jon look at him with some curiosity, but after a few seconds of observation, he only gave a mocking smile.
"Chosen by the gods? Pfft! Ha, ha, ha... Please, don't say nonsense. It's been centuries since the gods chose champions to do their will in the world."
Jon's words resonated in Koroxhar's mind, causing him to fill with rage.
"Bastard! How... how dare you say such blasphemies?!" shouted Koroxhar as the gem in his chest began to glow more intensely, forcing Jon to cover his eyes with one hand to reduce the light affecting them.
'Tch... This increases the power his body receives from the gem...' Jon thought, seeing how the veins around the gem in Koroxhar's chest became more prominent, clearly visible. Additionally, several black lines began to appear, covering Koroxhar's body, forming a strange tattoo.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you for your blasphemies!" Koroxhar shouted as his hands filled with Magicka, transforming into small icy winds. "Dieeeee!"
After that scream, Koroxhar moved both hands and pointed them at Jon. A second later, a wave of blue energy surged from his hands, rapidly advancing towards Jon.
The bastard of Eddard Stark saw the wave of icy energy heading towards him. The way it moved clearly showed it was an area attack, launched in a way that focused on him and cut off his exits, expanding its range with each meter it advanced.
'Looks like I'll have to jump to dodge... Damn!' Jon's first thoughts were interrupted when he saw what was happening with his enemy's attack. Before his eyes, dozens of ice spikes began to appear from the ground where the wave of magic had passed. Seeing this, Jon knew he had to act, for if he didn't, this attack would trap his friends. He knew they were in danger because he had seen them out of the corner of his eye, so, determined to protect them, he took his weapon with both hands and put Magicka into it. A second later, the blade of his sword was enveloped in magical fire.
Seeing his weapon ready, Jon took a deep breath and, without wasting time, ran towards the enemy's attack. Stopping abruptly when he was a few meters away from it, he saw how the attack approached. He swung his sword in a horizontal sweep, shattering several of the ice spikes. Fortunately, that movement stopped his enemy's attack. Without wasting time, he charged at high speed towards Koroxhar.
Koroxhar, amidst his rage, saw how his attack had been stopped, something that shouldn't have happened. The shock made him not realize that Jon was dangerously approaching. When he finally reacted, he saw how Jon's weapon, still enveloped in fire, was approaching his body. The fear he felt at this caused the gem to briefly glow, covering his body with blue lightning.
Jon's eyes widened as he saw Koroxhar transform into a kind of lightning, moving rapidly to one side until he reached the other end of the room. A second later, Jon felt a sharp pain in his back, as Koroxhar had moved from the wall to him almost instantly, hitting him in the back and launching him several meters backward.
'Damn, that hurts.' Jon thought as he stopped, grimacing in pain. The place where he had been hit caused a sharp pain. 'That bastard used «Living Lightning» a second-era magic spell that turns you into lightning to dodge and attack. Although it's useful, for your damn luck, Edzard knows spells from the second, third, and fourth eras. And he taught me several of them.'
After that thought, Jon maneuvered in the air and landed on his feet, though not gracefully; he stumbled a couple of times before stabilizing. Once balanced, he charged a large amount of Magicka into his hand. When he felt ready, he aimed at Koroxhar. Suddenly, a thunderclap sounded, and a lightning bolt shot from the Dovahkiin apprentice's hand, traveling straight towards his enemy.
Koroxhar's eyes widened in horror as he saw the attack approaching, but confident in his power, he decided to use the same spell as before. Thus, he managed to dodge Jon's lightning bolt, which hit the wall, creating a small crater the size of a head. Koroxhar was now on the other side of the room and sighed in relief, believing he had narrowly escaped. However, to his surprise and horror, Jon appeared in front of him and, with a quick movement, tried to kill him. When Jon's sword was about to strike, the gem in Koroxhar's chest glowed again, and suddenly, a ghostly sword appeared in his hand.
A tingling sensation ran down Koroxhar's back, and in a second, he managed to move the sword to block Jon's attack.
Clank!
The dry sound of two weapons clashing echoed throughout the room, causing Jon's friends, who were still fighting the undead, to turn at the noise. What they saw left them astonished. Jon was struggling against Koroxhar, who seemed capable of matching Jon's superhuman strength. The image worried the group, as they knew well the power of their friend; they knew he wasn't weak. No, Jon was strong enough to dent plate armor with ease using only his fists. Despite the concern, they trusted him, so they refocused on their own fight; they knew that if they didn't, they would die from some attack.
Meanwhile, Jon and Koroxhar continued fighting. Jon, though surprised, remained calm thanks to the training he had received from Edzard, which had prepared him to stay focused in combat, without distractions.
"You're stronger than you look." said Jon, putting more strength into his attack.
Koroxhar responded with a grunt and used his spell again. This time, he used his lightning form to hit Jon in the chest, launching him several meters backward until he fell to the ground, disoriented.
"Ah... ah... that... really hurt." Jon groaned between gasps, the blow had knocked the wind out of him. As he got up, a smile appeared on his face. He felt the wolf blood beginning to course through his veins with force. It had been a while since he had been hit like that, he hadn't received an impact like that since his training days with Edzard. He felt the thrill of battle again, that sensation that if he wasn't careful, he could die. Taking his weapon with both hands, he prepared to fight with even more skills than before.
Breathing deeply, Jon quickly launched himself at his enemy, determined to finish him off once and for all. As he ran, Jon had to roll on the ground to dodge a lightning ball that Koroxhar threw at him. The ball hit the wall, creating a small explosion that charred part of the surface. After dodging the attack, Jon kept running but had to stop abruptly when Koroxhar made several dark crystal fragments fall on him. Seeing the fragments approaching, Jon swung his greatsword and began cutting each fragment he could, though he couldn't destroy them all. Some fragments were too fast and caused several cuts. His armor, made of hardened leather, wasn't strong enough to stop those attacks.
Koroxhar smiled with satisfaction upon seeing Jon's wounds, convinced that his enemy was about to fall. However, that smile soon faded as Jon threw an obsidian fragment at him. Koroxhar, believing the attack was slow and easy to dodge, moved to his right. But he didn't realize that the movement had been planned by Jon. At the same moment Koroxhar moved, Jon cast another spell, «Unstoppable Grasp», a chain of fire appeared and trapped Koroxhar.
"ARGGGHHH!" screamed Koroxhar, feeling unbearable pain as the lava chains touched his skin.
Seeing his enemy trapped, Jon pulled the chain forcefully, dragging Koroxhar towards him. The native of the Summer Isles tried to use his «Lightning Form» to escape, but something prevented him from turning into lightning again.
Jon, seeing the opportunity to end the fight once and for all, decided not to waste any more time. Stepping forward, he raised his greatsword «Gandravar» and positioned it as if it were the tip of a spear. The weapon began to transform, Magicka flowing through it. «Gandravar» became thinner until it looked like a real spear. A second later, the weapon glowed with a golden light, giving it its final shape.
When the spear finished its metamorphosis, Jon saw that his enemy was at the perfect distance for what he was about to do. Moving the spear at great speed, he began to make quick thrusts with it, which had been forged using the «Aedric Spear» spell, a spell from the school of restoration.
"AHHHHH!" Koroxhar screamed with each thrust Jon delivered.
The spear moved at great speed, piercing Koroxhar's flesh, creating deep and vicious wounds that began to ooze large amounts of blood. However, the blood was not red but black, exhaling a putrid aroma similar to that of rotting fish. Although the stench was unbearable, it didn't stop Jon, who continued attacking ferociously. When his assault ceased, Koroxhar's body fell to the ground with a thud.
Jon observed Koroxhar's corpse and noticed it beginning to heal. The wounds started to emit small amounts of smoke. Seeing this, he frowned, knowing he had to end it to prevent the enemy from rising and continuing the fight, a battle he had already won. He approached, placing a foot on his enemy's abdomen, crouched down, and with his left hand, took the stone embedded in Koroxhar's chest, beginning to try to extract it.
Koroxhar let out a powerful scream when Jon began to pull the stone. The pain that invaded him was atrocious, an indescribable torment. Desperate, the native of the Summer Isles moved his wounded limbs and tried in vain to stop Jon, grabbing his arm with both hands. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop him.
Jon, determined to finish this, kept pulling the stone forcefully. Seeing that the resistance was greater than expected, he redoubled his efforts. With a strong pull, the base of Koroxhar's sternum broke under the pressure of his foot and the force applied with his arm.
"AGHHHH! COME OUT ALREADY!" Jon shouted furiously, applying even more force.
Plop!
The gem embedded in Koroxhar's chest came out with a loud "plop." leaving a large void in the torso of its former host. At the same moment, Koroxhar ceased his movement, lying motionless on the ground, his eyes slowly dimming. As his body faded, Koroxhar's features returned to their original form, revealing that his alteration had been the result of the gem embedded in his chest.
With the gem in his hand, Jon saw it closely, but couldn't do so for long, as he was interrupted.
"It seems it's over." said Grenn, arriving with the rest of his friends.
"Yes... What happened to the undead?" Jon asked as he stood up.
"They disappeared the moment that idiot died." responded Pyp.
"I see." said Jon, looking at his friends.
"He seemed as strong as we thought, considering the good hit he gave you." commented Grenn, observing Koroxhar's body.
"You're wrong, Grenn." Jon replied, drawing his friends' attention.
"What do you mean, Jon?" asked Edd, curious. "Was he stronger than you?"
Edd's question made everyone else look at Jon expectantly.
"That's right." Jon responded quickly and firmly.
"B-b-but... we saw you kill him..." pointed out Sam, with some fear in his voice.
"Yes, but that was because he didn't have the training I possess." Jon commented, fixing his gaze on the corpse in front of him. "If he had had the gem for a couple of years, he could have become a much more powerful being, one I wouldn't have been able to defeat without the help of specially enchanted armor for battle."
"So, he was really strong... That's unexpected..." murmured Edd, letting out a sigh. "Do you think the other stones can parasitize other humans?"
"I don't know, but it's possible." Jon responded thoughtfully.
"That means we have to be very careful with these things, right?" asked Sam.
"Yes. We can't let our guard down." Jon responded, looking at his friends. A second later, he added. "It seems the mission has gotten much worse."
"Yes, it seems so." they said in unison, with worried faces.
Seeing his friends' expressions, Jon decided to change the subject and began talking about what they might find inside the fortress. His words seemed to lift their spirits, as they smiled and, jokingly, began to search for valuable objects in the room. After a few minutes, the group found a great treasure.
"This guy sure had good stuff." said Pyp with a smile, as he stored his share of the loot in his enchanted bag.
"You said it. With everything we've collected, we could build ourselves a small palace in the Free Cities and live in luxury for a couple of years." pointed out Grenn, smiling as he looked at Jon, who was putting a large amount of gold and jewels into a separate bag. "Is that the princess's share?"
"Yes." Jon responded, storing the bag in his enchanted bag.
Jon's action made his friends smile and, at the same time, feel great respect for him. Since Daenerys had joined the group, Jon always made sure she received a share of the profits. Although they admired this gesture, it didn't stop them from having fun at his expense. However, just as Pyp was about to make a joke insinuating that Jon did this because he was in love with Daenerys, the fortress began to shake.
"W-what the hell?" shouted Pyp, terrified as everything started to shake.
"It looks like this place is going to collapse!" shouted Sam, looking at his friends.
"Something told me this fortress wasn't normal." said Jon as he took the gem, wrapped it in a piece of cloth, and tied it to his back like an improvised backpack.
"What do you mean?" asked Grenn, panic in his voice.
"This place was held together by the gem's magic. Now that it's inactive, the place will collapse." Jon responded, looking at the ceiling. When he saw some dirt falling, he turned to his friends and shouted. "Run!"
As the night began to give way to dawn, three individuals were in a room at an inn. Two of them were human, while the third was a wolf. The two humans were Daenerys and Jasalla, who were visibly upset and worried about what was happening. Jasalla feared that Jon and his group might not defeat Koroxhar, which would put her people in grave danger, as an angry and vengeful merchant would soon attack them. On the other hand, Daenerys's concern was different; she feared for her friends who had gone alone to an enemy fortress. While they were in this state, Ghost cryptically saw the humans in front of him, not understanding what was happening. Seeing that his companion was fine, he decided to lie down and rest without worries, as he fully trusted Jon's abilities.
"Princess." said Jasalla, catching Daenerys's attention. "Do you think they will succeed?"
The priestess's question made Daenerys stop abruptly, as she had been pacing the room while thinking about her friends. As she tried to respond, a playful smile appeared on her face as she placed a hand on her hip.
"Succeed? Ha, they can do it. Especially if they have Jon..."
The way Daenerys spoke about her friends renewed Jasalla's confidence in the group. She stood up and was about to say something but stopped abruptly when she saw the direwolf get up and look towards the door. This caused concern in both women, prompting Daenerys to take her family's sword and unsheathe it.
Pointing the sword at the door, Daenerys prepared for whatever might come. However, when the door opened, she sighed in relief upon seeing Jon and the rest of the group, who entered covered in dirt and dust, much more than one would expect from a long journey.
"Guys, what happened? Why are you so dirty?" Daenerys asked as she saw them enter and take seats.
"We managed to take down Koroxhar." Jon replied as he approached the table, took a jug and several glasses, and filled them with the contents of the jug. The smooth red wine of the Summer Isles. After filling the glasses, he distributed them among everyone. When he reached Jasalla, she took the glass with one hand and, with the other, grabbed Jon's left wrist.
That action surprised everyone, especially Jon, who looked at the woman with curiosity.
"Is it true? Did you really kill him?" Jasalla asked, her tone brimming with hope.
Jon knew that sometimes a picture was worth a thousand words, so he reached into the improvised backpack he had made and placed it at the priestess's feet. He unrolled the cloth and showed her the gem that had been embedded in Koroxhar's chest.
The priestess trembled slightly upon seeing the gem, then put on a look full of hatred and disgust. She stood up from her chair and kicked the gem, but instantly crouched down, clutching her foot with a grimace of pain. She had hurt herself a bit by kicking the stone.
"Are you okay?" Grenn asked, approaching to help her back to her chair.
"Yes, it was just a small bump." Jasalla replied, accepting Grenn's help.
"That didn't seem like a small bump." joked Pyp as he watched Sam approach to examine her foot.
"How did he die?" Jasalla asked, looking at Jon again.
Jon sighed and began to recount everything that had happened, though avoiding mentioning certain details.
"In the end, when I removed the gem from his chest, the fortress collapsed, so we had to get out of there in a hurry." Jon said, concluding his story. "That prevented us from collecting all the weapons that the troops of that guy were equipped with. Fortunately, we managed to get one, which has the blacksmith's mark."
"I see... that's good. It will take us some time, but I'm sure with that weapon we can find out who was selling him the weapons." Jasalla said, standing up again and approaching Jon. When she was a few meters away from him, she made a small bow and, smiling, spoke: "Thank you very much for helping us. We will never forget your kindness."
"You don't have to worry about rewards. The only thing I would like is to keep this gem and take it where it belongs." Jon said, catching the woman's attention.
"Do you know where that abomination comes from?" Jasalla asked, looking at Jon with interest.
"Just a little. The truth is, I don't know how they were made. All I know is that they must be in a very, very dark place, one of the most dangerous places in the world." Jon replied, lying blatantly while keeping his gaze fixed on the priestess. "A long time ago, I swore to take these stones to their final resting place. That's why I started traveling, to find them and then take them there."
Jon's words made the priestess look at him for a few seconds, trying to discern if he was speaking sincerely. Finally, she nodded, seeing nothing wrong with Jon's request.
The last apprentice of the Dovahkiin stored the gem in the improvised backpack. Then, he called one of the inn's employees and asked for food and more wine, as they had to celebrate that the island was safe.
Author's Note:
To those who have made it this far, thank you for reading. To be honest, my English writing skills are not strong, and I'm relying on Google Translate and the dictionaries that come with Office 2019.
And this chapter is done XD
With this chapter, we have reached the end of our journey through the Summer Isles. In the next chapter, it is possible that we will return to Westeros for a while.
I apologize for any spelling errors. Please don't forget to leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter, or if there's something that needs improvement, or if you have any questions about the story. Any constructive advice is welcome. With nothing more to say, see you in the next chapter.