Back on Earth, I would rarely feel the passage of time. I was always so distracted reading, gaming, or doing other things that by the time I came back into focus, the Sun had already set, and it was time for bed lest I fuck over my sleep schedule once more.
But now… Now that I am unable to sleep, and I am so thoroughly mentally exhausted, I feel each second go by with the speed of a snail.
It is… Vexatious. Tiring. Annoying. But I fight that exhaustion and annoyance with further distractions.
Luckily, the College boasts an immense library with what must be tens of thousands of books, and Urag Gro-Shub lets me hang around all night long as long as I treat the books properly.
And just like that, two months flew by. Very slowly, of course, but they did.
After Aurelia killed Rahgot, the Dragons kind-of retreated back. There were three attacks after that, with one being against Riften once more, but it was mostly a scare.
The Dragon flew by, set a patch of ground outside the city on fire, then flew away. It probably was afraid that Aurelia would come by and kill his ass.
Another one was actually against Windhelm, and came from the sea. A Dragon wielding Water Magic surfaced, destroyed two large merchant ships and killed the dozens of folks on board, then left.
The last one ended up with the Dragon getting killed. It attacked Markarth, and it ended up fucking around and finding out.
That place has a lot of Dwemer stuff hanging around… So the folks there pulled out some giant Dwemer ballistae, and put five arrows bigger than I am into the Dragon that attacked the place.
After seeing how effective those weapons are against the Dragons, I've seen them be commissioned and be stationed upon the walls and around the biggest buildings of each City.
Winterhold has been massively fortified in these past two months, and the letter I recently received from Farengar revealed that the same has happened to Whiterun.
Balgruuf did not hold back one bit in using every last bit of money he could to fortify his City and make it as Anti-Dragon as possible. Farengar did express regret in the fact that the civilians are being heavily taxed for this, and he expressed even more regret when no one complained.
A lot of young men and women had joined the army, with the Companions helping around with the training to prepare as many people as possible for what is to come, giving them greater chances to survive.
This is basically the calm before the storm. An attack is coming, and I can't say when. It irks me that all I can do is just wait and prepare.
Alduin needs as much death as possible to gain strength, so he clearly wishes to cause as much destruction as he can with this attack.
And I know that one thing is for certain, unfortunately.
One or more Holds are going to be razed to the ground in this attack. Because neither me or Aurelia can be everywhere to help.
Speaking of that wonderful woman; Her training apparently is growing harder.
In the past two months, she killed around forty Dragons on top of the Throat of the World, with their remains being sent to Whiterun by the titanic Dragon we fought outside Falkreath.
The letter I got from Faregar questioning me on why the fuck a giant Dragon just keeps on dropping Dragon remains at their doorstep made me cackle for a good few minutes.
Still, this is also helping them a lot. The Dragon scales are being used to make arrows that punch through even the hardest metal, and the bones are being used for weapons, armor, and the giant arrow ammunition for the ballistae.
With such equipment, Whiterun basically has the strongest army in Skyrim. I just wish all that gear could be properly Enchanted.
Hence, Aurelia is basically tiring herself out, challenging as many Dragons as she could so to make sure Whiterun has a great deal of materials. I just wish she could take better care of herself.
As for Hildr, she too experienced a great deal of growth in these past two months. So much so that I know for a fact the current Hildr can demolish Krosis with laughable ease, even if he were to use his Mask.
Honestly, that woman is terrifying. She is absurdly talented, learning and modifying Spells with laughable ease as long as she understands the 'how', and breaking the process into steps she can easily follow.
Her only problem are her small Magicka reserves, but she gets around that by modifying Novice Class Spells into overpowered bullshit like I did with my Magic Missile.
Honestly, I feel like this is my fault. She saw that it worked well with me, so she is copying my ways of using as little Magicka as possible to bring out the greatest potential of a Spell, and is excelling at it even better than me.
The simple Flame Novice Spell that releases a gentle stream of flames? Turned into a gargantuan beam of immense heat.
The Flame Dart Spell? Turned into a piercing projectile that while not as bullshit fast as my Draconian Howl, it is still close to breaching the Sound Barrier.
The Fireball Spell? It now is a big 'Fuck you and your surroundings' Spell. She either turns it into a beam of heat that cuts through anything, or into an explosion that puts even my Thermonuclear Werewolves to shame.
Spells of Expert and Master Class are still a bit beyond her. She tried using an Expert Class Spell once, but it basically drained her reserves in one go, so they are out of her reach for now.
It is a good thing that she gained Faralda's attention, because the woman is lavishing Hildr with all the teachings and information she may want or need.
Expert and Master Class Spells, for example, can only be studied if the Master of said School of Magic allows so. Hildr gained access to them after just a month, outclassing all of the other students.
I myself have access to the Master Class Frost Spells, but I haven't bothered learning them after giving them a cursory glance. I've been focused on… Other stuff.
A sound akin to glass shattering is soon followed by a scream of pain, then a curse as I sigh and snap my book close. "Rodnis, walk into Anodyne and take a short break." I call out sharply, causing the student to sulk and nod.
This was his fourth failure in the past hour, and it obviously irks at him. "Got any questions?" I tilt my head as he walks into the perpetually existing Anodyne Spell, the green sphere swiftly healing the tears across his arms and body in seconds.
The student, a young Nord from Windhelm that recently joined the College, sulks lightly before speaking up, "I do not know where I am going wrong. I have mastered Oak Flesh, yet… I fail to even properly activate Reinforcement."
I hum and let my gaze wander around the other dozens of students. Even the Hagraven cunt is among them, and is also thoroughly failing to activate the Spell I recently created.
Some are having a modicum of success, not knowing that I am merely treating them as guinea pigs before I send the Spell over to Faregar so to hopefully teach it to the army protecting Whiterun.
"Why do you think I requested you all master Oak Flesh first?" I question the student right back, making him furrow his blonde brows in confusion.
Luckily, he has a good head on his shoulders, and he mulls over the question for a few good seconds before answering, "...I do not know, sir."
I chuckle softly at that. At least he is honest. "The Spell I am teaching you all makes your body stronger. Tougher, faster, stronger- The Flesh Spells offer the same, but are easy to break."
Uncrossing my legs, I stand with a low sigh, "The reason I asked you all learn the Oak Flesh Spell first is so that you feel the effects it has on your body. Feel how it makes you stronger, faster and tougher… The take that, and replicate it without the Spell."
"That is the way to learn Reinforcement." The young Nord nods in understanding, "Now, do you know where you messed up?"
He sulks back down, "I overloaded the shield created by the Oak Flesh Spell around my body." He palms his face at that, so I pat his shoulder in comfort.
"Be more careful. I cannot heal you from instant death, after all." There have been some nasty accidents, like hands blowing up or fingers going 'pop', but nothing that a Master of Restoration Magic can't fix with a wave of her hand.
That woman is now getting so much respect thanks to all the work I am making for her, hilariously enough.
Still, teaching these folks really puts into perspective how utter bullshit talented Hildr is. These guys have shit control over their Magicka and harm themselves once or more times a day.
Hildr mastered Reinforcement in five seconds.
I am just using these students as a test to see if Hildr is just an outlier or if I can hope to teach this Spell to even folks that do focus on Magic.
I should really ask her to help me make a 'For babies' guide on how to learn this Spell, because Farengar is gonna need that to help the army learn it…
Of course, that is when the Hagraven bitch nearly blows up her end, and I do not bother hiding my snort. Of course, she glares bloody murder my way as she steps into Anodyne to heal herself, but I don't really care.
Reinforcement has come along nicely. A flow of Magicka through the body, mainly through the muscles and flesh and skin, that massively strengthens the body.
Tolfdir, the Master of Alteration of the College, told me that it was comparable to Iron Flesh in terms of strengthening, just minus the cost.
It takes a bit of concentration to keep active, but once one gets used to it, they can keep it active all day long without noticing it.
The strain is minimal, and the boost is massive, and it does not run the risk of draining one's Magicka completely since the cost is somehow even smaller than the Novice Class Flame Spell.
It is through creating this Spell that I was basically offered the chance to become a 'Professor' of the College, taking the title of Master Frost Mage from Faralda's suggestion.
It is quite the good position, and through it I've been subtly pushing towards the expedition to Saartharl with each meeting between teachers that goes by.
The excavation of the ruins has been going well, and some students have already been sent to clear the area of some Skeever and a few Draugr stragglers, but they are still at the outskirts of the immense city.
Savos Aren recently stationed himself there, mostly to set up a large barrier around the place meant to help keep Frost Trolls away since the excavation team got attacked five times in a week by those fucks.
Still, it was surprisingly easy to become a Professor at the College. I think the teachers suspect me of being some traveling Archmage from outside of Skyrim, as some have subtly questioned me about my past, and me being mysterious about everything just for fun makes them even more interested.
Apparently, creating a Spell out of nothing is some big feat. Especially such a powerful Alteration Spell, so I was granted the pleasure of becoming a Professor.
Faralda mainly suggested taking the Frost Magic Master title because Tolfdir is the current Alteration Master, and everyone loves the elder Mage in the College.
And honestly? I've only taken the position because it gives me some power in deciding some things, and pushing others. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.
I still find it amusing that they gave me such a position for Reinforcement of all things.
What would their reaction be to it's two Upgraded forms?
[Reinforcement]
Magicka is a power known to grant life. When woven the right way, it can heal the most fatal wounds with laughable ease.
And when weaponized, it can empower the body, making it tougher than majority of weaponry.
Modification: Boost Up! (3), Cost Down! (2)
(5/5)
This also taught me that I can lower the Magicka cost of a Spell through using an upgrade slot. Of course, I am only limited to doing it two times, but still… That is still lowering the cost of a Spell by half. Twice.
Another thing I also learned is that the upgrades I do to a Spell… They also appear for other people.
When I created Reinforcement, I shared it to Hildr right after. Then I upgraded it.
She learned the Spell, then when I Evolved it, she noticed that the Spell was a lot stronger than usual for some reason.
The Evolution only mattered to me, but Hildr now has the fully boosted and modified Reinforcement available. It surprised me a lot, honestly.
I learn more things about my System as time goes by.
Still, it is a good thing that the Evolution mattered only for me, because Hildr cannot handle the Evolutions that came after.
[Fortification]
From reinforcing, to fortifying. From a simple flow of Magicka, to a raging river.
A normal human cannot handle the immense strain created by this Spell that pushes their bodies to their very limit.
One's strength and defense are enormously enhanced, to levels only monsters may hope to match.
Modifications; Cost Down! (2) Boost up! (4) Defense Up! (4)
(10/10)
My previous Race Modifications made me less of a glass cannon, and this Spell makes me much harder to kill in one hit. A blessing.
And then, finally… The monster that is the third Evolution of Reinforcement.
[Juggernaut]
Unstoppable. Indomitable. Invincible.
A surge of immense Magicka of the wielder's attribute, cloaking them in dense armor of overwhelming strength, pushing their physical might to horrifying levels.
(Requires 0/1 Dragon Soul to Evolve further.)
Yep.
It's bullshit.
I already tested the insane boost it gives me, and I am frankly sure that I can tear a Dragon apart with my bare hands now. Well, the weaker ones… But still.
I cannot even imagine what horrifying level it will reach once I give it a Dragon Soul and Evolve it further.
Coming to the College was truly the right choice. It gave me access to a way for me to farm Souls without guilt, by simply sending me the way of bandit camps or areas with monsters like Frost Trolls or Ice Wraiths.
Like so, and with just some patience, I was able to swiftly gather enough Souls for me to Advance my Class once more.
And since my System kinda answer to my needs… I kinda manipulated the roll in my favor.
[Storm-Bringer]
A flick of the wrist, a clap of thunder. A target given, lightning strikes mercilessly.
The storm answers your call, leaving all its horrifying power at the tip of your fingers.
[0/1000 needed for the next Advancement]
[Destruction Path – Harbinger of Storms]
The indisputable strongest Element in existence, capable of disrupting and nullifying Magicka as a whole.
Those who wield this power are rare. Those who can properly use it are even rarer.
The new requirement for the next Advancement is utter bullshit… But something tells me that this is the last. Not definitive last, but the last Advancement that needs normal Souls.
I believe that soon, I'll need Dragon Souls to Advance further. Like how my Spells do after a while.
But I am not bothered. The enormous increase in strength this Advancement granted me is utter bullshit. I can't even tell by how much my Magicka reserves have grown even after countless days of testing.
Still, this Advancement unlocked two new Spell Slots for me to use and abuse, and one has been taken by the former Reinforcement and now Juggernaut.
The other one… Well, it started as a simple lightning strike, and then an 'oopsie daisy' happened, and I was left with-
[Vasavi Shakti]
A gargantuan spear of lightning, bearing all of its heat, speed and power.
It mercilessly strikes down upon the earth and its target, remaining lodged there and striking any and all trespassers with mighty lighting until its energies are spent.
(Requires 0/1 Dragon Soul to Evolve further.)
-this.
...I really shouldn't have been thinking about the Nasuverse Series while I was Evolving this bitch, but… Yeah.
I had my thoughts wander towards Fate/Apocrypha and how epic the entire thing was, and then boom, I got another Spell as bullshit as Draconian Howl in my hands.
Why do I always do this shit?!
Still… I can't wait to drop this bitch on a Dragon. I've been irking for one of them to come around and try me, but aside from some sightings, none have come to become Dragon Souls for my needs.
None have even tried to approach the temple with Deinmaar in it either, strangely enough.
Speaking off the chained-up man, I should really find another book since I finished the last one I was reading for him.
The guy still hasn't spoken one word, even when I tried to tickle him once because come on, I'm a little shit. But I don't mind that, honestly.
As long as he doesn't go psycho, I'm fine with just keeping him company every night or every other night, when I am not burying myself in the College library.
My hum and thoughts are interrupted when something shakes my body, with me having returned to my comfy chair that I dragged outside from Ancano's room.
Not the first one we stole from him, but the seventh one. Me and Hildr kept bullying the bitch until he spent all his money and now he sleeps in a shitty room in a shitty inn in Winterhold.
Where, of course, he is also served shitty food. All on purpose.
I turn my head to gaze at what moved me, and I pause when I notice that it is my second favorite redhead herself. Gretel is the first, of course.
I heard from Farengar's most recent letter that Gretel shanked a Stormcloak messenger five times then stomped on his nuts. Of course, these are all accusations from said messenger.
There were no witnesses, after all. Even at the market, before the Merchant Guild, during rush hour.
How strange.
"Ah, look who has come to grace me with her beauty!" I drawl out as I lean back, letting Hildr claim the right armrest of the comfy chair as she scoffs and blows out a strand of her hair out of her face.
These two months have been a blessing on her, because goddamn do I find it hard to keep my eyes away from her recently.
She's gotten taller, and a lot more full now that she dealt with her malnourishment issues. Her hair look more vibrant, her lone eye resembling a pool of liquid emerald, and her lips always holding that delightful smirk of hers that I find very sexy.
Redheads are dangerous, I tell ya.
She is curvier than Aurelia, that is for sure, and even a bit taller, and her tight-fitting clothing just make it all stand out, while Aurelia preferred hiding everything beneath her armor.
Tall heeled brown boots, form-fitting black leather pants, a brown belt, and a fluffy long-sleeved white button up shirt Enchanted to keep one warm in this cold, with several buttons undone to keep her cleavage visible.
Which… Noice.
Hildr's smirk grows – because she somehow knows when I am appreciating her figure – as she crosses her long legs, "What? Missed me?"
I shrug, "Didn't see you at all since yesterday, mostly because we must've missed each other." I had gone off to visit Deinmaar during the night, and Hildr woke up before I came back and left to do her own things.
Probably went to find an Horker to kill and sacrifice for Hircine, now that she is hunting for him again.
Hildr scrunches up her nose in annoyance at my words, "Yeah, it took a while to find that damn Ice Wraith that was reported on the road to Dawnstar." Yeah, those fucking things know how to hide. I know the pain.
With a scoff, the redhead throws her long wavy hair over her shoulder and leans close, dropping her elbow on my shoulder as she turns to gaze at my students. Some of the guys turn their heads away as soon as she looks over, which is hilarious, but understandable.
Hildr has basically started to turn heads wherever she goes, especially since now she has gained a lot more confidence, so she shows off what she knows she has.
"Anyone got Reinforcement down yet?" She questions, and I keep my gaze focused on my students despite boobies being visible just by glancing to the right.
Damn woman, doing this on purpose. I'ma tell Aurelia, and cause a fucking fuss to happen! Hmph!
"Nope, but they are getting better." Which is true. A lot less injuries are happening, after all. "Ancano did blow up his arm and left."
Hildr gasps and turns to me, "I missed that!?" I cackle at the pure fury on her face, "I was wondering what the fuck was up with all that blood there!"
Yeah, the dude didn't even bother cleaning up the mess he made. I wonder if Colette will even bother to help him regrow his arm back...
Shaking her head, Hildr sighs deeply in obvious regret, "Either way…" She starts and tilts her head towards me, "Wanna come into the city with me? A situation kinda rose up."
I lean my head back at that, "What's up?"
"You know how they have been digging into the side of the mountain for stuff?" Hildr asks, nodding her head towards the mountain that stands Winterhold between it and the ocean below. "Apparently, this morning they found a cave. Master Faralda sent some of the students in to check the area out when I came back, and I got curious."
A cave, huh? I doubt it is connected to Saarthal, but it might be worth checking out, as this place is known to have very good Magicka Stones laying around.
I still gotta find a good one for Farengar, after all.
"Yeah, why not." I shrug and grab the book I was reading to distract myself, "It's a date."
Hildr chokes on air and nearly falls on the ground from my surprise attack, which is super-effective.
"Like hell it is!"
Ah, good ol' bullying.
~~XXX~~
A simple swing of a pickax brought down a massive wall of stone, revealing the dark tunnel beyond.
It led two ways, one forward and one twisted towards the right, with them being tall enough to allow a fully grown man to walk through as long as they watched their head.
The moment it was discovered, the miners called it in and ceased all work just to be safe, requesting the presence of the mages from the College just to be safe.
Frost Trolls were known for making cave tunnels their homes. Them and Ice Wraiths both… But also the Falmer.
The last of the three were like nightmares. Curses used to keep children in check, telling them to behave or a scary Falmer would drag them off in the night.
Because that happened far too often, no matter where in Skyrim. The Falmers were like roaches, too hard to kill or pin down.
A nest might be destroyed, but as long as one survived, it would just kidnap and rape more so to rebuild it. And they breed fast, the twisted cruelty within their bones coming to light as soon as they are children and find a chitin dagger placed in their hands.
Then it becomes their turn to pillage and kidnap and rape some more. A never-ending twisted cycle that the people of Skyrim must suffer through, despite their many tries to lead extermination missions against the stain upon their proud land.
Despite blind, they were still masters of Frost Magic and all kinds of weaponry, even bows. Their ears evolved enough to replace sight, enough so to allow them to dodge by hearing alone and hit their shots with ease.
The dark was their ally, and they knew that very well. Many Jarls tried to bright the fight to them. Many fell and lost many good men and women while doing so.
So when the dark tunnels appeared, the miners quarantined the area. The guards set up watch, and Faralda was the first to answer their call together with some of her students.
Soon, four Mages were sent to explore the tunnels. Two went to the right, and two down the other path.
Both were meant to simply go forward for a few minutes before turning back, just to check for any Falmer presence, obvious by their constant use of chitin-forged walls, statues or symbols placed around at random.
"Why the fuck did we volunteer for this again?" Among the four mages, the two that had been tasked with the right path were taking their sweet time, their legs taking seconds to take a step forward.
"Because it might help us gain more attention from Master Faralda." The older of the two, a tall Breton man, gruffly states, "You've seen how she has been focusing only on that new redhead chick, and we've barely gotten anything done these past months due to that."
As he talks, he lifts his arm up high, a large rumbling flame covering his whole hand, using it as a light to ward off the thick, eerie darkness ahead.
A scoff comes from behind, a much younger Breton teen being his partner for the task, "I fuckin' hate when teachers play favorites and forget about the others."
His older partner hums softly, eyes narrowed and focused on the dark path ahead, "I do too, but I can understand the why."
"You're defending her now?"
The older and taller Breton turns to glare back at his friend for a short second, "I am not." He bites out harshly and coldly, "I simply understand why. We take weeks if not months to learn something. Hildr instead? She takes seconds if not minutes or hours to do what we find taxing and hard. She is in a league of her own."
"And Master Faralda is the type of woman who yearns to have a student excel under her."
The young Breton grumbles softly beneath his breath, "She just got blessed with talent, is all… And that fucking bullshit Spirit." Both shudder at the thought of that flaming beast.
They had seen Hildr spar against Master Faralda countless times, and the sheer power that Fire Spirit wields nearly granted her a victory several times. And the gap between Master and Student was rapidly shrinking with each passing day.
"I'd still rather not put myself in so much danger just for Master Faralda's attention…" The older Breton man just sighs and shakes his head at the constant complain. Grumble and shuffle a lot too, for some reason.
"Let's just take a few more steps, then we can go back." He assures, and he takes the silence as answer enough.
That is, until his next step makes something clatter against the ground.
Looking down with narrowed eyes and using the light of his flame, the older Breton pauses when he sees… A pickax? "I thought the miners didn't come in here?" He questions aloud as he crouches down to pick the object up.
And it wasn't until it was up-close that he noticed that it wasn't made of metal and wood. But bone and chitin.
A chill goes down his spine at the realization, "Fuck, this is Falmer shit!" He drops it and stands, yet… Silence greets him. Turning around and raising his hand, he finds only darkness to greet him, his companion being nowhere to be seen. "Did that bastard fucking leave without me?!"
His nostrils flare, and he swears revenge as he turns to grab the pickax back as proof- Only to find himself face to face with someone else.
A pale face, squinted pale eyes, a sharp nose, chapped lips and wrinkles of malnutrition and age cover the face of the hunched over creature, the light of the flame in his hand making it appear ghastly and nightmarish.
The Breton's eyes widen in horror and realization, and his mouth opens in a scream.
A scream cut short when a chitin dagger plunges through his lower jaw, through his tongue, and into the roof of his mouth, lodging it shut and making the flame go out.
All that followed was but a wet, squelching sound of a blade cutting through flesh, and of blood dripping on the ground.
Outside of the tunnel, and far away from the excavation site, out of the boundaries of the quarantine zone, Faralda nervously nibbled on her nail as she tapped her foot on the ground.
The moment she had seen the cave, she had already regretted being the first to answer the call with her students.
The miners weren't nice people towards Mages, so had she requested the presence of a guard to be with her students they would have flipped and caused a ruckus.
And since they are the backbone of Winterhold, had they decided to stop working because of her simple request, the whole of Winterhold would have snapped at the College.
And with the relationship between the College and the City being already so strained – though recently it had grown a lot better, probably due to Leonidas's presence – she didn't wish to be the reason everything fell apart.
She should have waited for Leonidas, since Hildr had gone to pick him up for this issue.
He had a way with words, and a great deal of people in Winterhold liked the man a great deal despite being a Mage.
The stories from the bards about the way he fought against Dragons outside Whiterun helped, but what cemented in the fact was his unique personality.
He never put on airs, and always acted like a fool, and rarely brought out the wise part of him that made her and her other colleague believe the man is a wandering Archmage.
Tolfdir had also theorized that the man might be as old if not older than their current Archmage, Savos Aren. His knowledge of certain things… Faralda truly lusted for his mind.
To not speak about the horrifying ways of changing Spells he had taught to her newest and prized student, Hildr.
"They still haven't come out…" One of her other students states softly from behind her, her voice filled with dread and fear, and Faralda curses under her breath.
If she just lost four people because of the fucking miners, they were never going to live it down. Of that, she'll make sure.
A distant scream snaps her out of her hateful thoughts, her gaze moving past the gates marking the entry into the excavation sites, past all the discarded equipment and tents, and towards the rather small hole far into the distance.
From it, one of her students ran out as if being chased by a hound straight out of hell. Faralda couldn't see their face from such a distance, but she could tell that it was filled with pure horror and fear as they ran and stumbled- "It's the Falmers-!" The distant scream, dripping with terror, was cut off by a spear of ice shooting out from the dark tunnel and plunging straight through the chest of one of her students.
The corpse fell to the ground, and silence fell among the watching miners and guards.
Faralda was about to snap and scream at them all, but a flicker of movement from the tunnel makes the word die in her mouth.
A Falmer- Two- Dozens of them overflowed out like ants from their nest, all clad in thick chitin armor and wielding weapons made out of the same material.
"Fuck!" A guard curses loudly, swiftly drawing for his bow at the sight before them, "Call the guards and soldiers! Now-" His order is cut off by a loud, bone-chilling sound of a horn being blown.
A Falmer among the rapidly expanding group had blown the horn, and Faralda's hands were already ignited with roaring flames- But a 'Crack!' resounds, and her gaze snaps up.
Then widens in horror as she watches pieces of the mountain side fall down.
Opening after opening is punched open, swiftly numbering in the dozens if not hundred, with more joining the fray with each passing second.
And each opening has Falmers peeking out of them, bows and Magic at the ready.
Pure dread fills the onlooker before a scream tears through the air, "Get to fucking cover!" Faralda roars out just as arrows and Frost Spells started raining down upon the sleeping quarters of the miners.
Her own Spells were useless, as even if she hit the mark and made a fireball explode in one of the many beehive-like openings in the excavated mountain side, more Falmers would just take the place of the slain ones.
'How the fuck did so many Falmers get so close to the city!?' The Master of Destruction screams in her mind as she hurls Spells across the air, explosions and screams echoing all around her as javelins of Frost rain down all around her.
The realization hits her hard. It was the Miners. The constant excavation, all the noise… It basically led the Falmers to Winterhold, with both sides digging towards one another, and only one of them being aware of it and doing it on purpose.
More guards with bows gather, with the majority focusing fire on the gathering army overflowing out into the excavation site. After all, they'd need good aim to hit the Falmers within the holes in the side of the mountain.
While those Falmers can just randomly throw Spells, and they'll still hit something.
For a short second, Faralda considered unleashing a Master Class Spell. It'll drain her, but it'll also melt that side of the mountain and likely exterminate a great deal of the Falmers.
Yet, the loud reverberating sound of a bell ringing echoes across the city makes her pause, her body suddenly swelling with strength and energy.
A colossal lime-green sun appears high above the city, casting its radiance down upon it, and Faralda can see injuries heal almost instantly on the wounded around her.
Then a sharp whistle follows, and a good chunk of the mountain-side explodes. Then another whistle, then another- Faralda winches and covers her ears as the whistles become non-stop horrifying roars that shake the air and land below her.
Yet, her eyes remain wide as she watches the mountain side be pulverized by obscenely fast projectiles she can't even see or track.
The debris rain down, burying the gathered army of Falmers below it, and only then does the storm of projectiles stop.
"Master Faralda!" The High Elf woman turns her head at the call from a familiar voice, relief flooding her at the sight of Hildr's tall form approaching her with Leonidas in tow.
The masked and robed man lowers his outstretched hand, and Faralda feels a chill as she realizes he was the source of those attacks.
Such powerful Spells launched over and over, with no strain… He truly wasn't any normal Archmage.
"Thank the Gods you got here quickly…" Faralda sighs, allowing herself to relax as the situation was visibly handled, "That could have gotten bad." Her gaze flickers towards the powerful Spell still existing above the city.
Was that from Leonidas? Was he a Restoration Magic Master too?
"Evacuate the quarters." The robed and masked Mage orders a nearby guard, who doesn't even question him and just nods before rushing off with other guards in tow, "Be on guard, it's not over." Faralda jolts at that, and her gaze snaps towards the destroyed side of the mountain.
At first, she thought that Leonidas was just worrying too much, but as she focused, she could still hear the cracking. It was growing louder with each second, and soon more pieces of the mountain started falling.
From the middle, a massive crack started opening, nearly splitting the mountain in half.
Spells were clearly hammering against it from the other side, and Faralda tensed while Hildr cursed under their breath, "That sounds like a lot of them…"
Leonidas hums, stepping forward without care of fear, "There are a lot of them. Hundreds, if not thousands." The Master of Fire Magic pales at that.
"How did a Falmer nest grow so big…?" With so many extermination missions being led at least once a year, the Falmers should have never had the time to breed so much and gather so much manpower.
But that explained why they were so brazen as to attack a whole city directly…
"What do we do, Leo?" Hildr questions, looking tense yet relaxed with him present, "If they crack that massive thing open, we'll have an army on our hands."
Leonidas hums and cups his masked chin for a short few seconds, the enormous crack starting to grow bigger and bigger, the darkness beyond lit up by flashes of Frost Magic hammering against the dense stone from the other side to make it collapse faster.
"...There is something leading them." Leonidas suddenly states, and Hildr falters. Then, she turns towards Leonidas when he didn't say anything else after a while.
"Leo?" She speaks up, gently reaching out to shake the men despite his laser focus on the mountain.
"...It's nothing." Faralda doesn't buy that, but she decides to not press for answer just yet, "Either way, it is best that we stall them for now. We cannot blindly take them on, else we'd just be fighting a battle of attrition."
Faralda crosses her arms and furrows her brows, the enormous crack in the mountain growing bigger with each passing second. Another few minutes, and it'll probably fully reach the ground. "How do we stall them, though?"
Leonidas shrugs, "Like this." He states simply before swiping his arm across the air.
Temperatures plummets, and dense frost covers the whole of Winterhold as snow starts raining.
Faralda shivers, feeling cold like never before. One that even the warmth of her flames couldn't drive away, as it dug deep into her very being like a sickness.
And when she lifted her gaze, her stomach dropped.
"That'll buy us plenty of time." Leonidas states simply even as Faralda and Hildr both gape at the sight before them.
The entire mountain was frozen, encased in a thick, jagged layer of seemingly unbreakable ice.
"Leonidas…" Hildr starts, then gulps heavily, "What in the actual fuck."
The robed man comes to a pause and tilts his head in genuine confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"
Faralda wanted to scream.
~~XXX~~
"Apologies for the wait." I lean back as Savos Aren enters the large hall at a brisk pace, a stormy frown on his face, "I came back as fast as I could once I heard of the situation. How bad is it?" He questions sharply as he gets to his spot on the large round table that fills the room.
The room is nothing fancy, just a large hall meant for the Masters to use either to eat or read in peace, or for important meetings such as this.
I'm still surprised that Savos Aren allowed me to become a teacher when the position was offered to me.
Faralda stands to answer the question, so I push my thoughts aside, "It could have been much worse were it not for Leonidas's intervention." I tilt my head as Faralda nods my way with a grateful smile, "His Healing Spell kept the casualties beneath the dozen, and his Spell barrage stopped me from having to resort to a Master Class Spell to resolve the issue."
Savos Aren breathes heavily while the other teachers hiss at Faralda's words. Master Class Spells are basically city-wide Spells akin to Nuclear Weaponry.
Had Faralda used a Master Class Spell, she'd have molten the mountain, but also a portion of the City. She'd have racked up more casualties than the Falmers themselves.
"You have my thanks, Leonidas." Savos Aren states while looking directly my way, and… Wow, first time he has spoken to me. Finally. "But I believe the issue is not yet handled?"
I take the lead to answer this time with a shake of the head, "The mountain is hollow in the middle, and is full of Falmers." An overcharged Mind's Eye helped me swiftly check things out… And find out something worrying. "While a head-on confrontation against them would be heavily in our favor, something about the whole thing just irks me."
Ancano, from his spot behind Savos Aren, sneers heavily, "And how would you know that the mountain is hollow inside?"
I don't even deign to gaze towards the man, "Please think before opening your mouth. You make every living being this side of the planet dumber each time you speak." I chide him with a jovial tone, making him gnash his teeth before I refocus back on the Archmage, "Ever heard of the Mind's Eye?"
Savos Aren's eyes widen at that, "...Yes, I have. A rather dangerous yet ancient Spell. A Magicka Sense, of sorts." I nod, and he leans back and sits down while cupping his chin, "I see… But what irks you about the situation?"
"Everything." Is my instant and flat answer, "Falmers are known for their stealth tactics. They fight dirty, in the dark, never directly in an open confrontation unless forced it upon them."
"They could have used the tunnels as a way to tear through our numbers, weaponized them like they always do… Yet they threw it all away instantly, and revealed themselves openly."
"That is not a Falmer tactic." Especially their push to crack the mountain open so that they could flow out in force.
That just makes no damn sense… Until I overcharged the Mind's Eye and felt something that did make me worry a great deal.
The Archmage rubs his chin thoughtfully, "First, the area will need to be fortified. We cannot risk a barrage attack like the one I've been told off." He starts off, voice soft yet loud enough to carry across the table and its occupants, "Second, we must make sure that the mountain isn't their only nest."
Phinis Gestor sighs aloud, rubbing his fingers along the creases of his forehead, "How in the hell did a nest so big go unnoticed?"
I lean back with a hum, "Probably because they came from somewhere else." I drawl out, earning everyone's attention once more, "The Falmer have made Blackreach their home since the Dwemer disappeared, and Blackreach is connected to all sorts of caves all across Skyrim."
So it would stand to reason that one such cave and tunnel led to the inside of the mountain right beside Winterhold.
Though… I do lift my gaze when everyone is just gaping my way, "What?" Why are they staring at me like I am a lunatic despite having done nothing crazy just yet?
"B-Blackreach?" Faralda repeats, "T-That place… That's a legend… Right?" What?
"No, it isn't?" Pretty sure Hildr and Aurelia did not have such reactions when I mentioned the place in the past- A right, one isn't a native of Skyrim and the other was very secluded for a while. "I've been there quite a few times, after all."
Well, not in this life, but I went there often in the game. Confusing as fuck place with a shitty ass map, but still fun to explore.
"You've… Been to Blackreach?" Savos Aren asks, fighting against his jaw to not have it gape openly at me.
I slowly nod, "Yeah? There's an entry not even that far from the Wayward Pass. Hell, there's a lot of entries to Blackreach all over Skyrim." And a lot of caves with fucking Falmer in them.
Gods, the fucking jumpscares when I played in the dark and one of them just appear out of nowhere… Beating the shit outta them bare-handed was never satisfying enough.
Also, why am I surprised about their reactions? Mages never really travel that much, so of course they haven't visited Blackreach. Not that anyone should visit that shithole, but still…
Savos gulps loudly, before he shakes his head and recovers himself, "That aside… Warn the students, and please remain vigilant. For now, we shall wait and see how the situation develops first."
Fair. The Falmer won't be able to break through my ice nowhere near soon, so just waiting to see if they have any other holes available is the best option.
Collapsing the mountain on them is also one, but that could damage Winterhold too, so… Yeah. Less destructive option it is.
I watch the teachers file out of the room, with Ancano begrudgingly doing the same too after a sharp look from Savos Aren, and I tilt my head as when I see someone else in the room.
A young woman, short of stature, but with a face I can only describe as adorable. Bright blue eyes, freckled cheeks, and long, curly brown hair resting upon a fluffy and dark coat.
Is she a teacher too? I've seen her around quite a few times since I've been here… I thought she was a student, yet why was she in here?
I shake away those thoughts and focus back on Savos Aren, idly noting that the girl is still there, just observing us quietly, arms crossed before her as she leans by the wall of the door.
"Finally done avoiding me?" I jokingly start once the door closes, receiving a flat stare from the Archmage, "I couldn't resist picking at your trauma the moment I saw you. Apologies."
The Dunmer just stares at me for several long, quiet seconds before sighing deeply, "How do you even know about such a stain on my past?"
I shrug, "There is little I do not know." I reveal mysteriously, making the man's glowing eyes glint with curiosity, "Don't worry, I won't judge you for what happened in Labyrinthian."
That genuinely surprises Savos Aren, as he reels back in surprise, "You won't judge me about how I betrayed my last surviving friends to save my life?"
I tilt my head and stare at the man, and I realize that the guilt stops him from seeing the bigger picture. "Your 'betrayal' of your two friends very likely stopped one of the most powerful Dragon Priests with one of the most powerful Artifacts in existence in his hold from conquering Skyrim."
And that is the genuine truth. Because the Staff of Magnus, here, cannot be anything but utter bullshit.
And in the hands of a Dragon Priest, such a weapon just spells disaster.
The Archmage gulps heavily, then palms his face, looking as if he aged several centuries at my words, "Thank you… I… I needed to hear that." I nod lightly at his words, "And I apologize for avoiding you for so long."
I shake my head at that, "It's alright. Gave me time to… Calm down." Mostly because I am too fucking tired to even be an idiot. It has genuinely started to become taxing, but sometimes I still manage to do it, and it still helps me relax a great deal.
"Now, onto the more serious topic…" I lean forward with a sigh and rest my arms on the table, "The Falmers are being led by a Dragon."
Savos Aren stills before his back straightens and his gaze becomes heavy and serious, "The Mind's Eye?"
I nod, "At the very edge of it. I saw its wing, side and tail, and… Sometimes, a Dragon's size also means strength."
The Archmage breathes in through is nostrils, readying himself, "How bad is it?"
I clasp my gloved hands together before answering, "Just its wing alone was bigger than the biggest Dragon I've faced so far."
"...Fuck." Yes, 'fuck' indeed.
This sudden push and attack from the Falmers is probably a way for the Dragon to gain a foothold on Skyrim, yet making it so that it doesn't draw the attention of the Dragonborn.
Probably to save its strength? But for what? Or is it even hiding from Aurelia of all people?
"For now, we can only wait and see." The Archmage states heavily before standing, then throwing a light smile my way, "I'm sure we can pick a better time to talk more in-depth." I chuckle and nod, not really against picking at his brain despite having the knowledge of Shalidor himself at my fingertips.
Different types of opinions and views can help a lot, after all.
I stand as Savos takes his leave, and I turn my gaze back towards the young woman, "And who might you be?" I question, unable to help my curiosity. Especially since Savos did not even glance my way.
The girl perks up at my question, and her gaze flicks around before looking towards me. Then, very slowly, her eyes widen when she realizes that I am looking straight at her.
"Are you…" She starts, her voice sounding very cute and soft, almost like a faint whisper, "Are you talking to me?"
I tilt my head at her question, then cross my arms with a sigh, "Yes, I am talking to you." Her eyes widen even further, and I finally understand what is going on.
"You can see me?!" The very short young woman nearly shouts, visible delight on her face.
"Yes, I can." I sigh once more. Wait, delight? "Are you using Invisibility to sneak where you shouldn't?" If so, how the fuck can I see her?
My words, strangely enough, only evoke more delight from the young woman, who pounces forward with a near-squeal of giddiness, "Oh by the Eight and the Daedric Princes! You can see me!"
I uncross my arms, just… speechless at her reaction. "Could it be because you are an Undead? Or maybe the Dragon Priest Mask- No, Lah said that Krosis's mask had the power of Cold Flame, so that can't be it. Maybe a unique thing about Undead beings? Or your absurd growth? Your Magicka reserves did spike by more than ten times around a month ago, and you have more Magicka than that Savos brat, so maybe the reserves are the why you can see me-"
I take a step back as the young woman just starts talking non-stop, both shocking me at the fact that she knows about what I am, which I believe only Savos knows so far, and at the fact she knows about Krosis and his mask so well-
...Wait a fucking second… Lah?
Lah, the Great Sage. Aurelia told me about him, after Paarthurnax told her.
A Dragon feared for his perfect mastery over dozens of Shouts, and known to have a fascination with Magic.
How does she know that name?
"How do you know that name?" I cut the woman's rambling off with a sharp question, making her pause and stare up at me in confusion, "Lah. That name. Where did you learn of it?"
Wait… Wait, wait, wait… Her words were 'Lah said-'… Who the fuck is she-
"It's my husband's name?" The young woman states as if it is the most obvious thing in the world, before she slaps her own forehead with a curse, "Right, I have not introduced myself, apologies for my bad manners!"
Jumping back and smoothing out her dark robes, the young woman offers me a brilliant smile and her hand, "My name is Kara, it is a pleasure to meet you and finally be able to talk to someone after so many Eras!"
Kara… I've read that name before…
Yes, I have. In Shalidor's notes. He mentioned his wife leaving him… With his daughter, Kara.
"You're Shalidor's daughter…" She is the second Archmage of the College, Shalidor's successor…
And the woman who married a Dragon, and created the original Draconic Chant, together with the Chants that uses normal words.
Kara's smile turns sharp, a hint of disdain in her bright blue eyes.
"Yup. The one and only descendant of that piece of shit two-bit Mage and son of a fucking diseased Skeever fucked by a cockroach with-"
Okay, calm down, Satan.
...I like her already.
And why can I fucking see ghosts no one else can?!
A.N. Honestly, I had considered hinting at Kara's existence for a while.
Some mentions of Leonidas noticing a curly haired woman walking around, a mentions of a Kara in Shalidor's journal…
But then I feared none would notice it or question it, so I decided to go along with the surprise drop.
Lah and Kara are going to be very important characters down the line, and yes they are both AU, of course.
Also, they are some of the most OP motherfuckers I've ever created, not that it really counts since everyone is OP in this fic…
Either way, hope y'all enjoyed this chappy!
If you want to read FIVE CHAPTERS ahead, then hop on over to my ! Or not, ya ain't being forced!
p at re on SamuraiCheem
Toodles!