Static (A Short Story)
Entry posted by Collygon
1,534 views
Hey guys!
It's been a long time. I haven't given an explanation for my absence and you all deserve one. I'm really sorry. The short story is I haven't had any motivation. I wanted to want to work on my stuff, but that is as far as it ever went. This went beyond just my stories and mods but into my other activities too. I didn't know how to fix this so I decided that instead of forcing myself, I should just remove myself instead. I decided not to return until I really, truly wanted to and did not feel obligated to. After a while, I was doing a lot better.
To spur my motivation, I decided to do something a little different by writing a short story instead of a new chapter/act. It is a different style than I have done before, but I hope it works out.
Let's Begin.
Warning: This is not a happy story.
*static noises*
Voice: Hello? Is this working?
Voice: No... It's not. Am I supplying the mana correctly?
*static noises continue*
Voice: Maybe if I just focus it here...
*static noises stop*
Voice: Maybe I ca-
Voice: Oh! That's it!
Voice: Uh. Um, hello! My name is Claire. I am an aspiring mage working to save my village from starvation.
Claire: It started a month ago. The crops began to wilt and the river began to dry.
Claire: A week after that people started to die. I... No one knows what caused this to happen. But after after this long it is clear that it isn't going to change.
Claire: But, um... I know a little magic and alchemy. I think I found a way to grow food again; at least, I think so anyway.
Claire: I'll be documenting my progress on this seeing-eye gem. Preparation begins tomorrow, uh... I'll see you then.
Claire: -should be on now... I think-
Voice: FUCK!
Voice: Why the fuck is the bottle empty!? GrrrrrRAAAH!
*glass shattering*
Claire: Uh... Oh, please not now.
Claire: P-Pa? There's more mead in the cab-
Voice: You shut the fuck up! I'll find it myself, goddammit...
Claire: S-sorry...
Claire: That's, um... that's my Pa. He's never been very, er... stable. But-
*glass shattering*
Voice: Fucks sake...
Claire: Nevermind. I'm going to get right to the point.
Claire: My Ma's been bedridden for weeks. She was finally starting to make a recovery before the drought-uh, that's what we've started calling it-, but ever since we haven't been able to give her enough nutrients.
Claire: The village's preserves are growing low and the men in charge are considering leaving the sick and dying behind. We need to replenish the stores by growing more food, but without the river we aren't able to.
Claire: I think I found a way t-
Voice: HEY! You freeloading bitch!
Claire: Oh no...
Voice: When are you gonna pull some weight around here!?
Claire: He's going to hurt Ma. I-I'm sorry, I have to sto-
Claire: Hello. It's been three days since my last update. Ma is fine; should be asleep, and Pa is... drunk.
Claire: That's him there. He's drank himself into a stupor so we should be okay for a couple hours.
Claire: But back to the business at hand. I've made a lot of progress on my experiment and it is time to finally begin testing.
Claire: Using alchemy I've altered a tomato plant's biological constitution rendering it capable of photosynthesizing with a single source rather than three. From there I-Did I lose you? Um, basically a plant only needs one source to grow. That source...
Claire: Is this petty soul gem. Yes, it is currently filled with a petty soul. I figured it is best to start small. That's not confusing, right?
Claire: Basically it will only need a soul gem to thrive. The plant will wrap it's roots around the gem and use the soul to feed it.
Claire: That's the plan, anyway. I'm really confident that this will work! I'm going to start first thing in the morning! Be back then.
Claire: Hello. Today is Fredas, 11th day of Last Seed.
Claire: At first dawn the gem was given to the plant for... I'm sorry I can't keep sounding so official. It works!
Claire: This morning there wasn't even a bud! Then, in just a few hours, ripened tomatoes were hanging from the stems, nearly toppling the plant over!
Claire: I couldn't believe it! Until... well, until I actually plucked the tomatoes.
Claire: The instant they were removed they started to rot. The glistening red skin crinkled and festered into a moldy purple and black in seconds.
Claire: Then only ash fell through my fingers as the wind carried their dissolved husks away.
Claire: But I'm not giving up! The tomatoes simply didn't get enough power to keep sustained by themselves. If I can just get a more powerful...
Claire: ...soulgem. N-no, that can't- It was hard enough to get the petty one... How-
Claire: N-nevermind.
Claire: I will begin tests with a common and greater soul gem as soon as I can and update my progress here.
Claire: Claire here. It is Morndas, 14th day of Last Seed; just tuning in with a small update.
Claire: It took some time, but I was finally able to procure a common and greater soul gem. They're actually really hard to come across.
Claire: I have already planted them so I should have results by tomorrow. Which... it really has to work by then...
Claire: The village is running out of time. Six days ago the death toll was minor; our biggest loss were those already dying and then the chickens.
Claire: The remaining livestock died yesterday; our goats, cow, and even the neighbor's dog, Bosco. Tomorrow the preserves will be gone. If this doesn't work then... No.
Claire: No! It will work! I won't give up until it does! I'll return with more progress soon! See you then.
Claire: ...
Claire: ...Tirdas... 15th of Last Seed... It... It didn't work.
Claire: We're out of food and... and... M-mother...
Claire: ...died. Her body couldn't take it anymore.
Claire: I haven't seen Pa since.
Claire: I'm- kzzzzzzt -isn't- kzzzzzzt -back...
Claire: But if he does he'll take it out on me...
Claire: I only- kzzzzzzt -option. I- kzzzzzzt -speak- kzzzzzzt -it.
Claire: I probably shouldn't say this, but... The gems I have been getting?
Claire: They're- kzzzzzzt -him. I've h- kzzzzzzt -offer- kzzzzzzt -to him.
Claire: I-huh? What are you...
Claire: kzzzzzzt -here?- kzzzzzzt -Is that- kzzzzzzt -gem? I didn't ev- kzzzzzzt
Claire: kZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzt!
Claire: Middas, 16th day of Last Seed. I-I'm going into the final test.
Claire: Pa also returned an hour ago... H-he collapsed on the floor, drunk. He's asleep, so... so for now I'm okay.
Claire: Now what I'm about to show you is a grey area in magical law.
Claire: Possession isn't illegal nor is fabrication, but usage is... well... I don't know.
Claire: But I won't let anyone else die.
Claire: If this doesn't work then nothing w-
Voice: Nnngh.... zzzzzzz...
Claire: -Nothing will.
Claire: I-I have to be quiet else wake Pa. But here...
Claire: A black soul gem.
Claire: The only gem capable of containing the soul of a human.
Claire: There is no greater alternative. The power inside of this is... it's horrifying.
Claire: Someone gave their life for th-
Voice: zzzzzzz... nnuuuuuhhhh...
Claire: Pa is waking up.
Voice: nnnnn-huh?...ughhh
Claire: I can't let him get his hands on this gem. I-it's too important. He'll ju-
Voice: What... the fuck 're you doin' 'ere?
Claire: P-Pa it's me. I-
*glass shattering*
Voice: Shutup!
Pa: You worthless little bitch...
Pa: You know magic, huh? Why not save your own Mum then?
Claire: P-Pa I-I've been trying! Really!
Pa: You're s'pposed to take of yer folks!
Claire: Pa please! I-
Pa: Shutup!
Claire: Ah!
Pa: You stay there until you've learned your lesson!
Pa: You- kzzzzzzt -worthless- kzzzzzzt -a daughter!
Pa: I swear I'll- Huh?
Pa: Who in- kzzzzzzt -are- kzzzzzzt -Get out- kzzzzzzt -my hou-
Pa: Gaaaaaaah!
Pa: Aaaa- kzzzzzzt -aaaaaaa- kzzzzzzt -aaaaah!
Pa: kZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzt!
Claire: ... I...
Claire: ...It is... um... I don't know the day...
Claire: ...It's still here... His body...
Claire: I messed up...
Claire: The deal was that I couldn't be harmed... I... I thought...
Claire: This should count. This should count. This should count!
Claire: I didn't think they needed to be filled. I...
Claire: I... I was supposed to save us... I... It was going to work...
Claire: He played me. He killed Pa and took his soul right from his body.
Claire: "As Requested" He told me... as he dropped it onto my lap... Then he said he'd get me more. Enough for an entire garden. I think I blacked out... but I only remember waking up to screams... and... and... a pile of them on the doorstep...
Claire: The village... everyone is dead... and it's all my fault. This is my last update. Goodbye.
The fire in the hearth crackled and popped, shooting embers into the air like a hail of arrows. The heat settled in the house like a heavy fog, warming Oathbreaker's tunic. Weeper insisted they light it when they entered the house, desperate to fend off the bitter chill from outside.
This was the first mission the two of them had been assigned together. A small village in the northwestern hills of Skyrim was wiped off the map in a matter of minutes. It was their job to find out why. It was perfect for breaking the new recruit in; little chances of danger and plenty of exposure to the horrors of the job.
Oathbreaker knew very little of Weeper save that he is an Orc and devastatingly skilled at conjuration. It was the latter that resulted in his induction into the Mortuus Magiern. Before that, the Mortuus Magiern numbered only three; Grave Hound, Jester, and Oathbreaker. It was about time they were brought back to full strength, but before that could happen, Weeper had to be trained. Which is how the two of them ended up here, hunched together by fire in the hearth of an abandoned home in a murdered village, watching the final moments caught by a seeing-eye gem.
As the final seconds came to an end, Oathbreaker twisted the gem in his hand, trying to wrap his head around what he just experienced.
Oathbreaker: That's it. It just ends.
Weeper: Just like that? Damn. She didn't explain much at the end there.
Oathbreaker gazed into the gem and sighed.
Oathbreaker: She was traumatized, Weeper. I'm surprised she managed to even say that.
Weeper: Well we've explored the rest of the village and that is the best we have. You think she was responsible for it all?
Oathbreaker: She had big role to play in her village's demise, yes. But she was not responsible.
Oathbreaker: Crops don't suddenly begin to die and rivers don't run empty unless something caused it. I'm sure you can feel the daedric presence lingering here.
Weeper: Of course. But she was summoning one to give her the soul gems. We know that.
Oathbreaker shook his head. He was hoping Weeper could figure such a common summoning trick out, given his history.
Oathbreaker: Close. But this daedra was not summoned, Weeper. It was already here.
Weeper steps back, befuddled. He begins to retort but cuts himself off as the realization hits him.
Weeper: How did you kn- The feedback.
Oathbreaker smiles, an expression made futile by the guise given to him by the order.
Oathbreaker: Exactly. Summoned daedra form a link with their summoner so their presence doesn't interfere with one another, such as with spells, other summons, and, in this case, seeing-eye gems.
Weeper: Of course. How did I overlook that?
Oathbreaker: Details are key, especially in our line of work.
Now Weeper shook his head.
Weeper: So the daedra was planning to destroy the village all along...
Oathbreaker: It just wanted the most entertaining way of doing so.
Oathbreaker: And what better way than to drive a young mage mad. Sickening.
They stand together in silence, both their attention taken by the same thing.
Weeper: So... what are we going to do about her?
Oathbreaker grinds his teeth. No amount of experience could ever make him used to this.
Oathbreaker: Whatever there is we can...
Oathbreaker: She has suffered enough.
Author's Note:
If there is any confusion, no, Oathbreaker and Weeper did NOT kill Claire. It was suicide. I tried to make it clear by the toppled chair below her feet. Also, if you read The Rise of the Queen, you CAN consider this canon. It is a little installment of Oathbreaker's and Weeper's past that would otherwise never have been mentioned if not for this short story.
Thanks for reading.
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