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Entry 20: Helgen Harder - Nothing Lasts Forever (Except Me)
EnragedBard posted a blog entry in Destana is NOT the Dragonborn!
Hey, it's me, Destana. Last time I took a few days helping the Keepers of Haatu (Imperial independent freedom fighters hunting Thalmor) get some support from the Stormcloaks, my old boys. Marcus Jannus is set to start hiring builders to rebuild Helgen as soon as I finish mustering forces. I'm on a timetable for my next Dark Brotherhood mission - kill the Gourmet then kill the Emperor. This is probably going to shake up the whole province a lot and potentially the whole continent. Get ready! The couple of days after the Falmer Pit, the Stormcloaks needed time to get the message and then get down to Helgen. So I went to Helgen and relaxed, bringing me to 5 of 12 days until the Assassination. When they showed up, they also brought some nice new armor for the existing men, and I could tell more civilians were beginning to show up. Already some men were clearing away the rubble left in the dragon's wake. The next few days after that had me welcoming the new men and taking them on training missions. Made me feel kinda like a low-level helper guy, but I guess I am skilled in many forms of combat, so why not. Of course, there was a lot of hand-holding, as not even a lot of adventuring types could handle this level of challenge. And I brought Shirley, Inigo and Sofia, because some of these ruins were particularly bad and they really made it quicker and smoother. Also, I figured it would be better to give each individual a taste of fighting in a group. First, I took a guy on a vampire and draugr-infested ruin. "Yeah, let's destroy the vampire scum!" "I hate vampires!" And a couple of lever puzzles. And a lot of explosions. I picked up some fire bolts and arrows, and a couple new destruction spells from the Manantis vendor when I got the teleport tome. Just the highlights. Next, a warlock. The first room had two necromancers, entirely stealth killed my me. The second room had a group of necromancer corpses and some undead. I can only guess they bit off more than they could chew. Next room had an arch necromancer on a pedestal with a bunch of cronies and enthralled undead. I focused bow fire on the arch while my guys fought the others. We continued fighting our way through until the end. 6 days gone, when we got back to Helgen I roused Korst from his bed at 3 am. I turned in the quest and got ready for the next guy. It would be so helpful if I didn't have to sleep. As little as I already do, if I could keep going 24 hours a day it'd be nice. Next, bandits! It was close, so we just went on foot. Caught a cave bear on the way there. I was worried it would be a large group of bandits, but they were sleeping. And they were legit idiots, so we picked off about half of them before they even came after us. Also, I noticed Shirley was dual-wielding skull-tipped goblin staves instead of her normal greatsword. I thought that was peculiar. After that, ghosts in a cave! Well, it was actually a Dremora Warlock summoning shades. But there was a ghostly little girl involved. I returned and got some sleep. Now it was day 7. "What you got next, Korst?" "Some archaeologists dug too deep and they need help with what they found. They rawwawwawwn for their lives! Hahaha!" I raised an eyebrow, "This is more and more random. Okay. How many more of these guys do you have that need me to go on individual sessions to toughen them up?" "One more after this one," he replied. So I hurried off with my group. Archaeology guys. Yep, I don't remember this one. Last one was supposedly draugr, but the place was almost entirely filled with strong bandits. My guess was that the bandits cleared out the ruin so they'd have a base of operations. But we cleared them out. And they had quite the trove of treasure. They had a few captains and two chiefs! One of the chiefs was wearing Ebony Plate, which I handed to Shirley. Anyway, I slept and it was day 7. We were finally done with guard training. "Korst," I said, "These guys could hold off an Imperial assault while being attacked by dragons. I'm done with this. Marcus around?" "Yeah, he wanted to see you," he replied. I walked up to the ground level of the Keep to find him sitting at a table. "Friend!" He said, "Good news. We found one of the towers that had been blocked by rubble is entirely intact. It's an old guard station, with an armory below that opens up to a cavern. I know you like dungeon exploring, so I figured I'd offer the tower to you." I nodded, "Sure. It can be a home while I'm here. A good safehouse. Need my help with anything else?" "Well, there is a shipment of lumber we were going to use to start the buildout that's way overdue," Marcus replied. "Alright, got a few more days to kill," I said, heading over. I walked into the Dead Man's Drink and said to Reinhardt, "What's with this lumber shipment?" "Got a guy injured who's convalescing on your job. It'll be a little bit," he replied, "If you did want to saw it yourself, though..." "You want me to saw the lumber I ordered?" "I only got a deposit. I can deduct the cost from your manual labor," he replied. I walked up to the machine and pulled the lever. But nothing happened. I looked at my group, "What? I'm not a lumberjack. I dunno how these work." "So Reinhardt finally found someone willing to saw the logs for free," a man said, "Man has no shame." "What do you mean free?" "Since my cousin Bolund's had his back problems, I came in to fill in for him and he hasn't paid me a septim." "Why hasn't he paid you?" I asked. "I have an idea, but I've said too much already." "How about this, I'll pay you 1000 gold to saw these logs. You deserve to eat," I said, "Criminal is what this is." "I'll do it and more for that!" He replied, "I can tell you that Bolund isn't hurt. He just refuses to work for free. Reinhardt is gambling away all the money! It's the damned Fight Cave. He's addicted." Reinhardt strolled out of the inn at about this time and I accosted him. "What's with this I hear you not paying your workers?" I asked, "I know about the fight cave." "Damn! Caught! Those damn workers can't keep their mouths shut. Well, is there any way you can help me with this?" He asked. "Why should I help you, liar?" "It'll be weeks before you get your lumber unless you do." "Alright. What do I need to do?" "I bet my last bit of money on you in the fight cave, and you win!" Reinhardt said, "It's like an underground arena. No need to tell you the rules, since there are none! Except that it's only men and mer." "Couldn't I just pay off your debt? I'm swimming in gold at this point," I folded my arms. "Nah, c'mon. It'll be fun! Besides, if you give me money, I owe you. And if you contribute your hard work I won't owe you anything!" "That sounds a lot like the rationale you used on those guys working for you," I replied, "But actually, I think I want to fight in an arena. Test my skills a little." "That's the spirit! And don't talk to me if you see me in there. I'll deny everything. Here's a pass," he handed me the paper. I dashed off... and noticed it was like, just across the road from the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary. I should let those guys know about that. I ventured in and told my group to wait for me in the crowd. They immediately realized I wasn't who the pass was meant for, but didn't have any qualms with sticking me on the blue team. My first match, an Orc, decked out in Orcish armor with a sword and shield. I want to say it was an epic battle, but I decided I was going to win. As the announcer hyped up the crowd, I readied two new spell acquisitions: Crying Eye and Invisibility. At the drop of the flag, I cast crying eye on the orc, partially blinding him. Then, Invisibility. I walked around behind him and slit his throat. He was dead before he hit the ground. "Sorry, not a big hype competitor. I'm more of a straight-up murderer," I chuckled. The crowd heckled me. I was definitely a heel. I collected 250 gold from winning then returned to Wiglaf to get my next fight. "You impressed out there. What do you want your Pit Fighter name to be?" He asked, then gave me a few suggestions. "I think, Widow Maker is a good one." "Next fight?" He asked. "Next fight," I replied, then we returned to the pit. My next challenge was a man in dwemer armor with closed helm named Vald the Impaler. Sounds... familiar? Anyway, I decided I would give the crowd more of a show this time and not immediately murder the guy. I sized him up as Wiglaf hyped up the crowd. One-handed sword and no offhand. Maybe a half-caster. I put a ward in my offhand and went with Dawnfang. I put up the ward and his immediate response was to use some kind of drain spell. He swung his sword and I side-stepped. I slashed him in the back a couple times, then took out my shield. Between bashing his drain away and slashing him up, I had him down in a couple minutes. I'm sure the crowd liked it a little more, though they booed again. I collected my winnings and sat down with the group to a meal. It was evening now and I'd been fighting and cutting wood and traveling all day, and I wasn't sure if I'd slept enough the past few days. "Are you feeling tired, friend?" Inigo asked. "So you can tell?" I asked, "I am beat. But I think I want to finish when I'm doing now before I go back and rest." "There're beds downstairs," Shirley said. "I'm alright. Next battle!" I said. My next fight was a spellcaster named Ulnaril. I figured I might beat him at his own game and readied my spells. Strangely, as Wiglaf was announcing, I could FEEL the sun setting. Like it really mattered to me. First, Pride of Hirstaang, which summons a bear. Because I have the very basic study of conjuration that makes their spells use less magicka, I can cast it. Then, Elemental Bolts, although the bear did most of the work. I collected my winnings and pressed on. Brutus, a heavily armored two-handed fighter. I considered the approach I would take this time. Probably going head on wasn't the best. This time, I got into sneak and got to the farthest corner of the arena while Wiglaf spoke. I got out my bow and racked an Ice Arrow. "Begin!" Wiglaf shouted, and I sniped Brutus with an Ice Arrow to the face. He slowly struggled, walking towards me. The second hit him in the body and laid him out, but he downed a potion that restored him to full health. I licked my lips, nocking another arrow. He just couldn't catch a break, as I shot him in the neck. He was mere feet from me now as I got another shot and he fell to his knees. So I dropped the bow and made it a good show for the crowd. I pulled out Dawnfang and slit the guy's throat. I win. Finally, a Breton with skills of magic and blade. What to do...? I decided I would go with my strongest skill. At the beginning of the match I casted Invisibility and fired an arrow to get a good sneak attack in to a vital point. Unfortunately, I only had one Ice Arrow left, so I switched to regular arrows. He put up a ward, and answered my volley with Elemental Bolts. It was a damage race, and he was chugging potions between blasts. But at one point he lost sight of me and I got a lucky sneak attack headshot and finished him off. I got my winnings, again, and returned to Wiglaf. "Geez! You're going through all our best guys in one day!" He said, "If you want to fight one last one, it's our grand champion. He specifically asked for you. Make no mistake - this Khajit is one tough opponent." And we were back in the pit. Since he was so tough, I figured I'd go for a cheap win again. Crying Eye, Invis, throat cut. It didn't work. He resisted my crying eye. He saw right through my Invisibility and took little damage. I booked it out of his reach, to which he summoned a sabre cat. So I summoned the Pride of Hirstaang. I took down the Sabre Cat with a well placed stab to the back while my bear fought him. Just when he was about to go down, he downed an Ultimate Potion. During this time I was getting behind him and he downed my bear! I saw my opportunity and took it, slitting his throat for real this time. Whew. That one was actually difficult. And I'm glad I didn't engage him. When I checked the body I realized he was carrying a sword of paralyze. Good thing my bear was extra tough. I got back to Reinhardt at around midnight, having fought all day, and he was hanging out by the waterfall at the edge of town for some reason. The first two shipments were free, the rest heavily discounted, and I made a boatload of money (about 5k) on pit fighting. I went back to Marcus and told him all about it. He thanked me and sent me back to Val. Time to sleep. Okay, Day 8. You know those days when the sun just sucks and you don't want to get out of bed? This was that day. But I was determined to finish getting rid of this slave outfit soon. I talked to Val, who confirmed the Thalmor are selling slaves here in Skyrim. He told me I should go see the whore Korst had been talking about at the Tall Mast Tavern. Geez, great detective work. I could've told you that a week ago. I rode over on Shadowmere. It was south of Solitude and west of Morthal, but we were able to make it by noon. I approached Dianna, literally the first whore I saw. "Hey there, what can I do for you?" "I'm looking for a man named Aerendil," I said. "C'mon, that can't be all you're here for. How about we spend a little time alone?" She asked. Strangely enough, I wasn't really feeling like it. Maybe it was how tired I was. "I'll give you double your normal rate if you just tell me what I want to know," I folded my arms. "Alright. One of the other girls is his regular. She told me one of his associates (Maenan) is staying at the Winking Skeever in Solitude," she said, "Sure that's all you need?" "Yep. Thanks," I said. "What a shame," she replied. And we were on our way to Solitude... always Solitude. I approached Maenan in the Skeever. "Looking for a man named Aerendil." "You must have me mistaken for someone else," he replied. "Word is you're involved in the slave trade," I said back. "Preposterous!" "You can talk or I can gut you, right here. In the Inn." "Yes, yes. I'm probably no match for you. You wouldn't hurt a defenseless man, would you?" He said flatly. "Talk." "Very well. But only if you don't hurt me," he was pleading like a coward, but his voice was very even toned, "I've never actually met Aerendil. I only met Guunlaug, one of his associates. He smuggles the product out of Skyrim." "Where can I find him?" I asked. "I don't know exactly, but I do know they have a base out of an old shipwreck northwest of here." "No 'product' shipments today," I said, walking away, "Oh, and, get the hell out of Skyrim or you're a dead man." We cruised up to the shipwreck and steamrolled the few slavers and bandits there, then we headed up to Orphan's Tear mine. What a sad name. There we were from room-to-room, slaughtering the bandits and slavers until we came upon some captives. We'd finished off their entire operation, including Guunlaug. "Will you make sure the coast is clear so my family and I can escape?" I nodded, walking back outside while the others undid their restraints. Aerendil was waiting for me with a paralysis spell. It was much like the Jailer's paralysis, but even stronger. They carried me, stiff as a board, onto a ship of some kind, leaving the captives and my allies without a clue where I was. I finally regained feeling and got to my feet in the hold of a ship. "Good to see you're finally coming around," Aerendil's voice was the snootiest I had ever heard, even for an Altmer. He was wearing Thalmor robes, with a glass armored guard next to him. "What do you want?" I folded my arms. Villains always like to try to make deals, and this guy was starting to sound like a capital 'V.' "I just want to talk. You're caused me quite a bit of trouble, you know," he replied, "Did you think slaughtering a whole dispatch of Thalmor, and Justicars would go unnoticed by the Dominion? Were it not for me, this fetid little town you operate out of would've been razed to the ground by now. Do you realize that I could've killed you while you were paralyzed? This is a very powerful paralysis that took me years to master. Even I can only use it ever so often, lest it tire me out." I stood there, waiting for him to continue monologuing. "I know everything. Marcus Jannus and Valerius Artora, and the remnants of the Keepers of Haatu have been a thorn in my side before. Their time and yours is about to end." "Well you did kill Val's family. What did you expect?" "Expect? I expect them to die," Aerendil laughed, "Same as any who don't serve the Dominion. The era of men has come and gone. You know, we were once a very patient people. But that patience has worn thin." "So, again. What do you want?" I said, getting annoyed, "You must not have killed me for some reason." "Yes, yes, good. We're not so different, you and I," he sneered. HE IS A SUPERVILLAIN! "I killed the man's family. You killed my men," he explained, "We're both murderers. It's all a matter of perspective." "Look, I never said I wasn't a murderer. You can't moral high-ground me, because I don't care what you have to say. Tell me what you want." "You will go get Valerius Tiberius Artora and hand him over to me at the prison where you killed my men." "Why would I do that?" "Because if you don't, Marcus Jannus will die," he explained. "So you kidnapped him too?" I sighed. "You just can't be too careful these days. Out for a stroll, who's to say if you get kidnapped? Anyway," he blasted me with the paralysis spell again, "Think about it. Either Marcus or Valerius dies. Either way, it's a win for me." They carried me back out to the shore and dumped me there. I booked it on Shadowmere and was there by nightfall. "Val!" I shouted, "Aerendil captured Marcus!" "Godsdammit!" He said back. He turned to Falco, who'd been training near him, "What do you know about this?" "I swear, I don't know anything!" Falco said. "He reacted awfully violently to that," I said flatly. "You and I are the only ones who knew where Marcus was going. How did they know everything we were doing? How did they know where Korst was hiding before? All very convenient." "I don't know anything, I swear!" "Tie him up, Korst!" Korst grappled him while the other soldiers stripped him of his armor and threw some burlap rags on him, dragging him down to the deep levels of the keep. "Alright, Falco," Val said, "You're a liar and a traitor. Aerendil knew what we were planning every step of the way! I saw you, two nights ago when you met with that messenger. I should kill you right now!" He was silent. "How could you betray me and all your brothers??" Val yelled, "Tell me!" "They... they have my sister and her children. They're all I have left," Falco responded finally. "You're a fool. Your sister and her family are dead or slaves by now," he shook his head, "Korst, lock him up downstairs. We'll deal with him later." Val turned to me, "What does Aerendil want us to do?" "The million septim question," I said, "You and I are to go alone to the Thalmor prison." Val stood there for a moment, then he said, "I guess today is a good day to die." Between the interrogation and the travel, we were there just about by sunrise. Day 9. "Godsdammit," I said, despondently, "Does the sun seem unusually bright to you?" Val raised an eyebrow, "No, not really." We headed inside. "Aerendil! We came! Let Marcus go!" Val shouted as he ran into the room to the right. "What are you doing?" Marcus asked. "It's the only way, Marcus," Val said back, hand on his blade, "This ends here and now." "So we finally meet at last," Aerendil smirked, "I must say, you fall short of your legends." "Let him go!" Val growled. "All in due time. You know, I still remember the look on your son's face from all those years ago. I remember my men saying he squealed like a girl when they beat him," he pontificated. Val looked at me, then back at Aerendil. I could tell the look of pure, unholy rage in his eyes. "... and your wife and daughter moaned like whores as my men ravaged them again, and again, and again," he continued. "I'll kill you!" Val shouted, and went for his sword, but Aerendil was too quick, blasting him with the advanced paralyze spell. But I'd already drawn a dagger covertly behind my back while he was talking. And he didn't have men in the room with him. Foolish. I stepped toward while his arms were still raised, finishing the cast of the paralysis spell on Val, and I sent my blade directly into his heart. He was already dead when the two guards rushed in. I charged to Val, blades slashing over his paralyzed form to protect him. One after one, the guards poured in and I cut them down. I knew there were more Thalmor here and I rushed after them, destroying the last few with my bow. When I got back to Marcus and Val, I opened the cell. "What did Aerendil do to him?" "Some kind of paralysis spell. But this one is even stronger than the one that affected me," I explained. Marcus kneeled down Val, who could squeeze out words now. "That... bastard..." Val said. "We're going to find a way to get you out of here," Marcus said. I felt his chest, then his neck, "His heart is slowing. Is this paralysis meant to stop everything, even the heart? Surely there's something we can do!" "Hang on!" Marcus shouted. "No... no.... I think... my journey has come to an end," Val said, "I can see Sabrina... my children. They're grown now..." "Go to them, old friend," Marcus said. I could feel myself beginning to tear up. Korst rushed in, "No! Commander!" But he was already gone, his heart stopped. Then the other soldiers followed. Marcus shook his head, "I'm sorry, friend. I think we need some time alone with him. We'll transport him back to Helgen." "I understand," I replied. "We'll wait until tomorrow morning. Then we'll have a service, if you'd like to come," Marcus said.I nodded. I decided it was time to go to my private tower and sleep. I know it was daytime, but I felt very weak. I slept all day, then studied new spells all night, and stored some of my junk in the tower. Day 10, I went outside to the funeral. "Most likely if this were a proper military funeral, there would be music," Marcus said, "A war ballad. Or a lullaby, to put a warrior to rest." I pulled out my lute and started to play a somber song from Morrowind. They all said a few words, then Cienna set fire to the funeral pyre. After it was over, Marcus and I went down to the prison. Now to deal with Falco. As I passed Manara, a new civilian, an older lady, she said, "Are you feeling alright dear? You look a bit ill." I shook my head, "I'm alright." When we reached the prison, Korst already had the man out for us. "Well, you succeeded in getting Valerius killed. I hope you're proud of yourself," Marcus said. "I'm sorry... my sister," Falco said. "You actually thought you could negotiate with those maggots?" Marcus said humorlessly. "What should I do with you?" Marcus asked. "He is a traitor. He should die a traitor's death," Korst said. "What do you think?" Marcus asked me. "I'm inclined to agree," I folded my arms, "He almost got me killed. I can do it if you want." And, of course, I used my signature move and slit his throat. Marcus sighed, but whether from having to have a comrade killed or from relief, I wasn't sure. Another high ranking Thalmor had been dealt in, but there would be more. "Friend, it seems all I'm doing lately is thanking you," Marcus said. "No problem. You guys are good people, especially Valerius," I replied, "Any updates on the build?" "Good news so far. Patsy will be running the Inn. Cienna and Balfring will be retiring and taking up jobs in the town. And we'll have an alchemy shop too. Korst will never retire. An old soldier at heart." "How about you?" I asked. "Think I'll set up a shop here. We have a lot of new people asking to live here. I'm not going to be mayor or anything though. We're going town council. And none of this would be possible without you." "Damn right," I smirked. He chuckled, "Come by anytime." "Have you considered..." I thought, "The extended families of the people who lived here might want their kinsman's land?" Marcus smiled, "I hadn't thought about it. But this place wouldn't be livable if not for us. So they are welcome to live here, if they want." It was afternoon on day 10, and I decided it was probably time to check back in to the Sanctuary. We had two days left, but it seemed like I really needed a rest. As soon as I stepped through the black door, my heart started pounding. I could feel my blood boiling, like a beast was screaming in my ears. After a few seconds, the feeling passed. Was this... another similar situation to the word walls and the shouting? I took a deep breath and let it out. I seemed fine for the time being. Maybe... maybe sleep would help me. So I slept until day 11. And when I woke, I was hungry. As hell. I ran outside. "There she is!" A man yelled to his two companions. Three hired thugs rushed at me. Evidently they'd been tracking me for some time. "I unsheathed my sword and immediately beheaded the first one," I looked at the sword. Wha...? "Shor's bones! Look at her!" One of the others yelled, and they both ran. I found myself chasing after them. The first one I seemed to move really fast towards, which I slit his throat. The second one, I impaled from the front and he collapsed, a burned corpse. I looked at the dead men. Godsdamn I was hungry or... thirsty. I needed something. Something felt... very wrong. I ate a cheese from my pack, but it seemed useless, as did the waterskin I'd been drinking from and refilling for years. Nothing could sate me. Unless.... I looked down at the one man whose corpse I hadn't completely destroyed. It looked... appetizing. I crept over and bit into him, drinking his blood. It felt good. I was sated. I crawled over and looked at myself in the black pool. My form was darkened, but I could see my eyes were glowing like fire. I was a vampire. Gods... what to do now. I'm a vampire. That damned arena guy infected me. I mean, it could've been Hern, or maybe the vampires we killed in the cave while I was training soldiers, but the timing was right for Vald. I decided, I had one more day before it was time to assassinate the Emperor. For the time being, I was stuck like this. I would go see the Dawnguard and see if they knew more than the general public. And I would kill the Gourmet myself. -
Entry 19: Helgen Hard - Better Imperial Than Thalmor
EnragedBard posted a blog entry in Destana is NOT the Dragonborn!
Hey, it's me, Destana. Last time Runa became Listener of the Dark Brotherhood and we started on a plot to assassinate the Emperor, but it would take nearly two weeks due to travel for preparations to be made and him to get to Skyrim. Sanguine returned to Oblivion. Damien is studying to be a mage at Winterhold and potentially Manantis. Fenrir is staying with Ulfric for a little while, his birth father. I know I said I wasn't going to get him involved if he didn't want to, but we'd never discussed it after the first time and I thought it would be good for the boy. Also, Ulfric never married or had children, so I was starting to wonder if he needed somebody to court him and force having an heir upon him. That's probably not the nicest way to say that. Eh, well. I was the one who popped a baby out and raised him (somewhat) so I figured I had some kind of leg to stand on here. So I had 12 days to burn. I figured I would wear real armor today. It made me look more official, like an emissary of something. Or whatever. I ran by Windstad to find my housecarl just by himself passing the time. Gods, the house felt empty. I slipped on my Crusader armor and headed to Whiterun, because the man who sent me letters said he would be there. As I walked into the gate, two men wearing dragon-like masks approached me, "Are you the one they call Dragonborn?" "The greybeards seem to think so," I replied. They attacked, but with the help of the guards, they were easily dispatched. Why attack somebody in the middle of a hold? After that, a dragon immediately attacked. Sigh. That's definitely how not to convince me to do that job. So anyway, I walked into the Drunken Huntsman, looking for the man. "Ah! It's you!" I turned to find a haggard-looking man. "My master and I recently came from Cyrodiil. He sent me to find you. It seems a band of bandits had been using Helgen as their own base for the past few years, waylaying travellers under the guise of refugees. You're a bit famous down south. Heard you've been fighting dragons. I saw the one outside before ye felled it. He was wondering if you would help us out a bit. There's some coin in it for ye." "You're speaking my language," I said, "What's your name?" "Patsy," he replied. "Never heard that one before. Must be Imperial," I replied, "Alright. Just go to Helgen? Can confirm last time I tried to pass through there I was attacked by bandits." "He wants to meet at Dead Man's Drink in Falkreath," Patsy replied. So I went there on Shadowmere. Making amazing time. I stepped in and he was sitting at one of the new tables. Falkreath really looked good with the rebuilding and remodeling. "Well met!" Marcus shouted, "Glad you came! The locals tell me you're the resident dragon expert. Do you know anything about the Helgen attack?" "It was attacked by a dragon. That's all I know. I understand Ulfric Stormcloak was there, and a few others," I folded my arms. "I wonder if there were any more survivors," he said. "Probably not," I said flatly. The few were lucky. "Then it is as I feared. MY brother and his family are definitely dead. Gods damn it all," he said, forlorn. "Even if they survived, the bandits probably killed them." "Yes, I heard the fort was full of them." "Was?" "I have it on good authority a man named Val drove out the bandits and took over some time ago," he explained, "He's a leader of a small group of mercenaries. They seek to kill Thalmor wherever they're found." "Ok, now you have my interest," I said. "They were once insurrectionists. A resistance movement." "Against the empire? Now I'm doubly interested," I said. "If I'm right his name is Valerius Tiberius Artoria. We served many years together under the imperial legion during the Great War," he explained, "He was an honorable man in those days. But the Aldmeri slaughtered his wife and children. They did it in the Imperial City while it was held. We went into hiding. We regrouped in Skyrim." "That was... ages ago," I said. "Well we did retake the Imperial City, but at great cost. And Valerius never recovered. Though still part of the Legion, he took on covert ops. Destructive ops. Even though this was post White-Gold, he was killing Aldmeri commanders and officials. Went rogue, you might say. When they were finally caught, under pressure from the Thalmor, the Emperor locked him and his men away for the rest of their lives. I retired about then. I called in a few favors, and got him sprung through an ancient secret passageway." "Maybe... the one that Uriel Septim VII and the Hero of Kvatch escaped through," I mused. "Perhaps. From there, Val went to Hammerfell to join the Redguard rebellion." "Man, this dude is hitting all the right buttons for me," I gestured to myself in a grand gesture, displaying my skin and overall look. "It was rumored the an order called the Keepers of Haatu was formed after the Treaty of Stros M'Kai." "That's a reference to the original battle of independence for Hammerfell," I said. "Right you are," he continued, "This group, made of all races, worked towards cleanse the Thalmor from Tamriel. I've heard Valerius tied to this group." I waved my hands, "There's no need to convince me any further. I'm eating this up. So do you want me to go talk to Val?" "Give him this," He handed me a ring, "It was his wife's wedding ring. Tell him Marcus Jannus sent you, give him this note. For his eyes only." I nodded, "Errand girl activate!" I hustled over to Helgen and three 'bandits' came out to accost me. They were certainly dressed the part. "Stop right there!" The man in the front said. "I'm here to see Valerius." "Never heard of him," the man replied, "You have about ten seconds to get out of here. We don't want to hurt you." "If you were bandits, you'd just rob and kill and/or rape me. Not necessarily in that order," I paused, "Oh, I mean, you'd try. Here, I have a letter from Marcus Jannus for Valerius' eyes only. And this is his wife's wedding ring." I showed them. "Did you say Marcus Jannus, like from the war?" The man asked, "Hmm... very well. But we're going to be watching you." They surrounded me and brought me in. A voice issued from the center of the first open room, "Balfring, what do you think you're doing?" "She has a letter from Marcus Jannus. She was alone. I thought you'd want to see," the man responded. "What? That's impossible," Val replied. He sighed, "All right. All of you, return to your posts. I'll speak with her." After they walked out he reached out his hand with a cold stare. I handed him the ring and letter. "Where is Marcus?" "He's in Falkreath, awaiting your answer," I replied. He studied the ring for a moment, "I don't know how he came into possession of this ring. I nearly went mad after those Aldmeri dogs killed my family." He tore open the letter, reading for a moment, he chuckled, "Yeah, that's definitely Marcus. Always could lift our spirits." "How'd he find me?" He asked. "Val is pretty obvious, isn't it?" I folded my arms, "To someone who knows you anyway." "I guess it is. Pretty clever." "He said you were an honorable man," I said, "Even if I am a Stormcloak and a Redguard, I share your hatred for the Thalmor." "I shed my honor when I assassinated my first Aldmer diplomat." "I am literally a thief and assassin. You're preaching to the choir here," I chuckled. "Well, I suppose I would still be rotting in prison if not for him. Of course I'll see him. At least we can say our goodbyes properly." "There's the spirit," I said. Luckily, Falkreath was only down the road, less than an hour on Shadowmere. "Mind escorting me?" Marcus asked. Easy. We walked back into the keep from the light rain. Marcus said, "Valerius, you old dog. How the hell have you been?" "Marcus, why would you come here?" "I'm sure this is a shock. I came to check on my family here in Helgen, but, as you can see, it was attacked by a dragon." "Marcus, I'm very sorry. But whatever the circumstances, it does my eyes good to see you again after all these years." "The Keepers of Haatu in Skyrim. Who would've thought?" Marcus said. "So what are you really after, old friend? I know you..." "Yes, you do. I want to rebuild this town," Marcus replied, "I was raised right across the border, as a lad I used to come here often." "I don't care about this town," Valerius replied. "I know. But we might be mutually beneficial to one another," Marcus said. "Let's... table that. I have some wine downstairs, want to just catch up awhile?" Val asked. "Sure," he turned to me and handed me a pouch of gold, "I can't thank you enough. This is going to take a lot of work. I'm sure if you want, you can come back in a day or so and we'll have work for you." These old guys actually take time doing things, and I'm on a timetable. "Alright," I said. I camped out for the night (it was getting late anyway) and returned bright and early. As I walked down the stairs, I heard something collapse somewhere, but Marcus and Val didn't seem to pay it any attention. "Ah! You're back! We have a matter of grave importance to discuss," Marcus said. He turned to Val, "Do you think this foolhardy plan is actually going to work?" "I do!" He turned to a man and a woman who'd just walked in. Falco and Cienna. He had an Imperial Commander's armor on, while she had a light scout's equivalent. Two naked dead men were laying in the corner, so I guessed where they got the getups. "How does it fit?" Val asked. "Smells like death," Falco replied. "Up until yesterday it had a dead man in it," Val chuckled, "Do you know why we came to Helgen?" "I assumed it was to kill Thalmor," I replied. "Well yes, but specifically, I got a report that a group of Thalmor are holding Talos worshippers in an old dilapidated fort. Turned it into a secret prison. I sent one of my best guys to observe, but it seems he was captured," Val explained, "We were about to send these two on a mission to infiltrate and spring Korst. We took over Helgen from those bandits so we would have access to a base and supplies." "Marcus said you had a plan?" "Yes, we're going to show a writ or prisoner transfer to the Legion. Legion prisoner transports always come in groups of three. I was going to do it, but, would you like to be the frontwoman?" "I'm always down for this sort of thing," I said, "Sure your armor will fit over my big boobs?" He didn't remark on that. "Good. Subtlety. I've heard there's a particularly ruthless Justiciar named Arendil. Be careful," Val replied. We approached the old fort, just down the road, walking through the front door. "Who are you? What is the meaning of this?" A thalmor in robes demanded. "Prisoner transport. Here's the official order," I replied. "I've received no orders. I'll have to check with my superior," the guard replied. I looked around. Two thalmor in front of us, one visible up top. Probably many more. The guard reappeared with his superior. "I'm sorry," the man said snootily, "I haven't been given any orders for this. I'm afraid I won't be able to release this prisoner to you." "You will release this prisoner." "Or what? Don't think I can't tell a spy when I see one. We're going to have a lot of fun with you downstairs," he started to draw his weapon. "Don't threaten me with a good time," I said, then I shouted, "FUS!" Blowing him backwards. The other guards charged at us. I immediately laid into the mage I'd just knocked down while Falco and Cienna engaged with the two guards. I pulled out my bow and traded bowshots with the two guards now coming down the stairs. After a few minutes of combat, the Thalmor were wasted, but I knew there would be more coming soon. I threw down a Rally and a group heal and urged them forward while I kept at it with my bow. We found two who'd not heard the commotion and I, in stealth (ah stealth, I missed you) stuck one with an arrow to the throat. The other charged and I strafed around a large column while Falco and Cienna took him on head to head. When I got around behind, I slit his throat, killing him. We ventured down below. I quietly scouted ahead, laying waste to Thalmor with headshots. Occasionally the others would run in and help and I'd leave them to it because I couldn't get a clear shot. I'd just back them up and cover them if more Thalmor got involved. Finally, we reached Korst and I released him from his bonds. "Hang on," Cienna said, healing him. "Thank you, friends. But who is that with you?" "A new friend of Marcus Jannus. He's in Skyrim!" Falco said. "Why is Marcus here?" "Something about rebuilding Helgen. No time for that, we need to get the hell outta here!" Falco said. So Korst grabbed his stuff from the chest in the armory and we sprinted back to Helgen, getting in our normal armor. When we showed back up to Helgen Keep, Val was elated, "Thank the gods for our friend here. You're alive! What did they want with you? WHat are they planning?" "Heavily fortified. No prisoners but me were kept there, the rest went in and out like clockwork. It was heavily defended, but now there are none alive," Korst replied, "The Commandant was never there. I heard some of the soldiers joking he was getting soft in the embassy. Said something about him spending time with a whore in the Tall Mast Tavern. And... I think they were selling the prisoners there as slaves." I could feel my face stiffening. "Good work, Korst. Rest up and relax for a while. Dismissed," Val said. Then he turned to me, shaking his head, "I've heard of these Thalmor squads abducting people for worshipping Talos, but I didn't know what truth there was to it." "When you find out, you tell me where the slaves are going and..." I gripped my sword's hilt, "I think you know what'll happen. I'm a Talos fangirl. I was a slave and I hate the institution. This mission was made for me." "I have some contacts. I'll see what I can find out," Val nodded, "Go see Marcus." He was standing by the fire, so I just walked over to him. "Friend! You've done us a great service," Marcus said, "We're going to start rebuilding. I think you should have a say in some of the things we'll be doing." "Sure." "There's no way we can build with this few guards. We can hire mercenaries, or... do you know anyone?" Marcus asked. "I can talk to Ulfric. The Stormcloaks are strong. I'm actually a commander in their army. Semi-retired, you know, since we won and all," I said, "I got you." "While I would like to remain Independant, I guess this is inevitable. If he's amenable, it would be a strong strategic location for the Stormcloaks. We're not affiliated with the Empire, and we hate the Thalmor as much as they do," Marcus thought out loud. "He's a big softie. He'll cave," I said, "Besides, we have a son together. He's pretty much obligated to at least consider it. The men don't have much to do these days since we flushed the empire out." "By the gods! Ulfric finally settled down?" Val said from across the hall, starting into his lunch. "Not exactly!" I shouted, but offered no explanation. Marcus continued, "I actually have a man in mind already. His name is Shadrick Oak-Heart. If you go to him, say, 'My sword sings with the heart of Frandar Hunding.'" I shrugged, "Old war buddies, huh? I'll deliver your message." I rode Shadowmere, it taking until the evening (his camp was on the northern tip of Skyrim). I hopped off Shadowmere and got out my bow. "Dragon!" One of the Stormcloaks yelled. I peppered the thing with arrows until it finally landed, and it blasted the men with frost breath. I sprinted in and leapt onto the beasts' neck, slashing while the half dozen men supported me, finishing the thing off. Then, of course, the dragon's soul poured into me like normal. I noticed most of the men were dressed in the old Stormcloak armor. Only Shadrick has upgraded to the new duds. "Well, that was a hell of an entrance," Shadrick said, "How the hell have you been, Stormblade?" "Not bad," I replied, "I don't think we got many opportunities to fight together during the rebellion." "Yeah. Too few. I see you're just as sharp as you've ever been. What brings you here?" Shadrick asked. "My sword sings with the heart of Frandar Hunding," I replied. "No... who said that to you?" He asked, "After all these years?" "Valerius Artoria," I replied. "I remember back when Skyrim fuelled the Legion's ranks, back when we fought with them, rather than against them, one of the greatest commanders I ever served under (besides Ulfric, of course) was Valerius Tiberius Artoria. So why is he in Skyrim?" "They're rebuilding Helgen. They're here hunting Thalmor, independent of the Empire," I said, "Seems like more than just Skyrim and Hammerfell doesn't align with Cyrodiil's methodology these days." "I'm sure you and I could convince some men and Ulfric to side with us," he said, "But, I would like to ask you a favor before that. Since I have the ear of one of the most powerful... beautiful..." "Okay, okay, just ask me," I smiled. "Two of my men snuck out last night to explore the Sightess Pit nearby and they haven't returned. See, two more men for you if you can find them!" Shadrick replied, "In the mean time, I'll send a runner to Ulfric." "While you're at it, could you add a message for me?" I asked. "Sure," he shrugged. "Just tell him I'll be coming to get my boy in a couple weeks. There's going to be something BIG coming that is very noticeable just before I come get him. Good or ill, I don't know. Big, though," I said, "If you include the fact that this is a project I'm working on, I'm sure he'll be willing to send us guys." "Are you two... an item now?" Shadrick asked. "Not in so many words," I said. Then I walked towards the pit. I hopped down, falling into ice cold water. "Guess I'm not getting out that way," I said. It was a frozen tunnel. As I stepped forward, bandit corpses littered the walkway. Further in, a couple dwemer traps (but I don't trigger pressure plates) and then a vertical shaft leading into what looked like a dwemer ruin. I used Slowfall and jumped down, and down some more. I was silent and was able to spot the Falmer and giant spider, getting a killer headshot and body shot on them, respectively. In the next section, I got a headshot and two body shots on a Falmer mage (a little tougher). 'Shit!' I thought as four more Falmer poured out of crevices only a few feet away from me. I readied an Elemental Bolt and fired with both hands, catching ice shards and arrows in return from them. I backed up and drew two swords, using my old advance and withdraw tactic until they were all down. I let out a long sigh, healing myself. These boys were crafty today. Maybe I was out of practice. I got to a set of stairs and another spellcaster noticed me right away, who'd been hiding, and several pet spiders jumped down from the overhead. I backed off, throwing elemental bolts until the spiders were dead, then trading more bolts with the caster. I shot the last spider with my bow, who'd been minding his own business in the corner. Damn, starting to really hate Falmer. And starting to think they had some form of alert system to alert the guys down the line. In the next hallway, three Falmer jumped out of a tent, all grappling me. The two to my sides started to rip off my upper body armor, while the third slapped a Chaurus chitin armbinder on me. The armbinder guy peppered me with frost spells while the other two finished stripping me. I didn't think this sort of thing could happen to me anymore, but apparently a coordinated attack works. I growled, shouting, "TIID!" Slowing time. Excellent shout. I whipped around, both my hands locked together with the armbinder, and blasted them with Elemental Bolts until my Magicka ran dry. When I turned back there were only dried husks. So there I was, freezing, alone, frost covering my body, in an armbinder. I took a couple minutes to find the key and spring myself, then built a fire and cast a warmth spell to return to normal. I rested for a little bit. While I did, I considered just how close I came to crossing a new horizon of terribleness. Falmer were classified as monsters. They would certainly enslave me - but what other terrible things could they or would they do to me that normal men and mer would not? At the very least the thought of their weird, rubbery skin and faces made me think their dicks probably weren't any less disgusting. This is why I'd been running with groups or atleast with a buddy for so long. Even with Runa who was vastly less skilled than me could be a boon in keeping the attention of a monster so I can strike vital points. I passed through the next hallway into a huge room where I would expect to find a huge dwemer centurion, but this time I found an army of Falmer - the place was lousy with them. Maybe more than 20. This time they did not get the drop on me though. About half of them tried to snipe at me from the platform they were all on while the rest made their way down the smooth ramp that led off to the left. So they had a long path before they actually got to me and none of them jumped down. I conjured a bear - one of my recent editions to the spell list - to distract the melee attackers, and I whipped out Elemental Bolt again to deal with the ranged fighters. Because explosions can hit you around corners. When I'd slaughtered all of them, I found a cage made of Chaurus parts and let the men out. We returned via a locked elevator the Falmer were probably using for quick access. Or perhaps not, because at the top of the shaft was a strange, mutated Troll-like creature covered in scales. I'd never seen one before. But it was also slow, so while the men piled on I hammered away at its vital points with arrows. Then we returned to the surface, to the camp. "That was a hell of a ruin, your guys certainly know how to pick them," I said to Shadrick when we walked back in, "If that place weren't entirely cleared out I'd say this camp should probably move away. I got ambushed like four times. An army of better-than-normal Falmer used to live down there." Shadrick nodded, "Thanks, Stormblade. I guess all those things I've heard are true. Helgen has my full support." "What things? That I'm a thief? Assassin? Whore?" He shook his head, "You're amazing." "Trick question, I'm all three," I laughed. "Sometimes we need people like that to get the job done." I'd only killed three days. Nine to go. Making great time.