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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
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previous day
4-202-02-02 06:57
Mages' Guild, Shimmerene, Summerset, Aldmeri Dominion
Me and my followers wash ourselves with Spriggan Soap this morning, so we wouldn't have to kill animals on our way through the wilderness. I realize we can do exactly the same before going to Mana Grove. Then we'll have a chance to get the Black Pearl for Bolwing without killing spriggans.
Right now, however, I feel like traveling to Cloudrest. We haven't been there for so long. It's not even a significant detour really. It lies almost on the path from here to Graddun Spring on the northern coast. After we've gotten those mushrooms for Andratha of Alinor, we can proceed to nearby Lillandril and make our report to the queen. Then we'll travel south to Alinor and help that friend of Quillinda's. Finally, we'll return to Shimmerene via Sunhold, Dusk and Mana Grove, and we'll have wrapped everything up and can leave Summerset for some time to attend to the Skyrim civil war.
North of Shimmerene, we kill a few skeletons and bandits. Then we make a stop on a seaside hill to enjoy the magnificent sight of the sun's reflection on the water.
It's stunning. I've never seen anything like this before. (Well, not that I remember.)
Observe how the sun is too bright to be properly captured on a picture. You can make out its location, but you can't see it in its round shape. That's for the same reason no one can endure looking directly into the sun with the naked eye. You can only look at, or photograph, the sun when it's dimmed by clouds or something – or reflected by a water surface that is not perfectly still.
Approaching the Shrine of Auriel that is halfway to Cloudrest, I see a pahmar at a distance. My heart misses a beat and then I run towards him (because it's the direction we need to go) and indeed the ferocious animal just keeps walking minding his own business while we run past.
That Spriggan Soap is really awesome stuff! I think we'll start using it on a regular basis, as long as I don't run out of its ingredients. Although, on second thought, that would mean leaving other travelers at the mercy of those beasts...
Well, I'll think about it.
During our strenuous descent up the mountain to Cloudrest, Jenassa happens to mention she remembers having seen in various parts of Summerset mushrooms that looked very much like Elf Cup Caps to her. That's good to know. We shall keep our eyes open for red mushrooms.
Now we're finally on halfway level ground. Here's the path that leads uphill to the temple and to the king's palace. I eagerly enter the Underground Market, run down the steps and... am aghast to see that none of the traders are there even though it's already 10 o'clock.
Oh well. We'll just walk around then. I instruct the girls to meet up with me at the bar in three hours from now.
I look into a number of houses. They have most curious interiors. I especially enjoy a chat with a nice woman Ardell in her and her husband Enron's house.
When I ask her if she knows about Graddun Spring, she tells me it's a village of bandits and pirates who attack everyone. Visiting it is not a good idea.
That decides it. We'll give Graddun Spring a miss and go directly to Lillandril. I'm not going to kill human beings just to get some mushrooms for a crazy witch. This sounds like a repetition of Pinevale. Andratha can screw herself – unless, of course, we find Elf Cup Caps somewhere else.
Then I meet Malta, one of the traders, on the street and do some trading with her which improves my mood even more.
Here is a view down to the mountainside street along which we'll be leaving the city in a while. It leads to Corgrad and Old Falls (to our right).
That white tower you can see in the distance must be the one where Andratha lives.
The rocky island on the right edge, right of the fog is probably Mandas.
The island right next to the tower is unknown to me.
The rocky island on the right edge, right of the fog is probably Mandas.
The island right next to the tower is unknown to me.
It's 20 past 12 by the time I happen to walk past The Missing Keg. It's such a nice day that I decide to just sit there and wait for the girls to turn up. I order a couple of drinks and chat a little with the grumpy barman and the other guests.
I don't actually have such thick shoulders!! It's the armor, as you can see if you look closely.
Until now I had no idea it made me look like this. Guess I'd better start wearing something else.
Until now I had no idea it made me look like this. Guess I'd better start wearing something else.
Suddenly it occurs to me I'm not too keen on doing that quest given by Quillinda either. She's so bossy, treats me like a servant. I begin to wonder what made me think I liked her to begin with. When I arrived in Shimmerene the first time, I was convinced Quillinda was a nice person, but what reason did I have for that assumption? Nothing except her warm friendly welcome.
Well, if we're going to do neither Andratha's quest nor Quillinda's, then we have no business going to Alinor at all. And in that case we didn't have to come all this way in the first place. We could have gone straight to Mana Grove from Shimmerene.
Whatever. I'm definitely not turning back. We'll go to Lillandril as planned, and then we can still return to Shimmerene along the southern coast, because it'll always be a pleasure to visit Sunhold and Dusk. And on our way to Lillandril this afternoon, we can make a stop at Tusamircil's Passage and I can make love to Tusamircil again.
The last realization brings me into a joyful mood.
Now my followers begin to arrive one after another, and at ten to one we start running to the west.
We make a brief stop in Corgrad for shopping and saying hello to Dothiel and her goats.
[Click on the next picture and then press the right arrow to see the goat open her mouth. It looks so cute!]
We also pay a brief visit to our friend Ra J'Dar, but I don't fancy meeting Aranath. I can't forget how he treated me like a nobody the last time even though I had made him happy. Whatever his reasons may have been, I don't think I want to see him ever again.
Reminiscing on my last time with Aranath, I'm suddenly afraid Tusamircil will also give me a cold shoulder. I mean, those High Elves are just so different from us. You never know where you stand with them. Even the Khajiits are easier to read. The girls burst out laughing when I tell them that. Right. I have to admit that I can find a common language with Khajiits much easier than most humans. But that's not the point. Don't distract me from the topic. I meant to say I kind of thoroughly enjoyed myself with Tusamircil the last (and coincidentally the first) time, but I feel apprehensive about what might happen this time. So what am I to do?
The girls say the only thing I can do is go and find out. Yes, I guess I can at least drop in and say hi. I won't have to do anything I don't want to.
Well, Tusamircil's cheerful "Hello!" wipes all my doubts away. I fly into his arms and we make love under those beautiful butterfly pictures.
I come twice and then the third time a few seconds after his orgasm has started and he still keeps moving. He's really so awesome! I mean, I don't mean the orgasms. I'm talking about the assurance he gave me that I was needing so badly. Thanks to Tusamircil, I feel worthy and desirable and capable again.
On our way to Lillandril, we see some strange glow on the roadside.
Turns out it's just a pond with reeds and such, and a little fog.
Lillandril is quite close now. I never realized the palace was so high.
We arrive on the outskirts at quarter to six. I wonder if the queen is still reachable. I don't think she'll be in the throne room, but hopefully her royal dinner doesn't end too early. At any rate, the traders outside the palace are still there, and I go to them first. By the time I enter the palace, the queen has already retired to her quarters where, as I've been told, I'm not allowed to go. So we'll stay overnight.
I feel like going to the prison now. There must be a prison here, as I learned the last time, and I haven't seen it yet, and we have a few hours to kill before going to sleep.
The palace servants inform us the prison is in the underground section of the palace. They show us a staircase leading down from the servants' quarters. In the basement, we find a treasury and opposite it is the prison. A really ingenious arrangement if you ask me – the people working in the treasury will always be reminded of what can happen if they forget themselves.
There are half a dozen locked cages like these. And two guards watching us. Not that I'm short of cash or anything. ;-)
The jail is a somewhat depressive place, just like the one we saw in Solitud. There are prisoners of both sexes, some naked, some dressed. You may remember this place is also said to function as a semi-legal brothel.
We go out again and walk to the harbor and then we check out the guard barracks a little way to the east. There's nothing interesting to see there. The moons are incredibly beautiful, though, as are the stars. We saunter back to the palace, sit a little with the personnel and go to sleep at half past ten.
next awakening
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