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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
4-202-02-03 05:40
Lillandril Palace Quarters, Lillandril, Summerset, Aldmeri Dominion
We wash ourselves with Spriggan Soap and eat breakfast. It's clearly too early to bother the queen, so we go out. I've been curious about the small islands near Lillandril and this is a suitable opportunity to go and check them out.
Before swimming to the islands, we take some pictures on the coast of the mainland:
One island is very close to the shore. It's got nothing but grass and some rocks. Further ahead is a group of three islands. One of them is really a huge sharp-spiked rock (left in the picture below; it's separate from the the sandy island, although you can't see the water between them from this angle), the other two are relatively flat and sandy. On one of them, I believe to see a standing human. As we swim closer, I realize it's a statue, much taller than people.
There's a battle going on. It looks like two mages are fighting a mudcrab. Upon closer inspection, they turn out to be ghosts. Unexpectedly, one of them runs to my right flank and attacks me with fire magic. With almost half of my health gone, I realize this is serious.
If you look closely, you can see my arrow fly (just below the eye symbol).
I drank one of the strongest health potions a moment ago,
but I'm rapidly taking more damage while I haven't hit my enemy even once.
I drank one of the strongest health potions a moment ago,
but I'm rapidly taking more damage while I haven't hit my enemy even once.
Fortunately, my followers are wide awake and kill the ghost. I take another health potion and we sneak closer to what appears to be a female ghost. I don't like her bothering the mudcrab, so I kill her. The mudcrab keeps running around nervously (I mean "running" in mudcrab terms) for some time and then calms down and digs itself about 3/4 into the sand near the base of the statue which seems to be its resting place. It doesn't attack us – because of the Spriggan Soap, I presume.
The top of the crab is visible between me and Jenassa, halfway to the farthest palm trees.
In the background, across the water, is (of course) Lillandril.
In the background, across the water, is (of course) Lillandril.
This place is called Shrine of Sheogorath. He's a daedra – I don't know of what, but it's something crazy, I'm sure.
We check out the farthest island which is called Abandoned Island. It's mostly covered with grass. In the grass lies a dead creature whose name is Silence. He looks like a man in the kind of armor I've never seen before. It's very beautiful.
There are no hints as to who he is or how he died.
We admire the vast expanse of the sea on the northern coast, and then we return to Sheogorath's island. That big rock thing doesn't seem to be accessible from anywhere, but I go check it out anyway. I swim around it and dive underwater several times, but there are only stones, nothing like an entrance anywhere.
The water is so delightful, as is the scent of the sea. I noticed recently I've become a really good swimmer. I don't know how it happened, but I feel like a fish in the water here.
We swim back to the shore by a slightly different route, checking out the island with a lighthouse on it. There's a fire burning on top and the view is beautiful, but there's no one about and it's impossible to go inside.
I love lighthouses and this one is particularly nice.
After another short swim, we're in Lillandril harbor and return to the palace. It's past 11, but the queen is still not there. We go and hang around in the harbor, look at the ships, talk to people and such. Harbors are fascinating places.
We pay a visit to the other brothel ship, the one where Restavee, that Argonian woman who walks around naked, is supposed to work at evenings. My followers have been eager to see it, but they're too shy to go without me.
I presume this man is a guard:
We walk around with utmost curiosity, looking everywhere. Of course, this isn't exactly Alinor Lounge.
Although, come to think of it, I believe to remember the toilets in Varlais Manor were no better than the ones here.
Around four in the afternoon, we return to the palace. Her Bitchiness still hasn't turned up. Now I've had it. I'm going to find her even if I have to fight the guards and kill them.
I spare you the details, but we catch her in her bedroom and I report on the mission completed.
She gives me another assignment – to go to Alinor and get a very special weapon called Poetic Blade the blacksmith has been making for her.
Although we didn't kill anyone, our invasion of the royal chambers has caused an outrage in the palace and we have to leave hastily. Could be we won't be welcome here ever again. If so, screw them.
We're headed for Ebon. On the northern end of the bay, west-southwest of Corgrad, we discover a Hidden Cave in which there is nothing to be found. I'm in a foul mood and feel fed up with Summerset and its weird customs. I'd like to think I don't go nuts when premenstrual, but I have to admit I've been feeling bad about most things these last few days.
That's why I call a rest in front of the cave entrance (behind us in the picture below).
I tell the girls something's going very wrong. A minute ago I remembered how immensely happy I used to be with Aranath, and began wondering how come I began to hate him. And I was getting along really well with Quillinda. Why did I start to dislike her all of a sudden? Why did I screw things up for us in Lillandril earlier today? Maybe I even screwed us up on this entire island.
"You don't want to hear it," says Jenassa.
My followers look at each other in a way that leaves no doubt they have been discussing this.
Lydia examines my expression thoroughly and then says: "I think she does."
She turns to Jenassa and Jordis as if seeking confirmation. Jenassa shrugs. Jordis makes a hint of an agreeing nod.
"It's that Dragonborn mission of yours," Lydia explains to me. "That unknown whoever or whatever that wants you to put an end to the Skyrim civil war won't let you enjoy Summerset. This someone, by the way, could be your own subconsciousness. Or it could be those psijic jerks. Or some force you or me can't even conceive. But that's not the point. It doesn't matter if it's the disappeared Dwemers." (This one gets a modest laugh out of me.) "The thing is, no matter how beautiful it may be here, no matter how good the people may be to you, you feel bad because you're away from Skyrim, doing things not for your people."
"The good news is, the solution is very simple," says Jenassa. Lydia continues her thought: "We'll proceed with our plan. We go to Sunhold, Dusk, Mana Grove and Shimmerene, and from there to Skyrim, exactly as planned. And you'll feel better."
I nod. That's obviously the right thing to do and for that matter I knew it when I made the plan.
"We might even catch Vera's birthday," adds Lydia.
Right! Vera's birthday is on the 7th. That'll be 4 days from now. We talked about it once, but of course we weren't going to alter our plans for her sake. But when we travel to Winterhold maybe tomorrow evening or the day after, we'll be headed for Solitud anyway, which means we'll be passing through Dånstar. And instead of going across all that grim water and marsh and poison gas flowers between Dånstar and Solitud, we can just as well travel by road via Hviterun, spending only one day more and surprising Vera by showing up on her birthday. She'll be immensely flattered.
I hug Lydia, making her breathe out audibly. "Sorry," I say, ruffling her hair. "You made me feel a lot better. Just remind me not to kill people without a good reason, okay?"
We get up and move on, a team of fine warriors once again.
"We have to bring Vera some kind of a souvenir of Summerset," I say after we've crossed the bridge northwest of Ebon.
"Maybe a bloody skeleton?" suggests Jordis.
"Or that red dress," says Lydia. We all burst out laughing. "Guess the skeleton was a better idea," she admits.
"What might she like?" wonders Jordis. "You guys know her better than I do."
"Do you think one of the local blackmiths can make us some kind of a figurine out of that beautiful coral?" I ask. "There's nothing like that in Skyrim."
"A blacksmith or a mage?" wonders Jordis.
I look questioningly at Jenassa. "A blacksmith, rather, I think," she says.
"Whatever," I say. "How about a statuette of a pahmar?"
The girls agree with me that it's a good idea. I'm sure we'll find someone in Shimmerene who can make a thing like that. Either at the guild or in the village.
Ebon is very peaceful and beautiful, and we could just sit and chat the evening away looking at the lake, but somehow we've all become so excited by the prospect of reaching Hviterun by Vera's birthday that we can't sit still. So we do a little shopping and proceed to Alinor.
The trip itself is eventless, but right at the gate of Alinor we're stopped by the guard always on duty there. We've broken the law in Lillandril, she informs us, and must pay a fine. The amount is equal to 1015 septims in Empire money. She's all alone, but obviously I don't want any more trouble, so I meekly pay up. In fact, I'm glad we were able to get this problem settled so easily.
I now go looking for that mage whom Quillinda has instructed me to help. She lives in one of the non-floating houses with her husband.
She says she's looking for a certain cave that has never been explored. She presumes it to be southwest from here, almost on the ocean shore in an area that is blank on my map.
I explain to her as gently as I can that I will have to leave Summerset for a while, but I won't fail to return to her someday.
Then I spend considerable effort locating the blacksmith. I'm not sure if I even want to help Queen Marawyn, but I guess it won't hurt to get that Poetic Blade thing while we're here.
The smith turns out to be a middle-aged woman Gelwyyn. She has come out to have a little evening stroll around her house.
She says the Poetic Blade was stolen and she suspects a certain famous smuggler who lives in the northern part of the island.
I was going to ask her if she can make a coral statuette of a pahmar for me, but the way she curses like a drunken sailor while talking about that smuggler makes me change my mind. I'll find someone in Shimmerene.
I go to say hello to that likeable Khajiit man Ma' Sana. Turns out she's got a wife. This is not my lucky day.
It's dark already, so I just join my followers and we go to the temple to get some sleep.
next awakening
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