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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
4-202-03-25 07:24
Jerall View Inn, Bruma, Bruma County, Cyrodiil
We're traveling to the west today.
There's nothing interesting going on in the suburb outside the gate, but on the road we meet an Imperial officer who got wounded in the Skyrim war.
Point 1: The cronies of the thalmors aren't exactly the Stormcloaks' brothers.
You sound almost like Tullius who said Ulfric rebeled against HIS emperor.
Point 2: Since when do soldiers representing the legitimate government flee from the rebels who "hunt" them?
Or am I misunderstanding something and "legate" comes in fact from "leg it"?
You sound almost like Tullius who said Ulfric rebeled against HIS emperor.
Point 2: Since when do soldiers representing the legitimate government flee from the rebels who "hunt" them?
Or am I misunderstanding something and "legate" comes in fact from "leg it"?
We pass by the Western Watchtower where we meet Garceus, that veteran guard whom Ereia hates. His opinion of her isn't any better, but judging by his ramblings, he seems to be even more angry about Quatrius having been appointed the new captain instead of him. Well, it seems they made the right choice. I doubt this bitter old man would have made a good guard chief.
Lydia reminds me that in Riften we did indeed see two brothers, one of whom was pro-Stormcloak and the other pro-Imperial. So Arilus was not entirely wrong. She's right. I had forgotten about that.
We proceed to nearby Applewatch where we say hello to that old cider-maker Gergus. He tells us the villagers are worried about a new pack of wolves that has appeared recently and is roaming about dangerously close to the village, so they won't even allow children play outside anymore. If my girls and I could kill the wolves, the people of Applewatch would be extremely grateful.
A boy comes running and says he saw wolves. He was evidently playing outside after all. When the wolves appeared, he was up on a tree. He waited until the beasts left in the southeasterly direction. Then he climbed down and ran to the village as fast as he could.
He can barely pronounce coherent sentences. Sounds like he had the scare of his life fearing that the ferocious animals would notice him. I act like I'm not noticing his fear, just thank him for telling us. Me and my followers shall go and take a look right now. Southeast, he said (and came from).
We soon arrive at a drop of maybe 5 or 6 meters. There's a path down below. We jump down and are attacked by a vampire without a head. I mean, really, there's just a bloody uneven rump where a head is supposed to be. Not like chopped off with an axe. More like unhurriedly chewed off by a big animal. It's revolting. I don't even want to show you a picture.
What I don't understand is how can a vampire be without a head. How can he suck blood? Well, never mind that. We have a wolf pack to catch.
The wolves are not far from this place. They don't even attack us, because of the Spriggan Soap. I feel really sorry for having to kill them in such a deceitful manner, but if they have made a bad choice of roaming about a human settlement and scaring people, then they have to die. That's called natural selection.
We return to Applewatch and inform Gergus. (He kind of seems to be in charge here.) Then we take a tour around the village, the girls and I. One of the houses belongs to Gergus himself. We meet his wife Cindaia who tells us that Gergus has been very sad about the loss of something called Red Diamond. Okay, we're returning to Gergus to ask himself about the specifics.
A horse?
Red Diamond is a HORSE???????
Red Diamond is a HORSE???????
Yeah, well, the name is not the point. The point is Gergus's horse has disappeared from the village. I'm not too good at horse-searching, I'm afraid. So we just continue our exploration of this region. We head west and soon the path turns northwest, uphill. Seeing a mountain lion attack an elk, we kill the lion. Then Jenassa notices tracks of horse hooves in the snow.
Fine. Let's see where they lead to. Maybe it's the same horse.
They lead to a cave. It's not very big and decidedly not beautiful. Inside are remains of several animals, including a horse whose name was indeed Red Diamond. The only living creature we encounter is an ogre. It can't quite make up its mind if it should attack us or not, but we kill him anyway because it's not nice to steal and eat people's horses.
Having come out of the cave again, we have to decide where to go next. The Ayleid ruin Rielle is directly to our east, not too far. However, I recall the day when we saw a fortress-like structure on top of a mountain and tried to discover it but discovered Rielle instead. We'll try to find that fortress now.
I presume it's higher than Rielle. So we follow the uphill path that goes northeast. Indeed, we soon see a structure with thick but not very high defense walls to our east-northeast at about our elevation. Down below, to our southeast, we're having a spectacular view of Rielle and Bruma.
The fortress is somewhat tricky to get to. There's a very narrow ledge where I'm unsure if it's possible to walk across without falling down.
Of course, we're wearing enchanted armor that would prevent us from falling to death, it's just that finding a way back up would be a real headache.
Luckily, we succeed in walking across.
This resembles less a fortress than a strange kind of temple. Indeed we learn soon it's called Cloud Ruler Temple.
The interior is in an utterly awful state. One can barely find enough room among the rubble to walk.
A horribly loud ghostly voice tells us there's a great battle going on and we need to find someone called Alina. Very well, we'll have a look around.
In one of the side halls, we find a skeleton of a long-dead human whose name was indeed Alina. There's an Akaviri katana lying on the floor nearby. I pick it up, wondering how much the count of Bruma would pay for it. Then we go on exploring the place and find two or three more katanas, as well as the skeleton of someone named Raaslan.
And finally we find the owner of the ghostly voice himself. He's a ghost and his name is Raaslan.
I inform him that regrettably, Alina is dead. Raaslan is devastated. Now all is lost, he says. Without Alina's magic, they won't be able to defend the temple against the Dominion forces. I realize the two lost their lives in the Great War. Raaslan doesn't seem to realize he's dead himself. I gently break the news to him.
He asks me to help the two of them as well as their companion Corvon to travel to the realm of the dead. In order do that, I'll have to place their katanas into the special flames that are burning in the main hall.
I follow Raaslan into the main hall where we find the ghosts of Alina and Corvon already waiting for us.
I learn they were members of the Blades – the ancient organization Rudelphine of Riverwood belongs to, remember? Raaslan tells me I can keep the fourth katana I found.
I release the souls of the three as instructed. One after another, they thank us cordially and disappear from our view.
Now the girls and I leave this very not joyous place.
It's half past seven in the evening by now and quite dark. Shall we go to Rielle right away? It's very near and maybe we'll be able to spend the night there. On the other hand, Bruma is not far either. It would be no problem to return here in the morning.
"Didn't you want to get a new hairstyle?" Lydia asks.
Right. I've been talking for several days how I long to get back that very short hairdo I had when we were in Falskaar the first time. I mean, it's not exactly a burning issue, but we'd still better go to the city, sleep in comfortable beds whose current occupants don't need to be killed first, and explore Rielle tomorrow.
Arrived in Bruma, I get that hairstyle, and then I go alone to the palace where I get a final confirmation that Afanna is my friend no longer. It pains me considerably, but she can't forgive me for letting Simund off the hook.
But I meet Eddvia on my way to the inn. She is going home. She's almost as nice as Afanna used to be. I think we can become good friends.
I ask the innkeeper Stantus if he has heard any good rumors. He says there is some recent trouble in the Jucani family, but he doesn't know any details.
I figure it's not yet too late to go and pay them a visit. They live in the house next door. I'm used to people in Skyrim keeping pretty late hours. Maybe the Cyrodiilian people do as well.
They do. Even their little son Banus is still up. He tells me in great detail how his dog Scruffy got lost when they were playing near the northern gate. Well, outside the gate really, he adds quietly, having made sure his parents aren't paying attention to our conversation.
He's very sad. I promise I'll go and look around for the dog, and Banus promises that if I find it he'll be my best friend forever.
I won't bother his parents with questions tonight. If I succeed in helping the boy, it'll give me a much better starting position for a frank conversation with them, trying to help Eddvia get out of that undesired wedding.
Quite frankly, I had another reason for going out as well – my boyfriend Dar'taqto was not in the inn. I walk around in the city for some time, but I can't find him. I ask Stantus if he knows where Dar'taqto is, but he doesn't. Therefore I just settle for kissing and cuddling with Jordis before sleep. (She thought it safer to wait until tomorrow before going to bed with her boyfriend Gryfard.)
next awakening
