Always Lost, Always Hopeful (217) Some Prefer the Real Talos

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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






4-202-03-24 10:12
Jerall View Inn, Bruma, Bruma County, Cyrodiil


I feel revitalized. A couple of days ago, I was kind of fed up with Cyrodiil, but now I'm once again having the feeling that this is a really nice place and we won't return to Skyrim just yet.

We begin our day with a stroll on the streets. The two thalmor representatives walk past us, but fortunately take no notice of us. We find Serulius and I give him his journal, and he teaches us some One-Handed Weapons  and Blocking  as reward.

I think we'll stay in the city today. I want to see if someone talks something interesting in the palace, and maybe do some enchanting, and above all I'd really like some sex.

First, I want to take a look at the scumbag Adius's successor Quatrius. After some asking around, I find him near the temple. I introduce myself and smile at him coyly and ask if there's possibly something criminal going on I could help with. Against, I mean. He informs me he already recognized me and yes, there's a rather delicate problem I might be able to help him deal with. The thalmors have suspected for some time there's a group of Talos worshippers somewhere east of here. Now, the palace guards have noticed that in the recent days the local thalmor representatives have gotten visibly agitated over something. Quatrius doesn't know what it's about, but the rumor is a couple of thalmor agents got killed in that suspicious area, and Armion is puzzled as well as worried that they may have another Nord uprising on their hands. That's why Quatrius would like me, a friendly outsider, to try and investigate this matter discreetly, and should I really succeed in finding some insurgents, convince them to lie low for a while, because the thalmor problem won't be around forever.

This task reminds me of something I've been wanting to ask someone about. Why is the thalmors' religion police still operating in Bruma unhindered, and, that being the case, why aren't they doing anything about Laura the Dragonborn walking around freely? I mean, in Skyrim they always try to kill me as soon as they've recognized me.

The short answer is, Quatrius tells me, that neither the county government nor evidently the local thalmors have received instructions from high enough on what to do about the abrupt end of the Skyrim civil war. The Cyrodiil military seems to be in a near-consensus that the peace in Skyrim is a welcome chance to get rid of the pesky thalmors once and for all, and that we are indeed strong enough to do that. However, for reasons unknowns to Quatrius, the highest leadership has not yet come to a decision as to what to do and when. Therefore, for the time being, everyone is continuing to act like nothing has changed, as well as refraining from undertaking anything drastic, least of all against the Dragonborn who is widely admired as a great hero outside of Skyrim as well.

"In case you didn't know," Quatrius adds, "things don't get done here as quickly and informally as in Skyrim."

I don't dare ask him if the Cyrodiil military would seize power in case the emperor turned out a coward. I just thank Quatrius for the conversation and take my leave.

Dar'taqto sees me on the street. We nod hello and I walk to him and he tells me he wants me right now.

Fine with me.

Having closed the hotel room door behind us, he pinches my side painfully. (That's the Khajiit equivalent for slapping your butt. They don't slap, because their palms are soft.) He says I've been mean going in and out of the city without paying any attention to him. "I know," I reply. "I'm sorry. I swear it won't happen again. But now please fuck me or I'll die."

He puts me on all fours. It's a little ironic to do it in doggy  style with a feline, but all I can think about at the moment is... no, I can't think about anything. It's unbelievable how badly I had missed it.

We fuck like there's no tomorrow and our moans rise to the heavens... but hopefully not all the way to the taproom above us.

Dar'taqto's orgasm lasts incredibly long. Even without seeing him, I can't help having a second orgasm hearing and feeling the man's ecstasy for what seems to be minute after minute while his hands are frantically trying to touch all my body parts at the same time.

He's not in a hurry to leave this time. We lie in the bed and I rub everything I can against his delightful furry skin.

When I realize he's really  not in a hurry, I make bold to ask him if Khajiit men always have so long orgasms.

Now, what he tells me is most curious. Apparently, the medical mages have found out that a female Khajiit's uterus won't open until the male has squirted sperm into her vagina for at least two minutes (that's on average; it can vary for one individual to another). Dar'taqto says that's the way nature makes sure weak organisms don't progenate, and that's why the Khajiits are the toughest of all races – well, female Bretons excluded, he adds with a smile. That's all right, I say, I don't claim toughness, I much prefer to be perceived as cute and kind. Dar'taqto assures me I am.

While we're getting dressed, I beg him to stop stealing. I say I would be heartbroken if he were thrown to jail.

I think I'm actually succeeding in getting through to his heart. He promises not to steal anymore and I'm having the feeling he actually means it. I tell him I don't mind giving him some money to help him get over the tough times. He replies he's doing fine right now, but he'll keep it in mind.

We go upstairs. Dar'taqto leaves to attend to his business. Evidently no one has officially told him he's expelled from the city. I wonder what's happened to the theft charges. I forgot to ask Dar'taqto. But right now, I fancy some food. While eating, I can't avoid that pathetic old man Botram telling me a long and pointless tale about a past adventure of his in the area of Hviterun.

There's just barely enough time left for me to visit the shops.

I also step into Harald Burdsson's house. He is running a museum of someone called the Champion of Cyrodiil, the closest helper of the legendary Martin Septim. It's a complete rip-off, I'm sorry to say. Harald, however, talks about the chains the Champion was supposedly chained with while in prison and the cloth he supposedly blew his nose into (really! I'm not making this up) as if they were most remarkable historic artifacts in existence. I can't muster enough politeness to stay until the end of his "guided tour". While I walk out, I have the misfortune to hear Harald urging me to stay to see his most valued possession – the finger of the Champion. Yuck!!

I go to the butcher's shop next door and chat some with the proprietor just to bring my thoughts onto something else. I realize that after that finger, this was not a very good idea. Back on the street, I see Lydia and we walk around together and exchange a few words with a female guard.

I now head for the Synod building to do some enchanting. The mage Elintius, my friend of sorts, who is just leaving greets me cheerfully and we chat a little bit. Then I go in and set to work. I have in the meantime gained the ability to put two enchantments on one and the same item, and now I produce some really cool enchanted pieces of armor. I'm able to finish my work early enough, so I can go to sleep a little after midnight! Perfect time-planning!

Jordis sleeps next to me tonight. She can't be with Gryfard, because she's having her period. Jenassa is in their room with Roland and Lydia is somewhere with Ambric.



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Always Lost, Always Hopeful (216) Lowly Wizardry

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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






4-202-03-23 07:23
Snowstone Rest, Bruma County, Cyrodiil

In heavy snowfall, we head for that crossing near The Sentinel statue from where a path leads to the Gautierre Manor. I remember the path goes further than the house, so hopefully it leads reasonably close to, um... Snowcrag Frost?... well, that high sharp tower, you know what I mean. I mean, the last time we approached it from the south, but I'd hate to have to travel all that long way to reach the southern road and then come almost all the way back uphill to the north along that road. We shall try to reach the tower from this opposite direction instead.

Well, the path doesn't actually lead up the mountain, so we end up doing a lot of climbing and in fact find ourselves on the southern mountainside eventually. Now we're not far from the Hunter's Shack as the crow flies, but it was still a considerable shortcut, because we're already higher than that walkbridge – meaning, very close to the tower.

The nice little big cat attacks us this time. (We didn't have a chance to bathe this morning, so no Spriggan Soap effect.) We try to run away, but it pursues us and we have to kill it. We know now that these animals are called mountain lions.

Finding and destroying the portal in Frostcrag Spire without being noticed is easy enough, and by 11 o'clock we're already back in the outskirts of Bruma. Letting my followers return to the inn to get some rest, I proceed to the Eastern Watchtower. Out of the guards' earshot, I tell Ovacca I destroyed her former gang. She hugs me and cries quite un-ex-bandit-like. Well, I'm glad I was able to help and I hope she can find herself a useful occupation.

After a brief stop at the marketplace, I proceed to the Synod headquarters to report to Cadius.

Most relieved that the danger has been eliminated, he gives me a rather modest monetary reward, as well as a permission to use the Arcane Enchanter in this building. That's awesome!

Now it's a few minutes past noon and I wonder if I ought to do some enchanting now or find Dar'taqto (because it's really not nice to run in and out of the city neglecting my boyfriend thus), or should we venture to the west, the area beyond Applewatch we haven't yet explored. I decide we'll go to the west now, and I'll be with Dar'taqto in the evening when it'll be too dark for meaningful exploration.

On our way to the city gate, we run into a beggar Serulius and somehow start a conversation. He's a veteran of the Great War and says bandits stole all his belongings, including his journal with all his notes on the war. I promise to try and get it back. He shows me the area on the map where he used to live. We'll go and explore that region right now. The northwest can wait.

We exit the city by the gate near the Western Watchtower and turn left. I'm baffled to see there's an entire suburb there we somehow managed not to notice the last time we were near here.

In front of the first house to our left sits an oldish man Balius originally from Skyrim. I think he looks beyond his age because he's blind. He shares a house with that boy who runs around selling those... what are they called, newssheets? Balius asks me if it's true that the Skyrim civil war is over. I confirm it is. He says it's been the talk of the town the past couple of weeks. The thalmors are very cross that they are being blamed for Ulfric Stormcloak's assassination. "Isn't is ironic that the death of the very man who was leading the resistance against the thalmors in Skyrim has ended up dealing a heavy blow to the thalmors?" Balius asks.
"Indeed, it is," I agree.
"Armion is supposed to have said the way this turned out, he wouldn't be surprised if Yrsarald had murdered Ulfric himself."
"No, no! He couldn't have." I'm glad Balius can't see the look on my face.

Lydia and I stand up. We see Jenassa and Jordis chatting with a couple of elves also from Skyrim who escaped the harassment by the Nords after the persecution of Talos worshippers started. (I mean, the elves were not Talos worshippers. The thalmors began to harass the Nords for worshipping Talos and the Nords harassed perfectly peaceful Dark Elves in turn.)

We leave the suburb now and climb down the mountains,

reaching an east-west road that goes through a birch forest. Someone hostile-looking stands on the road, not seeing us. Sneaking closer, we realize it's a minotaur.

We leave quietly towards the hills in the southwest. We see a robbed horse-cart with two dead bodies on the roadside – an Imperial man with a Breton woman this time. Maybe there are some bandits somewhere near? Let's climb up those hills and take a look around.

Indeed, we discover a bandit camp.

It's a very exciting battle with enemies in various directions. They are hard to get a good shot at, because I'm reluctant to give up our advantage of elevation. We kill about a half of them from a distance, but the rest are hiding behind buildings and rocks and such, so we have to climb down after all to take them out. Among other things, we find Serulius's journal, but the man is clearly not a great writer. This place, by the way, is called Plump Rat Camp.

From left: Jordis, Jenassa, Lydia, Laura.

It's almost 6 in the evening by now. Applewatch is almost directly to our north, but I suspect we won't be able to ascend those mountains as easily as we descended them. We shall try anyway. The alternative would be to travel east towards Greenwood, and there would be mountains in our way as well.

It's still perfectly light as a forest path leads us to a place called Underpall Cave. I remember someone in Bruma mentioned it in a conversation. Something about necromancers. Let's go in and take a look.

It's a very big system of caves and underground ruins and even a graveyard.

I can't imagine who would bury their dead in a place like this with heaps of rubbish everywhere.

There's decidedly nothing beautiful here to look at. Just many mages, zombies, walking skeletons and rats. The most amazing part are large halls with coffins placed high above (don't ask me how or why).

Even though we don't bother to explore it all, it's midnight and completely dark by the time we come out again.

A little way to the southwest, we kill yet another mage who is in the company of three dead Imperial Soldiers. She seemed to be in the process of waking them up and I wouldn't be surprised if she had killed them first. The path turns north again and I'm very happy to see stone staircases going uphill. There's a group of aggressive mages we have to kill. Fortunately, they put up wards whose glow reveals their position.

Otherwise, they would be completely invisible with their black robes.

The same mage a few seconds earlier.

The stairways go further to the north and then end.

We're so close to Applewatch. There must be a way up!

Well, it's a hell of a climb, but finally we're in the snowy forest west of Bruma. The big moon Masser gives the city a very dream-like appearance. Either that or we are half asleep already.

It's past 3 when we reach our inn. The only people in the taproom are Stantus, the adventurer Stenar and a man I've never seen. We must look very worn-out, because they jump up, ready to help us the dear guests into our bedrooms. Thank you, it won't be necessary. We'll reach them by ourselves. Somehow.

They give us a hand all the same. Can't pass up on an opportunity like this, can you?  :D



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