Skyrim Dragonhearth
This is my first time writing a story and posting it online. I consider myself to be quite a novice when it comes to writing. I hope you enjoy the story and I would appreciate any critique you can offer.
** Skyrim Dragonhearth part 1**
My father has been unreasonable all month. Ever since he found out I was planning on going to the College of Winterhold to become a mage, he has been trying to convince me to become an adventurer like him by telling me a series of absurd stories of Argonian bandits that shoot mages in the knees with arrows whenever they approached Winterhold.
I wasn't convinced one bit that his story had any grain of truth to it. The story only strengthened my resolve for pursuing my dream of being a powerful mage. I kept trying to get him to see things my way until he told me that I was not going until I hunted and killed a family of bears to prove my combat skills. At first, I tried to tell him that I was a proud Nord and this whole bear killing business was not necessary, but I finally accepted his ultimatum when he told me that killing a bear was a rite of passage for manhood.
I went to my room to pack my satchel. I packed a wide array of essential items for example apples, a torch, a dagger, a bow and arrow, etc. Then, I donned my fur boots and my fur gauntlets. Finally, I put on a father's iron armor. I was just about ready to go until my father kicked the door in.
"Can't you use a door like a sane man" I shouted as I put on my satchel.
"I just came to give up a small departing gift" He replied
Then he pulled out an ebony sword. I was somewhat surprised and excited.
"Um...Is that for me?" I inquired.
"Of course, how are you supposed to hunt bears without a decent weapon?" He stated as he handed me the sword "Just remember that you can never be too careful."
"Thanks I will put it to good use." I reply as I left out of my room.
When I made it to the front door, I began to wonder where I was I going to find a family of bears in Skyrim. I pushed these thoughts in the back of my mind as I stepped out of the door to begin my arduous quest.
After wondering though the arctic tundra of Skyrim for days looking for bears. I was running out of food and my morale dropped drastically. Until a mysterious bizarre appeared suddenly in first of me. I spotted a bear-shaped silhouette treading in the distance, so naturally I followed it hoping it would lead me to its family.
I came upon a rocky pathway that seemed unaffected by the snow that gently fell upon it. I followed it the road until I came upon a brown arrow-shaped sign stood right next to a cave entrance. The sign read:
"This Forbidden Cave holds unfathomable horrors. Only a fool would enter this forsaken cave. Turn back if you value your life."
I knew traveling through the forbidden cave could be dangerous, but the allure of the possibility of engaging in real life-threatening combat with bears was enough to rouse me into action. I had to prove that I was a competent warrior despite my lack of formal training.
I prepared myself by pulling out my bow getting ready to hit my target. I stepped forward cautiously towards the pitch black cave. A low pitch growl could be heard emanating from the cave.
I smirked as I pulling the draw between my fingers. Then I unleashed an arrow into the cave. I couldn't hear anymore growls, so I assumed the bear may have went deeper into the cave. I ducked away my bow and unsheathed my sword.
" Let's kick some bear ass!" I shouted while swinging my sword wildly as I entered into the cave.
My yells were short lived as soon as I stepped in the cave; I tripped over something; I figured it might have been some stone near the entrance, and began sliding down the cave.
"Damnit..."
Before I could finish my sentence, I noticed the ground was getting hotter and the snow was melting rapidly. Before I knew it water surrounded from all side it even came up to my chin. My situation seemed dire. Luckily, I concocted a foolproof plan.
"Help! Help!! I can't swim!" I screamed as I tried to stay afloat.
Just when I thought my luck could not get any worse. I heard the low pitch growl again. As I turned around I felt a wave of water came from behind and propel me forward. I sped through the cave so fast everything I saw seemed like a blur. It seemed like hours had passed, but finally I saw an exit.
Rays of light illuminated from a square opening just ahead. The light was gradually getting brighter and brighter until it became unbearable to look forward. When the intensity of the light weakened, I felt myself falling helplessly into a void of darkness. I prayed frantically for the help of some kind of higher power.
Fortunately, my prayer was answered. I splashed into a body of water. Suddenly, I realized I still couldn't swim. I tried to punch and kick to stay afloat, but my efforts were futile. I guess I am really going to die this time. As water began to flow into my lungs I began to lose consciousness. It was all over for me. I slowly closed my eyes to accept my unavoidable death.
This was very strange. I know I should have drowned but, it felt like I was floating in a syrup-like substance. I feeling of this stuff against my skin felt exhilarating. As time went on, I could feel myself getting stronger, bigger, and more powerful. At this rate, I was going to be the most powerful Nord ever.
Suddenly, I saw a blade appear and retract itself almost instantaneously. It happened again, but this time the blade came closer. I figured at this point that I must be in a sac-like enclosing for this to be possible. I could feel the syrupy liquid draining out. This was my chance to escape. When the liquid was nearly drained out, I pulled my hand back and punched forward. I manage to punch through the sac. Without warning I felt something grab me and pull me out. Once I dropped onto the hard rocky ground, I scanned my surroundings for any evidence of a force or being that may have pulled me out, but my search was fruitless.
My mind was assaulted with a multitude of questions. For instances, Where was I? What happened to me? Who sat me free? Normally, I would run off blindly stabbing and slashing until I found the source of the problem, but I felt that course of action would be detrimental. For the first time in my life I couldn't solve my problems with violence alone I had to use my wits. So I sat down and contemplated my next move.
KA-BOOM!!
I heard an explosion then, a flash of light illuminated the cave. I instinctually shielded my eyes with my both of my hands.
Then, I felt a pair of scaly hands seized my legs. I struggled, but it was futile. I was beginning to think that some kind of being was plotting against me. Before I could finish my thought, the bony hands pulled me down with neck-breaking speed. I closed my eyes to prevent any dirt from getting in them. Then I felt my body slamming against something cold and fluffy. When I opened my eyes, I saw that I was naked, and my equipment and garments was missing.
I was freezing my behind off. I had to find someplace warm and with haste.
As I scanned my surroundings, I noticed an old abandoned fort just up ahead. In my desperation for warm a make a beeline for the fortress. When I got to the fort, I saw several claw marks and sword cuts along the stone wall. The fort had an eerie atmosphere. I felt as if an unforeseen evil was lurking just around the corner.
I checked to see if there were any blankets or coat, but all the rooms were deserted. I couldn't even find any household items or possessions. It was as if the fort had been recently raided. The only place I had not checked were the covered carts near the entrance.
All of a sudden, I could hear chanting. The sound of the chanting resonated though out the fortress. The chanting seemed to intensify this feeling of uneasiness in my chest.
I ran around the fortress frantically searching for the origins of the chanting. I was getting really agitated by the sound. Just when I was about to scream, I spotted a person in a bloody makeshift bear outfit with an ebony sword in its hand; it was standing by the entrance of the fortress. The person in the costume seemed to make a beckoning motion for me to come closer.
Truthfully speaking, I was a very hesitate to approach him. The sight of a person in a bear costume that seemed to be made from a recently slaughtered bear made me a tiny bit uneasy, so I opted to adopt a fighting stance.
In response, the person in the bear costume simply tossed an ebony sword with a black and gold scabbard towards me. I looked just like the one I recently lost. As I tried to understand its motives, I kept getting this strange feeling this guy wasn't mortal. So I tensed my muscles and began to strike, but he took off running before my sword could make contact.
I knew now I had to follow him if I wanted to find any bears. I managed to follow it until I came upon a large castle with several towers. The outside architecture was very similar to Fort Dawnguard. The major difference was that it was more similar to a fortified village than anything else. I figured that they may have some warm blankets.
I noticed armed argonians patrolling the outskirts of the wall, so I opted to hide myself behind a bush pair of snow covered bushes for planning my method of attack for the village up ahead. I had to find some blankets at all cost ever if it meant killing Argonian bandits.
There was a stone wall that encircled the village and stone ramparts on each corner. As I moved closer, I unsheathed my sword to take out the argonians on the rampart to the east, there was a ruffling near the bush he just left. Without warning a small metal dart impaled itself into my chest. While reflexively taking out the dart, I saw two Argonians coming towards him. I tried to escape, but his feet felt like lead and my vision was becoming blurred. It was becoming harder to keep my eyes open. The last thing I saw was two of the Argonians grabbing me by the arms.
My vision was starting to return to me, but it did little good. I could only make out the silhouette of cottages, bushes, and fruit-bearing trees. I figured he was inside the fortified village, but I wondered where the Argonians had gone. I determined that the best thing to do was to find these demons and kill them as soon as possible. I tried moving my body but it felt like my hands and feet were binded to a wooden pole.
I felt helpless, but I couldn't just give up. I thought for a moment, but my moment of contemplation was short-lived. I saw about a dozen blue orbs of light in the distance approaching him. As they drew closer, he saw that they were not orb, but blue flames on torches. The hands that were carrying them belonged to argonians wearing hide armor.
While standing before them I saw that they only came up to my chest. As I got a closer look I saw that their heads bore a closer resembles to dragons than Argonians. They all encircled me while chanting. It was the same chanting I heard at the last fortress. Then, all the Argonians in front of me started placing small branches, dry hay, and juniper berries at my feet. As I looked behind me I noticed the Argonians behind me pouring Nordic mead around me. When I saw them taking big pieces of grilled rabbit legs and placing it around my feet I couldn't contain myself I had to do something.
"What in Talos's name are you lizards doing? You're wasting perfectly good meat!" I shouted
None of them responded to my question. I was starting to get a little annoyed by their reluctance to reveal any information to me.
"Your body is being served to my children." A mysterious feminine voice reply
"Who said that?" I inquired as I surveyed my surroundings to find the origins of the voice.
"I was me." The voice replied
The voice sounded like it was coming from behind. When I turned to look I saw a great black dragon with blue eyes and pearly white scales running down her chest.
"Holy fuckin shit a talking dragon!" I yelled
"I am Fafnir and you will address me as such Siegfried" She retorted
"How the fuck you know my name?" I replied
"I see you are quite dim-witted. Ever a mortal such as you should know that dragons are quite astute. I have been watching you for some time now; surely you knew you were being followed and watched." She said mockingly
"Watched?" I inquired
"Yes, I sent one of my children to lure you here."
"But why?"
"To avenge to the countless children your bloodline has slain."
"Is that it? Why don't you just kill my father instead of me?"
"The problem is I already have."
"You bitch!" I yelled "I will avenge him...as soon as I get out of these bonds. I'm going to kick all your asses starting with you first she-dragon."
"Do you think I will be intimidated by such an idle threat?" She smirked
"Umm...can we move this along because my arm really getting tired of holding this torch." An argonian whined just to the right of me.
"Silence minion!" Fafnir yelled as she smacked the argonian in the back of his head with her tail. "No sweet roll for you!"
"What!" he yelled as he fell on his knees "Nooooooo!!!"
"Enough talk it is time for my children to replenish their strength!" She said
Before I knew it, the Argonian she just slapped jump in front of me.
"You can't take away an Argonian's sweet roll that just inhumane and cruel! Unless I get my sweet roll no one is eating this Nord!" he yelled as he unsheathed his iron dagger.
An expression of anxiety and fear appeared across the Argonian's faces including the she-dragon. I was starting to reach the conclusion it wasn't because of the dagger wielding Argonian. It felt as if there was a more sinister presence lurking around the corner, but somehow it felt familiar.
I could feel fur brushing against the back of my neck. The fur indicated to me that the person they were gawking at was probably the creature in the bear costume. When I turned my head I saw the bear costume creature. I saw the carcass of the she-dragon just behind him with its head severed. Blood gushed out in a great abundance.
At first, I thought the creature was working for the argonians, but as it turns out this creature had a different agenda. I didn't ever notice when he appear or sliced her head off. I had two hypotheses for what could have happened either this creature was moving at a speed faster than I could perceive or he somehow altered reality. Whatever the case was I still had to find some blankets.
I felt my bonds coming undone. It time for me to show these Argonians what a mentally unbalanced Nord could do. I ran around flailing my fists haphazardly at the Argonians, but it was futile. I was easily overpowered as they piled on top of me.
They managed to tie me up again, but this time they use rope to bind me to a stone pillar next to the Argonian that turned against them.
An Argonian wearing a scarlet red robe stepped forward holding a charcoal black staff with a ruby red jewel embedded on the top.
"All that has transpired is your fault Nord" The Argonian shouted while standing his staff in my face.
"How the fuck is this my fault!"
"Members of your bloodline always attract the presence of that ghastly fiend to own stronghold...and that thing has taken the life of our dearly beloved mother."
"Can I just make a final request?" the Argonian beside me inquired.
"No! Traitorous lizards like you don't get the honor of final requests." The staff wielding Argonian replied. "I will cast divine judgment on the both of you with the new spell that I have been working on called Diminution."
As he raised his staff in the air, a faint was radiating from the jewel. Suddenly, an explosion of fire spilled forth enveloping me and the Argonian. I could feel my entire body boiling. The heat was so intense it took everything I had to refrain myself from screaming in agony. Then, the pain subsided. Afterwards, everything went dark. I could feel dust and ashes caked on my skin. I could also feel myself falling, but I could feel my feet firmly planted on the ground. I could feel something compressing against my body. For a minute, I thought it was sand, but the individual particles felt too big to be grains of sand it felt more like pebbles. I frantically tried to climb out.
When I finally managed to push my way out of the pebble I was met with a disturbing sight. I was staring right at the face of the Argonian that had casted the spell. He seemed like a towering god to me. I felt completely powerless.
To be continued