386Ω
Skyrim Spartan
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Dragonstone
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"Fus!"
Kratos observed Anske let loose her Thu'um, or dragon shout. A form of magic that only dragons and creatures with dragon's blood flowing through their veins could use it. At least, that was what Anske had told him. It made sense enough, so Kratos did not question it.
Not that he really cared about the origin or history of this power. All that mattered was that Anske could use it, and she might as well practice how to use it well now that they had a chance to do so in secret.
For Kratos, the power Anske displayed seemed like nothing special. Truthfully, there was not much that could impress him after having witnessed countless epic magics on the level of gods before. In comparison, this Thu'um that Anske wielded was nothing more than a cheap trick.
Though for someone of Anske's strength, Kratos was certain it would prove useful enough in keeping her alive if she could learn to wield it well enough and had the wits to know when to use it. Which is why they were doing this now, while they had an opportunity away from the eyes of the others who had yet to know Anske's secret.
For the past two hours, they had been experimenting with the Thu'um, trying to get Anske more familiar with the power she now wielded while also learning more about it. Only through actual practice would she truly be able to understand how best to use this power. Not to mention that practice bred familiarity and control, and in turn increased her chances of survival.
Similar to regular magic spells, the lone dragon shout that Anske wielded produced the same exact effect every time it was cast: a powerful shockwave of energy that rushed forward in a conical shape and traveled a short distance before dissipating. The size, shape, range, and power level of the shockwave produced was exactly the same each time, but Kratos had a feeling that these parameters would change as Anske's knowledge, skills, and strength increased over time.
Anske had attempted, under Kratos' suggestion, to try and control any aspect of the dragon shout. Such as the range or size of the shockwave. But no matter how hard she tried she could not alter it in any discernible way. A pity, really. If she could have narrowed it enough to squeeze all that power into a small, dense beam, it might actually do a surprising amount of damage. Like a magical spear thrown at high speed.
The shockwave had enough force to stagger even large creatures, such as the now-deceased troll leader from earlier, which meant that more human-sized creatures would be violently pushed back. At least weak, unbalanced, or lightweight ones. Anyone strong or heavy may be temporarily hindered, or even pushed back a few steps, but otherwise those types should be able to remain on their feet.
Another important thing they learned was that Anske could not cast this magic continuously. Otherwise, its value would certainly be much higher than Kratos' current estimation. There was a waiting period—approximately a quarter of an hour by Kratos' estimation—in which presumably the energies that powered this special magic were replenished.
There might have been an official name for this special energy, but neither of them knew the proper term, so Kratos decided to simply call it dragon energy. Simple and easy enough to remember.
The dragon energy was separate from mana, or magicka as it was called in this world. Anske made it clear that there was certainly a difference between the two, because ever since she was able to cast that one spell back in Rorikstead, she had begun to feel a strange energy seemingly pool within her. And that energy pool was not touched at all when she used the Thu'um. Anske found it difficult to properly explain with words, but Kratos understood what she meant well enough.
Ever since ascending to godhood as the God of War, Kratos had felt the vast mana reserves within him that were fitting for his status as a major god of the pantheon at the time. Unfortunately, all that mana was wasted on Kratos. He had little interest and knowledge in magic or spells, save for those that were imbued within the items he needed to use as a warrior.
Additionally, for Kratos mana was a separate energy source from his rage energy, and it was his fury that had brought him great strength in battle long before he became divine. And it stayed with him even after his ascension. Even now, he could feel the empty coldness within him where the fires of his rage used to blaze. A fire that he was wary of ever igniting again, if he could help it.
Somehow, he knew that once it was lit again, it would be terribly difficult to get it under control.
"Kratos?" Anske's voice shook him from his thoughts.
Kratos blinked. Then, turning his attention back to her as if nothing unusual had happened, he said, "Go again."
Anske gave him a weary look. "I don't think we're going to learn anything new compared to the last several times I did it." She reached up to lightly rub her throat. "And my throat is actually starting to hurt a little."
"We have abundant water, girl. Drink."
With a sigh, Anske did not argue and moved to obey instead. It was easy enough to get a drink with fresh running water so close at hand. When she had drank her fill, she returned and asked him, "Do I really have to do it again?"
"Yes," Kratos said bluntly, then added, "But this time, you will use it on me."
"W-What?" She stared at him as if she was waiting for him to say that he was joking. But she should have known better than that. Kratos was not usually one to joke around.
There was a good chance that Kratos was going to encounter more dragons in the future, given the circumstances. Better to get a feel for it now while he had the chance. In this way, they would both gain something from the girl's practice.
"Are you serious?" Anske asked.
Kratos only stared at her.
Anske frowned, still hesitant. "But why do I have to use it on you?"
"Because I said so."
"But—"
Kratos drew himself up to his full height as he stepped closer to Anske, making Anske take an instinctive step backwards. "Do you really think you can hurt me, girl?" he asked.
"What?" Anske said as she hesitated again. "Well… n-no. I don't think I can."
It was a preposterous question, to be sure. Kratos was annoyed he even had to ask. Had she not clearly seen the level of strength and durability he possessed? And he had only been using a fraction of his power so far. Not that she knew that.
"What did you agree to, when I promised to teach you how to become a true warrior?"
Anske frowned and thought for a moment. "That I would… do whatever you asked of me."
"Then you will do as I say."
With a defeated sigh, Anske lowered her head slightly. "Alright. I'm sorry, Kratos," she said. "But I still need to wait until the thu'um is ready again."
Kratos let out a grunt to indicate he understood. Then they settled into another silence for a short while. Eventually, Anske signaled to Kratos to ready himself. In the dim light cast by the glowing flora, Kratos could see a conflicting range of emotions cross her face. She was still apprehensive about the whole situation, but he was not going to allow any more hesitation.
"Begin when you are ready," he said, in a tone that brooked no argument. He lowered his body a little to better brace himself, his muscles tensing in preparation for what was about to happen.
Anske quietly nodded, her lips pursed into a tight line. Then, she took a deep breath as her expression changed, becoming momentarily serious and focused. Her eyes glowed with power, and in the split second before she used the Thu'um, Kratos could instinctively feel the sudden buildup of energy within her.
"Fus!"
It came at him fast, and at this distance, even if he was prepared and at his quickest, Kratos would be hard-pressed to avoid it if he tried.
The shockwave of energy was soon upon him, and he felt arcs of energy swiftly crackle across his skin while an intense pressure briefly pushed against him from the front, trying to force him backwards. Then as quickly as it came, it was gone, the shockwave passing over him and disappearing harmlessly somewhere behind him.
Except for swaying backwards a bit, Kratos was largely unaffected just as he had expected. Though Anske looked at him with wide eyes.
"Are you okay? Did it hurt?" she asked suddenly.
Kratos only let out a snort in response, then said, "Again."
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Thankfully, the cave system was not overly complex. The few tunnels that led out of the massive dark and damp cavern twisted and turned through the heart of the mountain, with some leading nowhere but dead ends, while others forked and connected with other tunnels to form a bit of an underground maze.
Thick roots sprawled across various sections of the tunnels, looking like veins between bones and muscles of stone. The glowing mushrooms and moss were also prevalent, providing dim illumination for most of the way, broken up only by patches of darkness where nothing grew.
The area they traversed was likely the territory of the trolls, and what remained of them, if there were still any, were likely too afraid to bother with Kratos and company after the decimation of what was likely their main force. Their leader, likely the strongest of them, was among the dead, and that was more than enough to deter any other trolls from having anything to do with them.
It probably helped that Kratos was carrying around the large, severed head of the aforementioned troll leader—Anske had said it might be of some value after all—and that had likely deterred any trolls who had thoughts of vengeance. Kratos had sensed several presences nearby, and more than a few gazes, but they quickly disappeared and left them alone as they passed through the caves.
After some exploring and a few instances of retracing their steps after meeting a dead end, Kratos and Anske eventually managed to return to the ruined temple without incident.
The cave system connected once more to the ruined temple through a hole in the stone floor, meaning Kratos and Anske had to climb up within the cave tunnel they were in to enter the temple again. With all the rubble and the various rocks and roots along the tunnel walls, it was not a difficult climb, and they were soon back in another crumbling stone chamber.
The first thing they noticed, other than the illumination from a lit brazier, was how dry the air was compared to the dampness of the caves that they had been traversing for the past many hours. The next thing was that chamber was empty save for the brazier.
Two passages on opposite sides of the quiet chamber could be seen, and Anske peered down one passage and then the other, before turning towards Kratos.
"Which way?"
Kratos did not answer immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and concentrated on his hearing. A few seconds ticked by as the sensation of sounds around him grew stronger, clearer. Down one of the passages, he could hear the faint sounds of conversation. Opening his eyes, he started walking in the direction of the voices, Anske quickly following behind him.
Eventually, they passed through a larger chamber with what looked like a few triggered traps and several piles of broken skeletons and the unmoving bodies of armored draugr strewn about along with various ancient weapons.
Soon, the voices grew loud enough that Anske began to hear them, and her lips curled up at the recognizable voices. They passed by more downed draugr as the passage twisted and turned through multiple burial mounds.
Stepping through another opening, they emerged into a wide passageway made of darker stone than the rest of the temple they had just passed through. At the end of the passageway were three people standing before what seemed like a dead end. The other members of their party.
With a quick glance around, Kratos saw that the walls, floor, and even the ceiling were meticulously carved with detailed designs, symbols, and murals. This section of the temple was vastly different than all the others they had seen thus far. They were most likely close to the heart of the temple.
It was Lydia who noticed them first, the housecarl apparently the only one occasionally looking behind them to check for enemies.
"Master Kratos! Anske!" Lydia cried out with relief, glancing from Kratos to Anske and then back to Kratos. She closed the distance between them even as they walked over to the end of the passageway and beat a fist to her chest as she bowed. "I'm glad to see you both safe and unharmed."
Uthgerd turned, grinning as she rested her warhammer over her left shoulder. "Welcome back, my Thane." Then she glanced over at Lydia. "I told ya they'd make it back alright."
The dunmer thief, meanwhile, was quiet and stared at their arrival with wide disbelieving eyes. Perhaps he was finding it hard to believe that they had actually survived plummeting from such a great height into the dark depths of that cavern, and that they had somehow found their way back to the temple without looking any worse for wear. Occasionally, the thief's eyes darted towards Kratos' hip, though whether he was looking at the severed troll head or the golden claw that hung there, he did not know for sure.
Uthgerd and Lydia also glanced down at the things tied to Kratos' hip, with both crinkling their noses at the grisly sight. For whatever reason, neither of them asked any questions and simply accepted that he was carrying around a giant troll's head.
The three of them had been standing at the end of the passageway, which Kratos realized was actually a sealed doorway once he drew close enough. The door was circular in shape and filled almost the entire passageway, blocking the way forward.
At the center of the door was a golden circle, the surface of which was molded to resemble a three-pointed claw, the three ends of which ended with a hole. Around the golden circle were what looked to be three movable stone rings, most of which were hidden behind the surface of the door, with only a semi-circle of each ring visible above the golden circle in the middle. The rings were segmented, with each segment containing a different symbol.
"This is…" Anske started to say.
"A lock," Uthgerd said. "And the key is that golden claw. The one this coward of a thief stole from the Riverwood Trader."
Off to the side, the dunmer grimaced but said nothing. It was the truth, after all. He kept his gaze fixed on Kratos, wary and curious about the giant pale warrior.
Kratos took the claw from where it had been tied and hanging by his waist. Sure enough, the three-pronged claw seemed to fit perfectly with the three holes on the golden circle at the center of the door. Peering closer at the claw, he noted that the palm of the claw had three raised circles, each containing a different symbol.
He immediately understood then that the symbols on the claw corresponded to the symbols that should be aligned on the door. He was about to open the door himself, but then stopped as a thought occurred to him. Turning to Anske, he held out the golden claw to her instead.
"Girl. Open the door," he commanded, surprising everyone.
"M-Me?" Anske said, looking back and forth between him and the golden claw that was being offered to her.
"Take it," said Kratos.
Anske hesitantly reached out and took the claw from him. Kratos made it look easy to carry, but the claw actually had some weight to it due to being made of solid gold. She nearly dropped it at first but managed to keep a grip on it and then brought it closer to her, making it easier to carry.
"What do I do?" Anske asked, looking around at everyone. Well, everyone except the thief.
"You just have to—" Lydia began to say but was cut off by a gesture from Kratos and a stern look that made her immediately shut her mouth.
The message was clear: Anske was to figure this out on her own. It was not a difficult task at all, but the experience of figuring it out and doing it herself was still invaluable. Lydia understood only after Kratos stopped her from explaining how to unlock the door. Uthgerd was grinning, apparently having already realized what Kratos meant to do. The dunmer looked confused, which was to be expected since he knew little about them.
"Open the door," Kratos repeated.
To her credit, Anske did not take long to figure out what she needed to do to open the door. With some effort, she moved the stone rings to match the order of the symbols on the claw. Then, she lined up the claw with the holes in the golden circle, and then pressed the claw onto it. The golden circle suddenly sank a few inches into the door, but nothing else happened.
For a moment, Anske stood there confused as she tried to figure out what she was missing, or if she did something wrong. But then she decided to twist the claw, hesitantly as if she was doubtful it would work. But it did. The golden circle rotated in the direction she turned the claw, and immediately a loud clicking sound could be heard.
The golden circle twisted back to an upright position and raised itself to be flush with the door once more. Anske took this as a sign that she could withdraw the claw. As she did so, the entire passageway began to shake as the giant door began to move, slowly descending into the ground.
Once the sealed door opened even a fraction, a torrent of wind gushed forth from the gap, enveloping the party with dust and stale air that had been trapped behind the door for ages.
Several seconds of loud noise and ground shaking later, the way before them was finally clear.
Anske smiled, an excited gleam in her eye as she handed the claw back to Kratos. Lydia placed a hand on her shoulder and told her she did great, boosting her mood even further. Uthgerd wasted no time in taking up her vanguard duties once again, stepping through the door with hammer at the ready. But no enemies lay in wait for them on the other side, much to her audible disappointment.
There was a long set of stairs directly behind the sealed door. As they climbed the stairs, a constant noise that sounded like rushing water or gusting wind grew louder. Eventually, they emerged into a large cavern that was half man-made and half untouched and natural.
Suddenly, a swarm of bats appeared, their tiny wings flapping loudly as they screeched and flew over the party before fleeing elsewhere. Everyone except Kratos flinched and tensed, but they relaxed once the bats disappeared, and they finally had a chance to take a good look at what lay before them.
Several pillars held up the high ceiling, though one of the pillars had broken and fallen over. There were at least a dozen stone pedestals holding giant iron braziers, and strangely enough they burst into flames one by one upon arrival of the party—powered by magic, apparently.
Countless stalactites and stalagmites of varying sizes dotted the ceiling and the ground respectively. Most of the walls were rough and uneven, clearly untouched by human hands. Kratos was not sure if the cavernous room was half-finished by design or if the people who built this place were simply lazy.
In the back left corner opposite where they entered from, there was an underground waterfall, which proved to be the source of the constant noise that filled the air. The waterfall also made the air in the cavern cooler and damper than the previous sections of the temple.
Most of the torrent of water went down into a dark hole that led deeper underground, but at least a quarter of the water pooled on this level. A small creek fed by the pool of water cut several feet down into the ground and ran diagonally across the floor of the cavern, separating the final third of the cavern from the first two-thirds.
Finally, directly across from the entrance and at the far end of the cavern, was a prominently built raised platform. Kratos was the first to notice the large stone coffin flanked by two chests upon the platform. He had a feeling that this was the final guardian of this temple, and thus would likely be the strongest opponent they would face.
Beyond the large coffin was a manmade stone edifice that rose up at least twenty feet in the air, with various dragon-inspired carvings on it. The stone it was made of was clearly not from this mountain or was at least from a very different part of it, for it differed in shade entirely with the surroundings stones in the cavern. In fact, it was a similar dark stone to the small mural-filled hallway that led to the sealed door earlier.
Kratos looked away from their final destination—for that was clearly where they needed to go to finish this quest—and took a closer look around. There were six other stone coffins in the cavern, three to each side. They were built upright and pressed against the walls of the cavern. It did not take a genius to know that these coffins would probably also produce opponents once the final fight was triggered.
What would trigger that fight was still unknown, but it was only a matter of time.
A small stone bridge had been built to cross the creek, and the end of the bridge led to several steps that led up to the raised platform. As they approached, Anske suddenly spoke up.
"Does… anyone else hear that?" she asked.
"Hear what?" Lydia said with a frown.
"It sounds like… chanting? Or maybe whispering…" said the younger girl.
Uthgerd had stopped in her tracks ahead of them, tensing as her gaze swept the cavern. Then she looked back at Anske and shook her head. "I hear nothing but the sound of the waterfall."
"You can't hear it?" Anske asked with worry.
Lydia also shook her head. "I don't hear anything either."
The dark elf thief suddenly spoke up. "Hearing voices is usually not a good sign," Arvel said nervously, giving a worried look to the young archer girl. Everyone turned to look at him, and the cowardly thief seemed to shrink in on himself from the intense gazes he received, but no one contradicted his words.
Kratos frowned. He also could not hear anything out of the ordinary, even with his enhanced sense of hearing. That was truly not a good sign, because it meant only the girl could hear the chanting. He continued to be vigilant, but so far, he could sense no enemies nor any hostile intent. Though he and everyone else knew that they would be facing the final enemies of this place very soon.
"Does it sound like it's coming from somewhere specific?" asked Lydia, drawing her sword and readying her shield.
"It… sounds like coming from up ahead," Anske said after taking a few moments to try to calm herself. She pointed towards the raised platform, and everyone's eyes were drawn there.
"The chanting," Kratos said, thinking. "Can you understand it?"
Anske shook her head. "No. I can't really make out what they're saying."
"Perhaps that's for the best," Lydia said. "It could be the work of daedra or something. Trying to listen to it might lead to madness… or worse."
"Aye," Uthgerd agreed, her voice grave. "I've heard of such things happening before."
Anske looked stricken. "W-What should I do?"
Everyone turned to Kratos for an answer. The frown had not left his face as he considered their options, few as they were. It did not take him look to come to a decision. They had come this far and were so close to finishing this quest that he immediately dismissed any thoughts of retreating.
No, the best choice was to continue on and finish this quest together. And fast. Besides, Kratos trusted in his ability to keep at least the girl safe so long as she was near enough to him for him to act.
"We keep going," Kratos declared. Then, to Anske, he said, "Gil, do your best to ignore the chanting."
Anske swallowed hard. "I'll… try."
"Be ready," Kratos said as he glanced at everyone else before gesturing for Uthged to continue leading the way.
As soon as Uthgerd stepped onto the small bridge over the creek, the entire cavern rumbled and shook slightly, causing the party to stop and prepare for battle. Dust fell from the ceiling before the rumbling stopped. Then the lid of the large stone coffin on the raised platform emitted a loud crack, the sound echoing across the cavern, before suddenly exploding in a shower of broken stones.
They all stared at the raised armored fist that came from within the coffin. Whatever lay within had destroyed the heavy stone lid with a single punch.
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Kratos did not think any of the others could defeat whatever lay within the coffin one-on-one. Not even Uthgerd, though she would probably last the longest and do the best among them. So, he would not even let them try. He leaped high into the air towards the raised platform, reaching back with one hand to draw his giant sword. He was going to end this in one go.
Gathering his strength, he prepared to cleave the coffin and whatever lay within it in two. But as he descended with blade at the ready, the powerful creature within sat up from its coffin. An elaborate helm in an ancient Nordic style with two long horns almost one foot in length rested upon its head. It was an armored draugr that exuded power with eyes like glowing orbs of icy blue upon its shriveled pale face.
Sensing Kratos' approach, the powerful draugr turned its head towards him, and its eyes glowed brighter. Kratos could feel the magic buildup from the draugr and immediately braced himself for a counterattack. Time seemed to slow.
"Fus…"
Surprise filled Kratos as he heard the familiar thu'um that Anske had been practicing only a few hours ago. And he was even more surprised when the draugr kept going. There was more to it!
"… ro dah!"
A shockwave of energy bigger and far more powerful than any Anske could produce erupted from the mouth of the armored draugr and sped towards the descending Kratos. Without any means to dodge it, Kratos could only take the full brunt of the attack, using his sword once more as a makeshift shield as he twisted it so that the wide blade was flat in front of him.
The wave of tremendous energy passed over him and Kratos felt an immense pressure act upon him, sending him flying backwards. But even more than that, he could feel the pressure even within his body, as if the shockwave had struck his insides as well, and he could feel his organs rattle ever so slightly. Even his ears were ringing, almost threatening to explode for a split-second before the feeling subsided as swiftly as it had come and the shockwave passed.
Clearly, this was a higher form of the same dragon shout that Anske could wield. It was admittedly more potent than he expected. Kratos was sure that an average mortal would have died from the shockwave alone, if not from the force with which they were hurtled backwards and slammed into whatever was behind them.
A mere mortal would suffer serious internal discomfort at best, and absolute evisceration of their internal organs at worst. It was also possible that the force could have even broken limbs or exploded someone's eyeballs or ear drums if they did not have the strength, fortitude, or other means to survive the intense onslaught of draconic power.
Because Kratos was in midair, he was flung back farther than he would have been had he been able to brace himself on the ground. He gritted his teeth as his hurtling body scored a glancing blow on one of the pillars, taking a chunk of the stone with him as he bounced off and slammed into the cavern wall close to the entrance. A cloud of dirt and shattered rocks exploded from the small crater in the wall where Kratos had impacted.
Somewhere along the way, the troll's head had come loose from where it had hung from his waist, flung off somewhere in the distance and landing with a light thud and squelching sound. Even the golden claw had been torn away.
From the impact crater on the wall, Kratos then rolled down and landed heavily on the ground, breaking apart a dozen stalagmites along the way. His sword was still in his hand, having not let go of it despite how fiercely he had been tossed around. He vaguely heard someone call out his name, but his ears were still ringing so he could not tell who it was.
With a growl of annoyance, Kratos pushed himself up to his knees, and then drew himself back up onto his feet. Most anyone else would have taken some time to recover from taking such an attack, if they survived at all, but Kratos was not like most anyone else.
The hits he had taken to his body looked far more damaging than they actually were. And any scrapes or bruises he suffered were healed quickly, superficial as such wounds were.
He locked his eyes onto the powerful draugr, who in turn was staring right back at him, ignoring Kratos' companions. It recognized the threat that Kratos posed and was focusing exclusively on him. That was good, for now having tasted the power of this foe, Kratos was even more sure that none of his companions in their current state would be able to last long under this draugr's assault. That dragon shout alone would have incapacitated or caused serious injury to them.
A quick glance towards his companions showed that they were engaged in melee against the six other draugr, the guardians of the draugr leader most likely, that had emerged from their own coffins just as Kratos had predicted. They looked to be an even match, but with the group's positioning, Kratos was confident in their ability to win out.
He put them out of his mind for now. Turning his gaze back to the draugr leader, Kratos hefted his sword and rushed forward, not wasting any more time.
Kratos knew that the powerful draugr could not use the thu'um again in so short a time. The practice he had made Anske do earlier turned out to be more helpful to him than he first realized. Without that special ability, the draugr would not last long against Kratos even though it had shown a considerable amount of strength when it first emerged.
If it was purely a contest of physical strength, Kratos was confident that none could defeat him. Not even his half-brother Herakles, whose prodigious physical strength was heralded far and wide, could beat him. Neither could Kronos, an ancient titan so large he could probably climb to the peak of that mountain these people called Throat of the World in just a few moves.
What hope could a shriveled-up corpse have against the mighty Kratos?
Admittedly, being undead did have one distinct advantage when facing Kratos though: the draugr could not feel fear. A living creature might be hesitant and at least a little fearful after seeing Kratos stand back up seemingly without injury despite being blasted away like that. But the draugr felt nothing and waited calmly for Kratos to approach. Either that, or it could not leave the platform it was standing on—which was a possibility.
The armored draugr wielded an ancient but well-made handaxe in one hand. It looked comically small when compared to the size of Kratos' greatsword. Assuming it actually connected with Kratos, the axe likely would inflict only minor damage to him. And without its greatest weapon, the thu'um, the powerful draugr was fairly easy to deal with.
Once more, Kratos leaped into the air with his giant sword raised overhead. This time, the draugr leader sidestepped to dodge the attack at the right moment, apparently retaining some modicum of intelligence compared to its simpler, less powerful brethren. The giant sword missed the draugr and bisected the stone coffin right behind where it had been standing only a moment before, cleaving through the stone easily.
Kratos was, for a brief moment, in a vulnerable position, and the draugr raised its axe in an attempt to strike at him while his sword was lodged into the stones. But Kratos had expected this, and rather than trying to lift his sword back up, he instead let go of it and launched himself into the draugr shoulder first, tackling it to the ground.
Its armored chest caved in a little from the impact. One of Kratos' hands quickly pinned down the draugr's arm with the axe, rendering it useless. He used his own body weight to immobilize the body of the draugr, which resisted fiercely and with greater strength than its severely emaciated form ought to have had.
With his free hand, Kratos grabbed the draugr's face and clamped down on it, helmet and all. He then pulled up and away. The flesh around the draugr's neck began tearing almost immediately.
Kratos felt a dull pain to his side and realized the draugr had punched him with its other arm. Before it could punch him again, he tore off its head from the neck up, taking a few vertebrae with it. Just as he did so, a powerful wave of energy exploded outward from the draugr's body, rocking the whole cavern. Then the draugr went limp beneath him.
Still clutching the draugr's head, Kratos stared into the still-glowing pupil-less eyes of the draugr as its jaw opened and closed one last time before it finally passed on, its eyes going dark for good. Satisfied that it was truly dead this time, he dropped the head, the metal helmet encasing it clanging loudly against the paved stone floor of the platform beneath him.
Getting back on his feet, he retrieved his greatsword from the ruined coffin before going over to take stock of the fight his companions were currently engaging in. Outnumbered, they had decided to use the terrain to their advantage, retreating across the lone, narrow bridge that connected both sides of the ditch through which the creek had cut across the cavern.
Of the six draugr guardians, all of whom were armored, four wielded shields and axes or maces. The remaining two used two-handed longswords. None of them attempted to jump over the relatively short distance between the two sides of the ditch, opting instead to force their way over the bridge. Whether that was because they could not climb out of the ditch if they fell or because they did not even think of it as an option—Kratos had a feeling their ability to think was very limited—they would never know.
Lydia held fast with her shield and sword at the end of the bridge close to the raised platform, with Uthgerd right next to her bashing with her hammer whenever she could find an opening. Anske was on Lydia's other flank, using the sword Kratos had gifted her to stab and hack, mirroring Uthgerd's efforts.
Not bad, Kratos thought. It was not necessarily the most glorious fight, but it was at least a smart one.
The dunmer thief, still bound, had fallen into the ditch and appeared to be trying to use some of the rocks and stalagmites there to try and cut through his ropes. Jerking his head around, perhaps feeling Kratos' gaze upon him, he realized he was being watched and immediately stopped. He moved his bound hands, the rope somewhat frayed, up into the air as proof that he was not going to try anything else. Kratos let out a snort and ignored him.
Not much longer later, with Kratos watching passively from the side in case anything went wrong, Uthgerd, Lydia, and Anske finally won against the six draugr guardians, and the cavern was once again silent save for the sound of the waterfall nearby.
Ω=o=o=o=o=Ω=o=o=o=o=Ω
Anske could no longer ignore it. It had been mere minutes since they prevailed over the draugr guarding this place, and yet after the rush of adrenaline wore off, instead of peace and quiet, she found herself under the constant assault of the ceaseless chanting that seemed to be coming from the back of the cavern, over by the dark stone wall with dragon carvings and symbols.
It had gotten louder the closer she got to the raised platform, and now that they were actually on the platform, with Lydia and Uthgerd rummaging through the treasure chests, Anske decided that she had to get rid of the chanting somehow before she went insane.
Was she worried? Of course she was. She could hear something that nobody else could, and as the elf said—suspicious thief that he was—hearing voices was usually not a good thing. There was a chance it was some trick by Daedric forces, which would be terrible if true. What made her worry even more was that even Kratos, for all his power and strength, could not hear the voices either.
Given her circumstances, she could not help but wonder if this was related to her being dragonborn. The chanting of multiple voices was loud and yet unclear, as if there was some thick obstacle or barrier between her and the source of the chanting. The muddled words seemed familiar yet were not clear enough for her to properly comprehend.
Kratos looked at her with his typical stern expression, but she could see the worry in his eyes. Anske could not blame him. She had been glancing over at the wall of dark stone more frequently as the seconds ticked by. And she could not hide the fact that she was feeling troubled. She was sure it was evident on her face.
"Aha! I found it!" Lydia exclaimed in triumph, drawing everyone's attention. With a grunt of effort, she pulled out a weathered stone tablet the size of an open book. Perhaps a little bigger, actually. "This must be the Dragonstone we're supposed to retrieve from this place."
Uthgerd, who had been busy filling her pack and her pockets with valuables from the other chest, paused in her looting to look over at Lydia and the tablet she held in her hands.
"What's on it?" she asked.
"It's a map," Lydia answered, blowing on the tablet to clear away a layer of dust that had accumulated. "It shows the locations of all the dragon burial mounds in Skyrim, just like what Farengar said." She glanced towards Kratos. "The Court Wizard of Jarl Balgruuf," explained Lydia, thinking that perhaps Kratos might not recall who that was. "He was the one who gave us this quest. Said it was important now that dragons were reappearing."
Anske really couldn't take it anymore. She was trying her best to ignore the chanting in case it was something bad or dangerous. But it was really getting on her nerves. And a part of her felt that she should at least check it out, that if anything bad happened, Kratos was there to protect her.
She tuned out the conversation of her companions and turned towards the dark stone wall at the back of the platform—or perhaps it could be called an altar, since this was supposed to be a temple. Stepping towards it, Anske found herself unable to look away from the wall, her eyes scouring every inch of it.
The wall was actually curved into a U-shape, with some obvious dragon designs and symbols carved along the edges. Now that she was looking at it more closely, she could see that there were lines of writing all across the dark stone. If she were asked how best to describe it, she would say it looked like a giant sheet of thick parchment that had been unrolled and then petrified while it was being read.
She moved even closer to it until she could almost touch the wall if she reached out with her hands, and it was then that she vaguely heard someone call out to her. But the chanting was extra loud now, drowning out most other sounds. Strangely, despite the loudness, Anske could still hear the beating of her heart. It was beating fast, sounding like the galloping of a frightened horse.
One more step closer and the light around her suddenly dimmed. She immediately hesitated, fear rising within her. There was a small section of the writing on the wall that started to glow. Three words, from the looks of it. She raised her hand towards the glowing words. The chanting was still indecipherable to her even though it was louder now, but she could clearly feel the power in their chanting. And the power seemed to be intensifying and gathering around the words that were glowing on the wall before her.
In an instant, Anske realized she could actually read the words carved into the stone, even though they were strange symbols that she knew she had never seen before. They looked so familiar. The glowing words in particular became clear to her as she focused her mind on them and read:
Force unending…
Anske felt power suddenly surge into her from the glowing words, and something seemed to be unlocked in her mind. Strengthened, even. She shuddered, nearly losing balance, but a firm hand caught her by the shoulder and helped her stay upright. She turned and saw Kratos was there beside her, frowning.
"What were you doing?" His deep voice rumbled with concern.
Anske could hear him clearly now that the chanting had ceased abruptly, though her ears were still ringing slightly from the sudden absence of the chanting. Even the lighting in the cavern had been restored to what it was previously. One glance and she saw too that the words before her were no longer glowing.
Blinking rapidly, Anske shook her head before she turned and looked up at Kratos' face. His hand still held her by the shoulder in case she lost her balance again. Turning her head a little more towards her other companions, Anske realized that both Lydia and Uthgerd had come closer, worry evident on both of their faces.
Unfortunately, despite being companions, neither Lydia nor Uthgerd knew the truth about Anske, so she could not freely explain what had just happened. At least, not yet. Taking another moment to think, Anske tried to explain the situation without revealing her secret.
"The chanting…" she began, and their looks grew even more worried. "No, don't worry. It's stopped now. I don't hear it anymore."
"Go on," Kratos encouraged her. His eyes swept across the symbols carved into the wall, but if he gleaned any meaning from them, he didn't let on.
"Well, the chanting was just so loud that I couldn't ignore it anymore, so I just… I felt something drawing me here." She gestured to the wall in front of her. "And when I got close enough… well, I don't really know how but… I realized I could read what was written here."
Kratos and her shared a look of understanding for a brief second before their companions reacted.
"You can read this gibberish?" Uthgerd said with surprise.
Lydia also looked surprised. "What does it say?"
Anske turned around and took a step back to better see all the words. It was truly strange. Before, she could not understand any of the words at all, even though they did look oddly familiar. But after what just happened… now she could actually read it as easily as if she had carved the symbols into the stone herself.
Clearing her throat, she read aloud:
"Here lies the Guardian,
Keeper of the Dragonstone
and a force of eternal
rage and darkness."
Ω=o=o=o=o=Ω=o=o=o=o=Ω
Sergeant Carsis held his hands towards the campfire, the flames casting its flickering orange light about and causing the shadows to dance all around. Seated with him around the fire were a few of his men, their conversations low and hushed.
They had left two guardsmen outside to keep watch, while the rest stayed in the entrance hall of the ruins. Two other guards kept watch just beyond the doors that led further into the ruins, keeping an eye out for any monsters that might come from deeper in while also waiting for the Thane and his companions to appear.
The bandits had set up a small camp in the entrance hall before, their supplies still stocked, so it was easy enough to repurpose it for their own use. None of the bandits were alive anymore, so it wasn't a problem. Not that it would have been much of a problem even if they were alive.
The guardsmen had been waiting for half a day already, and yet there was still no sign of the Thane or his companions. Carsis did not think the worst, for after witnessing the Thane in action he did not know if there was anything here that could actually injure the man, let alone kill him. But he did think it was taking longer than expected.
The bodies of their fallen lay nearby, their faces covered by their bloodstained yellow cloaks. Every so often, Carsis would glance towards the bodies and frown. He and his men knew that death was always a possibility in this line of work, especially when venturing beyond the safety of Whiterun's walls. But he had never actually lost men under his command before, so this was a new experience for him.
It was terrible. The whole ordeal had him questioning whether he was fit to lead men like this. He had thought himself ready for the responsibility. He had been a guardsmen for well over a decade now, a seasoned veteran, but perhaps he was simply not cut out for command.
Suddenly, Carsis heard the sound of fast approaching footsteps. It was one of the guards who was posted farther in that rushed towards the campfire where he and the others were resting.
"What is it? Is it monsters? Are we under attack?" Carsis spoke before the man could say anything, getting to his feet. The other guardsmen also readied themselves, changing from relaxed to alert in but a moment.
Shaking his head vigorously from side-to-side, the guardsman who had run over replied, "No, sir! It's the Thane. He and his companions are finally back!"
Sure enough, only a few minutes later, and Carsis watched as the remaining guardsmen posted farther in emerged, followed closely by the towering pale form of Whiterun's newest Thane. After him came the rest of his entourage, without any serious injuries from the looks of it. Their bags seemed more laden than when Carsis had last seen them. Their equipment too looked a little more worn, with some damage, and definitely plenty of dirt.
What ordeals did they go through after we parted ways? wondered Carsis.
Curiously, the dunmer thief trailed behind, bound at the wrists. His shoulders were slouched, head drooped in resignation of his fate. The Nord woman in full-plate armor kept a close eye on him. Carsis wondered what the Thane planned to do with the elf, but he kept that question to himself for now.
There was the beginning of a foul stench that seemed to cling to them. It was the stench of rot and decay. Of death. A bath would do them wonders. Carsis shivered as he crinkled his nose, yet he said nothing and saluted the Thane with a respectful bow and a fist to his chest.
"We are glad to see you and your companions return safely, honored Thane," said the sergeant. "I trust all went well?"
Kratos let out a grunt, then gestured with his head towards his housecarl, Lydia. She came forward with a stone tablet in her hands and offered it to Carsis, who stared at it in wonder. Excitement welled up within him, accompanied by no small amount of relief.
"Is this…?" Carsis began to say as he hefted the tablet in his hands. It was heavy. He took great care in handling it.
"The Dragonstone," Lydia confirmed for him. The other guardsmen couldn't help but ogle it. This was what they had all come here for, after all. With this in hand, it meant only one thing:
"The task is done. It is time to leave this place," Kratos declared.
o=Ω=o
Ω=o=o=o=o=Ω=o=o=o=o=Ω
AN:
So… lots of things going on in my life that are once again taking me away from writing. I finally moved and I also got a new job, among other things. Life is settling down a bit now so I'm optimistic I can continue writing again and finally finish this story in the next six months or so. Optimistically heh. I continue to be plagued by doubts as to whether the chapters are good enough, but I've decided to just keep posting and then edit/rewrite later on once the story is finished (or close to finished).
I hope all of you have been well! And thanks again for reading.