Thank you for the patience. We're reaching the part where I'll start making some considerable changes to the plot. I had to cut some things from this chapter but we should be seeing those things occur soon.
I can't wait. Thank you for the patience!
As always, if you want to be up to date on any updates and the like, join the discord as I tend to post updates semi-daily there as I write and edit chapters.
7.5K
Peace!
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/Scramble…/
"Hum… yes… this one too…"
Once the old man found what he was looking for, he poured Philip's potion onto a silver plate and began inspecting it as if he were looking at the most precious thing in the world.
/Sniff/
First, the old man smelled it, and then, he tasted it with his eyes closed. No bad smell, that was a good sign in his books…
He continued on with his tests. One time he checked the potion by staining a leaf with it, another time he sprinkled it on fire…
"..."
'What is he doing? This isn't sauce for you to taste like that…'
"Hm..."
After a few more moments of pondering, he drank it all before grabbing a water bucket and…
/Splash!/
He dipped his face inside it!
"..."
'What an unusual old man... But to test a Water-breathing potion... You do just that, I suppose… just see if you can breathe underwater, not really that complex.'
'Though he sure put on a show for me…'
/Splash/
"Phew… I'm freezing. I often forget that around here the water freezes on its own. It's the small things that pass by you with age." He said with a faint smile as he lifted his head from the bucket
His beard, and a portion of his hair as well, were now wet, but his gaze was also full of surprise.
"…"
'You don't seem that cold though… Damn Nords…'
The old man looked at Philip with a slight look of respect, "I'll be honest, when I first saw you I didn't imagine you to be this capable. You have my apologies for my previous rudeness. It seems you learned quite a bit of the craft out there."
"Though we'll have to see how my stomach will act up in an hour."
"It should be fine. I used no heavy ingredients in it…" Philip replied awkwardly as he sighed as well
"I suppose that's true, there is a faint garlic aftertaste in my mouth… It's quite well made as well from what I can feel."
"..."
'He may be no master, but to identify a potion through feeling, taste, and smell... I'd say he's at least at Adept level? Maybe even an Expert Alchemist.'
'Then again, in reality, there is no consensus on what that signifies. You can be a master of a school of magic, but that makes you no master of magic in general… and what you may consider complicated in one region may be intermediate if not basic knowledge elsewhere.'
'Though there's little point in being that harsh with an old man in the middle of the woods.'
The old man looked at the swirling liquid inside the half-empty potion bottle, "Anyhow, effects aside, I suppose I can offer you a price for it… I'll have to see how long it lasts first, though… but a potion like this does has a market in this region."
"I suppose you wouldn't mind me making a few more tests, would you?" He said as he looked at Philip
"Be my guest, I have more to sell, anyway."
'Selling it here or not doesn't matter much. I've already achieved what I wanted first and foremost… although it would speed up my progress considerably.'
He smiled slightly as he turned around, "More, huh… an odd lad, to be sure…"
'His looks don't reflect his skill… maybe I am getting old, as my granddaughter says. My fingers stopped working properly years ago, and now it seems my vision is starting to betray me as well.'
"Start when you feel like it. I suppose you wouldn't mind me leaving for a moment?"
"Need to use the bush? Or are you afraid of this old man passing out?"
"More like the former…"
'Those things I ate are starting to act up…'
"Do as you wish, just don't take too long."
/Gulp!/
The old man drank the potion and turned over an hourglass to count the time.
Immediately after Philip left the shop, the old man reached to the side and grabbed a small piece of parchment. With a black pen, he began writing his feelings.
Slowly, he pieced out the potion's effects, one at a time…
…
/Sometime later…/
After five minutes had passed… "Hum… it seems the secondary effects have stopped."
"It seems such."
'Just like him, it seems I underestimated his ability… or maybe this is the standard? If it weren't for the effects tab on the Menu, I would have difficulty pointing out when the potion effects end, much less what I'm being affected by… until the eventual realization that I couldn't breathe underwater set in.'
'While the potion's primary effect is just underwater breathing, it also has some remnants of other effects from the materials used in its confection. That comes from my inability as an alchemist and lack of varied materials that complement each other. A true master should be able to pinpoint the effects he desires within the cub by extracting the magical properties within the materials, just like a wizard can shape magicka to alter the world to his liking.'
'A potion is, to some degree, nothing but a spell contained within materials. For potion-making is the craft of pulling the raw energy from within them and mixing it into a new form… or so my current understanding dictates.'
"You did told me before the potion would last this long… this makes me believe they're all of equal quality."
He turned to Philip after he finished writing on his parchment, "Underwater breathing has some niche applications, but I can sell it here. It is a somewhat valuable product, so it deserves a fair price…"
The old man went through several calculations in his head before coming to a final price… He raised his right hand and showed him two fingers:
"Two Drakes."
"Hum…"
Philip's thoughts accelerated as the world slowed down faintly. He didn't even realize that as his thoughts raced across his mind in but moments for the old man…
'That's considerably lower than the value shown by the system... around five for each. Two is already quite a lot. He's talking about two golden coins of considerable size and weight. Back on Earth, a pure golden coin like this weighing around twenty-five grams from the looks of it would go for thousands of dollars!'
'I would say the price isn't the same due to the differences in purchasing power… but that's hard to compare. With two golden coins, I believe you could buy an ordinary wooden lodge in this Hold. Maybe with a few more you could buy more… But back on Earth, you could definitely acquire an absurd amount of raw food with them alone, far more than what you could get here.'
'I never expected to get their full value, but for an alchemist in Falkreath… he should be able to fork over far more gold than this meager amount.'
'I'm supposed to be a black merchant, and this guy runs one of the few alchemist shops in the entire hold… the one that has two direct roads to two major provinces… Skyrim is surrounded by mountains and traveling in and out is taxing, so if a merchant wants to pass… they'll either have to find another road who knows where, go through sea… or through here.'
'It's no wonder this Hold was far more developed than I remembered. Though it's still small, then I would've expected after coming to terms with Eddy's diary and memories. I suppose they either conduct their trades closer to the border due to Imperial decree to avoid political conflicts… or the people here are just that stubborn.'
'It could be both, I suppose… I'll have to sit down again and process the memories a bit further when I have the time.'
"Four." Philip replied with a poker face as he crossed his arms
[Haggle Lv8 has activated]
Philip felt confident in his words, memories of Eddy's life as a travelling merchant passed through his eyes, interlacing with his own.
He could raise the price a little, if even a single coin.
"Boy! That was already very generous, I need some room to profit." The old man replied grumpily as he shook his head
He knocked on the potion bottle and said:
"Look, just because I apologized, it doesn't mean there's nothing to point out."
"Let's start with a simple one. These potions don't look very good… perhaps if you had used some prettier bottles I might've considered it for a moment."
"Then do it then."
"Lad… it's not so simple. A good piece of glasswork takes time to make, and it's costly too. Why would I buy your potions for more and do that as well? Too much work for an inconsiderable return at the end of the day."
"Falkreath has no proper glassmaker. It would take ages to order decent ones; you'd be with more luck looking around Solitude or Windhelm… Better yet, Winterhold."
"Not to say I was the one who sold you all of its materials and the workplace."
"You talk as if that mattered. I paid for all of that."
"You sure did, so you understand the price it took to make them. Don't try to raise the price, kid… not when their taste leaves room for desire."
"As if that would matter to someone when their life is on the line. You think I don't know exactly where you plan to sell these? I heard there are quite a few customs around here that require one to venture into the mountains and lakes… there are quite some dangers around mountain rivers…"
"Your point?"
Philip smiled, "If life could have a label, what would its price be? One hundred for all. I'll sell you all twenty-five of them, and we call it a deal."
'It's not much, but it's a beginning, I suppose. Although it won't help me bridge the remaining 40K or so I need… I have about 27K on me albeit most are through bank notes… with the price of these potions even if I were to make them all day long and sell them for this price, I would barely make halfway through the thirties before the two weeks end.'
'But the point is raising this skill to a suitable level… anyhow, this was just a test. I'll try something more serious later on… It's not like these are all I can make. I discovered several other recipes while playing around with the ingredients.'
'It makes me wonder just how many potions are out there waiting to be found... and where this information comes from… I've been wondering just where Gamerverse and the System take their information from… but that is just one of those mysteries I have to accept as it is.'
The old man pondered briefly, 'If I don't buy them here, the lad will probably just sell them elsewhere down the road. Even if he has some difficulty selling them, he'll rid himself of his stock eventually.'
'As he said, we're in-season right now… Fishing is on the rise, and there is no lack of fishermen that dive and never come back… not to mention the rites of passage… I might not make much of a profit, but even if I sell them for half a coin or more, it doesn't matter much because I barely did anything.'
He snickered "... Deal."
{Speech 36 -> 37}
{Speech 37 -> 38}
{Speech 38 -> 39}
"Urg…"
A considerable amount of knowledge flooded his mind. Bits and pieces of not only his life but also Eddy's fused together into a string of ideas. Simple insights from the way to sweet-talk a girl, to haggling prices with a merchant…
It made him absent-minded, but the old man wasn't paying him any attention now.
[Haggle Lv8 -> Lv9]
[Trading Lv6 -> Lv7]
'While it's nowhere comparable to those events in the trials, it still hurts my head quite a bit. At least I've also confirmed that making deals raises Speech the traditional way.'
While he recovered, the old man was quick to continue, "However, I have a condition." He said as he slowly placed the potion bottles beneath the counter
"Fine by me… as long as it doesn't take that long."
'This seems like a Quest. If something pops up, I suppose I can look into it. System tasks in these scenarios tend to reward interesting abilities… and right now, even if I'm pressed for time, I might be inclined to risk my life in one of Skyrim's ancient dungeons.'
'A single treasure room or some ancient artifact might just fetch me enough money to make it possible for me to circumvent this dilemma.'
"It's quite simple…" He said as he walked away from the counter, ""My Granddaughter has yet to return, and I'm getting a bit worried."
"She's not a child, but neither am I negligent. I know the dangers of these woods very well, especially for a young lass." He added as his eyes sharpened
"Foreigners know not nor care about the ways around here. More then once have conflicts arisen from this clash… She left over six hours ago to collect some herbs in the nearby mountains, nothing serious, nothing dangerous."
"Just another road she has taken many times before…"
"Yet she isn't here."
"Indeed... and I fear she may not have encounter your usual issue… around here, the most you can find is a lost brown bear that has strayed too far from the deep woods, but she has her means to defend herself from that… I fear she has not encountered such this time."
"I'll buy your potions exchange for this small favor. I'll even add in an extra reward if you do this for me, the minimum for such a commission." He said as he looked at the sword on Philip's waist
"Seeing that, I imagine you can handle yourself somewhat. I can tell from your body, it's not the body of a merchant or alchemist like mine… your steps too, they are heavy, stable… the kind a warrior would have."
"I have met many warriors and know how they behave. One of the reasons I originally mislabeled your skill. A travelling merchant can be a good fighter, but a proficient alchemist as well? That may be just too much for a young lad like yourself… but you proved me wrong."
"I would go after her if I could. But in my old age, I fear I can't even make it halfway across the path she takes before I have to call it quits. Had it not been for you, I might've stopped by the town to see if anyone is willing to take the task."
Philip sighed, "That I can do, a bear shouldn't be too much of an issue to handle… if it's a bear, that is…" Philip replied with a headache as he thought of what was out there.
'Technique and combat experience will surely help, but that doesn't matter if my enemy hurls a lightning bolt, a massive fireball… or if it's just an ancient monster that I somehow find my way across.'
'In this land, there is no shortage of small-time stories where someone comes across something they shouldn't. Those that can survive are often called Champions or even Heroes.'
'Those that fail… become background knowledge for some random Quest…'
The old man nodded, somewhat relieved to find someone for assistance, "While you're away, I'll also evaluate the other potions you made. We can discuss them once you're back with news of her."
He reached out for a glass box and pulled a potion from within, "Take this, just in case… but I'll say this right now: if you don't use it, I want it back! Those aren't completely inexpensive! It's my greatest treasure… if used well, it can mend most injuries and save most from the brink of death!"
"My son made this potion long ago before he moved to Solitude. He made it far in this field. But what he gained in talent for the craft, he lost in eagerness to be a father. The damned brat left his daughter with me and booked it!"
"Now she is my responsibility."
[Potion of Ultimate Healing
Completely heals Health
]
"Let's hope the opportunity to use it does not come." He said with an awkward smile as he put the potion aside
"Uhum… My granddaughter's name is Abedi, and she normally collects ingredients in the northern section of the city, beyond the nearest river, towards the nearby mountains."
"She never goes too far into the mountains, so it's unlikely she's there, so she should be near the river where weeds grow plenty."
"Understood…"
/Cling!/
The old man dropped a large bag of coins on the table, "This should cover about half of the potions. I'll give you the other half and your bonus once you're back."
"I swear it."
Philip nodded, oaths were very important for the Nords after all.
{50 Septims have been added to your inventory}
/Grab…/
With a small greeting, Philip grabbed the coins, turned around, and left the shop.
'While I left most in case I could sell them, I still kept a few potions in case I needed them.'
'Making potions is a potential answer to my hurdles, but its clear I won't be able to make the money by selling them to the people… I might have to trade directly with the Daedra merchant.'
'But before I summon him, I'll gather a few more items and see what he values the most… from those, I can make a clearer judgment on how to proceed.'
"In either case, my options are increasing, and this is what matters."
Philip walked down the streets and once he reached an open intersection, he looked north towards the distant mountains.
He could tell where north was based on Eddy's memories. A sense of direction was deeply ingrained inside his mind… Even so, he asked a guard before proceeding.
…
"Is that what I think it is?"
On his way, Philip noticed a large church on the roadside. Interested in the possibility of receiving a blessing, he got inside without much hesitation.
/Chatter…/
The church was rather full, but the altars were open for all to see, so he had no difficulty approaching any.
Each altar contained a miniature shrine dedicated to the nine divines...
(Image?)
But as expected, Talos wasn't there… Ever since the White-Gold Concordat not that long ago, worship of Talos had been banned in Skyrim.
For now, most Nords were still adapting. Albeit to many, their lives hadn't changed much, they just had to be a bit more careful and the empire wouldn't mind enforcing the rules. But over time, with the pressure from the Elven empire encroaching on their land and their demands, the pressure will build up, frustration will rise, and this will lead to many unsatisfied Nords.
All of this will culminate in the Civil War decades from now… but that's another story for another person.
Philip might tolerate a few years of memories, but decades were too much… He wouldn't force himself to wait just so he could witness the legend of the last Dragonborn…
Well… actually… he might do that... but right now he was trying his best not to think about it…
...
[Blessing of Arkay -> Increases your Health by 25 points]
[08:00:00]
[07:59:59]
[07:59:58]
[…]
"Hmm..."
'It certainly worked much to my surprise. It doesn't seem like anyone can just be blessed like I just did. That said, I don't feel any different…'
"Wait… not quite... My skin looks a bit rougher?"
Its hard to tell.' He thought as he pinched his hands
'Anyway, my work here is done. I'm happy to know that I can get the blessings as per normal, yet a bit disappointed it didn't work as I wanted. Perhaps only the System can cause my body to grow stronger on a whim.'
'Regardless… Time to go.'
…
He walked to the far ends of the Hold and outside its walls. But before proceeding further, Philip stopped at the horse stables where no one was watching…
Hum?… N-No, he wasn't here to steal a horse!
"While it's unlikely for me to meet anything that demanding… better be prepared than cry about the pain later."
First, Philip equipped his iron armor… Truth be told, it was a heavy and uncomfortable chunk of iron that covered his chest, and a small piece of leather clothing to protect his waist and a small part of his legs…
'I look fucking terrible. Only low-tier bandits would use this... I didn't receive a helmet, boots, not even a pair of gauntlets... I look like a complete Buffon! A kid dreaming of being an adventurer yet being too old for that.'
"I'm thankful that I went ahead and bought some things…" He mumbled as he equipped a bit more on his body
A pair of iron boots, gauntlets, and a helmet, not the best there is by far, but decent enough.
'It feels bad to wear unenchanted armor... but that's an unrealistic view to have. I don't think there's a single warrior in the caravan that has enchanted equipment… maybe one or two have something they hide away…'
"At least now I'm pleasing to the eye… though not to the ears. This armor makes too much noise…"
[Name: Philip Vinten
Class: Dragonborn
Level: 6(4)
…
]
Next, Philip opened his Menu and invested another point into Health, increasing it to 150!
"Urgh!…"
Like before, his muscles started spasming, making him grunt in pain as he rolled on the ground.
"Neigh?!"
The horses looked at him with confused gazes as they moved around him, wondering what this weird Nord was doing.
"Huff…"
After half a minute, he was back on his feet, sweaty, but full of power.
"Phew… I feel completely energized."
'Now that I think about it, even my desire to sleep seems to have dwindled after this... could I use this to remain awake for many days? I was a little concerned about sleeping given my… circumstances.'
'I leveled up twice from my potion-making activities, but I'll leave the last point as a last resort in case I need it. My plan is to accumulate at least five points so I can use them all at once and make a note of even the smallest of changes so I can understand what each Stat does.'
Adjusting his gloves, he walked away after patting some of the horses, "Enough of this, I have something to do, time waits for no one."
Outside the stable, he traveled far from the Hold, onto a small bridge that went over a river in the distance. In his way, a few travelers and farmers looked at him, but with his identity hidden beneath the helmet, he had nothing to fear.
Even if his armor quality was on the low side of things, it also happened to be the most common and the one Nords favored the most despite how awfully simple it was. Of course, a Nord wouldn't mind wearing better armor at all.
In the end, armor was armor; not everyone could afford it, regardless of how low tier this one is… Besides, this was a border town, adventurers and travelers wearing similar attire were rather common… albeit the war has caused their numbers to dwindle.
Only recently with the "peace" have some mercenaries and sell swords begun to reappear around the province…
/Step…/
"Let's see… oh!"
On his way, he saw a guard standing post next to the end of the bridge, so he approached him, "Excuse me, guard."
"Hm? What do you need, citizen?" He asked as he turned to the side
"I'm currently looking for someone, a young woman. Her name is Abedi. She periodically comes here to collect herbs, and works in a potion shop."
"Her? I know the lady. Did something happen?" He asked as he scratched his chin
"She has yet to return, and her grandfather is worried, so here I am."
"Yet to come back? That's quite some time there, traveler. I remember seeing her in the morning, an eager and pretty lass, no way to miss her walking around with her large basket."
He looked at the mountains, "If she hasn't returned yet… makes sense he's so worried. There has been an increase in bandit attacks recently due to the lack of soldiers due to you know what… albeit only much further down the road, so we have yet to deal with that."
He looked at the forest and pointed to a certain area, "If my memory doesn't fail me, she followed that road and most likely got into the forest through a side path. As far as I know, it's the only safe way of entering the forest unless you wish to dirty yourself, or worse, have your feet fall into some hunter's trap."
"You can ask the woodcutter who lives halfway along the path. He, uh… I erm… forgot his name, but he should know more about her than I do. Everyone who uses that path passes through his house after all."
"Thank you for the help." Philip said with a nod as he walked past him
"No worries, citizen… Now, move along, I have a duty to comply… and watch your back, you never know what might hit you…"
"Hum?"
The guard laughed, looking at the distance as memories of the past passed through his eyes, "Heh, I used to be an adventurer like you… until I took an arrow to the knee."
Philip rolled his eyes, thinking of something else:
'Bandits, huh?… Will I truly have to fight something? It was inevitable, at least I'm half-decently prepared.'
'Let's hope it's not the intelligent kind…'
…
/Step… step…/
"Huff… it never ends…" He muttered amidst gasps as he walked around the woods
'Is it just me… or does everything seem… bigger? It's been a quarter of an hour since I got on this path, but I feel like I'm only a third of the way to the mountains, and I haven't even seen the woodcutter's house yet, only some cut trees here and there.'
'Have I taken the wrong path, or is this a consequence of reality?'
'Not only did the cities change, but likely… all the world did. Skyrim is a massive province, with most of it being virgin land, untouched by man… likely for a few millennia… and often not by choice…'
'Who knows what sorts of dangers hide in those woods? If not a bear will I find my way across a troll or some other magical beast I'd rather not meet?'
"Makes me remember the world I was before this one… If I lived that I suppose I don't have much to fear this time either…" He said with a dry laugh as he adjusted his helmet
He soon smiled as he pushed a large bush out of his way, "Oh? There it is… so I did go through the wrong path!… although my sense of direction is quite impeccable."
'Looks like I was supposed to make a turn somewhere, but I went through the woods instead like a brute… must've been this ass of a helmet getting in the way… anyhow, I'm not against getting a little tangled up with leaves and twigs...'
"Is someone home?…"
A humble wooden house two floors high, a rarity for modern Nordic homes. Around it, he saw many cut-down trees, their trunks set aside in a small pile, and their stumps on the side.
Fields of small trees could be seen growing sporadically. It seemed this woodcutter knew how to take care of his surroundings, even if minimally.
He even saw a few carved benches. This woodcutter was using the stumps of the trees as seats, and as a base to carve small sculptures; he looked resourceful… or extremely bored.
"Hum... there isn't anyone around."
He approached the house, and immediately saw something odd. The wooden fence around it was partly destroyed, and the door was wide open and even a little tilted.
/Splat…/
Around the entrance was carnage… piles of bones, skulls, arms, legs, ribcages… the full human body.
Philip didn't say anything; his eyes instead sharpened. He crouched on the ground. Even if his Sneak Skill was low, he knew how to be silent — at least more than most.
'This is… Undead?'
The moment he approached the bones, he saw a small window pop up:
{Search Corpse}
Selecting the option made another window pop up similar to his, and in it, he saw a series of things…
'I have no need for a plain skull… neither a bony foot nor a bony hand… but I'll take this bone meal, arrows, and steel dagger.'
'There's no denying it now. This was done by an undead. But what is a risen skeleton doing all the way here at the foot of the mainland of the Hold? A necromancer? A stupid one if so…'
"Sigh…"
'Why can't things be simple for once?'
Philip observed his surroundings, picturing the scene of the battle in his thoughts.
'Hum… arrows. But no bow… someone took it.'
He touched a small pool of fresh blood on the ground, 'I imagine it's the same person who bled… for obvious reasons…'
'I can't see that many tracks, only the ones caused by these skeletons and one man... There was a fight here but then what?'
He looked at the side, the small blood trail was leading into the forest, 'Seems like they went over there…'
Before anything, he checked inside the house, but apart from a mess, he saw nothing.
Two more messy bone piles, and a dropped table.With that, the full picture formed in his head. 'The woodcutter was preparing to eat dinner when he was ambushed outside by four skeletons.'
'He rushed back home, probably to grab a weapon, but he didn't have time to do so. Using the fence to stall for time, he smashed his weapon, likely a cutting axe, to chop them down, breaking the fence in the process and using this chance to flee and get home…'
'With a weapon in hand, he used his door as a choke point, eliminating two of them, but getting hurt in the process. He retreated, kicking the table at the skeletons and finishing them before going after where they came from…'
"This guy is a true Nord. No warning to the guards, just rushing in after the danger… injured…"
'This blood has yet to dry, and given their small amount… It happened a few minutes ago at most.'
'He doesn't seem very injured, but I can't say for certain.'
Philip looked around the room. He had an inkling to loot everything, but he had some priorities… Firstly, he looted all four of the skeletons. There was one archer and three skeletons with nothing but knives.
Rather pathetic, but this was all he needed.
"One skeleton might've been bad luck… two I would've said he was cursed by something… but four armed skeletons attacking at once? There's a necromancer in these parts… and a Novice most likely." Philip mumbled as he looked around
'This is sloppy work. A proficient necromancer wouldn't have his skelly boys walking around with nothing but knives… unless he just made them or wanted to dispose of them with one last order. But even so that seems wasteful.'
'Have some decency for your craft.'
"Well, I don't like where this is going… Time to go." He said as he turned around
''Wait… Oh…'
As he left, he noticed that one of the wardrobes was tilted, and looking behind it, he saw a full set of dusty steel armor!
"Oh my! It seems the woodcutter didn't have the time to grab these… I'm sure he wouldn't mind…"
Philip unequipped his basic iron armor through the System panel, and equipped the steel set in its place, feeling the weight fall on his body all at once.
Not only was the armor more robust, it was more complete than his previous set.
"Excellent, at least this way the number of things that can kill me before I can act diminishes… but I feel a bit heavy."
'Is this what it means to have a lot of things in your inventory? It's almost as if the very air itself is pressing on me… or the surrounding gravity increased.'
'Curses… fine! I'll leave my iron set behind… it's only a dozen gold coins or so, anyway.'
"No weapons… he must've taken them to pursue the necromancer… I must hurry." He muttered as he ran outside
Philip looked like a proper Nord adventurer now.
(Image)
With his sword in hand and old bow on his back, he moved into the forest.
…
/Ten or so minutes of running in the woods later…/
/Rustle.../
/Rustle.../
The forest was silent; only the tone came from the leaves moving in the wind… /Crunch!/ followed by his heavy steps, crushing the twigs and dry leaves on the ground as he advanced into the unknown
"Nothing, it's gone." Philip said, frustrated
'The trail ended a few minutes ago… I kept going, but... nothing… How pathetic of me, to lose a trail of all things…'
"But shit, where am I now?"
He looked up, but it was difficult to see the sun; the trees blocked most of his view.
By looking at the trees all around, he was at least certain he hadn't gone in circles. He wasn't that bad at it… 'I made many marks on my way here, so finding my way back will be pretty simple…'
'But I can't turn back until I find that girl. This environment is messing with my sense of direction… Do I have to go in blind?'
/RUSTLE!/
/CAW!/
"Hm?"
Suddenly, a flock of birds rose into the sky, startled by something.
"Crows always sing where there's food… It has to be there."
…
"Huff… Urg!!"
/CLANG!/
In the area Philip was running to… "Damn abominations!" a middle-aged Nord exclaimed as he swung a mace down
/Crush!/
He hit a skeleton right in the chin, breaking it and making its head spin. But the Skeleton simply grabbed its head, looking at him with its cold, flickering soul lights.
/Fwoosh!/
/Clack!/
As the sound of an arrow pierced the air, the Nord raised his steel shield, blocking it.
"Huff…"
'They're clunky, but it's a tad too many. I'm too old to swing this multiple times over… how many have I taken down already? They just keep coming…'
Around him were six skeletons, and below him were the bones of at least twenty more… all with their skulls smashed. There were probably more scattered across the woods as he crushed his way through their reinforcements.
He was holding himself well, but his age had caught up with him.
"Huff… I hate these foul creatures, cut their head and they'll reattach them while looking at you dead in the eye as if mocking you… cough!"
He spat some blood onto the ground before wiping his lips.
'I used my emergency potion, but I'm now worse than before. One of those bastards struck my chest plate. In earlier days I would've just brushed it off, but now even a bag of bones leaves me out of breath with a light tap!'
He smiled, "So be it, I was getting tired of that life, cutting wood and carving away with no purpose."
'I was born to fight, I became myself as I fought… I didn't die on the battlefield and was just wilting away.'
He adjusted his posture, his breathing growing stable, "Very well, may this be the way I fall!"
"FOR SOVNG…!"
/CUT!/
Before he could rush ahead, from behind the skeleton archer, an armored man suddenly dashed from within a bush, piercing its skull with his sword!
/Fwoosh!/
He wasn't done as he quickly threw three knives, one at each skeleton near him, hitting their spines, and causing their heads to drop.
/Clack clack…/
While they regenerated, he ran to the last two skeletons, who were still trying to fight with the woodcutter.
/Smash!/
The middle-aged man didn't stay there agape; he grabbed his mace and furiously slammed it at the Undead, and when he raised his head again, the other one had already been taken care of by the newcomer.
"This..."
Before he could ask, the man turned around, walking to the three fallen skeletons and stomping on their heads so they wouldn't rise again.
He was extremely calm as if this was nothing special.
"..."
The Woodcutter didn't know what to say; he could only stay there, agape, as the man clad in steel armor destroyed the skeletons.
"Here, you've accumulated quite a few scratches." Philip said as he gave the old man his second strongest potion
He replied amidst coughs, "I… cough… thank you."
'It seems I still live…' He thought as he applied the potion to his wounds before drinking the rest
"It's too early to thank me." Philip said as he looked around, "You must be the woodcutter, correct?"
"Hm?... Yes, I am Uvrik, the sole woodcutter in this section of the woods, the last one that remains may be a better way to put it."
"The only one?"
"Yes, others don't take shelter in these woods because of their proximity to the mountains. Troll and bear encounters aren't uncommon, and most prefer to stay away from such dangers…"
He shook his head in distress, "But to think it wouldn't be a Troll, nor a bear, but the Undead that would end up wounding me so much…"
"… Let me ask you a question. Did you see a girl pass through here?"
"A girl… Are you talking about Miss Abedi?"
"So you know her, do you know where she is?"
"..."
Uvrik sized Philip up and down before saying, "Look, I'm extremely thankful to you, but…"
"Dont misunderstand. I'm here under her grandfather's request. She has yet to return, don't you know anything about that?"
"Yet to return? How odd, she came in with…!"
"Is something the matter?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so... Abedi was with her boyfriend, a young hunter named Hashiv, if they have yet to come back… Especially after this happened… I assume the worst may have befallen them."
Philip snickered, "So a lovers' secret meeting gone wrong after they went a tad too far in the woods... I wager you know not of their fate?"
"I might know something… follow me, I'll say the rest on the way!" He said as he turned and went into the woods
"Very well..."
'I can loot these later… just let me grab some of their equipment as we go. They might come in handy.'
…
Not long after… "For someone with such fierce eyes, you trusted me too quickly."
"That may indeed be the case, but I'm but an old man; what can you gain from tricking me? Hum… perhaps that steel armor you're wearing?"
"Hah... so you noticed..." Philip replied as he looked away
"You think I wouldn't recognize my own armor? I know every scar it contains. I polished its corners multiple times for likely longer than you've been alive…"
He seemed a bit remorseful and nostalgic as he finished this line, "But regardless, as long as you can take good care of it, then it's fine. At this point, you might as well take it, treat it as a reward for saving my life this time, I'm not someone to leave my debts unrepaid."
"And above all… I kind of grew tired of polishing it, so it was just taking dust in the corner."
"Now, enough of that, hear me out." Uvrik said as he pushed a branch out of his way, "I know this forest like the back of my hand, and the direction Abedi and Hashiv went was the same as where these abominations came from."
"Previously, I was ambushed at home… you likely noticed, which was why you found me. I was midway through my search when those bastards found me. I had been facing them ever since."
"Is there anything in that particular reason for you to go there?"
He narrowed his eyes, "I'm… not quite sure… Halfway through the forest, there's a small river that comes from the mountains. I never went further than that as it was too dangerous for me to explore."
"Long were my days as an adventurer. But that doesn't mean I'm unaware of my situation. I know a few paths to cross those mountains as adventurers pass through here every once in a while, like you, and I guide them for a small fee… I also need to know if they decide to put traps around."
"I almost got caught in a reckless adventurer's trap… I disciplined that man severely that day…"
"I've seen all this part of the mountains has to offer. Be it to hunt a troll, bear, or something else in-between... but I fear this time it'll take a little more than simple preparations and a trap at the right place. With this many undead, either it's a necromancer, or something darker..."
"Let us pray it's the first, since otherwise, Abedi and her boyfriend are unlikely to still be in this world… not that this is any better… magic of any kind always leaves a bad taste in my mouth whenever I witness it."
Philip listened to his stories, paying attention to their surroundings.
Soon enough… they arrived.
…
/Twenty more minutes later…/
They traveled through the forest, arriving at the small river Uvrik mentioned. It was rather shallow, but Philip wouldn't try passing through it, deeming how cold the water likely was.
It was very likely to be below zero degrees, literally freezing, with ice chunks floating on its surface. While they were in the forest, the water came straight through the depths of the white mountaintops… it was as cold as it could be.
"Look…" Uvrik said as he pointed at the mountain
"..."
I knew that wouldn't be the end.
/GROWL!/
Philip saw a large creature fighting a group of skeletons… It was a creature with long white fur that looked like a monkey.
(Image)
It had three blue eyes and a mouth full of large teeth. It was extremely muscular, and its skin was rough and somewhat scaly…
It was a Snow Troll, one of the apex monsters of these lands!
"It seems whoever has taken refuge in this place has decided to proclaim it as his territory, and that troll isn't very pleased about that." Uvrik said as he saw the troll rampage through the skeletons
"There is no need to take it down; let it exhaust the necromancer's forces."
"We can't just sit still and wait either…"
"I know… There, the Undead are coming from there." Uvrik said as he pointed somewhere close to the troll. There was a path that went deeper into the mountain…
They couldn't take that path, so they would have to find another way up the mountain...
"Are you thinking of climbing the rock side? It's not steep nor tall but a fall would hurt quite a bit… and in the middle of nowhere…"
"Would you prefer to take that down instead?"
/GROWL!!!/
"… Let's go climb the cliff side…"
'There is indeed no need to take this down; a single troll is more dangerous than a few bears together. Let it exhaust its forces and then go after whatever caused all of this.'
Silently, the two walked further upstream before crossing it by jumping at a few rocks. They took a rather dangerous path on the rocks, but they managed to reach a clear area…
Once they crossed the river, they helped each other climb the rocky slope past the troll and the skeletons, reaching the area behind the hills.
"Hoo… I didn't know there was a cave here…" Uvrik said as he looked at the hole in the mountain
"Huff… it's likely this troll's home I wager… from the looks of it, the troll got kicked out."
/Clack clack!/
As they talked, another small group of skeletons made their way down the hill to where the troll rampaged violently. However, Philip also realized that they were all unarmed.
It seemed the necromancer was finally running out of equipment to give his soldiers…
"..."
'So this is the power of a necromancer. It was barely possible to control a few Undead in-game, but here… this guy controls dozens of them as if it was nothing… He's poor but that's another matter.'
'There could be more necromancers too… most dark mages are kicked students from the College of Winterhold. If one leaves, especially if they're of a high enough position, they may end up bringing some students and colleagues with them as well.'
'This could be exceptionally dangerous…'
He hesitated a little as dangerous thoughts filled his mind…
/Step…/
But the ice was literally and figuratively broken as Uvrik took a step forward in the snow, "Now's the time, before another group comes."
"Let us pray to the Divines that none of those skeletons are theirs."
Their 'dungeon' raid had begun!
…
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Notes
Thank you for reading! Goodnight!