Post by vevin on Oct 14, 2011 1:50:12 GMT -5
Before The Storm
Chapter 1: On The Cusp of Freedom
Sun’s Height, 1st Day, 4E 201, 6:47 P.M.
The young Dark Elf Vevin Falas had never ventured this far into Skyrim before. In the short trips he had taken with Esbern over the past nine years, they had never journeyed past Falkreath. So it was a very strange, but gratifying feeling, to be miles away from his mentor and almost out of Falkreath Hold. He was eager to see as much as Skyrim as he could. But he was hungry, and the clouds predicted rain, so he found himself looking for food and shelter for the night.
He moved swiftly, taking cover from tree to tree as the young Elk he had been stalking for the past several hours came into view. He had followed it into the Riverwood Forest. It made its way to the nearby river to drink, and Vevin drew his bow. His supply of stolen food had run dry two days ago, and his mouth watered at the thought of fresh meat. Drawing in his breath, he took aim.
“You can’t run far, wrench!” A voice shouted nearby, causing the elk to look up. A figure broke into view from the trees, a wounded Nord girl, no older than Vevin. Her leg was gushing blood. Upon her entrance, the elk took off in a run, causing Vevin to miss the shot. His arrow planted itself into a tree the elk had just been next to. Vevin cursed under his breath. “Damn bandits.” He muttered, watching as the girl fell to the cold ground, blood everywhere around her. She wouldn’t last long.
“Found her.” Seven bandits entered the forested area, a mix of Imperials, Nords, and Redguards. They were moderately armed, with most wearing leather armor and equipped with either a sword or an axe. Vevin spotted a mage in their ranks too, an Imperial in dark robes. Why so many just for one girl? Knowing he wouldn’t be able to slip out without being detected, Vevin slunk back into the foliage and decided to let events play out as they may.
“What do you think, Janoth? She still dangerous, or is she really on her last leg?” One of the bandits, Vevin assumed the leader, said to the mage. The mage known as Janoth channeled some energy into his hand and reached out to the girl. He yelped and jerked his hand back as if burned. “The amulet still has power. Look.” As everyone in the forest turned to the wounded girl, they watched as her wound stopped bleeding, then closed up, and finally faded as if it had never been there at all.
“What in the..?” Vevin thought to himself. This was getting interesting.
“What should we do, Hamil?” A Redguard now addressed the leader. “We can’t attack her directly, if we do, that amulet will swallow us up like it did to Morci, and that amulet of hers deflects magic, too!” Hamil slapped the Redguard, knocking him down. “I know that! Shut up and let me think for a second.”
“Please…” The girl spoke. Even with the wound closed, she still seemed as if she were in great pain. “You cannot take this amulet from me. It won’t let you. And that mage of yours isn’t powerful enough to lift the curse that has been put onto me, so I cannot give it to you. Not even if I wanted to, and believe me, I could want nothing more. Just leave me in piece.” The girl raised herself off the ground slightly. Vevin gasped. That amulet was made from Dragonskin. If it was cursed on her, there was only one group who could do that.
He drew his bow.
“Not strong enough? I’ll show you just how strong Janoth the Mystic is!!” Janoth raised his arms, lightning coursing through them. “That amulet needs a living host to work, right? So I’ll make sure you die this time.” He fired upon her. She writhed in pain for the briefest second, and then Janoth’s spell rebounded back at him. He raised a protective shield at the last second, but was still blown back by the force of his own spell. He landed on his butt, unconscious.
“Hahaha!’ One of the bandits guffawed openly. “So much for the great Janoth the Mys-URRKK!”
Vevin had made his move. Firing his bow with perfect accuracy, he lodged his arrow into the laughing bandits open mouth. Bursting from the foliage, he rushed the bandit, knocking him to the ground with a well-placed elbow strike and catching the bandit’s short sword as it twirled through the air. “Anybody ever tell you have a horrible laugh?”
The bandits looked on in shocked silence at their dead comrade and the Dark Elf intruder. Then Hamil yelled, “Kill the Ashborn!” And they charged.
Being well trained in swordplay thanks to Esbern, Vevin was sure he could handle himself in a one-on-one fight. Against five opponents, however? He would have to get a little dirty.
The first to get to him was a slim Nord with a shortsword much like the one he had taken from the bandit with an arrow sticking out of his mouth. They clashed swords, and Vevin could tell this Nord was green. Pressing forward, he struck swords with the Nord aggressively, pushing him back and off balance, laughing in his face to enrage him. Easily taking the bait, he stabbed forward still off balance, and Vevin parried the attack with so much force that the bandit’s hand jerked back and his sword flew high into the air.
As Vevin prepared to deal the final blow, a hulking figure came crashing down with a huge battleaxe. Vevin barely avoided being cleaved back by the muscular Redguard who wielded the axe. He had backed up just in time, but the axe had managed to cut his leather pants. It was a shallow wound, but still drew some blood. The Redguard had placed himself between Vevin and his Nord opponent, but Vevin would have none of that. The Redguard had crashed down on Vevin with such power that his axe was lodged into the very ground itself. Thinking quickly, Vevin jumped on top of the axe and kneed the Redguard. Jumping once more, he placed his hand on the Redguard’s face and channeled some energy of his own. “Fireball!” He let loose a scorching ball of fire on the Redguard’s face and then flipped over him. Grabbing the Nord’s sword he had forced into the air as it came down, he brought both swords now in his possession down on the Nord, chopping him into two.
“Bastard!” The Redguard yelled, his face horribly burnt but still alive. Pulling out his axe, he swung it in a wide arc that Vevin easily jumped over. “You’ll have to do better than that” Vevin mocked.
“You don’t impress me kid.” Vevin turned around and was slashed at his midsection by Hamil, leader of the bandits. He had forgotten! He still had three more enemies to take on! He fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. He was lucky the wound hadn’t been any deeper. Hamil dual-wielded, like he did, and brought both swords down on Vevin. Vevin blocked them and crawled back, while Hamil followed and repeated the process. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other two bandits, approaching, ready to finish him. Thinking quickly, he lashed out at Hamil, who easily dodged the blow. But it gave him just enough room to do a backflip and get back on his feet. All three bandits rushed him.
“Ancestor! Burn them!” Calling upon the fallen Dark Elves of the past, he surrounded himself in fiery tornado and with a vicious roar, pushed it outward towards the bandits. He dropped to his knees as the fire engulfed them. He took great satisfaction in hearing their screams of pain. He let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.
“You’ll have to do better than that.” Vevin looked up. Hamil was still alive, protected by a barrier! But how?! Vevin turned his head to see the mage in the group, Janoth, had regained consciousness. He had raised a barrier to protect Hamil, but the other two had indeed been engulfed in the blast. Their charred corpses were proof enough. “You and your mage don’t impress me, old man.” Vevin bluffed, stalling for time and trying to assess the situation. The Redguard he had burned had wandered away from the fight, clutching his face. He would die soon. But Hamil and Janoth were both fine, and Vevin was exhausted from calling on his ancestors. He looked for the girl, but was surprised to see that she had vanished! She had escaped! Suddenly angry at the fact that he would now die over nothing, it pushed him into action.
Clasping his hands together, he decided to use another spell. “Fog!” A light mist quickly enveloped the area, and Vevin got to his feet, ready to lose his attackers and search for the girl. A quick slash to his chest destroyed that notion, however. “That won’t work kid.” Hamil said as he slashed again, this cut deeper. “Janoth over there has a Detect Life spell.” Hamil laughed as he proceeded to cut Vevin to ribbons.
This was bad, very bad, Vevin thought. He did his best to try to parry Hamil’s attacks and gain some space, but he was too exhausted. Often times he would cut at air, and get slashed. Hamil could’ve killed him by now, but he was enjoying this, he wanted to draw this out. And there was nothing Vevin could do. At least, not in this body.
Hamil turned as he heard someone yell behind him. He dodged the burnt Redguard’s blow and retaliated with a strike that was dodged. He could see surprisingly well for someone who’s face was burnt. “Explain yourself, Teric!” Hamil yelled, but was met with another ferocious blow that he dodged but forced him on the ground. He looked towards Janoth, whose Detect Life spell allowed Hamil to see him people perfectly through the fog. He..he was controlling Teric! He could see it through the mage’s hand motions! So that was his plan, was it? To have Teric kill Hamil, then kill the Ashborn and Teric and have the amulet all to himself? No one double crosses the Pale Pass Bandits!
Leaping up and dodging another of Teric’s blows, he ran towards Janoth, who looked at him like he had gone mad. “What are you-“ Janoth the Mystic never got to finish his sentence, as Hamil slashed his head off.
It was as if a sudden madness had left him, and Hamil noticed the fog had cleared. He looked around to see a lifeless Teric over towards the edge of the forest clearing, away from where he should’ve been if he was attacking Hamil moments earlier. Janoth lay dead beneath him, his body without a head. And then he heard laughter. He turned around to see the Ashborn on the ground, bloody, but laughing. He had his bow pointed at Hamil.
“Gotcha.” He fired.
He had been fooled! Illusion magic! The Ashborn had used Janoth’s Detect Life spell against them! He must’ve known that Teric had died, and had summoned an illusion of him to fool Hamil. Of course since Teric was dead Hamil wouldn’t have known he was fighting an illusion as a Detect Life Spell only detects life, and the Ashborn had managed to get the Illusion to replicate life perfectly. Roaring in rage, he let the arrow sink into his chest. He wanted the Ashborn to fire as many arrows as he could. Keep firing til he ran out. Then lie there bloody, helpless, as Hamil sunk his sword through the Ashborn’s skull. He began his murderous approach.
Vevin had NOT been expecting Hamil to be so resilient. He watched in growing fear as he sunk another arrow into Hamil’s chest. He shrugged it off like it was nothing. He dropped his bow, exhausted. He could barely stay conscious after using so much magic. Grabbing his sword, he prepared to kill himself, refusing to give Hamil the satisfaction.
But it was too late. Hamil was on him now, his sword raised. “Should’ve stayed in Morrowind, Ashborn.” Vevin closed his eyes.
After several seconds passed, he looked up. There was a sword protruding from Hamil’s chest. He fell over, right next to Vevin, dead. The Nord girl had returned, and had gotten her revenge on Hamil, alright.
“Thank you.” She said, helping Vevin up. “You didn’t have to come to my rescue.”
Vevin laughed, a painful action. He was glad she had saved him, which made what he was about to do harder. But only a little bit. “I didn’t do it for you.” He said, looking her straight in the eye. He grabbed the amulet around her neck.
“Wait! No! Only Dragonborns can touch this safely! You’ll die!’ She screamed.
Vevin sunk his sword through her stomach. “I am Dragonborn.” As she fell to the ground, he yanked the amulet off her neck.
Ch 1, Fin
AN: I planned this as a three chapter series. If people like it, I will continue.
Chapter 1: On The Cusp of Freedom
Sun’s Height, 1st Day, 4E 201, 6:47 P.M.
The young Dark Elf Vevin Falas had never ventured this far into Skyrim before. In the short trips he had taken with Esbern over the past nine years, they had never journeyed past Falkreath. So it was a very strange, but gratifying feeling, to be miles away from his mentor and almost out of Falkreath Hold. He was eager to see as much as Skyrim as he could. But he was hungry, and the clouds predicted rain, so he found himself looking for food and shelter for the night.
He moved swiftly, taking cover from tree to tree as the young Elk he had been stalking for the past several hours came into view. He had followed it into the Riverwood Forest. It made its way to the nearby river to drink, and Vevin drew his bow. His supply of stolen food had run dry two days ago, and his mouth watered at the thought of fresh meat. Drawing in his breath, he took aim.
“You can’t run far, wrench!” A voice shouted nearby, causing the elk to look up. A figure broke into view from the trees, a wounded Nord girl, no older than Vevin. Her leg was gushing blood. Upon her entrance, the elk took off in a run, causing Vevin to miss the shot. His arrow planted itself into a tree the elk had just been next to. Vevin cursed under his breath. “Damn bandits.” He muttered, watching as the girl fell to the cold ground, blood everywhere around her. She wouldn’t last long.
“Found her.” Seven bandits entered the forested area, a mix of Imperials, Nords, and Redguards. They were moderately armed, with most wearing leather armor and equipped with either a sword or an axe. Vevin spotted a mage in their ranks too, an Imperial in dark robes. Why so many just for one girl? Knowing he wouldn’t be able to slip out without being detected, Vevin slunk back into the foliage and decided to let events play out as they may.
“What do you think, Janoth? She still dangerous, or is she really on her last leg?” One of the bandits, Vevin assumed the leader, said to the mage. The mage known as Janoth channeled some energy into his hand and reached out to the girl. He yelped and jerked his hand back as if burned. “The amulet still has power. Look.” As everyone in the forest turned to the wounded girl, they watched as her wound stopped bleeding, then closed up, and finally faded as if it had never been there at all.
“What in the..?” Vevin thought to himself. This was getting interesting.
“What should we do, Hamil?” A Redguard now addressed the leader. “We can’t attack her directly, if we do, that amulet will swallow us up like it did to Morci, and that amulet of hers deflects magic, too!” Hamil slapped the Redguard, knocking him down. “I know that! Shut up and let me think for a second.”
“Please…” The girl spoke. Even with the wound closed, she still seemed as if she were in great pain. “You cannot take this amulet from me. It won’t let you. And that mage of yours isn’t powerful enough to lift the curse that has been put onto me, so I cannot give it to you. Not even if I wanted to, and believe me, I could want nothing more. Just leave me in piece.” The girl raised herself off the ground slightly. Vevin gasped. That amulet was made from Dragonskin. If it was cursed on her, there was only one group who could do that.
He drew his bow.
“Not strong enough? I’ll show you just how strong Janoth the Mystic is!!” Janoth raised his arms, lightning coursing through them. “That amulet needs a living host to work, right? So I’ll make sure you die this time.” He fired upon her. She writhed in pain for the briefest second, and then Janoth’s spell rebounded back at him. He raised a protective shield at the last second, but was still blown back by the force of his own spell. He landed on his butt, unconscious.
“Hahaha!’ One of the bandits guffawed openly. “So much for the great Janoth the Mys-URRKK!”
Vevin had made his move. Firing his bow with perfect accuracy, he lodged his arrow into the laughing bandits open mouth. Bursting from the foliage, he rushed the bandit, knocking him to the ground with a well-placed elbow strike and catching the bandit’s short sword as it twirled through the air. “Anybody ever tell you have a horrible laugh?”
The bandits looked on in shocked silence at their dead comrade and the Dark Elf intruder. Then Hamil yelled, “Kill the Ashborn!” And they charged.
Being well trained in swordplay thanks to Esbern, Vevin was sure he could handle himself in a one-on-one fight. Against five opponents, however? He would have to get a little dirty.
The first to get to him was a slim Nord with a shortsword much like the one he had taken from the bandit with an arrow sticking out of his mouth. They clashed swords, and Vevin could tell this Nord was green. Pressing forward, he struck swords with the Nord aggressively, pushing him back and off balance, laughing in his face to enrage him. Easily taking the bait, he stabbed forward still off balance, and Vevin parried the attack with so much force that the bandit’s hand jerked back and his sword flew high into the air.
As Vevin prepared to deal the final blow, a hulking figure came crashing down with a huge battleaxe. Vevin barely avoided being cleaved back by the muscular Redguard who wielded the axe. He had backed up just in time, but the axe had managed to cut his leather pants. It was a shallow wound, but still drew some blood. The Redguard had placed himself between Vevin and his Nord opponent, but Vevin would have none of that. The Redguard had crashed down on Vevin with such power that his axe was lodged into the very ground itself. Thinking quickly, Vevin jumped on top of the axe and kneed the Redguard. Jumping once more, he placed his hand on the Redguard’s face and channeled some energy of his own. “Fireball!” He let loose a scorching ball of fire on the Redguard’s face and then flipped over him. Grabbing the Nord’s sword he had forced into the air as it came down, he brought both swords now in his possession down on the Nord, chopping him into two.
“Bastard!” The Redguard yelled, his face horribly burnt but still alive. Pulling out his axe, he swung it in a wide arc that Vevin easily jumped over. “You’ll have to do better than that” Vevin mocked.
“You don’t impress me kid.” Vevin turned around and was slashed at his midsection by Hamil, leader of the bandits. He had forgotten! He still had three more enemies to take on! He fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. He was lucky the wound hadn’t been any deeper. Hamil dual-wielded, like he did, and brought both swords down on Vevin. Vevin blocked them and crawled back, while Hamil followed and repeated the process. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other two bandits, approaching, ready to finish him. Thinking quickly, he lashed out at Hamil, who easily dodged the blow. But it gave him just enough room to do a backflip and get back on his feet. All three bandits rushed him.
“Ancestor! Burn them!” Calling upon the fallen Dark Elves of the past, he surrounded himself in fiery tornado and with a vicious roar, pushed it outward towards the bandits. He dropped to his knees as the fire engulfed them. He took great satisfaction in hearing their screams of pain. He let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.
“You’ll have to do better than that.” Vevin looked up. Hamil was still alive, protected by a barrier! But how?! Vevin turned his head to see the mage in the group, Janoth, had regained consciousness. He had raised a barrier to protect Hamil, but the other two had indeed been engulfed in the blast. Their charred corpses were proof enough. “You and your mage don’t impress me, old man.” Vevin bluffed, stalling for time and trying to assess the situation. The Redguard he had burned had wandered away from the fight, clutching his face. He would die soon. But Hamil and Janoth were both fine, and Vevin was exhausted from calling on his ancestors. He looked for the girl, but was surprised to see that she had vanished! She had escaped! Suddenly angry at the fact that he would now die over nothing, it pushed him into action.
Clasping his hands together, he decided to use another spell. “Fog!” A light mist quickly enveloped the area, and Vevin got to his feet, ready to lose his attackers and search for the girl. A quick slash to his chest destroyed that notion, however. “That won’t work kid.” Hamil said as he slashed again, this cut deeper. “Janoth over there has a Detect Life spell.” Hamil laughed as he proceeded to cut Vevin to ribbons.
This was bad, very bad, Vevin thought. He did his best to try to parry Hamil’s attacks and gain some space, but he was too exhausted. Often times he would cut at air, and get slashed. Hamil could’ve killed him by now, but he was enjoying this, he wanted to draw this out. And there was nothing Vevin could do. At least, not in this body.
Hamil turned as he heard someone yell behind him. He dodged the burnt Redguard’s blow and retaliated with a strike that was dodged. He could see surprisingly well for someone who’s face was burnt. “Explain yourself, Teric!” Hamil yelled, but was met with another ferocious blow that he dodged but forced him on the ground. He looked towards Janoth, whose Detect Life spell allowed Hamil to see him people perfectly through the fog. He..he was controlling Teric! He could see it through the mage’s hand motions! So that was his plan, was it? To have Teric kill Hamil, then kill the Ashborn and Teric and have the amulet all to himself? No one double crosses the Pale Pass Bandits!
Leaping up and dodging another of Teric’s blows, he ran towards Janoth, who looked at him like he had gone mad. “What are you-“ Janoth the Mystic never got to finish his sentence, as Hamil slashed his head off.
It was as if a sudden madness had left him, and Hamil noticed the fog had cleared. He looked around to see a lifeless Teric over towards the edge of the forest clearing, away from where he should’ve been if he was attacking Hamil moments earlier. Janoth lay dead beneath him, his body without a head. And then he heard laughter. He turned around to see the Ashborn on the ground, bloody, but laughing. He had his bow pointed at Hamil.
“Gotcha.” He fired.
He had been fooled! Illusion magic! The Ashborn had used Janoth’s Detect Life spell against them! He must’ve known that Teric had died, and had summoned an illusion of him to fool Hamil. Of course since Teric was dead Hamil wouldn’t have known he was fighting an illusion as a Detect Life Spell only detects life, and the Ashborn had managed to get the Illusion to replicate life perfectly. Roaring in rage, he let the arrow sink into his chest. He wanted the Ashborn to fire as many arrows as he could. Keep firing til he ran out. Then lie there bloody, helpless, as Hamil sunk his sword through the Ashborn’s skull. He began his murderous approach.
Vevin had NOT been expecting Hamil to be so resilient. He watched in growing fear as he sunk another arrow into Hamil’s chest. He shrugged it off like it was nothing. He dropped his bow, exhausted. He could barely stay conscious after using so much magic. Grabbing his sword, he prepared to kill himself, refusing to give Hamil the satisfaction.
But it was too late. Hamil was on him now, his sword raised. “Should’ve stayed in Morrowind, Ashborn.” Vevin closed his eyes.
After several seconds passed, he looked up. There was a sword protruding from Hamil’s chest. He fell over, right next to Vevin, dead. The Nord girl had returned, and had gotten her revenge on Hamil, alright.
“Thank you.” She said, helping Vevin up. “You didn’t have to come to my rescue.”
Vevin laughed, a painful action. He was glad she had saved him, which made what he was about to do harder. But only a little bit. “I didn’t do it for you.” He said, looking her straight in the eye. He grabbed the amulet around her neck.
“Wait! No! Only Dragonborns can touch this safely! You’ll die!’ She screamed.
Vevin sunk his sword through her stomach. “I am Dragonborn.” As she fell to the ground, he yanked the amulet off her neck.
Ch 1, Fin
AN: I planned this as a three chapter series. If people like it, I will continue.