Post by vevin on Oct 15, 2011 22:51:38 GMT -5
Before The Storm
Chapter 2: The Devil’s Keepers
Sun’s Height, 1st Day, 4E 201, 7:05P.M.
Was it supposed to feel like this when you died? Without the amulet’s protection, the young Nord girl, Sarah, would not heal from this. The wound the Dark Elf inflicted upon her before he stole the amulet was too deep. The blood poured out of her stomach, and Sarah thought that it was rather sad she gotten used to bleeding so much in such a short span of time. First those bandits, and then the Dark Elf, the one who said he was Dragonborn. Him, Dovahkiin?
She had not expected an elf, especially not a Dark Elf, to be the one, but she knew his claim to be true. He had taken the amulet from her without any problems. Maybe that was why she was not terribly angry at the Dark Elf for taking her life. Her tribe had changed that amulet from doing its original function and had instead morphed it into doing their bidding, Alduin’s bidding. Dovahkiin had no idea how much trouble he was about to be in. Her tribe…was not made of good people.
She coughed up blood. Her vision blurred further still. Yet all she felt was the cold ground she was lying on. No warmth as death took her into its embrace. At least she had seen the beginning, had died helping her tribe prepare for the glory of Alduin’s return. She had not made it to the Mouth of Alduin, had not even gotten close. She had, however, inadvertently given the cursed amulet to Dovahkiin, which might very well lead to his demise. So in the end, she realized, her objective was met.
Suddenly, she was happy that those bandits had found her outside of the village. It had been Alduin’s will. Sarah closed her eyes, ready to die at last.
She finally felt warmth. A powerful warmth that coursed through her like a flood.
“You will not die today, girl. I will see to that.” Sarah opened her eyes, surprised. An old man, a Nord like her, was healing her. The armor he wore was dirty and old, but Sarah could not deny that he looked powerful. The huge golden axe on his back reinforced that notion. He looked around the field, at all the bodies, and shook his head. “I hope you won’t mind answering some of my questions.” He said as he finished healing her. “My name is Esbern.”
***
Sun’s Height, 1st Day, 4E 201, 7:12P.M
Vevin hardly noticed the first drops of rain that splashed upon him; he was too busy examining the amulet. His earlier pang of guilt at killing the Nord girl had completely evaporated. “She got what she deserved.” He thought to himself as he looked over the dragonskin amulet once more. It was definitely the real deal, at least three thousand years old. The only way the girl could have gotten her hands on this was if she had lucked up scavenging some Nord ruin. She had probably thought it was pretty jewelry, and put it on, getting herself cursed. He admitted he found it strange that the amulet didn’t simply kill her, but that hardly mattered now. In order to keep his anonymity, he had to kill her anyway. No witnesses. It was the easiest way to keep Esbern from finding him.
He pocketed the amulet as more drops or rain hit him. He would wait until he found shelter before putting it on, he did not fancy fighting any more bandits today. Luckily, that fetcher Hamil had a bag of healing potions on his corpse, and Vevin had quickly brought himself to full strength. His shirt had been slashed one too many times however, and he had discarded it somewhere in the woods. His shortsword was tucked into his belt. He was still hungry, but he could wait. It would start pouring soon.
There was no shelter to be had in this forest, and he had spotted no caves. So he looked upward instead of forward. Sure enough, he saw a hole on the mountainside. Just what he needed to escape the rain. As he began his climb out of the forest and up the mountain, it started to rain heavily. He made it into the cave hole thoroughly drenched. Then he realized this wasn’t just some cave hole. It was an entrance to a Nord ruin.
“Probably the back entrance.” Vevin thought as he looked at the large door further in the cave. The real entrance was most likely on the other side. He sat down on a large rock and pulled out the amulet once more. As he examined the glowing ruby in the center, he thought he saw something move within it.
“Hey! Get me out of here!” The figure, a Nord boy, returned, looking up at Vevin.
“What are you? Some manner of ghost?” Vevin asked, curious.
“No, I'm not a ghost! I..I attacked some girl who had this freaky amulet thing. I cut her, but the next thing I know it swallowed me up! You have to get me out of here! It’s dark, and I keep hearing these weird voices.”
“Wait.” Vevin said. “You were with those bandits?’ The Nord nodded.
"I remember now. Your idiot friends mentioned that one of their own got swallowed up. You gave the girl that wound on her leg." Vevin laughed. "I killed those assholes. Have fun rotting in there.”
The Nord panicked. “Hey, you can’t leave me in here. Please! I was just following orders!”
Vevin was reminded of Esbern, how he always expected Vevin to follow orders like a good boy. That was one of the reasons he had run away from the old man. "You should've had a mind of your own." Vevin spat.
Growing tired of this little chat, Vevin stood up. The amulet would only grant him its power once he put it on. He wondered what secrets it held. Hopefully, once he activated it, it would kill that Nord as well. He put it around his neck.
“Dovahkiin.”
A chill ran down Vevin’s spine as the amulet wrapped its chain around him, choking him fiercely. He fell to the ground gasping for air, struggling now to take it off, as he heard the Nord screaming.
“What did you do!? Oh Akatosh, what did you do!? Those voices I told you about? I can see them! They’re here!”
***
Sun’s Height, 1st Day, 4E 201, 7:30P.M
“So he was here, then?’ Esbern asked the girl, Sarah. He was big enough that he towered over her, shielding her from the rain.
She nodded. She had told Esbern what had transpired between her, the bandits, and his protégée, Vevin. She had told him that Vevin had stabbed her as well, and taken off with the amulet. She left out the part about how her tribe cursed the amulet, wanted her to take it to the Mouth of Alduin as an offering, and how she wanted nothing more than to see Alduin return.
She knew that he was a Greybeard if he mentored the Dovahkiin. She had been raised to despise his kind. But she also knew that he had saved her, and just because they were enemies did not mean they could not be friends. In his eyes she saw a kindness that his protégée did not share. How could the student turn out so differently from the master?
“I...am sorry for what Vevin did to you.” Esbern said, his voice sounding so very tired. Sarah wondered how old he was. “But I’m afraid I must ask that you not tell of the events that transpired here to anyone, lest you find yourself targeted. The world must not know of Vevin’s existence, at least not now.”
Sarah nodded once more. “You have my word.” She lied.
He smiled down at her in satisfaction. “I would offer to see you back home safely, but I must find him before the trail goes cold. He has most likely sought shelter. If he tries on that amulet without being ready, I fear he might do more harm than good. He’s always been somewhat of a showoff. Will you be alright?”
Once again, she nodded, preferring to keep quiet. Dovahkiin was most likely dead by now. He backed up and looked towards the direction she had told him Vevin went. He waved goodbye, and she did the same.
That was when he saw it. The Mark of Alduin, right below her wrist. She seemed to realize her mistake and quickly dropped her hand. But he was already on her, pinning her to a tree with one hand. In his other hand he had his axe at the ready. “You have five seconds to tell me where you got that mark or I will cleave you in two.”
How many times could she be placed in life threatening situations in one day!? She spoke quickly. “My tribe, you’ve heard of us, Greybeard. The Followers of Alduin.” His grip on her tightened. She could see him going over her story again, looking for different meanings.
“What did you do that amulet? Who gave it to you?” Esbern snarled. He refused to believe that one of the Greybeards had betrayed them and given such a valuable artifact to the enemy. There was no way she or anyone else in her tribe could’ve found it in a ruin. The ruins with artifacts such as these had powerful protection on them; anyone with Alduin’s Mark would not be able to enter.
“It was a gift. Alduin himself sent it to us. He wanted us to activate spells that he could not from beyond the void. I was on my way to give it to him when those bandits attacked. But the Dovahkiin has it now. All in Alduin’s will.” She said.
He raised his axe. “Alduin’s will my ass.” As he prepared to end her life, he saw true fear on her face. How much of this did she think for herself, and how much was a product of her tribe’s brainwashing? He dropped her.
“Run back to your tribe.” He said, putting away his axe. “Expect to see me again.”
With that, he broke off into a run, leaving her to get drenched in the rain, alone. He knew Vevin would put on that amulet.
He just hoped he wouldn’t be too late.
***
Sun’s Height, 1st Day, 4E 201, 7:36P.M
Vevin grasped for his shortsword, his other hand trying to keep the necklace from strangling him. His eyes were bloodshot, and he estimated he had about twenty seconds before he passed out. The trapped Nord screaming through the necklace like a wounded Argonian didn’t help much. Grabbing his sword, he slashed at the chain around his neck to no avail. He was blacking out.
“Dovahkiin.”
The chains around his neck went slack, and Vevin took in great lungfuls of air. The Nord had stopped screaming.
The amulet exploded around Vevin, hitting him with shrapnel’s of Dragonskin in his chest and face. He was flung back deeper into the cave. He hit the door to the Nord ruin hard, knocking the breath out of him.
“Oh Akatosh, they’re here. They’re here.” Vevin looked up to see the Nord on the ground, in a total state of discord. Behind him the remains of the amulet faded into black smoke, obscuring two figures.
Vevin sat up, clutching his sword. As the dust began to fade, he got a good look at the mysterious pair that had emerged from the amulet.
His jaw dropped.
Right in front of him, clad in heavy armor of their own design, stood two Dwemer. Their eyes were pure red, and they smiled at him, showing fanged teeth. Dragon’s teeth. They were undead abominations, of that much he was sure. One wielded a long staff with a trident like tip, only with a lot more spikes. The other had some kind of hybrid weapon. One end was shaped like a hammer, while the other side was shaped like an axe. On their foreheads the Mark of Alduin, a black dragon tail, glowed blood red.
“How in the world had an amulet meant for the Dragonborn harbored the Devil’s Keepers?” Vevin thought to himself, visibly scared. Now was not the time to ponder that question, however, for they began to speak.
“Dovahkiin.” The one with the axe hammer hybrid spoke first, and Vevin noticed his voice sounded like glass shattering. The other finished for him.
“Alduin says hello.”
They struck.
Ch 2, Fin
AN: Let me know what you guys think. Also, expect the final chapter to be epic.
Chapter 2: The Devil’s Keepers
Sun’s Height, 1st Day, 4E 201, 7:05P.M.
Was it supposed to feel like this when you died? Without the amulet’s protection, the young Nord girl, Sarah, would not heal from this. The wound the Dark Elf inflicted upon her before he stole the amulet was too deep. The blood poured out of her stomach, and Sarah thought that it was rather sad she gotten used to bleeding so much in such a short span of time. First those bandits, and then the Dark Elf, the one who said he was Dragonborn. Him, Dovahkiin?
She had not expected an elf, especially not a Dark Elf, to be the one, but she knew his claim to be true. He had taken the amulet from her without any problems. Maybe that was why she was not terribly angry at the Dark Elf for taking her life. Her tribe had changed that amulet from doing its original function and had instead morphed it into doing their bidding, Alduin’s bidding. Dovahkiin had no idea how much trouble he was about to be in. Her tribe…was not made of good people.
She coughed up blood. Her vision blurred further still. Yet all she felt was the cold ground she was lying on. No warmth as death took her into its embrace. At least she had seen the beginning, had died helping her tribe prepare for the glory of Alduin’s return. She had not made it to the Mouth of Alduin, had not even gotten close. She had, however, inadvertently given the cursed amulet to Dovahkiin, which might very well lead to his demise. So in the end, she realized, her objective was met.
Suddenly, she was happy that those bandits had found her outside of the village. It had been Alduin’s will. Sarah closed her eyes, ready to die at last.
She finally felt warmth. A powerful warmth that coursed through her like a flood.
“You will not die today, girl. I will see to that.” Sarah opened her eyes, surprised. An old man, a Nord like her, was healing her. The armor he wore was dirty and old, but Sarah could not deny that he looked powerful. The huge golden axe on his back reinforced that notion. He looked around the field, at all the bodies, and shook his head. “I hope you won’t mind answering some of my questions.” He said as he finished healing her. “My name is Esbern.”
***
Sun’s Height, 1st Day, 4E 201, 7:12P.M
Vevin hardly noticed the first drops of rain that splashed upon him; he was too busy examining the amulet. His earlier pang of guilt at killing the Nord girl had completely evaporated. “She got what she deserved.” He thought to himself as he looked over the dragonskin amulet once more. It was definitely the real deal, at least three thousand years old. The only way the girl could have gotten her hands on this was if she had lucked up scavenging some Nord ruin. She had probably thought it was pretty jewelry, and put it on, getting herself cursed. He admitted he found it strange that the amulet didn’t simply kill her, but that hardly mattered now. In order to keep his anonymity, he had to kill her anyway. No witnesses. It was the easiest way to keep Esbern from finding him.
He pocketed the amulet as more drops or rain hit him. He would wait until he found shelter before putting it on, he did not fancy fighting any more bandits today. Luckily, that fetcher Hamil had a bag of healing potions on his corpse, and Vevin had quickly brought himself to full strength. His shirt had been slashed one too many times however, and he had discarded it somewhere in the woods. His shortsword was tucked into his belt. He was still hungry, but he could wait. It would start pouring soon.
There was no shelter to be had in this forest, and he had spotted no caves. So he looked upward instead of forward. Sure enough, he saw a hole on the mountainside. Just what he needed to escape the rain. As he began his climb out of the forest and up the mountain, it started to rain heavily. He made it into the cave hole thoroughly drenched. Then he realized this wasn’t just some cave hole. It was an entrance to a Nord ruin.
“Probably the back entrance.” Vevin thought as he looked at the large door further in the cave. The real entrance was most likely on the other side. He sat down on a large rock and pulled out the amulet once more. As he examined the glowing ruby in the center, he thought he saw something move within it.
“Hey! Get me out of here!” The figure, a Nord boy, returned, looking up at Vevin.
“What are you? Some manner of ghost?” Vevin asked, curious.
“No, I'm not a ghost! I..I attacked some girl who had this freaky amulet thing. I cut her, but the next thing I know it swallowed me up! You have to get me out of here! It’s dark, and I keep hearing these weird voices.”
“Wait.” Vevin said. “You were with those bandits?’ The Nord nodded.
"I remember now. Your idiot friends mentioned that one of their own got swallowed up. You gave the girl that wound on her leg." Vevin laughed. "I killed those assholes. Have fun rotting in there.”
The Nord panicked. “Hey, you can’t leave me in here. Please! I was just following orders!”
Vevin was reminded of Esbern, how he always expected Vevin to follow orders like a good boy. That was one of the reasons he had run away from the old man. "You should've had a mind of your own." Vevin spat.
Growing tired of this little chat, Vevin stood up. The amulet would only grant him its power once he put it on. He wondered what secrets it held. Hopefully, once he activated it, it would kill that Nord as well. He put it around his neck.
“Dovahkiin.”
A chill ran down Vevin’s spine as the amulet wrapped its chain around him, choking him fiercely. He fell to the ground gasping for air, struggling now to take it off, as he heard the Nord screaming.
“What did you do!? Oh Akatosh, what did you do!? Those voices I told you about? I can see them! They’re here!”
***
Sun’s Height, 1st Day, 4E 201, 7:30P.M
“So he was here, then?’ Esbern asked the girl, Sarah. He was big enough that he towered over her, shielding her from the rain.
She nodded. She had told Esbern what had transpired between her, the bandits, and his protégée, Vevin. She had told him that Vevin had stabbed her as well, and taken off with the amulet. She left out the part about how her tribe cursed the amulet, wanted her to take it to the Mouth of Alduin as an offering, and how she wanted nothing more than to see Alduin return.
She knew that he was a Greybeard if he mentored the Dovahkiin. She had been raised to despise his kind. But she also knew that he had saved her, and just because they were enemies did not mean they could not be friends. In his eyes she saw a kindness that his protégée did not share. How could the student turn out so differently from the master?
“I...am sorry for what Vevin did to you.” Esbern said, his voice sounding so very tired. Sarah wondered how old he was. “But I’m afraid I must ask that you not tell of the events that transpired here to anyone, lest you find yourself targeted. The world must not know of Vevin’s existence, at least not now.”
Sarah nodded once more. “You have my word.” She lied.
He smiled down at her in satisfaction. “I would offer to see you back home safely, but I must find him before the trail goes cold. He has most likely sought shelter. If he tries on that amulet without being ready, I fear he might do more harm than good. He’s always been somewhat of a showoff. Will you be alright?”
Once again, she nodded, preferring to keep quiet. Dovahkiin was most likely dead by now. He backed up and looked towards the direction she had told him Vevin went. He waved goodbye, and she did the same.
That was when he saw it. The Mark of Alduin, right below her wrist. She seemed to realize her mistake and quickly dropped her hand. But he was already on her, pinning her to a tree with one hand. In his other hand he had his axe at the ready. “You have five seconds to tell me where you got that mark or I will cleave you in two.”
How many times could she be placed in life threatening situations in one day!? She spoke quickly. “My tribe, you’ve heard of us, Greybeard. The Followers of Alduin.” His grip on her tightened. She could see him going over her story again, looking for different meanings.
“What did you do that amulet? Who gave it to you?” Esbern snarled. He refused to believe that one of the Greybeards had betrayed them and given such a valuable artifact to the enemy. There was no way she or anyone else in her tribe could’ve found it in a ruin. The ruins with artifacts such as these had powerful protection on them; anyone with Alduin’s Mark would not be able to enter.
“It was a gift. Alduin himself sent it to us. He wanted us to activate spells that he could not from beyond the void. I was on my way to give it to him when those bandits attacked. But the Dovahkiin has it now. All in Alduin’s will.” She said.
He raised his axe. “Alduin’s will my ass.” As he prepared to end her life, he saw true fear on her face. How much of this did she think for herself, and how much was a product of her tribe’s brainwashing? He dropped her.
“Run back to your tribe.” He said, putting away his axe. “Expect to see me again.”
With that, he broke off into a run, leaving her to get drenched in the rain, alone. He knew Vevin would put on that amulet.
He just hoped he wouldn’t be too late.
***
Sun’s Height, 1st Day, 4E 201, 7:36P.M
Vevin grasped for his shortsword, his other hand trying to keep the necklace from strangling him. His eyes were bloodshot, and he estimated he had about twenty seconds before he passed out. The trapped Nord screaming through the necklace like a wounded Argonian didn’t help much. Grabbing his sword, he slashed at the chain around his neck to no avail. He was blacking out.
“Dovahkiin.”
The chains around his neck went slack, and Vevin took in great lungfuls of air. The Nord had stopped screaming.
The amulet exploded around Vevin, hitting him with shrapnel’s of Dragonskin in his chest and face. He was flung back deeper into the cave. He hit the door to the Nord ruin hard, knocking the breath out of him.
“Oh Akatosh, they’re here. They’re here.” Vevin looked up to see the Nord on the ground, in a total state of discord. Behind him the remains of the amulet faded into black smoke, obscuring two figures.
Vevin sat up, clutching his sword. As the dust began to fade, he got a good look at the mysterious pair that had emerged from the amulet.
His jaw dropped.
Right in front of him, clad in heavy armor of their own design, stood two Dwemer. Their eyes were pure red, and they smiled at him, showing fanged teeth. Dragon’s teeth. They were undead abominations, of that much he was sure. One wielded a long staff with a trident like tip, only with a lot more spikes. The other had some kind of hybrid weapon. One end was shaped like a hammer, while the other side was shaped like an axe. On their foreheads the Mark of Alduin, a black dragon tail, glowed blood red.
“How in the world had an amulet meant for the Dragonborn harbored the Devil’s Keepers?” Vevin thought to himself, visibly scared. Now was not the time to ponder that question, however, for they began to speak.
“Dovahkiin.” The one with the axe hammer hybrid spoke first, and Vevin noticed his voice sounded like glass shattering. The other finished for him.
“Alduin says hello.”
They struck.
Ch 2, Fin
AN: Let me know what you guys think. Also, expect the final chapter to be epic.