NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: I saw a dragon!
"Looks like we're the only ones who made it. That thing was a dragon. No doubt. Just like the children's stories and the legends. The Harbinger of the End Times. We should keep moving. Come here, let me see if I can get those bindings off." Ralof said before cutting off the ropes that's binding Harin and Ibnor's hands.
"There you go."
Taking the time to adjust their breath, Ibnor focused on his discovery while Ralof went to a dead Stormcloak body.
Ibnor
Status
Normal / Healthy
Stats
Strength
0.6
Agility
0.4
Mental
0.4
Physique
0.5
Skills
Passive
[Close Quarter Combat - Beginner]
Active
[Archery (0.6)]
No matter what he tried, the translucent panel only shows his stat. At most, he can read the basic descriptions of the stats.
Strength
Overall power, determines endurance and muscle control, influencing power and accuracy.
Agility
Overall mobility, determines reflex and reaction, influencing nimbleness and sense of balance.
Mental
Overall perception, determines deductions and comprehension, influencing state of mind and observation .
Physique
Overall endurance, determines stamina and bone's strength, influencing physical recovery and stamina regeneration.
"So all the things I collected earlier are the stats. This requires more exploration," Ibnor thought.
"May we meet again in Sovngarde, brother," Ralof bid his farewell to one of the Stormcloak's corpses lying on the floor.
"You might as well take Gunjar's gear. He won't be needing it anymore."
Reluctantly, Ibnor took the light armor Gunjar was wearing, and an iron dagger. He thought armor from the dead is way better than the rag he was wearing. Harin is brandishing an axe and a shield.
"Alright, get that armor on and give that axe a few swings. I'm going to see if I can find some way out of here… This one is locked, let's see about that gate. Damn. No way to open this from our side." Ralof said as he was checking the two gates.
"Come on! Keep moving!" a shout can be heard, together with haste footsteps coming to their direction.
"It's the Imperials. Take cover." Ralof said in a hush voice before crouching, leaning against the wall in an attempt to hide himself.
"Open this gate!" the Imperial Captain's voice can be heard.
The gate soon opened and the female Imperial Captain who oversaw and ordered their execution, together with two Imperial soldiers, entered the room.
Without wasting any time Ralof jumps out and ambushes one the Imperial soldier, Ibnor knocks out one of the soldiers with a hit to the back of the head, knocking him out while Harin assaults the Imperial Captain. The Imperial Captain tried to slashed Harin but she blocked it perfectly before swinging down a blow of her own. The Imperial Captain dodged the axe and tried to retaliate only to be bashed on the face by Harin's shield.
Staggering backward, she was then kicked by Harin right below the sternum, making her fall backwards, skidding on the floor. Without wasting the opportunity, Harin drove the axe to her chest, making a large gash, spurting crimson blood, dyeing them both. Harin came out as the victor when she decapitated the Imperial Captain. Spitting on the corpse, she then checked on the Imperial soldier that was knocked out by Ibnor.
"Still so soft." she commented when noticing the soldier is still alive.
Ibnor was left speechless by her ferociousness but put it at the back of his head and started searching the corpses for keys.
"Did you find the key? See if it unlocks the door." Ralof points to the other door. With a twist of the key, the door was unlocked without any problem.
"That's it! Come on, let's get out of here before the dragon brings the whole towers down on our heads."
They went out of the room to see a stair leading down. As they made their way down, into a small hallway, the black dragon's roars could be heard as the whole place shook.
CRASH!!
"Look out!" Ralof shouted words of caution as the hallway collapsed, blocking the way. Dust rises up making the view more obscure. " Damn, that dragon doesn't give up easily."
"It sure goes according to what I know, mostly. With a few differences. If I'm not careful, I may end up not knowing how I die," Ibnor thought as he regained his footing.
Having no other options, they enter the only door available. Unfortunately, inside the room there are four Imperial soldiers who are startled when they enter the room.
"Stormcloaks! Get them!" one of the Imperial soldiers shouted.
Harin and Ralof ready their weapons to engage with the soldiers. One of the soldiers went to Ibnor, considering him as an easy picking.
"Picking on me, are you? I really look like an easy target to you, huh?" He grumbled in his mind.
He readied the iron sword in his hand and blocked the incoming sword slash. The soldier noticed his stance and smiled. He knows an amateur when he sees one. The soldier keeps hacking at Ibnor. Despite managing to block a few attacks, his untrained hands now are weakening from the impact of the colliding swords. He can no longer hold the iron sword high.
"I'm not familiar with swords but that doesn't mean I have no means to protect myself!" " Ibnor thought in his mind before dropping the iron sword.
The Imperial soldier grinned when he saw that and decided to move in for the kill. Ibnor dodge the swing, ducking and side stepping to the left, toward his opponent's right. The soldier retaliates by giving another wide backhand swing with his swords. Ibnor clutched the soldier's wrist, stopping the incoming swing while simultaneously delivering a chop with his left hand towards the soldier's throat. The attempt is a success, making the soldiers recoil.
Still not letting the wrist go, Ibnor grabs on the back of the soldier's head, palming the steel helmet with his left hand before pushing the soldier's head to the ground while simultaneously sweeping the soldier's feet in the opposite direction. Losing his center of gravity, the soldier buckled and slammed on the floor head first and now was left twitching on the ground with a bloodied face.
Ibnor turned to look at Ralof, in time to see the man's weapon sent flying by his opponent's battleaxe. The opponent proceeds to swing his battleaxe downwards, intending to cleave Ralof into two. Ibnor scurries around the floor and grabs a shield which happened to be lying nearby and rushes in front of Ralof, holding the shield.
The battleaxe hits the shield, and the shield splinters. Vibration and shocks from the impact travel through his left arm and pain follows. His bone cracks and he is no longer able to lift the shield. His left arm plops down as it is drained of energy and strength.
Having finished her opponent in time, Harin pounced on the soldier that was ready to slam his battleaxe on Ibnor and planted her axe on his neck, before he could take another swing to Ibnor. The soldier dropped to the floor, bleeding and twitching.
"Are you okay, lad?" ask Ralof.
"I think I broke my arms."
"This looks like a storeroom. See if you can find potions. We'll need them."
They began searching around the room and after turning the place upside down they managed to find a few small Health Potions and a few small Stamina Potions. Wasting no time, Ibnor downs two Health Potions and a vial of small Stamina Potions, and soon he is as good as new. His left arm is also healed. He then continued to collect the multiple color balls.
[Strength +0.4]
[Mental +0.2]
[Agility +0.2]
[Physique +0.4]
As he chugged the potions, he took a peek towards his system.
"No abnormal condition stated. No cooldown either. Damn.. I can abuse this for training." Ibnor thought to himself as he was checking his status.
Ibnor
Status
Normal
Stats
Strength
2.5
Agility
2.6
Mental
1.8
Physique
2.1
Skills
Passive
[Close Quarter Combat - Beginner]
Active
[Archery (3.2)]
"So, anything I pick up will be under active, while anything I learn the normal way will be placed under passive..." he comes to a realization.
"Done? Let's get moving," Ralof suggested.
Harin looked at Ibnor and her eyes seemed to have concern in them. Ibnor shrugs and proceeds to the door. The door led further down and finally they arrived in a spacious room filled with cages.
"Trolls blood! It's a torture room." Ralof exclaimed.
Suddenly an electrical arc passed by and hit the wall, barely a few centimeters above their heads, leaving scorch marks on it. There is another battle going on deep in the room. It was another clash between the Imperials and the Stormcloak. Ralof ran past Ibnor in order to offer support to his fellow Stormcloaks. While Harin, being the warrior she is, also jumps into the fray.
Not willing to take any side, Ibnor remains hidden on the corner and awaits for the fight to be over. The reality began to slowly hit him. The gore and violence is becoming harder for him to bear. However, reasoning also told him this harsh world will be the end of him if he stays passive. To kill or be killed. That is the creed of this harsh world, a creed he must adhere to survive. As for the clash between the Imperials and the Stormcloak, he simply doesn't care. As long as no one comes for his head, he will ignore them.
Unfortunately, things don't seem to be going his way. An Imperial torturer who was the sole magic user is unknowingly backing towards his direction, trying to take cover from being cornered by an archer from the Stormcloak, from the other end. Not wanting things to be pointlessly complicated, he sneaked behind the torturer.
Getting close enough, he grabs the torturer and performs a rear naked choke on him. Violently struggling at first, the torturer's movement slowly comes to a halt until he passes out from the lack of oxygen.
"Friendlies, I'm coming out," Ibnor said before slowly revealing himself from the corner with his hands up in the air.
The clash also comes to a stop with the victory for the Stormcloak as they outnumber the Imperial soldiers. Heading towards the corpses, he collects every colored ball he can. It's easy and awkward at the same time as he only needs to touch them in order to collect them, and the awkwardness begins as his action can be interpreted as groping the corpses.
"Was Jarl Ulfric with you?" Ralof asks his fellow Stormcloak.
"No, I haven't seen him since the dragon showed up."
"Wait a second, it looks like there's something in this cage," Ralof said as he walked past a cage in the center.
"Ah, it's locked. See if you can get it open with some picks. You'll need the gold when we get out of here." he continued while turning to Ibnor.
It took Ibnor a few tries to pick the lock. He found a knapsack with a few potions inside, some gold coins and a spell tome that looked like an ordinary book. He directly took the knapsack.
They follow along the room that seems to lead to an underground holding cell and at the end of the cells, there is a path leading further deep into a cave system. The placement of braziers shows that the Imperials actually utilize this cave system as some sort of hidden path. As they proceed to find the exit, few clashes with the Imperial soldiers are unavoidable.
After a few of those clashes, only Ralof, Harin and Ibnor are left breathing. The rest fell in the battle. Ralof himself is no longer in a good condition. Despite how wild and aggressive Harin is, Ibnor could but help to be drawn to her, as it's clear that she is somewhat concerned about him. Along the way, he lost count of how many times she protects him. Since he can't think of the reason behind her behavior, the situation made him think nothing of it and accept it as it is.
Currently they are taking a short rest, in front of a cavern filled with webs.
"I hate those damn things. Too many eyes, you know?" Said Ralof.
Ibnor knew exactly what they were about to face, thus he was surprised when Harin put her hand out towards Ralof. The man seemed confused and was about to ask a question when Harin opened her mouth.
"Give me your bow and all of your arrows."
"What are you trying to do, lass?" Ralof hesitantly gave Harin his bow together with a quiver filled with arrows.
She ignored him and tested the bow's tension. Turning to the side, she found Ibnor looking at her, with curiosity plastered on his face.
"You see the cavern here? Once you jump over the other side, you won't be able to make it back here. Not without a rope. It's too steep. Now, I happened to see few of those eight legged fuckers moving about. So, hopefully, I can shoot them all down from this position before running out of arrows. Otherwise, we'll have to face a whole swarm of them." she explained to him.
"What is this preferential treatment?" Ralof was left speechless.
Harin crouches on the vantage point, overlooking the cavern and begins observing the spiders. Once she confirmed the targets, she pulled the bow into a full moon, took her time stabilizing her aim and let the arrow loose. One by one the spiders fell.
She easily cleared the cavern of spiders before the arrow ran out. But she also knows that is only because the spider inside the caver is only considered a young inexperienced spider. The Imperials stationed at Helgen would regularly do a clean up and kill of the spiders before they matured. Unlike the wild spiders deep in the forest above, the one in the caverns is considered nothing.
They made their way cautiously until finally they reached the exit. Light shone through the narrow passage. They slid into the crevice and slowly made their way out. The exit turned out to be behind a mountain, near the river.
"Wait!" Ralof held his hand, gesturing for them to take cover under a large boulder while a shadow cast over the land caused by th black dragon flying overhead.
SWOOSH!
"There he goes. Looks like he's gone for good this time. No way to know if anyone else made it out alive. But this place is going to be swarming with Imperials soon enough. We better clear out of here. My sister Gerdur runs the mill in Riverwood, just up the road. I'm sure she'd help you out. It's probably best if we split up. Good luck. I wouldn't have made it without your help today."
"Likewise."
Ralof then chooses to take another path and soon disappears within the forest. Ibnor decided to follow the main path, walking slowly, observing the environment. He walks until he reaches three standing stones. Stopping for a while, he took the time to admire the beauty of Skyrim's nature. He can even see the snowy peak of the Nordic ancient tomb, up in the distance, across the glittering river, covered with hardened snow, reflecting the sunlight over the horizon.
"Sure enough, it's more beautiful than I thought it would be. If I didn't know any better, I'd fall victim to the deadly threats underneath the beautiful scenery." Ibnor muttered.
"Being dazed in the open like that will get you killed," a voice sounded behind him.
"Whoah, you surprised me!" he said, being surprised to realize Harin is following him.
She only looked at him. There was conflict in her eyes shortly before it went dim. As if she made a decision in her mind, she steps closer to him. The distance between them is not far but each of her steps made his heart beat faster. The closer she gets, the more nervous he is.
Once she is in front of them, she grabs his head with both hands and aggressively kisses him. He was shocked at first but soon drowned in her passionate kiss. It went for a while, and she let him go, licking her lips.
"What just happened?" he asked, being confused.
"You're just like him, but different."
"What does that even mean? How can something be the same but different? And who is him?" he asked, slightly annoyed.
He had to admit he is attracted to her. Combined with the kiss earlier, she had a special place in his heart. He wanted her. Hearing she is talking about another man, somehow irritates him. He is not sure if it is jealousy or something else.
"Not just the look, even that strange attacking method. Martial art... Is it?"
"Huh? You know what martial art is?"
"You are still too soft. And your mastery of that… Martial art, it's not enough."
"What? What's going on? Who are you?"
"Come, we need to get to Riverwood before it's dark. The night is not a pleasant time to be journeying around. Only few find comfort in the darkness." She said as she walked ahead.
"Fuck.. this is totally unexpected. Maybe everything changed due to my arrival? Would this lead to major changes along the line? If so, that means what I know can only be used as a reference. There's no telling if it's going to be similar or totally changed." he thought.
"What are you waiting for?" she yelled from in front.
It was dusk when they finally made it to Riverwood. The only reason they arrived when the sun already set was because of Harin. The journey was relatively safe with Harin around. Some stray wolves and dumb bandits made easy work for her and those are what delayed them or to be exact, having to deal with them is what took much of their time.
From what he observed, Harin is a righteous yet reckless warrior. She helps those in need with no question asked along the way and jumps into battle easily like an adrenaline junkie. Not that he can or will complain, he won't say no to a free and steady source of colored balls.
There is quite a commotion when he passes the gate, as an old woman and a man are bickering in front of their house.
"A dragon! I saw a dragon!"
"What? What is it now, mother?"
"It was as big as the mountain and black as night. It flew right over the barrow."
"Dragons, now, is it? Please, mother. If you keep on like this, everyone in town will think you're crazy. And I've got better things to do than listen to more of your fantasies."
"You'll see! It was a dragon! It'll kill us all and then you'll believe me!"
They ignored the mother and son's arguments and went straight into the tavern, The Sleeping Giant Inn. Harin asked him to wait by the table and went somewhere for a while. He sat at the bar pretending to be in deep thought, while he was actually silently observing the tavern.
As he observed the tavern, he noticed a middle aged, stern looking woman sweeping the floor. He found out she is actually monitoring him. Nothing would seem out of the ordinary if not for her piercing gaze that she cast once in a while.
"That must be Delphine. I'd definitely overlook her if I didn't know any better." he thought.
"We got rooms and food. Drink, too. I cook. Ain't much else to tell." the barkeeper greets him.
"I'll just have the ale for now, thank you."
"Here." The barkeeper handed him two bottles of ale. "Need a room, talk to Delphine." He points to the inn's proprietress, the middle aged woman who's sweeping the floor.
"Will do, cheers." Ibnor replied as he raised the bottle towards the innkeeper before chugging it down, acting nonchalant. As Delphine sweeps the floor, she is slowly but surely moving towards his direction and soon enough, she gets near him.
"We don't get a lot of travelers here in Riverwood," she said, probing him.
"Is it something recent or that's just the way it is?" he asked back, acting oblivious.
"The war keeps most folks away, these days. So, what's your story? Just here to… Relax?" she rephrased her intention.
"Not really, no. Never even in my wildest fantasy that I will one day wake up to a huge dragon terrorizing a town. Barely survived by the skin of my teeth and the only thing I have is the cloth on my back." he baited her, stressing the dragon part.
"Dragon?" shocked by the statement, the glint in her eyes turns heavy.
"Yeah, Helgen was destroyed earlier today. I'm just one of few who is lucky enough to make it out alive."
"Poor soul. If you're staying the night, I've got a free room. Don't worry about the coin. It's yours for the day. Now, if you'll excuse me, I got something to tend to. Orgnar, you've got the inn til' I get back."
"Right, happy trails," the barkeeper answered. Delphine then went to her room and soon walked out of the inn in a hurry.
"She seems to be in a hurry. Do you know where she's going?" Ibnor said to the bartender, just a thoughtless question trying to make a conversation.
"That's her business. Not mine. Probably not yours either," the barkeeper said with a straight face, stating his opinion as it was a matter of a fact.
Not expecting such a blunt remark, Ibnor feels as if his heart is being stabbed by a knife. Unable to come out with a retort, he was left speechless.
After a while, Harin arrived, equipped fully in new armor and gears. She is wearing a leather breastplate hugging her chest with white cotton shirt underneath, exposing her snowy forearm. Leather utility belt adorned her waist and hip, complemented by the black pants. The fingerless gauntlet on her arms seems to be a set with her leather boots, reinforced by metal plate pieces on both designs. She covered herself with a black hooded cloak. Armed with a sword on her waist, she is also carrying a small shield and a bow, with the quiver fastened on the back of her waist.
"Did you get a room for the night?"
"Yep. For free, even."
"Good, lead the way."
"What do you mean?"
"Get going. I'm kinda tired after the whole ordeal. I want to hit the sack early."
"Wait, wait, wait. That's my room."
"And?"
"Err… Are you telling me you are going to sleep in my room, on the same bed? A good looking woman, sleeping with a guy she just met today?"
"What? Afraid that I'll eat you?"
"The fuc.."
"One, it's not like you can do anything to me. I'm stronger than you, if you recall correctly. Two, even if you want to, not that I'm going to stop you, are you really going to do it?" she asked, staring into his eyes.
"Fine." He gave up.
"All the logical and reasonable things went out of the window today, what's one or two more?" he thought while leading Harin to the room.
Once in the room, she took off her protective equipment and got comfortable as if she was at home. He, on the other hand, didn't know what to do. All the memories throughout the day came rolling at him. Being in the cart caught him by surprise, and before he could come to terms with the unreal experience, the dragon came and without a room to breathe, chaos ensued. Escaping Helgen, clutching to dear life, he took some life in order to preserve his. All that progress rapidly that all he could think is try to survive.
It is only now he had time to think and space to breathe. Still standing by the door, not knowing what to do, he slowly comes to a realization and one by one, multiple emotions assault his mind. Excitement, gratitude, disbelief, amazement, happiness, sadness and a lot more. Each of the emotions represent his thoughts and feelings on each and every thing that he experienced today.
Excitement on the prospect of spending the night together with a gorgeous woman and experiencing thrills that boils his blood. Being grateful for the said opportunity and most importantly, managing to stay alive against all odds. Happiness since said woman pays even a bit of attention to him and on a bigger scale, to be able to experience this world and all it has to offer first hand. Amazed by all of the things that happened, despite feeling surreal, they are a reality. Disbelief along the same line of thought, only to be looked at from a different point of view. Saddened by the fact he had to leave everything he had and hold dear, not knowing if he can ever see them again. Unknowingly, tears ran down his face.