C.o.t.D: Prologue

  • Prologue

     

    12th Second Seed, 4E 194

     It was a clear Tirdas morning as birds chirp on the trees surrounding the Monastery’s courtyard. There were 6 people training, 5 men and a Bosmer, ranging from 15 to 20 years old, excluding the Bosmer who was around 40 years old. These “Initiates” were trying to prove themselves to the Dragon Templar Order, an organization that was formed by remnants of the Dragonknights after the Interregnum near the end of the 2nd Era. They were hand selected and secretly transported here to begin training.

    One such Initiate was a male young adult, an Imperial by the name of Pontius Maximius Revan or Axius as the others called him. He was praticing using an iron mace, attacking a wooden target with all his strength.

    “Lead with the elbow!”, shouted Captain Radovir Oakheart at the 17 year old Axius, the trainer in charge of the Initiates. His voice was so loud, some of the Initiate’s jokingly said, he could shout a Frost Troll to death. “Loosen your wrist when you hit or you’ll end up hurting it”.

    The Nord stood tall among the “whelps” as he would call them. A gray linen cloak that shined brightly under the sunlight, draped the pauldrons of his steel armor that was fashioned with traditional Nordic engravings and fur. Radovir hailed from Bruma but he had the heart of a true Nord of Skyrim. He proved his point when he became a member of the Inner Circle of The Companions for a short period of time before joining the Order, something he always boast about to the Initiates. As he eyed on the other Initiates, Radovir couldn’t help but look down and shook in disgrace at the Initiates poor skills.

    “By Ysmir, these whelps are more worse than the ones back in Jorrvaskr”, he thought to himself while remembering the hearty laughs of the Companions celebrating at the Great Hall and the sound of Skyforge Steel being shaped. Radovir snapped back from his memories and gave a rather insulting speech.

    “You whelps are pathetic, you couldn’t even shoot an apple at point blank range or attack without dropping your weapon. Maybe I should replace all of you with mudcrabs!”. Radovir’s insult made the Initiates attack their targets out of anger, the younger initiate cried . Axius didn’t pay any mind towards his superior’s insult nor his fellow brother and sisters and continued practicing.

     

    Axius came to the Monastery just 3 years ago yet he seemed to quickly gained the attention and admiration of the Order’s high ranking members particularly Ser Ignacius Cornell, one of the 3 Marshalls of The Order. Therefore, he was known as “Ser Ignacius’s Squire” by the Initiates. Unbeknownst to them, Axius had a tragic past.

    Axius was the son of Benedict Revan, a famed Imperial Legate during the Great War, who was Ser Ignacius’s brother. Their father was a member of the Emperor’s bodyguard, The Blades and his father before him. Benedict joined the Legion when his father advised him to, while the older brother, Ignacius was gone without a trace after speaking to his father in private.

    15 years after the Great War, the Thalmor hanged Benedict and his wife under the false claim of being Talos worshippers. Ignacius managed to save Axius and rode to the Monastery where he will be trained. The knights of the Order kept Axius’s past a secret when they venture across Tamriel as the Thalmor figured he was dead.

    A few hours later, the Initiates were given rest as the day nearly reached its end. Axius was resting under a tree, away from the others. He began to read a book called The Exodus with a bowl of Horker Stew beside him. As he was reading, an Altmer slowly walked towards him, holding a loaf of bread on his right hand.

    “I like the dedication of Munthen and Cinneta..... but not a fan on the necromancy ending”, said the Elf as he munched on the bread.

    Axius peeked above the book and raised an eyebrow when he saw who it was.

    “Oh, it’s just you Corlion”

    Corlion was a slight High Elf, his golden hair flowed through the evening breeze as it passed the two of them, his pointed chin had a few strands of hair with small bits of bread stuck on it which made Axius chuckle a bit when observing him. He wore a brown robe with a satchel slung over his left shoulder, he also wore matching fur gloves and boots to keep him warm for the night.

    “Would you do the same thing they would of done, if you were them?”, asked Corlion. The sound of Corlion munching made Axius slightly hungry but he decided to answer Corlion’s question before taking a sip from his stew.

    “Not if it means using Necromancy as a last result”, Axius closed the book before joining Corlion for lunch.

     Ironically, Corlion was the first friend Axius had when he first arrived. Like Axius, Corlion too had a dark past. He once served in the Dominion and was appointed as an officer. During the early years of the Great War, Corlion by then 55 years old, witness the Thalmor’s war crimes first hand. He saw how they attack an unarmed farming village, killing the villagers and raping the women before burning the place down. Disgusted, Corlion deserted his post one night, heading to the Imperial lines to defect but was ambushed by the Thalmor. He was saved by none other than Ignacius himself and was brought to the Monastery. Eventually becoming Radovir’s assistant and a scholar for the Order.

    Their lunch was then interrupted by Radovir. “Axius, Ser Ignacius wants to see you”, ordered Radovir to the boy.

    “Looks like the master calls for his squire, better get going then”, sarcastically said Corlion. Axius replied by kicking Corlion’s leg which didn’t hurt but he acted as if it did. They both laughed before parting off.

    As Axius walked through the Initiates, he couldn’t help but feel as if they were watching him from behind out of curiosity with eyes sharp as daggers.

    Axius quickened his pace to avoid getting caught in a pointless conversation with them. As he walked towards the Monastery, he couldn’t help but marvel at the size of the building which protuded out of the side of Dragon’s Tooth, a massive mountain that was nearly as tall as the Throat of the World.

    The origins of the Monastery and the area itself is as mysterious as the Isle of Artaeum but what is known is that the 4-floored building was once a temple used to worship a long forgotten god, then it was turned into a fortress by the Ayleids based on the architectural designs. Two arched towers dotted the front corner while another two were carved out from the mountain side and were used as elevators similar to those found in Dwarven ruins. The mountain were covered with trees except for the peak and rivers streamed down, providing water for bathing, drinking and other utilities, it is as if Kynareth herself blessed the mountain for our use.

    After gazing at the mountain’s beauty, Axius stood infront of the 10 feet tall door to the Monastery. It had centuries old varnish applied to it with studded iron covering the sides. Axius took a deep breath before pushing the door open. The interior was dark except for the crackling blaze of the Hall’s hearth. When he stepped in, the braziers, candles and chandeliers lit up.

     “That never cease to impress me”, smiled Axius as he walked up a spiral staircase to the second floor to meet his uncle who was at the balcony.

    Ser Ignacius Cornell was leaning on a stone balustrade looking at the forest which was bustling with noise from the wildlife. The Imperial was in his mid 40’s, there were streaks of grey on his short hair, his small beard was also peppered with grey. He was equipped chest to toe with steel plate armored which was worn under a surcoat. On the upper left of the surcoat, is an insignia with the symbol of a dragon, Akatosh, the chief-god of the Nine Divines.

    “You called for me Un...Ser?”, Axius was hesitant, trying to talk to his uncle not like a family member but as a superior.

    “I heard Radovir gave quite a speech during training”, replied Ignacius as he faced his nephew.

    His voice was soft and cool which was uncommon. When he gave a speech or two to the Initiates, he was hard and his voice echoed through the corridors. But that evening, the two Imperials spoke as family.

    “They were inspired, I can say that much but the younger one nearly cracked”, Radovir wasn’t the only one who was disappointed that morning. Axius had been helping the other Initiates including the older ones for quite a long time, how to heal, shoot a crossbow or wield a weapon. He was a gifted leader just like his father, even Ignacius saw how the boy resembled his younger brother when they were at the same age.

    “Well, they weren’t raised by Legates or battlemages, Axius. In time, they will be Templars”.

    Axius’s mother, Elaine was a Breton battlemage serving under Benedict’s Legion. When the war ended, she served as a priestess at the Great Chapel of Julianos and maintained close ties with the local Mage’s Guild. Ignacius regretted not attending their wedding held at the Great Chapel of Mara which at that time, only sustained minor damage. He couldn’t bare picturing the image of his brother ashamed for him not being there.

    “Where were you Uncle?” asked Axius, he hadn’t seen his uncle for the whole week. Corlion said that Ignacius had a problem to deal with at Skyrim but his uncle didn’t have a single drop of snowflake on his hair or armor when the two met.

    Ignacius sighed, “You’re quite an observer. I was talking with the Grandmaster, about the current events in Tamriel.”, Axius always heard about the Grandmaster of the Dragon Templar, he lives at the top of Dragon’s Tooth with supplies being carried to him via a small Dwarven elevator shaft. Some speculate that the Grandmaster is a former Greybeard but only those who he sees worthy could see him in person.

     “Let me guess, you won’t tell me because it’s official Templar business”, said Axius in a coarse voice, imitating his uncle’s tone.

    “Smart boy...”, Ignacius replied wittingly as he patted his nephew’s thin shoulder with his right hand. Soon Ignacius snapped back to his usual self before explaining to Axius why he called him.

    “I want you to train the Initiates starting from tomorrow” , Ignacius put it bluntly. Axius was surprised that the Marshall would put an Initiate in charge of training.

    “But what about Radovir and Corlion, and MY training?”, asked Axius.

    “Radovir has experience, but he’s too harsh on them. Corlion is on good terms with the Bosmer and the young one but the rest don’t like him very much. I’ve seen you help a few of them in their training.

    “Radovir and Corlion can help you maintain their discipline but you must train them. As for YOUR training, I believe you’re already trained. Think your up for it? If you refuse, you won’t lose anything.”

    Axius thought for a moment, if he took charge of the training, he could gain the respect of his brothers and sisters. Then without further hesitation, Axius took on his new role.

    “Good, you’ll begin tomorrow at dawn.”

    -----------------------------

    13th Second Seed, 4E 194

     Dawn broke as the Initiates lined up at the courtyard except for Axius who was nowhere to be seen. Captain Radovir was walking infront, inspecting them and looking for signs of tiredness while Corlion was standing nearby.

    “Hey, where’s Axius?”, whispered a Breton Initiate to his Bosmer associate as Radovir was looking at the opposite direction.

    “Don’t know, maybe he’s busy polishing Ser Ignacius’s armor”, the Bosmer smirked.

    Radovir noticed the Wood Elf’s smile but neglected it as he was about have the most misserable job for the next 6 years.

    “Alright whelps, I have good news and bad news.”, said the Nord in his usual loud voice which made the birds at the trees flew away.

    “The good news is that I’m no longer in charge of your training, you’ll probably praying to your gods right now, thanking them for this day.” Radovir then gave a grim laugh, “The bad news is that your new trainer we’ll be someone you’ll hate more than me.”

    “Axius Revan will be your new trainer for the rest of your Initiation”, the Initiates were baffled at what Radovir said.

    “I would of prefered Radovir than some boy”, muttered the Bosmer as he facepalmed, shooking his head in disbelief.

    Axius then approached the group, and stood between Radovir and Corlion. Radovir leaned his head near Axius’s ear and whispered something.

    “Don’t me make me call you sir, boy or else”

    Axius only reply to the Nord’s threat was a plain smile.

    “Okay, we’re gonna have a free sparring session to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, oh and the best part is I’m your oppenent, you have an hour to prepare.”, ordered Axius with a voice of authority. The older Initiates relunctantly follow Axius command, they didn’t like having a boy giving them orders or telling them what to do but they will enjoy beating him.

    “Looks like you just made enemies, Axius”, said Corlion as they accompanied the Initiates.

    “Don’t worry, they’ll eventually like me”

    After an hour, all the Initiate’s were ready. The sparring match took place in the forest, the green canopy covered them from the heat of the Sun while a few rays of sunlight shined through the trees. Axius wore a steel chestplate with rough leather boots, his hands were wrapped to make sure he had a steady grip on his blunted iron mace. The Initiates were fought in an ascending order, from the youngest to the oldest.

    The first three were easy, the young one was beaten within 3 minutes while the other two seemed to rely on healing too early. However, the last two proved to be a challenge for Axius. They were the oldest of the six, a 20 year old male Breton and the 40 year old Bosmer.

    Axius fought the Breton first, before the fight he could see Radovir talking with Corlion, obviously betting on who was gonna win.

    The Breton started attacking furiously but the Imperial evaded all his moves, being 3 years younger than him, Axius was more agile and reacted more quickly despite carrying a mace. Eventually, the Breton tired out, his attacks were weaker and slower until he collasped due to exhaustion.

    “You strike fast but without aim, you might as well die of exhaustion rather than by a blade”, the Breton heeded Axius’s advise, he was humiliated but impressed by the Imperial’s ability to observe during combat.

    Only the Bosmer was left, he was equipped with a Colovian Bow and a quiver full of blunted steel arrows. When the fight began, the Bosmer start firing a volley of arrows in quick succession. Axius managed to dodge most of it, he knew he couldn’t outmaneuver a Bosmer so he fired a ball of bright light at the Bosmer’s face, temporarily blinding him. This gave the Imperial some time to charged at him and knocked him down.

    “Bows and arrows may be your friend, but how can you shoot if your blinded?”, as Axius extended his hand to help the Bosmer get up.

    When everyone was evaluated, the Initiates lined up awaiting their results. They could see Axius, Radovir and Corlion disscusing about them. The three stood infront of them and Axius gave a speech.

    “Now, we have viewed your strengths and weaknesses. All five of you will be trained on magic and combat under our supervision. It’s a long road to becoming a Templar but if you’re willing to push your limits, you’ll be one of them” , Axius didn’t use the word US because he wasn’t officially part of the Order, he was still an Initiate just like them.

    As the Initiate’s begin training, Corlion asked Axius something before they joined them.

    “Think they’ll survive 6 years?”

    “We’ll see Corlion....we’ll see”

    Table of Content

    Author's Note:

    And so it begins, the prologue for my first long story called Chronicles of the Dovahkendaar ( CotD). I'll admit, I'm nervous since this is way different than my short stories. Some words and dialogues were inspired by GRRM's ASOIF.

Comments

4 Comments
  • A-Pocky-Hah!
    A-Pocky-Hah!   ·  January 31, 2016
    Yeah, sorry about that. It was my first time trying a long story so you know how it is. Might reupdate sometime later.
    Anyways, fixed.
  • Lyall
    Lyall   ·  January 31, 2016
    This is good, I meant to check this out but forget. Some of the sentences are a bit rushed though, try some more commas and a bit more breaking up sentences. One thing I noticed:
    "Bows and arrows maybe your friend, but how can you shoot if your blin...  more
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  January 6, 2016
    Very cool concept. I love me a good religious order of templar things. 
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  January 6, 2016
    You whelps are pathetic, you couldn’t even shoot an apple at point blank
    I've a suggestion. Add 'range' on the end of this line.
    You whelps are pathetic, you couldn’t even shoot an apple at point blank range.
    Nice chapter, +1