C.o.t.D: Chapter 11 - Preparing the Feast

• Posted by A-Pocky-Hah! February 19, 2016 - 1,092 views

  Chapter 11: Preparing the Feast

   

  20th First Seed, 4E 201

  Axius knelt down, hands bounded and guarded by two guards standing behind him. Jarl Igmund sat on the Mournful Throne with his steward and housecarl beside him, reading Axius’s notes and the journals his men confiscated from him. His eyes slowly shifted through the papers with a stern expression that made it difficult for Axius to know what he’s thinking.

  After a few minutes of eerie silence and stares, the Jarl gave the notes to his steward and ordered his guards to release Axius. They cut off his bounds and help him stand up before leaving the throne room.

  “I’m truly sorry for what happen to you.” The Jarl said to the Imperial in condolence.  I’ll make sure the guards who did it be sent to the very jail they sent you in. On behalf of the city, you are pardoned for any past crimes you had committed in this city.”

  “Thank you, my Jarl.” Axius bowed. “But what will be done with the remaining Silver-Bloods?”

  “I say we bring them to justice!” Faleen, the housecarl cried out, raising her sword high to the stone ceiling.

  “No!” Jarl Igmund’s voice cut sharper than his housecarl’s sword, causing her to sheath her sword. “As much as I like seeing Thongvor’s head on a pike, he has too many sellswords and we have only a handful of guards. The best we can do for now is keep an eye on his activities.”

  “Very well, my Jarl. I’ll have our most honest guards watch over him from a distance.” Raerek annouced.

  If there is such a thing called honest guards. Axius thought.

  “There is also the problem of Madanach now that he’s free, my Jarl.” The elderly steward added.

  “Yes. Perhaps our friend here may tell us where he went.” The Jarl beamed his eye on Axius, striking him with a sense of doubt. The way he said friend made it sound like he didn’t fully trust the Imperial.

  “He didn’t tell me where he actually went. He just said he would join his men in the hills.” Axius admitted the truth.

  “Looks like we’ll need to bolster up the city’s defences and increase the patrols around the settlements. The Forsworn will be more organized now that their leader is back.”

  “Yes, my Jarl.” His court members noted.

  He decided to take his leave when the Jarl and his court members started talking about reports. Their voices were muffled by pipes hissing and gears grinding. Two towering Dwemer Centurions watched over the stairs, lifeless but still an intimidating sight to see. Calcelmo once told him that the Centurions will activate at the sign of trouble during the times of the Dwemer. But sadly, they left that knowledge along with countless others when they disappeared.

  Axius went towards the blacksmith’s workshop, hoping to buy some silver weapons. He hadn’t forgot about Eola and her cult of cannibals. The woman wants him to help her clear out a cave full of draugrs and that was 5 days ago. Now, he’s unsure if the woman is still waiting or had gave up hope on him. He’d prayed it wasn’t the latter as that would ruin his chances of meeting the rest of the cannibals and killing all of them in one area.

  Moth gro-Bagol was the Jarl’s personal blacksmith. His surname sounded similar because he’s Ghorza gra-Bagol’s brother. The Orc was tempering hot steel. Sparks flew right in his face but he didn’t even flinch. He saw the Imperial enter as he doused the steel in water, a curtain of steam rose up from the water.

  “If you’re looking for arms and armor, speak to my sister, Ghorza down at Riverside. I only work for the Jarl.” Moth announced with a look that didn’t seem hostile nor friendly.

  “I was actually looking for silver weapons.”

  “We don’t have any.” The Orc put it bluntly as he wiped his dirtied hands all over his apron. “All the silver is being used to fund the Empire. But I do have a single silver ingot.”

  Axius wasn’t disappointed. “Do you think you can coat this mace with the silver ingot?” He asked when he gave the blacksmith his mace.

  “This is Skyforge Steel.” Moth commented as he inspected the metal. “Malacath’s armpits, you’re asking me to ruin this well-crafted weapon with silver!?”

  It was no surprise that even the Orsimer blacksmiths respected the craftsmanship of the blacksmith who tend the Skyforge. Axius couldn’t recall his name but Ser Radovir said his family was one of the oldest in Whiterun.

  “What? No.” Axius replied hastily. “I just want you to coat the flanges, not the whole thing.”

  The Orc grunted in agreement before grabbing a cast iron pot from a shelf. He placed the silver ingot inside and burned the pot just above the forge until the ingot melted into a smooth, shiny liquid. He then carefully poured the liquefied silver onto the flanges of the mace. A thin line of silver coated the edges while the excess liquid dripped down into another cast iron pot placed below so it could be used again.

  It took nearly half an hour until the silver coating cooled down, leaving behind gleaming edges that had a more brighter tone of metal than the dark grey solid head.

  “Here you go.” Moth gave Axius his mace back. Somehow, it felt slightly lighter than it used to be. “Although, I don’t see the point on having a silver mace if you could just break their bones.”

  “True, you could just break the bones of a Draugr. But what about ghosts?” The Orc went silent after hearing Axius’s remark and continued on his work.

   

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  Reachcliff Cave was supposed to be located somewhere after crossing the second bridge east of Markarth. The roads were fairly quiet with only the mountain goats and a few travellers being his temporary companions. Strangely enough, he didn’t encounter any Forsworns or sites where there had been a Forsworn attack.

  Perhaps the Forsworn are celebrating their leader’s return. Axius thought before abandoning the cobblestone road and following the dirt pathway, heading up the hills.

  From the pathway, he could see a tower, perched high above the hill, looking down at the road. It didn’t seem to be occupied as there were no banners nor movement near the tower. So Axius surmised that it was abandoned.

  On his right, two stone pillars marked the entrance to Reachcliff Cave. A tent was erected near the mouth of the cave along with a firepit. The remains of the charred firewood in the firepit suggest that someone stayed here not long.

  “Ah, you have finally come.” Eola emerged from the cave. Her body shimmered in light blue before it immediately disappeared when she stepped into the sunlight. “I’ve heard what happened with you in Markarth.”

  “I guess words travel faster than the wind.”

  “And so is the meal along with it.” She added.

  “So, how long has this sanctuary been here?” He asked.

  It seems Skyrim is full of Daedric cults just like Cyrodiil. After the Oblivion Crisis, many Dremoras trapped in Nirn would make tempting pacts with mortals foolish enough to trust them. Most were hunted down by the Vigilants of Stendarr while some were safeguarded by Daedric cultists, hoping to use them as a medium to contact the Daedric Lords.

  “The sanctuary along with my coven have existed for thousands of years. I am one of the few of the current generation of Namira’s faithful.”

  “I thought Namira only accepts the repulsive, ugly and sick into her coven?”

  “That was the case, 200 years ago. But having some charm can have its... advantages.” Eola smiled, revealing something devious in her right eye. “I think we spent enough time here. C’mon, let’s go clear Namira’s sanctuary of the undead.”  

  “Alright then, after you.” Axius said, unhooking his mace from his belt as they venture inside the cave.

   

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  They stumbled upon an open coffin with a draugr lying dead. A brazier dimly lit the small cave, revealing two more dead draugrs,

  “Looks like you’ve been busy.” Axius pointed out at the draugrs limbs being splitted and their rotten flesh burned.

  “I thought it’s best I cleared the entrance while waiting for you.” Eola narrowed her eyes on the Draugr in the coffin, her tongue moved across her lips. She pulled out a small knife a cut a small portion of the Draugr’s flesh and ate it without hesitation.

  “Did you just ate that Draugr’s flesh!?”

  “I just need a light snack before we venture further.” She wiped her mouth with her backhand, her breath now smelled of death and decay. “What’s the matter? Never seen someone eat a corpse before?” She raised the question after becoming suspicious of the Imperial.

  Dammit, I think I’ve just revealed my cover. He realised that Eola is questioning his cannibalism. His mind quickly browse through any logical excuse he could come of within those mere seconds.

  “No, it’s just… I prefer my meat raw. Not cold and decayed for thousands of years.” He finally spoke.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll get our fresh meal once we deal with the undead.” The Breton seem to accept Axius’s bluff and continued forwards.

  They slid through a small opening located behind a pillar, bringing them into a small section of a Nordic tomb. The tomb was a narrow corridor that could only allow one person to pass through. Eola took the lead, guiding Axius through the stone passageways. Holes dotted the walls, some containing draugrs wrapped in age old linen wrap. Only Arkay knows if they’re dead or sleeping.

  “Stop, do you hear that?” Eola whispered as she raised her left hand. Her other hand positioned itself on the pommel of her silver sword, alerting herself of any nearby threats.

  Faint sound of footsteps and armor clanking, echoed through the corridor. They slowly walked towards the source of the sound until the corridor ended with a collapsed platform and two draugrs roaming on the ground.

  They were consisted of an archer and a swordsman. Their armors were rusted and aged just like their wearers. Even with their ancient armors, the draugrs were formidable opponents. Their skins were as tough as shields until even a volley of arrows wouldn’t slow them. They are relentless in pursuing trespassers, even when they’re crippled. The best way to kill them is with silver or fire.

  “I think it’s best to take care of the archer first. He’ll get a couple of arrows on us if we jump down.” Axius suggested to his partner.

  She nodded in approval and casted a spell, turning her invincible. He could hear her soft footsteps as she jumped down from the platform. Her landing was silent and gracefully as not even a pebble dropped when she landed.

  Eola reappeared in a blink of an eye, hiding behind a toppled stone pillar. The draugr archer was a few feet away from her but before she could cast another invincibility spell, the other Draugr stood in her path, standing just in front of the pillar with his glowing blue eyes scanning the perimeter. She glanced at Axius and tilted her head towards where the draugr was, implying him to do something about it.

  Axius realised what she was trying to imply and tried to figure out a way to distract the draugr. He narrowed his eyes on a skull at the back of the corridor.  I’m sure the owner of that skull wouldn’t mind. He grabbed for the skull and threw it at the far corner of the ground floor.

  The skull produced a loud crack that caused the draugr swordsman to investigate. Eola gave a thankful nod to Axius before disappearing again. The draugr archer had his eyes on his undead companion. Then, his blue eyes went wide open as he felt a sword thrusting from behind. Eola reappeared, her silver sword went through the draugr’s chest. The archer shrieked before the blade pulled back and sliced his head off clean.

  Fent ni filok!

  The Breton’s victory was short lived when the other draugr came back. Before she could charge at him, the Draugr shouted an unknown word.

  Fus Ro Dah

  Eola was knocked unconscious when a giant wave of force echoed through the room, slamming her into the wall, her silver sword flew away from her grip and into a pile of rubble. Regaining consciousness, she slowly opened her eyes to see the draugr walking towards her, an ancient greatsword held between his hands.

  Aav Fin Dilon.. The draugr said as he stood above the Breton, raising his greatsword up.

  Panic gripped her throat like iron shackles as she looked up at the crude tip of the greatsword. She tried to cast some kind of spell, any kind, to stop the Draugr but her mind was still numb to concentrate.

  Suddenly, Axius dropped down from the platform. He looked like a giant, white-furred, steel wrecking ball from where Eola was. His silver flanged mace sunk deep into the dried, rotten skin of the draugr’s face, bringing him down along with him. He pinned the draugr down and repeatedly slammed the draugr’s face with his mace until his head turn into a pool of mashed flesh and shattered bones.

  When the dead was finally dead, Axius helped Eola stood up. She was a bit shaken from her near brush with death. He gave her his waterskin to calm the nerves but she turned it down.

  “I’m fine.” She assured the Imperial.

  “You sure? Because I never seen a woman recover from that kind of impact that quick.”

  “I’m not just a woman.” She reminded. “Let’s continue forwards. Lady Namira’s shrine is just through here.”

  She led him into a tunnel, carved inside a sarcophagus. At the end was a large hall containing the shrine of Namira that was situated at the back end. The shrine was made of black stone and adorned with bat wings, insect legs, twisted spikes and all sorts of things that were repulsive. In front of the shrine, a long row of stone tables decked the hall with enough seats to fit two dozen people.

  “Ah, it’s good to be back home.” Eola remarked. How a cannibal would call an old cave filled with undead and years old dust and rubble was beyond the Imperial’s mind.

  A loud groan was heard from near the shrine. The two looked at the darkness behind the shrine and saw two glowing blue eyes which were as high as the shrine itself. A draugr emerged from the shadows, a horned helmet covered his head while wisps of red covered his body.

  Alok Diil!  The draugr casted a spell on the ground in front of him. Two portals appeared, each bringing a skeletal warrior. However, they were different than the normal skeletons. Their bones were purple-black as the darkest night and they had no legs. They instead float above a purple mist emitting from where their legs were.

  “Up for round two?” Axius asked. The sight of the skeletons startled him a bit, but he still kept his composure.

  Eola didn’t reply. She charged at the dark skeletons, casting a mage armor spell on her and then charging a firebolt spell.

  The horned-helm draugr pointed his sword at the floor ahead of Eola as if giving an order to his minions. They fired a stream of ice on the location, forming a small wall of ice spikes to stop the Breton from charging further.

  She fired the firebolt at the barrier but it didn’t had any effect on it. The draugr was laughing as the wall started to climb into the ceiling, trapping him and his skeletons with the shrine. He was taunting her, daring her to make a futile attempt to reach him. Six hollowed eyes watched her as she grinned her teeth in frustration.

  “Namira will eat your bodies once I’m through with you!” She cursed at them, slamming her fists on the cold hard icy wall.

  “Eola, back away!” Axius warned.

  A big fireball flew past her right shoulder, its fiery tail was a red-orange slash across the air. It exploded upon impact when it hit the wall, shattering it into pieces of melted ice. When Eola looked at Axius, there were two scrolls beneath the Imperial’s feet. His hands sizzled in thin strips of smoke after releasing a dual-casted fireball.

  The draugr roared in anger and ordered his skeletal warriors to attack. They conjured a sword out of a black puff of smoke and glided across the room, shrieking. If they had any flesh on their faces, it would show a face of pure anger and torment.

  They splitted, one of them attacked Axius, his slashes were swift due to his skeletal body. Axius blocked the blows with ease as the blows weren’t very powerful. That only hard part is that the skeleton isn’t slowing down his attacks. He backed up when the skeleton made a heavy slow attack, exposing himself. The Imperial grabbed that brief moment of opportunity and struck his back, creating a few minor cracks on his bones.

  The skeleton shrieked as he rose up. A normal skeleton would’ve fallen into pieces if struck that hard, but this one was no ordinary skeleton. Axius jabbed the head of his mace at the skeleton’s face before he could attack, stunning him.

  “By Stendarr’s righteousness, begone foul creature!”

  His other hand then glowed in white light before touching the skeleton’s skull. The skeleton was blasted back as his body disintegrated in black dust along with his sword.

  Axius turned around to see if Eola needed help with her skeleton. She appeared to be handling herself quite well. The skeleton was spinning in circles, trying to lock on to the Breton. She finally manage to get behind him and thrusted her blade through his spinal cord, causing the floating pile of bones to drop.

  The two shared a moment of victory before the Draugr roared again. A shockwave sent all the clutter in the room flying. He fired several ice spikes at the two. Most were blocked by shield and ward while some hit the floors or walls. The Draugr lurched forwards and banged on Axius’s shield. The impact of his sword was heavy… but the after-impact was much more heavier. His dwarven shield was partially covered in a thin layer of ice and his shield arm could feel the chilling bite of the frost discharging from the Draugr’s sword.

  He stepped back and appeared to be readying a shout.

  Krii Lun…

  Before he could say the finally word, Eola dashed forward ahead of Axius, chopping the Draugr’s sword arm clean off. There was no blood dripping from his wound, only black, dried blood. He cried out in pain, immediately cancelling his shout.

  She then hacked away at the back of the Draugr. Slash after the slash but the Draugr still lives, kneeling as he tried to shrug off the attacks. Tired of him not dying, Eola decided to mix in a stream of flames into her attacks. The aged old flesh turned black as it was being hacked until the bones chipped away. His glowing blue eyes faded away, leaving only a corpse that appears to have been burned and eaten.

  “Now that they’ve been taken care of, we should prepare for the feast.” Eola said, sheathing her silver sword. “I’ll send a message to the others to let them know our sanctuary is safe.”

  “Our sanctuary?”

  She giggled before replying, “You’ve admit that you are a cannibal; but doesn’t mean you’re truly one of us. To truly join us, you must make a sacrifice to the Lady of Decay. Something young, clean and…. pure.”

  Her grin sent down a message to Axius’s mind and he didn’t like what it was written inside.

  “What do you have in mind?” He asked, hiding his suspicions.

  “It’s not what, it’s who. And I think you’ve already met him before.”

  Table of Contents

  

  Author's Note:

  The chapter was delayed by a day due to internet issues. The touch based spell was from SkyRe. Note that I don't use "Deathlord" or "Wight" for the Draugrs since Axius doesn't know how to classify them yet.