UOTW Chapter 184 Dishonour Past Deeds

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    Beyond the heavy door was a large stone stairway cut into the tomb’s bedrock. It led up towards an ante chamber which had a thick grey stoned curved archway which served as its roof. Two braziers were positioned inside the arch but their fires had died many a year ago. The Arch itself was made out of several blocks and three square holes were left in the supporting wall for what could be best described as windows. Aela poured some oil into the cold dead braziers from a large flask she had in her pack. Once the oil was ignited, light flooded the chamber.

    “That’s better. Now we can see what we are dealing with”. Aela said in calm and controlled voice. She buried her demons in the pit of her stomach to be dealt with at a later date.

     

    The single passageway leading from the ante chamber was blocked by a grill. Upon seeing it, Salma groaned. Her spirit was severely dampened by the hopelessness of the situation.

    “We’ll never get passed that! What a waste of time”.

     

    “You’ve not explored many places such as this tomb have you?” Sotek asked. He tried to sound understanding but his voice seemed somewhat patronising even to himself.

     

    He tried again to restore confidence in the Redguard and he gave her a new sense of hope.

    “Don’t give up so easily”. Ignoring her and Beem-Ja, he ordered Aela and the Whelp to spread out. “There’s a release somewhere; find it!”

     

    The ante chamber had two crevasses either side of it. The Whelp moved towards the one on the right hand side and cried out excitedly.

    “I’ve found a chest in the alcove!”

     

    Sotek smirked back at her and sleazily replied.

    “So what? I can find Aela’s chest in the dark!”

     

    Not understanding his meaning, both the Whelp and Aela turned towards him with confused looks. The Whelp ignored him and opened it to find fifty six septims and a lesser soul gem.

    “Gold, there’s over fifty here!”

     

    “I still prefer Aela’s chest”. Sotek murmured as he investigated the other fissure.

     

    Aela folded her arms across her chest, covering her ‘pups’ unknowingly realising they were what Sotek was referring to. She glanced over to him and said.

    “What the hell are you on about? The only chest I have is at the base of my bed”.

     

    Sotek sniggered at the group then proceeded to pull at a hidden handle which he found in the crevice. There was a loud ‘click’ and the grill lowered down, clearing the way ahead.

    “Found it!” He yelled triumphantly.

     

    “That’s done it!” Cried out Salma. Before Sotek could stop her, she charged through the now open passage way to the tunnel beyond.

     

    The three Companions and Beem-Ja quickly followed the rash Redguard girl along a twisting passageway towards a small round chamber. Salma threw open the door at the end of the tunnel, banging it into the wall. Beyond the threshold was a small round room with a large grill covering a massive pothole in the floor. Two stone sarcophaguses were stood up at the far end of the room, facing the doorway.

     

    The party heard muffled cracks and bangs coming from the other side of the hole where the coffins were. With an ear shattering crash, both tomb lids collapsed in piles of rubble as the two draugr broke free of the confines of their imprisonment

     

    Salma came to a rapid stop just to be yanked backwards as Sotek pulled her from behind. He cautiously watched the two undead who seemed unsure as to what had disturbed them for the group had fallen back into the shadows along the corridor.

     

    Sotek chastised Salma for her rash actions before ordering the Whelp and Aela to advance.

    “We’ll discuss this in a minute. Whelp; tackle the draugr on the left. Aela, draugr on the right. Salma, Beem-Ja, stay out the way!”

     

    Aela stepped back and drew her bow but Sotek pushed it away from her target, forcing her to cancel her aim.

    “No. You use your sword and shield. It’s good practise”.

     

    Growling at him for interfering, Aela stamped her foot on the ground, threatening to crush the tip of Sotek’s tail. He hissed back at her and flicked her in the ear lobe.

    “No, bad girl!”

     

    After giving him an evil glare, Aela drew her dagger and shield then stepped towards her target but Sotek held her arm and pulled her back.

    “Hang on, try this out”. He pulled out a small bundle of linen wrapped around something from his pack and handed it to Aela.

     

    She unwrapped it to find a Dragonbone Dagger covered in the cloth.

    “It’s... it look amazing! Oh Sotek, thank you... It’s beautiful, thank you”. She held the back of his head and pulled him towards her then gave him a kiss.

     

    Sotek responded in similar fashion, holding the kiss for several seconds before breaking away. He gave her a hug then tapped the blade.

    “I’ve called it Hircine’s tooth. I think the name suits it”.

     

    She stood there looking at it in wonder.

    “Hey, that was what you said I was looking for when I... Yes... Hircine’s Tooth. I don’t know what to say. Yes, it’s a good name!”

     

    Sotek chuckled and pointed over her shoulder.

    “Well don’t think about it for too long cause the draugr is still there and it’s blocking our way”.

     

    The Imperial Whelp drew her Iron shield and Orcish blade then rather timidly moved forwards to engage the closest draugr as instructed. She looked on nervously as the two undead growled an unearthly cry as they closed in upon her due to the fact that she was the closest to them.

     

     

    Aela drew her shield and charged at it, she span around slashing out three times with the dagger, each strike causing massive amounts of damage. The initial blow in itself was too much for the draugr, it fell back into the wall where it was pinned in place as Aela’s Dragonbone Dagger tore through its dried rotting flesh with ease.

     

    It lifted its Ancient Nord War Axe and brought it downwards towards Aela’s shoulder. She lifted her Dragonscale Shield which Sotek had made for her when he forged her armor and deflected the blow. A second later she stabbed her blade upwards, stabbing the draugr through the neck, into the roof of its mouth. With a dry sickly hallowing cry the undead creature crumbled to the ground as the last of its life force was spent.

     

    The Whelp was trading blows with her target, blocking the undead’s strike then countering with a blow of her own. Every so often she delivered a solid hit but the draugr was relentless. Aela went to help but Sotek grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

    “No, let her finish. No one interfere; it’s good experience for her”. He then cast a healing spell on her as she fought. The few wounds she had received healed up almost instantly.

     

    Feeling the magical energies empower her body, the Whelp renewed her attack, hitting out faster and harder. Soon she had the upper hand and delivered a blow sending the draugr into the ground where she quickly finished it off.

     

    She looked back at Sotek and Aela apologetically having seen Aela deal with her target so quickly.

    “Sorry that took so long”.

     

    Sotek quietly scoffed at her apparent request for forgiveness. He just shrugged it off with simple reasoning.

    “Why? You are alive are you not? It’s not the speed of the fight we want you to work on but rather the fact that you are left standing. At this point it is that which counts. Well done”.

     

    “With your help”. She quickly added. She knew he assisted her with his healing spell, she still felt the buzz of energy it gave her.

     

    He just held his hands up to her, shaking his head in denial.

    “No; I didn’t do a thing”.

     

    Aela gave him a playful shove and called him out on his obvious fib.

    “Liar”.

     

    As she turned towards the Whelp her eyes fixed on something; a chest hidden in the corner of the room. It was partly covered by a wall partition which had started to crumble to dust over time. She yelled out and ran towards it gleefully cheering at her fortune.

    “Oh yes! Finders keepers”.

     

    Leaving everyone stunned at her reaction, Aela crouched down at the chest and expertly started probing the lock with her lockpick. Soon enough she opened it to find a few scrolls and a gem. She threw the gem up high above her head then snatched it out of the air. Feeling chuffed with her discovery; she barefacedly declared it as hers.

    “Lucky me”.

     

    Salma was left empty handed as she looked on to see the gem disappear in Aela’s pouch.

     

    Sotek chuckled as he saw Salma’s face. He came up to her and laid her fears to rest.

    “Don’t worry; we share everything we find. With a few exceptions though...”

     

    He stopped speaking as something drew his attention to the corridor which would lead them further into the Barrow. Sotek’s head tilted to the side as he listened intently to something down the passageway. He sniffed a few times, taking in all the scents and smells he could to help identify the being coming towards them.

     

    With an alarming cry, he drew his axe and shield as he dashed forwards, fully intending to intercept the undead creature that came charging out from the shadows.

    “Deathlord!”

     

    The draugr ran headlong towards Aela who was still on her knees, vulnerable and helpless. She toppled backwards in an attempt to move to safety and scuttled away from the Deathlord, dragging her backside across the floor.

     

    The Whelp, terrified for Aela’s safety, ran forwards with her shield in the hope of protecting her sibling. In her haste she tripped up and fell forwards, dropping her sword and shield. The Deathlord’s sword clanged as it hit the ground where Aela was moments before. It raised its Ebony blade and struck again, causing Aela to cry out as the sword bashed into the stone flooring between her knees.

     

    As the Deathlord raised its sword a third time, Sotek managed to reach it. Aela looked up to see the Argonian’s Dragonscale shield bash into the Deathlord’s face, knocking him back away from her. The draugr staggered backwards and a Dragonscaled boot stepped between Aela’s legs as Sotek moved over her to protect his mate. He yelled at her to move behind him while at the same time he prepared to face the undead’s counter attack.

     

    Aela withdrew and ran to the side of the room where she could start shooting at it while the Whelp followed her lead, leaving her sword on the stone floor. Salma drew her shield and Steel Mace then charged into the fray, swinging the mace above her head.

     

    As Salma was running towards them, the draugr brought its sword downwards from above its head. Sotek lifted his shield to block the strike. The ungodly strength of the creature forced Sotek to one knee. He knew the Redguard girl couldn’t take such a blow and screamed out at her.

    “Behind him! Get behind him. We must keep his attention on me!”

     

    He swung his axe at the Deathlord’s knee, hacking a chunk out of the leg but the undead warrior was unflinching in its assault. Salma had now started bashing its back with her mace but each blow seemed to do little to slow it down.

     

    Beem-Ja’s hands crackled with electrical energy and he sent a bolt of lightning into the whirling melee, catching both Sotek and the undead as it arced between them. Sotek yelled out as the electrical energy caused his muscles to spasm, preventing him from moving. Fortunately the same effect took hold of the Deathlord, giving it no opportunity to exploit Sotek’s vulnerability.

     

    Salma cried out to her friend as she watched Sotek’s body shake from the shock spell.

    “Beem’Ja, stop!”

     

    The Whelp yelled out in desperation as she couldn’t get a clear shot due to Sotek’s proximity with her target.

    “I can’t shoot! Aela what should I do?”

     

    “Damn your tail Sotek! I can’t either!” Aela shouted out as she moved position but as the draugr kept his attack purely fixed on Sotek, the Huntress never had an opportunity to fire.

     

    All Sotek could do was try to absorb each hit as the Deathlord kept moving around while it attempted to finish the Argonian who so defiantly held his ground. The Companion tried to strike back but he never had the opportunity due to the strength of each of the Deathlord’s blows.

     

    As Sotek reeled from one suck strike, he glanced at Aela from over the top of his shield. She was powerless to intervene and she knew she wouldn’t handle the close combat half as much as what Sotek could. Neither could the Whelp. Sotek cursed as three members of the group could do nothing to assist in the swirling combat. His arm ached but he pushed the draugr back to try to swing his axe but he wasn’t fast enough. The Deathlord’s energy seemed infinite and it never showed any signs of slowing down.

     

    Sotek knew he couldn’t protect himself for ever, his shield felt heavy and he was slowing down. Somehow he had to change the scenario. ‘But how?’ he thought as he once again staggered from an unearthly blow. He glanced at Salma who was doing everything she could but she didn’t have the strength to cause enough damage. Aela’s bow could; if only she was able to use it.

     

    The Argonian’s mind started a calculation, watching where the draugr moved when Sotek stepped to the right. Sotek saw an opportunity, one which was daft but so basic it couldn’t fail. He yelled out to Salma from behind his shield.

    “Salma! When I say, drop down on your hands and knees. Aela, get ready!”

     

    “I can’t bloody shoot!” Aela cried back. She kept trying to aim but the combat was moving to fluidly for her to fire without the chance of hitting Sotek.

     

    “Why the hell do you want me to do that?” Salma screamed as she bashed the draugr in the knee.


    “Just do it!” Sotek cried. He couldn’t believe everyone was arguing with him. Now of all times they decided to rebel.

     

    As the Deathlord’s sword cut through the air to hit Sotek in the side, he blocked the blow with his shied as he cried out. “Now Salma! Now!”

     

    Salma dropped her mace as she fell down to her hands and knees as requested. She saw Sotek toss aside his shield and axe, leaving him totally defenceless.

     

    The Deathlord raised his Ebony sword above his head and began swinging it down in a lethal strike upon the now vulnerable Argonian.

     

    Sotek however was far from defeated, with the audacity of Sheogorath himself, Sotek shoved the Deathlord in the chest, sending him backwards, tripping over Salma. The Ebony blade along with the Deathlord’s shield fell to the stone floor as Sotek grabbed the girl by the arm and yanked her away from the fight.

     

    “Fire!!” He screamed as they ran away from the Deathlord who was sprawled out on its back.

     

    Both archers let loose arrow after arrow while Beem-Ja cast bolts of lightning from both his hands. The draugr flailed on its back from fire damage due to Aela’s bow and Beem’s magic. Fireballs joined it as Sotek launched them in rapid succession.

     

    Fire, lightning and arrows convened to form a horrific barrage of death, tearing into the draugr’s armor and flesh. It cried out and staggered to its feet under the assault and slowly reached down for its sword. Sotek stopped casting his fireballs and used a different spell.

     

    As the Deathlord was just about to pick up its weapon, the blade lifted up and hovered in the air before rapidly floating towards Sotek thanks to his Telekinesis spell. Sotek threw the sword behind him and drew his own bow, joining in with the archers.

     

    Now the Deathlord was powerless, the threat level dropped considerably. Feeling far calmer, Sotek issued new orders to Aela as the draugr began moving towards them.

    “It’s knees! Bring it down”.

     

    Aela stopped shooting its chest and began firing her arrows at the left knee. The joint almost gave up from the first hit and the second arrow proved too much. The undead creature fell on its hands and knees while the onslaught continued, sending the creature back to the hell it came from.

     

    Silence filled the room once more. Everyone was too tired and worn out to cheer their victory. Sotek dropped to his backside and sat where he fell, gazing at the undead monster with respect for a worthy adversary. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Aela standing over him. She bent down and kissed the top of his head as she grinned.

    “That was your plan? Trip him up? Real complex battle strategy you have there. You think it will work on Farkas in the yard?”

     

    Sotek got up and chuckled at the thought of Aela tripping up the great ox in front of everyone. He raised his hand and concentrated on his Telekinesis spell a second time. Magical invisible tendrils wrapped around his axe, pulling it towards him. He took his axe which floated in front of him and put it back in its sheaf.

    “Probably if we kept him distracted”.

     

    “Damn it!”

    Sotek and Aela turned around to see the Whelp on her knees. She held her blade which had been broken into two pieces. “That bastard trod on it. He broke my blade!”

     

    “Well we can’t have a Whelp with no sword; that will never do!” Aela stated as she glanced at the floor. Without even bothering to check if anyone minded, Aela picked up the Ebony sword and handed it to the Whelp. “Here; use this until something better turns up. You did well to hold your nerve”.

     

    “Mine? But I’m just a Whelp, I shouldn’t have this”. She said as she tried to refuse the blade.

     

    Sotek picked up the hilt of the Orcish sword and held it out to her, offering it back.

    “Is it better than your own one?”

     

    The Whelp looked down at the broken weapon and nodded.

    “Yes a lot better but…”

     

    Aela just laughed at her and she mentioned about her old armor set.

    “Where do you think I got my Ancient Nordic Armour from? I got mine from a Nord burial tomb. It’s better so take it. We’ve those gems and scrolls. We’ll easily compensate Beem-Ja, he won’t go short. Salma can have the Ebony shield. It’s far better than her old shield”.

     

    “But my sword! It’s special!” The Whelp held the hilt to her bosom and hugged it as the memory of the Orc who saved her and her father filled her mind.

     

    Sotek picked up the broken blade and stored it in his pack. He pulled the Whelp aside, quelling any fear she had of shaming the Orc’s memory.

    “I’ll help Eorlund fix the blade. I’ll sharpen it and have it looking as new. Then we’ll find a spot within Jorrvaskr for it. We’ll hang it on the wall there for all to see. You can’t trust the blade now; the fracture will always be there. Even if the blade doesn’t break, you will fear it breaking. If we hang it on the wall then all future Companions will see it even when we are nothing but dust and bones. Urac Thorguk’s name will live on; forever in the Companions hearts”.

     

    The Whelp looked up at him in surprise. She didn’t think anyone had actually listened but even now Sotek knew the significance of the sword.

    “You... you remembered his name?”

     

    Sotek nodded back at her and gently took the hilt from her hand. He stored it in his bag then watched as Aela passed the Ebony blade to the Whelp.

    “Yes and now all Companions will. Take the sword Whelp; stand and show your mettle”.

     

    The Whelp looked away in shame and hid her face. She looked at Aela but she couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact.

    “I didn’t stand, I fell over”

     

    “You didn’t run either. Well you did but you ran to protect me”. Aela stated. “There’s no shame in trying to protect others”.

     

    The Huntress looked around at everyone staring back at her. She snarled at the Whelp before shoving her aside.

    “This is too wishy washy. Take the bloody sword and let’s get the fucking move on! Someone take point or I will”.

     

    Sotek chuckled and picked up his shield. With a cheerful grin he winked at Salma and walked towards the passageway.

    “Time to move!”

     

    Salma was just behind him when she peeked around his torso to the end of the corridor. A doorway revealed itself in the right hand wall but her eyes were fixed on the far alcove. On a large stone block sat a wooden chest. Its brass lock was old and decrepit but the box looked solid enough to withstand tampering hands. She moved in front of Sotek and stepped boldly towards it.

    “This one’s mine”.

     

    Before she could take another step, Sotek grabbed her by the shoulder and forcibly pulled her back.

    “Not so fast little Ms Eager!”

     

    Aela went up to them both and gave Sotek a slight shove, breaking the two group members apart. She let Salma go while she kept a firm grip on Sotek’s collar.

    “That’s hers. Your rules remember?”

     

    He blanked Aela completely and impudently pushed her out of his way before forcibly calling out to Salma.

    “Touch that and you’ll die!”

     

    Salma stopped dead in her tracks. She didn’t know whether Sotek was joking or not but she couldn’t take any chances. Tentatively she turned around to see him walk past her as he proceeded to the chest. He then stopped a few feet away from it and called out to her.

    “Salma, Beem-ja, and you ‘Whelp’. Come here the three of you”.

     

    They silently walked over to where he was and then he pointed to several holes in the walls.

    “You see those holes? The chest’s trapped. So, Salma; if you want to open it then go ahead”. He knelt down and blew on the flooring. Dust whipped up and was carried by his breath revealing a footplate which was hidden from view.

     

    Sotek moved back then signalled at Aela to fire her bow. She pulled back the drawstring and shot the trap from several yards away, setting off the deadly device. A multitude of spear length shafts of metal shot out, peppering the air by the chest. Salma gulped and looked on, fearful of what might have happened if Sotek hadn’t intervened.

     

    Aela cursed herself for not seeing the obvious signs of the trap. She apologetically spoke to Sotek.

    “I didn’t see that. Well spotted!”

     

    “You would have when you closed in on it. No harm done”. He hugged her by the waist as a way of letting her know they were fine before he moved to the side to let Salma examine the chest. “Now it’s yours Salma. I’d hurry though; the trap might reset itself in a few minutes”.

     

    He stayed on the sidelines and was joined by Beem-Ja. The mage quietly looked on and hardly spoke. Sotek wondered about him; maybe he felt at a bit of a loss due to his lack of experience compared to Sotek. The Companion then switched his thoughts to his relationship with Aela. Maybe Beem-Ja wasn’t sure what to say due to that; either way, the mage kept his thoughts to himself.

     

    Sotek decided to respect his wishes and refrained from asking him any questions. Instead, he decided to break the ice with the Argonian.

     

    Both Salma and the Whelp stared at the chest and studied the walls to determine if it was safe to enter the alcove. Aela stepped forwards and joined them, offering herself as encouragement.

    “The traps disarmed. Come one you! Open it up!”

     

    Salma knelt down to the chest and reached out to open it while Aela and the Whelp stood by her side. Sotek discretely nudged Beem-Ja and held his finger to his lips. He sneaked forwards so he was only a few feet behind Salma. During all this time, the Whelp kept an eye on the walls while Aela watched Salma.

     

    Sotek glanced over his shoulder and winked at Beem-Ja before he shouted out as loudly as possible.

    “Bang!!!”

     

    Aela, the Whelp and Salma all jumped in shock as the alcove filled with screams.

     

    Beem-Ja and Sotek creased up laughing, while Aela glared back at Sotek. She would have sworn at him if her heart wasn’t breaking through her rib cage to escape the confines of her chest.

    “You stupid bastard!” She yelled. “You gave us a fucking heart attack”.

     

    She snatched a rock from the ground and threw it at him, striking him in the chest plate. She then said to Salma and cursed loudly.

    “This is why I hit him; he’s a prick”.

     

    The Whelp just leaned against the wall catching her breath. She looked as white as a sheet and sheepishly nodded at Aela; agreeing on her prognosis of Sotek. Salma drew rapid breaths as she partially collapsed over the chest. With both hands shaking, she reached out to the lid while Aela held her dagger up, pointing it straight at Sotek; daring him to even consider opening his mouth.

     

     

Comments

11 Comments   |   The Sunflower Manual and 8 others like this.
  • Aela The Huntress
    Aela The Huntress   ·  February 2, 2017
    Sotek glanced over his shoulder and winked at Beem-Ja before he shouted out as loudly as possible.
    “Bang!!!”
    You do this to me all the time... Moron!!
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  January 3, 2017
    Ebony sword and shield. Nice, nice, nice. Very sweet that Sotek remembered the story of Ria's orcish sword. 
  • ShyGuyWolf
    ShyGuyWolf   ·  December 9, 2016
    "He took his axe which floated in front of him and put it back in its sheaf" you ment sheath. That was a great chapter. Glad RIA gotten fleshed out more, glad it was a Orc that saved her family and is honored.
  • Ebonslayer
    Ebonslayer   ·  December 5, 2016
    “No. You use your sword and shield. It’s good (practice)”.



    “It’s... it (looks) amazing! Oh Sotek, thank you... It’s beautiful, thank you”. She held the back of his head and pulled him towards her then gave him a kiss. more
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  November 26, 2016
    Yep. Arrows are great for setting off rope traps and footplates. A few times I lure enemies into the traps and set it off with a well placed arrow.
    • A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      Sotek
      Sotek
      Sotek
      Yep. Arrows are great for setting off rope traps and footplates. A few times I lure enemies into the traps and set it off with a well placed arrow.
        ·  November 26, 2016
      I don't know about using arrows to trigger footplates since it would require a certain amount of pressure to trigger them.
      • Sotek
        Sotek
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        I don't know about using arrows to trigger footplates since it would require a certain amount of pressure to trigger them.
          ·  November 26, 2016
        Not really surprisingly enough. I'll have to test telekinesis on them though. Maybe try to drop an urn or something on them.... Maybe I've found a new use for cabbages. 
        • A-Pocky-Hah!
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          Sotek
          Sotek
          Sotek
          Not really surprisingly enough. I'll have to test telekinesis on them though. Maybe try to drop an urn or something on them.... Maybe I've found a new use for cabbages. 
            ·  November 27, 2016
          Hircine dammit, Sotek. You made me snort my tea on the last part.
          • Sotek
            Sotek
            A-Pocky-Hah!
            A-Pocky-Hah!
            A-Pocky-Hah!
            Hircine dammit, Sotek. You made me snort my tea on the last part.
              ·  November 27, 2016
            :D
    • The Sunflower Manual
      The Sunflower Manual
      Sotek
      Sotek
      Sotek
      Yep. Arrows are great for setting off rope traps and footplates. A few times I lure enemies into the traps and set it off with a well placed arrow.
        ·  November 26, 2016
      Almost five years of playing Skyrim and I didn't know you could disarm footplates with arrows. Excellent work, me.
  • The Sunflower Manual
    The Sunflower Manual   ·  November 26, 2016
    Hmm. No disrespect intended, Sotek-jo, but are you sure that's how footplates work?