I'm Where Now? (Multicross) by Shapechanger

Synopsis: Getting kidnapped and finding yourself hearing the infamous 'Hey, you, you're finally awake' words is not the best awakening in the world. But fortunately, I have a plan to return home...

Worlds explored:

- Skyrim

- Danmachi (current)

Rated: T

Words: 280k

Link: https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/im-where-now-multicross-si-currently-danmachi.790021/reader/

Valmar Remarks: This is a rather amazing SI story that has a rather scheming and cunning protagonist. Despite being a multicross the bulk of what it has out now is set in Skyrim - which was an incredibly long story arc to get through before the MC was able to travel to the next world. Regardless of that his stay was an enjoyable experience to read, with good OC characters introduced that left just as much of an impression as the MC.

The MC focuses primarily on being a mage and using his metaknowledge to cheat and powerlevel his way to success in the most efficient way. He isn't an hero type who would go out of his way to solve every problem but he does have morals and a sense of responsibility, choosing to get involve in many plot events and providing solutions when he feels like it necessary. For example he chooses to involve himself in solving Alduin rather than just leaving to the next world the moment he could primarily because he knew that if he didn't, as the dragonborn, then all of Nirn would perish.

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Chapter 1:

It was finally done. It was finished. I was finally going to use the Eye of Fucking Magnus and return home. And to do that, I just had to become the Archmage of Winterhold, stop Skyrim Civil War and then defeat the World Devourer.

Easy, right? Well, not really.

You see, in all the shitty isekai that I ever read, the protagonists are handled with some uber-duper power right from the start, so they can go for a brief training montage, when the understand how profoundly busted their abilities are, dump the reader with information so that the geek that read that shit can fap on how they would break the world using that system, and the play goes to the rest of the adventure in easy mode, abusing their world-breaking powers.

Granted, not all isekais were like that, but a good chunk was. Maybe. I stopped reading stories like that a long time ago.

Oh, I was forgetting. Every single isekai protagonist never shows any problem with suddenly finding in another world. You'll think that suddenly waking up in an unfamiliar place and find out you're in a different world would, at least, cause a certain shock. But nope. Standard isekai protagonist shit on that.

Unfortunately, I wasn't a standard isekai protagonist, so when I woke up not in my bed but on a cart with four other people that looked like they just got out from a medieval movie, I panicked.

And, as such, I started to madly analyze the situation, trying to find an explanation. Not particularly easy with the stomach knotting and a sudden tachycardia. Usually, when that happened I tried to calm down with deep breaths, but since everything I had near was utterly alien, I wasn't very successful.

Not until… Rolaf? Ralof? Ralof. God, I'm terrible with names. Anyway, not until Ralof started to talk.

"Hey, you. You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."

After having played at Skyrim for several years and finishing all the major questlines it at least three times, that phrase was extremely familiar. It anchored my sanity at the present and gave me a lot of information. Like, for starter, where the hell I was. Answered a question, I now had like five thousand more, but it was not the moment.

Because I realized, I was like ten minutes away from being face to face with Alduin and his meteor shower.

Shit.

"Damn you Stormcloaks." Started Loki. Lokir? Lokir. " Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell. You there. You and me – we should be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

Damn, the discussion was moving and I had to say something, or everything was going like the script was. And while I loved Skyrim, it didn't mean that all the choices it forced me to make were the best possible.

"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief." I said, be sure to look at Ralof while I said that. It was a little satisfaction to see him glancing at me, surprised.

"Shut up back there!" Yelled the soldier, but I ignored him.

Lokir, not noticing the curious glance that Ralof sent me, turned toward Ulfric.

"That's Ulfric Stormcloack." I said, this time anticipating everyone else. "Dammit, I'm not dreaming this, am I?"

"Who are you?" Asked Ralof, now suspicious.

Well, I couldn't give my real name, it was going to sound ridiculous here. A modern Italian name in the middle of Skyrim? If I knew some way to translate it in a more 'imperial' way, I would, but I always sucked at Latin. "Andreason." I replied. "Loki Andreason."

I have to admit, I decided to use Loki because it was one of my favorite mythological and fictional characters. It was also quite fitting since I was going to have to lie a lot. The surname… well, using the name of your father and adding –son was normal, so I used that. A way to remember who I was.

"You seem well informed, Loki Andreason." Said Ralof. I had to stop calling him Rolaf in my head.

"Well, yeah." I said, covering my face and making deep breaths to calm down. "That's what happens when you use an Elder Scroll and your brain suddenly knows the future."

There was a pause of just a second. "What?"

I admit it, it was the first thing came to mind. An Elder Scroll, sure. Why not? They were, basically, little windows on time or something. I didn't remember quite well how they worked in detail, but I knew they could show past, present, and future if you know how to read them.

"You read an Elder Scroll?" Asked Lokir. "How are you not blind?"

"By my admittedly lacking understanding of how the Elder Scrolls work, blinding is not something that happens instantly. There are various factors in play. Maybe the Scroll wanted to be read and eased the burden on me. Maybe I'm special. Or maybe the Nine decided to grace me. I don't know."

The mention of the Nine seemed to placate Ralof a little. Yeah, I didn't give a shit about the White Concordat, I was raised playing Oblivion, there were Nine Deities on this world and my love for dragons didn't let me renegade Talos. God of humans and heroes, he was my second preferred god.

Sorry, Talos, Akathos was still number one, but a big divine dragon was hard to beat.

"So, you know the future?" Asked Ralof. "Tell me, how far our heads are going to roll?"

Lokir sent him a panicked look. Not that I could blame him.

"They're not." I replied dryly. "Helgen is going to be attacked. We'll escape in the confusion." Then I looked at Lokir. "Well, except you, because you thought that running away while there were a lot of archers around was a good idea."

The man paled. "I… I'm going to die?"

"We are all going to die one day." I replied. "But if you avoid running, maybe you can save yourself."

"How?" Asked Ralof. "Isn't the future already written?"

You shrugged. "Not really. I mean, some things need to happen and I can't do anything to change that. And maybe telling this thief that he doesn't have to run until the attack start would not save him in the long run, but it's better than let him become a practice dummy for the archers."

Ralof was skeptical. Lokir, meanwhile, looked a little more ready to believe you.

"Look." I said, looking at him. "I can't guarantee that you're going to survive the attack. But I can guarantee you that, if you try to run, they're going to shoot you. Stay calm, and if you survive the initial attack, stay with me or with Jarl Ulfric. He's going to make it and he knows the Thu'um."

"That's some great advice." Sneered Ralof, and I noticed that we were entering the town. "But aren't you a little over your head? You're barely keeping it together."

He was right, of course. Even with the reassurance of knowing where I was, my heart was still beating like crazy, and my head felt light. I could try to calm down if I convinced myself that this was a dream or a hallucination… but the pain on my back thanks to the rough bump of the cart and the sensation of the rope biting my wrist were far too real for that.

This was real, and I didn't have time to metabolize that. Sure, plot armor was a thing, but I wasn't going to risk injury or death because I suddenly was the protagonist of the story. You could die in Skyrim, and something told me that this was going to be far rougher then Legendary Difficulty.

"Maybe I am." I admitted adamantly. "Maybe I'm going to die in the next five minutes. Still, why let someone die if I can save him?"

What looked like respect sparked in the eyes of the Nord. But before he could say anything more, the cart stopped.

"Seems like it's time to see how much of your vision id correct, Andreason." Commented Ralof.

Yeah. And I really, really hoped I was right.

After the usual sequence where everyone jumps down the cart, Lokir, fortunately, decided to not risk his skin running away and meekly follower Ralof and Ulfric. Then, as usual, I was brought forward.

Realizing in that moment that Lokir, escaping, had granted me precious seconds, seconds that separated me from the ax of the executioner.

Well, fuck me.

"Wait... You there." Great, time for Halarf… Haldar? Hadvar? Hadvar. Jesus, me and names… "Step forward."

Well, time to gain some time. "Who are you?"

"Loki Andreason."

He scribbled something on a paper. "You from Daggerfall, Breton? Fleeing from some court intrigue?" Wait, I was a Breton? When that was decided? And how did you get that I was a Breton in first place? I get I can't pass for a Redguard, and I'm not tall and blonde enough to be a Nord, but why I couldn't be an Imperial? "Captain, what should we do? He's not on the list."

The Captain, like always, wasn't getting any of this. "Forget the list. He goes straight to the block."

"By your order, Captain. I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to High Rock."

"I would much prefer to not be executed without knowing what I'm accused of." I replied. Just some seconds. "Captain? What are my parents reading when you deliver my headless body home?"

I never judged the Legion Captain when she condemned my avatar in the game. Sure, she looked like a hardass woman and a bit of a bitch, but I didn't know her situation.

When she punched me in the guts, though, I instantly decided that I didn't like her.

"Shut up and walk, prisoner."

Ok, great. I gained some seconds at the expense of my liver. Worth it.

I placed myself near Ralof but also near that redhead hot-blooded Nord that stop the priest, hoping to gain some other seconds.

Bla-Bla-Bla, Tullius continues with his speech, roar in the distance… Shit, in person, that roar is far scarier. I'm not really focusing on that too much because I'm trying to keep track of the time since Alduin arrival.

It's bad that I'm hoping that the genocidal black dragon makes an appearance and blasts this whole town out of the map? Probably, but he was going to come anyway, so if he could do me the favor to come quickly…

Then, finally, my opportunity. The Captain 'graciously' granted us the last rites.

When the rites started, the man next to me started to move.

I grabbed his arm and whispered in his ear. "Let the priest say the rites. Not everyone here disrespect the gods."

Granted, they were not my gods, but they were gods anyway. Besides, it was not lacking of faith if I asked for help from entities that existed in this word, right? If I was the Dragonborn, I had something like a piece of the power of one of them as soul.

He looked at me, then huffed. "Fine. Hear those last words, Breton."

Fuck you too buddy. And I possibly just saved your life. You're welcome.

Anyway, after the priest completed her excessively long sermon, it was finally time for the execution to start.

"Bring me the Breton!" Shouted the Captain.

Was this vengeance for the question before? If so, I hate you, petty woman.

But my spirit was raised when I heard another roar. If I remembered right, the third roar was the sign of the arrival of the World Devourer.

And I really shouldn't be happy about a big black dragon nuking a town, but at the moment, my survival was the only thing in my mind.

So, slowly, I walked toward the executioner.

"I hope you're happy, Captain." I said. If Alduin didn't appear right away, those could very well be my last words. "You're killing an innocent man."

For just a second, it seemed like she pitied me. But then, her face hardened again. "Get down, prisoner."

I obeyed, kneeling. Then, looking at the sky, I lowered myself. Fortunately, there weren't blood, since that stupid soldier didn't valiantly killed himself out of spite.

The executioner grabbed his weapon. Now, Alduin, if you could move…

The ax was lifted, and still no trace of the dragon.

C'mon Alduin, anytime now…

The executioner was in position… and then the black, gargantuan form of Alduin broke the clouds and landed on the tower right in front of me.

The game engine really didn't make him justice. He was so big I couldn't even start to evaluate his size.

For a second, I had the impression his gaze remained on me for longer than the rest.

Then the shouting started.

But you don't win a Shouting match with Alduin unless you're the Dragonborn. His cavernous mouth opened and, quite simply, the sky fell.

Only that, unlike the game Dragonborn, I didn't just remain there to be hit by a meteor. Well, to be fair, maybe that had less to do with the game Dragonborn being stupid and more for the shock of facing a building-sized dragon. I rolled away from the executioner and, when finally the world stopped shaking from the sheer force behind the Shout, I started to run toward one of the towers.

Inside, I found Ralof, Ulfric, Lokir and some Stormcloack. The smart brigade, basically.

"Seems like you did it, seer." Called Ralof. "Was that what you saw in your visions?"

"A little more deads, but yes." I replied. Dammit, I need to get in shape. This little run was already making me breathing hard.

Maybe it was just the shock.

Meanwhile, Ralof talked to Ulfric. "Jarl Ulfric. What is that thing? Could the legends be true?"

I glared at him. "What, are you stupid? There is a fucking dragon here! How could it be a legend?"

Ulfric nodded. "True. We need to move before it finds us."

Lokir, always the coward tried to run up the stairs, but I blocked him. A second later, Alduin demolished the stairway with a head-butt and showered an entire floor in flame.

And this time, unlike before, I caught the words of his Shout. Fire Breath, Yol Toor Shul. Fire, Inferno, Sun. One of the two Shouts that I remembered fully. The other was, obliviously, the Unrelenting Force. Fus Ro Dah.

I was very, very tempted to try them right away, but it wasn't the case. Shouting at Alduin was not going to do much in the state I was. I needed to run away for him.

So, the moment his head retreated, I run. "Follow me Lokir!"

I reached the hole in the wall and jumped in the next house, rolling to lessen the impact. It was actually the first time I did something like that. I was surprised I didn't break anything in the fall.

With the thief on my back, I reached the ground and met Hadvar. "Still alive, prisoners? Stay with me."

"Maybe you could free my hands?" I asked. I didn't have anything to cut them aside for trying to burn them, but I'd prefer to not hurt myself on purpose before learning some half-decent Restoration spell.

"Sure." He said, freeing my hand with a dagger. "Here, now you're free. Stay near me, Loki. And you too, Lokir."

The thief just nodded, his eyes spirited and unfocused. He continued to look at the sky, and I couldn't really fault him for that. But I could fault him for, somehow, freeing himself. Thieving skill, I supposed.

We rapidly crossed the town, evading Alduil all the time we could, and rapidly jumped toward the… Imperial Legion barracks? I never quite understood what those buildings were for.

Of course, there was the –I hoped- last dialogue I was forced to listen again and again.

"Ralof! You damned trai-"

"Can we please not fight right now?" I asked with desperation. "There is a dragon rampaging through the city and the way is full of danger! Can you two collaborate until we're out? You can stab each other in the eyes later!"

Normally, I was pretty sure that they wouldn't have listened to me. Fortunately, Ralof knew I had seen the future, so he hesitated.

Until another roar forced him to move. "Very well, seer. Let's go."

Altogether, we entered the barracks. With a last effort, I jumped inside the structure, painting. I really need to get in shape.

"Very well." Said Rolaf. "What we do for now on, seer?"

Well, that was a good question, right?