Chapter 7: The War Room

Outside the manor, a warm sunbeam gradually spread across its outskirts, dispelling the natural cold climate of Skyrim, standing in front of the guardhouse, a young and two old figures can be seen conversing.

"Ralo-"

"Hush! Don't call me by that name!?" Randjolf halted Brelyna reminding her of something, then quickly scanned the surroundings hoping no one heard it other than the three.

Brelyna nodded, "I've been looking for you, your ears only," she whispered, barely audible, then she looked behind at Loydja, "Well, I suppose you too." she added. Loydja raised her eyebrow in response.

"Not here... Follow me," Randjolf whispered back as he led them to the guardhouse doors.

Inside was a hall with simple types of furniture where guards could take their leisurely time on their break. In front was a wide doorway that led to the barracks, as the beds can be seen from the entrance hall. On the right side was a door, it had a moon symbol carved at the center top, probably the bathroom. Finally, there is the left door, which also has a symbol, but it is different, there is carved a helmet with two horns: which somewhat depicts the famous Helmet of Ysmir the Last Dragonborn.

Loydja, the last person who entered, scanned the room and even tried to peek inside the barracks from the main door. "I thought all the guards here were just resting, I haven't seen any guards from the outside except for the gatekeep since I got here. Where are they?" she said as she looked at Randjolf, waiting for an answer.

"There aren't any guards, there is only the gatekeeper," he replied, glancing at Loydja.

"Is that so, last time I visited these walls were a lot of them," she recalled, but Randjolf ignored her this time pretending not to hear.

"This way," Randjolf said, leading the two to the door with the horned helm sign. As they approached the door, Brelyna squinted her eyes while looking at the symbol.

Upon opening the door a bright flash quickly engulfed them, stealing away their sight.

"What the! A trap!?" Loydja shouted, startled by the appearance of the strange light. She instinctively held on to an invisible sword beside her waist, "A shit! My sword!" she thought, realizing she left her sword at the manor.

Suddenly, the light gradually faded restoring their vision, they were now standing in a large room that could fit a dozen or more people in it, the walls were made of bricks and it had no doors or windows, just a simple box room. It had a long table that was capable of seating 12 people, it looked like a meeting area for important people, a war room.

"Where are we?" Loydja was confused as she tried to calm herself down, she glanced at Randjolf and Brelyna back and forth, noticing their calmness. "Brelyna you knew about this too?" she asked curiously, feeling confused.

"No, but I felt the magical runes written on the horned helm by the door, it seems it only activates on a certain condition, probably at will at that," she said as she looked at Randjolf's chest, where a pendant with an orange-red hue rests.

"Really? I didn't notice anything magical," She replied, "But damn it, I hate these kinds of magic, I'll never get used to the feeling" Loydja complained as she tried to stop herself from vomiting

"Well, it's only natural, whoever made it was at least at the master level in illusion magic, or possibly higher," Brelyna explained, noticing Loydja's reaction, she flicked her fingers summoning a ball of warm yellow light in her palm: it had small lights orbiting around it leaving trails that which makes it look like small rings. She clenched the ball of light tightly compressing it until her hand trembled: indicating that the spell was ready to be cast. Then, she immediately released it the moment she aimed at Loydja, the warm yellow light exploded at her face as it produced a cloud of the same color as it enveloped her whole body and then seeped into the skin absorbing it.

Loydja felt better after, "Ah, thanks" she said, ignoring that her friend intentionally blasted the spell on her face.

"Pfft. Pathetic Nord woman, you claim you never liked magic? Yet here you are relying on a healing magic for a stomach ache." Randjolf chuckled as she mocked his companion.

"Old fool, I never said healing magic! Only the teleportation-type, those things make me sick!" Loydja grumbled as she complained.

"This place is secluded enough, should we discuss it here?" Brelyna said, chiming in the conversation as she looked at Randjolf, waiting for a response.

"Yes, have a seat," Randjof said as he sat down at the farthest end of the table, facing both women on each side of the table. Loydja sat on his left side while Brelyna sat on the right.

"Now, what is it you want to discuss Brelyna? I'm guessing it's something important." Randjolf asked.

"Of course it is important, I came here myself, also we wouldn't be having this conversation in a secluded area," Brelyna replied, imposing the importance of the information. "Anyways, it's about-" she added but was interrupted mid-sentence by an old Nord woman sitting in front of her.

"Wait! Do you have a restroom here?" Loydja interrupted, her face exposing the urgency of her question.

Randjolf did a facepalm as he exhaled a deep sigh under it. "Behind you, and make it quick!" he gestured as he held on to his pendant, revealing a door with a moon symbol that led to a bathroom.

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