Chapter VI: A Companion's quest

After carefully setting up the crime scene and making sure Davos got the handwriting right we left the shop through a side window just in case and headed for the corner club to get some drinks in celebration.

In the meantime, I poured the most powerful potion of regeneration into the white phial. Just because I might not use it personally there was no reason not to earn some extra cash for basically no effort.

We greeted the owner, took our seats, and ordered some hearty stew and sujaama.

While I was relaxing Davos decides to ask "So, mister junior... what are you doing in Skyrim anyway? From what I know of your house I am surprised you aren't in Morrowind plotting to take over or something" he finishes humorously.

I chuckle into my drink "Well while my grandfather was rather wild with his goals, my father decided 'fuck that' and just left for Cyrodiil and joined up with the legion out of spite"

Davos raises an eyebrow "Who was your grandfather anyway? Some kind of higher-up in the cult or something?"

The smile I give him shakes him to his core.

He pales a bit "No fooking way..."

I cackle "Yes fooking way."

He palms his face slowly "I thought you were just the last member of the house, not an actual descendant"

I guess my existence really is that unbelievable to some people.

"Did you really think just anyone gets to become this powerful this quickly" I retort with a raised eyebrow.

He takes a long swig of his drink and asks with hope in his voice "Alright then, from your story I guess you and your father didn't really agree with what 'he' was doing then?"

I shrug "My father stopped caring after some time and I was born two centuries after he died so no real connection to be honest. The nobility and magical talent are nice to have, but that is just about the extent of my relation to him."

We were careful not to mention who we were talking about out loud just in case.

Davos lets out a relieved sigh "Ok, good. I thought I might have gotten myself into something I really wouldn't want to get myself into."

"Relax Davos, all I do is for my own personal greed and desires. No world conquest or religious warfare, just good old mortal wants." I make a show of enjoying my drink.

He chuckles, a lot less nervous "Aye, I can drink to that." after a short break he asks again "You still didn't answer my question though, what are you doing in Skyrim"

I look around just in case someone is listening before answering "My father got himself and my mother assassinated by Thalmor for some plot that he discovered. The Imperials just rolled over and pretended nothing happened so I left the place in disgust."

I take another swig of my drink "I was wondering aimlessly for a bit, but then decided to just pursue what I always wanted to and become a mage. So I traveled up to Winterhold and a year later... here we are."

Davos smiles wrily "Still can't believe it took you only a year to get this powerful"

"I actually am not that strong really" I shrug.

"Oh?"

"Yup, I just got so good at enchanting that my robes and jewelry almost double my power" I summon my Magicka rings as a demonstration.

"Ah, so that is why that Dremora was so eager when you called" He scratches his chin in wonder.

I nod "Apparently I am very rare among enchanters in the sense that I really don't care who buys my things, and don't underestimate how useful having a merchant a scroll away truly is."

"You won't see me complaining about that." He says before shaking his head "Still Dremora are right terrifying."

I nod seriously "That they are, during our first meeting I was prepared to blow up the entire summoning chamber at a moment's notice in case he tried something."

I continue recounting some of my adventures, naturally leaving out any details that are too important.

When we are ready to depart Davos asks me about getting himself some enchanted gear and I tell him that I will give him a big discount but that is about it. He grumbled but accepted in the end as we did get a bunch of loot from the crypt we raided.

----

We got up early in the morning and headed toward the gates completely refreshed and calm, almost as if we didn't murder a man in cold blood yesterday. In truth, this world treated killing someone with far less weight than what I was used to before, this was even more true for my new race.

But after over a full year and all my experiences, it didn't bother me. That one item I killed for could save my life or the life of a loved one in the future and I will never regret committing murder for it.

My musing was stopped as we reached the gate of the city and unfortunately, that same guard I made piss himself yesterday was on duty right now.

I could feel his glare through the helmet he wore and knew that he was going to be an annoyance.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is, want to leave the city eh elf?" He asks in a spiteful tone.

I roll my eyes and say "I will give you ten septims to fuck off"

If his voice is anything to go by he has a cruel smile behind his helmet "That will be two hundred for your tone elf"

I quickly look around and notice that he is alone 'Well Nordling looks like it is my lucky day'

I look back at him and sigh in a pretend-defeated tone "Fine, I just want to leave this shithole anyways."

I can feel his smirk widening "Just for that I am raising it to three hundred elf." he practically spits out the 'elf'

I pretend to go for my money pouch and he opens his palm to receive it, but instead of gold in his hands, he gets a magically empowered fist to the face.

He slams against the wall and slumps down, I made sure to hold back just enough not to break his neck but he will feel this for months.

Good.

I quickly search him and take his money purely out of spite. Just to add insult to injury I grab a bottle of mead from my inventory and spill it all over him. 'That will teach you to annoy me you little shit'

I finally leave behind the suffocating city, followed by a gleeful Davos.

================

(Durrak's pov)

It has been an entire year since I joined the honorable companions of Ysgramor... And what a glorious year it was!

I got to fight strong beasts, dishonorable bandits, and even a necromancer.

Although sadly most of the work I got was grunt work.

It was all 'Hey Durrak go beat up this asshole who pissed off another asshole' or 'Hey Durrak go kill a saber cat that some-fucking-how got into someone's house'

Seriously how do you let a saber cat into your own home and not die in the process?

At least the pelt went for a good bit of coin...

I have grown greatly during this year, both in body and skill. No longer was I a lanky orc pup, now I was a true warrior of Malakath! I now towered over most of the humans in Whiterun, and I also looked at the part with the new traditional orc plate mail I ordered from Eourlund.

My fellow companions seemed to agree as I was finally about to go on a real quest for once. Indeed, Farkas and I were on our way to a Nord crypt known as the Dustman's cairn to retrieve another fragment of the axe of Ysgramor, Wuuthrad.

I was honored they would allow me to take on such a task, even if I was being babysat as some pointed out in good humor.

We walked half a day away from Whiterun to our destination, Farkas armed with his great sword and me with my father's trusty spear.

The cairn was out in the open noticeable from all around, using only the Nord's own honor to protect the death rest of its inhabitants.

We descended into the crypt with fire in our hearts, cleaving through its guardians and leaving them to rest once more.

Many wights were cut apart by Farkas or crushed and pierced by my spear until finally, we reached a circular chamber.

The door leading forward seemed to be locked so my shield brother and I searched around. Most we found were urns with burial coins inside which we left alone or wrappings and tools for embalming the dead.

Finally, I found a lever and excitedly pulled it.

The passage behind me was shut suddenly with an iron gate and my Shield brother turned abruptly.

'Oops.'

Shaking his head he said "Now look what you've gotten yourself into." and then gave me a reassuring smile "No worries. Just sit tight. I'll find the release."

Just as he was about to head forward to do so a group of mostly humans wearing wolf pelts and armed with what looked like silver weapons surrounded him.

Their leader shouted "It's time to die dog!"

Another added "Truly, only an animal could be tricked into coming here alone" then turns to me with a disdainful look "Well, mostly alone" My blood burned in fury at his words.

They started inching toward my shield brother, words of mockery leaving their mouths.

As they were about to attack one said "Killing you will make for a great story."

Farkas smirked "None of you will be alive to tell it!" and as the words left his mouth he started twitching at unnatural angles, fur growing from his skin.

The ambushers tried to attack him with their silver blades but he lashed out quickly and pushed them off.

A massive werewolf now stood where Farkas once was.

There were about a dozen of them and while my shield brother fought valiantly their blades managed to cut him, every cut looked as if it had burned him making him roar in pain.

I tried everything to get out of my prison, I pushed the gate with my spear and it didn't budge.

I struck the metal with all my fury but all it did was hurt me.

The number of cuts on Farkas increased, as the number of foes was reduced to only five.

Finally, my shield brother could stand no longer and sat down in a corner, surrounded and waiting for death.

My heart was filled with both despair and fury, and I forced my eyes open and met them with my friend, hoping to honor his final moments.

Just as the leader was about to end him a sudden explosion of noise came from the entrance and a bolt of burning red lightning struck the attacker turning him into dust.

Another tried to finish Farkas but a crossbow bolt hit his head.

All of us turned toward the new arrivals and were met with a chilling sight.

A tall figure with imposing black and purple robes wielding a glowing bladed staff stood there, followed by another shorter figure bearing the crossbow that had just ended a man.

One of our attackers said in anger "This is no business of your sorcerer! Why do you attack the silver hand?"

The silver hand huh? I will remember this.

The sorcerer responds In a mocking tone I feel is familiar for some reason "Dumbass about to be disintegrated says what?"

"Wha-" and the dumbass was indeed disintegrated with another bolt thrown by the mage.

"Gets them every time." chuckled a voice I felt was familiar for some reason.

The two remaining ones charged at him in anger, but with a wave of his hand they were thrown against the wall, and with a wet crunch, dead.

The sorcerer approached my wounded shield brother and I feared the worst, as he was fiddling with something in his robes he said to his companion "Davos, go and find a way to open that gate while I deal with the puppy here."

Farkas looked insulted but could barely even glare.

I prepared to see my brother die once more only for the sorcerer to pull out a glowing red potion and quickly force-feed it to him.

"This should keep you alive until you transform back, then I can heal you properly" I hear him mutter, and see Farkas give a tired nod.

Finally, the mysterious sorcerer that seemed here to save us approached me and looked at me with the two burning embers that were the only thing I could see under his hood.

He stared for a good minute before chuckling "Holy shit Durrak you almost doubled in size. What do they feed you in Jorrvaskr?"

FInally it clicked and my eyes widened "Reyvin?"

His mask and hood disappeared and I saw the face of my friend "You got it buddy" he winked with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" I ask in confusion.

"Weeeel... That is a bit of a story."

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