WAIT!!! I know you guys are probably super excited to read this! Believe me I know, I've seen the comments on you guys thinking I'm dead, which I'm not! I get busy, and worst of all I procrastinate, I work, exercise, date, pay bills, it's all sorts of messes! But I'm very thankful that so many of you still love reading my chapters and am very thankful for the support, it's cause of your sweet comments saying how glad you are for me being back that motivates me to try to write! Keep in mind though, on top of the procrastination I also struggle to figure out what to do next for the story, while I do write as I go I have this whole thing thought out for how I wanna go, so please be patient as there will be points that where I write I'll be a little slow to make something new cause I want to make sure it sounds good on paper.
Anyway I want to express my gratitude by doing something special, since it seems like I have a large enough fanbase reading this story I would like to try a Q&A! If you guys have any questions regarding my plans for this fanfiction, or perhaps if I'm working on anything else, feel free to ask! And be sure to follow my account, cause not only am I doing this story, I'm working on others as well! Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Mralki and I continue to walk through the village until we finally reach Erik, and Sven, who both are crouched down looking to Redcap, who is seen talking, possibly telling them his story, as the two of them look both fascinated and worried until Erik catches us at the corner of his eye.
Erik gets up and quickly runs to the two of us.
Erik: Father, what's going on?
Mralki looks at me, then back at his son with a serious and somber expression. He takes a deep breath and exhales, then hands Erik the sword he carried.
Mralki: This blade was forged from Skyforge steel, and etched with ebony runes, each one labeled with the first initial of the name of the son passed down from the previous owner. It's been in our family for 5 generations.
Erik: It's beautiful father, but why are you giving me this?
Mralki: What do you mean why? Every up and coming adventurer needs a weapon doesn't he?
Erik's eyes widen in shock, he then glances to me, to which I respond with a thumbs up before he looks back to his father.
Erik: You really mean it?
Mralki nods, and embraces his son.
Mralki: Ever since your mother passed, all I've wanted was to keep you safe. But I keep seeing this fire in your eyes. The same one she had, I could never control that flame, and I'd be damned if I snuffed it out. You're your own man after all, you should have the right. But listen to what he has to say, and don't be reckless.
Mralki points to me when he says that.
Erik: Of course father, thank you!
Mralki let's go of his son and reaches into his pocket, pulling out the same cloth wrapped item from before.
Mralki: One last thing for you to take. Here son.
Mralki unwraps the cloth to reveal a beautiful pendant, black as night, but with red accents lined around it, and in the center a small strange looking stone embedded into it.
Mralki: This is also an heirloom, left by your mother. She use to wear this thing everywhere she went, she'd meant for you to have it.
As Mralki hands Erik the pendant, he takes a moment, staring at it intensely long enough that I start to worry.
Alexander: Erik…you alright?
Erik: Fine! Sorry, it's just…looking at this pendant…it feels…strange, yet comforting. I don't know why.
Mralki: I do remember you playing with the pendant a lot when you were still a baby, that might be it.
Mralki pulls his son in for one last hug, a couple of tears roll down his cheek before he lets go.
Mralki: Go out there and make a name for yourself son, make me proud.
Erik: I will father! Thank you!
Mralki walks away from our group, leaving us to familiarize ourselves with our newest member in the team.
Sven: Glad to have you aboard, Erik the Farmer!
Erik: Ugh, that name doesn't sound right at all. I'm gonna need to come up with something better, something that'll truly strike fear into my enemies! A name worthy of…
Erik looks at me and scratches his head in confusion.
Erik:…uh, what exactly is this group you formed?
I laugh at the soon-to-be slayer and smack his back.
Alexander: Let's walk and talk boy, we'll discuss this while heading to our next destination.
We start moving forward, walking away from Rorikstead due west.
Erik: Where're we going Mister? If we're heading to this direction could we be heading to Markarth??
Alexander: Gods no! There's nothing in Markarth I need to see to just yet…
And the last thing I want is to be pulled into the forsworn conspiracy this early.
Alexander:…No, there's something much more important.
Erik: More important? What? Are we slaying bandits? Exploring a dwarven ruin? Fighting off Hagravens???
Alexander: Clothes shopping.
I say as I pull out a few sheets of paper, titled by M' Sharra, and a smile creeks up on my face, meanwhile Erik stares at me with a confused and dumbfounded look as Redcap and Sven snicker behind him.
Sven: Welcome to the team Erik. Your life will never be normal again.
**********
Time passes and soon the sun disappears into the night, which forces us to make a camp and wait. I take the time to spar with Erik to have a good idea of his skills, to my surprise he is surprisingly competent in a fight. He couldn't beat me of course due to my strength, but his stubborn nature was a good sign, the only thing that left me concerned was how easily frustrated he would feel in the fight.
As I keep a safe distance with a shield on hand, and my axe in the other, Erik would charge without warning towards me, as if he were immortal, showing no care to hide his weak points. He starts to swing his sword over and over towards me without hesitation or any signs of slowing down, like a machine designed for killing. The strikes were too wide however so I was able to dodge, but the real problem was that everytime I dodged, his eyes begin to flare, and he appears much angrier, like he got a shot of adrenaline straight through his neck.
Each sword strike became faster and sharper, I was soon forced to back away continuously to avoid the hits, but he was quicker to catch up, finally I stop holding back and throw my axe, causing him to lose his footing and drop his sword. At that moment I charge towards him, not giving him a second to retrieve his sword, and place him in a headlock until he finally calms down.
Alexander: That's enough Erik.
Erik: Huh? Already?? But I was just getting started!
Alexander: If we had kept going you probably would've killed me. Careful, I like the enthusiasm but it's only a sparring lesson, save your blood lust for your real enemies.
Erik: Yes sir! I'm sorry! Now please let me go!!
**********
A day passes until finally we finally see Lund's hut in the distance, leaving my 3 companions with understandably confused expressions on their faces.
Redcap: Why. We. Here?
Sven: Don't tell me we came all this way just to head to a random hut in the middle of nowhere?
Erik's eyes widen in slight worry as we approach closer to the hut.
Erik: Uh…Mr Alexander I don't think it'd be wise to head there, I knew the owner here and they said he died from some skeever's.
Alexander: Hah! Don't tell me our new blood is scared of a few skeevers?
Erik: Not scared, just concerned. Who knows what we could contract from those blasted things.
Alexander: Oh please, as if disease is anything to worry about while we have a better healthcare system here than back where I'm from.
Sven: How bad was it there?
Alexander: Bad…you'd have to pay almost a quarter or even sometimes more than half of your earnings for the week just to see if you're even healthy.
Erik: How does a country even run like that?
Alexander: No idea, and best of all, it ain't my problem anymore!
As we approach we make quick work of the skeevers and approach the inside, there we kill the remaining skeevers and discover Lund's body.
I've always wondered what exactly happened to Lund. Even before creation club this place was still in the game, yet never contained any significant relevance, so a story behind it was never truly fleshed out. Based on the situation you'd think he was simply killed by these skeevers, but there was even a bottle of poison next to his body. What was poor Lund going through?
I shrug off the thought and dig through his chest, searching for what I came to the hut for in the first place.
I open the chest and there it was, inside was the set of silver armor once worn by M'Sharra, who led a life a life of crime before meeting an unknown end, the moment I touched the armor I receive a notification:
Received: Full set Silver Armor
Erik: Is…is that a full set of silver armor???
Alexander: Yep! Here you can take this!
I throw my helmet to Erik as I remove other pieces of my armor, placing the pieces in front of him.
Alexander: It might stink a bit but we can wash it by a river so it's nothing to cry about.
Erik: How did you even know it was there?!
I pull out the note from M'Sharra and give it to Erik without turning my gaze away from the armor. Erik despite being given the most reasonable answer I've ever given to anyone since arriving in Skyrim still looks at me confused.
Erik: This…is beyond strange sir! What if this was a trap?!
Alexander: Well either it was a trap and we're attacked or I get a shiny new set of armor, either way we get loot so it's a win.
Erik looks at me still with his mouth gaped wide open in utter shock and looks down at his hand-me-down steel plate armor, and while clearly still bothered after witnessing my strange strand of luck he shrugs and place the helmet of his head and follows up placing the other pieces of the armor on him.
After I placed the last piece I take a second to appreciate the new silver armor. Despite being old and worn it was still in really good condition, and somehow fit me like a glove despite my large size. Despite how fulfilled I felt for finding this impressive set of armor, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was forgetting something, that was until I heard another ping:
Quest "When the Cat's Away" updated:
Fight the East Empire Warden
Alexander: Right…those guys. Look alive boys, we got company outside. East Empire Company at that.
Erik: What?
Erik peers outside the window, it took a few seconds but he backs away in disbelief as light from torches appear and the form of 3 marching soldiers appears from the hills.
Erik: How could you possibly have known they were coming??
I was in no mood to beat around the bush so I decide to embrace the art of bullshit to explain things to Erik.
Alexander: Adventurers intuition. Sharpen your skills enough and you can practically see into the future kid.
Erik: He can't be serious…wait is he actually serious?
Erik turns to Redcap and Sven who look through the other window readying their weapons.
Sven: Hey, you see a bunch of soldiers outside don't you?
Redcap: Just. Go. With. It.
Redcap says this as he sharpens one of his spears with a rusty knife he finds on the floor.
Alexander: Alright lads, we do this, and we do this quick and heavy. The East Empire are a tough band, and their armor is no joke. Redcap keep a distance and strike at their feet, Sven and Erik you two attack the two guards in leather armor. I'll take on the big one with steel armor. Ready?
The three of them nod their heads in unison.
Alexander: Then let's beat em dead.