Download App
44.47% Dragonborn Saga / Chapter 333: Anxiety

Chapter 333: Anxiety

Extra Chapter: Every new (+10$) Patron or PayPal

Extra Chapter: 5000 Votes

Extra Chapter: 8000 Votes

~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Draugr Face. Workday is over. Crawl back to your crypt."

"Hey, don't say that."

"What? Guy's an idiot. Doesn't talk, doesn't eat... think he scares me... MOMMY!"

*Thud*

"Buzz off, you two pieces of shit. Work as much as he does then complain." The overseer stuck up for Draugr Face.

Today was a usual day in Markarth, Jon goes up, everyone calls him 'Draugr Face', he works in silence, steals some money and stuff then goes back to the Warrens at the end of the day. He grew up in Riften and Markarth was very similar to Riften. Tycoon family, incompetent Jarls and evil lurking everywhere.

Still, out of his last month's daily routine, Jon had a break off this day. He was still looking for a way to rid himself of those shackles around him. The vines that wrapped his body were really limiting him way too much. Still, the new magic he discovered after he broke through the 'Jade Skin stage' was something terrifying. A natural ability that has a lot of potential if he managed to learn it properly.

But that wasn't the time for research, it was the time for healing. Jon had an appointment with the Alchemist.

"Come in. This way."

Just as he arrived at the 'Hag's Cure', an Alchemy shop in Markarth, the owner Bothela invited him in. Bothela was an Old Reachman that is not associated with the Forsworn so Jon went to her seeking a cure.

"Come in here, the place is empty, just me and my assistant."

Jon walked in wearing his work clothes that he has nothing other than them and hiding his head with a hood. Once he sat where Bothela pointed, he removed the hood and the shirt.

"Sigh! Poor boy."

Bothela sighed and checked Jon's body.

"The injuries on your fingers and left leg are clean despite your line of work. I am amazed you didn't get any inflammation or infection. Also, the skin on your face and your left side will get its liveliness soon. Just stick to the medicine."

Jon nodded.

"Did you bring enough money?"

Jon nodded again.

"Then we can start. Just close your eyes and rest. A couple more sessions and your skull will heal and we will hear your voice."

Bothela treated Jon kindly and he was thankful for her actions. Kindness didn't come without money though.

"Also, I contacted some people regarding these vines growing on your body. I don't know what happened for them to be alive on you as a host. They have clearly transformed from plants to parasites now. It is unheard of so don't have high hopes. I am still wondering how did that happen to you in the first place!"

The questions of Bothela were many as any person should have. Jon can answer some, can't answer some and don't want to answer some. Still, those answers took his memory way back...

***

*Three Months Ago*

The Hagravens would surely show day after day to makes sure that the process is going smoothly but what they didn't foresee was Jon as lively as ever while being stuck in the trunk of the tree for more than three days. He didn't look tired or hungry, his eyes were still bright and didn't show any signs of discomfort. Explaining it as Jon is a powerful enemy and possess the Blood of a God, the Hagravens discarded their worries as good fortune for the tree they are cultivating on dead bodies.

A day or two passed and the visitor this time was not the hags but rather a face that Jon could recognize, Alaric of Karthspire and his freak brother Grosh.

"Look, Grosh! The Nord who hurt you, we captured him!"

"Grosh! Grosh!"

"Hahaha! I know, right?"

Their victory over Jon came at a high price, 300 Forsworn and 8 Hagravens for just a single man. Alaric bitterly called it a victory but he knew better, every Forsworn family held a funeral because of that man ever so comfortably resting in a tree.

"Only the most heinous lawbreakers, traitors and Nords get to be offered to the trees. Consider yourself lucky." Alaric said.

He looked at Jon. Red hair was like the flowing blood on a battlefield and eyes gleaming blue but still look down at Alaric. To him, Jon seemed younger than what his size would give off but it didn't matter to Alaric. Jon was a disaster.

Jon looked at Alaric. A midget for a savage whose hair was unkempt and face was full with red war paint the resembled a bird. He stood proud in front of Jon as if he was examining his trophy.

"Motherfucker! You cost me a lot of men but... here you are, broken and conquered like all you Nords should be." Alaric said taunting Jon.

Jon closed his eyes with no interest in Alaric. Why even bother with a small fry!

Alaric didn't like Jon's reaction and pressed on.

"The Matrons call you 'God Blood', right? Not sure where is that coming from but you are one of those ones blessed by Nord Gods, right? Hehe... Look at you now. Not even able to break free. Do you know what these trees are called? They are the Briarheart trees. Once a person like you is put on one of those trees, the tree will eat them. And what's left will turn into a piece of garbage. You will be the largest piece of Nord garbage we ever had."

As Alaric finished, Jon opened his eyes and examined the tree closely then understood what kind of a tree it was. He didn't see any tree like that in the game and the Reachmen kept the matters regarding the Briarheart Warriors a closely guarded secret.

"We make bets on how long will it take you to die and how many hearts will the tree give us from you. Oh! This will be magnificent, I have high hopes of you." Alaric kept provoking Jon with words to no avail.

It was understandable, Jon is strong and strong people are hard to break. There is no way the Nord who destroyed his best warriors would crumble that easily. Still, Alaric had one last thing to ask.

"Tell me, you know that man they call Ulfric... Ulfric Stormcloak... that menace. He can shout like you and that man you came to save. Did you learn from him? Is he your leaders? Don't worry you can't shout, the tree won't let you anyway. So, that man! Can I kill him?" Alaric asked with frenzied eyes.

It was his sole purpose of being after all. Kill Ulfric and avenging everything. He honed his skill for many years and killed a lot of Nords but none were like Jon and Wulfur. Of course, it was natural for him to think that they are related to his figure of the devil but Jon's response made him very uncomfortable.

Jon's eyes were showing mockery and he moved his head as if saying, "sure, why not?"

Alaric felt upset about Jon's haughty reaction that didn't seem like a prisoner in his hand.

"Just you wait! I will stick that blade in Ulfric's heart and those who stand between me and him. But first, I will have the satisfaction of seeing you dying slowly."

Alaric turned up and was about to leave but he remembered something and picked up a rag he brought with him.

"Almost forgot, we dug that up with you. Nice blade!"

In his hand, Alaric held [Bloodskal].

"I will be keeping it from now on, a sword worthy of Alaric, the Blood Eagle. I am not great with naming and I know that you have taken some sort of silence oath so I will name this sword after me, Blood Eagle. Isn't that nice, Grosh?"

'Grosh!"

"I knew you would agree with me."

Alaric was satisfied with what he did. Claiming another warrior's weapon in front of him without killing him is no different than staining his honor and name. Alaric took [Bloodskal] in front of Jon and called it Blood Eagle after himself. Jon wasn't amused with the fact but there is no way, Alaric can use [Bloodskal] anyway. It was Jon's personal weapon for a good reason.

Alaric turned to Jon with the sword in his hand and pointed it at Jon's shoulder.

"I don't want to be called a thief but I think this weapon can injure you unlike ordinary ones, that's why I will use it to shed some blood and claim it mine, no dishonor to you in that." Alaric said so and pressed the sword at Jon's shoulder.

"GROSH!"

Grosh felt a bad premonition and tried to pull Alaric away from Jon but he was too late. Jon smiled faintly as the sword touched his shoulder and used the Essense Energy inside him to activate the Aura leftovers in [Bloodskal].

Just like that, a sphere of red Tyrant Aura exploded from the sword and blasted everyone around it.

Alaric and Grosh were pushed back a few steps but the tree and Jon were right as they were.

"Groan!"

The Thorny Vines tightened itself at Jon for doing such a naughty move and caused him to groan.

Alaric who caused this was ashen pale. Not only the blade obey its master but the dormant Aura was mighty. Alaric remembered vividly what happened a few days ago when he faced Jon in battle and the festive mood he was in was shattered. He looked between [Bloodskal] and Jon as if he was defeated in a manhood contest.

Jon kept the expressionless act after the Thorny Vines stopped tightening on him. Alaric was enraged but the hags soon showed up and demanded that he leave the Briarheart trees and saplings without causing a problem. Alaric looked at Jon hatefully before turning and leaving with Grosh.

Still, Jon saw something that made him groan and look at Grosh with strong killing intent. Alaric and Grosh noticed what Jon was looking at. Alaric thought it would be a good way to make a comeback at Jon, he took the hammer that was hanging on Grosh's back and showed it off.

"This is really a good hammer befitting of my mighty brother, we took it from the area. Seems like its former owner won't be needing it anymore." Alaric smiled and gave the warhammer back to Grosh.

This was Wulfur's warhammer, the [Champion's Cudgel].

Alaric's words made Jon feel like a fire was burning in his abdomen. He tried to convince himself that Wulfur and Nefertiti have escaped and will get help soon but he never thought that Wulfur's hammer would appear here. He was now angry and worried.

Because of his negative emotions, his inner resistance to the Briarheart tree he was stuck in almost crumbled and the tree's energy almost ravaged through his body. Jon was able to calm himself but his heart, he was really worried and the only thing he can do was to pray or hope for Wulfur's safety.

If he can talk he would pray but he hasn't prayed for almost 18 years. Not even sure his prayers would be heard in a foreign word but he prayed anyway.

Just as he calmed down, he started to think of himself right now. He needed a plan and do not expect any kind of help. The worst case scenario, he is preassumed dead. He knew his family will do some chaotic actions but he would manage no matter what.

With such a mentality, Jon regained his senses and focused on the three and its Padomic Energy that he long since coveted. This is his opportunity. Either he eats the tree or the tree eats him.

***

*Three months forward - Winterhold*

Jon's guess wasn't off. His family was doing all it could. When he disappeared three months ago, all the burdens of Winterhold fell on Alina. She had her Clan, the Firemane younger generation that is now all present in Winterhold, she had Jon's influence, she had all the power to command any creature in Winterhold. Even the Jarl was respectful towards her more than Jon. A Lady is a Lady after all and she was the overlady of Winterhold, daughter of Patriarch Sigurd Moonblade and woman of Jon Dare, the strongest two in Winterhold.

Still, none could fell that void anymore. Jon and Nefertiti are missing which means half of the family is gone. Jullanar is bedridden and her situation is unstable with no known reason at all, even Jullanar's teacher Nurileon said he has no logical explanation for her illness and he came every day to check and prepare the medicine.

Just who to cry or run to when there is none she can lean on anymore.

She is not even 18 yet and her world is facing a disaster. When she went to Nurina for help, the latter told her to be patient and just hold on.

'Is it possible?' She thought.

Well, the act of 'Thinking' was something she wanted to avoid at all costs. She started to hate Winterhold that she is running for the sake of nothing but leaving her loved ones facing god knows what suffer.

'Is running the damn hold even worth it at that point?'

There is no point in making a beautiful garden for a broken palace.

She needed peace! A time out! A short escapee!

She opened the window and teleported back to the house yard.

"Lokthur, up."

Without prior notice, she jumped on Lokthur and it flew carrying her.

Destination? Her favorite palace in this world... the Eldergleam Sanctuary!

~~~~~~~~~~

PayPal

Paypal.me/eldokhmesy

-

Pat-reon (remove - )

pat-reon.com/eldokhmesy

-

Discord

discord.gg/gKcKva7


next chapter

Chapter 334: Gains

Extra Chapter: Every new (+10$) Patron or PayPal

Extra Chapter: 5000 Votes

Extra Chapter: 8000 Votes

~~~~~~~~~~

"How is your hearing now? Is your voice coming without a problem?"

"Yes, thank you. A... little... better."

"Good, kid. Don't be rash just yet. One more session and you will be just fine."

Jon nodded and left the 'Hag's Cure' going back to the Warrens. He was a large person and was known in the Warrens as someone who can launch people with a slap, none would stand in his way but some would still try to act as his underlings like annoying pests. Jon was only busy meditating anyway.

His mood was clear and set on a series of goals, getting healed up, getting rid of those vines and finally, finishing the Third Labour. But before one gets revenge, one must fill his growling belly.

Jon went out to the market and found some clean food stall and here it comes. Jon is a picky eater even if it is the apocalypse and had high standards in food, a habit that reincarnated with him.

Jon took the best food he can get and walked up the city to a certain spot. There some beggars and miners would go and pick a seat to the anticipated performance. It was under the balcony of the Temple of Dibella, the Goddess of Love, Art and Beauty. Every few nights, the Priestesses of Dibella would gather up at the Balcony with the Sybille of Dibella to perform a musical prayer to Dibella. While only some of the female members of the Cult of Dibella can attend these prayers, no one else is allowed. Still, the beggars are the only ones who get to sit under the balcony and listen.

Jon also wanted to hear the music. He went up the stairway to the temple and walked around the cliff to the area where the beggars sit. He saw a few beggars already up here yet one glance at the giant made them run like ants.

Jon didn't mean to scare them but it was not bad anyway. He can pick the comfiest rock to set on.

Back on the balcony, the priestesses were gathering on wooden chairs lined up in a circle. They weren't many of them but from the way they spoke to someone, Jon realized that there is someone important among them.

"We are honored that you joined us this night for the hymn, my lady, but aren't you going to get tired. You still haven't recovered yet." a priestess spoke.

"It is okay, Senna. If I don't go out, the little one won't go out. See, she is so scared of people."

"But... my lady. Since when did we start to pick up homeless kids? Shouldn't you at least sent to the steward of the keep to enlist her to the orphanage?" Senna seemed protesting.

"Senna, that's enough." another voice joined the conversation.

"Hamal?"

"The words of the Sybil of Dibella are the words of Dibella. Don't argue a lot. Now, let's start. Here, little one. You can play with that drum, don't break it."

The priestesses ended their conversation and started playing calm and beautiful music. Jon felt peaceful listening to it and he took some of his warm food and ate quietly and started thinking of what happened last time he heard music.

***

*Two months ago*

Surprising himself and shaming any other living organism on Tamriel, Jon survived for a full month in that tree. Even though he should have died from hunger and thirst, even though his muscles should have got badly damaged and blood stopped flowing in them from the way he was put in the tree, even though he should have bled too much to live, even though the Briarheart tree should have sucked his life force and turned him into a lifeless husk of a corpse, he still managed to live.

Seeing something unbelievable, the Hags and the Forsworn were at their wit's end. They tried to kill Jon multiple times during the last month but he was too much to deal with. Ordinary weapons can't hurt his skin, Nettlebane can kill him but even the cursed blade can't make him bleed anymore. Just how much terror can that Nord give them? As their last attempt, Alaric stabbed Jon at the heart but Jon didn't die.

Jon kept looking down Alaric who was traumatized that day.

The Hagravens then had to step in and seal Jon along with the tree. They couldn't understand what Jon was so they kept everyone clear from him. Jon got into their heads without even doing anything.

'Well, at least they didn't behead me... ignorant savages.'

Just how on Nirn could Jon not bleed to death, getting an organ failure or surviving a stab to the heart?

The answer was not simple at all. Jon himself was the most impressed one as he knew the secrets behind all that. Knowing the truth behind the trick can sometimes be underwhelming but Jon was impressed with his progress.

To survive, he needed energy and he happened to be surrounded by his favorite source, the Vital Padomic Energy. To empower his human machine, he needs food, food becomes energy in the cells but there were various kinds of energies in the body but the most important one is the Essence Energy that comes from the soul. To keep his system alive, Jon started a trial and error process on how to distribute his Essence Energy on the cells. It was tedious work at first but he later felt his body condition feel better.

How to acquire more energy was all depending on the Briarheart Tree. Jon kept absorbing the Vital Padomic Energy that was assaulting him and replenished his Essence Energy. The Briarheart Tree also managed to absorb some of Jon's Essence Energy but he was superior in the term of manipulating energy. He was only relying on the tree trimming to assaulting him because he can't cast a spell to absorb the Padomic Energy it has, if the tree was not a mindless being, it should have known better and stopped attacking him let him die from the lack of energy.

The next problem that Jon met was the bleeding, he couldn't stop the hags from stabbing him every day to get some 'God Blood' on the tree. He was really annoyed with it and replenishing the blood with Essence Energy was a pain.

The answer to that was trying to achieve an inner control over his blood. He went deeper with his meditating, deeper than wherever he went before and started unraveling the mysteries of the human body. He started concentrating on the regeneration of the cells and how can he control things that he never controlled before. His research was simple and crude but very fruitful. He learned the ways of the blood and how to manipulate it inside his body, how to stop the flow, how to hasten it, how to avoid certain blood vessels all together and even how to detect any harmful microorganisms inside the blood.

Just like that, when the Hags tried to cut him for blood, only a few drops fell and nothing else happened.

In his free time of fighting off the tree's energy and cultivating it inside him, Jon's research went further and allow him to control some parts of his body that were impossible to control like how to move his organs from inside. Shifting his heart's place was the secret why he didn't die when Alaric stabbed him where the heart should be.

The body has two kinds of organs, those which follow the will of the person and those which are programmed to do their thing. Jon can now control most of those organs and skillfully too. This was also the secret of how he avoids Muscle Atrophy.

By that point, the Hags started to think that Jon is an immortal and started to use some magic on him which posed him no threat. The Hags used the [Hedge Magic]. Magic that doesn't fall under any school of Magic and was quite famous between the Orcs and the Reachmen. The term 'Hedge Magic' can describe any unusual forms of magic that are not widely used in the community of Mages. Jon, being the Magic Genius he is, observed the 'Hedge Magic' with all its Wrong Practices and Strange Hex. He started to get a basic idea around it too.

It was simply magic practiced in a mix of primal and ancient ways containing many lost secrets in the art. Jon saw some aspects of Necromancy, Prison Magic, Blood Magic, Curses, Voodoo, Astral Protections, Sacrificial Ritual and Chanting Rites and many things. The hags would sing scary songs and make tricky spells and command hidden forces. Jon was simply impressed by his captors for a while until he unraveled most of the mysteries and then lost his interest.

All this and that happened in the last month. His visitors we're barely anyone interning too. The only person who would come was Grosh. Jon stopped seeing him as a freak once he learning that he was transformed from a normal kid to such a creature by the Hags. Not even aware of his own age, Grosh always acted like a kid and would bring kids to play in the Briarheart Grove too.

The Forsworn always lived this way anyway. Jon didn't care about them and would kill them as soon as he gets the chance to do so.

And like that, a month passed. From the Hags to Grosh and Alaric, to the kids that play with Grosh, Jon had no visitor interesting enough for him to open his eyes to... or at least that was the case until someone finally decided to visit.

"Oh, old friend. You look like a mess." A Black Serpent appeared before Jon.

Jon raised his head and grinned.

"You... should... have seen... the other... guys."

The serpent wasn't taken aback as it had seen how Jon descended on a Forsworn army and killed them.

"Planning to leave any time soon?"

"Not...yet. Need... some help."

"And help, I shall offer."

The black serpent turned into a black fox and leaped on the Briarheart Tree then reached a gap and flowed in like a liquid.

"There are some things you need to know."

"Yeah... Welcome... back, Shadow."

***

*Present Time - Eastmarch, Eldergleam Sanctuary*

Lokthur flew away to play away from the sanctuary as Alina walked in. The Acolytes of Kyne that were stationed around the area all recognized Alina and Lokthur and withdrew immediately from the sanctuary. The Sybil of Kyne was officially their spiritual leader so it was natural to bother her or her annoying family but it was known around Skyrim what happened to Jon and how Alina was carrying all the burdens after he disappeared.

As she was sure that Lokthur and the Acolytes are away, Alina took off the [Fire Keeper Mask] and her flawless face and red ruby eyes were revealed.

'How beautiful can a girl be?' One may ask. Well, beauty is a gift from God as anything else so there is no fixed scale. With that, it is safe to say that despite being the Sybil of Kyne, Dibella has done one hell of a job on Alina.

But today that beauty was clouded by a lot of sadness. Alina, who suppressed her tears all that time, sat on the side of the pond at the center of the sanctuary and rest her head on a root of the Eldergleam.

She started remembering all her favorite times with Jon like how they got on the wrong foot when they met for the first time and how bad she was defeated when she challenged him on the title of the Nurina's Legacy Apprentice, there was that time when her face veil fell and a fight almost broke between her overprotective father and Jon over her, they times they fought for Winterhold together, the travels they had together, the places, the study, the drinking, the sex, the strange stuff he showed her. Now that all this was gone, bitterness only took its place.

She didn't know why but her memories came in that order.

Burdened by all that, her chest got tightened. She stood up and undid her dress and it fell around her feet.

Her graceful figure was revealed to no man's eyes other than Jon's and she touched her sides as he liked to cuddle with her all night missing his touch and teasing. Waving around her hair that reached her knees, Alina jumped in the water.

The water was cold but not too cold, it gave her the comfort she needed. The world underwater was calm and slow, it could contain all her thoughts and worries. She felt like it wouldn't hurt if she stayed under the water for a little longer, just a little bit of that peace.

"Sadly, you will hurt yourself if you don't breathe."

Not sure how, a voice talked to her from behind her shoulder. Alina panicked and jumped out of the water standing on its surface by her [Frost Steps] spell.

Magic was ready to be cast at whoever appears and soon someone appeared. From the pond she was diving in, another woman appeared and rose from the water looking at Alina.

Alina couldn't process how can anyone look at her in the eye without getting harmed but just some time ago when she met Alfe Fyr, the latter made eye contact with Alina and felt a little tingle. Jon was as special as Alina if not more and Alfe was insanely powerful, this meant that the woman in front of Alina right now is as strong as Alfe at the very least.

'I must run!'

Why would someone so strong sneak up on her if not for bad intentions? Alina stomped on the water and pushed a strong Frost force on the woman before jumping away.

"No, wait!"

The woman panicked but as soon as the attack reached her, it went through her without a touching her at all.

"A Space Mage?"

Alina was stunned but she knew she was in trouble if a space mage chased her, she needed to hinder the woman for enough time then run out of the detection range.

"Please, listen."

She manipulated the water with Telekinesis and used it to make a cage and froze it with Essence Energy. Even a space mage can't walk through that.

This was all done as Alina was performing textbook footwork on the water and jumped away to land on one of the large roots of the Eldergleam tree. She picked her dress and was about to run but suddenly, the root moved on its own and threw Alina away.

"Geez! I said stop moving! And it is rude to step on someone's root in their home. Didn't anyone teach you that?" The woman who was caged in a frost cage destroyed it by moving the root while shouting at Alina.

Alina has already landed on her head while her butt stuck up like a dork.

Still, as soon as she heard the woman speaking, she shot up with a face full of mud and hair full of leaves. She spat out some grass before speaking.

"Wait wait waiwaiwaowait! You said your root? Your home?" Alina was fully in panic.

"That's right, young one. I, Gleam am the Elder of this sanctuary. It is my home."

Alina heard 'Gleam' and 'Elder' then collapsed in the water.

~~~~~~~~~~

PayPal

Paypal.me/eldokhmesy

-

Pat-reon (remove - )

pat-reon.com/eldokhmesy

-

Discord

discord.gg/gKcKva7


Load failed, please RETRY

Weekly Power Status

Batch unlock chapters

Table of Contents

Display Options

Background

Font

Size

Chapter comments

Write a review Reading Status: C333
Fail to post. Please try again
  • Writing Quality
  • Stability of Updates
  • Story Development
  • Character Design
  • World Background

The total score 0.0

Review posted successfully! Read more reviews
Vote with Power Stone
Rank 200+ Power Ranking
Stone 179 Power Stone
Report inappropriate content
error Tip

Report abuse

Paragraph comments

Login

tip Paragraph comment

Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.

Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.

GOT IT