Chapter 217: Chains of the Past XI
Inigo's smile fades as a far off look settles on his face as he stops just outside the door to Langley's house.
"Huff... I'm still trying to digest everything Langley told me. There is a lot to sort through. For now, we should assist Ms. Serana with returning home until he contacts us again. But..." Inigo says with a small smile returning to his face once more as he looks to me with a mischievous smile.
"I have a feeling we are at the beginning of a fantastic adventure-" Inigo starts to say before someone speaks behind us making us turn around in shock, making Inigo jump up and draw his blade as I rise my hands to launch a fireball when I recognize the person who snuck up on us.
"Excuse me, I have an important message to deliver, your eyes only." The Courier says as he hands me a letter.
"Seems someone from the Companions is in need of you. Quite impressive to get called out by name. Best of luck to you." The Courier says as he starts to walk off.
"My friend... I swear he is a deadra... What does the letter say?" Inigo asks with a shiver.
"I'm not sure, let me check." I say, but just from opening it, I can tell the letter is from Skjor just from it's scent alone.
[New Blood, I hope this letter finds you better than when I last saw you. We've got a problem, the Grand Moot has been moved up, and Kodlak has been very quiet lately. It's as if he's completely ignoring the Companions and he's been leaving at odd hours, all day and night. I think he's planning to do something during the Moot. I've also got word that some fellow "hunters" will be attending the Moot in secret, but I could use any back up you can provide. This could turn bloody. May the wolf watch over you.]
"Shit... This... This isn't good." I say to myself as Inigo stares at me intently.
"What? What is it, my friend?" Inigo questions impatiently.
"There's something happening in Whiterun with the Companions. And they're going to need me..." I say, as I feel a knot begin to form in my stomach.
"You are right, that is not good... What are we going to do? Because, despite how much I trust you, I would prefer not to go into a nest of vampires alone. I may be delicious, but I would prefer not to be another's meal." Inigo says, expressing his reluctance to carry on alone.
"You won't have to... We'll need to talk to Serana. See her thoughts on the matter." I say as I open the door to Langley's house, letting Inigo follow in behind me.
"Congratulations are in order, it's not everyday someone can summon a Khajiit, but I'll try my best to resist the urge to say, 'Here, Kitty, Kitty.'" Serana says jokingly as I notice Langley has already turned in for the night.
"That is not funny, Ms. Serana, I prefer only my partner calls me that." Inigo says, correcting Serana on the nickname.
"Ah, um... Sorry, Inigo... Won't happen again." Serana apologizes somewhat awkwardly.
"That is fine, you did not know. But there is something we must discuss." Inigo quickly accepts her apology with a smile before turning to me to explain the rest.
"Yes, I'm needing to detour to take care of something in Whiterun, meaning we'll be delayed getting you back home. We, were wondering about your thoughts on that, along with how important it is for you to get back home as quickly as possible?" I ask her as we all take a seat at Langley's small corner table.
Serana is quite for a moment as she seems to weigh her desire to return home against her desire to explore the rest of the world.
It seems like an eternity as she slowly rapts her finger nails across the table before pausing.
"Okay..." She says simply.
"Okay, what?" I ask confused as to her decision.
"Okay, we can make a detour, but we need to find a way to hide the scroll, it's a bit too obvious to be walking around a town in and I don't want to draw any more attention to myself than I have to." Serana explains as she nods to the scroll on her back.
"If it will shut you all up and allow me to finally get some sleep, you can have this! Not you, Inigo, you're fine, do whatever you want." Langley shouts at us as he pulls a rather large quiver and bow from beneath his bed.
"There, you can shove that gaudy thing in there, now go to sleep! *Snap*" Langley orders after throwing the large quiver and long bow in the table and snapping his fingers rather loudly, causing the all the flames but the ones in the fireplace to be smothered in an instant as he grumbles beneath his breath when he flops back into his bed.
"Well... That could work... But why does he have such a large bow and quiver?" I ask with a whisper.
"Langley told me he often hunts for his own food, but even I am impressed with his bow, look the arrows are longer than my arm! How does he even draw it?" Inigo whispers back in amazement as he pulls out one of the arrows and measures it against his outstretched arm. Showing how the fletching starts at the middle of his chest with the tip going just beyond the edge of his middle finger in his right hand.
"It is probably best if we ask him that tomorrow morning, until then, I shall keep watch." Serana whispers as she quietly empties the quiver of most of its arrows and gingerly slides in her Elder Scroll, which fits snugly into its new sheath.
"Huh, I'm shocked it fit." I say as I pull out a couple spare furs, handing them off to Inigo and Serana in order to keep warm.
"Thank you, my friend." Inigo says as he lays his Infront of the fire, before curling into a ball on top of it like a common house cat.
While Serana simply nods as she repositions her chair to look over everyone as she wraps herself in the fur.
Lastly, I take one and actually follow Inigo's lead, getting on the other open spot nearby the fireplace and curling into a ball as well, after being compelled to walk around the fur three times before finally feeling comfortable enough to go to sleep.
(Author's Note: I'm sorry everyone, being a night shift worker along with some relationship stuff has completely thrown this upload for a loop. But, I'm still submitting and I hope you enjoy this chapter!)
Chapter 218: A Small Detour I
I try to enter the level up space for the first time in a while... But, I feel something strange... The constellations seems scattered and broken with some things not making sense and the numbers being replaced with text.
I wake up to the smell of roasted potatoes and venison filling my nose as I open my eyes and stretch to see Inigo cooking breakfast as Langley and Serana are already sitting at the table.
"My friend, it is about time that you woke you. You were sleeping like the dea-" Inigo starts to say before he snaps his jaw shut and hesitantly looks at Serana who just smirks playfully.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" Serena says, immediately breaking the tenseness Inigo had felt making the two of us laugh as Langley looks between the three of us not getting the joke at all, only making me and Inigo laugh harder before Inigo composes himself and serves everyone breakfast.
However, both me and Inigo stare in a little bit of shock as we see Serana eating along with us.
"What? Is there something on my face?" Serana asks, pausing her elegant cutting of the venison.
"Um, no... Just didn't think the food would be agreeable to... Someone of your disposition?" I say, speaking to mine and Inigo's thoughts on her eating normal food.
"I know she's some kind of noble, but everyone needs sustance, it's very judgemental to assume just because she's your superior that she won't do what she must when the situation demands it." Langley chides me, making Serana smile victoriously as Inigo holds in a quiet laugh at my expense.
"Huff... You're right Langley, how rude of me. Mind explaining to me how you hunt with such an impressive bow?" I ask, giving up on ever changing this crazy old man.
"It's good you recognize your shortcomings and are working towards being a better person." Langley commends me while nodding sagely before turning towards Serana.
"If I may have my bow back, Ms. Serana?" Langley politely asks Serana who nods, seemingly interested in how such an old wizard plans to draw back the massive bow that even her undead strength found it difficult to draw it beyond half.
"It's really quite simple. I learned this trick from an arcane archer I had the pleasure of traveling with in my youth. She taught me that in order to take down a powerful foe, an equivalent amount of mana must evenly be distributed between your bow, arrow, and arms. If anything disrupts this balance the entire thing..." Langley explains surprisingly well, leaving the three of us enraptured by his explanation as we see a pale formless energy slowly wrap itself around Langley's arms, the bow, and a tipless arrow.
The energy circulates between the three in a peaceful stream, before Langley starts to direct the energy into the dull training arrow making it grow brightly before disintegrating with a loud, Pop.
"Collapses." Langley concludes with proud smile before handing the bow back to Serana.
"That was most impressive Langley, I had never thought you could combine magic and archery in such a way." Inigo praises Langley making him puff up even further as I'm left to quietly contemplate what I just saw and how I might be able to use it in my fighting style.
The meal passes uneventfully as I quickly study the map to see if there's anything to be gained on having to back track to Whiterun when I remember an important ruin with an artifact that is essential to my rise to power.
We say our good-byes and return to the road, taking another path as we loop down the mountain and make our way towards the Nordic ruin of Korvanjund.
Our travel is actually easier with the storm having passed in the night, but it still takes us a full day of travel to reach the ruins that hold my right to rule.
However, as we get closer to the buried tomb, I not the faint glow of a couple campfires around it as several stormcloaks are patrolling around its entrance.
"My friend, why are we sneaking? Are you not allied with the stormcloaks?" Inigo questions as we sneak closer towards the recessed entrance seeing a total of 6 stormcloaks guarding the entrance.
"There's something I need in there, and I can't let Ulfric get his hands on it. Perhaps it's time for the Ebony Rose to make his debut?" I tell him as I start to pull out my thieves outfit.
"The what, now?" Serana looks at Inigo with confusion as he also pulls out his thieves outfit.
"Ah, that is the name of Silvantus' thieving alter ego." Inigo explains to her.
"I see... Then why are you getting dressed up as well?" Serana says with even more confusion.
"Well, I'm trying to turn the Ebony Rose into an urban legend, something to strike fear into the hearts of rich, corrupt men and women. And to do so, we need to build up the legend somehow." I tell her before going around a tree to change my clothes.
"That sounds like a wonderful thing to do... Unfortunately, I've spent enough of my life in tombs, so I'll wait outside and keep watch for you two to run your little errand." Serana says adamantly refusing to continue on as she finds a comfortable tree to purch upon to stay up and out of the snow.
"That's fine, we shouldn't be too long. Let's get to work Inigo, remember, we can't let any of them die." I remind him as he goes silent and we start to sneak forward.
Splitting off to each take care of our own stormcloaks. I sneak up behind mine, pulling him into a snow bank as I keep him from shouting out as I hear a similar crunch of snow as Inigo takes out his target and we then make our way towards the partially unearthed walkway as we silently move towards the last four stormcloaks, standing around a central bonfire outside the entrance of Korvanjund.
(Author's Note: Hey everyone, hope you enjoy this slightly more on time chapter!)
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
10 Power
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