Chapitre 225: The Pilgrimage (3) : The Rituals of Earth and Beasts
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As we arrived at Raven Rock at night, we found it still bustling as a day. The reason was mostly the market that was filled with a lot of goods from the ones we brought with us and sold to House Redoran, people would do anything to get these fresh goods now.
Avoiding all the focus points in the road, we went through the market area and arrived at the Manor House Redoran gave to us for staying as we all decided to spend the night in town.
The next All-Maker Stone we are visiting tomorrow is the Earth Stone and it is just right in the corner outside Raven Rock so there is no harm to recover today. The reason we are going through the Stones in that fashion is that we have to do the Pilgrimage the same way Aevar Stone-Singer did, he went to the Water Stone first then the Earth Stone, the Beast Stone, the Tree Stone, the Sun Stone and lastly the Wind Stone.
"Still, we can't do the Pilgrimage on empty bellies. Everyone, come pick up a seat."
I invited all the people we have in the Manor right now to the large dining table in the hall. From the kitchen, I came carrying a few dishes with strong aromas followed by Wulfur who was helping me with cooking.
Still, can you imagine it? Girls nowadays laze around and boys do all the cooking. Tsk tsk! I am disappointed.
Anyway, the smell of the food made everyone come out of their dwellings like hungry wolves. Even the Skaal trio were looking at the food while holding their breath.
"Hold your drool, everyone, we still need to make introductions. This is Chicken Brochettes, this is Mint and Cumin-Spiced Lamb Chops, and in that dish is my version of the Hawawshi which is a spiced mammoth burger in pita bread, that dish over there is Jull's favorite the Chicken Shawarma, I always advise that you should eat all that with Tahini Sauce, Mayonnaise or Ketchup..."
"Jon! You have one second to shut up and let us eat or else!" That was Alina.
"Okay!"
One must know when to retreat when his woman is about to get angry.
Still, I made a lot of meat recipes that I can't really help but feel sad not showing off my skills.
I had a scenario in my mind where everyone listen to my explanation in awe but I feel like I am serving some zombies now.
Look at how they eating!... Goddammit.
***
"Ooooh! That was amazing. I ate like a pig." Jullanar was patting her belly with satisfaction.
Dishes around her were cleaned empty.
Wulf and Jorna were having a lovey-dovey meal together and took their favorite plates to the side alone.
The Skaal trio were consumed into the Shish Taouk and the Persian Rice.
Nefertiti was politely eating the simple Horker Stew I which was right to her standards as a cat.
The most mysterious one was Alina, no one saw here eat but Jull made a fuss because the number of the empty plates around Alina has far surpassed her own… now that I think about it, when did that happen?
"Tsk! A bunch of ungrateful gluttons." I cussed in a low voice.
"Come on Jon, you really did it this time, you have surpassed the previous record." Jull said with a bright smile.
Sigh!
"Yes, cousin. Your cooking is as amazing as Uncle Jonrad's."
I don't think that is a compliment at all.
"Jon always cooks better than Headmistress Nurina back at the orphanage."
Because she can't cook anything decent.
"Yes, Jon is the secret gourmet of Winterhold, his plates can save lives." That was Alina.
"Oh! T- Thank you, Alina."
For some reason, only Alina knows what is the right thing to say. And I think she is right, if the whole world came together on one table of Fried Beef Liver on the Alexandrian Style and French Fries, it will surely know peace.
***
The next day, I woke up those lazy bums to get an early start. They sure ate a lot and became too lazy to move.
Before we set off, one of Ongeim's men came to inform me about the progress in Kolbjorn Barrow Excavation site. It seemed that they used the Utility Frost Atronach Spells that I provided them and dug to the entrance of the barrow, these atronachs can do a great job and all.
Anyway, after everyone was ready, we walked north to the Earth Stone outside Raven Rock.
The Earth Stone was not that different from the Water Stone in appearance feeling, it also had a pool of water around it and all. We activated the Runes on the Stone to issue the start to the Earth Ritual.
"We now need to head north to the Cave of Hidden Music." Frea said.
We followed her silently but I suggested we ride out Flame Atronach Horses that we didn't conjure at all to not make a scene around us. The Skaal trio liked the idea even though the Atronachs are Demonic Beings of the Daedric Planes. We eventually arrived at the Cave after going deep into the Isinfier Plains, there we found a cave where Frea led us, its walls were filled with inscriptions on its walls that seemingly belonged to the Skaal.
Outside the Cave, we could occasionally hear a strange musical sound that came from inside with the caves chilly air. We headed in with Wulfur on the lead carrying the Champion's Cudgel and his Tower Shield, Jullanar followed him to ensure that there were no traps he couldn't detect. The cave's rocks were black and there were rocks hung from the ceiling and grew from the ground itself, the cave network was going up and down and was more complicated than what I ever thought it would be but it was mostly empty.
What came across first was a single draugr, one of those infamous undead creatures that dwell in most of the Nordic ruins.
"Leave it to me!" Wulf insisted to face the draugrs on his own.
He waved his heavy hammer with one hand and it curved left and right destroying the draugr's limbs and skull. Wulfur was using his Golden Aura that can do a lot of harm to undead. It really suited him.
As we reached the deepest part in the cave, Frea said that we arrived at the Chamber of Song. It was a large space at the deepest point of the caves and where the music came from. We looked around and found a large structure made of stalagmites and stalactites that was the main source of the music. It produced it occasionally with a pattern.
"What should we do from now on?" Wulfur asked.
"See those stones over there? If you strike them in the right order you will produce music similar to that of the cave. It is what is what you need to do." Frea said.
"Until?"
"Until the music stops."
Wulfur nodded and turned around to the stone. He held his hammer with two hands and struck the first stalagmite. It produced a sharp tone just like the cave, Wulf struck the rest of the stalagmites and they all made a different sound.
"I get the gist of it now. This is fun. Wulfur Loves Music!"
With a wide smile on his face, he started striking all the stalagmites in succession. The music grew louder and louder to the point that we all started covering our ears. Wulfur was so much in the zone and the pattern changed and intensified more.
"Jon, my hammers." He called for me asking for his tools in my ring.
I took out two hammers made from Orcish Metal, these were Wulf's two smithing hammers, I threw them at him and he switched to them and started drumming on the stalagmites as if he was some sort of a pro drummer.
The sound of the music started growing weaker after some time and Wulfur resonated his drumming skillfully until it reached its end.
"Damn, bro! These moves were lit… Woohoo!" I couldn't help but praise Wulf and high-five him.
Drumming on Stalagmites with Hammers... I don't know which school of Rock can handle that talent!
"This has taken awfully too long!" Frea said.
"What does that mean?" We asked.
"Normally it is some few strikes and it is over, I am not sure what that was but certainly the Earth felt something with the strikes and the prolonged the Ritual." Frea said with a lot of admiration towards Wulfur.
It is decided then, let's call it the Earth Rock School!
***
We returned to the Earth Stone outside Raven Rock and completed the Earth Ritual. We then headed to the Beast Stone.
The Beast Stone was located near the east side of Solstheim, south of the Skaal Village, in the Felsaad Coast region. We followed the east bank of Lake Fjalding where we hunted one of the Bull Netches when we were drunk, and then we continued north shortly we saw the spire of the stone pillar. We activated the Ritual of Beasts faster than before and listened to what Frea had to say.
"The Ritual of Beasts is may take a lot of time and not easy to complete. You should find a beast in distress and offer it help, I suggest that you all go to different directions around the stone and try to find any opportunity. We will wait for you here." Frea said.
"I see." I nodded and signaled for my people to gather.
"We need to find something fast, Nefertiti, I am depending on you." I said as I removed Nefertiti's hat from her head.
This hat was hiding her long black ears that moved a lot. Nefertiti nodded with firmness and started moving her ears around.
"This way!" She pointed towards the south.
"Fine, lead the way."
We all moved in one direction after Nefertiti and went down the hill from the Snow lands to the Ashland.
Once we walked for almost five minutes, Nefertiti's expressions intensified and she transformed to the Beast Form right away, she then turned into a bolt of shadow and disappeared like a ghost.
"Damn! She is good." Wulfur, who is the slowest in the group, said with a pale face.
"Don't mind that now, let's go after her, I feel her signal forward."
I was a bit worried and ran as fast as I could to the south. Nefertiti rarely acted on her own and was mostly not concerned with anything, but when she does become concerned, it is mostly because of something that she is annoyed with.
After ten minutes of running, I saw some hunters running away from one direction while carrying some claw-like wounds. Before they could get away, I teleported in front of one of them.
"Speak! What is going on?"
"Move aside! Move!"
I didn't want him to run away so I caught him with Telekinesis and held him in the air.
"Speak or I will send you back?"
"Dammit! You are a mage, go deal with it! A black beast, it is going to kill us."
I see.
It seems that Nefertiti attacks some hunters… was she trying to save an animal?
It wasn't far from the truth anyway. When I arrived at the hunters' camp, I found Nefertiti destroying a cage with her claws, in the cage, there was a small bear cub.
"Hey, girl. Why all the fuss?"
I ran towards her but she seemed upset and didn't reply.
"Here, let me try." I moved her paws aside and broke the cage easily.
"Come out." I tried to take the small guy out but it was a bit scared.
"Hooman, move."
Nefertiti turned into the Human Form again and pulled the bear cub outside of the cage, it came out with her effortlessly.
"Didn't I tell you to not attack humans before telling me?"
"They were bullying him." She replied.
"Oh. It was like that…"
Nefertiti had a similar experience. I saved her why she was taken by some College Students to use her for shooting practice. We are together ever since.
The others managed to find us after some time and Bjorna said that she can track the little cub's mother easily. With this we could return the little bear to his mother, Jorna could talk the mother out of attacking us easily.
With that, we returned to the Beast Stone and attempted to finish the Ritual of Beasts.
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Chapitre 226: The Pilgrimage (4) : Opportunity
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~~~~~~~~~~
"With that, the Ritual of Beasts is complete." Frea announced.
That was faster than what I expected, Alina said she healed a small bird on the way but I guess Nefertiti is the one who mostly finished this trial.
"Good job." I patted her back yet she was still depressed.
At those times, she prefers to keep it to her own until her mood improves on its own. Nefertiti's thoughts started to change a lot lately and she is as smart as a young teenager now. She can read my thoughts and do many smart things. Still, I feel like she has passed the threshold of being just a cat long ago. She is evolving and having her own personality grow further and further, and with the Magicka I provide to her, she became stronger and stronger. Her lifespan should surpass her race members greatly.
But as I said, let's keep her own matters for her in the time being. She would tell me if she really feels she can't get through anything on her own.
After the completion of the Ritual of Beasts, Frea said that this one will be the Ritual of Tree and here where things get interesting for me.
The Stone of Tree is no ordinary stone and the place it is in is no ordinary place.
"How far is the Tree Stone?" I asked.
"It is really close, just a short ride to the northwest."
It is clearly where I remembered it was.
"So, tell me about the Tree Stone, is there any special place around it?" I asked.
Frea looked at me with a questioning face, she didn't understand at all.
"I am asking about the Stone's location, how does it look like?"
"Ah! It is just a normal area, the same stone as all of the All-Maker stones, the only difference between them is the Runes on their bodies. The Tree Stone is on that Hill in a lush area."
"Lush Area?"
I was having my own thoughts about the matter.
The Tree Stone was on the center of the Temple of Miraak and it was the core stone that Miraak tried to steal the power of the All-Maker with but that…
That hasn't happened yet! I am a few years too early.
I had to wait and inspect the place for myself once I arrive there.
We took the road leading up the hill but it wasn't how I remembered it from the game. This area should have a lot of Dragon Remains left and right but it seems that these remains were sealed under the land.
Until we later arrived at the top of the hill, I finally got the enlightenment. The Temple of Miraak had no single trace in this area, the only thing that we met was the lush area with many trees and the incredible density of Magicka around the tree stone. The place looked like a grove similar to that of the Eldergleam Sanctuary.
So all this will be destroyed by Miraak, huh? Tsk! Such a waste.
Miraak is the main antagonist of the Dragonborn DLC but it is still not the time to worry about him.
"How will this trial go?" I asked Frea.
"It is actually the easiest one. After you activate the Runes on the Stone, you will take those seeds to plant them in the area." Frea said and showed me some seeds she was carrying.
"Seeds?"
"This is all there is to it, these seeds are the seeds of the First Tree, the Shaman of the Skaal gets them only from the Spriggan Matrons so it is we only brought this much."
"I understand."
It seems that these things are precious.
"Don't worry about it. Performing the Pilgrimage is important to the Skaal even if it is more than once a year. Even if an outsider did it, the Lands of the Skaal will be blessed anyway and we will grow healthier and stronger."
"All for the good then."
The Skaal are really good people and I would love to ally myself with them even more. Anyway, it was my turn to activate the Runes.
After it was done, I returned and started looking for a place to plant the seeds in.
"Frea, look at that." One of the Skaal boys called for Frea.
She went and looked at what he was pointing at then her expressions became a bit sorrowful.
"What is it, Frea?" Alina asked.
"Sigh! Since the Red Year, the eruption of the Red Mountain harmed half of the life on Solstheim and made the other half sick, some of the trees around this Grove are very old and now they are getting harmed by the Ash."
Frea started pointing at some trees that had some of their branches and parts of their trunks died.
"Is there no way to fix it?" I asked.
"Is there a way to bring back the dead?" She replied.
This is indeed sad. According to Frea, some of these trees are hundreds of years old and they should be taken down to no infect the other trees.
"Can't the Spriggans heal the trees?" I asked.
"The Spriggans in Solstheim are rare and they are some of the few servants of the All-Maker left after the land was ravaged in the Red Year. We intend to keep them safe until their numbers are good enough to survive in the lands." She said.
"I see… Alina, didn't we meet that Burnt Spriggan some time ago? Can't it help?"
Before she could reply, Frea interrupted.
"The Burnt Spriggans are as sick as those trees, they can't do anything to help anymore."
"Is that so? Well, I will just need to try something out first."
I had Alina to call the Burnt Spriggan that was following her since yesterday, it took it a while to come into the grove and stand before Alina.
"Let me inspect it for a second."
I had Alina to keep in still while I go through the Spriggan's body with some detection magic.
It was identical to the normal Spriggans with fiery energy raging through its body, it had the same branch-like limbs and the long claws on its hands with the iconic humanoid face of the Spriggans. It didn't carry any hint of nature at all.
It was fascinating how could such a creature made of wood adapt to its opposite nature which is fire. I inspected again and again with the best Scanning technique I have and came to a conclusion.
"This Spriggan, I think I can fix it."
"""Huh?"""
Well, I said something absurd after all.
"I think I can fix it."
"... How?" Alina asked.
"As you can feel, this place is abundant with Magicka but a mystic should know that there are tons of energies that come from the Heaven and Earth other than Magicka, the Vital Essence that is used when performing the Thu'um for example, the Spirit Energy that is associated with the Aura Arts and the Life Force that goes through all living things. I can feel that this place is very dense with all those energies, maybe a little inferior to the Eldergleam Sanctuary but it is all here. I can try to use some of the power around to fix Groot over here."
They all turned silent but Alina spoke right away.
"Do it, it is for the better. But do you understand what caused it to be in Burnt Spriggan from the start?"
"I am making a guess. Even though it adapted, Groot here took a form of energy it shouldn't have taken and it mutated Groot in a sort. I need to set the balance back into its body. The Spriggans are Lesser Spirits and their power are in their cores or Taproots, I will direct the energy it needs to it and absorb the other one."
"Absorb?"
"Yes! I know how to do it and it is not risky, on the contrary, it is much safer for me to absorb it than the energy of nature. But in the meanwhile, I need you and Jull to do something for me."
""What?""
"Remember the Red Scrolls I gave for the two of you and told you two to study it?"
Alina furrowed her brows and Jull asked.
"Didn't you say that is your most important achievement to date?"
"Yes, now I want you two to unseal them and take a far corner and follow the steps written in them. If you failed it wouldn't be a problem but the three of us will miss a very important opportunity."
The two followed my commands and went to the side.
"Jon, what exactly are you doing?" Wulfur asked.
"Guess it on your own, but I have found something interesting inside Groot over here."
"Can't we just finish the Ritual first and do whatever that is later?"
"What would you choose, reforge an old blade back to shape or just patch it with some metal?"
"Reforge it of course."
"I am reforging the problem here. Now listen, I want you to watch over everything while I am busy. Jorna, I want you to stay with Nefertiti for a while."
"Fine!" "Got it!"
"Frea, I am asking you to take care of the Spriggan once I am done with healing it, you are a Shaman so you can talk to them, right?"
"Eh! I am- I mean, I am still an apprentice."
"You will do just fine, just keep calming the Spriggan with magic for now."
"... Fine."
This opportunity I got is priceless, I should make the most of it.
I focused my attention on the Spriggan and cast 'Bind', it is a spell that I rarely use but it can trap the target in its place and prevent it from moving. An Alteration Spell that is just like the Illusion Spell 'Paralyze'.
Anyway, I sat in front of the Spriggan and aimed my hands to its core. I looked left and right to take note of everything before I go full focus.
Nefertiti and Jorna are fine, Wulfur is ordering the two Skaal boys around to secure the place, Frea is calming the Spriggan with soothing words of its language, Alina and Jullanar started their first cultivation close to the center of the grove.
All in place.
"Okay, here we go."
On the fingertips of my left hand, a golden white energy started to come out, it was very pure but carried a hint of chilliness and seemed not so balanced but that was the gist of it, this is part of the energy I absorbed back when I visited the Eldergleam sanctuary for the first time, the same energy that caused me the state of Astral Damage.
That energy went out of my fingertips and slowly invaded the inside of the Spriggan targeting its Taproot. The Spriggan that was mostly quiet made a pained sound and started to fight back.
"I am sorry Groot but this will be all okay in a second."
My right hand was guiding the golden white Energy coming out of the left to the center of the Taproot. Once I could feel it, I directed the Energy to attack and refine it, this process would kick away the foreign energy.
But I didn't want it kicked out, I wanted it into me. So with my right hand, I started absorbing that wild energy from the Taproot of the Spriggan and it started emerging as hot energy with a red hint to it, it was very hard and wild to take it but I didn't falter and started trapping it inside my body as fast as possible.
The process took almost ten minutes but I felt so drained and tired like never before but I was about to get done now.
Still, that red energy was wilder than I thought, I know it is a Heart Energy but it is very lively and I didn't think it would be this naughty.
Finally, with the last bit of the Heart Energy coming out, I trapped it between my palm and it was trying to escape away as much as it could.
At that time, a voice talked to me.
(Impossible! You managed to grab that amount this fast?)
'Shadow, you bastard! You are the one who kept insinuating me from the start? What made you think I wouldn't Dare to accept such a challenge.'
(Heh heh heh, apologies. But you are too weak to hold that much power, you can't even handle the power of a tiny Heart Stone. This may be good if you are stronger but right now you will harm yourself and others.)
'You know what, I like it that you can't read my mind unlike the Augur.'
(You are the one who told him to keep me out. He also doesn't listen to me at all.)
'Yeah, he has a good anti-virus system.'
(Virus? How mean! Still, I am interested in what reckless thing you are going to do! My money is on you causing yourself another Astral Damage.)
'...'
I stood up ignoring the voice in my head and looked at the Spriggian that collapsed with the fire on it dimming out.
"Frea, use 'Healing' and 'Calm' on it. Wulfur, make sure to keep Frea safe."
They nodded and retreated away from the Red Energy that I was trapping my in hands.
I walked away and went closer to Alina and Jullanar then sat in front of them. They were focused and seemed to be going through the training the right way.
Now... it is time for all of us to be stronger!
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