It's been an hour since the bandits' tragedy. The corpses are all taken care of, put to god knows where. But of course, I looted them all as they passed through me.
"...971... 972... 973... and 974." I threw the last gold coin to the almost full 10th pouch of coins. I just filled the previous 9 with 100 coins.
"I escaped poverty!"
"Congratulations. Now you know how awesome being a guard is." The Captain clapped lightly.
"If only I'm not in some weird convoluted quest to save the world I really would've joined you right now. But alas, fate does not will it." I sighed.
Speaking of quest to save the world from giant lizard, where the fuck are the others? We already fought a bandit army and they're still not done.
They are taking a bit too long. I hope they don't encounter some trouble.
~~~~~~~~~~
"BOB, HIDE BEHIND ME!"
"HADVAR YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOUR ARCHERY SKILLS ARE AS GOOD AS A DRUNK SKEEVER! THROW AWAY THAT BOW AND HELP ME OVER HERE!"
"RALOF YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU TOOK MY SHIELD! HOW AM I GONNA GET CLOSE!?"
"Troublesome."
"WHY IS THERE A DRAUGR OVERLORD HERE!"
~~~~~~~~~~
I'm sure they'll be fine.
"So, now what?" I dumped the pouches on top of the chest of arrows and turned to the Captain.
"Now, we wait. It's going to be boring for a while." The Captain grabbed a chair from a corner and sat down.
I shrugged and did the same. In silence, we watched the road.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Finally... I thought I was about to die." Bob collapsed on the ground.
"Hadvar, never touch a bow again." Ralof panted, hands on his knees.
"You took my shield. I can't get close." Hadvar glared, sitting on the ground.
"Loud."
"Adam could've made this place so much easier. Why did we not let him come with us?" Bob stood up after some difficulty.
"You blabbered about him being a godly archer so the Jarl made him guard a watchtower." Hadvar faced him, face blank.
"Oh..."
"Aria, what are you doing?" They turned to look around and saw the only female in the group staring at a wall blankly.
"Hey, are you okay?" Hadvar went closer and tapped her shoulder.
"...fus..."
"What?"
"Fus." Bob went over with Ralof at this moment.
"Fus?" Hadvar raised an eyebrow.
"This is a world wall. They are scattered along Skyrim, containing an ancient language." Bob supplied.
"These letters... they're more like claw marks." Hadvar went closer to the wall and traced the carvings.
"Because they are. That is dragon language." Ralof went to the wall. "I heard rumors, but I didn't believe it back then."
"Every word wall signifies a tomb. And the Draugr Overlord might be the one it was erected for." Bob pointed at the decapitated Draugr Overlord on the stairs.
"Then what is fus?" Hadvar asked.
"Dragon word for force."
"You can read dragon language?" Ralof looked at him in surprise.
"I can't. I just know this one in particular." Bob waved his hands.
"Then Aria can? She said fus earlier." Hadvar pointed at the silent lady.
"Well, if I'm not wrong... She should be the Dragonborn."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Dragons, Dragonborn, end of the world... Yeah, this is too much to take in." Ralof shook his head.
They're currently in Whiterun's gates. Aria is back to normal, silent as ever. Bob is trying to read the carvings on the back of the Dragonstone that's carried by Hadvar.
"Yeah, I don't understand a thing." Bob eventually shook his head.
"You're not the Dragonborn, stop trying." Hadvar spoke.
"What do you know? I might learn it."
"If you do then I'll swallow a dagger."
"Is that a challenge?"
"Take it as you will."
"Nyehehehehe..."
Hadvar suddenly felt a chill.
Entering Dragonsreach, they immediately went to Farengar and delivered the Dragonstone.
"Here it is. Dragonstone." Hadvar dropped the stone on a table.
"Hmm? Ah, yes, the Jarl's protege! Back from Bleak Falls Barrow? You didn't die, it seems." Farengar smiled at them.
Suddenly, his face looks very punchable.
"Shut up. We fought a Draugr Overlord for that." Ralof knocked on the Dragonstone.
"Ah! The Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow! Seems you are a cut above the usual brutes the Jarl sends my way. My... associate here will be pleased to see your handiwork. She discovered its location, by means she has so far declined to share with me." Farengar gestured at the hooded person beside him.
"You went into Bleak Falls Barrow and got that? Nice work. Just send me a copy when you've deciphered it." The person spoke. Hadvar felt that the lady sounded strangely familiar.
As they were talking, Irileth barged in.
"Farengar! Farengar, you need to come at once. A dragon's been sighted nearby. You four should come too." Irileth reported.
"A dragon! How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?" Farengar brightened.
"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you. If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun, I don't know if we can stop it" Irileth told him.
"Let's go." They went to the main hall where the Jarl is talking to a guard.
"So, where is the dragon sighted?" Hadvar asked the guard.
"Uh, the Western Watchtower." The guard answered.
"Wait... isn't that where Adam is?" Ralof suddenly had a bad feeling.
Just then, another guard rushed in.
"My Jarl! The Western Watchtower is destroyed!"
~~~~~~~~~~
10 minutes earlier, Western Watchtower
"You know, guard duty might not be so bad." I hummed, drinking a mouthful of mead from one of the bottles I bought earlier.
"It's a good job. You just stay here, shooting things." The Captain leaned on his chair.
"I don't know yet. My er, friends, might need me." I chugged the bottle empty.
"Ah, obligations am I right? A massive thorn in your backside."
"Correct mate."
As we were chilling, we heard a roar. Looking up, a dragon appeared from over the mountains. It flapped its wings, suddenly speeding up and heading over... to us.
"First, an army of bandits. Then now it's a dragon." That took quite a massive jump in difficulty.
"Welcome to guard duty mate." The Captain popped open the chest of arrows and grabbed a handful to his quiver.
I chugged an entire bottle of mead and also grabbed some arrows from the chest. I nocked one in my bow and aimed.
"First one to hit the eyes wins?"
"You're on."
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