The ride after the incident was pretty tense, and things didn't relax even after the group had exited the mountain passage and reached the grassy plains of the Rift. To help Charlotte relax, he replaced her as the cart driver, allowing her to take a nap while resting her head on Tiffania's lap... Jealous.
Half a day later and Michael was already getting bored again, so he decided to try something he'd only thought of recently... He has Illococoo sit next to him as he pulls out some sheets of parchment from his inventory.
"What's this, big bro?" she asks in a terribly adorable voice dripping with curiosity.
Michael smiles, "These, are copies that a vampire had made of a word wall... Since you're a Rhyme... Lizard." Illococoo puffs her cheeks at that but he continues, "You might be able to understand it. This is the language of the dragons, so I figured you'd be the best suited for it." he says, causing the girl to forget his earlier faux pau and glare down at the parchment.
"Dragon language? There are dragons in this world!?" she asks and Michael nods, unconsciously rubbing her head as if she were an excitable puppy. Though, strangely, he could feel someone glaring at the back of his head... He turns, only catching a glimpse of movement from Tiffania, the girl looking at the nearby scenery despite her hair still moving...
Ignoring that for now, he turns back towards the dragon girl next to him, "Yeah, they're not like the things back home though, these ones can talk, and each of their words literally change the fabric of reality... At least, that's what I think happens. They've been extinct for thousands of years so, no one really knows anymore. Anyway, as I was saying, if you are able to learn this language, you'd be the strongest person in Skyrim!" he says only being partly truthful, he didn't know how powerful the Thu'um was compared to the game, so maybe he was wrong on this front...
Stars seem to shine in her eyes as she hears this, her fists clenching in front of her as if she were trying to grab and pull determination into existence. "R-really!? Even stronger than you, big bro!?"
Michael slowly nods, "As I am now at least, I can't summons storms, stop time, or sucks the souls out of people with a word... Which is all possible with the dragon language by the way."
His words seem to be the thing that breaks the camels back, the girl quickly snatching the parchments from him and looking through them with an analytical eye. Truthfully, he'd never seen her more serious than this. Even in battle, she seems to treat it all as fun and games, but her face now as she looks through the language? She looked like someone gambling with their soul... Or taking a massive shit...
He lets her concentrate for ten or so minutes before nudging the girl with his elbow, "Think you can learn anything from it?"
Illcocoo nods, pointing at one of the many strange letters, "This one, Su, I think it means... Air...?" she says, almost questioningly. "I need more to know for sure... But this is fun! You'll help me right, big bro?"
Michael nods, patting her head, "Of course Illu, just try not to get too caught up in it." he points a thumb over his shoulder at Tiffania and Charlotte, "You don't wanna end up like those two nerds who just read all day."
Illococoo laughs and nods, "Never! So booring!"
Tiffania just gives an exasperated smile, "She won't grow up if you keep teaching her like this, Michael." she says before focussing on Illococoo, "And I promise, you'll be a 'nerd' like us one day."
"Noo! I refuse!" Illococoo announces while crossing her arms, turning away with a mock huff.
Michael smirks, "Oh... Then I guess you won't need these anymore." he says, reaching for the parchment filled with the dragon language.
"W-wait!" she exclaims, keeping his hand at bay, "You're being meaaaaan!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With that, Illococoo hopped into the back of the cart with the others, leaving Michael to drive the cart through the lonely Rift plains...
"Awwoooooo! For the longest tiiime! Oooohoooohooo! For the longest-aweooooOooo!"
"Jitterbug, che-che, Jhitter-bug, che-che, you put the boom-boom into my heart!"
"Partner, please, just stop with this racket..." Derflinger begs, the unfamiliar songs might've sounded good... If there were sung by an actual bard, but Michael certainly wasn't that!
"Karma Karma Karma Karm Karma Chameleon! You come and goo, you come and gooooooo!"
Finally, Derflinger has Illococoo slam his hilt onto the side of the cart a couple times, somehow knocking the senses out of the blade... Nevertheless, Michael continues his songs to tide away the never-ending boredom that is carriage driving...
"Never gonna give you up! Never gonna-" Michael's singing is interpreted by a sudden shout from the side of the road.
"Hells no woman! There's no way we're going down there! I agreed to dig and excavate for you, not fight off a hoard of undead monsters!" a Nord man states, coming from a campsite set up outside a large cave entrance, followed by many of his compatriots, all of which were carrying mining equipment.
Chasing them was a Dark Elf woman wearing a dress particularly unsuited for this area... Long skirts weren't helpful when wading through tall grass and dungeons... Still, she hurried after them looking particularly cross, ready to draw a dagger on them even, despite how outnumbered she was. "YOU! I hired you to work, and work you will!"
"Or what!? What can you do to us that the hoard of horrors in that cave can't?" one man angrily retorts, emphasizing his point by jabbing his pickaxe in her direction.
The woman scowls but halts and crosses her arms, realising that there wasn't anything she could do to them. Plus, she was a Dark Elf in Nord territory, it probably wouldn't end well for her if she antagonized them any further... Though, apparently scorned women aren't the most restrained people. "Fine then! Run like cowards!" she spits on the floor, "Your ancestors would be ashamed! Milk-Drinking whelps the lot of you!"
One of the men chuckle, "That might be, but we'd be ALIVE whelps! See you oblivion you squinty-eyed vampire!" he says, stomping off towards Riften while the others follow, leaving the woman dumbly standing there.
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The woman was visibly trembling in anger, however, once she hears the sound of their horse, she stiffly turns her head in Michael and his companion's direction.
...
Michael politely coughs into his fist, realising that he was now the target for her unspent anger now... "*Ahem*, apologies, but we were just leaving..." he says, flicking the reins to get the horses to go faster, only then for the woman to stand in front of them, forcing him to stop. "Lady, just get out of the way. We don't want any trouble, so, you know, move before we ride over you."
Shaking her head, the woman walks closer to the cart, manoeuvring around to where Michael was sitting, her eyes trailing over him before eventually landing on Derflinger resting at his hip. "You can help me." she decides without even asking, causing Michael brows to furrow even lower in irritation.
"Get lost, please."
She grabs his forearm and shakes her head, "No! You will help me!... You have to help me!"
"I don't 'HAVE' to do anything, now piss off you crazy cunt!" he says, smacking away her hand.
"I-I-... There's gold in it for you! Treasure!" she hastily points over to the cave, "There's an ancient Nord crypt in there and I know for sure it's filled with treasure! Come on!... Please!?"
...
Michael actually wanted to accept her proposition, but he was more leaning towards refusing just to spite her... Then, when she leaves to find help, he'd raid the dungeon himself and leave her with nothing. "I r-"
"Big bro! It might have another Word Wall! Can't we do it?"
Tiffania nods, "I don't want to leave her out here like this... What if she runs into wolves on her way back home?"
...
Seeing his torn expression, the Dark Elf presses, "I promise it will be worth your while! The only thing that's left is the get rid of the undead in the crypt!"
...
Michael glances at his companions, the girls giving him eager nods... "Fine... But I get first pick of the shit that's in there!" he states, causing the Dark Elf's face to firm up, but she relaxes and nods despite it. It seems that she finally understood her position.
"My name is Medresi Dran, a pleasure to work with you."
"Michael Tahlin." he says, not bothering to react to the strange looks he was getting from the others, "Yeah, that's my name, problem?"
Tiffania shakes her head, "N-no. It sounds good." she says, mentally imagining it attached to her last name. Tiffania Tahlin, hmmm?
Illococoo only crooks a smile at him, "Is it because you're short? Does calling yourself Michael Tall-lin make you feel better, big br-Ouch!" she whines as he sends a light jab at her arm, causing her to rub it with a pout.
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The group leaves Charlotte in the camp to take care of Maria, the cart, and the horses. Michael wasn't worried though, the girl was probably strong enough to hold off a couple of giants, plus, he wasn't sure how strong her Ice magic would be against Draugr.
That left Michael, Medresi, Tiffania, and Illococoo to enter the dungeon. Fortunately for everyone, the miners had left their torches and lanterns behind when they'd fled the place, not wishing to get caught up with the undead for a couple lanterns...
"Can you fight?" he asks the Dark Elf as the group walk through the cave entrance.
She shrugs, "A small amount of fire magic, I'm Dunmer so it's in my blood. Other than that... No. Or I'd have cleared this place myself."
Michael slowly nods, "I thought so..." he murmurs as they venture deeper and deeper inside. Eventually finding themselves standing on a large incline that overlooked the tomb entrance, along with the many Draugr which patrolled it.
"Can you fight that many?" the Dark Elf asks, sounding somewhat sceptical. She couldn't be blamed either, he wasn't armed or armoured with anything aside from Derflinger, plus, neither Tiffania or Illococoo looked like the combative sort.
Michael shrugs, "Probably, but we might as well do this the easy way... Tiff, cast your ash spell, Illu, use wind to cover the Draugr with it."
They nod, Tiffania raising her wand and chanting, "Wall of Ash." causing a plume of searingly hot ash to shoot from it and down towards the Draugr. It stops at the entrance, burning one undead alive, but Illococoo summons a gust of wind which carries it further through the crypt... Indeed, the hot ash and torrid winds cause some flammable objects within to light, causing yet even more damage to the Draugr.
"Nice job guys." he praises, holding his hand out and summoning an illusionary flame off and on in his palm, much to the confusion of the others.
He continues this, building up stacks of Fiery Soul by using Carnival Tricks, and soon enough, the effects are visible.
The air around Michael heats up, his hands and arms gaining a glow as fire begins to envelop them. His hair raises slightly, as if the effect of gravity on them was lessened. With all that done, he draws Derflinger and slides down the incline, his feet leaving a small fading trail of fire as he goes.
Tiffania dispels the cloud of hot ash as he approaches, allowing him to see the damage the combination spell had caused... Three-quarters of the Draugr were dead, their mouths and throats scorched and their insides destroyed by the ash. The wind had lessened the intensity of it, but the Draugr's weakness to fire shone through anyway.
The remaining few that'd somehow avoided death give screeches before charging at him, but, his boosted speed combined with his improved swordsmanship and Gandalfr runes had him going ridiculously quickly. The Draugr' weren't even able to make their first attack as their heads and limbs were severed, what's left of them burning from Michael's 'Fiery Presence' alone.
With the first room cleared, Michael backtracks towards his group, giving a cheeky smile as he waves at the gaping Medresi.
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