Ahbiilok had landed in a deserted area in the East of Skyrim, I didn't want anyone to see me with a Dragon. It would cause a commotion and the Thalmor would be on my ass faster than a horse on a stick, those funking High Elves would never let this news and opportunity to hunt a dragon go, these Thalmor counts are way to obsessed with power they would cause the end of the world, which is actually their plan so I guess everything would work out for them if that happened.
With Ahbiilok hidden in a cave, I set out with Rael towards various villages and towns that were not one of the nine major cities. the cities where the most bounty contracts were posted. These jobs were perfect for gaining experience and notoriety without raising too much suspicion.
I made sure to wear an illusion amulet I found within Ahbiilok's treasures. This was a permanent and more powerful Illusion Enchantment than even Cirilla's necklace. Ahbiilok's amulet had made it so literally no one can see past the illusion and all they would see of me is a Nord teenager of 14 years old.
The first town we arrived at was a small place called Ivarstead, located at the base of the Throat of the World. It was a quiet, unassuming place, perfect for low profile bounties.
"Welcome, stranger," the local blacksmith greeted me with a nod as I dismounted Rael. "You've come to the right place if you're looking for work. We've had some trouble with bandits and wild beasts lately. If you're skilled with blade or spell, I'm sure the folks around here could use your help."
My eye twitched slightly, I wasn't a very social person and was a shut-in neet in my past life. although I became more sociable with friends like Cirilla and Elika, it was still an weird....kindness people has towards one another.
"Ah, I see," I said with a nod, trying to sound as casual as possible. "I've got some skills, I'll see what I can do to help."
With Rael by my side, I headed towards the local bounty board. It was a simple wooden plank with a few parchments pinned to it, each detailing various troubles plaguing the small community. I scanned the papers, looking for something that would be both challenging and worthwhile. Most of the jobs were for basic bandit raids or monster exterminations, but a few caught my eye. One spoke of a rogue mage causing havoc in the nearby ruins, another of a giant that had been seen rampaging through the countryside.
Choosing the mage job, I grabbed the parchment and approached the man who had posted it. He was a nervous looking merchant, sweat beading on his brow. "I'll take this one," I said, flashing him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll handle it." He handed over a crude map to the ruins and a generous payment in advance. I slipped the gold into my pocket, feeling the weight of the coins against the cold metal of the storage ring.
Rael and I set off immediately, the cold wind whipping against our faces as we made our way through the rugged terrain. It had been a while since I'd ridden through the countryside, and the thrill of adventure was beginning to overtake my initial fear. We arrived at the ruins just as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the ancient stones. The mage had to be hiding within, using the cover of darkness to perform his nefarious deeds. Ahh if only anime existed in this world. This guy could be a cosplayer as someone attempting to summon a Demon Lord.
I chuckled at the thought.
As we approached the ruins, I could feel the thrum of magical energy in the air. It was thick, almost palpable, hinting at the chaotic power that the rogue mage was wielding. Rael's ears perked up, sensing the danger ahead. I patted his neck, whispering reassurances as we moved forward into the shadows.
The ruins were a labyrinth of crumbling stones and twisted metal, a stark reminder of a civilization long gone. The moon cast eerie shadows that danced along the ground as we stepped carefully through the decaying archways. The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant howl of a wolf and the occasional clank of Rael's armor.
I could feel the mage's presence growing stronger with each step, his magic tugging at the very fabric of the world around us. It was like a siren's call, tempting me to delve deeper into the abyss. As we ventured further in, I spotted the flicker of a campfire in the distance. The mage had to be close.
Rael and I approached the camp with caution, the fire casting an orange glow over the ancient ruins. The mage was hunched over a bubbling cauldron, muttering to himself in a language I couldn't quite place. It was definitely not one of the common tongues of Tamriel. His eyes were glazed over, a sign that he was deep in concentration.
This was my chance.
I took a deep breath, feeling the cold air fill my lungs. The mage was too engrossed in his ritual to notice our approach, and Rael was as silent as a shadow. We moved in, my hand gripping the hilt of my enchanted spear tightly.
The mage's incantation grew louder, his hands weaving through the air as if he was conducting an invisible orchestra. Suddenly, a burst of purple energy shot out from the cauldron, and a daedric creature materialized before us—a twisted abomination of flesh and bone, snarling and snapping with rage. The mage turned, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw me standing there, ready for battle.
"Who dares to interrupt my summoning?" He roared, raising his staff.
I took a closer look at the Daedric being that the mage had summoned and i was filled with joy!!!
It's a Dremora! And by the looks of it it might actually be one from Mehrunes Dagon's realm of Oblivion!!! What luck! After the mage is dead ill spawn kill this fucker and force the Dremora to fetch me my Sigil Stones!
Without hesitation, I leaped from Rael's back, the enchanted spear in my hand singing with cold energy. I knew I had to act fast; daedric creatures are notorious for their unpredictability and lethality. The mage's eyes narrowed as he recognized the weapon's power.
"Foolish whelp," he spat. "You know not what you meddle with."
"Dumbassguyabouttodiesayswhat!"
"What? Argh!"
The mage's sentance was cut short as I lunged at him, my spear aimed at his chest. He barely had time to react before the weapon pierced his robes, the icy enchantment freezing him in place. His eyes went wide with fear and surprise, and he gasped for breath as the cold spread through his body.
The Dremora took this moment to attack, seeing its summoner in danger. Its fiery sword clashed against my frost-covered shield, sending sparks flying in every direction. The creature was powerful, but its rage was its downfall. I parried its attacks with ease, using the speed granted by my potions and the agility of my Senche-Raht to dance around it.
While the daedric creature was distracted, I took the opportunity to strike at the mage. He tried to cast a spell, but I was quicker, plunging my spear into his chest. With a final gasp, he collapsed, the life draining from his eyes. The Dremora howled in fury, but the mage's death was its undoing. The magical barrier that held it in this world dissipated, and with a screech, it vanished back to the plane of Oblivion.
"Oh no you don't fuck face! Get over here!" I shouted as I used the Skeleton Key to open a portal ta the exact spot the Dremora had vanished.
The Dremora reappeared with a snarl, thrown off guard by my sudden command over the very fabric of reality. "How do you control the very fabric of the planes!"
"I don't have time for your whining," I said coldly. "You will serve me or you will die."
"Foolish Mortal!" The Dremora said as it charged at me, despite it being fueled with pride and anger it still had thousands of years of battle experience in comparison to me, not to mention it was also physically stronger than me by a large gap, but I had agility and dexterity on my side.
Our weapons clashed, sparks flying as we danced in a deadly ballet, the Dremora's fiery blade meeting my enchanted ice spear. But it was a dance that would soon turn into a slaughter.
Each time the Dremora fell, defeated by my swift strikes and the cold embrace of my spear, I would bring it back with the power of the Skeleton Key, forcing it to face me once more. The daedric creature's fiery rage grew with each resurrection, but so did its fear. It had never encountered a mortal with such control over the very fabric of its existence.
Finally, the Dremora lay before me, panting and broken. "I will serve you, mortal," it growled through clenched teeth. "What are your commands?"
I smirked, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand. "Good choice. First, I want you to travel back to your master's realm, Oblivion, and bring me as many Sigil Stones as you can carry. They are of great value to me and my cause." The Dremora nodded reluctantly.
Before it could vanish again, I added, "And while you're there, make contact with someone in Molag Bal's realm of Coldharbour. Tell them I require Black-Iron Ingots and Necroplasm, as much as they can spare. Offer them something valuable in return, something that only a daedric creature would crave." The Dremora's eyes flashed with a hint of resentment, but it knew better than to argue.
With a final snarl, it disappeared into the portal, leaving behind a faint whiff of brimstone. I watched the spot where it had been, feeling a mix of satisfaction and anticipation. The power I wielded was immense, and with each victory, my thirst for more knowledge and power grew.
Ahbiilok, who had been watching from the shadows, emerged with a chuckle. "Your tactics are... unorthodox, but effective," he said, his deep voice resonating through the ruins. "Your ability to adapt and manipulate is truly fascinating, Sivreth."
I nodded, catching my breath. "It's all about understanding your opponents' psycholog and exploiting it,, how do you think i defeated you" I replied, sheathing my spear. "Now, let's see what else this place has to offer before we leave."
We searched the mage's camp, finding a few more enchanted items and tomes detailing his dark rituals. I added them to my collection, eager to study them later and uncover any useful information or spells.
Ahbiilok hovered nearby, watching me with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "You are quite the cunning one, Sivreth. Few can claim to have tamed a Dremora, let alone one from Mehrunes Dagon's realm. His power had grown greatly following the Oblivion Crisis, making it so that the veil between Mundus and his plain of Oblivion is weaker. This will not be the Last time, but one of many times you will face a Daedra summoned from his realm specifically."
Ignoring his words for the moment, I focused on the task at hand, searching the ruins for any clues or treasures that the mage may have left behind. The cold air whipped around us as we moved deeper into the ancient structure. The smell of moss and decay filled my nostrils as we stepped over the rubble, the echoes of our footsteps bouncing off the cold stone walls.
Ahbiilok hovered above, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. His presence was comforting, a stark contrast to the fear that had once consumed me at the sight of a dragon. Now, he was an ally, a powerful one at that. As we moved through the ruins, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in our newfound friendship, despite his initial hostility.
The ruins revealed themselves to be more than just a mage's lair. They held secrets of a long-lost civilization, their architecture hinting at a time when elves and men coexisted without the strife that now plagued Tamriel. We found ancient artifacts, some of which hummed with an energy that was unmistakably magical. I pocketed a few, knowing they could be of great value or use in the future.
Ahbiilok's eyes lit up as we stumbled upon a chamber filled with ancient texts and scrolls, some of which were written in the lost language of the Dwemer. "These... these are priceless," he murmured, his voice filled with awe. "They could hold the key to forgotten knowledge, to powers lost to time."
"You behave more like Brarilu Theran, that guy was obsessed with enchanting. Your a Dragon for crying out loud, how can you act so childish when confronted with new knowledge but had fought more violently than even Alduin would."
Ahbiilok chuckled, the sound reverberating through the chamber. "I may be a dragon, Sivreth, but I am also a scholar. Knowledge is power, and power is what keeps us dragons at the top of the world. Many Dov sought their own means to maintain their superiority and power after the Dragon wars came to an end. I turned to Enchantments more than destruction, the creation of magical effects to alter the world is what intrigued me the most.
But you," He said with a smirk, "You, my friend, have the mind of a true conqueror. You understand that power is not just brute force, but strategy, cunning, and control. The ability to manipulate reality itself is a power that even the greatest of dragons would envy."
"I've barely even learnt how to create a small flame using Dawn Magic...it is the hardest form of magic I have tried to learn so far."
"You are focusing too much on Creation and Manipulation of Magicka to create the flame, but forgot Dawn Magic's most powerful trait and fundamental one. You do not creat or manipulate it, you simply alter it, you open the door in specific ways and at certain angles. Even the type of door being opened can change the effects Dawn magic can take. That is a example ro help you with further advancement in the school of Magic that you seek to master," Ahbiilok's words echoed in the chamber, as if the very stones themselves were whispering the ancient secrets to me.
Before I could continue the conversation, a portal had opened up revealing the Obedient Dremora return with a daedric chart? Full of what Sivreth had told him to retrieve for him.
The Dremora dropped the chart with a grunt before me and saluted, "I have retrieved your Sigil Stones and Necroplasm as you have commanded, my Lord."