Tarron descended the tower upon which he showed up. And once he got to the bottom, the ethereal Glow dissipated, and the tower shrunk below the ground.
"What was that?" Tarron asked the Elf Ghost.
"The echoes of an era long forgotten the towers that once stood there belonged to my ancestors before its demolition by the Archons." The Elf ghost said
"What?" Tarron asked.
"A species long forgotten, which had superiority complex that drove their Leader, the Gifted, to attempt to Genocide every other race." The elf Ghost said.
"So, this is the northern region?" Tarron asked.
"Indeed, and there is no remnant of what the elves did here long ago." The elf ghost said with disgust.
"What happened to it?" Tarron asked, beginning to make his way towards the city.
"It was destroyed by the northborns who settled here. Ruining the history built up over centuries." The elf Ghost replied, once again showing his distaste of anything non-elven.
"On the contrary, the northborns have built up centuries of history of their own." Tarron told the elf.
They made their way to the city but were blocked by one of the guards.
"Halt, the city's closed for the night, you'll have to come by in the morning if you want to get into Whitereach, Traveler." The Guard said. "Otherwise, you'll need to get the Jarl's favor."
"The night in the northern region can last for over several months out of the Year, Tarron, we cannot wait that long." The elf said, "The city may have a clue as to where the Ritualist may be hiding."
"How do I earn this Jarl's favor?" Tarron asked the Guard, who could not see the elf.
"Your best bet would be to take some of the Bounty contracts on some of the enemy leaders here and near Noria." The Guard said, pointing at a bounty board nearby.
"And which direction is Noria? Is it overseen by the Jarl, too?" Tarron asked
"It's just up the Griffin's throat, and no, it's not overseen by Jarl Jorrlund. Noria is overseen by the High king." The Guard explained, and Tarron gave a Nod, walking over to the bounty Board.
"We cannot rely purely on taking up bounties to get us to the Ritualist, we need to take a major action to get his attention." The elf ghost said.
"For now, this is all we have, I recognize a few of the names, and faces, like this Orc, he was at the gate during the attack. He's one of the ritualist's subordinates. He killed Commander Sillonus." Tarron said.
"Tell me about this Sillonus." the elf said.
"Like you, he wasn an elf, but he was compassionate, and a good friend." Tarron told him.
"I'm sorry for his loss." The elf said.
Tarron and The elf made thier way to the fortress that the Orc was said to be staying at, Tarron Climbed the walls and Silently took out the Archers, he had just killed the final Archer when he felt a boot in his back, forcing him to the ground, Tarron Quickly rolled over to look at who had attacked him, his blade arm holding the Dagger his son had used during the attack on the southern gate. Was locked with a sword Being held by the Orc who had killed Sillonus, and was surprised to see Tarron's face.
"You know, Ranger, I could've sworn I thought I saw Dolga the ritualist slit your throat at the gate three years ago, nevermind, I'll just finish the job!" The Orc said Tarron then used his Left hand to try to push the Orc off of him, the Orc Roared in pain, and reeled back off of Tarron, Tarron looked at his left hand in confusion, realizing that his hand had burned a print of it into the Orc's face
"You maggot!" The Orc Said, Moving to Attack Tarron once again, Tarron kicked his Legs up, and Hopped to his feet, and Immediately was forced to Parry a blow The Orc was aiming in his direction with his son's dagger, being unable to quickly switch to his Longsword, Tarron Pressed his advantage with the Dagger, once again disorientating the Orc, When Tarron Had the opportunity, he Grabbed the Orc and threw him off of the Wall, Giving tarron a Brief second to switch weapons, now, armed with his Longsword, he jumped off the wall where he threw the orc, the tip of the Blade aimed for the Orc's skull.
The Orc Saw this and dodged out of the way. He and Tarron were once again on equal footing. He moved to attack and locked blades with Tarron. The Orc made it a point to Lock eyes with Tarron when this happened.
"If you had put up this much of a fight at the gate, perhaps your miserable wife and son would still be alive to see the light of day." The Orc said, getting a visible and Angry reaction from Tarron, to which the orc just smiled, and Pushed Tarron back, following up with an upwards slash of his Blade that took Tarron up, and off his feet.
Tarron Quickly Struggled to Block the next attack, and the next, finally Locking blades, Tarron kicked the Orc off of him again, quickly scrambled to his feet, and cut off the Orc's sword hand. The Orc took a few steps back, shocked.
"Not bad, Ranger, the name's Horgosh, and I'll be seein' you 'ro- '' Tarron didn't let 'Horgosh' finish. He slashed upwards, Bringing the Orc to the Ground, And Using the bow Sillonus had issued Tarron Personally, Shot him dead.
"Excellent work." the elf said.
"Let's collect the head and go back to Whitereach." Tarron said
Tarron collected the head, Scaring off the remaining enemies. And walked back to Whitereach, and Showed the Guard the head, the Guard Payed Tarron the money, stating that he would be back in a few minutes, and about ten Minutes Later returned to the gate, and told Tarron that he was allowed to enter Whitereach, Tarron Immediately went to the bar and Ordered a Drink, sitting at the Table in the corner.
"That Orc was one of the Ritualist's Lieutenants, that was bound to get his attention." The Elf said.
"I hope you're right." Tarron said.
It was at this point that a crowd walked into the Tavern, the head of the pack appeared to be a Giant, well, a half Giant, he was 8 feet tall, and wore black armor, trimmed with a crimson red, with him, he had a ten-year-old Girl with Black hair and Blood Red eyes Likely the taller man's daughter, they both got water to drink. Several minutes after they came in, A dwarf man, and an Elf woman walked in separately. The Elf woman surveyed the room, until her eyes landed on where Festand was "sitting" in his incorporeal form, speaking to Tarron.
"Ghost, who's that?" Tarron asked the Elf Ghost.
"Someone who knows me." The elf ghost stated.
"I thought no one else could see you?" Tarron asked.
"Only those trapped between life and death, or those who are highly in tune with the Magic of this world." The elf Ghost explained, the Elf woman walked over to the table, and Stared at the Elf ghost.
"Can I help you?" Tarron asked.
"She can see me, Tarron." The Ghost stated.
"Father." The elf woman said.
"She's your daughter?" Tarron asked.
"I am, my name is Belette, and the Ghost is my father, Festand." Belette explained, turning her attention back to The Ghost, "You're supposed to be dead, when you went to face the Betrayer in his Volcano."
"Festand?" Tarron said at this Revelation, "The greatest elven smith in known history?"
"And now my memories return." Festand said, "I shaped the History of tiplella, and was deceived in the end."
"Since your back, Father, perhaps you could explain to me this Letter." Belette said, placing an item on the table, which Tarron picked up to read.
"Your Great aunt just sent me this while I was in Noria the other day." Belette explained, as Tarron passed it to Festand, who was Able to pick it up. Out of the Corner of his eye, Tarron saw the ten-year-old perked up, focusing her eyes on their Direction.
"I have no memory of writing a letter on this date." Festand said.
"Well, you did, it's your handwriting is it not?" Belette asked.
"It is indeed." Festand said.
"What do I do with it?" Belette asked.
"I suggest you do as I asked and become the queen of Etras." Festand replied.
"Wait, wait," Tarron said, Etras was wiped out years ago by the Wraith referring to herself of The Etras Queen."
"Her real name was Gwendolyn Dragon-loom, she charged upon Etras after murdering her husband and usurping command over his troops." Festand said.
"According to the history books, The Master forge at etras was permanently doused that night." Tarron said.
"History is not always as it seems." Belette said. "I won't be able to travel to etras alone."
"Lighting the master forge will surely get the betrayer's attention." Festand said, Looking at Tarron.
"Bringing his servants to us." Tarron added., "How do we light the master forge?"
"Dragonfire or demonfire will surely do the job." Festand replied
"To deal with either, I will need assistance." Belette said.
"You'll have our assistance," Tarron said, "I can help look for more.
At this point the ten-year-old says something to her father, pointing in this table's Direction, and the father looks as if he said that he will be right back, and he walked over to the table, and Tarron reached for his longsword laying on the seat next to Tarron.
"I wouldn't." The man said
"Be Cautious around him, Tarron, he's not to be trusted." Festand said.
"And why is that?" The tall man asked, and festand appeared shocked.
"You can see me, Dark captain?
"I can hear you. And that is not my name or title anymore.
"Really?" Festand said, unconvinced
"What's going on here?" The Man asked, suspicious.
"We're going to retake etras, and Light the Master forge." Belette said to Festand's chagrin.
"Then you must be Belette, Daughter of Festand, Making the Ghost here, your father. And you are?" The Man asked Tarron.
"Tarron, Ranger of the southern gate." Tarron replied.
"I heard that you were all whipped out three years ago.
"We were." Tarron responded
"What brings you to the north?" the Man asked
"It's not by choice." Tarron replied.
"My name is Zathor, I may be willing to help you but my daughter falls above all else." Zathor stated, and Tarron realized who he was, He was The Champion of Death, or at least was. He didn't seem to be carrying the Goddess of Death's emblem on his weapon.
"I would appreciate it." Belette said, and Zathor Nodded, heading back to the Table with his daughter. And they began Discussing something back and forth
"We'll need more than that to fight a dragon." Tarron said.
"The dwarf at the bar will be useful." Festand said.
"I'll talk to him." Tarron said, grabbing his drink and walking over to the bar.
"It's not often that I see a dwarf." Tarron said.
"Really?' the dwarf said, "Well, you've been lookin' the wrong parts of Tiplella then… Ranger. If that's really who ya are."
"It is." Tarron nodded.
"I was under the impression that ya all had died horrible deaths at the gate to the southern ashlands three years ago." The dwarf said, it still shocked Tarron that it had been three years.
"Well, you've been looking in the wrong parts of Tiplella, then." Tarron replied, to which he got a chuckle out of the dwarf.
"Bartender, another one for my mate here." The dwarf said, "So, what's yer name, ranger?"
"Tarron, and yours?" Tarron asked.
"Morvin's the name, huntin's mah game. What can I do for ya, ranger?" Morvin asked, as the Bartender brought Tarron the drink Morvin ordered for him.
"I was wondering if you were interested in a bit of an expedition." Tarron replied.
"What kind of expedition?" Morvin asked.
"The elven kind." Tarron replied.
"Hold yer horses there, explain to me what elf business has to do for a dwarf like me?" Morvin asked.
"It's to Etras, I can work out a trade deal with the expedition leader for after we get the place up and running." Tarron replied.
"What kind of trade deal?" Morvin asked.
"Eleven steel, casted in the forges of The Elven Smelters of Etras to be transported to your home city, perhaps even allowing your people Limited access to the forges of Etras." Tarron explained.
"That was NEVER on the table, Tarron. You will send Etras to war with the dwarves once he doesn't get what he wants!" Festand said, after that, Morvin just gave a bit of a laugh.
"You think the Elves are gonna let mah people use their forges?" Morvin continued chuckling, and then stopped, and got serious, "What makes you think I have a home city, anymore, Ranger? I'll only need elven steel for mahself, and only on Occasion, but since you gave me this generous offer, I think I'll accept."
Tarron breathed a sigh of relief.
"You are walking on thin ice, and you know it, Tarron." Festand said, the anger still in his voice.
So, Tarron finished up his drink when he saw the most interesting sight: A fifteen-year-old girl, with blond hair and green eyes walked into the bar.
"Isn't she a bit underage?" Tarron asked the bartender.
"You could say the same thing about them." She said, motioning to Zathor and his daughter.
"Fair enough." Tarron said, though he was confused why the fifteen-year-old had no adult to watch her in the Bar.
"Hey, Hulda." The girl said, getting on a Barstool.
"Hello, Alayna, The Usual, I presume? 'Alayna' nodded silently, The Bartender got the girl a drink, Lemonade it looked like, once she had it, Alayna got up and walked over to a table and sat by herself.
"Who is she?" Tarron asked.
"Alayna Dragonborn, poor girl lost her biological mother when she was three, and then the mother that adopted her died three years ago, a man, Greggory, has since adopted her, but the lass hasn't been the same ever since.
"How did her adoptive mother die?" Tarron asked.
"Stab wound to the gut, by the Ritualist. Then, according to Alayna, a strange man in a hood came and took her body before they could bury her.
"Who was her mother for the Ritualist, the Betrayer's top lieutenant, to be the one to kill her?" Tarron asked.
"Well, it was none other than Lilly Meya." Hulda said.
"Who?" Tarron asked
"The Sister Elita Cannoness superius who killed the false prophet? It was a major chapter in the empire's history." Hulda said.
"I thought sisters Elita weren't supposed to have families?" Tarron asked.
"That was the case until the new empire was established, the second founding if you will." Hulda replied.
"I see. This Greggory, who is he?" Tarron asked.
"He was the headmaster of Dragon's landing before it burned down. He met up with Lilly before she died and ended up Adopting Alayna after she died. He killed the dragon that attacked the college." Hulda explained.
"So, Greggory is a dragonslayer?" Tarron asked.
"If we can find him, he will be useful." Festand said.
"Not necessarily, just because you kill a dragon, doesn't make it your profession, usually it means you're lucky." Hulda said,
"Ask where we can find this Greggory." Festand said.
"Where could I find Greggory?" Tarron asked.
"Why do you want to know?" Alayna said from her table, Tarron got up and sat with Alayna.
"Because I'm looking for people who can kill a dragon." Tarron said.
"Good luck, the last person to kill a dragon died three years ago, a blade was twisted in her gut, and I'm never getting her back." Alayna said.
"Well, I hear that Greggory has killed one before. I would like to enlist his services." Tarron replied.
"Good luck finding him." Alayna told him.
"You're his daughter, are you not?" Tarron asked.
"Adopted." Alayna answered.
"Why don't you know where he is?" Tarron asked.
"He set out on a Bounty run two months ago, he hasn't been back since, either he's dead or he abandoned me." Alayna explained.
"I don't think he's either, he was able to kill a dragon, and if he was going to Abandon you, why Adopt you in the first place?" Tarron asked.
"What do you know, a logical Argument." Alayna said, "It's rare around northborns."
"I am not northborn." Tarron replied.
"I know, it's why it's a breath of fresh air speaking to you, even if your breath smells the same, how are you not drunk? You've had two bottles of Hulda's strongest stuff, and your breath shows it. But you're thinking Logically like a normal Human being." Alayna said, and Tarron didn't answer, he suspected that Festand was the answer to that, "You're not actually still alive, are you?"
"What makes you say that?" Tarron asked.
"You're a ranger of the border gates of the southern plains, the first line of defense against the Betrayer's forces. They were all wiped out." Alayna said.
"What makes you think that?" Tarron said, his tone shifting to sadness.
"My mother was killed by Dolga the ritualist. It was the Rangers' jobs to keep them back, but they still made it into the northlands. Either you were all traitors to the empire, Heretics, as the sisters Elita and inquisition would say, or you were all dead."
"And yet here I sit." Tarron replied
"What brought you back, Ranger?" Alayna asked.
"I'm still trying to figure that out myself." Tarron said, not completely understanding Festands.
"Why are you looking for someone who can kill a dragon?" She asked a new question.
"The elf, the Dwarf, and I are going to return to Etras, and activate the Master Forge there, something that can only be done through dragonfire." Tarron explained.
"Her intelligence intrigues me, she was able to figure out that we are not natural quite quickly." Festand said.
"And that's why you want Greggory." Alayna said.
"Yes." Tarron said.
"Well, I'm not really interested in fighting a dragon, but I am interested in finding my father if you're that confident he's alive, and you'll be going in the same direction he did. I want in, at least until we find Greggory." Alayna said.
Very well, if you're still interested in a few minutes, come sit with the rest of us over there." Tarron said with a sigh, not wanting to take children on this trip.
And Tarron went back to the corner table where this had all begun.
"Well, how did it go?" Belette asked.
"We got the dwarf for certain." Tarron said.
"At what cost of gold?" Belette asked.
"Elven steel, enough for the assistance of taking down a dragon." Tarron said.
"How much?" Belette asked.
"I think he'd be happy with any" Tarron said.
"You didn't set an Amount?" Belette asked.
"No." Tarron said, "I'd figured that was discussion for you"
At this point, Morvin, and Alayna walked over, Zathor was still talking with his daughter, Tarron introduced everyone to each other.
"So, what do ya do, lass?" Morvin asked Alayna.
"I tinker with clockwork dwarf technology." Alayna explained.
"Now that's something I can respect." Morvin said.
"Thanks." Alayna said, Zathor and his daughter walked over to the table.
"We'll be traveling with you, at least until we get closer to home." Zathor said, staying close to his daughter, who looked from Tarron to Festand, and then to the floor, and shifting to be behind her father.
"When do we leave?" Alayna asked.
"That's a good question, Ranger." Belette said.
""This was your expedition." Tarron said.
"Well, now it is yours, my returning to Etras is just a side effect." Belette explained.
"We leave at dawn, take the time to gather your things. It's going to be a long journey." Tarron said
"See ya then," Morvin said, 'At the gate of the city."
Tarron nodded as the group scattered to do their own things before it left. Tarron returned to his drink.