Scales and Hearts | A Skyrim Fanfiction

Chapter Eight: To The Sanctum! (Pt. 2)

Druthza

Our trek further into the centuries-old temple soon led us into what appeared to be a dimly lit hall full of burial niches in the stone walls, the bodies of the dead laying as still as the cold stone around them.

At least, that it was for only a moment, for as soon as Keeth and I made our first steps into the hall, the cold, stiff bodies of the wasting draugr began to move. Their joints popped and their bodies creaked, and a cold blue energy had blazed to life in their abysmal black eye sockets. A low, guttural, and raspy growl sounded from the three who had slowly risen from their burial niches, their deathly blue eyes boring holes into our souls as they turned toward us.

And clutched in their hands were various, ancient-looking weapons. They were looking to kill us, if possible.

But rather than wait for an attack to come our way, I rushed forward with an audible growl and swung my sword forward, only for it to be blocked by the draugr's glittering black, spiked mace, causing me to quickly retreat back and swing my blade towards another draugr stalking towards me with its weapon.

I heard an arrow fly through the air and swiftly plunge into the shoulder of the mace-wielding draugr, who only laughed in a cold, daunting manner before I gained myself a sizeable flesh wound in the upper arm from the third draugr who wielded an ancient axe.

Pain shot down my arm as my blood trickled forth from the new wound, and I hissed before suddenly tackling the axe-wielder and ripping its weapon from its emaciated hands before ruthlessly driving the axe's blade into the draugr's skull, feeling a sense of crude satisfaction as the cold blue energy in its eye sockets dimmed and sputtered out.

I heard Derkeethus grunt as I looked to find him bashing his bow into the face of the mace-wielder, who stumbled back as an audible cracking sound emanated from their jaw, giving my companion a moment to truly retaliate as he swept its legs with his tail, pinned the draugr to the floor, and cast his chitin bow aside for a moment as he repeatedly slammed his scaly fists into its face.

I almost wanted to watch this display of violence, but I immediately remembered the third, sword-wielding draugr and yanked the ancient axe from my slain enemy's skull before chucking it towards the remaining animated corpse.

And my aim had been spot on as I watched the head of the axe bury itself in the leg of the draugr, who simply rasped nastily before collapsing to the stone floor, only for me to finish it off as I picked up my blade, raised it over my head, and slammed it down into the draugr's spine, immediately (and permanently) killing the remaining enemy.

I took a glance at the bleeding wound in my upper arm before walking over to Derkeethus, who seemed to be flexing the clawed fingers on his hands and wincing.

It looks like he hurt himself in the process of killing that draugr. "Are you alright?" I wondered, looking a little closer at his hands.

"It could be worse, but my hands just ache after what I just accomplished." He responded with a tinge of pain in his voice, "those damn draugr skulls are hard to crack, but I managed it... somehow." He then reached for the healing potion on his belt and uncorked it, taking a swig before I watched him sigh with relief, a pale golden glow enveloping his hands as the soreness of his actions was put to an end.

"That's better... hey, are you bleeding?" The male's brow furrowed as he noticed the red liquid oozing down my arm, and before he could get too worried about it, I called up a healing spell, witnessing as the pristine golden light flared in the palm of my hand and a comforting warmth spread through my body, sealing my wound shut and ending whatever other pains I had lingering within me.