Eclipse

Eclipse: Chapter 2

Eclipse: Chapter 2

By

Spottedleaf9 and Dracanoth Dereal

(Valisilwen)

     The next day, I left my housecarl with my daughter. I didn't like to adventure with other people in tow. It just added to the chances of them wandering into my arrow fire and I'd learned the hard way an arrow shot could not be taken back. "Lydiah, I've given you some money to take care of her. She wants to get a new doll. The khajiit caravans should have a few to choose from." Giving my home one last look, I sighed. I had learned to sense when I wasn't going to be home for a long time. As I watched them walk away through the crowd of townspeople, I focused instead on the low murmuring of so many people gathered in one place.

     I knew that this was one of those days. I was not going to see my daughter for a long time. I was on the road to Dawnstar. Besides having other business in the village, I wished to see if the mysterious stranger would show up in the wilderness. After all, it was one of the places in that particular hold that was usually snow-capped. If he wasn't in Dawnstar, this man I was supposed to meet, then the next place I was going to check was Markarth; the city of the dwarven bronze buildings; larger than anyone really needed.

     The ride was slow. I liked to give people a chance to come up to me as I rode along on my horse in case they needed help. I found that while I was not stopped by any troubled citizens, my horse was having a hard time ascending a small incline. To my right, I could see a set of old ruins. "Those look new. Perhaps...there is an adventure to be had."

     A rare smile crossed my lips. Here was a chance to have an adventure all of my own for once. Dismounting from the tired palomino mare, I drew myself into a crouch and proceeded into the dark mouth of the cave, hands reaching out to skim the pillars of mossy stone by the entrance. I never grew tired of traversing strange new areas of land.

     What I did grow tired of was doing nothing day after day like an ordinary villager, even if some aspects of that life were tempting. My golden skin almost glowed in the initial darkness, my almond shaped pupils dilating to let in as much light as they could glean. Ahead, a muted orange glow came into my awareness and I frowned. It was unlike anything I had come across before.

     My steps slowed as sweat started rolling down my face. The further I walked into the cave, the warmer my skin got. Feeling like I was going to bake alive in the metal armor that marked me as Dragonborn, I pressed onward; never one to simply give up. My bow bounced against my back and I vaguely remembered that I only had about forty arrows left in my quiver. The heat was growing to be so overwhelming that my vision swam and I felt like I was going to pass out. I could hear my heart pounding in my throat; so hard I felt the need to clutch at it in alarm.

     It wasn't that much of a surprise to find myself on my back, quivering. I'd slipped in the dark on the rocks underfoot. "Shor's foot!" I swore. "Even the rocks...seem to be sweating." Flipping over onto my belly, I crawled onward for a length of time. When I finally turned a corner, I stopped in bewilderment. In the stone, there was a jagged, roughly circular hole. I numbly dragged myself to my feet, aware that what I was seeing was something no other Skyrim soul had seen before.

     In this hole, a red-orange semi-liquid bubbled; covered in black splotches that made me think it was the source of all the heat. Even more alarming than this...weird...hell water was the group of figures circled around it; chanting in a language I could not recognize. It was not of a Tamrielic dialect. I gasped, trying to make sense of what I was observing. A black-hooded head whipped in my direction and I knew instantly that I was in trouble. I could feel the power pulsing off of these alarming people. I had stumbled upon something truly unfortunate.