Traveling to Skyrim

Chapter 17: Finding Deities

The gates creaked open, and I managed stifle the scream threatening to escape my throat. A writhing mass, with hundreds of blinking eyes, was floating atop a large staircase. I began to sprint up, thinking this must be the entity called Hermaeus Mora. As I approached, I saw a white tail with leopard spots emerge, before being sucked back in. The stairs I had already run up shuddered and groaned behind me, before falling away completely. I knew I was safe, but still sprinted faster so I wouldn't fall.

"Let her go you freak!" I heard myself scream, before being knocked to the ground with a large pulse. Glancing up, I watched Sakaji disappear, her face portraying one of shock when she saw me, before she seemed to be sucked into nothing with a loud boom.

"So you managed to make it here." An old man's voice echoed in my head, and I clutched at my head, the voice too overwhelming. After a few moments the throbbing stopped, and the Old man's voice was much quieter this time.

"Congratulations. I am sorry for my loud manner, I am used to Sakaji's ability as my champion to hear my full power. Welcome, Brooke, companion of Sakaji's. I have learned much from your friends memories, the knowledge she gained throughout her life sacrificed to give you a message. Are you prepared for the message?"

"Before I accept, I have one question. Why did you not just let her remain here, to give me the message herself? How do I know you won't be lying to me?"

"You are wise, I must admit. Many would be so overcome with happiness to hear from someone they cared about to instantly take the message. However, you have been through many trials to gain this knowledge. Your other companions, while very fierce and just as worthy, were too overcome with pride in the moments you watched them fail, pride that would lead to slip ups in the labyrinthe. If this were any normal labyrinthe, they would be standing here with you. However my labyrinthe is special, where any aspect of any of the seven sins is magnified. It is designed to make anyone fail. You would have failed too, if I had had my way, but Sakaji made me swear that at least one shall make it here. That is why she doesn't stand before you, as she used the two wishes I would grant her to make sure you make it here, and to make sure I would deliver the message. Are you now prepared to hear it?"

"Yes."

"In the village of Shor's stone, outside of riften, you will find a seemingly burned down home. Before you head there, gather these materials: A black soul gem, containing a dragons soul. I have one in Lakeview manor. A briarheart, a hagravens claws, a golem's core, a gargoyles stone center, and a dragon's skull. In the abandoned home there will be a trapdoor in the fireplace. Enter it, and you will find a summoning circle. Place the items in the places that are marked with their images, and chant the following names: KYNE, SHOR, GORM. It will summon forth Kynareth, creator of shouts. Gorm, short for Gormlaith, is one of the creators of Dragonrend. They together will teach you dragonrend, while Shor will grant you the ability to travel to Sovngarde. Tell him to use my lifeforce to transport all of you here, and he will take that as payment."

I scrambled to write it all down, so that we wouldn't forget an important aspect, and Herma mora seemed to slow his speech so I could write it all. He seemed eager to see how it would play out, as I bid him farewell, and he finally transported me back to Tamriel.

When I finally came to, it was to see the concerned faces of Travis, Lindsey, and Timius looming over me.

"Well? Do keep us in suspense. How'd everything go in the labyrinthe?" Travis asked, and I pretended to look sad, before looking down to the ground and shaking my head.
"It was awful. I got past the labyrinthe, spoke to Hermaeus Mora and found out how to get to Sovngarde!" I shouted triumphantly, and Lindsey threw her head back in laughter. Travis looked furious, before delivering a light punch to my arm.

"You had me going there! I thought all hope was lost!" He chuckled, and soon we were all laughing. It felt good to have this ray of hope, now we just needed to work on getting the materials to get to Sovngarde.

"So, you said you found out how to get to Sovngarde? How do we do that?" Timius asked, and I pulled out the scroll I had written everything down on.

"First we need to find a black soul gem filled with a dragons soul, A briarheart, a hagravens claws, a golem's core, a gargoyles stone center, and a dragon's skull. She should have some of those things around her homes, right?" I asked Lydia, only to see her shrug. Lydia began to rummage through the pack she had been carrying, before pulling out some claws and a skull.

"She gave me these to carry a while ago, I think this is a dragon skull. These claws are 100% hagraven claws though."

"How can you tell?" Travis asked, and Lydia seemed to turn a shade plaer before turning the claws over, and exposing what they were connected to, or had been connected to.

"Hagravens were humans once upon a time, so their claws are like mutated fingernails. In order to get those claws, one has to cut off the fingers and keep them attached, otherwise the claws disintegrate." She said, before storing the skull and claws into a separate, smaller pouch. She handed it to me, and I decided we'll keep every item and the scroll in the pouch.

"She had mentioned that she had a soul gem with a dragons soul in her house, the Lakeview Manor?" I asked Lydia, and she nodded.

"We can catch a carriage to Falkreath, and it's only a twenty minute walk from there to reach her manor. I suggest we look around this house first though, to make sure she doesn't already have some of the materials here. I know she had given me a briarheart, I just need to find it. Search the premises and see if you can find a golem's core or a gargoyles stone center." We all agreed, before heading to different regions of the house. After a few minutes of searching, I heard Lydia yell in triumph as she had found the briarheart, but we still had no luck with a golem's core or a gargoyle center.

"We'll have to travel to Castle Volkihar to get the Gargoyle center, I know that much. But where we'll find a Golem's core, I have no clue." Timius said when we met back up.

"Maybe an alchemist would know how to make one?" Travis suggested, and we all agreed that we needed to find an alchemist skilled enough to do so.

"Aval, Aval Atheron!" Lydia suddenly shouted, and we were confused until she explained," Aval is a skilled alchemist in Riften, he was the one who had sent us on a quest to find the mystical White Phial, a potion holding device that would automatically fill up with any potion the user wanted. He was very skilled, and able to repair the phial when it had been cracked. Maybe he knows something?" She suggested, and I nodded.

"We'll make our way to Riften then.