My Elder Scroll fan-fic Novel

[LordWushin]

This is the start of the Novel that I am writing. I need criticism and suggestions.

 

:thanks:

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Chapter 1. The Strange Dream

 

“So there I was, flying over the vast plains and rolling hills of the empire. In the distance, I saw the Jerall Mountains as tiny hills. As I came closer, they started to loom upward growing with every mile as I sped towards them. Shooting by as a bolt shot from a crossbow, I saw the majestic wonder and beauty of those snow-white peaks with sunlight gleaming off them almost as if they were trying to blind me. Just as the mountains came, they went by fading in the distance.

“The next thing I knew the Imperial City was coming up and fast. Oh how I could never forget that shining white tower in the city’s center! That perfect circle around the tower made the city the centerpiece of the Empire and seemingly the world. Speeding up to the tower, I spiraled upward around it to meet and kiss the sky. As I left the city behind, it said, ‘Farewell. I will see you again in time.’

“And as I was enjoying the sound of the goodbye, I continued flying towards the sun and the moon with her stars. It seemed I would not stop flying upward and onward. Trying to move, I could not. My heart started pounding fast and hard. Sweat started to pour out of my body. Suddenly, though, I stopped altogether. The sun was looking right at me. As I started to breathe a sigh of relief, the sun began to turn pitch black and freezingly cold. I turned from the awful sight only to see the moon and her stars turning into a dark red color. I could not believe my eyes or my wits. All logic was thrown out the door. This could not be possible. The moon started to drip her red color. The droplets were aimed right at me, and being able to move finally, I dodged one, then another, and then a few more. The drops came faster and the larger than before now, and as I bypassed one another hit me. I was covered in red liquid that was starting to harden. Realizing it was blood, I looked at the oncoming blitz of droplets. Just as I turned by head up towards the bleeding moon, a giant jellied droplet struck me. It caused me to fall back towards the earth. The gel was all over my clothes and my body. Panic-stricken I tried to gather and throw the blood off. Yet, it kept engulfing me even more. As I fell, I could see the outline of the Topal Bay and the water was drawing nearer with every second. In a final desperate attempt to rid myself of this bloody goo, it poured in my mouth and then down the throat into the belly.

“All of a sudden my worries and concern towards the expanding blood was gone. I felt like it was embracing me telling me not to worry, but to accept it - and have more. Now that I return to myself, I felt like I was new. I felt strong and powerful. I saw the water coming, and that I was going too fast to stop the impact. Life flashed in front of my eyes. The water came ever so close, and then came nights black. I was awake. I could not decide if it was a dream or a nightmare, or what it was for that matter. All I could feel and see was that it made me awake out of my sleep quite suddenly.”

 

Quiet followed. Dralun could not decide if his audience, which was his friends and a few random individuals that overheard, was amazed, flabbergasted, or amused. “Maybe the pub was not the right place to tell them about the dream, especially after a couple those of drinks.”

“That was the best story you’ve told yet. What poem or story book is that based off?” one friend said as he and others began laughing hysterically.

“It was a real dream. How could I make up something like that?”

The laughing only continued but with more intensity.

“Fine!” Dralun said, “I guess you all don’t care about me or my dreams.” And with that he left.

 

Three things hit him as he exited the pub, which happened to be called ‘Home for Depression: Pub & Inn.” Dralun first asked himself why he ever decided to tell the dream to his friends in the first place. They never listened to him and his dreams, at least not that often anyway. A tear ran down his dark skin as he breathed in and started to walk to his home. Dralun also suddenly thought that his life had to be more than just ridicule. At work, with friends, and even with random people that he would meet passing through his small village. Starsefis was in fact a village with very little to do and with no strangers, except for an adventurer exploring occasionally. He also found himself saying that he would adventure beyond the confines of his shabby town one day.

“Hey…” one of Dralun’s best friends said stopping short as he saw Dralun was having one of his ‘episodes’ as it was called. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. One day we will leave this place and find hidden caverns and waterfalls and ….”

“Thanks but I remember you laughing too, Griscal.” Dralun said unforgiving. “It has to stop! I cannot bear it any longer.”

“Alright then! From this day forth I pledge not to laugh, mock, or tarnish your good name.”

“Just stop! I cannot take anymore of your or Kargub’s sympathy and fake encouragement. We might go exploring one day, but not if this keeps up.” Dralun said angrily. “And it’s not just you, it’s them too. I can’t stand them and I can’t stand their abuse.”

“Then why don’t you just leave town since you cannot stand them?” Griscal said starting to get a little irritated like always.

“I can’t leave even if I tried. I can’t make myself go!” Dralun exclaimed pitifully.

“As a friend that has known you for a while, I think I will just let you enter this realm of dark despair and hopelessness. Maybe you will see the light and man up to ‘them’ - and our adventure plans. Goodbye!” And with that, the Wood Elf left. Dralun, bathing in self-pity, continued walking himself homeward.

He did not care what Griscal said or meant to say. “That Bosmer only made things worse,” he thought as he reached for the doorknob, entering into his house, and slamming the door shut.

Upon looking into his mirror with wet eyes, he saw no worth in his body and with his life. “They treat me as if I am the only Dunmer here and in the world.” He said knowing the former was true, but not sure about the last. With that being over, he decided to rest until morning, and hoping he did not have another dream.

 

Morning called with the loud duck quacking at the door like always. “What a way to wake up!” Dralun said to himself sleepily. That night he had no dream; in fact, it seemed it was not long enough for morning to be here already. Getting up to make breakfast, he noticed a strange note stuck between the window and its sill. Was the window open all that night? “Someone could have killed me and stole all my possessions!” Dralun declared to himself and his duck that he picked up to feed.

As he snatched the paper, he saw that some of his friends at the pub wrote it last night. It read how that they had had a wonderful night laughing, commenting, and improving his ‘dream’ so that it would be more to their liking as a real story of epic proportions. It continued on saying that maybe some of their pointer will help his next ‘dream.’ Having finished reading the note, Dralun grabbed his duck and all the money he could find, and having filled a sack full of clothes and miscellaneous ‘valuables,’ he stepped out of his house and began walking out of town. The sun had barely risen above the horizon when he began his solo adventure. “Not many people should be awake and out in the streets at this time,” he said to his duck. “We don’t need anyone to share this adventure with. It will be just yours and my holiday.”

The next moment Dralun knew he was sitting exhausted on a rock next to the side of the road with the sun straight above his head. “I forgot to bring food,” he said. Already disappointed at his start, he realized he needed food to continue his trip, and that he did not know the first thing about hunting. “Better late than never,” he said to his duck who was successfully find nourishment already. Finding a stick, that he deemed weapon like, Dralun tried to make it sharp and pointed at the end so that it could penetrate the first creature he saw coming. He then looked for a good hidden area where he could watch his duck and see any food that might present itself.

“Come out all ready!” he said impatiently. “I’m by a river. There should be some activity somewhere.” Just as he finished talking to himself, he heard something rustling in the grass across the road. Getting in a throwing position, Dralun prepared himself to release his handcrafted weapon at his soon to be dinner. The sound of hooves could be heard now. He saw his prey, and with a swift reaction, he hurled the spear like weapon. He expected to hear a wining from his victim, but a he heard now was a running sound and it was coming straight to his hiding spot. Panicking, he desperately looked for some means to which he could defend himself. Finding a good-sized log, he turned, stood, and saw that he had blindly shot at a nix hound, which was not happy to have been attacked. Bracing for impact with the nix hound’s foreleg, he felt an exceptionally powerful strike on his thigh. Falling down on his left knee and in much pain, he looked up to see the nix getting ready for another strike, which Dralun knew would hurt more than what he was experiencing already. He closed his eyes and waited for the splitting headache. Opening his eyes, he saw the nix hound lying with him on the ground but on fire. Jumping up as if never hurt, he backed up and swore upon Azura’s good name that he had to be experiencing another one of his dreams, except too lifelike this time.

“Are you all right?” a young looking High Elf asked. “You’re not hurt too bad?”

“I don’t know,” Dralun said wonderingly.

“You had me worried if that nix hound would kill you.”

“You saw that!” Dralun exclaimed.

“I saw you trying to hide yourself with your weapon. I saw you throw the stick, which hit the ground right in front of the nix. I saw….”

“I got it! You saw the whole thing and decided to let me almost die so you would look more like a hero to me. Well it did not work, almost.”

“I could tell that you did not know what you were doing at all,” he said. Then helping Dralun up, he continued, “I’m Nitskar. My house is just up ahead a little ways. Let me take you there and help heal you.”

Dralun then noticing that he felt a burning sensation on his right arm and shoulder agreed to go with Nitskar. What seemed like an hour later, Dralun walked into Nitskar’s house and found a seat. There was a large room housing many different animals’ that were stuffed. He marveled at the impressiveness of the collection. “How did you manage to kill all of these creatures? Did you hunt them all?”He said noticing that some had to be out of country.

“Some I bought at stores, but, yes, I did kill most of them.”

“So you are a hunter.”

“Yes and no!” Nitskar answered. “I hunt out escaped prisoners and bring them to their final judgment. I also run into some of these animals and have to kill them like how I killed your nix hound friend. I just decided to start keeping my animal kills as trophies.”

Dralun seemed to feel safe in Nitskar’s house. Nitskar worked as a bounty hunter for the different Houses and Legions all around Morrowind. He had killed about 300 escaped prisoners and a fewer about of wanted criminals too. Dralun was finally coming to himself when he asked, “Could you help me hunt better so I will not end up like how I was before?”

“Well, you are stronger in mind than in body apparently!” Nitskar answered. “Where are you headed?”

“To be honest I don’t really know. Thing have not be going to well at home. So, I decided to take a holiday with my duck. Hey, where is my duck?”

“He is around here somewhere I think, but you seem to be lost.”

“I’m not lost!” Dralun demanded. “I just have not got a good direction yet.”

“Suit yourself. If I did not decide to go with you already you might have been already dead somewhere.”

“Come with me. You did not hear the part where I said that me….”

“You were lost ‘and without direction, yet,’” Nitskar interrupting Dralun suddenly. “I bet you could not find your way home if you got directions from me. That’s why I am going with you, to defend you and your duck from danger, and maybe I will teach you what I know while were travelling.”

“You leave me no other choice then. But I will ask one more thing!”

“Name it.”

“Do you have any food? And possibly a map so I could be somewhat guided?” Dralun asked feeling ashamed realizing that he was still hungry.

“Yes!”

“Yes to what?”

“To both what else?” said Nitskar arriving with some venison and carrots mingled with strawberries. “We start in the morning fresh and new and rejuvenated.” Nitskar concluded that day with a spell of healing targeted on Dralun, who instantly fell into a deep sleep never having a dream to awake him suddenly out of his peace.

[shadowmadnezz]

Pretty cool :) reading it is kinda blotchy thou, u wud make space between spoken lines but thats jus me

[LordWushin]

I have tried every thing I know of to separate the line to help read ability and it keeps getting squished together. Sorry guys!

 

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Chapter 2. The Road to No where

 

Morning dawns and Dralun stretches his arms as he finds himself feeling very ready to take on the new day. He had no dreams last night. In fact, he could not remember going to bed and falling asleep.

Dralun waked cheerfully out of the bedroom and entered what looked like the kitchen. Utensils of all sort where hanging on the walls. It was here he saw Nitskar preparing for breakfast.

“Good morning!” Nitskar said. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, surprisingly I did.”

“Excellent!” Nitskar exclaimed. “I have been working on a healing spell that puts people to sleep, mainly for my capture of convicts alive.” Then handing some breakfast to Dralun, Nitskar added, “I had not perfected it until I tried it on you.”

“So I’m your test subject?”

“Sorry I really thought that I had it right this time, and I had to try it out and you were here and tired.”

“Fair enough I guess,” Dralun said. “When will we begin? After breakfast?”

“After we clean my house.”

“And how long will that take?”

“Only an hour or two at maximum. There is not much to do, but I like to return home to a clean house. It also tells me if someone broke in while I was gone.” Nitskar said beginning to clean up the plate and cups. “You can get the broom and sweep the dirt out the back door.”

“You leave me no choice I suppose.” Dralun then picked up a broom from a corner and began his day.

 

“Ready! Set! Go!” Nitskar declared as Dralun rushed at a straw stuffed target with his short bladed sword. Dralun struck at its right side and then gave a thrust, followed by a slicing cut to the left arm. “Very good.” Nitskar exclaimed felling he had accomplished something.

“Dear me that was exhausting. Is all fighting like this?”

“Unfortunately, yes! It will come easier in time. All you have to do is practice.”

“How long be for I am able to fight real enemies?” Dralun asked with genuine hope. “I want to be ready for anything before we encounter foes on the road.”

“Well,” Nitskar said. “We are only a couple hours into our journey to nowhere and everywhere. I think, actually, I know we won’t have any problems for a while at this rate.”

Dralun knew that Nitskar was talking about his wanting to stop almost every other minute. Dralun was not use to walking long distances. The most his skinny legs took him was maybe a mile to work at the mill. “I am already glad you have come with me on my adventure. What is the real reason you wanted to come anyways?”

“The reason is exactly what I told you yesterday. Of course, I have not been on an adventure of my own for a while. So there is another reason why I wanted to come.”

“Alright then. That is good enough for me. I’m ready to go again, and this time I will not stop so quickly.”

 

It was getting dark when the two of them decided to stop and rest for the night. They had travelled east-southeast from Starsefis to Balmora. Nitskar thought it best to camp outside the city until morning.

“What’s wrong with the inn?” Dralun asked. “It would be more comfortable.”

“Let’s just say that I am not well liked here.”

“I thought you worked for all the Houses including House Hlaalu?”

“I do, but with that come some disadvantages. Several individuals are openly opposed to my being a bounty hunter.” With that, Nitskar began unpacking his bed and setting up his tent for the night.

“I do have one more question before going to sleep.” Dralun interjected. “Where will I sleep?”

“Did you not bring a bed with you on the journey?”

“No! I sort of got in a hurry to leave my village,” Dralun said starting to blush.

“Well, I guess you will have to buy a bed won’t you now,” Nitskar said bluntly.

“I guess I will. Where is the trader in town?”

“You’ll have to find it.”

“Thanks! I really mean it.” Dralun then started to walk toward the city entrance.

Dralun had never been out of his village before, so all this was new to him. He say a giant animal of some kind just standing at the entrance wall. When he walked by, he went to the first house he saw. The sign read ‘Trade and Goods.’ “This has to be the place,” he said to himself half aloud.

“Welcome!” said the owner. “What may I do for you?”

The owner was a beautiful young Dunmer, who looked as if she had just started the business. There were oddities of all sorts that she sold. In fact, her business was thriving and busy even though it had not been in business for two years.

“I just need a bed and tent to go. I am on a journey.” Dralun said it as if he had a wonderful plan ahead.

“Really! I love to hear the adventures of others, where are you going and what has happened so far,” the owner asked finding the things Dralun asked for.

“Not much has happened yet, I only started two days ago,” said Dralun as he started counting his gold to pay for his items.

“Where you going then?”

“Well,” Dralun said hesitatingly. “I plan to go to places that I have never been before. Places where no one has explored. To see great sights and wonders. To….”

“Alright I get the idea. You do not know where you are going yet. You will figure it out as it happens to you.” The owner took Dralun money and gave him his items. “You alone or travelling with friends?”

“Only one other person is with me, and quite by accident.”

“Do you know this person? And what do you mean ‘by accident?’” she asked.

“Well,” Dralun said nervously, not wanting to upset her or any other customers. “I was under attack by several nix hound a day ago, and my friend helped me defeat them. After that, he showed me some helpful tips with the blade. He said that he wanted an adventure too, so I let him come along with me.”

“So this man, he helped you and decided to come with you?”

“Not a man, a High Elf. He is really a good guy,” Dralun said catching himself.

“A High Elf named Nitskar?” the owner asked.

“Well, yes!”

“I like his stories he used to tell. How he went on quests to find murderers and thieves to bring them to justice. How he collected animals to show off too. Hmmm!”

“Yes, well! Thank you for the bed and tent.” With that, Dralun left. After exiting the store, Dralun soon came to a sleeping Nitskar, began to set his bed out and building his tent.

 

The night was cold and wet to Dralun. He wondered why they had to sleep next to the river. Soon, however, waking out of sleep, Dralun saw the sun was nearly half way up the sky. Thinking that he over slept, Dralun jumped out of his tent, began to fold his bed, and then realized Nitskar was still sleeping. “We ought to get going soon,” he said to himself. “Nitskar get up. Time to start the new day.”

Nitskar just rolled over with his back towards Dralun and mumbled something about a holiday. Dralun thought Nitskar was still dreaming, so he shook Nitskar’s foot trying to wake him.

Then Nitskar clearly said, “Today is my holiday. No travelling today.”

Dralun thought that Nitskar was joking, so he grabbed Nitskar’s leg and dropped it on the ground, and said, “Stop joking around and start packing.”

The next thing Dralun knew he was in the river swimming back to the shore. Nitskar said as he rose out of bed, “Today is one of the Temple’s Holy days. We will not travel, understand?”

Speechless, Dralun shook his head and asked, “What spell was that you used on me just now?”

“It was a telekinesis spell. I am well trained in all spells and in alchemy. Not so much with the blade as you think.”

“I see,” said Dralun wanting to know more. The spell must have made him interested in magic because he asked, “Can you teach me that?”

“What! You can’t just ask to be taught advanced magic,” Nitskar crossly. “Here let me show you a basic self healing spell.”

 

After a couple hours of training and trying, Dralun could half the time cast his spell, though it did not do much for him at the start.

“Practice makes perfect Dralun,” Nitskar said. “Maybe later on our journey and when you get good at your new spell I will teach you a different one.”

“I would like that very much.”

“Do you have any food with you?” Nitskar asked.

“I do. Are you hungry?”

“Yes, but I will not eat today. I was hoping we would not have to buy some in the morning when we start back up.”

“Alright then. Why do you not eat on this Holy day as you call it?” Dralun asked.

Nitskar answered, “I want to think about the gods and saints, and not get side tracked by anything. Teaching you a spell would be beneficial to you and not eating would make me fortify my willpower.”

“I see. Can I join you?” Dralun asked knowing the answer would be absolutely yes.

[Herculine]

I like it!