Thread: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (True Grave and Sincerelyyours)

Elliot Naser, birth name Gold-Heart, nocked an iron arrow into his bow. He raised it, closed one eye, and hissed out a breath as he released the taut string to send the arrow flying. Unfortunately, it smacked into the bottom of the target, completely missing any part of the bulls-eye. Damn it, Naser said as he nocked another. He had learned the proper form and technique for using a bow and arrow from Aela the Huntress, one of The Circle, the most elite of The Companions. However, he was still a novice in the arts of war, and had neither the talent nor the Septims to either advance on his own or pay for training. As he stared at the target, he hissed and released the arrow. This time, it was closer to the bulls-eye. Elliot nocked a third arrow, intending on getting that damned bulls-eye. I wish I would have had such a weapon on that day. I would have stood a better chance. He hissed and fired, and this time, the arrow struck dead center of the bulls-eye. Two months earlier Elliot walked forward, shivering from the cold. His skin was accustomed to the balmy swamps of Black Marsh, not the blood freezing winter winds of Skyrim! He had come here to take a big step towards manhood, and to see a creature he had only heard about in legend. Elliot was in an area of the tundra that the locals called Bleak Falls Barrow. Here was supposed to be the domain of a creature known in Norse literature as the Tundrastrider. In layman's terms, they were called giants. As he stepped out onto the barren plain, he saw a rock with some orange writing on it. It was in a language he had never seen before, though it bore a slight resemblance to the Elvish language. As he looked on, he saw a creature twice the height of a man wearing a dirty brown toga and carrying a massive club. It had elf-like ears and almost kind eyes. It was herding its mammoth like cattle, but it was by itself and across the lake from them. Now was his time to strike! Elliot drew his sword and stepped forward courageously. Hey, ugly! The giant's ears pricked up and he turned to him. Upon seeing him, he lowered his arms and began trying to scare him. I'm not scared of you, big foot! Bring it on! Seeing that his enemy would not back down, the giant charged at him and raised his arm to bring the club down on his head. Taken aback by the giant's speed and knocked out of his stance by the tremors of the giant's footsteps, Elliot was barely able to back out of the way. The sheer power of the blow knocked him off his feet and sent him flying into a tree branch. Elliot got down out of the tree and charged again. You got lucky, giant! But now it's time for take two! The giant knocked him into the tree branch nine more times. Each time Elliot thought he was getting a rhythm to the giant's fighting style, it surprised him with something new. After Elliot was all ready in the tree for the tenth time, he realized that he had dropped his sword. He saw it, but his foe spotted it first. The giant picked it up and broke it into pieces like it was a stick, hoping that that would discourage further enemy attacks. Angry, humiliated, and weaponless, Elliot was forced to retreat. Elliot put the bow down and moved over to the other training dummy. Drawing his sword, the Eduj, he began hacking away at it with the skills he had learned both in his village's militia, and in the moves taught to him by Skjor, another of The Circle. When he was done, he took a look at his beautiful and powerful weapon, and was thankful to have it. The acquisition of the Eduj had turned his fortunes around. Two months earlier, after Elliot's defeat by the giant. Elliot shivered and shook as tears ran down his face. The sword his father had given him upon becoming a member of the militia was now shattered into a million pieces. His only connection to his far away land was now the discarded property of an enemy's land. His anger boiled over, and warmed him enough to trudge through the blizzard to a cave. He opened the wooden door and stepped inside, eager to get out of the elements. There were torches mounted on the walls, so he used their light to search for a bedroll. As he wandered, however, he came upon a very disturbing sight. Lying on the alcoves in the wall were the bones of dead men. Some of the corpses still had skin on them, but did not reek of decay. I hate to say it, but that may be the closest I can get to a bed. As Elliot tossed the skeleton against the wall, he put his foot on the lower cot to climb up. That was when he felt a strong grip on his ankle. Looking down, his eyes widened as he saw a corpse squeezing his leg! Its eyes glowed blue and fixed on him. Elliot screamed and jerked his leg away. The corpse stumbled to its feet and drew an axe. Elliot made a run for the door, but slipped and fell. He looked up as the creature raised its axe to finish him. Elliot rolled and accidentally tripped the creature, actually called a Draugr. It fell on its face, and the impact was apparently sufficient to kill it. It lay motionless, but Elliot could hear other Draugrs approaching. Reluctantly, he grabbed the axe and moved forward. A small axe like this would not be sufficient to defend himself from the threats outside, and he needed shelter. So, even if it meant taking on undead monsters, he was going to live! Though his training was minimal, Elliot's survival instinct allowed him to triumph over several of the Draugr. As he reached the center room of the cave, however, he saw a coffin. Chills went up his spine as the lid blew off, and he screamed again as a larger Draugr stepped out. It was armed with a longsword, the Eduj, and a war axe, the Okin. It charged at him, and Elliot ran. He thought that defeating several small ones did not mean that he was ready for a big one. Elliot and the Draugr ended up in a room with a large table. The creature attacked with the Eduj, and even though Elliot was able to block it somehow, it still knocked him on his ass and gave him chills. Aw, sh-shit! Th-There's no way I can st-stand toe-to-toe with it! Running around to the other side of the table, he was able to keep it between him and his adversary. However, he could not simply avoid it forever. Elliot realized that he had a free hand, so he decided to use some magic. I'll turn you into an ice cube, punk! He blasted it with a stream of ice magic, but it had no effect. Fine! Then I'll roast you like a pheasant! The fire magic had a good effect on its rotting skin, and after a few recharges and some skillful use of the table, he brought it to its knees. Taking this opportunity, Elliot hacked and slashed away until the creature was finally dead. Thank Akatosh that thing was too stupid to jump over the table. If he had thought of that, I would have been screwed! Taking up the Eduj as a trophy, Elliot cast aside his war axe and used his new sword to clear out the rest of the cave. He slept very peacefully that night. Indeed, he was even able to make it to the nearest Hold, Whiterun. Elliot sheathed his sword and looked at Jorvaskr, the Mead Hall of The Companions. Looking to make enough Septims to start a life in Skyrim, he applied to them for membership. After lasting against Vilkas, the sort of trainer in The Circle, he was accepted in. Taking up a full set of steel armor and an actual shield, he was ready to do jobs for money. On one of these jobs, he recovered the Shield of Ysgramor and made it his own, as per the wishes of Harbinger Kodlak Whitemane. But even with all this good equipment, he was still not even a good warrior yet. He had a house in Whiterun that needed furnished and warrior skills that needed tempered. Looking for help, he borrowed one of the books in Skjor's personal library that talked about Birth Stones. When he learned that the exact stone he needed, the Warrior Stone, was near Riverwood, a town not far from Whiterun, he jumped for joy. Since Companions could do whatever they wanted, pretty much, he was able to go on this excursion without any need for permission. Elliot left the walls of Whiterun and began walking. Soon, he could start fulfilling his destiny.