Chapter 185 - Into Quagmire (2) : A Drunk Realm Of Oblivion
AN: I see that you guys don't Vote and Comment as much as you used to lately. The novel is dropping from 'Top 20' and I feel that dark times are upon us.
Vote to save the novel and Comment to motivate the author.
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"Hey, you. You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the checkpoint, right? Walked right into that police ambush, same as us, and that car thief over there."
Wait... What?! The hell is that?
I looked around and all sorts of shivers ran through my spine. Is this…
"Damn you Storm Gang! Skyrim was fine until you showed up. The cops were nice and lazy. If they hadn't been for you, I could've stolen that car and be halfway to Hammerfell."
No no no! This… it can't be… A futuristic version of the game's opening?
Damn!
It went exactly as I know… with a slight difference due to the change of the time period.
Once the car stopped, the trunk was opened and we were pulled out inhumanely. The area we arrived it was right next to a river and it seemed like an abandoned industrial area.
Under the threat of guns, we were led as a group and got lined over the river, it an unofficial gunfire execution, the type when the authorities would make it look like an accident. One of the prisoners tried to escape but got shot anyway, a distinguished looking prisoner was wearing special handcuffs that gave off some light.
"Ulfric Stormcloak, some here in Helgen call you a hero, but a hero doesn't use a power like the Force to murder the governor and take over the city. You have started this gang war…"
Everything was taking a ridiculous turn to mimic the game, I couldn't understand how will a dragon appear but just as I was wondering, something flashed through the Sky.
"What on Earth is that?" The leader of the police, which I assume is Tullius, shouted out and everyone looked up.
I could finally see the things that were flying up there and they took me by surprise.
"Okay! This is weird."
What I saw was one Dropship and Two Starfighters from 'Star Wars'. Not sure what is going on here, they started attacking.
It turned into complete mayhem and I started escaping with one of the policemen. As we reached far enough, we arrived at a place where two Stormtroopers killed a civilian and his son was watching. The policeman took his gun and shot the Stormtroopers saving the child.
After securing the area, I followed the policeman into some alley but suddenly we felt movement on the top floor and we hid ourselves. What we saw after was indeed one of my nightmares. A strong presence was felt and lo and behold, it is Darth Vader floating around and killing a policeman by choking him with the Force.
'So Darth Vader is the antagonist? Makes sense.'
Until he left, we kept sneaking to a secure building. There we found some dead people, among them were some stormtroopers, policemen and gangsters.
I got myself freed from the handcuffs and picked something really cool from the ground.
"A Lightsaber! Oh, it's red! Does it mean a Sith is among the dead?"
So far so weird! I guess I have to bear it with all the dream-like events that will happen from now on.
Anyway, we escaped the area under attack and saw the Starfighters and the Dropship fly away through the night sky.
I was still shivering from the experience but I managed to get a hang of myself.
<The Lightning will strike soon.>
Just as I was about to calm and think, the Augur sent a message.
This meant that reality will shift once again.
I really wasn't ready but I didn't have a choice anyway.
***
Lightning flashed and the whole world felt weird. Next thing I know I was in a street all alone.
It was a quiet street that felt kinda… old.
The cars on the roadside were really old as if it was the 50s.
I didn't know what's going on but this 'Quagmire' wasn't really something I can predict anymore, like at first, it mixed Gotham City with Star Wars, and now…
*bang* *bang* *tink* *tink*
… and now I am hearing gunshots and metal colliding sound. I am not sure how will this end up but I had to hide myself first… just in case.
Also when I tried to use Magic or Aura, it felt a bit weird. Magic was there but the rules of Magic was not what I am used to, it felt rather different and I would injure myself if I used a spell to casually. So I decided to play it safe.
Upon peaking on what is happening, I found that a gigantic metal… thing… walking on two feet and has a humanoid appearance escaping through the alleyway and being shot by people.
It kinda resembles… a transformer?
'Really? The worst of all movies? I guess that's a nightmare!'
There was no time to cringe as the transformer was running towards my direction.
"Hey, watch out!"
One of the shooters saw me and shouted, it was a woman in some pretty revealing suit. I wasn't really waiting to get minced by the raging transformer so I used the Lightsaber in intercepted it by cutting one of its legs cleanly.
The transformer fell and I waved the Lightsaber left and right ending its misery.
The woman in a suit with semi-exposed cleavage and a fedora hat came towards me carrying a rifle followed by a large man carrying a big shotgun and another decent looking woman carrying a tommy-gun. They looked like some gangsters from the 50s' Italian mob.
"You handle yourself well. You could make for a decent Gun-Brother."
Oh boy!
Is that... Aela?
To my shocked expressions, Aela -the Sniper... I guess- continued.
"An outsider, eh? Never heard of the Companions? We are a family of good brothers and sister in honor and we show up to solve problems if the cash is good enough."
"... Yeah! Thank you."
"You have a great potential, you can come to speak to Don Kodlak if you wish to make some cash, good luck."
Wait! Kodlak? The Harbinger? Is he a Don in the Sicilian-Nordic Mafia now?
Okay! Now Transformers and what? The Godfather?
This 'Quagmire' realm is really getting me good.
But I need to focus and not lose purpose.
"Excuse me! I am looking for some friends of mine around here." I called for Aela who was walking away.
She turned around and nodded for me to carry on.
"Alina, Jullanar or Wulfur, they may have a black cat referred to as Nefertiti."
The people in front of me looked at each other.
"We know Wulfur. How do you know him?" The man asked.
They do?
"Oh… we grew up together in Riften's orphanage."
I hope there is a thing like that?
"In the Old Town? That's right, Wulfur said he grew up there." The man said.
"Welcome then, a friend of Wulfur is a friend of ours!" Aela said and invited me to go with them.
That's great then, finally a clue.
***
We arrived at a very fancy place with a lot of suited and booted people guarding the place.
It was some sort of a bar where more suited and booted people hang around in.
"Come, this way!" I followed Aela and reached the back office which was guarded by more big goons.
Setting behind a desk, an old man in a nice tuxedo and butler-like guy helping him dress well in front of a mirror. Aela approached the man with respect.
I was stopped from approaching by the man who seemed to be Farkas.
"Aela is the Capo here, you can't go closer to Don Kodlak."
Hmm! Makes sense... or not!
Anyway, Aela kissed the hand of Kodlak, or specifically his ring, and whispered something for him.
"Alright Aela, you can take him. Also, make sure the cars are ready, the families are going to meet up in a few hours. I want you with me."
"Yes, Don Kodlak."
She walked towards me and guided me to another area where there were a lot of guns and heavy stuff.
"Wulfur, a friend is visiting."
Once she called, a Wulfur in some big suit appeared. It looks good on him though.
"Who is that?"
You bastard!
They all looked at me with hostility once Wulfur didn't recognize me.
"Oh! It must have been a long time, my name is Jon, Nurina's adopted son."
Wulfur seemed shocked.
"Oh…" He said as if he remembered something.
"I got adopted when she left the orphanage so you may not remember me too well."
"No, I remember you. You seem familiar all of a sudden now."
"Oh! Thank you."
The atmosphere turned normal once again.
Damn! If I could use magic, I would have hanged you all on the walls.
"How can I help you, Jon?"
Wulfur guided me to a chair and sat opposite to me.
"Well, you see. It's embarrassing but I was at… Helgen District and some gunfight broke out between that Storm Gang and the Cops, things turned bad and I lost contact with my friends, was hoping you can help!"
"Oh, you don't need to ask, I'll help you."
Wulfur seemed as friendly as he used to be. It also seemed that he can remember me if I started reminding him of reality but it will take me some time to be alone with him and not cause a scene, Hallucination and Reality are the same thing in Quagmire after all.
Just as we were about to shake hands, gunshots sounded from the bar's direction. Everyone rushed towards the place and there we found Don Kodlak shot and lying on the ground dead. Skjor, the underboss of the companions, seemed to be shot too but he survived and said that it was the Silver-Hand Family.
Why is the situation is turning into a gang war?
All the Companions around me became blood-thirsty and all swore vengeance for Don Kodlak.
"Jon, I am sorry but I need to take care of that business first." Even Wulfur seemed to be going to that fight too.
"I'll come with you then."
"Thank you."
Wulfur seemed to be good to go and I was handed a fancy gun from Wulfur.
A Lightsaber and a gun! This is taking a weird direction for some reason.
Still, how many people in the world can say that they went to a Mafia War in a drunk realm of Oblivion before?
I guess I'm making history here.