Chapter 36 - Making Preparations
It was loud how people cheered after that match, both teams showed the spirit and mindset of true warriors. With seedlings like these, Skyrim will have a glorious era of warriors.
Every year the competition of the king's tournament would bring out the best of the best in Skyrim but this year didn't just bring out just that, this year each force was going all out with its seedlings and they were all very talented and unique fighters with various skills and charismatic auras.
They possessed the features of the leaders as they showed Valor, Honor, Compassion, Generosity and Wisdom in every showdown they performed in.
Standing on the top of the future generation, a boy whose talent was just too shaking, he was the best performance and many people argued about his talent, some people even wanted to push him out of the tournament yet it was not possible.
His background was scarier than ever, an Arch Wizard was his adoptive mother and many people supported him too. Clan Battle-Born threatened the whole big shots of the tournaments that they will react if their son Jon Battle-Born or any of his teammate were so much touched with harm outside the arena. And finally, the most mysterious, Clan Fire-Mane announced their sponsorship for the team.
All these reports were revised again on the hearing of the High King and the eight Jarls.
This was the Blue Palace and specifically, in the throne room, High King Torygg sat hearing the from his steward Falk Firebeard who was reading a report loudly in the presence of all jarls to hear.
"So the Fire-Manes broke the long silence, they took their time." A womanly voice sounded in the room, it was Jarl Laila Law-Giver commenting.
"This clan just doesn't like to get involved with power and politics, if that was the case, Winterhold would have been rebuilt long time ago." Jarl Korir of Winterhold spoke.
"You damn fool, Winterhold once was a major city in Skyrim. A major city! I tell you. Yet with all the power you can muster you just sit your sorry a*s in your longhouse crying about the past, rebuilding nothing, and leave us to worry about people escaping from your hold!" Skald the Elder replied to Korir.
"And all he does every meeting is to complain about how the mages caused the downfall of his city, also what can this Fire-Mane Clan do?" Jarl Igmund of Markarth said.
"The damn mages were the cause and history will prove it!" Jarl Korir couldn't take it and stood. "Also Clan Fire-Mane was no ordinary clan, they survived the great collapse and thrived away from Winterhold afterwards."
"All we know about them is little yet they never were people of many words, they are true Nords who hold to the old traditions very deeply and they never forsook the worship of Talos, which meant they have a deep animosity with The Thalmor." Jarl Balgruuf said, "I had few dealings with them myself and they are the most honest mount traders in Skyrim as everyone know."
"Their trade is taming, I heard they can communicate with beasts like the old Atmorans, all that make little care to us anyway, all we know they are rich and powerful." Jarl Dengeir of Stuhn, jarl of Falkreath said.
[A/N: He was the jarl of Falkreath before Jarl Siddgeir, in a previous chapter I wrote that Siddgeir was the jarl but I was wrong and edited it, Siddgeir only became a jarl just before the civil war.]
"Their name held meaning for a long time we know of that." Torygg finally spoke, "All we are concerned about is how not to get ourselves in trouble with them and with that headache going on. But the people I want to hear their opinion the most are Jarl Ulfric and Jarl Idgrod."
As Torygg said that, Ulfric who was thinking looked at the other jarls then sighed out, he was a middle-aged man with brown long hair and circle beard, he was the current living hero of Skyrim and one of the most distinguished figures that younger generations looked up too.
He spoke with his strong voice, "About the background of the boy is nothing I care about, that clan that sponsors him surely is strong and their words can affect many Jarls." He said, "What I am concerned about what this boy is capable of. His talents are by now the most shocking among all his peers, his magic even to the eyes that can't understand magic, it looked grand and deep, his martial arts are of a level beyond what we know of, they are very showy yet I wouldn't want to go against them on equal terms. But all that matters less when we talk about his Voice."
All the jarls nodded to what Ulfric said, "I wanted to fight you guys out over this guy to take him under my wing but I am rethinking it now. The Thu'um is no ordinary power, it's a power that goes beyond magic itself. For a youngster to learn it in that young age, it would make the Greybeards themselves surprised, my only guess was that this Arch Wizard had some secret knowledge that she passed to him and made him grow into such a fine talent."
The jarls were dejected from the grand opportunity they had to miss just because they have no power to hold onto it.
"Jarl Idgrod." High King Torygg called for the last jarl who didn't speak.
"I can't weight him!" She just said that.
All the jarls were taken aback, this woman would always say her opinion in anything she knew about or not, yet she refused to speak.
Most jarls wouldn't take her words seriously but Torygg, Ulfric and Balgruuf knew what this woman was capable of, he divinations were scary accurate, her talent in magic was that of a mystic, she had the weirdest talent among most mages.
"What I saw in him; was a reckless boy who was never afraid to get his hands dirty, he walked the twisted path many times yet he was never stained by it." She said, "I don't think his fate will be easy, either if you want to associate with him or not, that's your choice, but supporting him may come with a heavy price or an enemy you can't stand against. It's all not clear but that's the best I can do"
She took a deep breath and said "My advice is; don't hinder his path, treat him normally and life will go on just right." She was saying that while looking to Ulfric in the eye, few could do that.
The atmosphere stiffened for a while but the Torygg decided to break the ice, "He is by all means the victor of this tournament as long as he participates in the last competition." He said and smiled, "We will sink him in glory and send him on his way. Still, I am looking forward for tomorrow."
As Torygg said that, all jarls started to giggle inwardly.
The last competition is madness in the eyes of many, safety was guaranteed in the most of the tournament except in this one, people actually died in this one before.
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[A/N: 1st Person POV.]
That fight was really something, I seriously enjoyed it to the last moment.
I really didn't want to use the Thu'um in public especially when Ulfric Stormcloak is around but it came for the best.
I learned the Thu'um a year ago, I knew all the words from the game and I could remember everything about them, I even wrote a section about them in my magic note, while trying to learn them, Nurina would take me to a room where she would cast a 'Muffle' spell around all the room so no one can hear anything, she took interest in the words of dragons herself but she couldn't master any of them, that made her really depressed.
I, after few weeks of training, could master the first word 'Fus', I think the hero of the game could master these words much faster than me due to him absorbing dragon souls.
I have no dragon souls and I don't think they have any in the market, I had to take the hard way to learn it, the same way that the normal voice masters could learn the Voice.
Yet I was talented according to Nurina. She was a genius in magic and she couldn't master a single word. I think me playing the game and using the 'Fus Ro Dah' on Lydia for thouthands of time was really giving some results.
I wanted to learn other words of power but for some reason, comprehending them was a pain, I really wanted to learn the 'Disarm' shout or 'Whirlwind Sprint' but they were simply too hard, I guessed the reason was due to the shout from the game has much different effect or feeling that I can't apply with imagination or memory.
I guess I'll have to try harder.
After the fight I was so beaten up that I went directly to the inn and closed my room, I slept like horker.
After I woke up I found Skadi, Bjorna and Battle-Born were surrounding me asking me about the Thu'um.
I thought Battle-Born would feel betrayed that I kept that from him but he was very happy, he said he could see it before he lose consciousness and it looked grand from his point of view.
Skadi was so hyped and was shaking me full force, my bones were going to crack from that woman's grabbing power.
Wulfur and Svidi as well as Akara and Ysolda knew about that secret so I was safe from that side.
Bjorna came later and started to tell us about the rumors going on in the inn, some are saying that I am some sort of hero and others were saying I was brought up by Ulfric Stormcloak, so many rumors started to fly around me.
There were so many congratulation gifts from some influential people, we even received a dinner invitation by Thane Bryling, but Skadi cancelled it off, I would have accepted though.
Clan Battle-Born sent a huge sum of money to Jon Battle-Born, they said that he made them proud and sent me few gifts too.
I had to rent another room to store all these stuff away.
Luckily a servant from the College of Winterhold came and asked me to register the luggage I will take with me on their ship, I showed him the stuff and he was about to cry.
I really wanted to sneak around and go to the bathhouse but a party was thrown in the inn for the honor of team 'White Wolves'.
Teams that also lived in the inn with us joined and drinks were everywhere, Svidi and Battle-Born sang many songs I wrote, they were some songs from my past life that I had to edit to fit this world sometime ago.
I was smiling while drinking with Wulfur, for some reason I had to make him drunk before he can talk normally to Bjorna, this was fun.
I didn't drink that much but I made sure that everyone drink till they fall down, that was part of the plan going on.
Seriously I was starting to feel bad for myself, I am always shaking people with a hand while holding a dagger behind my back, I guess my cheerful self from my past life has become some sort of distant memory now.
As everyone was passed down on the tables and the floor this was the perfect time to act.
I went to a girl called Lisette, she is a beautiful Breton girl who works as a bard in the inn, I gave her few coins and asked her to keep these people sleeping for a while as I wanted to sneak out somewhere.
Lisette was a big fangirl to my team and one of Svidi's friends, if I stayed in this city for a while longer I think I would date her.
As I made my way to my room, I opened my personal chest and there I took out a strongbox carefully.
As I put it on the side with utmost care, I opened it and I could see some small flasks in it.
These little babies were my pride and joy, these were no poisons or potions, these were 'bombs'.
Yes sir, these are explosives.
The mod 'Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul' added these babies to this world, these babies can go *KaBooM!* when they feel heat or get broken, these babies are too sensitive you see.
I take out a belt with many mini pockets, these mini pockets fit perfectly with the flasks, they were designed and enchanted to keep them in safe condition during operations, Thieves Guild gear as you see, a gift from Uncle Delvin.
I put the belt on and took some flasks and equipped them in it, this looked cool, but I had to hide how cool it looked with my shirt.
Putting on my sneaking gear and a large black cloak, I was ready to roll.
Going downstairs I could see Lisette doing a good job singing her lullaby, good girl, keep them sleeping.
I went to the side and found someone who was drinking alone in the side, I sat front of him and didn't say anything.
"Tonight?" Gulum-Ei the Argonian thief fence asked me.
"Tomorrow night." I replied.
"What will you do?" He asked.
"The girl will die, I am afraid this may go a bit ugly and a little inexperienced, I never took a soul before." I said.
He drank from his tankard and looked at me again, "So what happened to poor Sibbi was not your doing?"
I looked at him and smiled then shook my head.
"Well, you were in the inn the hole day drinking as it seemed, Maven wanted us to investigate you but we told her you are one of us and we treat our best clients with utmost care." He said, "I am glad I was right."
So Maven did suspect me after all, glad I played my part well.
"I will make a last tour tonight, as long as everything is smooth, nothing will go south on my side." I said, "Make sure to stay clear of my way lizard"
I made a dissatisfied face, can't afford to break my act now.
As I said that, I took my leave and left the inn through the back door.
Now, to Castle Dour.
[A/N: Dearest readers, there are three votes going on in the Discord group, try them out!]