Chapter 64 - Hob's Fall Cave
"What if I disagree?"
They looked at each other and sat anyway. How rude!
They sat down around the table. The other Jon was in front of me, his brother on the left and the other man on the right.
"I am Tor, this is my brother Jon and that is my friend Glemt. We are sorry for rudely eavesdropping and the thing just now!"
"Not accepted!"
"Haha 'cheeky brat'! That was some aggressive aura just now! How did you develop it?"
"I don't know what do you mean by Aura, that was just a spell!"
"""A spell!"""
The trio were surprised for some reason.
"To think you can make an aura with magic! This is impressive!"
"Nope, just some illusions!"
The men were taken aback again, the man called Glemt spoke "Illusion? That explains the range of effect."
Through this exchange I could see some parts of their faces! I am not sure of the races just yet.
Glemt was not tall like most Nords even though his name was Nordic, he had a skin that made me think he may be an Imperial with some facial hair, he looked the oldest. I couldn't decide his race though.
Tor was a Nord, his manner of speaking and height gave off a bit of that, his hair couldn't be seen but I guess it's a bit between red and brown. Also I am sure his name was fake, his eye contact wasn't steady when he said it.
The man named Jon is actually the most mysterious one. It was hard to tell his accent as he was quite. His skin is pale and he is tall. Still, I feel like his blue eyes are very perceptive. He is like a hawk.
"I was also surprised, being a milk drinker and releasing Aura would be a bit unnatural!" Tor said.
"From what you say I guess that 'Aura' is not the casting technique I am familiar with! What is it?"
"Hmmm! It's not easy to explain for a youngster!" Glemt said and unlike Tor, he was polite, "It's like manifesting the fighting spirit inside one's body into an actual force that affects morales, and actually gives strength in combat! Doing so can give a hint of the style used by the person who released the Aura."
Hmmm! Something like that exists? But, "Isn't this similar to War Cry? The power that can be released by the heroic Nords?"
"You can say that! Few people can use 'War Cry', but those who can use it, are definitely able to release an aura." Tor said.
Hmmm! I thought so.
"This means that Tor is a swordsman with a fiendish style, Glemt is some sort of a Battlemage and Old Jon is a Fire Mage!"
"Correct!" Glemt said.
"Fiendish!" Tor grumbled.
"Old!" Old Jon was clearly dissatisfied with it.
"Deal with it, I am also dealing with 'Young' Jon as long as you are around."
"Hehe!" Old Jon laughed quietly and shook his head.
"Anyway, what's your business with me! I have a crew to gather!"
"A crew? Kid! How did you own a ship?" Tor was taking the role of the talkative!
"I thought you heard everything!"
"Clearly not! We only got interested in how you would hit on the lass!"
"Lass! You mean Mjoll? Come on!" And here I thought they were some shady people, they only got interested when I talked to Mjoll.
Sigh! Dirty old men!
"You were asking about the ship! Well, I killed all the pirates on it and it became mine!"
"Killed! How many?" Tor asked.
"Don't know! They were a lot." I said, remembering what happened makes my mood gloomy, "Ask my servant! She's into counting the dead and all that!"
I took my tankard and emptied it in one go.
"Are.. you alright?" Strange enough, Old Jon broke his vow of silence and spoke.
"I am. Not the first time."
They also drank from the tankards they brought with them.
"Tell me Young Jon! I am sorry for asking about your private matters but that thing about Winterhold, is it serious?" Tor asked.
"Hmm? People are dying on the streets! Of course it is serious."
"No, not that. I meant you going against the authority?"
Hmmm!
"Authority? Who gives the right of the authority? The king? The bloodline?" I asked, "It's nothing but formalities. Things mortals created to feel good about themselves! To feel satisfied being on top of one another. The ones who are the source of all authorities are the people if they realized it."
"But without rulers, people will suffer." Old Jon said.
"Because of what? How wise rulers are? They were only prepared to rule and to think for the people. The moment they stop thinking for the people everything crumbles. The moment greed takes over how many friendships to be cut, loved ones to lost, families to be ruined." I said and they turned grim one after the other.
"You see what is wrong? They degraded people and monopolized both opinion and thinking for themselves. They put limits on everything to shackle life into what they see as Order and force others to abide it as law."
"But isn't Order the way man should follow and live with? Without Order man is just but another animal." Old Jon said.
"True and I agree completely! But that depends on how much man can comprehend and think! To beasts, living in human settlements is chaotic but to man it's Order. The more a man can utilize his ability to think, the more his notion of Order widens. To degrade men, suppress their ability to think, the Chaos will drive them into the small area they think of as Order. That's how people govern people, not by Order, but by Chaos, by illusion, by making them think of what they want them to think. Make one busy with gathering barely enough money to support himself and all he will think about is how to live day by day, he will never look at the future because that will be stepping into the dark unknown area, the Chaos, his Order will be what those who rule him want it to be. A wise man once said, "Order is but an Illusion, what is Order for a spider is Chaos for a fly."
"Who said that?" Tor asked.
"Me, just now!" I said.
The trio were baffled by my shameless.
"After all, what are you really after?" Glemt asked.
"Unlike what people think, Order is no opposite to Chaos. It's only the small territory we conquered in Chaos. What I am after is to conquer more. I won't lord over anyone neither do I have the time to do so. I will just give people a hand while benefiting myself. Maybe it can give me the feeling of accomplishment and build up a place I want my children to live in."
I didn't say anything after it. Truthfully speaking, I may have talked a lot but nothing of my ideals is a secret. Also these guys are strong, I can't tell how strong they are but I am no match. They didn't show any bad intentions towards me. On the contrary, they were worried. Not about my plan but about that Aura thing.
I still haven't comprehended it yet but it seems that the Aura is affected by one's mentality. I used a spell full of madness and negativity that made them feel worried if my mentality is affected by that. My mentality is clear as ever though, I am just very perceptive when it comes to energy that I could counter the energy of Aura with a spell. After all, everything is Magicka.
"So, won't those ideals of yours be a thing that some people may not see beneficial and try to fight!" Tor asked.
"Indeed, fights will occur to stop it, I am not exactly optimistic about it myself but I want to think of myself as doing my part! Also, as people will see it as a threat, some will see it as a future and will embrace it. When you give the people heroes, they might live in harmony as long as the heroes are living among them. But if you give people an idea, they will follow it, put their faith in it, fight and die for it."
"So you are saying heroes are not necessary?" Tor asked in dissatisfaction!
"They are, when the time of heroes comes. But for everyday, world should survive on its own. As you see, world doesn't need heroes, it needs professionals! And no crisis shall ever rise to begin with! After all, it's for the future!"
"... Future! Sigh!"
I could feel that Old Jon was in an emotional roller coaster when he said 'Future!' and sighed. The man seemed to be having it hard.
"Sorry for taking your time Young Jon, I think it's time for us to head out!" Old Jon said and stood, "I hope we meet each other once again!"
I stood for him and shook his hand, "Likewise Old Jon!"
"See you kid." Tor said and bunched my shoulder.
"Farewell!"
They walked together and left the inn!
"....."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The people in the inn were still wary of me. They knew that I was in some power contest with the other three. The presence of Aura can be felt by normal senses just fine but as it wasn't directed at people, no one really minded it. They only felt these people are no regular folk.
Me, on the other hand, used a spell that worked like the Aura so people thought of me as some crazy monster. I heard some of them saying that I won against the three men in hoods alone.
Mjoll said she sensed something and came running but she was afraid to step into the conversation especially when she felt my Aura.
Ongeim said that the boys he brought were frightened by my Aura and will not argue about anything but they are just too afraid to come unless I call for them.
I guess I did a score here. I'll improve that spell no matter what!
Jullanar who was acting during my absence in the ship also came to the inn and reported that the repairs are almost complete.
I went and talked with the sailors Ongeim brought! Most of them were young but experienced sailors, I tried to be friendly enough without breaking the air of the Captain and it didn't really work. Still, they eased up a bit when I ordered drinks for them.
Jullanar wrote the names of the sailors and everything was in order. Two cooks, a navigators, a charter, two carpenters, the rest were five warriors. Ongeim will be my quartermaster, Jull will be Jull, Trudvar will be my guard, Mjoll will be my guard too and the one who will do the intimidating. I, the Captain, the Healer, and the Battle Mage.
I also payed two silvers upfront as a bonus of starting the job. They have half a day two get what they need and be on the ship!
Ongeim took me around the town and we bought tons of arrows as well as some weapons and many other necessities! I also had a shoping list for Nurina and it was nothing easy to carry alone, I hired people to carry the stuff to the ship.
By nightfall, the ship was loaded and the repairs made it look like a new one. The 'Alexandria' was a small but an elegant ship.
Adding few lanterns here and there gave it a good vibe, I also made sure that everything is taken care off before heading to my cabin.
My cabin! Ah! What a transformation! I must admit, I love luxury! I brought a big sized bed and the comfiest furniture that can fit in.
I also bought some maps and new navigation gear, my navigation skills are not that great but it's okay for traveling not far from the coast.
I also bought every sailing book in town!
Let's see what else is here before we miss anything.
Arcane Table for enchanting, Check!
Alchemy Station, Check!
Luggage, Check!
Julls, Check!
My reading material, Check!
Chest for valuables, Check!
Every piece is where it is supposed to be! Ah, it was never this tidy in my past life.
Now, to bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next morning!
I was standing behind the wheel!
Five sailors were being punished in the very morning. Why? Four overslept and one slept on guarding duty.
What is the punishment you ask?
Simple!
Ice Bucket Challenge!
I call it that but it is like this, these guys will stand naked (in underwears of course) and pour ice cold water from the sea on themselves. Ten buckets or ten whips, those who start can't stop because whips on cold bodies is a heavenly kind of pain! Of course one can stop any time but will have to take the rest of the buckets as whips. Even though these guys are Nords, cold sea water in the morning is a bit too much.
The sun started rising and everything was going fine. Dragging the ship out was also the sailors job but we pay few coppers for dock workers to help.
Now, the ship was on water and we have nothing left but to open the sails to the wind.
Few minutes later, the 'Alexandria' was back in the sea and heading east to the direction of Winterhold. Our destination is Hob's Fall Cave.
Hob's Fall cave was right on the coast just after an island called Yngvild, we took the short narrow path between the small islands near the coast. Truthfully speaking, I was worried of being followed so my plan was to hide the ship somewhere like here.
After six hours, I could see the terrain of the cave I am familiar with, my navigator also confirmed the location.
I insisted to hide the ship from sight. There was a small hill near the coast that can do the job and it was surrounded by small pieces of land. Even though the area was shallow, my detection scaned it for the best way out.
Now, we are very well ready to go down. Trudvar will stay with the ship along with other sailors. Me, Julls, Mjoll, Ongeim and three sailors who were good fighters took the ship's boat to the land.
Hob's Fall Cave is at the end of a path enclosed by sheer walls of ice, which starts at the shoreline to the northeast and ends at the entrance.
Everything was so far so good, I was worried about any beasts in the area but...
'Tek'
"Dammit!"
"What's wrong?" Mjoll said.
"A troll! At the entrance of the cave!"
I said and evoked the 'Fireball' spell. I hate trolls when they are alive, three eyes and crazy strength. What is more ridiculous is their regeneration! I remember playing as a warrior and going against a troll once. Dumbfuck healed like crazy after every hit.
"Ongeim, Mjoll use shields and pin it! The rest go with spears. Jull, shoot to its eyes without making it see you!"
The troll emerged near the entrance and started to make warning roars to the intruders! This is an Ice Troll. I cannot believe I extracted an essence from this thing to buff my bedroom prowess but I think the trolls' regeneration is what made it a fearsome extract.
Trolls themselves are ugly fucks. Gorilla-like creatures with three eyes and evil looking heads, their bodies are stringy with muscles but mostly covered in fur, their shoulders and heads have many bone spurs that makes a clash with them is a bad idea, their hands are the most problematic thing. They have three fingers each with claws like steel.
This combination of fearsomeness and incarnation of manhood is raoring and rushing against us.
There is only one weakness the trolls have. It's Fire! And this young and handsome man is called Jonhild Fire-Mane!
One more thing!
They guys around me are nervous let's give them a good buff.
I haven't used this in ages.
'War Cry!'