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(A/N: Don't forget to give me those power stones everyone!)
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Aerion stood up from his crouched position, a cloud of smoke rising from his hands. He looked down at the Orc chief. The man was still alive, his steel armor badly damaged and his body on fire, groaning in pain. He was heavily wounded, but not dead. Aerion could finish him, but he also had more to gain.
[Your Sneak skill has increased to Level 18!]
[Your Destruction (Fire) skill has increased to Level 21!]
[Your Destruction (Lightning) skill has increased to Level 22!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 10!]
[You have 1 Attribute Point to spend!]
He immediately opened his main panel and, without a second thought, placed his new attribute point into his Magicka. His magicka pool, already immense, now felt even larger, a deep well of energy he could draw from at will.
Aerion, with a quiet sense of victory, turned to his right and headed deeper into the mine. Lupin trotted faithfully at his heels, his ears perked and his small body radiating a silent, ready energy. They passed a table on their right, and Aerion's eyes, now trained to see the valuable in the mundane, immediately spotted a collection of potions.
He quickly scooped them up, adding two Potions of Minor Magicka, a Potion of Minor Healing, and a rare Philter of Lockpicking to his inventory, their combined weight a negligible 2 KG.
With his new treasures secured, he turned left and walked toward the bodies of the fallen bandits. The female Breton was first. He knelt, his face a mask of cold professionalism, and looted her, taking an Iron Sword and 12 septims.
He then moved to the Orc, taking his Steel Greatsword and 11 septims. The final bandit, the Orc Chief, yielded the most valuable loot. Aerion found a pouch on him filled with 103 septims and a heavy Steel Warhammer. He placed the coins in his small pouch and stored the new weapons in his inventory.
The total weight of his new armaments was a significant 26 KG, but his immense carry capacity swallowed it easily. After the bodies were stripped of their valuables, Aerion's attention turned to the grinding stone.
Beneath it sat the Poacher's Axe, the unique woodcutter's axe that the Orc had been sharpening. He picked it up, feeling its unique weight, and stowed it away in his inventory, the small object adding another 5 KG to his total.
He then looked to his left and saw the blacksmith's forge, its fire long since gone out. To the right of the forge, a crude, three shelf cupboard stood against the wall.
The first shelf was filled with what looked like mammoth snout meat, but his eyes were drawn to the second and third shelves, which were lined with several enormous mammoth tusks.
A thought, a shrewd, business oriented thought, entered his mind. He remembered that Ysolda, a budding merchant in Whiterun, needed two of these tusks to complete a deal with the Khajiit caravans.
Giving them to her wasn't just a quest objective, it was an investment. It would build a relationship with a savvy trader and give him a foothold in the city's merchant circle.
As if sensing his thoughts, Lupin suddenly darted forward, running to the cupboard. The little fox leaped onto the second shelf and began to tug at one of the tusks. The tusk, massive and heavy, was far too big for him. He couldn't even budge it. Seeing the small fox futilely attempting to drag the huge tusk, Aerion let out a low, amused laugh.
"I'll get you a different bone, little guy," he said, his voice soft but firm. He then carefully took seven of the tusks, their immense size feeling almost weightless as they were absorbed into his inventory. They registered a combined weight of 23 KG.
With his new inventory of tusks and weapons, Aerion turned his attention to the wooden platform from which the Orc Chief had come. He walked up the stairs and was greeted by a wooden table laden with various items. There were potions, a couple of wines, meads, a pouch of coins, an iron dagger, and, stacked neatly against each other, two books.
Aerion's heart gave a little jolt of recognition. He knew that one of those books was an invaluable Alteration spell tome, a book that would teach him the magic of Transmute Mineral Ore.
With this, he could turn low value iron ore into silver, and silver into gold, an endless source of wealth and a shortcut to riches that would make the Septims he had now seem like pocket change.
The book's cover, a simple drawing of a tree with one half in full leaf and the other a skeleton of bare branches, confirmed its identity.
He reached for the book, and the moment his fingers touched the cover, a new system notification appeared in his mind.
[Would you like to acquire the Alteration skill and learn the Transmute Mineral Ore spell? Yes / No]
Aerion didn't even hesitate. He mentally pressed Yes. A warm, flowing energy entered his mind, a new kind of magic, a new understanding of the earth and its raw materials.
[Skill Unlocked: Alteration (Level 1)!]
[Description: The ability to manipulate the world around you. You can change the properties of rock and metal, protect yourself with magical armor, or turn a normal rock into a shiny new treasure. It's like being a wizard who is also a very good geologist.]
[Due to your Fast Skill Levelling, Alteration has increased to Level 4!]
Aerion smiled, a deep, satisfied grin. Another skill unlocked. He then picked up the rest of the items on the table, two more Potions of Minor Magicka and two Potions of Minor Healing, adding them to his inventory for a weight increase of 1 KG.
He opened the small coin pouch and found a sum of 47 septims, which he promptly added to his total septims. Then, to quench his sudden thirst, he took one of the meads, broke the seal, and took a long, refreshing drink.
Feeling revitalized, he turned to the large steel chest, the final treasure of the area. He walked over to it and opened it. Inside, a hoard awaited him. A large pouch of septims, a beautiful copper and onyx circlet, two magical scrolls, and a sturdy Steel Mace lay nestled inside the chest.
Aerion reached into the large steel chest, his fingers closing around the large substantial pouch of septims. He opened it and counted the coins, finding 100septims, which he promptly added to his total. He then stowed the sturdy Steel Mace and the glittering Copper and Onyx Circlet into his inventory.
The last items were the two magical scrolls. He unfurled them, confirming they were both the Fireball Scrolls, perfect for a sudden burst of moderate level damage, and could fetch some good price. He placed the scrolls into his inventory as well, the final additions to his loot adding a total of 17 KG to his current carry weight.
The main loot was secured, but Aerion's gamer instinct, the voice that always whispered "check behind the crates," urged him to do one last sweep.
He looked around the Orc Chief's sleeping area, his eyes scanning for anything that shouldn't be there, a detail his mods might have added. Sure enough, beneath the rough hewn wooden bed, he spotted a small, dark wooden chest, something definitely not present in the vanilla game.
His heart gave an excited thump. He knelt down and flipped the lid open. Inside, a beautiful array of precious gemstones glittered, there's three flawless sapphires, four deep red rubies, and three rich violet amethysts. It was a small but extremely valuable hoard for the bandit chief and for Aerion as well.
Before Aerion could even reach for them, Lupin, who had been watching with intense focus, let out a string of excited yips. The fox darted forward, his tiny snout nudging the chest, and with a quick movement, he snagged one of the rubies. He then backed off, tossing the shiny stone into the air with playful enthusiasm.
Aerion let out a long, slow sigh, a mixture of exasperation and weary affection. "Lupin," he groaned, his tone soft but firm. He had grown genuinely fond of the fluffy fox, but this behavior, the obsession with shiny things and interesting things to it, was becoming a problem.
He lamented inwardly that while the immense size of the mammoth tusks had thankfully thwarted Lupin's earlier larceny, smaller items were fair game, and this could spell trouble. He couldn't risk the fox snatching a gold coin or a diamond necklace in the middle of a crowded city market.
Everyone would instantly think he, the strange new High Elf, was training a fox to steal, drawing entirely too much attention, the kind of attention that could unravel his entire carefully constructed façade.
He spoke to Lupin with a serious voice. "Come here, and bring that back."
Lupin, perhaps sensing the shift in Aerion's tone, immediately stopped playing. He trotted over to Aerion, gently nudged the ruby off his snout, and placed it right in front of Aerion's foot. He then tilted his head, his ears forward, and let out a curious series of small yips, his tail giving a questioning wag. It was the universal animal equivalent of: "I listened to you. Now where's my treat?"
Aerion crouched down to meet the fox at eye level. He couldn't bring himself to be angry, not with that innocent, expectant face looking up at him. But he had to set a boundary.
"You can't just take things you like, buddy. It's a bad thing," Aerion explained, his voice gentle. "When you see something shiny you want, you have to ask me first, understand?" He paused, then sighed, remembering the best way to train an animal. "Since you listened to me, and brought it back, when we get back to the Bannered Mare in Whiterun, I'll get you a sweet roll. How does that sound?"
Lupin's reaction was immediate and enthusiastic. He leaped into the air, doing a quick, ecstatic circle around Aerion, letting out a series of joyous, high-pitched yips. The prospect of a sweet roll was apparently the highest form of reward a fox could receive.
Aerion shook his head, a genuine smile returning to his face. He was literally becoming the Disney Princess of Skyrim, using sweet pastries to manage a rogue fox's kleptomania. The situation was absurd, but effective.
With his new bargain struck, he swiftly gathered all the precious jewels and placed them securely into his inventory. He stood up, stretching his back, and inhaled deeply.
"Alright, come on, buddy. Let's get out of this dusty mine and get some fresh air. Then we can go home for that sweet roll."
Lupin gave a sharp, happy yip of agreement, and the two of them turned and began their ascent out of the mine shaft. They quickly passed through the tunnels, their path well known now, and emerged from the cave entrance and into the Halted Stream Camp.
The sunlight felt harsh after the dimness of the mine, and the fresh air was a welcome balm after the stale, metallic scent of blood and burnt magic.
The scene outside was still grim. The bodies of the first group of bandits were where they had fallen, and now several large crows and vultures were perched nearby, patiently waiting for their turn. It was a stark, brutal reminder of the reality of this world, a world where violence had real, lasting consequences.
Aerion and Lupin took a deep breath of the cool, morning air. Their work here was done. The bounty was secured, the camp was neutralized, and Aerion was richer and more skilled than he had been an hour prior. He looked toward the plains outside the camp.
"Time to head back to Whiterun, Lupin. We have a bounty to collect." The fox gave a final, enthusiastic yips, and the two of them began the long walk back across the plains, leaving the silent, desolate bandit camp behind them.
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[Main Panel] Name: Aerion Race: High Elf (Altmer) Health: 160/160 Stamina: 140/140 Magicka: 240/240 Level: 10
Skills: Animal Affinity (MAX LEVEL), Fast Skill Levelling (MAX LEVEL), Fast Magic Mastery (MAX LEVEL), Destruction (Fire/Lightning) (Level 21/22), Persuasion (Level 15), Smithing (Level 9), Sneak (Level 13), One Handed (Level 7), Restoration (Healing) (Level 7), Two Handed (Level 8), Lockpicking (Level 9), Archery (Level 7), & Alteration (Level 4) - NEW
[Inventory Panel]
1x Small Pouch = 330 Septims
1x Iron Dagger, Steel Dagger, Iron Battleaxe, Iron Greatsword, Iron Shield, Long Bow, Potions of Minor Stamina, Philter of Lockpicking, Steel Greatsword, Steel Warhammer, Small Sack, Poacher's Axe, Copper and Onyx Circlet, & Steel Mace
2x Gold Garnet Rings, Gold Ring, Iron War Axe, Scroll Of Fireball, & Big Sacks
3x Silver Garnet Rings, Silver Rings, Iron Swords, Sapphire, & Amethyst
4x Lockpicks, Potions of Minor Magicka, & Ruby
6x Potions Of Minor Healing
7x Mammoth Tusk
8x Iron Arrows
Weight: 153 KG / 370 KG
Septims = 25,416