(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
Aerion organized the items in his mental catalog, storing the knowledge they represented. Each item was a lesson waiting to be absorbed at the Arcane Enchanter in Dragonsreach. With the unexpected gold secured and the initial enchantment resources collected, Aerion and Lupin turned away from the stack of cheating chests.
Then the heavy iron banded gates of Whiterun creaked open with a slow, rhythmic groan as Aerion and Lupin leave the town, signaling Aerion's official departure from the safety of the stone walls.
As he stepped onto the drawbridge, the brisk morning air of the tundra hit him with a sharp, refreshing bite, carrying the scent of ancient pine needles and the distant, frosty promise of snow rolling off the Throat of the World.
Lupin trotted ahead with an infectious, tail wagging energy, his paws clicking lightly against the stone before they transitioned onto the soft, dark dirt of the path leading toward the stables.
Aerion paused for a brief moment to pull up his mental map interface, a translucent golden shimmer in his vision that only he could perceive. With a swift flick of his thought, he placed a glowing pointer over Bleakwind Basin, which sat in the low lying, mist shrouded marshes just northwest of the city.
A faint navigational line manifested in his mind's eye, cutting through the hazy horizon like a beacon, and as they passed the Whiterun Stables, seeing Lupin darting through the tall grass in pursuit of invisible scents and playing with some butterflies, a spark of pure strategic inspiration ignited in Aerion's mind.
He began to think deeply about his Animal Affinity skill, recalling the system's description which stated it worked on almost any living creature of the wild, excluding only the divine blooded dragons.
If he could command a fox with a mere presence, then those legendary, woolly mammoths, creatures the size of small houses, should be well within his reach. The idea of employing them as a living shield was brilliant, the Giants loved their mammoths more than they loved their own lives, and they would never risk swinging a club if a mammoth stood in the way.
As he walked, his "Gamer Soul" began to calculate the sheer economic potential of such a feat, while his "Altmer Nature" evaluated the long term socio economic impact of a Mammoth Ranch.
It slowly becomes wasn't just about a meat shield, it was about a business idea. He could harvest the thick, insulating fur for high end winter garments, collect the nutrient dense milk that was a rarity in human markets, and even sell the massive amounts of manure as high grade fertilizer for the farmers of the Reach and Whiterun.
The Khajiit Caravans would be falling over themselves to be his primary business partners, as they were the main exporters of exotic goods. The prospect of a steady, reliable source of mammoth products, fur, tallow, and curd, would make him their most favored partner in the north, bringing it back to their desert homeland of Elsweyr.
But was the tusks was the one presented a gold mine, if he could find a way to replicate the Giants' secret for grinding them into a fine alchemical powder without losing their magical potency, he would hold a monopoly on one of the rarest stabilizers in the arcane world.
His soul and his body, which had once felt like clashing gears, one with the modern soul, the other with his altmer soul, finally seemed to find a harmonious rhythm.
By the time these thoughts had solidified into a concrete plan, Aerion and Lupin had reached the Western Watchtower. It stood tall and lonely against the grey sky, its stone battlements still manned by a handful of bored guards since the dragons hadn't yet returned to set the world ablaze.
Aerion gave the guards a brief nod, which they returned with a wary node one gives to a robed Altmer, especially a weird one travelling with a fox.
Turning north from the tower, the landscape shifted into the treacherous, marshy plains of the basin, where the ground became spongier and dotted with shallow, stagnant lakes. Great jagged rocks jutted from the earth like the teeth of a buried beast, and sparse, twisted trees fought against the constant, whistling wind.
As they neared the camp, Aerion signaled for Lupin to stay low, and he himself dropped into a crouch. He decided to put his sneaking abilities to the test, moving with the deliberate, silent grace of a shadow through the tall, frost rimmed grass and the morning mist.
[Sneak Leveled Up to Level 14!]
[Sneak Leveled Up to Level 15!]
[Sneak Leveled Up to Level 16!]
The notifications whispered in the corner of his mind as he closed the distance between the ridge and the mammoths. He moved like a ghost, utilizing every rock and dip in the terrain to mask his approach, until he was standing just a few feet away from the three massive, shaggy beasts. When he finally stood up and stepped into their field of vision, the three mammoths turned their colossal heads simultaneously.
Instead of trumpeting in alarm or charging the intruder, the effect of his Animal Affinity was instantaneous and profound. The mammoths' small, intelligent eyes softened, and they began to huff with a gentle, rumbling affection, nudging their massive, wet trunks against his robed chest and shoulders.
They acted exactly as Lupin had when they first met, a complete and utter recognition of a master who radiated a comforting, primeval peace.
That was the moment the two Giants, who had been lazily tending their fire nearby, finally noticed the movement. They let out guttural, mountain shaking roars of confusion, seeing a slender High Elf standing among their precious herd.
The lead Giant grabbed his massive club, a tree trunk reinforced with boulders, and charged with thunderous strides that sent tremors through the marshy ground.
"Now, my friends," Aerion whispered, patting the coarse fur of the nearest mammoth. "Keep me safe."
Following his mental command, the three mammoths shifted their massive weights, moving with surprising coordination to form a semi circular wall of brown fur and ivory around him. They stood firm, their trunks raised defiantly at the Giants, creating an impenetrable barrier.
The lead Giant skidded to a halt, his face a mask of primal rage and absolute desperation, he raised his club high, but he couldn't bring it down, to do so would be to strike his own beloved mammoths.
Safe within his living fortress, Aerion extended his hands, his fingers crackling with two distinct types of devastating energy. He didn't need to hold back, these Giants were legendary for their durability and iron strong wills, making them the perfect "training dummies" for his rapidly expanding arcane repertoire.
He hurled the first Fireball, a swirling orb of orange and crimson that streaked through the air and exploded against the Giant's tattooed chest. The creature screamed, a sound like grinding stones, but he didn't fall.
He simply backed away, his skin charring as he tried to find an opening that didn't involve hitting a mammoth.
Aerion followed up immediately with a Storm Blast, a continuous stream of violet lightning that latched onto the Giant's wet skin and forced his massive muscles into agonizing spasms.
Because the Giants were so resilient, Aerion was pouring massive amounts of Magicka into them, casting spell after spell in a relentless barrage, an dhis Magicka slowly depleting.
The Fast Magic Mastery skill turned the encounter into a literal explosion of experience points.
[Destruction (Fire) Leveled Up to Level 21, 22... 29!]
[Destruction (Lightning) Leveled Up to Level 23, 24... 30!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 12!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 13!]
[You have 2 Attribute Points to spend!]
The notifications flashed across his vision like a frantic strobe light. He felt the reservoir of his Magicka refresh and deepening with every level, his connection to the elemental forces of Nirn growing stronger and more intuitive.
The second Giant tried to circle around the mammoths from the left, but the third mammoth shifted its massive weight with a low rumble, cutting him off and forcing him to retreat.
Aerion was a blur of movement, his hands dancing as he alternated between searing heat and paralyzing shocks. The Giants were caught in a nightmare, they were being systematically dismantled by a foe they couldn't reach, protected by the very creatures they loved most.
The lead Giant eventually succumbed to the sheer volume of fire and lightning, his massive body hitting the ground with a force that sent a spray of mud and water twenty feet into the air.
The second Giant, though wounded and scorched, let out a final, mournful cry before Aerion finished him with a concentrated dual cast of lightning that bridged the gap between his hands.
The air filled with the scent of ozone and burnt hide as the second titan collapsed, leaving the basin in a sudden, heavy silence, broken only by the crackling of the campfire and the steady, calm breathing of the three mammoths.
Aerion stood behind his shaggy protectors for a moment bit exhausted after all of that, letting the adrenaline subside and the new power settle into his bones.
He had done it. He had cleared the basin, tripled his magical proficiency, and secured the foundation of a business he could have, all while remaining completely untouched.
He reached into his interface, putting his newly earned attribute points into Magicka, feeling the internal reservoir of energy expand to 270.
He turned to Lupin, who was watching from a safe distance, his tail wagging with pride.
"Well, Lupin," Aerion said, leaning against the side of the lead mammoth, which let out a soft, appreciative rumble. "I think you need to get to know your big sized brothers now. And perhaps, we should see what these Giants were keeping in that chest over there."
The sun was now fully over the horizon, illuminating the field of victory.
Lupin, who had been watching the magical bombardment with the keen interest of a tactical observer, finally trotted forward, his bushy tail held high like a banner of victory.
He approached Aerion first, giving a quick, affectionate brush against his master's leg before turning his attention to the three massive, woolly mammoths that were still standing in a protective semi circle around the Altmer.
Aerion watched with a raised eyebrow as the tiny fox looked up at the towering behemoths, letting out a series of sharp, rhythmic yips. To Aerion's genuine surprise, the mammoths didn't ignore the creature, instead, they lowered their massive, shaggy heads, their trunks curling inward in a gesture that looked remarkably like a bow of submission.
Lupin let out one final, triumphant bark, tilting his head back with such an air of unearned pride that Aerion couldn't help but shake his head. It was as if the little fox had taken his earlier words about meeting his "big sized brothers" entirely literally and decided that, as the first of the animal companions, he was naturally the eldest and most superior of the lot.
"You really took that 'big sized brothers' talk to heart, didn't you?" Aerion murmured, looking at the tiny fox who was now practically lording it over the giants' former livestock.
It was a scene straight out of a Disney movie, where the small, plucky animal that starts as the companion of the protagonist somehow ends up being the undisputed boss of every subsequent creature they encounter, no matter the size difference.
Lupin seemed to have established a hierarchy in which he was the general and the mammoths were his new, oversized infantry, and the big creatures seemed perfectly happy with the arrangement, their rumbling breaths sounding almost like purrs in response to the fox's sharp commands.
Deciding to leave the animal kingdom to its own internal politics for a moment, Aerion turned his focus toward the spoils of war.
He walked over to the massive, iron banded wooden chest that sat near the back of the camp, its surface weathered by years of exposure to the harsh Skyrim elements and stained with the grease of many giant cooked meals.
With a grunt of effort, he heaved the heavy lid open, and the sight inside made his gamer soul hum with a very specific kind of satisfaction.
Inside sat a small mountain of gold septims, probably gathered by the giants over decades as they scavenged the "shiny things" left behind by unfortunate travelers or simply found them buried in the dirt like strange, metallic seeds.
He reached in and began gathering the coins, the cold metal clinking together as he transferred them into his system inventory. He see that there's 750 Septims added to the Inventory.
Alongside the gold, he found a handful of uncut rubies and amethysts, their raw facets catching the morning light and throwing deep red and purple highlights against the interior of the chest. He picked them up, feeling their cool, dense weight before stowing them away. Increasing his inventory weight by 0.5 KG from the jewels.
The chest also contained a set of steel armor and a couple of well worn steel swords, likely the gear of some Nord warriors who hadn't possessed a living mammoth shield when they came seeking glory. Aerion looked at the metal for a moment, his gamer instinct screaming at him to "loot everything," but his practical High Elven mind intervened.
_____________________________
[Main Panel] Name: Aerion Race: High Elf (Altmer) Health: 160/160 Stamina: 140/140 Magicka: 270/270 Level: 11 ➝ 13
Skills: Animal Affinity (MAX LEVEL), Fast Skill Levelling (MAX LEVEL), Fast Magic Mastery (MAX LEVEL), Destruction (Fire/Lightning) (Level 29/30), Persuasion (Level 20), Smithing (Level 9), Sneak (Level 16), One Handed (Level 7), Restoration (Healing) (Level 7), Two Handed (Level 8), Lockpicking (Level 9), Archery (Level 7), & Alteration (Level 4)
[Inventory Panel]
1x Small Pouch = 315 Septims
1x Steel Dagger, Iron Shield, Long Bow, Potions of Minor Stamina, Philter of Lockpicking, Steel Warhammer, Small Sack, Poacher's Axe, Copper and Onyx Circlet, Steel Mace, Mammoth Tusk, Ring of Minor Destruction, Necklace of Stamina, Helmet of Magicka, Cuirass of Minor Health, Steel Sword of Embers, & Dwarven Bow of Paralysis.
2x Gold Garnet Rings, Gold Ring, & Scroll Of Fireball
3x Silver Garnet Rings, Silver Rings, & Sapphire
4x Lockpicks, Potions of Minor Magicka, & Amethyst
6x Potions Of Minor Healing & Ruby
8x Iron Arrows
Weight: 118.5 KG / 370 KG
Septims = 52,356