If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
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"Hadring," Aerion began, his voice dropping into a smooth, conversational, yet probing tone. "You see a great deal of traffic passing through this pass. Tell me... what are the whispers on the road? How fares the current condition of the civil war? Have the battle lines shifted while I have been out in my adventures?"
Hadring paused his wiping of the polished wooden bar counter, throwing a cautious, sideways glance toward the two sullen miners drinking in the far corner of the tavern. Satisfied that they were entirely absorbed in their own miseries, the scarred innkeeper leaned over the wood, his voice dropping to a low, conspiratorial whisper.
"I don't hear as much as I used to, Aerion, not since the snows thickened," Hadring began, his tone serious. "But the whispers that do make it through the pass... they paint a bloody picture. You should have heard before right that the Empire has stopped playing defense. This new commander they brought up from Cyrodiil, General Tullius, he is not a man who believes in border skirmishes. His massive, highly coordinated counter offensive across the entire eastern front have become a massive success."
Hadring leaned in closer. "From what I hear, the Stormcloaks are having a truly miserable time of it. They are being pushed back hard from their strongholds in the Pale and the Rift. The Imperial Legions are taking over as they are actively marching. They are getting closer and closer to Dawnstar, Winterhold, and Riften. If the rumors hold true, Ulfric's rebellion is going to be losing two major holds and three critical towns very, very soon. It will be a massive, perhaps unrecoverable blow to the bear of Windhelm."
Aerion's golden eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He took a slow sip of his Nord mead, processing the macro level intelligence. "A massive blow indeed. Tullius is proving to be the tactical genius the Emperor believed him to be. Tell me, Hadring, where exactly are you hearing this news? The Imperial Legion does not typically broadcast its troop movements to rural tavern keepers."
Hadring let out a quiet, rough chuckle. "They don't have to. You learn to read the room in this business, Elf. I hear it from the Stormcloak couriers who come through here wearing merchant disguises, looking over their shoulders every five seconds. And I hear it from the terrified refugees and traveling merchants who stop in for a rest, running from the advancing front lines."
Aerion nodded his head slowly, a picture of scholarly understanding. "The roads are a dangerous place for the unprepared. Thank you for the information, Hadring. It is highly illuminating."
Inwardly, however, Aerion's strategic mind was racing at a thousand miles an hour.
The geopolitical timeline was accelerating rapidly. If the Imperial Legion was winning and pushing the Stormcloaks back on the Pale and Rift ,fronts, it meant that the infamous ambush at Darkwater Crossing was imminent. Ulfric Stormcloak was about to be captured by General Tullius, thrown into a prison carriage, and transported to the border town of Helgen for a swift, unceremonious execution.
Which meant the main plot of the world was about to officially begin.
'I am running out of time,' Aerion realized, a thrill of anticipation running down his spine. 'I need to clear out Ironbind Barrow tomorrow morning fast, ride straight back to Whiterun, secure the deed to the Homestead, and establish the mammoth dairy farm. Once my passive income and military deterrent are fully operational, I must travel south to Helgen immediately.'
He needed to be at Helgen when the execution took place. Not to interfere with the politics, but to find the prophesied hero of this world. The Dragonborn was currently a faceless, nameless entity.
The only way Aerion would be able to positively identify them was to watch the chaos unfold. When Alduin the World-Eater descended from the sky to shatter the execution block, Aerion simply had to wait and see which specific prisoner the black dragon inadvertently saved.
Once he identified the Dragonborn, he could seamlessly insert himself into their narrative as a powerful, benevolent benefactor, guiding the hero from the shadows while reaping the rewards of their legendary exploits.
"Fascinating times we live in," Aerion murmured, pulling himself from his thoughts.
He picked up the heavy wooden bowls of hot, savory stew Hadring had prepared and carried them over to the table near the roaring hearth, where Jenassa was waiting.
"Eat up, Jenassa," Aerion offered, sliding a bowl across the table. He set the third bowl down on the stone floor.
Lupin immediately darted out from behind Aerion's boots and attacked the stew with vicious enthusiasm, happily splattering drops of broth across the floorboards. Aerion and Jenassa ate their own meals in comfortable, tired silence, the warmth of the tavern slowly unknotting the tension in their muscles from the grueling battle in Forsaken Cave.
Once their plates were entirely clear, they bid Hadring a good night and retired to their respective rooms down the narrow hallway.
Aerion closed the door to his suite, the crackling of the private fireplace welcoming him. He shed his dark robes, physically exhausted but mentally wired.
Before he allowed himself to sleep, he needed to finalize his power progression. He sat on the edge of the bed and opened his system interface, focusing entirely on the golden Destruction (Fire) skill. During the massive onslaught against the Draugr horde, the skill had reached its absolute maximum cap.
"System. Initiate Legendary Protocol for the Fire Skill," Aerion commanded silently.
Instantly, the familiar, disconcerting sensation of magical restructuring washed over him. The overwhelming, apocalyptic mastery of plasma and localized infernos folded inward, compressing from a roaring sun into a dense, volatile ember resting at his core.
[Destruction (Fire) Reset to Level 0. Prestige Rank Increased: (+2)]
His raw output was temporarily reduced, but the innate, permanent multiplier attached to the skill ensured that even at baseline, his flames would hit with terrifying, catastrophic force. Furthermore, it allowed him to immediately begin farming the skill for experience all over again.
Satisfied with his eternal progression loop, Aerion finally lay back against the pillows. Lupin, having finished his stew, hopped onto the mattress, curled into a tight cinnamon ball against Aerion's side, and fell asleep instantly. Aerion closed his eyes, joining the fox in a deep, dreamless rest.
The next morning, the Pale showed no signs of mercy.
Aerion rose early, washing his face in the cold basin water and donning his pristine, freshly cleaned robes. He stepped out of his room, Jenassa perfectly synchronizing her exit from the opposite door.
They met in the main tavern room, the ambient light outside the windows still a dull, snowy gray. Hadring was already awake, stoking the central fire pit.
Aerion walked up to the counter, placing twenty septims cleanly on the wood.
"Good morning, Hadring. We require three heavy portions of roasted goat and two flagons of mead to break our fast," Aerion ordered smoothly.
"Coming right up," Hadring grunted, sweeping the gold away and heading for the kitchens.
They ate quickly, the heavily salted goat meat providing the necessary dense calories for a hard day of dungeon delving. Once they were finished, Aerion walked back to the counter and placed the two heavy iron room keys down on the polished wood.
"We are checking out, Hadring," Aerion announced, offering a polite smile. "And you have my solemn, aristocratic word... we will not be returning to return the keys later this afternoon."
Hadring let out a rough, barking laugh, shaking his head as he collected the keys.
"I wasn't protesting your return yesterday, Elf," Hadring clarified, wiping his hands on his apron. "I was just speaking logical words to you. A tavern keeper would be an absolute fool to turn away a paying customer who doesn't cause trouble. I would never say no to more of your septims."
"A profoundly logical stance," Aerion chuckled. "May the roads bring you wealthy travelers, Hadring."
With their goodbyes said, Aerion, Jenassa, and Lupin pushed through the heavy wooden doors and stepped out into the freezing, unrelenting winds of the northern mountains.
They quickly saddled Revan and Jenassa's bay horse. Aerion tucked the shivering fox securely into the insulated depths of his saddlebag, mounted his towering black destrier, and spurred the beast forward into the snow.
Their destination was Ironbind Barrow. It was not a long journey, the ancient Nordic ruin was located just to the north of the Nightgate Inn, nestled high in a treacherous, wind scoured mountain pass.
They rode hard for thirty minutes, navigating the icy slopes until the towering, jagged stone pillars marking the entrance to the barrow loomed out of the whiteout conditions.
Aerion pulled Revan to a halt just outside the narrow gateway pass that led up to the ruin. The terrain ahead was too steep and completely covered in slick ice, horses would easily break a leg attempting the climb.
"We leave the mounts here," Aerion instructed, dismounting smoothly.
Jenassa dropped from her saddle, tying her horse's reins to a sturdy, frost covered pine tree beside Revan. Aerion offered the two animals a soothing wave of Animal Affinity, ensuring they would remain calm and hidden while they worked.
Aerion pulled Lupin from the bag, the fox dropping lightly into the deep snow. Together, the trio walked up the icy, winding pass, approaching the dark, gaping entrance of the cave system that served as the outer perimeter for Ironbind Barrow.
They stepped out of the howling wind and into the absolute, suffocating darkness of the ice cavern.
Unlike Forsaken Cave, there were no natural fissures in the ceiling here. It was pitch black, the damp air smelling heavily of frost and decay.
Aerion did not draw his Staff of Magelight, nor did he ask Jenassa to light a torch. He saw an immediate, highly efficient opportunity to farm experience.
He raised his left hand, tapping into the fundamental reality-bending principles of Alteration magic. He rapidly summoned a glowing, hovering orb of pure white light. He didn't just cast it once; he continually, rapidly generated the orbs, sending them floating down the icy corridors to illuminate the path ahead in a brilliant, overlapping cascade of magical flares.
The system registered the sheer, repetitive volume of his spellcasting.
[Alteration Leveled Up 8 Times! Current Level: 35]
"Show off," Jenassa muttered dryly, her crimson eyes adjusting easily to the now blindingly bright ice cave.
"Efficiency is paramount, Jenassa," Aerion replied, a slight smirk on his face.
As the hovering orbs of Magelight illuminated the high, frozen ceilings of the cavern, the true nature of their environment was suddenly revealed.
The ceilings were entirely choked with thick, massive, highly sticky white webbing. And descending rapidly from the darkness, reacting aggressively to the sudden burst of light, were dozens of FrostbiteSpiders.
They ranged in size from the standard, dog sized arachnids to massive, horrifyingly thick medium variants, their eight hairy legs clicking loudly against the ice as they dropped to the floor, hissing and bearing dripping, venomous fangs.
"Infestation," Jenassa spat in disgust, drawing her glowing Frost Steel Sword and her Orcish dagger. She hated spiders.
Aerion stepped forward, acting as a walking exterminator.
He didn't need high level Destruction magic for pests. He raised both of his hands, channeling his newly prestiged Fire matrix. Because it possessed the (+2) multiplier, even at base level, the flames that erupted from his palms were devastatingly hot.
He unleashed short, highly controlled bursts of liquid fire, sweeping them back and forth across the charging arachnids. The Frostbite Spiders shrieked, their highly flammable webbing instantly catching fire and spreading the inferno across the colony. The spiders curled inward, their carapaces popping and sizzling as they burned to a crisp in seconds.
[Destruction (Fire)(+2) Leveled Up 9 Times! Current Level: 9]
Jenassa moved through the smoke, severing the legs of any arachnids that managed to avoid the initial blast of fire, her blades a blur of lethal precision.
They pushed deeper into the cave system, the crunch of charred spider legs echoing beneath their boots. They followed the winding, icy path, descending further into the mountain until the narrow tunnel suddenly opened up into a vastly larger, cavernous chamber.
The webs here were thick enough to completely obscure the walls.
The moment they stepped into the clearing, a massive wave of Frostbite Spiders ambushed them from all sides, dropping from the ceiling and scuttling out from hidden burrows in the ice.
Aerion altered his tactics to handle the sheer volume. In his left hand, he unleashed roaring torrents of Flames, burning the webs and incinerating the smaller spiders. In his right hand, he fired rapid, blinding arcs of Chain Lightning into the thicker clusters, the electricity jumping wildly between the arachnids, frying their nervous systems and dropping them instantly.
[Destruction (Fire)(+2) Leveled Up 7 Times! Current Level: 16]
[Destruction (Lightning)(+1) Leveled Up 5 Times! Current Level: 19]
The chamber was cleared rapidly, reduced to a smoking, foul smelling crater of burnt chitin.
They continued down the path, pushing through a thick, heavy curtain of webbing that blocked the archway. As Jenassa hacked the webbing away with her dagger, they entered the final antechamber of the ice caves.
Standing directly in the center of the room, guarding the transition point between the natural caves and the ancient Nordic crypt, was a true monster.
It was a Giant Frostbite Spider. The creature was the size of a small house, its massive, hairy legs thicker than tree trunks, its clustered black eyes glaring with venomous, primal hatred.
The beast reared back, letting out a terrifying, deafening hiss, and violently spat a massive glob of highly corrosive, freezing venom directly at them.
"Scatter!" Aerion shouted, diving to the right.
The venom glob struck the stone floor exactly where he had been standing, instantly freezing the rock and eating away at the ice with a loud, acidic sizzle.
Jenassa rolled to the left, coming up in a flawless crouch. She didn't bother with her blades against a beast of this size. She unslung her Dwarven bow, knocking one of the precious Elven arrows Aerion had given her.
THWIP.
The golden shaft, wreathed in the bow's fire enchantment, struck the Giant Spider directly in one of its massive, clustered eyes. The beast shrieked in agony, rearing back and flailing its massive front legs wildly.
Aerion capitalized on the distraction. He stood up, planting his boots firmly on the ice. He drew a massive amount of Magicka, focusing entirely on his Fire matrix.
"Let us see how you handle a localized sun," Aerion murmured.
He didn't cast a continuous stream. He compressed the magic, generating a massive, blindingly bright Fireball. He hurled the explosive sphere directly into the creature's underside.
BOOM.
The impact was devastating. The fireball detonated against the spider's vulnerable abdomen, blowing the creature violently backward. The sheer kinetic and thermal force shattered its exoskeleton, instantly incinerating its internal organs. The massive beast collapsed in a burning, twitching heap, completely dead.
[Destruction (Fire) Leveled Up 7 Times! Current Level: 23 (+2)]
The intense combat experience pushed his overall threshold over the edge.
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 94!]
[You have gained 1 Attribute Point!]
Aerion dismissed the notification, adding the point to his unspent reserves, bringing the total back up to one.
"A foul beast," Jenassa muttered, lowering her bow and retrieving her Elven arrow from the creature's smoldering corpse.
"But an excellent guardian," Aerion noted, stepping carefully around the burning carcass.
Directly behind where the Giant Spider had been waiting, the natural ice of the cave finally gave way to the ancient, perfectly cut gray masonry of a Nordic crypt.
They walked up a long, sweeping flight of ancient stone steps. Unlike the lower caves, the crypt entrance was surprisingly well lit. Ancient iron braziers mounted to the walls were blazing with eternal, magical fire, casting dancing orange shadows across the stonework.
At the top of the stairs, their path was completely blocked by a massive, heavy steel portcullis gate that was currently slammed entirely shut.
Aerion turned to his right. Resting in a small, illuminated alcove set into the stone wall was a heavy steel chest.
He walked over and threw the lid open. The chest had clearly been utilized by whatever ancient priest or blacksmith had maintained the outer guard post of the barrow.
Resting on top was a heavy leather coin purse. Aerion immediately transferred the septims to his void.
[Gold Acquired: 106 Septims]
But the true prize rested beneath the gold. It was a pair of heavy, masterfully crafted Iron Gauntlets. However, unlike mundane armor, the metal practically vibrated, radiating a distinct, pulsating orange aura of latent enchantment.
Aerion picked them up, letting the system identify the magic.
[Item Acquired: Iron Gauntlets of Smithing]
Description: Enchanted with the spirit of the forge. Wearing these gauntlets passively increases the effectiveness of the user's weapon and armor improvements at a grindstone or workbench by 10%.
Aerion smiled brightly. It was a magnificent find. He fully intended to power level his Smithing skill eventually to forge his own high tier, customized armor and weapons. These gauntlets, much like the Ring of Pure Mixtures, were a massive economic and crafting multiplier. He stored them carefully in his spatial inventory.
[Inventory Weight Increased by 0.65 KG]
With the chest emptied, Aerion turned his attention to the locked portcullis. He knew the mechanism wasn't complex. He walked to the exact opposite side of the hallway, mirroring the location of the chest.
Hidden in the deep shadows of the left hand alcove, completely invisible unless one knew exactly where to look, was a heavy iron pull handle embedded in the stone.
Aerion grabbed the handle and hauled it downward.
With a loud, grinding screech of ancient gears, the massive steel portcullis slowly retracted upward into the ceiling, granting them access to the inner depths of Ironbind Barrow.
Aerion, Jenassa, and Lupin stepped through the archway, entering a long, dusty stone corridor. They followed the hallway to its end, arriving at a heavy, iron bound wooden door.
Aerion pushed it open.
They stepped onto an elevated stone landing overlooking a highly unique, deeply treacherous room. In the exact center of the stone floor was a massive, circular steel grate. It was a heavy trapdoor, designed to drop away automatically, either triggered by excess weight or a hidden mechanism, plunging the victim into the unknown, flooded lower levels of the barrow.
Surrounding the perimeter of the room, bolted vertically against the stone walls, were a half dozen steel coffins.
The moment Aerion crossed the threshold, the room reacted to the presence of the living.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
The steel coffins burst open simultaneously. Six standard Draugr stepped out onto the perimeter walkway, their glowing blue eyes locking onto the intruders, raising rusted axes and swords with raspy battle cries.
"Watch your step," Aerion warned, pointing to the massive steel grate in the center of the room. "Do not fight in the middle."
Jenassa nodded, keeping her footing strictly to the solid stone edges of the chamber. She drew her Steel Frost Sword and Orcish dagger, meeting the first two Draugr head on. She parried a heavy axe blow, spun gracefully to the side, and drove her dagger cleanly through the undead creature's temple.
Aerion provided support, entirely ignoring his destructive magic. He wanted to maintain a balanced growth across his matrices.
He raised his hands, channeling the blinding white light of his Restoration skills. He unleashed wide, sweeping blasts of Purify across the room. The holy light struck the remaining four Draugr, instantly igniting their necrotic flesh in terrifying, blinding white fire. The ancient warriors crumbled into smoking ash before they could even cross the room.
[Restoration (Purify) Leveled Up 7 Times! Current Level: MAX LEVEL]
The sudden rush of holy perfection settled into his core. Another skill mastered. He would need to prestige it later.
With the room cleared, Aerion carefully walked the perimeter, checking the ashes of the fallen Draugr.
"Nothing," Aerion sighed, finding only bone meal and rusted iron. "These ones were buried entirely destitute."
Leaving the perilous trapdoor room behind, they moved through a wide, open stone archway, following a descending, twisting hallway that led them deeper into the barrow.
They walked down a short flight of stone steps and entered a long, rectangular storage chamber. Resting at the very opposite end of the room was a heavy steel chest.
However, as they took their first steps into the room, a sudden, horrifying cacophony of high pitched squealing and scratching echoed from the shadows.
Bursting out from small, hidden crevices in the stone walls and pouring out from behind rotting wooden barrels were a dozen massive, disease ridden Skeevers. The oversized, aggressive rodents bounded across the floor, their yellow teeth bared, intending to swarm the intruders.
"Vermin," Jenassa scoffed, kicking the first Skeever that lunged at her boots, sending it flying across the room.
Aerion didn't want to waste time stabbing rats. He raised his hands, pulling a massive amount of Magicka into his core.
"Burn," Aerion commanded.
He unleashed a massive, dual cast Fire Storm. The apocalyptic wave of roaring plasma detonated from his position, washing over the entire floor of the chamber. The swarm of Skeevers was instantly and completely incinerated, reduced to small, smoking piles of ash in a fraction of a second.
[Destruction (Fire)(+2) Leveled Up 5 Times! Current Level: 28]
"A bit excessive, Patron, but undeniably effective," Jenassa noted, sheathing her blades.
Aerion walked across the now-charred stone floor, approaching the steel chest at the far end of the room. He threw the lid open.
"The pest control was worth the effort," Aerion smiled, cataloging the highly valuable loot within.
Resting inside was a heavy leather coin purse, accompanied by four thick, carefully rolled magical scrolls.
Aerion identified them immediately. Two were Scrolls of Fireball, excellent for dealing massive damage without draining personal Magicka.
But the other two were vastly more valuable, Scrolls of Guardian Circle. It was an incredibly high level, master tier Restoration spell that, when cast, created a massive circle of holy light that rapidly healed the living and terrified any undead that attempted to enter it. It was the ultimate defensive panic button.
He siphoned the loot into his dimensional void.
[Gold Acquired: 156 Septims]
[Items Acquired: 2x Scroll of Fireball, 2x Scroll of Guardian Circle]
[Inventory Weight Increased by 0.08 KG]
With the room cleared, they continued down the hallway, turning right at the intersection. They arrived at a heavy, iron reinforced wooden door that marked the transition into the primary, massive inner sanctum of Ironbind Barrow.
Aerion pushed the heavy door open, stepping through.
They found themselves standing on a narrow, elevated stone balcony on the second floor of a truly massive, cavernous room. Directly in front of them, spanning the vast, dark chasm of the chamber, was a precarious, swinging wooden bridge. To their left, a set of rotting wooden stairs led down to the ground floor.
The architecture was magnificent, but the chamber was heavily, aggressively occupied.
Patrolling the wooden bridge directly across from them, and wandering the stone floor far below, were dozens of ancient warriors. Standard Draugr, heavily armored Restless Draugr, and a few imposing Draugr Wights.
The loud, groaning creak of the heavy iron door opening echoed violently through the massive chamber. Instantly, the shuffling footsteps stopped. Dozens of pairs of glowing, malevolent blue eyes slowly turned upward, locking directly onto Aerion and Jenassa standing on the second floor balcony.
_____________________________
[Main Panel]
Name: Aerion
Race: High Elf (Altmer)
Health: 400/400 Stamina: 400/400 Magicka: 530/530
Level: 93 ➝ 94
Skills: Animal Affinity (MAX LEVEL), Fast Skill Levelling (MAX LEVEL), Fast Magic Mastery (MAX LEVEL), Instant Shout (MAX LEVEL), Destruction (Fire(+2)/Lightning(+1)/Frost) (Level 28/19/89), Restoration (Healing/Purify) (Level 76/MAX), Alteration (Level 35), Alteration (Level 20), Illusion (Level 42), Conjuration (Necromancy/Summoning) (Level 37/86), Persuasion(+1) (Level 0), Smithing (Level 22), Sneak (Level 33), One Handed (Level 76), Two Handed (Level 65), Lockpicking (Level 35), Archery (Level 72), Enchanting (Level 34), Light Armor (Level 53), Block (Level 70), & Pickpocket (Level 8)
Shouts: Fus (Force), Tiid (Time), & Krii (Kill)
[Inventory Panel]
1x Steel Dagger, Small Sack, Poacher's Axe, Mammoth Tusk, Iron Shield, Steel Mace, Steel Warhammer, the Golden Claw, Calm Spellbook, Arvel's Journal, Inkwell & Quill, Thief Book, Scroll Of Summoning (Wolf), Scroll Of Healing, Steel Dagger of Minor Souls, Weak Potion of Paralysis, Ancient Nord Bow, Dragonstone, Ancient Nord Battleaxe Of Blaze, Potion of Minor Pickpocketing, Golden Staff of Flames, Parchment Rolls Of Mammoths Farm And Loan, Golden Emerald Circlet, Copper Sapphire Circlet, Ebony Claw, Orcish Dagger, Emerald, Sapphire, Silver Garnet Circlet, Jagged Crown, Elven Sword Of Lightning, Elven Shield, Circlet Of Peerless Alchemy, Ancient Nord Helmet, Ancient Nord Boots, The Mirror, Glass Sword, Ring of Pure Mixtures, Staff of Magelight, Grand Soul Gem (Filled), & Iron Gauntlets of Smithing]
2x Iron Mace, Steel Axe, Steel Greatsword, Silver Amethyst Ring, Silver Necklace, Gold Emerald Ring, Potion Of Ultimate Magicka, Common Soul Gem (Empty), Weak Magicka Poison, Gold Garnet Necklace, Scroll of Fireball, & Scroll of Guardian Circle
3x Iron Greatsword, Steel Sword, Scroll Of Fireball, Glowing Mushrooms, Potions of Minor Stamina, Silver Ruby Ring, Gold Ruby Ring, Amethyst, Silver Ingot, Quicksilver Ingot, Black Soul Gems (Filled), & Silver Garnet Necklace
4x Potions of Minor Magicka, Spider Eggs, Iron Ingots, Gold Ingots, & Garnet
5x Lesser Soul Gem, Dwarven Metal Ingot, & Ruby
8x Iron Arrows & Ancient Nord Arrows
9x Potions Of Minor Healing
Weight: 141.76 KG / 500 KG
Septims: 83,640