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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They marched away from the waterfall, making the steep climb back up the dirt slope. They reached the stone path, approaching the heavy natural stone bridge that spanned the rushing underground waterfall and lake. Aerion took the lead, his boots striking the ancient stone with unyielding confidence. They crossed the bridge, moving ever closer to the final chambers of Ustengrav, and the artifact that awaited them in the deep.
As they reached the far side, the architecture of Ustengrav shifted from natural cavern back to deliberate, highly stylized Nordic construction. They stepped onto a wide, elevated stone platform.
Directly in front of them stood a sequence of three large, jagged stone pillars, etched with ancient, weathered runes. The pillars were arranged in a deliberate, staggered zig zag formation. Beyond the pillars, completely blocking the tunnel ahead, were three thick, rusted iron portcullises stacked one behind the other.
But the puzzle was not unguarded.
The moment their boots struck the stone landing, the familiar, rattling clatter of ancient bones echoed through the chamber. Rising from the shadows behind the pillars were a half dozen skeletal warriors, their empty eye sockets fixing upon the intruders.
"Skeletons, lets clear them out first," Aerion said smoothly, not even breaking his stride.
The brief skirmish was an absolute masterclass in synchronized lethality. Aeloria, practically glowing with the sheer excitement of her new Steel Plate armor, charged directly into the center of the skeletal formation.
A skeleton swung a rusted ancient Nord greatsword, striking her heavy steel breastplate with a dull clank that did absolutely zero damage. Aeloria laughed, swinging the Axe of Morthal in a massive, blazing arc that shattered three skeletons into fragmented dust in a single blow.
Jenassa covered the right flank, her Dwarven Bow humming as she pinned a skeletal archer directly to the stone wall with a fire enchanted arrow. Aerion simply raised his hand, casually flicking a concentrated bolt of Chain Lightning that violently exploded the remaining two skeletons into a shower of white calcium and rusted iron.
The skirmish was over in less than ten seconds.
Jenassa lowered her bow, stepping gracefully over the shattered bones, and walked up to the three heavy iron gates blocking their path. She examined the rusted bars, her crimson eyes scanning the surrounding stone walls for a pull chain or an iron lever.
"The path is sealed, Patron," Jenassa noted, her brow furrowing slightly. "And I see no release mechanisms for us to open the gates. How do we proceed?"
Aerion nodded his head, a knowing, highly calculated smirk touching his lips. "I am well aware, Jenassa. The ancient Nords did not utilize simple mechanical levers for their most secure sanctums. They utilized environmental magical sensors."
He walked confidently toward the first jagged stone pillar.
The absolute second Aerion stepped within a two foot radius of the ancient stone, the faded, weathered carvings instantly flared to life, glowing with a brilliant, piercing red arcane light.
Simultaneously, a loud, grinding rumble echoed through the chamber as the first of the three heavy iron gates rapidly hoisted itself up into the ceiling.
Aeloria's bright blue eyes widened in sudden understanding. "By the Eight... it is a proximity lock. The stones are the keys."
"Precisely," Aerion confirmed.
He then turned his gaze down to the tiny, cinnamon red fox sitting faithfully near his boots. A highly experimental, system testing hypothesis had formed in his transmigrator mind. In the vanilla game, the player had to sprint past all three stones to trigger the gates, utilizing the Whirlwind Sprint shout to clear the threshold before the gates slammed shut.
But Aerion was operating in a real, physical universe now. Magic had rules. Did the ancient Nordic sensors require a humanoid soul to trigger, or merely physical mass?
"Lupin," Aerion commanded gently, pointing toward the second stone pillar situated on the right side of the zig zag. "Stand by that rock."
The highly intelligent familiar let out a soft yip, trotting obediently over to the second pillar and pressing his small, furry body against the cold stone.
Instantly, the carvings on the second pillar ignited with the same brilliant red light.
CLANG!
The second heavy iron gate ground upward, locking into the open position.
Aerion let out a wide, genuinely thrilled smile. His hypothesis was absolutely correct. The magical sensors did not discriminate by soul composition; they were triggered entirely by physical presence.
This revelation was a massive tactical relief. While Aerion possessed the sheer physical Stamina to attempt a dead sprint, using the Whirlwind Sprint shout would be much easier. Of course he doesn't have the shout yet, but even if have he wouldn't use the shout.
Utilizing the Thu'um in front of Aeloria would instantly reveal his status as a secondary Dragonborn, entirely shattering the delicate narrative he had constructed. He wanted to keep his draconic capabilities an absolute secret until the most devastatingly advantageous moment possible.
Aerion took a step backward, moving away from the first pillar.
The moment he left the proximity radius, the red runes on the first stone instantly faded to dull gray. A split second later, the first iron gate violently slammed back down, hitting the stone floor with a heavy, deafening crash.
"Lupin, return," Aerion called out.
The fox trotted back, and the second pillar went dark, the second gate slamming shut just as violently.
Aeloria groaned aloud, her shoulders slumping slightly against her heavy steel armor.
"So the runes aren't permanent," Aeloria complained, recognizing the mechanical trap. "The moment we step away, the gates close. But we cannot just stand in front of the pillars forever, we have to get through the tunnel. How are we supposed to cross?"
"I anticipated this," Aerion nodded calmly, entirely unbothered by the puzzle. "If we cannot outrun the timer, we simply bypass the timer entirely."
He gestured toward the far edges of the stone platform, completely avoiding the invisible trigger radiuses of the three pillars.
"We flank the sensors," Aerion instructed. He pointed to the specific positions. "Aeloria, walk carefully around the outside edge and stand directly beside the first pillar. Jenassa, take the second pillar. I will position Lupin at the third."
Understanding his brilliant, profoundly simple logic, the strike team immediately moved into position. They hugged the outer walls of the cavern, ensuring they didn't accidentally trigger the stones prematurely.
"Hold your positions," Aerion commanded, standing directly in front of the three closed gates, ready to sprint.
"Now. Step in."
Aeloria, Jenassa, and Lupin stepped directly into the proximity zones of their respective pillars at the exact same moment.
All three jagged stones instantly flared with brilliant red light. The loud, synchronized grinding of ancient gears echoed through the chamber as all three heavy iron gates violently hoisted themselves into the ceiling, leaving the tunnel completely clear.
Aerion didn't hesitate. He engaged his massive Stamina pool and sprinted forward with the terrifying, explosive speed of a fully integrated blademaster. He blurred through the open archways, clearing the threshold of the final gate in less than a second.
He skidded to a halt at the base of the stone stairs on the far side, turning back to look at the tunnel.
Just as he had calculated, crossing the final threshold triggered the permanent release mechanism. The red runes on the pillars remained glowing, and the three heavy iron gates locked firmly into the open position, their timers completely disabled.
"The sequence is locked," Aerion called out, a victorious smirk on his face. "You may enter. The gates will not close."
Aeloria, Jenassa, and Lupin immediately broke from their positions, running swiftly through the open tunnel, half expecting the heavy iron bars to come crashing down on their heads. But the gates remained perfectly still. They safely joined Aerion at the base of the stairs.
Aeloria looked back at the deactivated puzzle, then turned to the High Elf, shaking her head in profound, jovial amazement.
"I am constantly amazed by how incredibly sharp your mind is, Aerion," Aeloria praised warmly, a massive smile on her face. "You managed to crack a puzzle built by my ancient ancestors in less than a minute without even breaking a sweat."
Aerion offered a smooth, deeply modest smile, adjusting the cuffs of his immaculate dark robes.
"It simply comes with experience, Aeloria," Aerion lied flawlessly, masking his meta knowledge with the illusion of sheer intellect. "Logic is the universal key that unlocks all doors. Come, let us proceed."
He led the group up the stone stairs, transitioning into the next major chamber of the crypt.
The atmosphere in the new room was incredibly tense, the air shimmering with heavy, ambient heat.
The floor of the sprawling chamber was completely composed of raised, intricate stone pressure plates.
Through the subtle, ancient cracks between the tiles, Aerion could see the faint, glowing orange embers of a massive, subterranean gas trap waiting to be triggered. Furthermore, the ceiling of the chamber had partially collapsed centuries ago, scattering massive, jagged piles of stone rubble across the tiles, forcing anyone traversing the room into a tight, almost perfectly linear path.
"Tread with absolute, utmost caution," Aerion warned, his voice dropping to a serious whisper. "This entire floor is a highly volatile incendiary trap. Step exactly where I step. Do not deviate by a single inch."
He moved with painstaking, deliberate slowness. He utilized his high-level Sneak matrix, his heavy leather boots finding the precise, safe gaps between the pressure plates. Jenassa followed his exact footsteps with the flawless, weightless grace of a Morag Tong assassin.
Aeloria, however, was practically sweating bullets. Her heavy Steel Plate armor was incredibly protective, but it lacked any semblance of subtlety. She took deep, measured breaths, carefully placing her massive steel sabatons exactly in the footprints Aerion left behind, absolutely terrified of triggering a pillar of fire that would roast them all alive in the enclosed space.
It took them five agonizing minutes of tense, linear navigation to clear the rubble and reach the heavy iron doors on the far side of the room, without a single pressure plate depressing beneath their weight.
Aeloria let out a massive, shuddering sigh of relief as she stepped onto solid, non explosive bedrock.
"I prefer fighting Draugrs than to tiptoeing through fire traps," Aeloria muttered, wiping her brow.
Aerion pushed the heavy iron doors open.
The relief was incredibly short lived.
They stepped into a dark, sprawling cavern section of the ruins. The stone floor and the jagged walls were completely, suffocatingly coated in thick, pale white webbing. Hanging from the ceiling were massive, cocooned bundles of unidentifiable prey.
It was a massive, highly active Frostbite Spider nest.
The moment the heavy iron doors creaked open, the cavern absolutely erupted with movement.
Dropping from the ceiling on thick, sticky strands of silk, and crawling rapidly from the dark crevices of the walls, came the ambush. There were six standard sized, heavily armored spiders, their mandibles clicking aggressively. Behind them, moving with terrifying speed, were three massive, medium-sized hunters.
And pulling itself out of a massive tunnel at the very back of the cavern was the matriarch, an absolutely gargantuan, large sized Frostbite Spider that was the size of a carriage, its eight compound eyes glowing with venomous malice.
"Combat formation!" Aerion roared.
Lupin the fox, possessing the absolute pinnacle of self preservation instincts, immediately bolted backward, hiding safely behind a large pile of rubble in the previous room.
Aerion did not hold back. He bypassed his weapons entirely, channeling the absolute zenith of his Destruction (Fire) skill.
He thrust both of his hands forward, unleashing a massive, continuous, dual cast torrent of Flames. The stream of superheated plasma acted like a heavy flamethrower, violently incinerating the thick, highly combustible cobwebs coating the room.
The fire swept across the cavern, instantly engulfing the six smaller spiders. Their thick chitin cracked and popped under the intense thermal shock, the beasts shrieking as they burned alive.
"Hold the line!" Aeloria bellowed, charging forward into the smoke.
The Dragonborn swung the Axe of Morthal in a massive, devastating arc. The heavy steel head slammed into the first medium sized spider, completely shattering its exoskeleton.
The red fire runes flared, igniting the beast from the inside out. She pulled the axe free, executing a brutal, spinning backhand strike that severed three legs from the second hunter, sending it collapsing onto the stone floor.
Jenassa, standing in the vanguard, provided flawless covering fire. She rapidly nocked and fired her heavy Dwarven arrows, the fire enchantments detonating against the third medium spider, pinning it to the cavern wall before it could even spit its venom.
But the massive matriarch was completely unbothered by the death of her brood.
The gargantuan spider lunged forward, rearing up on its hind legs to drive its massive, venom dripping fangs directly into Aeloria's chest.
Aerion stepped smoothly past the Dragonborn. He raised his right hand, completely condensing the thermal energy in his palm into a single, blindingly bright sphere of pure plasma.
Incinerate.
He hurled the fireball directly into the massive cluster of compound eyes on the matriarch's face.
The explosion was deafening. The superheated plasma blew the gargantuan spider's head completely off its thorax, sending a shower of burning, green ichor and shattered chitin raining across the cavern floor. The massive, headless body twitched violently for a moment before collapsing into a heavy, smoking heap.
The cavern fell silent, the thick cobwebs still smoldering on the walls.
"Spiders problem taken care off," Aerion noted calmly, blowing a wisp of smoke from his fingertips.
He walked to the far end of the cavern, where a massive, impossibly thick wall of dense spider silk completely blocked the exit tunnel. Aerion casually raised a hand, unleashing a quick burst of fire that instantly incinerated the webbing, clearing the path forward.
They pushed through the cleared tunnel.
Aerion located a heavy iron chain hanging from the ceiling near the archway. He grabbed the rusted iron ring and pulled down with a sharp, heavy tug.
The grinding of ancient gears echoed through the cavern, and the massive stone portcullis blocking the final threshold slowly rose into the ceiling.
They had finally arrived.
Aerion stepped through the archway, looking out over the inner sanctum of Ustengrav.
It was a vast, breathtakingly majestic subterranean chamber. The floor of the room was submerged in a shallow, perfectly clear, glowing pool of underground water. A wide, elevated stone pathway cut directly through the center of the water, leading up to a raised, highly ornate stone dais.
Resting upon a beautifully carved pedestal at the absolute zenith of the dais was the prize.
But Aerion knew the sanctum was not empty.
He stopped at the top of the stone stairs, turning back to face Jenassa and Aeloria. He raised a hand, his golden eyes hardening with absolute, unquestionable authority.
"Hold your positions," Aerion commanded softly, his tone completely brooking no argument. "Remain here at the top of the stairs. Do not follow me down until I explicitly call for you."
Aeloria blinked, her bright blue eyes wide with genuine confusion. They had fought shoulder to shoulder through the entire crypt, being asked to stay behind at the very end felt incredibly jarring.
"Aerion? Why?" Aeloria asked, gripping her battleaxe. "If there is an ambush waiting in that water, we should face it together."
"The magical resonance in this final chamber is incredibly dense and highly volatile," Aerion lied flawlessly, spinning a masterpiece of arcane deception. "This is the sanctum of Jurgen Windcaller. The ancient wards protecting the artifact are incredibly sensitive to multiple mortal presences. If we all cross the threshold simultaneously, we risk triggering a catastrophic arcane collapse. Let me, as a master mage, cross the threshold alone to absorb and neutralize the ambient traps. Only then will it be safe."
The logic sounded perfectly, terrifyingly plausible to the uninitiated warriors.
Jenassa, ever the obedient professional, simply lowered her bow and nodded. "We hold the stairs, Patron. Call if you require us."
Aeloria, despite her eagerness, offered a reluctant nod, trusting his magical expertise implicitly. "Be careful, Aerion."
"I always am," Aerion smirked.
He turned away from them, descending the ancient stone steps alone.
The absolute second his heavy leather boot touched the elevated stone pathway cutting through the water, the ancient defenses of the sanctum violently triggered.
With a loud, grinding rumble that shook the chamber, four massive, towering stone statues of ancient Nordic kings violently rose from the depths of the glowing water on either side of the path, water cascading in heavy sheets from their broad stone shoulders.
Simultaneously, from the shadows near the raised dais, two heavy, upright steel coffins violently burst open.
Stepping out of the sarcophagi were the absolute apex guardians of the crypt. Two massive, terrifyingly imposing Draugr Scourges. They were clad in pristine Ancient Nord armor, wielding heavy honed ancient Nord greatswords, their glowing blue eyes locking instantly onto the High Elf intruder.
Aerion did not pause, and he did not call for help. He had planned for this exactly.
With a shimmer of dark light, the pitch black, triple enchanted Black Prism was taken out from his scabbard using his left hand. He then reached deep into his spatial void, a fraction of a second later, the blinding, radiant golden light of Dawnbreaker erupted in his right hand.
He dual wielded the legendary artifacts, his golden eyes narrowing with absolute, lethal focus.
The two Scourges stepped forward, inhaling deeply. Aerion knew exactly what was coming. If they managed to unleash the Unrelenting Force shout, the concussive wave would blow him entirely off the stone path and alert the women at the top of the stairs to his true capabilities.
He could not let them Shout.
Aerion engaged his massive 480 point Stamina pool. He didn't run, he exploded forward with blinding, terrifying velocity, crossing the distance in a fraction of a second.
He struck before the Draugr could even exhale.
Aerion slammed the heavy, flat edge of the Black Prism directly into the jaw of the first Scourge, the sheer kinetic impact violently interrupting the Thu'um and snapping the ancient commander's head to the side.
Without breaking his momentum, Aerion spun, bringing Dawnbreaker around in a devastating, two handed equivalent, blindingly fast arc.
The divine blade cleaved cleanly through the heavy ancient armor of the second Scourge. The purifying, undead burning light of Meridia flared violently within the creature's chest. The Scourge shrieked silently as the holy fire completely consumed it from the inside out, reducing the ancient commander to a pile of golden ash before it could even swing its ebony sword.
The first Scourge recovered, swinging its heavy blade in a desperate, downward cleave.
Aerion sidestepped effortlessly, parrying the strike with the Black Prism. The triple enchantments, fire, frost, and lightning, flared violently, sending a jarring shockwave up the Draugr's arm. Aerion violently twisted his grip, opening the Scourge's guard entirely.
He drove Dawnbreaker directly through the center of the Draugr's glowing blue eyes.
The divine light completely shattered the necromantic energy animating the skull. The second Scourge collapsed backward onto the stone pathway, its body disintegrating into a heap of smoldering dust.
The sanctum was entirely, utterly silent once more. The entire duel had lasted less than six seconds.
Aerion stood before the raised dais, his breathing perfectly steady. He sheathed the Black Prism, and sent the blinding light of Dawnbreaker back into his spatial void, ensuring the glowing artifacts were completely out of sight.
He ascended the final few steps, approaching the beautifully carved stone pedestal.
Resting directly upon the pedestal was the objective. The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. It was a massive, beautifully crafted war horn, banded in ancient metal, entirely untouched by the centuries.
Aerion smiled. It was time to execute the absolute greatest sequence break in the history of the timeline.
He deliberately positioned his towering frame directly in front of the pedestal, completely blocking the line of sight from the stairs where Aeloria and Jenassa were waiting.
He engaged his digital interface.
With a faint shimmer of light, he materialized a heavy, dark gray slab of ancient stone directly from his inventory. It was etched with ancient draconic mapping runes.
The Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow.
Moving with practiced, sleight of hand precision, Aerion carefully placed the heavy Dragonstone directly onto the stone pedestal, resting it securely beneath the curve of the massive war horn.
Once the deception was perfectly staged, Aerion reached out and grasped the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller.
He lifted the legendary artifact, absorbing it instantly into his spatial void.
[Item Stored: The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller]
[Inventory Weight Increased by 1.2 KG. Current Weight: 85.33 / 540 KG]
A massive, genuinely sociopathic smirk of pure, unadulterated triumph spread across Aerion's face.
'Checkmate, Delphine,' Aerion thought, his transmigrator heart practically singing with glee. He had secured the Horn before the Greybeards had even summoned Aeloria.
'When Aeloria finally climbs the 7,000 Steps, the Greybeards will demand she retrieve this horn,' Aerion calculated rapidly, absolutely thrilled by the butterfly effect he had unleashed.
'And when the time comes, I will simply hand it to her, acting like I have found it first. Delphine will sneak all the way down into this crypt, only to find the pedestal completely empty. She won't have her hostage piece. She won't have her leverage. I have completely stripped the Blades of their narrative control over the Dragonborn.'
Aerion adjusted his dark robes, wiping the smirk from his face and replacing it with a mask of calm, scholarly satisfaction.
He turned around, facing the stairs.
"The place is safe and stable! It is safe to come here!" Aerion called out, his voice echoing over the water.
Aeloria and Jenassa immediately broke from their positions, hurrying down the stone stairs and crossing the pathway toward the dais.
Aeloria ascended the steps, her eyes locking onto the pedestal. She didn't notice the missing horn, because she had never been looking for one. Her bright blue eyes widened as she saw the heavy, carved rune etched slab of gray stone resting innocuously on the stone carving.
"Is that it?" Aeloria asked, stepping closer to inspect the artifact. "The artifact that Farengar sent us to retrieve?"
"It is," Aerion confirmed smoothly, stepping aside to allow her to take the prize. "The map to the ancient dragon burials. A truly magnificent find, perfectly preserved in the depths."
Aeloria reached out with her heavy steel gauntlets, lifting the Dragonstone from the pedestal. She held it up, a massive, incredibly proud smile illuminating her face.
"We did it," Aeloria cheered softly, absolutely thrilled by the successful conclusion of their grueling expedition. "Farengar is going to be ecstatic. And Jarl Balgruuf will undoubtedly be pleased."
"Indeed he will be," Aerion smiled warmly, knowing the true magnitude of the victory was completely invisible to them both. "Come. Let us return to the surface, and bring our prize back to Whiterun."
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[Main Panel]
Name: Aerion
Race: High Elf (Altmer)
Health: 460/460 Stamina: 480/480 Magicka: 670/670
Level: 121
Skills: Animal Affinity (MAX LEVEL), Fast Skill Levelling (MAX LEVEL), Fast Magic Mastery (MAX LEVEL), Instant Shout (MAX LEVEL), Destruction (Fire(+3)/Lightning(+1)/Frost(+1)) (Level 0/41/0), Restoration (Healing(+1)/Purify(+2)) (Level 0/0), Alteration (Level 35), Illusion (Level 50), Conjuration (Necromancy/Summoning(+1)) (Level 37/26), Persuasion(+1) (Level 60), Smithing (Level 22), Sneak (Level 75), One Handed(+1) (Level 42), Two Handed (Level 81), Lockpicking (Level 35), Archery (Level 72), Enchanting (Level 66), Light Armor (Level 77), Block (Level 70), & Pickpocket (Level 8)
Shouts: Fus (Force), Tiid (Time), Krii (Kill), Feim Zii (Fade Spirit), & Su (Air)
[Inventory Panel]
1x Small Sack, Poacher's Axe, Mammoth Tusk, the Golden Claw, Calm Spellbook, Arvel's Journal, Inkwell & Quill, Thief Book, Scroll Of Summoning (Wolf), Scroll Of Healing, Weak Potion of Paralysis, Dragonstone, Golden Staff of Flames, Parchment Rolls Of Mammoths Farm And Loan, Ebony Claw, Orcish Dagger, Jagged Crown, The Mirror, Ring of Pure Mixtures, Grand Soul Gem (Filled), Reanimate Corpse Tome, Staff of Lightning, Deed to Tundra Homestead, Sapphire, Ruby, Dawnbreaker, Traveling Backpack (Supplies), Potion of Minor Magicka, Vampire Armor, Vampire Boots, Movarth's Golden Ash (Unique), Dwarven Sword, Hide Boots Of Sneak, Gold Ruby Ring of Fortify Magicka, Iron Garnet Ring of Fortify Conjuration & Magicka Regen, Elven Dagger, Potion of Healing, Honed Ancient Nord Sword of Sparks, & Gold Emerald Circlet
2x Common Soul Gem (Empty), Black Soul Gem (Empty), Elven Sword, Amethysts, & Potions of Plentiful Magicka
3x Glowing Mushrooms, Potions of Minor Stamina, Flawless Sapphires, Gold Necklace, Iron Necklace, Petty Soul Gem (Filled), & Potions of Minor Magicka
4x Spider Eggs, Garnets, & Common Soul Gem (Filled)
5x Lesser Soul Gem (Filled)
7x Vampires Dust
8x Iron Arrows & Ancient Nord Arrows
9x Potions Of Minor Healing
12x Black Soul Gem (Filled)
Weight: 85.53 KG / 540 KG
Septims: 80,062