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<\/p>\nThere was an enormous, dome-shaped room beyond the claw-locked gate, in the center of which was a circular latticework grate. Dardeh tried not to imagine what was beneath it. There were coffins and niches along the perimeter, as well as draugr seated in stone chairs. He readied his bow as he entered and could hear the others\u2019 swords sliding out from their sheaths.<\/p>\n
As he had expected, the coffins gave up their inhabitants once the three men were fully into the space. He sank one arrow into the angry female draugr nearest him and then stumbled backward as the shockwave from a Deathlord\u2019s Shout struck them from the other side of the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cDamned dustman!\u201d Roggi shouted.<\/p>\n
From this vantage point Dardeh could see that the lattice was a solid grate, not a trapdoor; for both draugr, Viggun, and Roggi all stood on it without event. There was a wide gap between the draugr woman and his companions, so Dardeh sneered across the space at the Deathlord and drew a deep breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cYOL \u2013 TOOR SHUL!\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Roggi backed up to let the fringes of the flames pass safely by. The Deathlord, however, was struck by the full force of the Shout. It stumbled backward and reached down to steady itself on the floor.\u00a0 Dardeh stepped forward, intending to shoot the creature, but the female beside him reached out her hand and conjured a frost atronach that blocked the path. He quickly swapped the bow for his swords and laid into her, trying to ignore the sounds of impacts behind him as the others dealt with the atronach. When she went down, so did it; Dardeh was about to breathe a sigh of relief but heard a spell firing directly behind him. He whirled to meet a second draugr mage head-on, and sliced it to ribbons.<\/p>\n
Roggi and Viggun had the Deathlord well in hand by that point.\u00a0 Viggun took a tremendous swing at it and finished it off, saying \u201cThat\u2019s how a true Nord fights.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi laughed. \u201cThat\u2019s right!\u201d<\/p>\n
A pull handle on the far side of the dome from where they\u2019d entered opened a gate into a small, unremarkable chamber; and a second pull handle on its far side rotated a stone slab containing another gate that rose as it reached the correct position.\u00a0 Dardeh stepped forward and then cringed backward; the floor before him held a rune.<\/p>\n
\u201cCareful,\u201d he whispered, turning to the others. \u201cI think there\u2019s room to slip past it but you don\u2019t want it exploding in your face.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks, Dardeh,\u201d Viggun said, nodding.<\/p>\n
They maneuvered past the rune and through a passage to the right, then through another right-hand turn into a cobweb- and mushroom-filled tunnel. They emerged onto a ledge overlooking a cavern; there was a lean-to in one area and what looked like another opening in another direction. Dardeh was about to jump down to the cavern floor when Roggi\u2019s strong grip stopped him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Roggi whispered. \u201cLook.\u201d He pointed straight ahead of them, where a ladder rested against a thick stone column. Dardeh maneuvered to its base and looked up through a small hole flooded with light.<\/p>\n
\u201cWon\u2019t that take us back up to where we just were?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d Roggi said. \u201cHumor me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright,\u201d Dardeh said, frowning. \u201cBut I hope we\u2019re not missing something important down here.\u201d<\/p>\n
They climbed the ladder and followed another winding dirt tunnel to its end.\u00a0 There, they found another ancient dragon cult temple, its walls lined with dragon-head braziers and its ornately carved pillars bearing the familiar inset carvings of animal totems.\u00a0 Dardeh drew his breath to speak but Roggi tapped him on the arm and pointed across the way.\u00a0 He\u2019d almost missed the movements of the draugr standing beyond the brilliant glow of one of the braziers.\u00a0 He nodded, drew his bow, and landed one solid shot.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
The draugr ran down a short flight of stairs toward them, and a Deathlord emerged from their right and ran to where the first draugr had been, seeming not to notice that it had moved.\u00a0 A second arrow dropped the first draugr; a fireball and a few swipes of Roggi\u2019s greatsword finished the Deathlord that had finally followed it down the stairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm. Now what?\u201d he wondered aloud.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis thing, unless I miss my guess,\u201d Viggun said, pointing at a lever set in a circular platform, in the center of the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like the looks of that,\u201d Roggi mumbled.\u00a0 \u201cIt looks like\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSee these bumps all around the base? I think they\u2019re fire nozzles.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, let\u2019s take a look,\u201d Dardeh said, throwing the switch.<\/p>\n
Nothing happened, for just a moment. Dardeh turned to the others, intending to gloat.<\/p>\n
Then flames began shooting out from each of the bumps, at an angle that had them covering most of the open space in the temple. Dardeh yelped, and scrambled out of the way as Roggi started screeching at him, backing up into one of the few safe spots in the room to crouch down beside Viggun.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy in the world did you do <\/em>that, Dar?\u201d Roggi yelled over the noise of the flames.<\/p>\n Dardeh cast a quick healing spell on himself just as the flames stopped.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know. I wanted to see if you were right, and I\u2019m an idiot?\u201d he said as Roggi approached to scan him for damage.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, by Ysmir don\u2019t do it again, Dar! You had to have known that was a trap trigger.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh grinned at Roggi and chuckled. \u201cYeah, I guess I did. I don\u2019t know why I wasn\u2019t expecting the flames to shoot out at an angle, though.\u00a0 I just had a stupid moment.\u201d\u00a0 He moved around the edge of the room and pointed to a large iron gate. \u201cI\u2019m guessing that\u2019s where we\u2019re going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Viggun said. \u201cAnd there\u2019s the puzzle pieces.\u201d\u00a0 He pointed to three of the familiar animal-faced rotating plinths, on a platform about halfway up the wall.<\/p>\n \u201cOk,\u201d Dardeh said, scanning the room, \u201cthere must be clues.\u201d<\/p>\n After a few minutes of poking around the edges of the space, Dardeh found that two of the lighted braziers had animal plaques just above them, illuminated by the fires. A third brazier was mounted to a column where part of the ancient wall had collapsed inward, and was no longer burning. There was no animal totem above that brazier; but in the rubble at the column\u2019s base he found a snake plaque.<\/p>\n \u201cOk. Hawk \u2013 snake \u2013 snake, if I\u2019m reading it right,\u201d he said, climbing the stairs to rotate the three plinths into position.\u00a0 As soon as he touched the first of them he groaned; for behind him was the unmistakable sound of a draugr emerging from its supposed resting place.\u00a0 He took just a moment to rotate the third plinth to show snake; then he went to help Roggi and Viggun with the draugr. It took almost no time to clear the area once more.<\/p>\n Dardeh returned to the lever and grinned at the others. \u201cMight want to step back in case I got it wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n He had, in fact, gotten it wrong. Not only did the fire begin spouting again, sending him and Viggun scrambling out of the way, but the gate beyond did not rise. Dardeh panicked for a moment, looking for Roggi; but as the flames died he laughed to see his husband standing calmly in the center of the circle, one foot on either side of the lever.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a safe spot,\u201d Roggi chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cFlames were all angled away from me.\u00a0 So what is the right order, then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot sure. I must have gotten the starting place wrong. I\u2019m going to guess it\u2019s snake \u2013 hawk \u2013 snake.\u201d Dardeh turned around the room several times, double- and triple- checking the placement of the plaques, and then returned to rotate the plinths into position.\u00a0 He heard a thump, and then a snort, and sighed at the fact that they had another draugr to defeat.\u00a0 This time it was a Deathlord, standing on the next raised platform over from where Dardeh was working the puzzle.<\/p>\n I\u2019m fed up with you people!<\/em><\/p>\n Dardeh raced down the steps and around the corner, then flew into the Deathlord with swords whirling. It Shouted at him, but he was moving too quickly and used his mass to knock the draugr off-balance.\u00a0 A quick flurry of three strikes had it dead.<\/p>\n Huh. Didn\u2019t think I could move fast enough to get him all by myself.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNice moves, Dragonborn,\u201d Viggun said. \u201cBut you ought to save some action for someone else once in awhile.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOho, Dar!\u201d Roggi cackled. \u201cYou\u2019ve been told!\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh couldn\u2019t help it; he started to laugh. \u201cYeah, alright. Next one is yours, Viggun.\u201d He returned to the circle and reached for the lever. \u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s right this t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n As he threw the lever, flames shot out of it again.<\/p>\n \u201cSon of a\u2026\u201d He rolled backward and began casting healing on himself to counter the burns.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I had it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou did!\u201d Roggi yelled over the noise of the fire. \u201cLook!\u201d\u00a0 The gate beyond them had risen up into the ceiling. They waited for a moment, until the noise and fire died. \u201cWhoever made this place knew that people were going to expect the\u2026 well, I hate to say usual, but you know. That\u2019s the third trap we\u2019ve found that didn\u2019t shut off even when you solved the trap. They did it on purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m not amused,\u201d Dardeh grumbled. \u201cDamn fire hurts!\u201d<\/p>\n Viggun coughed, trying to cover a grin.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you\u2019re a fine one to complain, Mr. Fire Breath,\u201d Roggi said, giving him a quick one-armed hug.<\/p>\n Through the gate to another rough tunnel, they turned to the right and along its length. A dogleg led to a partially-collapsed room, then around another corner to a shallow staircase with an iron gate at its terminus.<\/p>\n Dardeh stopped just before the gate, and turned to Roggi. \u201cGive me just a moment,\u201d he said. Then he dropped to his knees and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n Be with us, Talos. I feel we are moving into grave danger. We need your might and your spirit to guide us as we push forward into the unknown. Help me to protect Viggun and Roggi, as only you can do.<\/em><\/p>\n It had been some time since he had taken a moment to pray, and was fearful that he would not feel the warmth of his god\u2019s favor. But a calm spread through him, and its warmth soothed him.\u00a0 He smiled, opened his eyes, and pushed the gates open.<\/p>\n Beyond the gates was a deep room, with a low ceiling and ranges of stairs on all sides \u2013 an amphitheater, almost, with a great circular fire pit in its center. Before him at the left of the space was an overlook atop a pedestal on which a dragon head adorned with a red banner surveyed the area.\u00a0 And on that overlook a draugr Deathlord stood, staring out at the seemingly-empty chamber.\u00a0 Dardeh drew his bow, took a long, careful aim, and shot the draugr.<\/p>\n Before he could aim again, the Deathlord jumped down from its perch and disappeared.\u00a0 Roggi and Viggun ran down into the amphitheater ahead of Dardeh. He stepped around the nearest pillar and groaned, for there were yet two more draugr closing in on them.\u00a0 He fired at the one closest to him and was startled not only to take it down with one shot, but to send it flying across the room as well. Viggun sliced the head off the second with a massive blow. Roggi was hammering at the Deathlord; and by the time Dardeh had drawn his own swords and raced across the room he had only time to get in one blow on the beast before it went down.<\/p>\n He stood and scratched his head for a moment.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re getting good, boys. I\u2019m really impressed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell we\u2019re not out yet,\u201d Roggi grumbled. \u201cI feel air coming in from up there.\u201d\u00a0 He pointed to a large, rough opening on the right from where they had entered the space.<\/p>\n \u201cOk, let\u2019s go see,\u201d Dardeh said, and led the way across the room and up to the opening.<\/p>\n What he saw beyond the arched egress had him gasping.\u00a0 It was a huge, deep cavern here in the middle of the mountains, clearly formed by the action of the water that rushed in from their left in a great fall and moved off into the unseen distance to their right.\u00a0 Only a narrow ramp of dirt stretched across its width, with the exception of a single stone tower stubbornly clinging to a foothold of rock in the center of the deluge. Stone stairways and a raised wooden bridge leading to and away from it hinted at what once must have been a far more extensive structure in this area. A single tree \u2013 whether dead or alive Dardeh could not tell \u2013 held fast on a lip of dirt near the tower. And on the far side, illuminated by a single brazier, was a draugr standing before the stone entrance to another chamber beyond.<\/p>\n Dardeh wasted no time thinking about how to approach the problem.\u00a0 He walked calmly down the steps onto the dirt pathway and crossed until he was close enough to envelop the draugr in a ball of fire. The sound of his Shout echoed down into the depths of the cavern, down the rushing river, and back to them again.<\/p>\n The Deathlord \u2013 for that was what his opponent turned out to be \u2013 stumbled backward and shouted at Dardeh, a single time.\u00a0 Dardeh merely planted one foot in front of himself and braced against the shock. Then he strode up the slope and lay waste to the Deathlord. Behind him, though, he heard the sound of a conjuration.<\/p>\n \u201cLook out!\u201d he heard Roggi shout. \u201cDraugr!\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh whirled to see that Roggi and Viggun had three adversaries in close range.\u00a0 A Deathlord was in the process of stumbling over the edge of the dirt path after a massive blow from Viggun; a Scourge was beating on Roggi; and the frost atronach it had conjured was closing in behind them both.\u00a0 Dardeh leaped down onto the nearest dirt platform and took a couple of swipes at the Deathlord to make certain it was finished. He then scrambled up to help Viggun destroy the atronach. Roggi needed no help, as the dragonbone greatsword did its work once again.<\/p>\n They all stood, panting, for a moment, nodding and smiling at each other but too winded to speak. Finally Roggi held up one finger.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a moment or two before we continue, if that\u2019s alright with you.\u00a0 I need water.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of it here,\u201d Viggun snickered.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well I don\u2019t plan on getting in it, Viggun. I\u2019ll settle for a sip out of my water skin if it\u2019s all the same.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh smiled at both of them. They really did make a good team, the three of them. He wasn\u2019t convinced that a group of average soldiers would have been able to clear out this barrow \u2013 or system of barrows, for it was certainly more than the simple burial place Bleak Falls Barrow was in comparison.<\/p>\n Maybe Korst and Val were right to send us. As much as I\u2019d really hoped to just settle down to a simple life Roggi and I have had experiences that set us apart. Maybe this is, in the end, how we make amends for all the death that we inadvertently caused and the souls I failed to save. Maybe this is actually how we heal from the war.<\/em><\/p>\n They all took a moment to refresh themselves and look around the area a bit. Roggi collected some alchemical blossoms and mushrooms clinging along the dampened edges of the dirt. Dardeh scouted around until he found a small chamber holding the lever that lowered the wooden bridge to the tower; then he and Viggun crept up into it.\u00a0 They found several truly dead draugr, an enchanted Orcish warhammer and a few soul gems, but to Dardeh\u2019s relief nothing dangerous.<\/p>\n They explored several different approaches to the river, and found a place sheltered enough to refill their water skins without being swept away by the massive current. Finally, satisfied that there were no more threats in this area and refreshed by having taken a break, Dardeh waved the others down and pointed toward the large doorway where he had encountered the first Deathlord.\u00a0 He\u2019d had the slightest glimpse into what lay beyond it, and was glad that they\u2019d had a chance to replenish their energies.<\/p>\n He\u2019d only taken a few steps into the temple-like chamber when the snort of a draugr caught his attention.\u00a0 It was like most other barrows he\u2019d been in, with platforms of varying heights, full with the huge urns most often used to contain offerings for the dead.\u00a0 A stone walkway crossed the space, about a full body\u2019s height above him.\u00a0 The draugr he\u2019d heard stood on a balcony at the same height.\u00a0 Dardeh could see no access to that walkway, but he did see a lever at the near end of it and knew that he would need to throw it.<\/p>\n The three men crept forward.\u00a0 Dardeh didn\u2019t know which of them alerted the draugr, but another walked across the balcony snorting and growling.<\/p>\n That makes two.<\/em><\/p>\n As he passed beneath the walkway he spied a draugr patrolling in front of a closed gate.<\/p>\n Ok, that gate is what we need the lever for.\u00a0 One draugr for each of us, it looks like.<\/em><\/p>\n Dardeh somehow managed to sneak up on the draugr in front of him. It had been a mage in life, and was readying a spell while looking around in confusion.\u00a0 Dardeh swung around behind it and landed a massive blow on its back with his sword, driving it to the floor where he was able to finish it off.\u00a0 In the meantime, though, one of the other draugr had descended the staircase that hadn\u2019t been visible from the entryway; Roggi and Viggun were busy with it. Dardeh heard shuffling noises and looked up to see the third draugr, a Wight, coming down the stairs toward him.\u00a0 He rose up and used their relative positions to cut the draugr down at the knees, ducking under what would otherwise have been a massive blow from a two-handed sword.\u00a0 It took just one more attack for him to defeat the creature.\u00a0 He headed up to throw the lever he\u2019d seen from below.<\/p>\n He\u2019d almost reached the end of the balcony when a glimmer of blue from the shadows to his right caught his attention. There was another draugr there, one that hadn\u2019t been alerted before but which rose from the stone chair it had been seated in and growled at him.\u00a0 He took it down with just a couple of swings, then looked down at it and shook his head.<\/p>\n I am getting better with my swords; Roggi was right about that. I don\u2019t know whether that\u2019s a good thing or not.<\/em><\/p>\n As his gaze rose from the dead draugr the glint of metal caught his eye, and he groaned.\u00a0 The lever he had seen earlier had nearly been buried by collapsing stone. If the gate out of this room needed two levers to raise and it wasn\u2019t operable, they would have to retrace their long route back to the north side of the mountains, and return to Korst with the job incomplete.\u00a0 He reached for the lever. It took a fair amount of strength, but finally the metal gave way, screeching as he changed its position.\u00a0 He heard the mechanism operating.<\/p>\n \u201cOne down,\u201d he said to Viggun as he moved back along the balcony and turned onto the stone bridge. \u201cI see the other across the way there.\u201d<\/p>\n The second lever was pristine, resting atop a table.\u00a0 When he threw it open, the gate rose obediently.\u00a0 Dardeh breathed a sigh of relief. He really hadn\u2019t been looking forward to a long, empty-handed trek back.<\/p>\n He jumped down and was the first into the next room.\u00a0 His first impression was that it had been an embalming chamber, but then he spotted a set of grungy, mostly-rusty torture tools in a moldering leather case. He looked back over his shoulder and saw that Roggi was still descending from the balcony.\u00a0 He then rolled the tools up and slipped them into his pack before Roggi could see them.<\/p>\n No need for that to be in his mind right now.<\/em><\/p>\n He nearly managed to kill both Roggi and Viggun in the next room.\u00a0 There was a pedestal before them, atop which was an interesting dagger.\u00a0 When Dardeh picked it up to look at it more closely there was a rumbling sound from above him.<\/p>\n \u201cLook out!\u201d Viggun yelped, pushing Roggi backward as a number of huge boulders dropped from above, coming perilously close to them.\u00a0 Dardeh gasped and held his breath as they rolled toward the other men and then released it in a rush as he watched them dodge damage.<\/p>\n \u201cYou let a pressure plate fool you, Dar?\u201d Roggi said, grinning at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. I did. I\u2019m sorry. Are you ok?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re fine. Let\u2019s get going.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight. I\u2019m ready to get out of this place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait a second,\u201d Viggun said. \u201cCan I take a look at that dagger?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Dardeh said, handing him the oddly-curved blade.<\/p>\n Viggun turned it over in his hands a few times and nodded before handing it back to Dardeh. \u201cI thought so. It\u2019s a dragon priest blade. I\u2019ve seen a couple of them before, looted from some of the old temples from the dragon cult days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell. That doesn\u2019t bode well, does it?\u201d Roggi mumbled.<\/p>\n \u201cNope, sure doesn\u2019t,\u201d Dardeh said. \u201cWell, let\u2019s go see what we\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n There was only one exit from the room they were in: a pair of doors at the foot of a short flight of stairs.\u00a0 He drew his swords and pushed the doors open with his foot.<\/p>\n And gasped.<\/p>\n The space beyond was enormous.\u00a0 A great cavern stretched before them, extending out into the mist so far that Dardeh could not see its end. There were towers, and walkways, and at least two of the gigantic stone arches that adorned the entrances of many ancient barrows.\u00a0 These, like so many others, had partially collapsed and yet were still impressive, the two halves reaching for each other but not quite bridging the gap.<\/p>\n There was a draugr ambling across the stone bridge just in front of them. Dardeh pulled out his bow, took aim, and dropped the draugr with a single arrow. He grinned, pleased with himself. Then movement in his peripheral vision faded the smile. There was another draugr, alerted by the sound of his fellow dropping, far above them to the left.\u00a0 He swung his bow up and took a quick shot, never imagining that he would actually hit the creature; but to his amazement the arrow flew straight and true and the draugr crumpled on its platform. Dardeh turned to find Roggi grinning at him and then led them onward, down two sets of stairs to the very floor of the enormous cavern.<\/p>\n It was hard to know what to look at next, with all the structures. Trees clung to life beneath the few places where natural light broke through and flowers \u2013 nightshade and deathbell, mostly \u2013 grew in planters placed here and there. There were braziers, and pedestals lined with burial urns, and open grates into which the water flowing in from above drained away.<\/p>\n About midway down the cavern was a circular structure on the ground, surrounded by \u00a0short posts topped with magical lights. Dardeh swapped a quick glance with the others; all three of them readied their weapons, and they moved closer.<\/p>\n The familiar sound of a sarcophagus lid bursting from its container and hitting the stone floor was followed by another sound Dardeh had hoped he\u2019d never have occasion to hear again. As Viggun had feared, the shade of a Dragon Priest rose from its long rest with a piercing shriek.<\/p>\n Dardeh was able to land several quick bow strikes on the creature before Roggi and Viggun rushed past him to take it on with their blades. He pulled his own swords just as the priest began firing a quick succession of lightning bolts.<\/p>\n Roggi screamed \u2013 whether in pain or defiance, Dardeh wasn\u2019t sure; but it didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 He flew forward in a white-hot rage and rained heavy blows on the dragon priest as fast as he could make his arms move. \u00a0Roggi came up beside him and landed the final blow.<\/p>\n It was only then that Dardeh realized Viggun hadn\u2019t joined them.\u00a0 He swiveled to look behind and saw the Stormcloak fighting two frost atronachs at the same time. Dardeh sprinted through the gap between the two conjurations and attacked a draugr mage doing her best to kill Viggun with frost magic; she went down and so did one of the atronachs.\u00a0 The other passed behind Dardeh\u2019s back to close in on the frost-slowed Viggun.\u00a0 Dardeh spun around to hammer on it, wishing he could use his fire breath Shout on it but not daring to, for fear of also striking Viggun.\u00a0 He finally broke through the ice and disintegrated the atronach.<\/p>\n Viggun had wasted no time in dashing to where Roggi was struggling against another draugr mage.\u00a0 She had already pierced him with at least one ice spike when Viggun stepped up beside her and took a mighty swing with his sword. The draugr stumbled; Roggi drew his own greatsword back and high over his head, then swung it around in a huge arc.<\/p>\n \u201cTime to finish this!\u201d he growled, striking the draugr just as Dardeh brought his own sword down.\u00a0 Dardeh couldn\u2019t tell which of them had landed the killing blow; but the draugr crumpled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t hide from me!\u201d Viggun shouted just as an arrow clattered to the stones beside Dardeh.\u00a0 He turned to see a lone draugr atop a balcony to their side. He drew his bow to fire back; but as he reached for an arrow he heard the thwack of a bowstring and the draugr dropped a moment later.\u00a0 Viggun, it seemed, was as good with a bow as any of them.<\/p>\n \u201cAre we done?\u201d Dardeh asked, looking around them for the way out.<\/p>\n \u201cDoubtful,\u201d Roggi said, pointing up toward the far end of the cavern. \u201cSee all that up there? I think we have to go through this tower to get to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Viggun crossed to the gate into the tower and shook it. \u201cIt\u2019s locked, and it doesn\u2019t look like any kind of lock I\u2019ve ever seen. You want to show us how it\u2019s done, Roggi?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi blew on his hands and rubbed them together with a broad grin. \u201cStand aside.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh rolled his eyes at Viggun and chuckled.\u00a0 Roggi knelt before the gate and examined it closely, then went to work on the lock. A moment later Dardeh heard the sound of a pick snapping in two and a particularly foul word from Roggi, who then sighed loudly.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn it. Give me a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Another moment was all it took, though; Roggi stood and swung the gate open.\u00a0 He turned to Dardeh and gave a half-bow, looking decidedly pleased with himself.<\/p>\n \u201cWell done,\u201d Dardeh said.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well that was a really tough one,\u201d Roggi said. \u201cI don\u2019t mean to brag or anything, but it\u2019s been awhile since I\u2019ve taken on a lock like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh grinned at him and shook his head. \u201cNever a dull moment with you, Roggi.\u201d<\/p>\n The tower, as Roggi had suspected, led to another entire level of platforms and troughs and walkways. There was a single draugr Deathlord in one spot, which Dardeh finished with a Shout and a few sturdy blows; and in another spot a mage that went down to an attack from all three of them at once.\u00a0 Finally, though, they located a pull handle that opened a gate into a short, narrow hallway; and when Dardeh pushed open the doors at the end of that hall they were flooded with cold, fresh air and nearly-blinding sunlight.<\/p>\n \u201cFinally!\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n \u201cNever thought we\u2019d get to the end of it,\u201d Roggi said.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t say as I\u2019ve ever been quite so happy to see Lake Ilinalta,\u201d Viggun agreed.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n They nodded at Val and Marcus in the kitchen of Helgen Keep on their way to find Korst.\u00a0 He was climbing the stairs up from the barracks level \u2013 the space that had once been a torture chamber – when they found him.\u00a0 He glanced up at them and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cGood to see you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLikewise,\u201d Dardeh said. \u201cWell, it was a good thing you sent us.\u00a0 The draugr are all dead but it was quite an adventure getting rid of them. The great evil those archeologists were talking about? It was a Dragon Priest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally!\u201d he said, his eyes widening. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m glad that of all the people to help us, we had the Dragonborn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well it was mostly just fighting.\u00a0 Viggun has quite the arm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019m going to go rest it for a bit, if it\u2019s all the same to you guys,\u201d Viggun said. \u201cLet me know any time you need help in the future.\u201d He nodded at Korst and then trotted down the stairs past them, undoubtedly to find one of the bunks there.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s next?\u201d Roggi asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve gotten word that the bandit clan you took care of before were merely decoys to hide their real plans from us. We have it on good authority that a new chief is gathering a large force at Skybound Watch to retake Helgen. We need to catch him by surprise and take him out before he can attack us.\u00a0 Take Alof with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh looked at Roggi for confirmation; and once he saw his husband smile he nodded at Korst.<\/p>\n \u201cWill do. It\u2019ll feel good to fight something that isn\u2019t undead for a change, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the gods\u2019 own truth,\u201d Roggi said, draping one arm around Dardeh\u2019s shoulders and steering him toward the stairs.<\/p>\n There was an enormous, dome-shaped room beyond the claw-locked gate, in the center of which was a circular latticework grate. Dardeh tried not to imagine what was beneath it. There were coffins and niches along the perimeter, as well as draugr seated in stone chairs. He readied his bow as he entered and could hear … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5-1-19-4.png\")
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<\/p>\nPart I: Modulation<\/a><\/div>\nPrevious<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"