Chapter Text
“Okay, Daro’Assi thinks we are almost there.That door looks important” Daro’Assi jogged across the room to the aforementioned door. It was huge, taking up the entire wall and made of black stone. There was some kind of locking mechanism that had three rings with different animals on each and an imprint of some kind of claw on its own circle below it.
“That claw we picked up earlier, that’s most likely the key!” J’Din exclaimed.
“You think so?” It made sense, that bandit who had it was rambling about a door and the claw. Daro’Assi pulled the claw from her bag and inserted it into the imprint and turned. Nothing.
She tried again, this time noticing a couple of clicking sounds but the door stayed shut.
“It’s most likely a combination lock, with the rings and all,” J’Din pointed out, “We just need the combination.”
“Mmmmhhh, this one is probably right.” Daro’Assi started turning the claw around in her hands, feeling the grooves in the gold. “We’ll have to try every combination until it opens though, it’s not like the answer would be in the room.” She looked down at the claw and paused. There, carved into the bottom of the claw was three animals, matching the ones on the door but in a different order. “No,” Daro’Assi uttered. She quickly, with a bit of effort, rotated the ring into matching the claw. Bear, dragonfly, owl. She inserted the claw again and turned.
The sound of stone on stone grinded into their ears as the rings rotated into the all owls before the door slid down. The door was open.
“There is no way that it was that easy!” Daro’Assi shouted. “Who the fuck puts the their code on the key?”
J’Din trotted up, “It was on the claw?” J’Din sounded just as indignant as she felt.
“Whatever,” J’Din shook his head, “Let’s push on and get what we need so we can leave.”
The next room was less of a room and more of a large cavern. Bats fluttered above as they crossed over a small creek on top of a dirt bridge. Sounds of a nearby waterfall and bat chittering were heard along with, was that chanting? “You hear that too right?” J’Din asked. Daro’Assi nodded back.
They followed the ominous chanting up a stone staircase, coming to a stop in front of a massive curved wall with a bunch of carvings in a language neither of them have seen before.
One was glowing.
They approached.
The chanting grew louder.
The world darkened, the only thing in focus were those words.
The chanting grew ever louder.
FUS
Force.
The rest of the world came back into focus in a rush of sensation. J’Din looked over to his sister, finding her looking back with the same look in her eyes that he most likely has on his face as well. Fuck. What was that?
A loud crack and clash sounded from behind. Both siblings spun around to find another draugr crawling out of a coffin that they failed to notice until now. And worse, it looked tougher than the ones before.
J’din shot a steady stream of fire at it from his tail as arrow after arrow was fired from Daro’Assi on his left.
Instead of going down like the others before it, it made a motion of breathing in before letting out a large shout. A blast of force slammed into J’din causing him to tumble backwards, flames spell cut off. What was that? Some kind of magic? Most likely, but J’Din couldn’t recall any kind that is used verbally, or any that can throw you across the room. Even telekinesis only works on objects, not anything living.
A glance to his left showed even Daro’Assi had taken a knee from the force. His eyes shoot back to the draugr that was now swinging down its axe at his sister. Shit! J’Din scrambles onto his feet and sweeps his tail in a wide ark, fire gathering at the end before being slung at the undead and crashing into it. The force of the firebolt caused the thing’s axe to miss Daro’Assi’s neck, instead only grazing her arm instead. Good.
The draugr now turned to him, enraged. That’s fine. J’Din raised tail to cast more fire only for a wave of tiredness to sweep through him. Less fine. Looks like that firebolt took more magicka from him than he thought. Alright, new plan!
Jumping to the side, avoiding the swing of the axe J’Din ran back towards the coffin. The draugr might have an actual weapon, unlike J’Din, but it’s only a one handed weapon with limited reach. J’Din is small and fast, meaning the draugr would need to stoop down to hit him, only making its swipes slower.
He just needs to keep dodging until his magicka recharges enough for another bout of flames.
He was only dodging and weaving for a few seconds before arrows started flying again, hitting the beast in the back. Looks like Daro’Assi is back in the fight. Good.
The draugr turned around to face the one firing arrows at it leading J’Din to fire a small burst of fire at it. Eyes on him damnit!
The draugr turned back at him and gave a guttural growl, axe rising high above his head, J’Din got ready to dodge but the axe never came down. Well, it did, but more of being dropped than anything else. Daro’Assi stood there directly behind it, that shitty and chipped sword stuck in the draugr’s neck, halfway from severing its head clean off.
All was still for a moment.
The draugr slowly slid off the blade, crashing to the floor.
The two siblings stood there, catching their breath for a solid minute before either spoke.
“You might want to heal that soon.” J’Din pointedly flicked his tail towards Daro’Assi’s arm. The graze from the axe slowly oozing blood, slicking to her brown fur along with, was that frost?
Daro’Assi glanced down to her arm before hissing air between her teeth. She raised her injured arm up, lighting a golden glow in her hands that swirled along her arm, stitching up the wound. Once done, she rolled her shoulder a few times testing for pain.
Seemingly satisfied, she turned back to J’Din. “Is this one hurt?” J’Din shook his head in reply. He was mainly missing magicka which would replenish itself soon as long as he doesn’t try to push himself more than he already has for the day.
Daro’Assi nodded before leaning down and picking up the axe the draugr was using. “Daro’Assi wonders if she should take this axe. It has a nice frost enchant” She gave it a few test swings. That’ll explain the first still clinging to her fur at least.
“I don’t see why not,” J’Din replied, “It’s not like it’s the only thing we’re taking.”
“Yes but those were gold and jewels that are found everywhere. This,” Daro’A’ssi gestured back to the axe in her hand, “Is obviously looted from a burrow.”
“So is the dragonstone we came for. If the people here would truly be upset by it, they wouldn’t have sent us here.” J’Din refuted. “ Speaking of, where is that stone?”
J’Din trotted over to the large chest next to the coffin, opening it with a bit of telekinesis and hopping onto the ledge to peer inside.
Some hundred or so gold, a couple of healing potions, another iron sword, and is that an enchanted necklace? All good loot to be honest. J’Din lifts the necklace out and examines its enchantment. Looks like something that increases magicka!
“Hey, J’Din! Daro’Assi thinks this is the dragonstone!”
J’Din turned back to his sister who was holding a large pentagonal stone with what looks to be some kind of map carved into it.
“Good, let's pocket it and take this look. Do you think you can help me put this necklace on? Clasps are a nightmare without thumbs.”
Daro’Assi snorted and kneeled down and clipped the necklace around his neck, making sure it was as tight as it could go so it wouldn’t fall off.
Once all the loot had been pocketed, the two climbed another staircase, this one leading up towards a tunnel with what smelled like fresh air blowing in.
Fresh air. Finally out of that musty old tomb.
The trek back to Riverwood was uneventful. Lucan, the merchant they spoke to before leaving, was happy to receive his claw back.
They staggered back into the inn, rented the same room as last time, and passed out in the bed. Who cares it was only noon, they were tired and deserved a nice long nap.