This is some gameplay fiction courtesy of Enderal: Forgotten Stories -- a standalone game modded from The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.
You can find it at the Steam Store HERE for free if you have a legitimate copy of the original Oldrim-Skyrim. It's also so much better than Skyrim and I highly recommend you give it a try!!
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In the last Enderal post Kaelyra helped a merchant and proceeded to fleece her of every item of food in her inventory, defeated a bunch of bandits and stole their leader's health-stealing mace, stumbled through a cave of flammable mushrooms then finally rolled her eyes and started helping Jespar like he asked her to.
After finding some water-logged journals that once belonged to the murderer they were investigating, then speaking with his long-winded childhood friend, Kaelyra barged into the tavern and drank all the ale then passed out on the gambling tables.
Onward! 😁
Kaelyra waltzed out of the tavern, surprisingly refreshed despite liberating the establishment of its entire supply of ale and passing out on a gambling table, and basked in the glorious glow of the rising sun.
She had fulfilled her end of Jespar's bargain, had a stomach full of food and liquor, fleeced the gamblers of all their coin, and slept like a baby. It was now time to begin a new day. And what a beautiful day it was. A perfect day for prancing across this new land and admiring the sights before she met up with Jespar and gave him all the information she had discovered.
Clack, clack.
What the hell?
CLACK!!
So mesmerised by the beautiful sky she hadn't seen the giant crabs approach. She quickly dispatched arrows into each of them and collected their delectable claws to nom on later.
After stowing their claws into her pack, she took a quick glance at the giant cloth map Jespar had wrapped around her head the other morning.
"After you're done, meet me at this giant red X."
"Okay," she muttered.
On the way to the giant red X marked on the map, Kaelyra stumbled upon a decrepit old cottage. A faint hum emanated from within. A familiar, faint hum.
Narrowing her eyes, she crept through the broken entry then choked on the rush of her saliva.
It was another of those weird red things like the one that had exploded in her face in the apothecary's house. Would this one explode too, or could she collect it to show someone?
Being as careful as possible, she slowly tip-toed towards it, and reached out her hand. It was smooth and strangely cold considering its appearance. Wrapping her fingers around it, she held her breath and deposited it into her pack.
BOOM!
"Of course it bloody exploded," she grunted. "Useless."
After looting the remains of the cottage, she strolled out and an arrow whizzed by her ear.
"Eeek!" she screeched, leaping to the side and behind a barrel.
She peered into the forest and saw as a man notched another arrow. More blasted bandits. She had never seen so many blasted bandits! What was wrong with this land? Why were there so many bandits preying on people?
Preparing her own arrows, she shot him through the heart then burned his partner to a crisp with her fiery hand. Then she noticed their encampment... an encampment that overlooked where the giant X on her map was.
Sneaking through the trees, she notched an arrow and shot the sole man who guarded the encampment and watched over the house with the giant X. She'd better find Jespar in case there were more bandits.
Hurrying into the house that the map had marked with a giant red X, she stumbled over her own feet as a giant black blood spatter greeted her.
"Typical," she groaned.
It was too late. The bandits had gotten Jespar. Now what the hell was she supposed to do? She didn't know who he was reporting to, and he had promised to help with the newfound magic that exhausted her whenever she used it too much.
Kicking at the dusty floorboards, her boot met a latch and a trapdoor opened.
"Well, that was unexpected," she said, descending down the ladder. "Wonder if there's any treasure?"
"Oh, hi. I was wondering if you were going to show up," Jespar greeted her.
"What the hell -- I thought you were dead!"
"What?"
"There's a giant blood spatter up there!" Kaelyra screeched. "I only came down here in case there was hidden treasures."
"Oh, of course you did," Jespar shrugged. "Gather any information? Torture the crotchety old wind-bag or actually listen to him all day?"
And so Kaelyra gave Jespar the water logged journals and told him all about how the old wind-bag was useless. But the tavern was good. Too good, in fact.
"I'm jealous," he said. "Of the tavern, I mean. Come. I think I found a secret tunnel and now that you're here you can help!"
They crept through a maze of dark and twisted tunnels that had been dug beneath the house then a fireball whizzed through the air.
"Oh wow, a fire elemental! You're magical, ice it or something!"
"Actually," Kaelyra said, bouncing around the tunnels to avoid more incoming fireballs. "I'm pretty fiery myself. Can't freeze the thing, sorry."
"Ugh, fine," Jespar whipped a scroll out of his pocket and threw it at the fiery creature. A block of ice rose up around it and then the whole thing shattered, creature and all. "I was hoping to save that," he muttered. "Could've bought three ales with it."
After looting the remains of the fire elemental, they continued through the tunnel and found a corpse on display.
"Ugh," Jespar wrinkled his nose. "Our murderer was very naughty indeed. Burials are looked down upon here. Cremation is rule of the day. Anyway, grab that book, search for valuables if you absolutely must. I'll meet you at the tavern back in Riverville."
A purple glow rose up around Jespar, he flew up into the air, then vanished.
Kaelyra blinked. Did he just teleport?
"I thought he wasn't magical," she muttered, grabbing the book and sullenly making her way back through the twisted tunnels.
When she at last made it back to Riverville the sun was setting once more and she was thirsty. With a grunt, she pushed open the tavern doors and made her way to the counter only to find Jespar smugly sitting at the bar.
"Oh, hello," he slurred, waving his pint around. "Would the fair lady like some wine?"
"If you're paying."
"But of course!"
She drank the wine in one gulp then stared at him as he very slowly indulged in his drink. He didn't seem to notice and nearly took an entire hour to drink the one beverage.
"Ah," he sighed. "Okay, grab your weapons and let's go."
"Wait, go where? You haven't told me anything!"
He didn't answer and raced outside.
Stealing a torch from the tavern wall, Kaelyra chased after him.
"Wait -- where are you going?"
"Where are we going, you mean," he motioned up the winding path. "We need to get to the city and report our findings about this murderous madman. Well, I have to report the findings. My employers are a bizarre bunch, secret-secret, hush-hush, et cetera. There's another tavern there though. Drink wine, be merry. Once I'm done I will fulfill my end of our bargain. Promise."
"Okay. I guess," Kaelyra conceded.
Following the winding path, a sign soon directed them towards a place named 'Ark.'
Guess that's where they were heading next.
Until next time,
Thanks for stopping by! 🙃
and are from the game: Enderal: Forgotten Stories