The journey to Riverwood is relatively smooth. However, that changes when I notice something in the distance.
"Do you see that?"
I point at the massive tower not too far away from us. At first, I couldn't see it clearly, but as we got closer, its shape became unmistakable. The tower is very familiar. I haven't played Skyrim recently because of my busy schedule, but I know that tower anywhere.
"What? There is nothing there. Is it behind that massive tree?"
Captain Tredes looks toward where I'm pointing. After hearing his answer, I know something is wrong. I school my expression and shake my head.
"It looks like there is nothing. Sorry. My body is still not slowing down from the previous encounter."
He nods in understanding and places a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't worry. It will go away. In fact, it's good to be alert. It's better to be a little cautious in times like these. Just make sure it doesn't go too far."
"I understand."
I nod and continue our journey, passing the tower.
That tower is called the Leveller Tower. It originates from a mod of the same name, which creates a player home base located north of Helgen. It's a tower that contains many things for the player and is considered a cheat mod because it can summon a large number of items and contains a lot of items that will help the players in their journey.
I don't know if those features exist here, but if I can enter that tower, I might gain access to everything the game has to offer, including NPCs that can sell me items.
There are also the Leveller Items—essentially god-tier equipment that makes the game ridiculously easy. However, I don't know if those items exist in this real-life scenario.
I'll check the tower later.
For now, we're approaching the Standing Stones. I look around warily. What makes me wary of this area is the nearby bandit hideout. Embershard Mine is an infamous dungeon for all Skyrim players.
It is the first dungeon you encounter in the game, after all. It gives you perfect starting equipment if you can clear it safely. I use the Stealth Archer build to clear this area before switching to the Magic build.
Luckily, the bandits don't attack us as we walk along the path near the mine. I can see people hiding behind thick bushes, but I decide not to confront them. It looks like the captain notices them as well, but he chooses not to make trouble for now.
We don't have enough people to fight an open battle, especially when most of our group consists of civilians without any weapons in their hands.
We follow the river path, and after another fifty minutes of walking, we finally see Skyrim's starting village—Riverwood. I blink when I spot a familiar Khajiit wearing leather armor and carrying a bow and arrow on his back, standing next to a familiar Nord.
Ah. It looks like he chose Hadvar instead of Ralof, huh? That's good. I rescue a lot of Imperial Guards, after all. I don't want Ralof and the Dragonborn to be my enemy.
"Hadvar?! Is that you?!"
Captain Tredes shouts as he walks toward Hadvar, who stares at him in shock.
"Captain Tredes?! You survived?! What about the others? What about General Tullius?!"
"A few of us survived. General Tullius already ordered Captain Hodlar to search for more survivors and return to Solitude to report to Lady Elisif."
"Thank the Divines! There are still a few people trapped under the guard keep, and I was planning to return to Helgen to rescue them. It looks like I won't need to do that."
He then looks at me and the others.
"Are these the survivors?"
"Aye. This man here," Tredes says, patting my back with a grin, "is our savior. Without him, we would've lost many more civilians and soldiers. Thanks to his quick thinking, we hid in the forest and used a small cave to shelter from the dragon."
Hadvar looks at me with renewed respect, and even the Dragonborn nods in approval.
"It's good to see there are more good men like you two." He turns to the Dragonborn. "Kazha here also helped bravely. Without him, the others and I wouldn't have survived the dragon attack at Helgen."
"This one did not do much, my friend."
"Bah! You're too humble. You need a little more Nord in you."
Hadvar then looks back at Tredes.
"Anyway! Let's head into the village first. We can talk properly with a warm mug of mead in hand."
We enter the village, immediately drawing curious looks from the locals. Hadvar greets his uncle while Tredes leads us to the local inn. I glance at the Sleeping Giant Inn and note that it's bigger than it looks in the game.
We enter, and Tredes immediately walks toward the innkeeper, Orgnar.
I sigh and sit on a chair near the counter while Tredes speaks with Orgnar. They discuss letting the others stay at the inn, with Tredes trying—unsuccessfully—to use the authority of the Imperial Guards to avoid paying.
Not because he does not want to pay, but rather because he does not bring any money with him.
Sadly, Orgnar doesn't budge.
Oh well.
I take the pouch General Tullius gave me and place it on the counter.
"There are two hundred coins in there. I know it's not enough, so how about a favor? Is there any bounty you can give me?"
He studies me for a few seconds before answering.
"Aye. There's a group of bandits in Embershard Mine. Kill them and bring back the silver sword their leader carries as proof. Show it to the Jarl to claim the bounty."
"You don't want it? The bounty, I mean."
"No. Killing them is enough. They're bad for business. Traders from Falkreath have to detour through Whiterun because of them. It raises the price of goods, you know?"
"Alright. Consider it done. I'll be back before nightfall."
I summon my spear, drawing shocked looks from everyone in the inn. This is the first time they've seen me use "magic." What? Better they learn now than later.
I leave the inn and head toward Embershard Mine.
It's time for me to start building a reputation.
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|3rd POV|
Laughter echoes throughout the mine. A new bandit group has taken over the abandoned site and turned it into their hideout. They're celebrating after capturing a group of young women fleeing from Helgen.
They lost nine of their own in the process. The guards escorting the women were an Imperial captain and four well-built Nord men. They are able to take some of them, but in the end, they have the numbers and win the fight.
They kill all the men and capture the women. Even the captain gets stripped of her armor and clothes, then captured.
Still, the bandits consider it a worthwhile trade. Eight young women can fetch a high price from slave traders.
Skyrim doesn't openly practice slavery, but it is legal.
Selling slaves who haven't committed a crime is illegal. Only the heavy crimes can lead to enslavement, such as a deserter or infamous bandit. The second legal method is debt—if someone owes an overwhelming amount, the lender can legally seize and sell their assets and sell the debtor into slavery.
Bandits, of course, rarely follow these laws. They do not care about that law, and there is also the fact that once someone is sold to a certified slave trader, they become a "legal" slave.
That's why some traders are willing to accept bandit captives. However, if the guards gather enough evidence, those traders are executed on sight.
High risk. High reward.
Sadly for these young women, the bandits know a trader willing to take the risk.
"Ahhhh~ This is the best~ Oh! I need to piss! Don't drink my mead, you bastard!"
One bandit stumbles away as the others laugh. He leaves the others, and he reaches the makeshift latrine. However, his eyes widen at the sight of three corpses on the ground.
"Wha—"
Before he can finish, a golden spear pierces his heart. A hand clamps over his mouth as Sigurd lowers the body silently.
His ninja skills make him a terrifying assassin in the dark mine. The only thing that stands out is Gae Buidhe—the yellow spear is hard to conceal, but Sigurd uses his body and clever positioning to hide it.
This is his tenth kill.
After scouting ahead, he knows there are fifteen more bandits partying near the blacksmith area.
He flicks his spear, shaking the blood free, then melts back into the shadows and hides behind a massive pillar. Below him, the bandits drink and laugh near the smelter.
He frowns a little as he can see cages hanging over the water. He knows that slavery is legal in Skyrim, but this is the first time he sees bandits capture people to be sold. It leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.
Sigurd takes a deep breath and decides to test his new ability.
He conjures twenty stones and releases them. Ten fly at terrifying speed, piercing through two bandits and killing them instantly.
"Intruder! Die!"
With his cover blown, Sigurd charges forward. He leaps and drives his spear through a bandit's skull.
Ten more rush him.
He shoots the last ten stones at the archers in the back, aiming for their hands. Ignoring their screams, he closes the distance in a blur and drives his spear through another bandit's neck. He ignores his gurgling scream of pain as he moves once again.
He doesn't stop after each kill. He keeps moving. He dodges, dashes, and jumps as he fights his way through a group of bandits who always rely on ambush and never have proper training in weapons.
To the prisoners watching from the cages, his movements resemble a dance—beautiful, graceful, and deadly. Each time he moves, a bloody mist appears, showering him and the ground with the blood of the bandits. The yellow spear in his hand makes his fight even more graceful.
In less than two minutes, only one bandit remains. He is trying to flee. However, Sigurd will not let him. Before he can even get into the upper floor, Sigurd conjures more stones and makes them extra sharp.
Five stones pierce his back and kill the bandit.
Silence returns to the mine.
Sigurd exhales as notifications appear before him.
|Kill 10 bandits in single combat: 1 Silver Ticket|
|Clear Embershard Mine alone: 1 Silver Ticket|
|Rescue all soon-to-be slaves: 1 Bronze Ticket|
He looks at the final message, then turns toward the prisoners.
The bandits are dealt with. Now comes the escort mission. He put away the system for now and will roll the tickets when he is done with all of these.
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