Ekali of the Frozen Heights, Book one Options

[Saquira]

So, I've been working on this since before Skyrim came out now and I think it's about time I publish it. I'm still working on Felisas Memoires, I actually got really inspired yesterday and wrote up the ending so now I know exactly where I want to go with it. I just wanted to get started on publishing this story as well.

I'm no longer working on A Strange Love, you'll probably have gotten it by now but I just wanted to get it out. I might go back to it and continue sometime, but then I'll make a completely new version and it probably won't happen for a very long time.

I change a lot of the things in the main quest in this story, because the dragons really should be able to use all the shouts(it's their language after all) and a lot of other reasons. Ekali won't only follow the main quest though, not like Felisa did. And I'll also have this story be much more orderly, in that I'll divide every chapter in numbered parts and will be writing a "what came before" paragraph at the start of each update.

Anyway, this is the story of the khajiit Ekali, and her journey through Skyrim.

Ekali of the Frozen Heights
Book one

Prologue

The female threw herself across the cold stone just as fire lit the sky, melting the snow of her former location. The beast roared out his rage as he turned after the khajiit, pale fangs still hot from the fire. She thought up the words when its jaws clamped shut above her, forcing Ekali to roll out of the way as it brought its head down again.

“Fo Krah!” The shout was loud, and covered the beast in frost as he lifted his muzzle towards the sky in rage. He flapped his wings, unleashing more fire in her direction, and took to the air.

Getting up from her crouch, the khajiit sprinted across the ice crusted stone, coming to a stop at her pack from which she drew a bow and quiver. The bow was already strung in anticipation for an event just like this, and she put an arrow to it just as the beast came around for another go. Her hands wouldn't be still as she aimed for the creature, and it was by chance that the arrow stuck in its throat. She sprinted again as he roared in fury, black eyes intent on her body.

“Dovahkiin! Zun Haal Viik!” His powerful voice was triumphant as the bow flew out of the woman’s grasp, and she cursed, barely avoiding the swipe from his tail when he flew past. As it was the blast of wind knocked her of her feet, and she pictured a fireball in her mind as she got up again. The dragon was wrapped in flames mere moments before his feet connected with her shoulders and threw her backwards.

Her feline claws where out before she had time to process the empty space beneath her feet, clinging like picks to the ice encrusting the rocky mountain. The stone shuddered as the dragon landed and made his way towards the precipice on which she was hanging.

“Dovahkiin.” The beast smiled at her as he lowered his head, looking over her white body.

The tension on her claws was causing a numbness in her hands when she hung there, and the khajiit grunted when she tried to get a better grip on the cliff side as well as getting her legs up. She'd be damned if she didn't get up, she knew that all to well.

“Trouble, Dovahkiin? Perhaps you should have practised your claws before coming, they often make a lot of difference.” He smiled again as he reached one of his feet out, extending a claw. He looked at it briefly before turning back at her. “How is it you say... oh yes, any last words?” Ekali kept quiet and he smiled again, edging further out on the edge to get to her.

The light of the blue green aurora reflected on his scales when he got closer, making him look even more majestic than before. His head had the shape of an arrowhead with spikes that were angled backwards from his face. His eyes were dark, and the scales had a soft brown colour to them.

She narrowed her eyes at the dragon as she tried to get a better grip on the ice, and clung tighter when the wind picked up, tousling her fur. The ice was mixed with snow, and her hands were barely noticeable because she didn't wear any gauntlets at the time.

The beast crept closer still, and put his foot on her paw to be able to break her grip. With a last smile that caused the blue light to be reflected by his teeth, he tore her away from the cliff, and opened his mouth to shout.

“Fus Ro Dah!” The shout threw her further away from the ledge, away from any hope of survival, and caused her to yell out in shock.

Oh hellfire, was the one thought that went through her head as she looked down at the ground far beneath her, the wind wining past her ears.

* * *

End note: So, there's the prologue. You don't get to find out what happened for a long time though as the prologue takes place long after the first chapter, which I intend to post the first part of on Tuesday. And I really like constructive criticism.

[Saquira]

Thank you I don't think Ekali will be using the helmet unless she is fighting dragons or other very challenging opponents.

Previously on Ekali of the Frozen Heights: Being summoned during a late breakfast, Ekali hurried to the Western watchtower to help Irileth and the Whiterun guard fight a dragon. When they'd defeated it, she found out that the dragon's name was Mirmulnir, and that apparently, she's dragonborn. How will others react to that?

Chapter 3.6 How could a khajiit be dragonborn?

Ekali was steps away from entering Dragonsreach when the doors were pushed open by the guards inside and the Jarl's brother, Hrongar, walked out.

“There you are! Come, my brother wishes to know what happened. By the divines, I imagine all of us wants to know,” the man said and put a hand on her shoulder to lead her inside. The guards looked at her with wonder as the two walked past. Then they were walking up the steps and past the tables to stop before the Jarl in his seat. His eyes had caught her lithe form mere moments after they entered, and now they were lit by anticipation of what she would reveal.

“What happened at the watchtower? My sentries have only told me that the beast is slain,” the Jarl said. The steward stood by his right side, and Ekali had seen Farengar at the door opening to his chambers, looking at her, when they entered. The guards weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were listening. The time in which Ekali took to notice all of this amounted to only a few seconds, so there wasn't a very long time before she spoke.

“The watchtower was in ruins when we got there. Only one of the original guards still lived, and he barely had time too warn us before the dragon showed up again. There wasn't ever much time to see what the others were doing, but we managed to defeat the beast, and then... Then I absorbed some kind of power from it. One of the guardsmen called me dragonborn.” Her brow was furrowed by the time she finished, and Hrongar's head bowed up and down absent-mindedly as if though something he'd been thinking had just been confirmed. The steward was as expressionless as ever, while the Jarl had leant back in his chair.

“Then it's true. The Greybeards were calling for the dragonborn. For you,” he said and looked at her. All eyes were on her then, as people all around the room wondered what the Jarl was thinking. Only Hrongar still looked at his brother.

“But how? How could a khajiit be dragonborn?” he said, aghast. Several others in the hall seemed to be thinking the same thing, as many of the guards turned their eyes to their feet so as to not risk looking Ekali in the eyes.

“I doubt anyone can understand the will of the divines, be they man, mer or beast. We should be happy that there is a dragonborn at all,” Jarl Balgruuf said, looking pointedly at his brother. Hrongar opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again and turned his eyes to the floor. Jarl Balgruuf waited a few seconds before he sighed and turned his eyes to the dragonborn.

“Discussions about the will of the divines will have to wait for later. Dragonborn, as a token of my gratitude for saving this city, I name you Thane of Whiterun and give you permission to purchase a house within the city. Speak with Proventus to make the arrangements. As to the title of Thane, it is mostly an honorary title, except that you get your personal housecarl, and a weapon to serve as your badge of office.” A soldier brought forth an axe when he said this, and Ekali stood stunned for a moment before she took it from the soldiers hands and remembered that she should respond.

“Thank you, my Jarl,” she said and bowed. The Jarl nodded to her when she looked up again.

“You should visit the Greybeards as soon as possible, it is a temendous honour to receive their summons. An honour that should not be taken lightly. But for tonight I insist that you stay at our guest quarters,” he preceded to say, and was just turning to his steward when the khajiit spoke again.

“Excuse me, Jarl Balgruuf. But I do not know who these Greybeards are, nor where to find them,” she said, where upon the few eyes that weren't already watching her started doing so.

“Of course. My brother will tell you everything you need to know. Now, Proventus, we must plan the festivities.” As the Jarl turned to his steward, Hrongar tensed visibly, but told Ekali to follow. When the two walked towards the doors, most people turned their attention to the Jarl. Most, but not all. The khajiit could see children and servants looking at her from the balcony above. From the expressions on their faces they'd watched all of it.

Hrongar and Ekali emerged into bright sunlight, and she had to put up a hand to shield her eyes. He continued on without stopping, ignoring the looks of the guards who stood watch on the way too and from Dragonsreach. Turning left at the top of the stairs, he then stopped at a spot that gave a nice view of the city and the plains outside it.

“What festivities was the Jarl speaking of?” Ekali asked when she caught up and stood next to the Nord. He glanced at her and raised his eyebrows.

“To celebrate the death of the dragon, to celebrate that you've come,” Hrongar answered her and turned his gaze back at the city. That the khajiit was dragonborn was still hard for him to grasp. Yet he'd say nothing of the matter, since his brother clearly disliked it. She was silent for a while, and he started to wonder whether he should speak again.

“Who are these Greybeards that people are talking about then?” she asked before he had the chance of doing so, and he contemplated how to phrase his explanation.

“The Greybeards are the masters of the Voice, or the Thu'um. Shouting, it's also called. They've lived atop the Throat of the World in High Hrothgar for as long as anyone can remember.” He pointed towards the high peak which they were facing, almost directly above the city, as he told her of the Throat of the World. “They rarely interfere with the rest of the world, and instead study the Voice, and hone it. They don't care much for war and politics, thinks the Voice is a power that should not be used to cause death, and maybe they're right. But to battle the dragons we need to use their own weapons against them. Talos Stormcrown studied with the Greybeards, as did Ulfric Stormcloak, though Ulfric isn't dragonborn. You'd be wise to show them respect when you're there.” He turned to her for the first time since they'd left the throne-room.

“What exactly does it mean to be dragonborn?” Ekali asked, ignoring the cold look that he gave her, before he once again turned to look at the city.

“Well, for one you don't have to study the voice for decades to learn a few words. You can take dragon souls, and by doing so you also gain some of their knowledge. Some people with the dragonblood have been known to see the future. You'll also live longer, unless someone kills you of course. Since dragonborn's often gets in the middle of things, that's usually what happens,” he said with a shrug. Ekali shivered at the thought. Seeing the future? I can't have, can I?

Hrongar glanced down at her to see her brows furrowed, and though her eyes were pointed towards the city, she didn't look as if though she was actually seeing anything. He frowned when he saw it.

:-:-:-:

Ekali took a deep breath before she began descending the stairs, her mind still circling the happenings of the day. The dress that hung loosely around her body also covered most of it, with long arms and the hem by the ankles. The collar fitted snugly around her throat, and at times it almost felt as if though it'd strangle her. One of Dragonsreach's servants had found it for her, and though it wasn't one of the most comfortable articles of clothing Ekali had worn in her life, she was grateful that she didn't have to find anything herself. And when the other woman had inquired as to whether the khajiit had anything which could be used to adorn her head, Ekali has been proud to say that she had a circlet in her pack. Upon finding the circlet to be of copper and moonstone, the old woman had sighed and proclaimed that “it'll have to do”.

Screenshot

So it was that Ekali was about to attend to a feast with upper-class humans in a blue and white dress, and an old circlet that she'd picked up in a barrow. The largest celebrations she'd taken part in before had only consisted of taking a few mugs of mead with the other soldiers, and guarding nobles in the Imperial city. As such, Ekali had only a faint idea of how she was supposed to behave.

As her doeskin shoes touched the floor of the Great hall, a sudden silence fell over the room when everyone turned to see her. Pausing momentarily, Ekali fought the sudden urge to flee and took another breath before she walked up to the Jarl who stood a short distance away. He'd been talking to a male high elf when Ekali came down, but now the Altmer said something to the Jarl and walked away before she could see his face properly.

“Ah, there you are. Come, I'll introduce you to the city's nobility,” the Jarl said when she came closer, and it was with great relief that she noted that most of the people in the room had taken their eyes of her. Still, the atmosphere was tense in the room, and it was obvious that none of them had had much contact with any khajiiti before.

She walked next to the Jarl as they then made their way around the room, exchanging pleasantries with the upper class. Though she did not remember nearly all of the names afterwards, some of them were repeated enough times for them to etch themselves into Ekali's brain. The clans Battle-Born and Gray-Mane being two of them. One man, a Redguard named Nazeem, tried to capture the Jarls attention several times. However Jarl Balgruuf quickly switched direction upon spotting him.

So Ekali found it quite peculiar not to be introduced to the one elf- aside from Irileth- who was present in the room, and decided to question the Jarl about the matter.

“Who is the man you were speaking with when I came downstairs, my Jarl?” Ekali asked when the two of them were alone the next time, and the Jarl looked quite startled.

“Oh him. Of course, you wouldn't know him, having just come to Skyrim. I'm so used to seeing him that I couldn't ever imagine someone not having met him. The Altmer calls himself Sorcalin, he's been around as long as anyone can remember. My father introduced him to me. I doubt there's anyone of importance in Skyrim whom he haven't met, except you of course. Perfect gentleman, and he owns a house out in the Rift. Though now that I think about it, I have never found out how he earned all of that money, or where he came from,” the Jarl answered her as the two looked towards the high elf who was standing on the other side of the room.

Screenshot

“Would you introduce me to him, sir?” Ekali asked then, still looking at Sorcalin. Though she'd never be able to pinpoint exactly what made her wish to speak to him that first time, she had noticed that he was the only person who didn't seem the slightest bit hostile towards her, apart from the Jarl himself.

This post has been edited by Saquira: May 28 2012, 05:27 AM