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]

King Coin: Thank you. And well, I fixed that nit somewhat. Can't figure out how to make it better.

McBadgere: There are more characters coming, be assured Though I don't know if any of them is an Argonian. I love the beast races though, there's no way I could leave them out of the equation.

Taaron: Thanks, I hope you keep reading

mALX: ^^ I've rewritten it a bit since I posted it actually, so I'll post the new version soon.

Previously on Ekali of the Frozen Heights: Ekali returned to Dragonsreach after defeating Mirmulnir, and was met by both disbelief and scorn. Then the feast began, and once again everyone's eyes were upon her. But who is the Altmer?

Chapter 3.7 Aka

The Jarl and the khajiit had to move slowly across the hall since many wished to discuss business of different kinds with the Jarl. Though he told them to talk with Farengar, or to wait until the next morning, their passing was delayed quite a bit.

They saw his eyes was upon them when the two were but two meters away, and he bowed to each of them in turn when they stopped in front of him.

“Jarl Balgruuf. Aka,” he said when he did so, first to the Jarl and then to Ekali, meeting their eyes with his green ones. Balgruuf gave a small bow in reply, and Ekali made an awkward curtsey.

“Sorcalin. This is Ekali, the dragonborn,” Balgruuf the Great said and gestured for the khajiit who stepped forward half a step.

“Oh I know. A pleasure, truly,” he said as he took her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it. She watched him quietly as he did so, before looking at the Jarl who'd cleared his throat.

“Now I must get back to the rest of my guests, if you'll excuse me,” he said, not really caring for the answer. Sorcalin merely nodded and smiled again.

“Of course, my Jarl,” Ekali said and curtsied, causing a slight rustle from her dress. When the Nord had walked away, she once again turned to the Altmer whom had taken to looking at her. He raised a cup she hadn't seen before to his lips and drank the last of its contents before putting it on a nearby table. They stood so for a few minutes, simply looking at each other.

“What was that you called me?” Ekali asked after a while, causing Sorcalin to raise his eyebrows.

“Aka? It means dragon in aldmeris, you are a dragon after all,” he answered and an amused smile played on his lips. She looked back at him in surprise before answering.

“You speak aldmeris?” she said and he smiled at her.

“Some,” was his simple answer, before he cast a look over the room. “Very stuffy in here, wouldn't you say? Why don't we head outside for a little while.” Holding his arm out to her, Sorcalin turned towards the doors.

“Why would we do that?” the khajiit asked instead of taking the offered arm, and the Altmer cast another look around. Then he sighed and looked at her.

“Because at least half of the room is trying to hear what we're saying, and I'd rather talk uninterrupted. I'm not that fond of etiquette,” he said with raised eyebrows, and this time it was Ekali's turn to look around the room. Most people quickly turned away from her when she did so, but several kept looking in their direction. The female khajiit frowned, but turned and took the Altmer's proffered arm, whereupon they walked at a normal pace to the doors of the great hall and stepped out on the perch overlooking the city outside Dragonsreach.

“So, how does Skyrim greet you? I'd imagine it's quite a change to live in Cyrodiil for the whole of ones life and then be sent to such an unfriendly place as Skyrim,” the Altmer said once she'd released his arm and they stood a few feet apart on the walkway.

“It's a beautiful place, though the people doesn't seem to like khajiit much. Wait, how did you know that I've lived in Cyrodiil my whole life?” She frowned at him when she finished, unsettled by his revelation. What else does he know?

“It's my business to know things, and when I found out that someone new were coming to Skyrim, I had to know more about the person in question. Though I had no idea that you were dragonborn,” Sorcalin said with a nod and smile in her direction.

"Are you one of the Thalmor?" she asked, frowning, and he chuckled as he thought it over.

"Whatever made you think that? No, I'm not with them, wouldn't be if they'd covered all of the universe with their lies. Nothing good could possibly come from them," he said, and sighed near the end.

“So where are you from?” Ekali asked with another frown, and he looked away from her towards the doors to the great hall. Then he sighed before answering.

"I believe that will have to wait for another time, my lady. I am not the only one who wishes to speak with you, it would seem," he said as he turned his gaze to her again, and Ekali gave him a confounded look before turning her eyes to the doors. Hrongar was walking towards them, having just left the confines of the fire-lit hall. His expression was that of grudging determination, and his eyes met Sorcalin's when he stopped before them.

"Could I have a word with the dragonborn, in private?" the Nord asked, and the high elf answered with a curt nod.

"Of course, I was just leaving in any case," he said and turned to the khajiit once more. "We'll meet again, don't worry." And with a smile he turned from them and walked in the opposite direction of Dragonsreach, towards the city. Hrongar's eyes followed him for a few moments before he turned to Ekali whom was eyeing him expectantly.

"I've come to ask for your forgiveness. It was wrong of me to judge you when you've not yet done anything to deserve my scorn, and for that I'm sorry," he said as his eyes sought the ground and he shuffled his feet.

"I accept your apology," the woman answered, and he looked up at her with a frown. It looked for a while as if though he'd say something, but then his face changed, and he sighed.

"Dinner will be taken soon, if you would care to join us?" he said, and she nodded absent-mindedly.

"Of course." So she followed him into the hall when he turned, and spent the rest of the night in the company of Nords before she headed of to bed.

:-:-:-:-:

Finding herself standing before the word-wall in the gloom, Ekali turned when she heard the sound of metal against metal and Gladio's growl behind her. A draugr was in the process of rising from the large coffin on the small plateau in front of her, and she drew her great-sword to be ready for him as Gladio circled around the creature in her direction.

It's hollow eyes glowed blue in the pale light that fell on them from above, and they landed on her as the draugr took a hold around the edges of the coffin and pushed himself out of it. Gladio's growl increased in volume as it did so.

Finally free from the confines of the coffin, the draugr drew a waraxe and readied a frost spell in his left hand before approaching the khajiit and her companion. She tensed, ready to dodge whenever he would prepare to cast the spell.

Gladio struck the first blow, bounding within the draugr's guard quickly to clamp his jaws down around the creature's wrist, and it gave of an unholy scream in anger as it threw the animal of it. Then it turned to the woman again, and met her great-sword head on with his axe as he reached the end of the plateau.

The creature flung an ice spike towards her, and the khajiit female skipped out of the way just as Gladio came up behind the monster and forced it down onto the ground. The woman made to cut into the draugr with her great-sword, but it cast another ice-spike that connected with her left arm and forced her to drop the sword.

Taking her short-sword in her right hand, Ekali took a fighters stance when the creature managed to get to its feet again, growling all the while.

"Dir!" It called and rushed at her, axe held high. Then Gladio bounced in again, and took it's legs out from under it. The creature crashed into the floor, it's axe lodged in its chest. Still, the draugr made to get up, so the khajiit walked up to it and stuck her short-sword into its chest again and again, until the eerie light in its eyes no longer glowed.

Author's note: And so the third chapter is finished! ^^ Finally.

This post has been edited by Saquira: Jul 2 2012, 09:25 AM