The Call of the Wind, Children of Kyne, Volume I Options

[Kane]

I just finished up the long volume II of this series, so I thought I'd start posting them both here. This entry is one of my first real stabs at writing out a tale and one of only a couple I ever finished. The dialogue is a little stilted and the chapters are short (needed more practice) so it isn't a long read. If you are interested in reading it, I hope you enjoy! (PS, I'm too lazy to proofread this one and I wrote in 2018, so if there are any spelling or grammar errors, I apologize in advance!)



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Prologue

The morning dew lay gleaming on the lush, green undergrowth of Cyrodiil’s Great Forest as the morning sun shined through the branches of its lofty trees. Deep in the heart of the woodlands, sat a small clearing and at its center lie a large rock, covered in silky green moss. Here upon this stone, sat an impressively large brown hawk - it looked far out of place among the other birds of the province, but it was not without purpose. Sitting as still as the unmoving stone beneath it, a wanderer could have mistaken it for a small statue to some long forgotten god.
Nestling its head into her wing feathers, she waited impassively for her prey. Soon thereafter, a crashing could be heard in the forests nearby. Quite suddenly, a pale, sickly looking Colovian emerged from the dense brush and scampered right through the clearing without so much as a glance at the large hawk.

Craning her neck, she listened for the pursuer she was expecting.

And sure enough, the gentle footsteps of a practiced stalker could be heard approaching the clearing, following the rampant destruction of the woodland left in the wake of the panicked, clumsy runner. The hawk lifted her head and waited for this new, but nonetheless expected visitor.

Ah, I see this predator is much too clever to wander into a forest clearing. The professional that he is knows to avoid such a thing, as it is ripe for ambush. Perhaps a little encouragement is needed…

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The mercenary did not like what he saw ahead. Peering through the bramble, he intensely surveyed the clearing, looking for any sign of an ambush. The vampire he pursued had thus far been crashing through the forest like an ogre, but that may have been a ruse. Vampires, he had always thought, were usually much cleverer than this oaf was.

Hesitating outside the clearing was wasting time, but his instincts were kicked into overdrive as he approached it. Long ago he learned to trust those instincts, and many times they had been the difference between life and death. So there he sat, eyes darting around the forest opening, searching intently for signs of danger.

Quite suddenly, the once calm morning changed as a brisk northern wind began to flow through the woods, rustling the treetops and bringing a slight chill to the air. Our mercenary barely noticed the change in clime, until he heard the whispers on the wind. Startled, he relaxed his eyes, and instead strained his ears to the wind, where he swore a voice had whispered to him. The breeze fluttered once more, and this time he was positive…his name was carried gently on the wind.

Kirin...approach my child. Follow your instincts…and my voice…

Standing up nervously, he shouldered his composite bow, and walked boldly into the clearing. To his utter surprise, the hawk he’d mistaken for a statue hewn above the boulder stretched its impressive wings, and spoke to him with an undoubtedly feminine voice.

“It is time for you to return home, my child. Skyrim awaits you, and your destiny has come. Left behind will be your days of mercenary work and feeble pleasures. They matter not now, and only what you accomplish next will be of any consequence.”

This was unexpected, and temporarily froze Kirin, as a million thoughts raced through his mind. He settled on only one, though.

“And if I refuse?”

“It will matter not. The aspect of destiny is inescapable, and utterly final. Try as you might, it will simply catch up to you later, at a time when you may have less choice in its subtleties. Heed my words, and I promise you will not regret the choice to follow them.”

Kirin pondered on her words once more, and quickly realized what he was dealing with. One should not refuse the finality of the divines… He removed his helmet, and knelt on the grass before the large northern hawk.

“Lady Kyne, I see the wisdom in your words, and I pledge myself and my service to you.”

“Very well, young Kirin. Your time in Cyrodiil is at an end. Return to your fellow brothers and sisters of Skyrim, and your true journey shall begin in earnest.”

She then spread her wings once more, and took to the skies above Tamriel, flying ever northwards.skies above Tamriel, flying ever northwards.

This post has been edited by Kane: Dec 10 2024, 03:08 PM

[Kane]

The Sleeping Giant

Lydia sheathed her newly minted Dwemer blade after felling the final wolf of the pack that was straddling the road in to Riverwood. It came through unscathed, which was a testament to the deadly simplicity of dwarven design, and the skill Kirin had used to smith it.

“I’m sorry to say it but, this is a much better blade than anything I’ve purchased from Adrienne. You are quite the amateur smithy, Kirin.”

“Thank you. It’s a trade I’ve always practiced, going all the way back to when I sharpened axes for da.”

Quite suddenly, their conversation was cut short by the familiar roar of dragon reverberating off the mountainside and down through the small village. The townsfolk immediately ran for their homes, as the guards formed ranks with eyes to the sky. The two Nords joined in to the defense, with Kirin Shouting a quick word of power to let the guards know they had a strong ally on their side.

They rallied around him as the dragon swooped down, releasing a cascade of fire over the small defense group. Arrows poured in to it for nearly ten minutes, but they were beginning to run scarce. If the dragon didn’t land soon, Riverwood didn’t stand much of a chance. Luckily, a well-placed shot from Lydia caused the beast to roar in pain, causing it to land right in the middle of the village.

Without hesitation, Kirin bounded forward with his sword at the ready. The dragon began to laugh at the sight of the lone Nord charging him, but it was quickly stifled as it bore the full brunt of Kirin’s voice and staggered backward at its force. Inspired by his reckless bravery, Lydia and the guards charged in and surrounded the dragon, hacking at it from all sides. It died quickly after, and Kirin sat on steps of the nearby inn, as the life force of the dragon poured in.

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Delphine pushed her way through the door of her inn about three hours later. She found Lydia in the corner, made straight for her.

“Another dragon attack, and this time right outside? We really do need to get to the bottom if this and fast.”

She paused, and looked around. “Where’s Kirin?”

“Asleep in the second room. He’s been hiding it well lately, but absorbing the life essence of a dragon really takes it out of him. The power is overwhelming and there is a whole other issue that no one else considers. But that’s his business, and he will talk to you about it if he wants to. For now – let him sleep.”

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Kirin woke from his slumber a good while later, only to find the inn quiet and dark. Lydia was nodding asleep on the chair nearby, but roused herself quickly when she heard Kirin stirring. As he got up and began to put his armor back on, Lydia went out to brew a pot of tea and pack up some pastries for the road. Upon her return to the room, Kirin was ready to go.

“All set boss? We can head for Solitude whenever you are ready.”

“Solitude? What about our rendezvous with Delphine? Is she here yet?”

“She’s back, but I already talked to her about our next move. You’ve been out of it for near 10 hours, and she was getting impatient.”

Lydia went on to explain in detail where they were going and what they’d be doing. They had to move fast, though, since Solitude was a long way away, and the Embassy party was in two days. Malborn would be waiting for them at The Winking Skeever, with Delphine not far behind.

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The journey north was long, and they encountered many obstacles along the way, including another dragon resurrection. Kirin handled the end result much better this time, and only needing to rest for a few moments before they were underway again.

Solitude did not offer a good first impression when they arrived. Walking into the middle of an execution is not a welcome first sight, and they didn’t bother to stick around for it. Instead, they headed right for the inn and looked for the Bosmer contact Delphine had arranged. Malborn sat at a table near the back, and got right to the point when Kirin and Lydia introduced themselves.
Kirin was uncomfortable parting with his gear, but did so willingly. Malborn would smuggle it in for him and together they would meet up during the party at the first chance they got.
A few moments later, Kirin and Lydia were walking down towards the stables.

“I don’t like this, Lydia. I feel naked without my mail.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Besides, how do you think I feel knowing that I won’t be there to help you? Delphine will probably drive me up the wall, but I’ll be a nervous wreck while I wait for you back in Riverwood.”