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 Peak of the Monahven

The blood siblings stood alone on the summit of the great mountain, bracing themselves against the strong gales that seemed to blow in from all sides. All they found upon the peak was a snow covered plateau with a single dragon shrine tucked away in one corner. The true mountain peak stretched above them yet, but they did not doubt that this is where they were meant to stop. Nothing but the intense wind broke the silence, as they waited for a sign that they were not alone. Finally, a mighty roar echoed across Snow Throat.

High above, an immense and weathered Dragon soared down towards them and landed right in front of Kirin and Lydia, greeting them in the Dovah tongue.

"Drem Yol Lok. Greetings, wunduniik. I am Paarthurnax. Who are you? What brings you to my strunmah…my mountain?"

Kirin bowed his head in respect to the ancient one.

“I am known as Kirin, and some have named me Dragonborn. I seek knowledge from the master of the Greybeards, but I did not expect you to be a dragon.”

"I am as my father Akatosh made me. As are you… Dovahkiin,” said Paarthurnax. "Tell me. Why do you come here, volaan? Why do you intrude on my meditation?"

Lydia felt a little out of her element, so she retreated a few steps and settled down on a pelt from her pack while the Kirin conversed with the ancient dragon. Feeling that she would never be able to sustain a fire for warmth, she resided to bundling another cloak around her to ward off the piercing cold. She watched nervously, unsure of where this dragon’s loyalties lay.

But Kirin sensed a felt a kinship with the beast, and had no fear or ill will towards the respected Dovah, and continued to speak confidently with him.

“I need to learn the Dragonrend Shout. Would you teach it to me?"

"Drem. Patience. There are formalities which must be observed, at the first meeting of two of the dov,” replied Paar. He then turned toward the stone shrine, before continuing “"By long tradition, the elder speaks first. Hear my Thu'um! Feel it in your bones. Match it, if you are Dovahkiin!"

YOL…TOOR…SHUL! The mighty dragon roared, and an incredible burst of flame issued forth from his maw, blasting the spoken words into the shrine’s wall. Once the flames cooled down, Kirin approached it and took in the freshly carved words, gaining a small understanding of Fire. Turning back to Paarthurnax, the dragon spoke once more.

"A gift, Dovahkiin. Yol. Understand Fire as the dov do."

The knowledge and meaning of the Shout flowed from the great dragon, and absorbed itself into the blood and soul of Kirin, just as the Greybeards below had gifted him their knowledge. It was always a much more pleasant experience than that of a slain dragon, and the power that filled him could be handled much easier.

"Now, show me what you can do. Greet me not as mortal, but as dovah!"

Kirin stepped backward and hesitated nervously for the first time since Paarthurnax landed before him. Pushing back Arngier with Fus was one thing, but shouting a burst of fire at a dragon was another thing entirely. The apprehension must have shone on his face, for Paarthurnax urged him on once more.

"Do not be afraid. Faasnu. Let me feel the power of your Thu'um."

And so, Kirin did. He called upon his newfound knowledge of Fire, and projected a single word towards the Dovah.

YOL!

The gout of fire sprung forward from his very being, washing the great dragon in tickling flames that cascaded over his entire body. Staggering slightly, Paarthurnax seemed to have been caught off guard by the intensity of the Dragonborn’s Thu’um.

"Aaah… yes! Sossedov los mul. The Dragonblood runs strong in you. It is long since I had the pleasure of speech with one of my own kind. Now then - you have made your way here, to me. No easy task for a joor… mortal. Even for one of Dovah Sos. Dragonblood. What would you ask of me?"

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The two continued their longwinded conversation as Lydia sat nearby and watched. She was immensely happy with her decision to hang back a good bit…especially once the Kirin and Paarthurnax began to shout fire at each other and the shrine. But they had since began to converse in more normal tones, leading to Lydia wondering what they could be talking about. She thought about inching closer to them, but worried about more Thu’ums being flung around.

I suppose I’ll just wait for them to finish, thought Lydia. It’s damn cold, though…I hope the wrap it up sooner, rather than later.

She bowed her head against the wind, and decided she would pay her respects to the Lady Kyne. It had been a while since she prayed to the Sky Goddess, and much had happened since that serene day in the garden of the Eldergleam. To her enormous surprise, the voice of Kyne answered her prayers.

‘Hello again, my child,’ rang the beautifully clear voice of the Divine. ‘I wondered when you would call upon me once more.’

‘Forgive me, Lady Kyne – I offer no valid reason for my lack of prayer in recent times. I have been too consumed with my own inner turmoil for some time, and it has only recently been settled.’

The Goddess replied softly, ‘that much I know, young Lydia. I am, however, very pleased at the way things turned out for you and Kirin. He needs your friendship far more than he needs your service. Your journey has already been long, but it is truly just beginning. Many hardships lie ahead, and you will need each other to overcome them.’

‘Your words are kind, my Lady,’ said Lydia. ‘And I will do all that I can to help my brother-in-blood on this journey, for no one has ever been so kind or caring towards me. He is a true Nord and a true friend. I can think of no one else who should be in his place.’

‘Yes, he is a rather gifted individual, and your friendship to him means just as much as his does to you. But we must always keep the faith in him – for he is our only hope. No one else - could - be in his place. That is why I gifted him the voice, and Akatosh bestowed upon him the dragonblood. You must do all that you can to help him. Especially in his greatest times of need. Ah – for now, though, I must take my leave…Kirin and Paarthurnax appear to have reached an agreement. Good luck, my child.‘

Lydia bowed her head in respect. ‘Thank you…mother.’