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]

Duel on the Peak

When the two lovers finally exited Redoran’s Retreat, the sun shined brightly down upon them from a cloudless sky. Songbirds chattered all around them and Lydia could have sworn that she spotted two white doves fly overhead. Resuming their journey to Whiterun, they decided to stop home at Elysium along the way for a day or so to relax and get accustomed to their latest development.

The details may be spared, but needless to say – they had a good mini-vacation at the estate. Towards the end, Kirin could be seen tending the forge for several hours while Lydia stocked up on their supplies for the road. Once finished she joined him outside just in time for her to try on a new set of armor.

Gasping at the sight of it, Lydia nearly dropped the two mugs of wine she held.

“Wow - you have outdone yourself, Kir. I thought you were going to smith up a set of that Witchplate armor I found in Riften. But this…”

She picked up the gleaming black armor off of the work bench to check the fit. Her clothes slid to the earth baring her fair skin to the open air as she began to slide the cuirass over her head and on to her torso. After strapping it in, she pulled on the boots and gauntlets, picked up her new shield and sword for a practice swing. The blade was balanced well, and moved through the air in a dark blur as Lydia swung it deftly in her sword dance.

Sheathing the sword when she finished, Lydia looked back at Kirin with a beaming smile.

“Thank you for this, love. But when did you learn how to work with Ebony? I’ve heard that it frustrates even the most skilled smiths to no end.”

“I picked up a few pointers from Eorlund, when we were last in Whiterun. It’s not so bad, once you figure out the optimal forge temperature. Though I did use up most of my wood stock to keep it burning that hot.”

“What about your armor? That engraved cuirass is looking fairly worn and shabby.”

“I have the materials for a full set of glass armor set aside. I’ll work on it later, though. I need a break from hammering for a while – my arms are so sore, they might fall off.”

Lydia strode over to him and grabbed his hand. Leading him over to the outdoor sauna, she lit a few torches around it before turning back to face Kirin.

“Help me get this armor off, and I’ll see if we can do something about that.”

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The following day found Kirin and Lydia leaving Elysium for the Whiterun stables just after lunch. Both of them were armored up in their new sets and looked the part of a formidable duo. Even Uthgerd gave them a wide berth as they sauntered up the cobblestone road towards the carriage driver. Sixty gold Septims later, and they were seated uncomfortably in the back of the wooden wagon, bumbling along towards Riften while the driver prattled on aimlessly.

Morning found them finally disembarking from the carriage and pushing their way through the Riften gates. Not wanting to linger around the corrupt city, they immediately made their way to the Temple of Mara. Dinya Balu awaited them at the altar, and greeted them warmly as they approached.

"Hello my friends. Your efforts have helped illuminate the entire province. I trust by now you've achieved a higher comprehension of love. Carry the blessings of Mara with you, so the rest of the province may shine with her glories."

Kirin and Lydia bowed amicably and thanked the priestess. But Dinya was not yet finished.

“Ah, I see the two of you have found a spark of your own! And…if I’m not mistaken – you bear a unique blessing from the Lady Mara herself! We are honored to have you here at the temple and its doors will always be open to you.”

They thanked her again before heading back out into the market square.

“Well, where to now, dear?” asked Lydia.

“The Throat of the World awaits us. It’s time to embrace destiny head on."

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They stopped briefly in High Hrothgar to catch up with Arngier, but did not linger long. The mountain path cleared before them under the power of Clear Skies, and within hours the summit approached. Paarthurnax awaited them atop the lower peak, an addressed them right away.

"You have it. The Kel - the Elder Scroll. Tiid kreh... qalos. Time shudders at its touch. There is no question. You are doom-driven. Kogaan Akatosh. The very bones of the earths are at your disposal. Go then. Fulfill your destiny. Take the Scroll to the Time-Wound. Do not delay. Alduin will be coming. He cannot miss the signs."

Kirin gave Lydia a peck on the cheek and bid her to stand back. Walking over to the Time-Wound, he pulled the Elder Scroll from his back and unfurled it within the distortion. A flash of burning white light illuminated his vision before the runed pages began to glow. Quite suddenly, a window in time opened up before him and Kirin found himself looking into the past as three Nord warriors battled with a dragon. They appeared to be waiting for Alduin and had hinged all of their hopes on him rising to their challenge.

Things were looking bleak for the stout male hero, but his female companion leapt boldly into the fray and climbed up on to the dragon’s neck, shouting as she swung her sword with deadly precision.

"Know that Gormlaith sent you down to death!"

As she plunged her sword in one final time, the dragon roared and fell with a final shudder. Jumping down, Gormlaith regrouped with Feldir and Hakon as they waited for Alduin. A few moments later, they got their wish as the great black dragon swooped down onto the stone shrine on the peak.

"Meyye! Tahrodiis aanne! Him hinde pah liiv! Zu'u hin daan!"

"Let those that watch from Sovngarde envy us this day!" yelled Gormlaith.

All at once, the three ancient warriors then unleashed their crippling shout upon the winged menace.

JOOR ZAH FRUL

With a mighty roar Alduin was forced to the ground as the concept of mortality raced through his being for the first time. A mysterious purple aura radiated from his massive body as he cursed the Nords and Paarthurnax for their twisted creation. They all fought in vain against Alduin, as he was still too powerful to be slain. The death of Gormlaith resulted in their last ditch effort – the scroll. Feldir unfurled it and with a powerful incantation, he banished Alduin from reality…for a time.

The portal into the past vanished and when Kirin’s eyes finally cleared, he found Alduin himself floating in the sky above.

"Bahloki nahkip sillesejoor. My belly is full of the souls of your fellow mortals, Dovahkiin. Die now and await your fate in Sovngarde!"

The dragon began to fly off towards Paarthurnax, but without hesitation, Kirin shouted the full might of Dragonrend at him, bring Alduin to the ground. Sword and shield at the ready, Kirin immediately began to hack away at the monstrous beast, as Lydia rushed in from the flank and landed as many blows as she could.

A battle raged on for hours, well into the dark of night. Far below, the people of Skyrim looked up towards the mountaintop in wonder as dragons circled, lighting flashed, and thunder cracked around the peak. The air rippled with the sound of the Thu’um as Kirin and Alduin were locked in their deadly confrontation. Paarthurnax had long since lifted to a higher flight once he realized that the World Eater powerfully outmatched him.

Lydia had been wounded grievously with a whip from his powerful tail and lay bleeding in the snow nearby. The sight of her injured form sent Kirin into a primal rage as he relentlessly continued his barrage of Alduin’s near impenetrable hide until finally, the great dragon recoiled in fear.

"Meyz mul, Dovahkiin. You have become strong. But I am Al-du-in, Firstborn of Akatosh! Mulaagi zok lot! I cannot be slain here, by you or anyone else! You cannot prevail against me. I will outlast you... mortal!"

And with a furious rush of wings, Alduin took flight once more and disappeared into the eastern night sky. Breathless and sapped of all his strength, Kirin dropped his sword in the snow and stumbled over to where Lydia laid in her prone form. He poured the last of his healing potion into her mouth and passed out next to her.

Paarthurnax returned to the summit, landed next to the two Nords and sheltered them from the cold until they would regain consciousness.