A Strange Pilgrim's Journey [[Open]]

[nidhug]

The water was cold, but not near as cold as the water of the ruins he had lived in for so long. Submerged in the water he looked like a dead thing, still and unmoving. His ice blue eyes were closed as the river flowed over and around him. He had stilled his heart almost to the point where it did not beat, a feat that he had been trained to perform as part of this dangerous, yet required, cleansing ritual.

’Mighty Alduin, let your agent be cleared of all worldly thought and fear, let him become washed anew so that he might be filled with your strength,’ Nidhug thought as he slowly rose up from the water, taking in a well-earned deep breath, his long black hair clinging to his back in inky tendrils. With purpose he approached the small camp he had made on the shore on the little isle that was home to Geirmund’s Hall, close to the pilgrim town of Ivarstead. He felt a deep connection with the old Nord tomb, probably because it reminded him so of his birthplace…

But he gave his head a little shake to clear it of all negative thought, continuing towards the small fire he had built, totally unashamed at his nakedness. It was naked one came into the world, after all, and so many of his cult’s important rituals had been performed in the same state. Sitting before the fire, he took in a deep, steadying breath.

“Lord Akatosh, Great Dragon, Father of All… let the earth that is made of your bones sustain me,” Nidhug said, taking a bit of the moist earth that surrounded his little fire and smearing it across his forehead.

“Lord Alduin, Great Destroyer, Ender of All… let the fires of your spirit banish my fears,” Nidhug said, stretching forth his hand and letting the flames slightly burn his right palm. He had developed a tolerance to the pain and was able to do so without flinching.

“Lord Akatosh, Great Dragon, Father of All… let the waters of your tears remove my sorrows,” Nidhug continued, picking up a bowl made of sacred dragon scale, which he had filled with water and blessed earlier. He brought the bowl to his lips and drank before pouring the rest onto the ground.

“Lord Alduin, Great Destroyer, Ender of All… let the winds carry your voice so I might know my purpose,” Nidhug finished, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes, listening to the noise the breeze made. Letting his breath go, he once more opened his eyes.

“Now by the four elements of Nirn I am cleansed,” he said in a confident and satisfied voice, standing once more to dress in his armor, the ceremonial armor of a Dragon Priest. Over this armor he placed his long, black cloak, hiding the ancient and ceremonial armor from sight. Leaving his hair wet, he extinguished the fire he had made, gathering up his sacred tools and slipping them into a small sack before placing his Ancient Nord Greatsword on his back. His Ice Blue eyes turned to the town of Ivarstead with a small smile. No one would know that this man had a dark purpose in Ivarstead, he would present himself as a humble pilgrim traveling to High Hrothgar to pay his respects to the old Greybeards. But his intentions were far more sinister…

[Ande]

Ande rubbed both of his arms through the thicker material of his robes, feeling the cold even through the layers of thick fabric. It was always like this on the way up to High Hrothgar, and he had made the trip many times over the decades. On three occasions it had been to study the Thu'um with the Graybeards, and the rest were to locate more Thu'um walls or ask of the history of Skyrim.

The Altmer adjusted a recently bought scarf around his neck, keeping it tucked within his hood in order to keep the harsh wind out. He had stayed in the small inn that was within Ivarstead to recover from his walk to the huge mountain. Crossing terrain in Skyrim was always tiring after several days of travel, and Ande wanted to be more refreshed for the climb all the way up the mountain.

He passed the broken down house on the way and paused at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the mountain almost shrouded in white. You would think he would have gotten used to this by now, but High Hrothgar was still unimaginably huge. And could easily take the day the ascend. Again, reason enough for a good nights rest in a bed, despite how much he tried to avoid Nordic settlements.

Ande glanced behind him at the town out of habit (getting attacked from behind was a popular sort of trend among things that meant him harm) and noted a tall, dark figure walking through the town. A large cape or cloak silhouetted him against the white and brown of the ground, giving him a more ominous appearance. But all kinds of people walked through Skyrim, and Ande wasn't one to judge on sight.

The Altmer turned and began to climb up the mountain, taking his time and warming his hands with a fire spell. Ice wraiths and ice trolls were fond of High Hrothgar as well.

[nidhug]

Nidhug walked with purpose and conviction. The residents of the town gave him curious looks, the same sort of looks they would give anyone who they first saw in the town. A young woman offered him a flirtatious smile, but he ignored it. Nidhug was all about his mission. He was determined to reach the Greybeards before nightfall.

"Be careful if you're heading up to High Hrothgar... the way can get icy and the beasts are getting bolder," one man cautioned him. Nidhug nodded lightly.

"I will be alright, but thank you," Nidhug said. His cloak swirled around his legs as he walked over the bridge and stated up the long climb up the 7,000 steps. He hummed softly as he saw the Altmer that was looking at him. Nidhug's only interactions with the Mer races had been with Falmer. But since entering the "above ground" world of Skyrim, he had seen the other types of Mer and had found them to be fascinating.

"Heading up to High Hrothgar, brother?" Nidhug asked, approaching Ande with a light, but rather snakeish smile. There was no sense in not being pleasant. "Perhaps we can travel together."

Nidhug was long used to the cold, so even with his still-damp hair he was not shivering. His cloak was lightly blowing in the wind, the small gap revealing a tantalizing glint of his bronze Dragon Priest armor.

[Ande]

Ande smiled in return, even if it was a little tight-lipped. He'd learned to be a little wary of other travelers, and this one's smile struck him as a bit off. But his reflexive nature had greeted the other with a smile regardless, "I am, once again," he affirmed, simply adjusting his stride to fit the Nord's as a way of accepting the invitation.

He held both hands at his side while letting the Fire Bolt spell glow in them, not wishing to seem threatening but still wanting to keep his hands warm. Ande walked for a few steps in silence before speaking up,

"What is your interest in this pilgrimage? You seem very well equipped for it." he commented, single eye having tracked over the armor being worn under the cloak. The armor itself seemed almost more ornate than functional.

[nidhug]

Nidhug was a bit unused to having a traveling companion. While he had been the leader of the Children of Alduin, he had been used to the other cultists giving him a wide berth, always walking a few steps behind him out of respect for his position. In one hand he kept a fire bolt spell ready, but he also had the Ancient Nord Greatsword strapped to his back in case his enemies got within a very close range.

"This is an important pilgrimage for me, it's true. I come seeking the knowledge of the Greybeards, if they will speak to me," Nidhug replied. Which was true... however, it wasn't the sort of knowledge that a regular pilgrim sought. He was seeking the identities of the other Dovahkiin.

Alduin had been able to tell him much concerning the Greybeards and their Grandmaster, a traitorous dragon in Alduin's eyes. Nidhug had not been given specific instructions as to what was to be done about that dragon, but he did have a message from Alduin for him... Nidhug's mission was simple, but terrible. He was to learn the identities of the other Dovahkiin and then he was to hunt them down in the name of his Lord Alduin to either sway them to the World Eater's cause or to destroy them where they stood.

[Ande]

"The Graybeards speak to most who make the pilgrimage," Ande commented, having never seen them turn someone away. But perhaps they had when he wasn't staying with him, so he wasn't about to guarantee an audience. He himself was going back up to the Graybeards with another Thu'um he had questions about. Over the years he was getting faster at learning them, despite not having a Dragon's Soul to learn them instantly. He'd learned his last one within a year.

Ande tended not to mention he was Dragonborn, mostly because he was unsure about what to do with the fact he was Dragonborn. He had heard legends of Three Dragonborn, but found that he was not even closely described as one of them. Thus, it left him on his own with a unique and puzzling trait that he wanted to know more of. When he'd talked to the Graybeards about it, they simply seemed happy that the Dragonborn weren't all dead, and held no answers as to why he was of Dragon blood. He was an Elf, after all. A Mer, an Altmer; not a Nord. The fact he was Dragonborn made absolutely no sense, but there it was.

[nidhug]

Nidhug smiled his snakeish smile again, those words pleasing him.

"Well, it would be a shame to have come all this way only to be turned away.... tell me, brother, have you ever met with the Greybeard's Grandmaster? I had heard interesting tales about that one..." Nidhug mentioned causally, not betraying what he knew through his tone of voice.

Nidhug himself was a Dovahkiin, but he was not a typical Dovahkiin. He was not interested in stopping Alduin in the least, in fact he was the exact opposite... Of course, that little fact he would play close to his chest to ensure there were no set-backs in this little plan of his. It all depended upon the Greybeards, and anyone allied with them, thinking him just a humble pilgrim at the start.

However, if they refused to aid him... well... let's just say that his magic was strong and the Greatsword on his back wasn't for show, either...

[Ande]

Ande laughed a little, "People do like to tell stories, don't they?" he turned his eye back up the stairs, estimating what stair count they were on. On previous journeys he had attempted to keep count of the stairs. But an ice wraith always interrupted him, and if not the ice wraith the stairs would be covered due to the snow.

In truth he had met the Graybeard Grandmaster, but he kept that information close to him. Spinning tales was one thing; everyone enjoyed gossip and rumors. But confirming things that would endanger others was a separate matter entirely. The Altmer swiftly changed the topic,

"Have you heard the one about the Giant Mudcrab? They say it is almost as large as a small settlement."

[nidhug]

One elegant eyebrow arched as Nidhug was momentarily confused. One of the problems of living in an ancient Dwemer ruin was that he did not know many of the flora and fauna that those who lived above ground knew of. The word did not immediately click in Nidhug's mind, who was used to Charus being a major danger when near the water because the large creatures liked the dark and the damp as well as nearly always laid their eggs near water and always defended them to the death. It took a few moments before his mind made a connection between the word "mudcrab" and the hard-shelled creatures that he had seen in Skyrim's above-ground waterways.

"Cannot say that I have. Such a beast would likely provide an excellent feast if caught," Nidhug stated, his voice not betraying his confusion. He was a master of Speechcraft, being the Cult Leader of Alduin's Children. Everything he knew about speaking had been learned at his father's feet, so his craft was well-honed.

[Ande]

Ande's ability to speak was also superb though, having been honed dealing with unruly and hateful people peacefully. And such a skill had proved invaluable when dealing with everyone in Skyrim.

He chuckled at the thought of a giant mudcrab, thinking the irony would outweigh the danger. Of course, if he'd encountered the mudcrab in person, he would probably think differently,

"I can't imagine how such a thing would be able to hide. But I suppose that is how rumors are started." he shrugged, glancing back at the Nord walking next to him.

[nidhug]

Nidhug snorted a bit of laughter as they continued their journey up towards High Hrothgar. Lightly, he heard the tell-tale hissing of an Ice Wraith. Bringing up his hand, he quickly cast a fire spell at the ice elemental, causing the creature to cry out and start its attack in earnest.

"Come now, brother... show me what you can do," Nidhug said to Ande with a wild smile, settling into a defensive stance. The cleansing ritual he had performed earlier in the day had helped to stave off most of his energies, but the thrill of the fight was starting to reawaken in him.

[Ande]

The Altmer did not exactly respond with a smile to the invitation, but he readied himself with a more grim expression.

Ande loosed two fireballs, one from each hand as he adjusted his distance for his next move. Ice wraiths were notoriously hard to see, and the farther they went up the harder it would be to see them. The Fire Bolt spells struck home and the ice wraith shrieked in anger.

Unlike Nidhug, battle was not a driving force in Ande's spirit. Under certain circumstances, he could fight with fury and passion as well as any Nord. But an average assault by an ice wraith produced no such fire in the mage. He stepped back and held both hands at his side, palms up as he conjured two swords before stepping forward and slashing downward with both blades.

[nidhug]

While Ande had the Ice Wraith distracted with the conjured swords, Nidhug used his fire bolt spells to further weaken the nearly invisible creature. He had very rarely ever fought alongside someone else, so it was a rather interesting experience to watch someone else catch a creature's attention while you got the chance to attack it without fear. However, the Ice Wrath wasn't distracted for long, deciding that Nidhug was the more threatening opponent with his fire magic. Quickly, the creature shrieked, coming straight for Nidhug. However, the man was not intimidated in the least as he merely stretched forth his hand and let a readied fire bolt spell leave his palm and strike the Wraith dead on the nose. The creature let out an impressive death screech, collapsing into a pile of glowing ice.

Nidhug lowered his hand, rolling his shoulders slightly with a small, satisfied smirk. 'I slay this beast in Your Name, Great Destroyer. May it's destruction please you,' He thought to himself, a silent praise to Alduin. He knew enough not to speak such praises and thanks aloud, for fear he would let people who and what he really was.

"Come, brother, I fear there will be more beasts along the path up the mountain, as it is still quite a climb I think," he stated, looking Ande right in the eyes. "I think it would be best to reach High Hrothgar before dark falls, what say you?"

[Ande]

Ande released the swords, letting them dissipate into nothing before they even began to be affected by gravity. The call for him as 'brother' once again confused the Altmer, but he let it slide rather than ask of it. Some things were merely spoken traditions,

"I say it is a fine plan. The sooner the better." he paused to pick up the ice wraith teeth left in the melted puddle of ice wraith before picking up the pace to climb the stairs. It would be a tough climb, but it always was.

[nidhug]

Because he had been the leader of the Children of Alduin, everyone in the cult had been called either "Brother" or "Sister." Literal children were referred to as "Little Brother" or "Little Sister." Because all things came from the Great Dragon, Akatosh, All-Father. They were the Children of Akatosh and Alduin, thus they were all brothers and sisters in the end. Nidhug still continued to refer to people as "Brother" and "Sister," especially if he did not know their names. It was good to have something to refer to someone as, other than "hey you" or any number of nicknames for the various races.

Nidhug easily kept pace with Ande, his Nordic blood buffering him against the cold weather, even though he only wore the thin black cloak over his Dragon Priest armor. His early life had been spent in cold, dark caves, so he was very used to the cold weather.

He wanted to get to High Hrothgar so that he could confront the Greybeards. He needed to press on with his mission, the mission that he was determined to see through to the end. Nidhug wanted the world to be consumed in Alduin's cleansing fire, he wanted this world to pass away so that the next world could come into being...