Elishka!
That girl with a sinful body from Solitude Bathhouse.
In Winterhold?
I remember she was going to get married and settle in her hometown!
Oh! What an interesting fate!
So she is from here?
And seeing how her face got pale when she saw me only means she is panicking!
If I knew she was here I would have pretended that I don't know her but we lagged to each other now.
Sigh! How awkward!
"May I get two bottles of mead, normal Nord mead!"
"Yes! Anything else?"
"Thank you."
She is a married woman now! She may be the first woman I slept with in this life but I must know my boundaries!
After a minute she brought the mead. Morbagog came after buying his stuff.
"Hey, Morbagog bro! Is there any establishment like a bathhouse in Winterhold!"
He looked at me and it seemed he did get the meaning.
"Don't you like the bath in our dorm! We bring water from the sea and treat it with magic. What can a normal bathhouse offer?"
This guy is an innocent person! Too bad he may get influenced by me.
Or there is already Eliel, but it's a wonder this guy is taking everything on good will.
"You know! Bathhouses offer some sort of companionship."
"Hm! What do you mean?"
Dude!
"Bath wenches, I mean!"
"Eh!" He seemed to have finally got the hint.
"What are bath wenches?"
Or not.
"Get closer and don't utter a single word."
He got closer and I started explaining to him! He was exclaiming with 'Eh!', 'Aah!', and 'Wha!'.
"So things like that happen in Bathhouses!"
"Yes."
"No, Winterhold has no such thing! I heard of some boys and girls hanging out in the 'Midden' but it normally ended in scandals."
"This is sad."
The 'Midden' is the underground and the underworld of the college, all sorts of unauthorized stuff happen there. You'll find traces of undead, dark rituals, or a dead student. It's the danger zone of the college.
"So no one in the college can practice the 'private needs' this easily, huh?"
"Well, yeah!"
This is gonna be tough!
After this, we dragged from conversation to another!
From Morbagog, I learned about the boy I hit this morning. Apparently, he is a big pain and problematic person. He was involved with some accidents but there was no dust on him.
"He made a team of many members and stolen a lot of researches from the other teams! He mostly enjoys it."
"What about that Nirenil?"
"Orthorn and Nirenil on the same day? I don't know how to react to that! Nirenil is the opposite kind of pain. She is convinced that she is some sort of 'Elite'. Orthorn knows that he breaks the rules but Nirenil doesn't even recognize them! She may do anything to acquire power or knowledge!"
Good grief! Idiots are really everywhere.
Not that I am complaining! Idiocy is a cosmic law. Seeing this kind of people reminds me of my past life. I had a boss and a senior who were that idiotic. I am a rebel by nature, but when it comes to money, I think I was disadvantaged at that time.
Sigh!
"Don't look disheartened. At least you have a background."
"How do you know about my background?"
"In the college, there are hardly any secrets. And you my friend is the hottest topic today!"
I knew this would happen.
Sigh!
Couldn't help but sink into my chair and feel depressed, praying that the world may give me a break.
Yet how can this world answer to a non-believer like me? Accidents always happen.
"What is that noise?"
An inn patron raised a question as there was some noise from outside!
A dragon attack?
No, still four years early for that.
"What is it this time?" I asked and Morbagog went out to ask. I am too lazy to care.
"A collapse in 'Whistling Mine'!"
A collapse! In a mine?
That didn't happen in the game before.
I guess this is the price of an immersive world.
People went into an uproar!
Seems like it is not a usual event.
"Let's ask the jarl for help!"
"We need to get to the mine first."
"Gods! How did this happen?"
The people started running around trying to do something.
'Whistling Mine' if I remember is the smallest mine in the game.
Basically, some landmark to fill an empty barren road of snow.
The interior in the game was small and icy with only two iron veins.
"Morbagog! What are the details?"
"A boy came running all the way from the mine to here, he said something about the mine collapsing and people trapped inside. The Jarl is questioning the boy."
"How far is the mine?"
"If what I heard is correct, a day and a night walk."
"The boy ran from there to here?"
"He seemed to be the mine guard!"
This is amazing! Even I can't run for a full day.
"Look Jon! The college doesn't want us to interfere with the locals, so let's just keep to ourselves."
"I know but..." I don't know how to think about this.
"Let's just see how the Jarl will react!" I said and headed outside carrying my stuff.
The people were standing around the entrance of the Longhouse and Jarl Korir appeared to be giving a speech.
"Folk, we will deal with this. I'll send whatever guards I can and everything will be fine, back to your business or whatever." Korir spoke half-heartedly and dispatched twenty guards!
Only twenty! On foot! Not going yourself?
The townsfolk's faces took all colors, black from disappointment, yellow from shock, pale from fear, red from crying.
The guard was a boy donned in the usual game's armor yet it covered more than the game, of course, some purses on his face as he seemed to have suffered from the damage himself.
Who was tending to him on the side were two women one of them was Elishka.
I somewhat was considered so I went to their direction. And as if she sensed me, Elishka tried not to look at me directly.
"Hey, mind if I help? I am a healer."
As if my help was not expected some people eyed me with strange eyes.
The guard boy looked at me and his eyes lit, "It's you!"
"You know me?"
"Ah! I do, I was in the tournament too. You are the champion."
Oh! He is not the participant so I guess he was just a helper.
"Get healed now, talk later!" I evoked 'Healing' and channeled it on him.
"Tell me what happened." I whispered to him.
He looked around and nodded.
It seemed that his name was Trudvar and last night he was on duty and there was some night shift. As he heard something heavy falling, he ran inside.
The mine owner was not hurt but it seemed that some other miners were inside the tunnel that collapsed and now, they are trapped inside.
Also the tunnel was a new one and some of the miners were new workers.
"The people outside have supplies? Did the guards take any?"
They looked around but it seemed the answer was no. The guards were dispatched hurriedly with no leadership, and the mine lost most of the supplies under the rubble.
Some names were said that made Elishka sob. From what I understood, she managed to get some homeless girls an opportunity to work in the mine.
"The sun is setting so the people under the tunnel have at least one more day." I said, normally people can stay under rubble for two days.
"Bring me some food in a sack, behind the inn, I'll go after them."
Elishka heard and nodded.
I then left Morbagog with a message to Nurina or Laaneth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Thank you for helping us. Please save those girls." Elishka was making a sad face behind the inn, there was no one else so she talked to me.
"I'll do what I can." I took the sack and tied it to my back, "I also want to speak with you about something if you don't mind."
Elishka stiffened from what I said.
Actually, I have no ill intention or anything.
"Relax, nothing if the sort. I just want some information." I said, "I'll go bring those girls."
As I said that, I evoked the spell and I wanted to use and here it is, my beautiful Fire Mare.
Elishka sure took the shock head on. Hehe, witness how awesome the horses can be.
Now, let's put the saddle and the reins which were enchanted to resist fire.
Can't wait!
As I jump on it for the first time I get the feeling of how cool it is to be on such a beautiful creature.
Now now, let's move ahead, slowly at first.
Amazing, even though it has no temperament of a horse, it has the same normal movement.
Finally on the road. Let's see how fast it can go now.
"Okay, buddy! It's you and me now, give me everything."
The horse wouldn't move from just these words, it still needed my direct command by magic.
I cast 'Flameskin' just in case, it's a different variation of stone skin but protects against fire with some physical armor.
Now! I am ready
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Now from zero to sixty, let's..... Uaaaaaaah!"
"WHOOOOO!! WHOOOOOOOOOO!!"
That's amazing!
Let's just admit it! It was awkward in the beginning.
I didn't imagine that the Fire Mare may possess this speed.
It's just ridiculous.
I have seen its performance one 'ESO' but that game didn't give it any justice.
Maybe the reason is me.
I didn't design any offensive features to this shape and made it just for beauty and speed.
This thing is fast to the point that I am not sure if that is still called galloping.
This is madness on four.
I'll just ask Jull to write a poem about it later.
I was supplying it with Magicka from time to time so it doesn't get dispelled.
The effect 'Transfer' is something I just learned opened the spell 'Magicka Transfer' so I can keep the horse from running out of energy.
Atronachs, unlike the game, had no time limit, they had energy limit, if it got depleted then the Atronach will go back to Oblivion. With this spell, I can make it last as much as I can.
I was also thinking of casting 'Accelerate' on it, but that was a scary idea.
[A/N: Accelerate is 'Haste' and 'Longstride'. I'll post Jon's spell at the end of the chapter passed on the latest edit.]
I have already run past the guards and gave them a scare, these idiots were taking it easy.
After two hours of nonstop riding at a fast speed, I killed a bear that thankfully not a big one.
In reality, bears are something I ate only once and I would do anything to eat it again. But all I could do was to just leave it all behind with a broken heart.
The mine was not that far after that, I saw a man standing with a torch on the road so I guessed he is a miner from his appearance.
"Traveler! ...By the nine! What are you riding?"
"I am from the college, Is the mine close by?"
"Wha! Yes, it is, it is over there. Did they just send one man?"
"There is more! Show me to the collapse!"
The man nodded and ran ahead as I followed him!
Upon entering the mine, the first chamber seemed to serve as a camp but rubble took most of it down, to the west is an ice tunnel that leads to a second chamber where the collapse happened.
Some big rocks were blocking the way and two men are trying to remove them.
"Move aside please."
They looked at me not knowing how to react but the man told them to move.
I evoked two spells then cast them, two bulky Frost Atronach appeared.
One was a Miner Atronach with two spikes as arms and was a Hands Atronach.
Now carefully, let's start the rescue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jon's Spells:-
#Mysticism:-
-Magicka Outer Control:
Manipulation
Dispel - Drain
Absorb
-Extrasensory Perception:
Material - Magicka
-Soul:
Trap
-Necromancy:
Reanimate
Supply Undead
-Divination:
Alarm
Clairvoyance
-Time:
Accelerate
_________________
#Alteration:
-Mass:
Burden - Feather
Featherfall
-Body:
Stoneskin - Flameskin
___________________
#Conjuration:-
-Control Summon:
Command - Banish - Supply Daedra
Bound - Unbound
-Bound Weapon:
Sword - Dagger - Battleaxe
-Conjure Familiar:
Mouse, Cat, Falcon, Owl, Wolf
-Conjure Undead:
Ghost
Boneman
-Conjure Atronach:
Flame: Normal - Horse
Frost: Normal - Utility
_____________________
#Destruction:-
-Flame:
Flames
Fire Bolt - Fire Rune
Fireball
-Shock:
Sparks
Lightning Bolt - Lightning Rune
Chain Lightning - Lightning Cloak
____________________
#Illusion:-
-Light:
Candlelight
-Mind:
Courage - Fury
Calm - Fear
-Sound:
Muffle
________________________
#Restoration:
-Health:
Healing
Cure Disease
-Ward:
Steadfast Ward
Quadrant Ward
-Anti Undead:
Sunrays
Sun Fire - Sun Rune
-Anti Living:
Drain Vitality
________________________
#Powers:
Racial:
-WarCry: Buff Allies, Scare Foes.
-Son of Skyrim: 50% Resist Frost.
-Shadow Stone:
Hide in Shadows: Sneak Buff.
Blue: Combat Speed buff.
Inborn:
-Resis Fire.
________________________
#Thu'um:
Unrelenting Force: Fus Ro ...
[A/N: Spell from one aspect vertically are based on rank, easier above, harder below.]