This is truly unpleasant but I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. The way the Aspect looked at Nefertiti was weird even though she didn’t react to it at all.
Maybe Hircine is a fellow cat-lover.
Anyway, I should just put the idea in the back of my head now. I should find where Sinding has gone.
In the ga, after the player takes the ring back from Sinding and offers it to Hircine, Sinding would escape to a cave called ’Bloated Man’s Grotto’.
’Bloated Man’s Grotto’ is a small cave which leads to a vast glade. There, Sinding will be hunted.
As the Aspect told there will be more competitors for Hircine’s favor. So, I summoned a Fla Atronach Horse and took the road to the north at full speed. Jull followed behind while carrying Nefertiti.
’Bloated Man’s Grotto’ is located outside the hold of Falkreath and can be accessed only through the Whiterun hold. This made my day even harder. If my calculations are correct, I will reach the cave by sunset. Now is still not noon yet.
I was hoping to find Sinding before he gets to the cave but it was surely just so wishful thinking. The werewolf must have traveled all night till there.
***
I sure arrived at sunset.
It was a horrible long ride, even though the road was straight and open, we bumped into so travelers who lost their marbles when they saw the ’Flaming Horse’ and its ’Ghost Rider’.
? Ghost Rider? I am sixty tis sexier.
Sigh!
Anyway, The path leading to the entrance of the cave was marked by a pile of stones with human bones and a skull lying on them. It sure looked dangerous but we stopped to rest there before we go in.
Jull dismounted her horse and sat on the ground.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"My butt hurts, my back hurts, my neck hurts, my head hurts, everything hurts." She said.
Probably the high-speed nonstop ride was too much for her to handle. Nefertiti was already passed out too.
"Okay! You can rest a bit but there is no ti to laze around, ladies. We have an innocent werewolf to slay."
"You are horrible!" She said while looking at coldly.
She was indeed tired.
Well, we can rest a bit before we go in. I don’t think anyone has arrived yet.
Just as I was about to sit I heard...
"Gaaaaaah!"
... A miserable death shriek.
"This ca from the cave." Jull said as she jumped up.
Yep, this ca from inside the cave!
"I am going in!" I stood up and walked to the cave.
"Can we wait here for a bit?" Jull asked with teary eyes.
"A lot of hunters may co to this place anyti soon. It will be problematic to face them on your own."
"Guh! Fine." She took her bow out and readied so arrows.
We went in just like that.
The entrance of ’Bloated Man’s Grotto’ led into a natural tunnel. The tunnel was a bit narrow but we went in just fine.
After a bit of a hundred ters in, the glade surrounded by short cliffs appeared and it was truly a place of natural beauty.
What ruined the beauty of the place was three corpses lying around and were miserably cut to shreds.
Looking left and right, I noticed a lot of fighting marks. After trying to detect the area with magic, I noticed a lot of signals from the northwest.
"The hunters are here already?"
"Already?"
"It seems so."
"What will we do then?" Jull asked.
"Hmmm! You kill the hunters that obstruct my path! I will take care of Sinding."
We started to run to the place I thought Sinding will be in.
Just as I arrived, I saw so hunters and bandit like people trying to surround a certain place.
"Wel-t! Did anyone of you see Sinding?" I asked them in a friendly manner.
One of the hunters looked at as if he was looking at so idiot. He ca to my direction and blocked my way.
"This is our hunt! Piss off..."
"Take a cookie!" I offered the man a ’Thunder Cookie’ to his chin. As expected, his chin couldn’t handle it... or maybe all of his head was not to be found anymore.
Poor thing!
"What!"
"No!"
The other hunters were frightened and tried to do anything but Jull was already killing them.
I think we are a good team! I kill, she kills, they get killed.
"Sinding! I ca to see you, buddy! Co out, co out, wherever you are!"
"It’s... YOU!!!" Sinding was in his werewolf form and appeared to be really pissed at . He was stained with blood as it seed he has killed a lot of enemies.
"Ready for round two?" I asked with a grin. I can’t help but be the bad guy here.
"I can’t stop you if that’s what you want to do. Hircine is too powerful for any of us to oppose, but..."
"Save your breath! I don’t intend to let you go." I said it straightforwardly.
Sinding looked at then nodded.
"So be it!"
Then he ran the other direction.
I evoked ’Chain Lightning’ spell and started spamming it on him.
In his werewolf form he was fast and a little bit hard to aim at.
He started climbing so old structure and hid behind the walls. I knew he was trying to ambush .
Still, the good point of ’Chain Lightning’ is its bouncing ability so I could even catch him behind his cover.
After he got struck by again, he started running and jumped from the other side of the ancient structure, I followed him but it would take so ti to get down. My head ca to an answer and I cast another spell.
Void distorted and a flaming creature appeared. The Fla Atronach Hawk with his mighty looks ca out.
I jumped on its back and ordered it to fly.
The spell was not perfect yet so the highest I can get is about ten ters from the ground, but from this high ancient structure, the hawk can glide its way down.
The hawk was following Sinding who was not yet aware that I was right above him. Just as I was on the right altitude, I jumped from the Fla Atronach Hawk with my saber in hand aiming at Sinding’s back.
Just before I could reach him, Sinding noticed my shadow and looked above to see falling on him. He tried to do anything but it was too late, my saber was already going through his skin, flesh, and vitals.
"GAAH!"
He scread from the pain yet he used his monstrous strength to grab and throw away.
It was not hard to endure as I managed to flip myself in the air and land on my feet.
Looking back at Sinding the werewolf, he was crawling on the ground on all fours muttering sothing, then he breathed out his last breath out.
That was not hard.
"Jull I am done here!" I yelled to Jull.
" too! I am coming."
She killed all of them, impressive!
Jull ca down and looked a bit excited.
"What happened?"
"No, I was just killing people a lot these days so it felt fun."
This...
Sigh!
"Anyway, hand the skinning knife."
Jull took out the knife, it has a wide and short blade that is specialized in skinning animals.
Dismantling was sothing I learned from my teacher in Riften so it was not that hard for .
But it is my first ti skinning a werewolf and it was troubleso but I managed to take most of the hide.
Putting the hide aside. I was about to start thinking of what will happen now but the answer ca by itself.
{You’ve done well, hunter}
The scary Aspect of Hircine appeared once again!
This ti, it looked like Sinding in his human form.
"I did as you asked!" I said as I presented ’Hircine’s Ring’ to the Aspect of Hircine.
{You did! And found mine favor! That skin will serve you well, child. Look more closely at it. My glories shall protect you from all this world’s grievances.}
As the Aspect of Hircine said that, the ring disappeared from my hand and the hide I just took from Sinding’s werewolf corpse started changing into sothing different.
Finally!
What I was waiting for.
"Woah!" Jull who was standing on the side started to look taken aback.
After a short while, the hide turned into a cuirass.
The ’Savior’s Hide’!
{Good Hunting!}
The Aspect of Hircine left us with these words! Yet, I sensed so mockery in them.
What does that an?
***
’Savior’s Hide’, also known as ’Scourge of the Oathbreaker’, is a Daedric artifact commonly associated with ’Hircine’. The na Savior’s Hide is usually associated with just the cuirass, but a full set of the hide once existed.
The cuirass can be easily put on and was super light. Its weight is less than the Leather Armor and its sturdiness is that of the Ebony Armor, the strongest tal in Skyrim.
This armor is by far the best light armor for traveling. It doesn’t stand out too much if one just put on a cloak on it. And of course, unlike the ga, I am wearing pants with that thing.
Its magical effects grant the wearer a high resistance to both Poison and Magic as Hircine said, "... protect you from all this world’s grievances."
[A/N: An Image to the Armor: sibb.co/juW5gp ]
I was still in ’Bloated Man’s Grotto’ as I was checking the armor. I moved from the place I killed Sinding into a shrine located in the cave. It was a ’Shrine of Talos’.
After putting the armor on, I tried it left and right and it just was super fit. Nothing can fit like an armor crafted by a Daedric Prince on the spot.
I was too satisfied with armor and asked Jull to hit a few tis but it was just too good to feel anything.
After this was over, I focused on the Shrine of Talos.
There were a letter and a blade next to it.
"What is that?" Jull looked at the blade and asked. It was an unusual looking blade.
"This is an Akaviri Katana. The weapon that was adopted from the Akaviri Civilization by ’The Blades’, the forr intelligence agency of the Empire before and during the Great War." I replied.
"Woah!" Jull was taken aback again.
I held the blade up and took the letter next to it.
It said;
__________________
To he who finds this, know that I, Acilius Bolar, last of the Blades to survive the attack on Cloud Ruler Temple, took refuge here, in this ancient sanctuary. The Thalmor have co for , but they shall not desecrate this place. I go forth to et my death with honor. If you are worthy, take up my blade and do the sa.
__________________
Sigh!
Rest in peace!
If I managed to et up with any of ’The Blades’, I shall return this Katana to them.
I know so other than my own father so I will try to pass on the mory of that man, Acilius Bolar.
This katana was known in the ga as the ’Bolar’s Oathblade’. It resembled the Japanese katana from my past life as its blade was curved the sa way, its hilt (or tsuka) is wrapped in black leather, and its guard (or tsuba) is a stylized coiled serpent.
Due to the magical quality of the blade, it was not that damaged after being kept like that with no maintenance.
From what I could sense, it can increase the fatigue of the target it slashes at and can cause enemies to flee in terror. A good sword.
I fixed the scabbard to my left side and sheathed the katana the sa way the Japanese do in movies, I think it was called the ’Okuden Noto’.
"Fufufu! I always wanted to do that."
This was one of my past life regrets that I finally managed to achieve it in this life. The chuunibyou within can rest in peace now.
"Jon!"
"Hm?"
"Look!"
Jull called for and pointed at sothing behind .
I turned around but suddenly lost all my words...
"ROAAAR!"
"Fuck!"
... except for this one.
A massive black cave bear appeared in front of .
Was there anything like that in the ga?
"Jull! Ready for battle! We can take it down together!"
"Yes!"
We face the bear that suddenly appeared behind us.
"Woooo!"
"Wooooo!"
"Wooo!"
"Wooooo!"
What?
"Wolves?"
"Why here?"
"Hey! Where is Nefertiti?"
"Eh! She was just here?"
"Dammit!"
"We need to force our way through!"
"I am not leaving without her!"
Shit! What is going on here?
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