Memoirs of Larz D'Ovakine ~ The Golden Claw pt.2

• Posted by Guy Corbett January 10, 2012 - 873 views

  Looking back over what happened next, charging forward with my shield raised, I realise that I was far to over confident. Stupid old man running in to the jaws of that oversized arachnid like some Orc on a berserk charge. I came off worse in the first clash even though the Frost Spider was wounded.

  My shield smashed into the Spiders face it not budging an inch for all my bravado. As metal and tooth ground together the force made my shield slide across the smooth incisors. Trying to pull back from the embrace the Spiders fang slashed across my lowered weapon hand.

  I instantly felt the effects of the poison now coursing its way round my blood. It acted quickly but that was probably because my heart was pounding so fast I could feel it in my teeth. My vision started to blur and I felt drunk. Staggering backwards I stuck my hand in my bag like a stab in the dark luckily when I focussed on the phial in my hand it was a health potion. I kept the gap between the Spider and myself as I threw the mixture at my mouth feeling its effects rapidly.

  I wasn't back to full strength but pressed the attack again. Moving in more cautiously making sure I stayed light on my toes, I bobbed and weaved, deflecting an attack from a foreleg I dummied left and then swung my axe slicing a cleft in the Spiders face to the right of it's eyes. Retreating quickly I set up for another run as the Spider rose up screeching from the sting it got in return.

  The tactic paid off, the Spider being slightly injured couldn't manoeuvres as well as normal, it was a battle of attrition.

  Finally I feigned injury crouching with my back to the beast, as it approached to administer its deathly embrace, I rose from the floor in almighty overhead swing. My timing was perfect, the axe carved the air and slammed in to the Spiders head, right up to the shaft of the axe. I'd put its candle out.

  Pulling my axe from it the handle snapped leaving the head of the axe wedged in its carcass.

  Looking over at the man who was still trapped in the webbing, he stared back jaw agape. I smiled 

  "Not bad for an old timer eh?"

  Now was the time for bravado. The man shook his head breaking his stare.

  "Now shall we get you down from their so we can discuss this Golden Claw?"

  "Of course sir, cut me down and I will be at your disposal. After such a daring rescue it would be rude not to oblige".

  I unsheathed a dagger and started to cut. No sooner had the last shred of web been cut he fell to the ground, turning on his heels he bolted off down a tunnel that was hidden by his web cage. 

  All I heard was a maniacal laugh and rapid footsteps disappearing off down the tunnel. The Dark Elf was far faster than me so I set off after him as fast as my knees could handle it. Pounding down the tunnel it opened out in to some catacombs.

  The undead hero's had managed to get the jump on the elf but as he saw me approaching he shook free the leathery grip of his attackers and bolted out the chamber down the arch at the far end of the room.

  I quickly slew a dusty swath through the sinew and bone. The elf had softened them up a bit at least. Not moments later I rounded a corner into a secondary catacomb. The elf was again under siege from two of the walking dead but this time as he tried to shake free and sprint away he took a misstep.

  One second I was watching two undead monsters try to tear the very flesh off his bones the next they were gone. The elf had triggered a footplate. A metal gate the size of the passage covered with spikes flung out literally wiping the floor clean and piling the corpses of both the undead and the dark elf against the opposite wall.

  I patted down the elf and felt it in his pocket. I reached in and pulled out the Golden Claw.

  It was one of the most impressive pieces of metal work I'd seen. A huge three taloned eagle claw of solid gold. Covered in pattern and rune work. On the palm of the claw where three of the nordic symbols. I placed it in my own pack with a satisfied smile and set off down the tunnel.

  Narrowing and twisting round on its self I came to a final chamber with  a waterfall tumbling down the back wall. A river flowed across the chamber from the base and a little bridge arched over. Where the river reached the other wall a gated archway blocked all but the water. A lone guardian stood on the bridge. Another undead hero more heavily armoured and grander if that could be said about the rags they all now wore.

  I dispatched him turning my attention to the gate. On the right hand side I found a metal chain with a ring on the end. Pulling it the gate slid open. Onwards down the naturally formed tunnel I stumbled over the wet rocks as the water rushed by my feet.

  Following the the river to the end of the tunnel it disappeared through an opening. Cautiously I walked to the edge watching as the water cascaded into the biggest hole I ever seen. The shaft was easily 30ft in diameter and I hate to hazard a guess at its depth. Part of the way down I noticed a land bridge stretching from one side to the other.

  Looking round I found an opening that led down to the land bridge crossing over to the other side the passage lead up to the wooden doors of Bleak Fall Sanctum.

  Entering the sanctum a large passage way led down to a huge door with three concentric circles and a gold plate at the centre. All along the walls carvings depicted priests and warriors performing rituals, the door at the end of tunnel, the claw and lots of the nordic runes and symbols.

  Looking closer at the door each concentric circle had a symbol. Reaching up I thumbed one of the symbols to clear the dust only for it to press in and the circle it was on start to spin to reveal a different symbol.

  I looked down at the Golden Claw in my hand and turned it to show the symbols. Like the earlier gate I matched the symbols on the door to the Claw. Nothing happened. Running my hand over the golden middle plate I felt three depressions. I positioned the Eagle talons with the depressions and pushed the plate sank and turned sending all the other rings spinning. Slowly the door dropped into the floor with grinding and dust from aeons of closure showing another passage way.

  The tunnel opened into an enormous cavern. Two waterfalls fell from the ceiling and at the back of the cavern on a raised area a curved stone structure with runes and symbols. The top of the curved wall reach up in three points that momentarily made the image of that black dragon atop Helgen Fort flash in my mind. In front of the curved wall a black stone coffin and a huge chest.

  I made my way up the steps to the raised area automatically I was drawn to to the curved wall. A weird sensation started to come over me. My eyes locked on one section of runes as the world seemed to darken around me. The rune started glowing that same light and darker still it went, that noise like when I was unconscious pounding in my head. In a rush of light and wind the very runes seemed to lift out of the stone and into me. I couldn't resist or move then everything was back to normal and I heard the first crack.

  Turning to look over my shoulder the lid of the black coffin smashed open. My shoulders slumped not another undead hero, my muscles ached and that old injury had started to stiffen up my hip. This undead hero was worryingly different. He looked fearsome even in his state of disrepair. 

  Brandishing an ancient Great sword he came at me. I only just managed to get my guard up as metal sang. We grappled sword to sword him overpowering me till my back pressed against the curved wall of runes. I broke the embrace spinning the warrior off balance. I went with the spin sweeping the legs out from under him. As he crunched to the stone floor I brought my sword down on his neck popping off his head like a cork from a bottle.

  I dropped to one knee exhausted using my sword as a prop. Breathing heavily I righted myself and set about emptying the chest of all the most valuable things. There was a a huge Stone in the chest covered in the same runes as the wall. It was really weighty but I felt compelled to take it with me.

  A small set of stairs led up to a small opening to the side of the curved wall so I made my way hopefully to freedom of this retched hole of undead and most worrying another unexplained occurrence.

  The small passage led through and dropped down into a small cave. Looking back from where I came. If you didn't know you wouldn't spot the tunnel.

  Making it outside into the fresh air was like being let out of school for the summer I just wanted to run. But it was pitch black. I hadn't realised how many hours had passed. I immediately felt vulnerable, the cave entrance was around the other side of the mountain from what I could make out. 

  I wanted to get back to Riverwood as quickly as possible, I didn't make it through that bleak hole of death and mystery to be pounced upon in the dark by wolves or worse one of those fabled Skyrim Sabre Cats.

  I went as straight as I could crashing through trees and bushes. Branches and Twigs snagging at my hair and beard. Eventually I made it to the river free of any more attacks I found a shallow stretch and crossed back into Riverwood.

  I headed straight back to the Sleeping Giant it was too late for anything else. I was so tired I felt like one of those walking dead. I slept but my dreams were racked with spiders, glowing runes, dragons and the shadows of hero's past.

  In the morning I ate a hearty breakfast. Steak with cheese, fruit and lashings of mead. A fellow patron commented on my appearance saying that and I quote

  "You look like someone just dug you up"

  I laughed, splirting out some mead into my beard. Swallowing my mouthful I retorted

  "Well you could say that was quite true, I got the Golden Claw back from Bleak Fall Barrow last night. The very bodies of your ancestors rose up and attacked me".

  The man paled

  "yyyy yy you survived the draugr?"

  "Draugr?" I lowered my mug turning my full attention to the man.

  "Yes sire, it is said that if someone enters their resting place with ill intention, the draugr will rise to protect what's rightfully theirs or their masters".

  "Well they did and failed, I'm just about to return this"

  I pulled the Golden Claw out of my pack and raised it to his flabbergasted face.

  "To Lucan at the Riverwood Trader"

  With that I downed the last of the mead and headed out.

  Lucan and Camilla were overjoyed when I walked back into their shop. They were eternally grateful and rewarded me with 400 gold. They offered for me to stay but I declined saying that I had to make my way to Whiterun to warn them about the Dragon attack and to ask for troops to be sent back here. They thanked me again and I stepped back out into the sunshine of Riverwood.