Memoirs of Larz D'Ovakine ~ The Pirates of Japhet's Folly pt.2 (spoilers)

• Posted by Guy Corbett January 19, 2012 - 819 views

  I arrived back at Windhelm in a stupor. My head was still fuzzy from the amount of mead I was forced to consume. I felt as though I'd forgotten something important Stig had told me.  But somehow I felt better than I should. It had only been a couple of hours since that midday binge and I was already starting to brighten back up.

  Ever since I killed that Dragon on the Plains near Whiterun I hadn't been the same. In fact I had felt stronger and well more alive since those visions and light. Maybe there was something to this Dragonborn theory. If it meant I could square away a belly of mead and feel right as rain after a couple of hours later then I say bring on destiny.

  The heavy head and feeling of euphoria quickly dissipated as I returned to Orthus in the Warehouse on the Dock. Entering the dingy space again I first came aware of someone being chewed out. In the back room Orthus was having a very stern talking to by a blond women in steel heavy armour.

  She berated Orthus about his lack of progress as he tried to calm and excuse his inadequacies telling her had a top man who should be returning with news of progress soon.

  "Ahem" I cleared my throat to announce my arrival.

  "Larz! Excellent you have arrived just on time. This is one of my superiors from the East Empire Traders Adelaisa." Orthus turned indicating the blond women in armour. She smiled as Orthus continued.

  "Im glad you have returned I was just telling Adelaisa about your status. I think you should probably speak directly to her."

  "Fair enough Orthus if your sure" He nodded moving so I could introduce myself.

  "Good day Adelaisa, I'm sure Orthus has already filled you in with what we dicovered in Suvaris's logbook. Stig Salt-Plank was shall we say resistant to giving their bases location away but I managed to convince him otherwise." Smiling whilst rubbing my sore jaw Adelaise nodded a hello.

  "Larz excellent news give me the location and we will head straight to the ships. You will be coming with us as we are short on men."

  "Ermmm it's Japhets Folly." I said a little taken aback by her abruptness.

  "Excellent, well done Larz we will make sure you get that ship seaworthy for you once we return. We will own you a great debt. Was there anything else Stig told you?"

  As soon as she uttered the words from her mouth it came gushing back to me.

  "Yes, actually I just remembered he told me that they were being lead by a battle-mage called Haldyn." Seeing Adelaisa's expression plummet.

  "Haldyn you say, I've heard of him we will have to be extra careful then. Well done Larz and thank you head out to the pier and board the ship. We will discuss battle plans on the voyage.

  At the end of the pier a traditional nordic ship sat waiting. About 30 ft long, wide keel, single mast and a deck railed around the small building that lead below.

  The journey wasn't to bad, luckily the seas were calm but the cold again seemed to pierce into my very being. My old bones aren't cracked up to this assault of nature any more. The crew had good morale for the few that were on the boat until we started to near Japhet's Folly.

  A thick soup of a mist seemed to roll in from nowhere. It was dense and heavy. Gliding over the deck it seemed to tingle at the touch. I could sense that this was no natural sea mist. Glancing over at Adelaisa she waved me to join her looking at the orbs of light hovering in the bank of cloud that was supposed to be the tower of Japhet's Folly.

  "This is a known trick of Haldyns. He uses his magic to cloak his hideouts with the weather. We can't attack the island proper until this fog has cleared. We are going to have to kill Haldyn before we can move onto the island so......." she paused staring at me.

  "What thats my job?!" I blurted. "Out of all these young bucks and Shiny Armour I'm the one that has to go alone and kill their leader?"

  Adelaisa dropped her guard gone was the stern Ship Mercenary only disappointment now showed

  "None of these cowards are brave enough to go with all this fog, your my only option."

  "Fine but I want that ship ready as quick as possible when we get back, you owe me big for this don't forget that." I jabbed her on the shoulder to hammer my point home. "We had a deal and I will make sure that it is honoured." Adelaisa knew I was serious in the tone of her response.

  I had some fortune the water around the Folly was frozen solid in places and broken pieces formed a jigsaw of a path over the icy sea to a small sea cave underneath the base of the tower.

  The cave led up through a series of tunnels and pools carved in the ice. Moving through quietly my arrows bounced off the armour of the few Mudcrabs that inhabited the frozen hole. They still hit hard enough to damage the crabs but it amazed me how resistant the little buggers could be.

  The ice blue tunnel led to a chamber, on the far side the stone foundations of the tower were visible. A hole and a number of the large stones had tumbled into the chamber revealing a store room within the tower.  

  Arrow drawn I made may way cautiously into the storeroom. Near a barrel of supplies a Blood Horker stood rummaging with his back to me. Steadying my aim I let the arrow fly piercing the unaware horker through his neck. With a gurgle and spray of red he fell slumped forward across the barrel.

  Looting his corpse had become second nature now the abundance of weapons and armour alone would pay for this ship back home. A set of stone steps led up to a door in the far corner.

  Closing the door behind me I turned right into another small storage area at the base of a huge stone set of steps curving up the inside of the tower. It was lit poorly, shadow stretched over much of the stairs. Again with arrow drawn I moved up through the dark onto the first landing when I heard two voices.

  One was surely an Orc the other sounded common. As I started the next flight I caught sight of the Orc at the top on the next landing. I was too eager letting go of the arrow. It crunched into the jointed armor on the Orcs back only angering him.

  He turned and drew his shield and smacked his Orc blade across it rousing himself into a frenzy. Charging down the steps I let another arrow fly, he side stepped it letting it strike the second Blood Horker following his lead. He must of been a deck hand because he fell with that single strike.

  I drew my sword in time to clash mid air with the orcs sword. I broke the embrace forcing the Orcs weapon upwards. Opening a gap to his side I hammered the pummel of my sword into his ribs. The exhale of breath showered me in Orc spit but he was winded.

  Turning I backhanded the Shield out of his grasp, he countered my next swipe, but his lack of breath stopped him from following through. I raised my sword over my head and swung it down cleaving the Orc's right shoulder free. He tumbled down the stairs in a waterfall of blood.

  At the top a corridor linked through into the circular base of a second tower. Another dreaded Orc Blood Horker patrolled but learning from my first lesson I dealt with him much quicker.

  The doorway on the right led down a similar set of stairs in the first tower to more store rooms and a couple of off duty Blood Horkers. The door way on the left was adorned in candles and the stairway led upwards towards Haldyns Quarters.

  With some more fortune Haldyn hadn't heard any of my approaching kills. As I snuck into his chamber he was out of sight in a smaller room off the chamber but I could hear him muttering to himself. Closer still I crept, arrow tip glistening with Magika poison I'd dipped it in, I made him out leant over an Arcane Enchanter. I've never had much time for them but Haldyn was engrossed.

  "ARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!! What in the name of..an arrow?" Haldyn dropped to one knee as the hit caught him just above his hip. He turned making eye contact with me forming the words to a spell he held out his hand but nothing happened. 

  I smiled and charged at him drawing my sword. He wore some heavy armour and I thought I had the drop on him. But as my sword swung down he sidestepped round me backing away trying to get some distance to gain his powers back. My sword smashed through the Arcane Enchanter send shards of crystal and hot wax flying.

  Closing the gap again I managed to score a sweep knocking Haldyn off his feet. Spinning my sword in my grip I raised it thrusting the tip downwards at his chest. In the blink of an eye Lightning erupted from his finger tips and coursed through my body.

  I had forgotten how much lightning hurt. The shock made my muscles spasm dropping my sword. Haldyn was up and moving away to send another jolt at me. I rolled grasping the handle of my weapon. Blue fire striking where I'd been not moments before.

  Back on my feet I charged him again only just succeeding in rolling under another blast and continuing my charge. Right then when I would normally be raising my sword it happened again. A deep breath and then that blast of ancient noise.

  "FUS!"

  The ripple of air enveloped Haldyn and he stood stunned, wavering on his heels. I took my chance and rammed the point of my sword through him lifting him off the ground. The light left his eyes and I threw his corpse to the ground.

  I grabbed what I could including the key to the tower from Haldyns pocket. As not moments after I threw him down, the ground shook and the noise of the battle started rumbling through the stone.

  I ran as fast as I could down back down to the corridor and slotted the key in the Front door. Stepping out the very air seemed to explode around me. A blast sent me soaring through the air landing in a deep snow bank. Righting myself the exterior of the tower was under bombardment by Adelaisa and her ships. Cannonballs and fire rained down smashing wood, stock and stone. 

  I picked my way through the carnage, battling the odd remaining Horker, until I made it down out of the reach of the explosions. I spotted out on the snowfields a makeshift pier with Adelaisa herself battling a number of Horkers. By the time I made it down to her the ground was red with the blood of her foes.

  "We started the attack as soon as the fog lifted I hope you didn't get hurt?"

  "Nothing I couldn't handle." I smirked.

  "If we're done lets head back to Windhelm."

  Orthus was overjoyed when the ship pulled back up to the dock. He slapped me too many times on the back but it was all in excitement. Thanking me for helping to re-open the East Empire branch he gave me a letter of right for access to the warehouse in Solitude and the means to repair the ship.