Union of the Bounty Hunter: Part 1

  • The members of the Circle sat around the long tables, tankards full of mead and ale. Sotek, who was sitting on his step as usual, lifted his mug and guzzled down almost half of the drink. Giving a satisfied sigh, the green Argonian laughed and back talked with his pack. Aela sat beside him, arm around his neck and nuzzled his cheek lovingly. Farkas and Vilkas couldn’t help but stop their sibling bickering and chortle at the affection Aela was giving her mate.

    “Why don’t you just hurry up and give him what he wants already,” Farkas said with a smile.

    His brother joined in on the fun. “Yea. We all know-“

    Vilkas let out a cry of pain as an apple pelted him in the forehead. Looking up, and rubbing his now wet and sticky face, the Nord could see another apple being lightly tossed in the air with Sotek’s good arm. “One more outburst and I’ll make sure it hits you were it really matters.”

    Aela laughed, giving him a kiss on the cheek at last; she made sure not to lean against his leather-casted left arm. “I love it when you do that, Sotek. Bloody fool deserved it.”

    Their merry making was cut short when the door leading to the undercroft opened and closed. The slow footsteps made them feel a little antsy, despite knowing the scent that came from the person: Kodlak Whitemane, the Harbinger.

    The old Nord took one look at Vilkas’ face running with apple juice. He gave a weary turn to the other three only to notice the apple still in Sotek’s clawed hand and quickly formed what happened. Despite now knowing, Kodlak just sighed. “I don’t want to know.”

    “What brings you up, Harbinger?” Farkas asked, taking another swig of his mead.

    “Funny you should ask. There’s actually a job available if anyone so wants it.” The four of them stopped what they were doing and listened; Vilkas had finished cleaning his face of the apple juice. Kodlak continued. “Now, as I said, there’s a job available for any who choose to take it. Within Brittleshin Pass, we’ve gotten many complaints, and rumors, of draugr running amuck within the cavern.”

    “Draugr,” Sotek said, smirking lightly. “That’s more Farkas and Vilkas, we handle bears and wolves.”

    “So quick to judge? However, there’s more than simple draugr.” Leaning forward, the Nord placed both hands on either end of the table. His face had a twinge of worry, something Aela and Sotek noticed. “We also have heard rumors there is also a vampire possibly reviving and controlling the honored dead.”

    “A… vampire. You sure?” Aela asked with a cocked eyebrow.

    “Very.” The grizzly warrior looked down before returning his gaze to the group. “Now, I know this is something not many wish to take on, but if we don’t do something they could attack a wandering caravan.”

    “Where is it located?” Sotek asked with curiosity.

    “Oh you dumb hound… where’s that map of yours? I’ll show you,” Vilkas stated with a wave of his hand. The Argonian reached behind his back and pulled out a rolled up piece of leather. Offering it to his Shield-Brother, Vilkas cleared some space on the table and unfurled the map. It contained a complete outline of the province of Skyrim. “Right here, Sotek.” His finger tapped against what represented mountains to the south-west of Whiterun. “There’s a north and south entrance. As you can guess, the north one is what faces Whiterun Hold. The southern one is in Falkreath Hold.”

    “Hmm…” Sotek said in thought. “We could hit that from the northern side. The plains!!”

    “We?” The voices of Kodlak and Vilkas intermingled

    The Argonain sniggered before glancing towards Aela. “You wanna come?”

    The fiery haired Nord grinned, nodding. “With you? Hell yes.” Placing her tankard down and turned to Kodlak and gave a gulp, suddenly looking like a shy little girl. “Brittleshin Pass… Come to Brittleshin to ermm make out… take out…” Her face contorted with laughter, Sotek following suit before standing to gather their gear. “Remember my bow, you scaly bastard.”

    “Oh I’ll remember your bow alright,” he said back with a grin before grabbing his stuff.

    ~***~

    The two Companions made their way for the northern entrance for Brittleshin Pass. It was a little into the afternoon, the sun just past its highest point in the sky. Aela turned around to take in the view of the plains: the patches of grass and trees in the bright sunlight, mixed with the trees that dotted the landscape, made for a lovely mental picture.

    Turning back forward, she gave her Argonian a kiss on the cheek. “Always did enjoy the plains… no one around for possibly miles…” She gave a grin and giggled, digging her elbow into his ribs.

    “Aren’t you the suggestive she-wolf,” Sotek smiled in turn, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her back. “But after the job is done. I promise. Hunt first, play later.”

    “You’d better,” she purred, snuggling up to him for a moment before returning her gaze to the path before them.

    Ahead of the duo, perhaps a few hundred feet away, was the opening to North Brittleshin Pass. Sotek was the first to speak. “Finally, we’re here.” Casting a look skyward, he could see that the sun was a little past its highest point in the sky. “And with plenty of time left in our day, too. Nice.” He smiled, clearly happy. Aela wasn’t sure what it was, but his attitude was contagious and smiled as well.

    As they approached the cavern’s opening, the green lizard’s eyes looked up in thought. “How about we make this job more interesting.”

    “I thought you said later?”

    “I meant a bet... One that pertains to the draugr inside. Whoever can kill the most of those walking dust buckets wins.”

    “And the looser?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

    “The looser has to cut the firewood for tonight.”

    “You’re on!” Aela beamed.

    “Good,” Sotek smiled.

    Taking her by surprise, he broke into a jog for the cave.

    “Hey!! That’s not fair!”

    “Better catch me then,” he called back with a laugh.

    That is exactly what she did.

    The Nord woman quickly caught up to him and grabbed hold of his tail, slowing the Argonian down. He growled out at her but she ignored his empty threat and after she yanked him back, she shot off in the lead. They both stopped at the entrance and caught their breath. The jagged teeth of the rocks gave the cave an eerie feel about it, almost giving them a sense of foreboding. The shadows that lead inside didn’t help the fact either.

    “Come on, it can’t be that bad,” Sotek said reassuringly.

    “That’s not frightening me, as long as there’s no dead bears to tread on.” She turned to him with a smile. “What does though is how much wood you’ll have to cut down for that fire.” Before he knew it, Aela made her way inside. Chuckling and shaking his head, he followed her lead.

    He was immediately greeted by dim lights from the cavern, despite the sunlight outside.

    “Damn, a little difficult to see. Maybe…” Opening his right hand, a bright ball of light began to shine before being launched upward. It flew upward until hitting the ceiling, its light giving a much needed necessity. Sotek smiled proudly. “There, should be enough.”

    Aela sniggered as she glanced up at the brightly glowing orb. “Going for the stealth approach are we?”

    Ahead of them, there was another opening in the wall that lead deeper into the cavern.

    “Well, maybe we should get someone who can sniff out the dead. You know, maybe someone… familiar?”

    “Someone familiar indeed,” he added with a chuckle. Opening his left hand, a purple orb of swirling magic formed in his palm. Giving it a slight stretch, a whoosh of wind sounded as a portal opened, summoning a creature of the depths of Oblivion. When the action was finished what stood before the two was the wolf familiar. It greeted the both of them with a happy yip before running towards Aela, who had her arms open and a smile on her face.

    “Oh, hello you. I missed you. Oi, have you decided on a name for him yet?” The Nord spoke sweetly to the wolf, petting and rubbing its head like she would do to a real animal. It gave her a lick on the cheek before jumping its way to Sotek.

    “Yess, I call him boy!! Here boy,” he responded giving the creature several pets on the head. It gave a very dog-like snort, tongue lolling out happily. “Hunt!”

    At the command, the familiar ran through the opening, his nose high in the air. Sotek and Aela quickly went after him, their weapons in hand. Soon the growls of the wolf sounded, altering the couple of the location and danger.

    Turning to the left, Sotek took a wild swing and cleaved the undead creature from its right shoulder to the left center side. Two arrows quickly flew past him as they hit another draugr that was making its way across the room. The projectiles hit its forehead and chest, dropping it dead in an instant.

    A third draugr found itself the unwilling victim of a wolf attack. Sotek’s familiar leapt up at its throat and flailed its head back and forth while its fangs tore into decayed flesh which fell apart easily. The draugr’s sword lunged upwards into the familiar’s side causing it to yelp out in pain. The wolf backed away momentarily before charging forwards once more. A muffled crunch of bones seems to originate from the undead as his arm was ripped away.

    Aela notched an arrow but before she could fire, the familiar renewed its attack and finished off the draugr before the Huntress could fire.

    A soft glow of orange became known as Sotek was starting to ready his Fireball spell for any more unwelcomed surprises. Giving quick glances to all sides, he allowed himself to calm down and lower his axe.

    “One for each then,” Aela chimed in with a proud smile.

    “Don’t count the chickens before they hatch,” Sotek stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

    Aela couldn’t help herself; she promptly burst out laughing. “You don’t send a wolf to count chickens, she always gives the same answer. You don’t have any.” With that Aela suggestively licked her lips, causing Sotek to chuckle.

    And away the three of them went. Together, the rooms they traversed were cleared of the undead that roamed their halls.

    Then something strange happened.

    Sotek, Aela and the familiar wolf were at the ready, walking down one of the many halls that made up Brittleshin, and heard what sounded like falling bodies, grunts and snarls. All of them stopped in their tracks and listened.

    … Nothing.

    “I was ssure,” Sotek spoke, breaking the silence, looking where ever possible.

    “What is making those noises?” Aela was starting to narrow her eyes, trying in vain to find the source.

    “Don’t know, but I have a feeling we’ll find out.” Readying his axe and Fireball spell again, Sotek lead Aela and the familiar into what looked like a large room with stones and hanging candelabras.

    “I don’t get it,” Aela spoke. “Who else could even be here? Definitely not Farkas or Vilkas. Stupid apes…,” she muttered at the end.

    “Or Kodlak or any of the other whelps,” Sotek added, lowering his weapon again but keeping his Fireball ready just in case. “Then who-“

    “Look!” Aela pointed to the far end of the room, which the Argonian followed her finger. There, at what looked like the only other way out of the room, was another figure. Sotek could tell it was fellow Argonian, the feathers on top of his head and scaly tail that swung from side to side. His armor looked very different, like the visage of a dragon.

    Sotek pointed. “There’s the vampire!” Instantly, the familiar charged, growling angrily. Sotek’s Fireball followed his familiar, getting ahead of the creature.

    The other Argonian easily dodged the projectile, the exploding fire brushing the back of his armor harmlessly. An arrow pierced through the air, slamming into the wolf’s neck, sending it back to Oblivion.

    “Too easy,” the black Argonain said before coming up from his cover to fire two arrows at once from the bow.

    The couple gasped and ducked behind several large stones for protection.

    “Alright, Aela,” Sotek said as another arrow whizzed above their heads, “I’ll distract him while you take the shot!”

    “Got it! Just don’t get hit, moron!”

    “Very encouraging!”

    Giving each other a nod, Sotek readied another Fireball spell and placed his right hand on the stone. Before he could even get his head out, an arrow hit dangerously close to his fingers. He groaned and withdrew out of instinctual fear.

    “You may want to keep your plans to yourself! I can hear you still.” The Argonian spoke before launching several more arrows at the two.

    The couple began to growl in frustration and anger. “Who the hell do you think you are?!” Aela shouted at the black lizard before getting up and launching several arrows of her own at the target. She widened her eyes in surprise when he managed to catch one out of the air and fire it right back; the iron arrow hit her armored shoulder, only knocking her sense of balance off.

    “’Who the hell am I?’ I should ask you two the same question! Firing on me for no reason!”

    “That’s what they all say, vampire!” Sotek shouted back angrily, having seen Aela get hit by the arrow. He fired another Fireball in the other lizard’s direction. Thanks to his cover, he was able to avoid anything horribly damaging. The embers showered onto his armor, which he ignored and shot again, this time at Sotek.

    The deadly missile hit him on one of this horns, giving it a nick and causing him to fumble a little.

    “That is it!!!” Sotek shouted angrily. Taking several deep breaths, his body began to shift. His cries of pain didn’t fall on deaf ears as Aela and even the black Argonian looked in shock. Ten seconds had passed and what laid before the red haired Nord was Sotek’s werewolf form: Albino.

    The human sized werewolf looked to Aela, someone very familiar to him and saw how she was: on the ground rubbing her shoulder. His green eyes looked to his right and maliciously at his new target: the black Argonian with the dark bow in hand. With a roar, he charged at his target, much to Aela’s calling not to and the target’s want.

    “Then come on, boy! Let’s play,” he called tossing his bow to the ground and ran for the werewolf.

    He smiled as each of them met and the Argonian just smiled. He didn’t attack, but instead dodged the rather sporadic claw swipes. Aela could only just watch. She didn’t want to fire her bow and risk hitting Albino; she gritted her teeth and not being able to do anything. Unless….

    That’s it, she thought. Red!

    The black Argonian continued to move out of the way of the deadly claws, lifting his arms and legs when the need came. “Uncoordinated. Sporadic. Useless!” He was growing tired of the pointless battle with the white wolf and knew how to end it quickly.

    A roar interrupted their scuffle, causing them to look to the side. Red stood in her full glory, red fiery fur aglow when what seemed to be her anger. She looked to the Argonian with hungry eyes and ran.

    With a cry of his own, the black Argonian brought his fist against the white werewolf’s face, knocking him down to the ground from the unexpected attack. Swiftly, he placed his boots to the back of his neck and small of the back and drew a dark dagger from the side of his boot, placing it just below the skull.

    Red slowed down to a halt, seeing the sharp object so close to the killing blow. She growled, showing her sharp, dagger teeth and narrowing her eyes.

    The Argonian growled right back, showing no fear. “You know what this one is doing. Good. Take another step forward and the werewolf reject can say hello to Hircine for me.” He was very serious. Why wouldn’t he be, given his work? Albino, underneath the pressure of the heavily armored lizard, let out a dazed growl. He quickly learned that whenever he struggled, the boots where pressed harder into his back and the point of the dagger poked the surface of his skin.

    Red continued to growl, sniffing at the air. The she-wolf’s eyes opened, finding something off with the Argonian: he didn’t smell like a vampire. Not one bit. The werewolf knew that her human self would be best to have at the moment.

    Seconds passed and a human Aela stood with a stare. “Who are you? Why are you even here? Answer me!”

    The armored Argonian ignored her question, looking at the Nord with his silver eyes. “I know you. You’re Aela, from the Companions in Whiterun.”

    Her eyes widened in surprise before being narrowed again. “Maybe you didn’t hear me, you damn bastard! I said answer me!!”

    The Argonian merely smiled at her. “Then I can only guess this would be your mate, Sotek.”

    “How do you know all of this?!” Aela was getting more and more infuriated for him not answering her questions. She became even more confused when he got off of Albino and took the dagger from the back of his neck and into its sheath. Almost instantly, her thought when to Albino and Sotek. “Here boy, come here,” she coaxed.

    Groggily walking on all fours, Albino made his way to his fellow Shield-Sister, rubbing his face into her hand, pressing his body against her side.  

    “I’ll talk when he’s his Argonian self. I do not feel like repeating myself.” The black lizard spoke with authority that reminded her a little of Kodlak when he was perturbed.

    She gave him a reluctant nod before looking to Albino and spoke softly. “Come on you, let him go… Let him go…” The werewolf’s green eyes looked into her own before reverting back. Ten long, agonizing seconds of pain that hurt, not only Aela, but Albino as well, before a panting Sotek laid on the floor.

    “I feel… ugh, exhausted. What happened,” he asked, leaning up and looking to Aela. “Did we kill the vampire?”

    “This one is not a vampire.”

    Sotek looked over to see the looming black Argonian staring back at him. Being this close he could see more of him than before: red scales on his neck, yellow stripes around them as well, blue forehead, red nose and two small, curved horns just before the white feathers that adorned his head.

    Unable to help herself, Aela growled at Xian. “You shot not only me, but also my mate!”

    Xian’s silver eyes gazed at the green lizard still sitting on the ground, arms across his chest. His black bow was around his back once again. “Does she always complain like this?”

    Sotek nodded slightly as he tried to avoid Aela’s hard stare. “Pretty much, yess. Then again it usually involves her stabbing someone with her dagger at the same time.”

    Xian glanced back at Aela, cocking an eyebrow at her.

    “Are you going to answer my question or not?” Aela was going to get an answer out of him, one way or another.

    “A bounty hunter. Almost like the Companions, only doing it on my own.”

    “We are not bounty hunters,” Sotek replied defiantly.

    “Heheh, whatever you say egg-brother.”

    “Answer. Now.”

    The silver-eyed Argonian thought it over before answering. “I see no harm. I am Xian-Krie. Bounty hunter, tracker, master archer, expert duelist and alchemist.”

    “Quite the occupation,” Sotek said, having Aela help him get up. “Why are you here?”

    “A contract from Falkreath about a draugr and possible vampire infestation.”

    “And how is it you know Aela?” Sotek could not help but growl protectively. If this was a stalker of hers or something worse…! The Argonian felt Albino roar with rage, a rage he easily understood. 

    Xian smiled back at his egg-brother.

    “Everyone knows about the Companions, Sotek. But then again,” he trailed off, letting his statement hang in the air like a piece of meat for the two werewolves before him, “not everyone knows everything about them.”

    Aela and Sotek both cast worried glances to each other and one word rang out between them.

    “Crap!!”

     

    ~Author's Note~

    This story is a combination of my Bounty Chronicles and Sotek's Union of the Wolf. We had discussed this previously and he agreed to the collaboration. As you can see, this is only part 1, stay tuned for the next if you wish to know more.

    Previous ~*~ Next

     

     

Comments

5 Comments
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  January 5, 2016
    Yea well my shoulder's hurting :/
    Hsssss!!
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  January 5, 2016
    Nice collab! Sotek, you got handled in this chapter :-P
  • Ben W
    Ben W   ·  January 2, 2016
    @Axius 
    Wait till you see what happens next
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  January 2, 2016
    Great to see this up in time for AMOST. We’ve had fun putting this together and there has been a fair few PM’s back and forth but I’m pleased with the results. Throughout this, we’ve learned so much about each other’s characters.
    Looking forwards to...  more
  • A-Pocky-Hah!
    A-Pocky-Hah!   ·  January 2, 2016
    Argonians collide!