Chapter 4 Wheels that turn

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    Although Sotek had already passed out, the moment he became submerged he automatically started to breathe. Argonians have a special ability that has saved many on multiple occasions but probably never in extreme conditions like this. They can breathe underwater due to having gills behind their ears. The fire may have used up all the oxygen in the air, but the water still held plenty.

     

    Sotek awoke a few minutes after entering the water. Initially he was somewhat confused, but he was breathing normally as he found himself floating face down in the pool. He climbed out of the water and immediately started to choke, so he submerged himself again. This time he drew a lungful of air.

     

    When he was feeling better prepared, he made his way to the door. Faint light from algae and moss which had survived the earlier inferno by nesting in cracks and crevasses within the walls lit up the room just enough for him to see. The door itself was sealed tightly shut; however he happened to notice some sort of locking mechanism. It was made up of three large stone rings set in the door itself. Each of the three rings had various engravings of animal picture on them, similar to the ones on the back of the claw which he had noticed earlier. Sotek examined the rings then proceeded to turn the first two. He lined two of them up in their correct positions in accordance to the claw before he headed back to the small room and submerged himself again. After a few minutes he had a fresh lung full of air so he got back out and went back to the door, and then activated the third ring.

     

    Once all the animal rings were rotated in their correct places he inserted the claw into the socket. With a loud hiss and some clicks the rings rotated around then slowly the door started to lower. The moment there was the slightest gap, air rushed inside. The air may have been old and stale but at least it was breathable even if it reeked of a musty tomb. Sotek breathed in a lung full then entered the new tunnel.

     

    The passage beyond opened up to a section used for a resting place of the dead. Various sarcophaguses were scattered about. Some were set in wall sections or on small platforms, some were laid to rest hundreds of years before in alcoves while others just lying on the ground. All of them contained draugr which were slowly rotting in their graves. Nearly all of them anyway, the trouble Sotek found himself in was that some were empty after being opened from the inside.

     

    Around one particular corner, several pieces of a lid from a sarcophagus lay strewn across the floor. One piece skidded sideways as an old decrepit boot kicked it to the wayside.

    “Uuurrggg”

     

    No-one knows why the draugr  walks the halls of the dead. Sotek didn’t know and he didn’t care to ask either. The draugr’s cold undead eyes fixed upon Sotek as it bought its sword arm to bear against him. Fortunately for Sotek, it staggered as it made its way towards him. Its movements were slow and clumsy, as were its useless attempted attack.

     

    Sotek retaliated and brought his sword down hard hitting it in the shoulder. His attack was just as effective, in short it didn’t do a god damn thing. The draugr swung its own sword in response to Soteks attack, but he simply sidestepped it then countered using all his strength in a diagonal blow hitting the draugr across the ancient leather chest plate. His sword broke through the armor as the tip of the blade shattered its way through the ribcage. The draugr immediately fell to pieces on the floor.

     

    Finding nothing of interest, Sotek continued through another corridor. This time it opened into a large cavern. Strange jellyfish like plant life radiated enough light to enable Sotek to see all around. On the far side he could make out a stone wall completely different to its surroundings. On it were words Sotek couldn’t make out, the writing looked like it was made by giant claws. One word in particular was glowing with a strange blue light. Feeling completely compelled to, Sotek started to head towards it.

     

    There in front of him on a raised platform was another sarcophagus, Sotek came within a few feet of it but nothing happened. He approached the wall cautiously as he watched the sarcophagus and still nothing happened. Instinctively he reached his hand out at the wall and took another step closer towards it, the wall then started to glow. Strange lights flowed from the glowing clawed writing, wrapping all around him, passing through him then they dissipated leaving him with just the light from the plants once again.

     

    Suddenly there was a sharp crack quickly followed by a loud bang as the lid of the sarcophagus broke into several pieces. Sotek slashed with his sword at the draugr as it vainly tried to get up. Every second Sotek’s sword crashed down, cutting and smashing chunks off the draugr causing it to collapse from the intensity of the blows. Peering inside the coffin, Sotek examined the corpse half expecting it to rise up again. There underneath the bones and its old battered armor was a stone tablet with similar markings that were on the wall. Sotek picked it up hoping it would be worth a few gold coins and stored the tablet in his pack. By now his eyes grew accustomed to the poor light and at the back of the cavern he could see a stairway leading into the rock face itself.

     

    Walking through the tunnel he came across some toadstools so he stopped and gathered them up and put these with the other plants he had already collected. The tunnel came to a dead end however he noticed a lever nearby partly hidden by moss. He gingerly pulled the lever which was stiff and resisted his attempts to shift it. Gradually however its resistance lessened until it gave way opening a secret door. Walking through the door he was pleasantly surprised to find himself in the first chamber near the campfire. Without looking back he headed outside into the fresh mountain air.

     

    He paused for a few moments savoring the fresh air in his lungs while he decided on his next move. He once again thought of the shop. No wonder they were happy sending him. The reality was such that it was a good scam. The traders send someone to get a thief when in reality bandits lay in wait to swarm over the victim. Then once the victim is killed, the gears all collected and are sent to the shop to be sold. Sotek thought about revenge but he wasn’t ready to face them. The man was tough and he knew the woman knew about magic. Revenge would have to wait.

     

    He turned his back on the pathway which would have taken him to Riverwood and instead followed the trail northwards. It gradually led him down the mountainside where he could see the plains below him and the farmland which surrounded the southern side of the Nordic city of Whiterun.

     

     

Comments

12 Comments   |   SpookyBorn2021 and 1 other like this.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  March 29, 2016
    drauge???  Awww rats........ Fixed it. Thanks for pointing that out Relycs. You have probably guessed that U.O.T.W. isn't as lore friendly as other stories...
    Lore's are made to be broken
    It's a big moral booster knowing members are enjoying ...  more
  • Relycs
    Relycs   ·  March 28, 2016
    I really like how you're combining the "truth" with imagination. It feels familiar and surprising at the same time. Well done.
  • Aela The Huntress
    Aela The Huntress   ·  August 24, 2015
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  August 22, 2015
    You're sitting on your ass watching a giant ransack the farms...
  • Aela The Huntress
    Aela The Huntress   ·  August 22, 2015
    Blagh blagh blagh...
    What about me? What am I doing while all this is going on?
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  June 17, 2015
    Fixed and Fixed
    Sotek slashed with his sword at the draugr as it vainly tried to get up.
    Thanks for pointing them out Idesto.
  • Idesto
    Idesto   ·  June 16, 2015
    I hope you get 'em later! That's a really good twist.
    Found some typos: Para 3 feint shd be faint; drauge; "Sotek slashed with his sword at the draugr vainly tried to get up" shd be as not at?
    Good description of Bleak Falls Barrow, thanks
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  May 6, 2015
    Corrected error.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  May 1, 2015
    Yep. I never liked those two. There was so much they could have done with that quest.
  • Paws
    Paws   ·  April 30, 2015
    It's funny you guys mention that about the Riverwood Trader, Lucan and Camilla. There's some ambiguous dialogue in that quest isn't there?