Chapter 5 - Clearing Bleak Falls Barrow

(In the last chapter)

We were in front of a huge door that had carvings of what appeared to be ancient nord tales. I pushed one side of the door while Lokir and Abjorn pushed the other. When it finished opening we saw a big spacious burial room that barely had illumination. We noticed that there was a fire not far ahead and were able able to hear some voices around it...

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(Abjorn): "Those must be some bandits voices, I didn't think it would be such a large group, and there are probably more up ahead."

(Nero): "It also looks like they had to deal with some skeevers, I can see some of them laying on the ground."

(Lokir): "Those things, I hate them. They're the source of trauma of the vast majority of us thieves because they make nests inside sewers, which we use to travel and avoid being seen." He said with a shiver in between words.

As we walked closer to the fire we started to hear more clearly what they were saying.

(Bandit 1): "So we're just supposed to sit here while Arvel runs off with that golden claw?"

(Bandit 2): "That dark elf wants to go on ahead, let him. Better than us risking our necks."

(Bandit 1): "What if Arvel doesn't come back? I want my share from that claw!"

(Bandit 2): "Just shut it and keep an eye out for trouble."

Listening in to their conversation we got the name of the bandit that had the claw and also that he was further into the tomb. The bandits kept quiet so, without any more information to pick on, Lokir fired an arrow to the bandit far ahead and I sprinted towards the other one. He turned around hearing my footsteps but it was too late. I ran with my sword extended in a piercing motion and drove it into his chest, ending his life. We searched the bodies for anything of use but only found a quiver of iron arrows that Lokir used to restock his own. Near the campfire laid a chest that we assumed would be empty considering that a group of bandits found it before us, but to our surprise it was locked, which meant that they hadn't opened it for whatever the reason was.

(Lokir): "Guys, I need you to lift it up and tell me how heavy it is. It wouldn't make sense to open something that's barely filled with anything." He said while preparing some lockpicks in anticipation.

We nodded and positioned ourselves at each side of the chest.

(Nero): "Alright, whenever you're ready man."

(Abjorn): "To the count of three then. 1... 2... 3!"

We started to lift it up and it was pretty damn heavy, but not as much as we thought. One has to consider that the chest itself is made of heavy materials like wood, metal and some carvings in stone. We lowered it to the ground and explained to Lokir how it felt.

(Lokir): "Hmm... If what you say is correct then there is either a medium sized amount of gold and precious stones like gems or light equipment that could range between armors and bows as they're made of lighter material compared to melee weapons.Still, I think it's worth a shot, my gut is telling me that"

(Nero): "Well, you're the experienced one, so I think we'll be better leaving it to your judgment. Beside we can stockpile on lockpicks later if we lose some here."

(Abjorn): "I totally agree with you two my friends. Let's take the gamble and see what's inside, maybe we'll be hitting it off."

Lokir began picking the chest's lock without hesitation. Me and Abjorn stayed totally still as we knew this needed a great focus to hear the sounds and feel the changes in the lock. The first 2 attempts ended with a broken lockpick, and it wasn't until the third one that we heard a *click* like sound to which the chest slightly opened itself. We moved closer to it and Lokir finished to open it. Inside, there were many septims filling the bottom of the chest, we guessed there were around 300 of them. We also found some minor quality gemstones and a couple of jewelry pieces made from silver.

(Lokir): "HAHAHA! We struck gold my friends. This is a big find for something that laid inside an ancient tomb."

Our mood rose after looting the chest. We had to divide the gold into 3 equal parts or else it would be too much for one of us to handle. After that little joyous moment we started moving again further into the tomb. We crossed a couple of hallways with some turns here and there and finally ended up near the entrance of a room that had a man in the middle who we guessed was part of the bandit group. He went closer to a lever that was placed in front of a metal cage door. Lokir noticed that it seemed too suspicious for the lever to be there. If you wanted it to just open the door then you would just place it besides it, not on the floor just in front of it. Of course, I knew this because I don't even remember how many time I played this mission in my past life.

As soon as the man pulled the lever, a lot of darts, and I mean A LOT, came out from the walls and pierced him. The darts seem to be poisoned as we saw the man having convulsions on the floor while blood came out of his mouth. We approached the lever once the darts stopped and moved the man aside. I looked to the side and saw the puzzle that needed to be done. I went ahead and did it, it consisted of 3 turning statues that you needed to put in the correct order. The answer was just upside the gate, where 2 statues hanging on the wall and 1 that fell of on the floor showing the combination of snake-snake-whale (or dolphin, I never knew wtf that thing was) in that respective order. I put the in the combination and pulled the lever, when the gate opened I turned around to tell the other 2 that we could keep going just to find them giving me a blank stare.

(Lokir/Abjorn): "..."

(Nero): "What? The answer was just there. It was impossible to not notice it."

(Lokir): "...Fuck, he's right"

(Abjorn): "You're right! How did I not see it!?"

(Nero): "...Let's just keep going."

The thing with these puzzles is that you may take a while to figure some of them, but once you're used to it you'll find the answers in no time.

We passed through the door and found a table that had a few septims, a soul gem, a potion and a book named 'Thief'. In the game there were special books that gave you one point of proficiency to whatever skill tree the book was related to, and this was one of them. I didn't know if it had some kind of effect now that this is a real world but I still took it with me to do some research. While storing everything in our backpacks we heard noises right behind us. We turned around unseathing our weapons to find 3 skeevers running towards us. Lokir froze in place so me and Abjorn had to deal with them. He apologized and we told him there was no problem about it, everyone's got something to fear after all.

*Ding* Host has killed a Skeever. Awarding 5 XP and 5 Devil Essence.

The fact that a bandit and a skeever gave the same amount of XP made me smile a little. We went down the spiral staircase where the skeevers came from and walked for a while through the passages filled with mummified bodies.

(Lokir): "I know the ancient nords liked to mummify their deceased and that this is supposed to be a tomb, but this place is starting to seriously creep me out. It feels like there's something waiting for us somewhere."

Abjorn had no comment to what Lokir said and neither did I. I mean would you believe someone that tells you what exactly is going to happen in every exact moment? You would either label him a freak or fear him for what he may do with that knowledge.

We turned a corner and saw some doors blocked by thick vines/roots. Looking through the gaps we could see an enormous amount of webs and spider eggs. A little to the left there was someone wrapped in webs where a door was supposed to be.

(Abjorn): "*flashback of spiders in Helgen caves* Friends, forgive me but I may not be able to go thought t-that. N-not again, it would surely end up breaking me."

It humored me to see the mighty dragonborn who'll be the savior of Tamriel against Alduin's attack cowering because of spiders, which are a very common and weak enemy in Skyrim's lands.

Lokir didn't' have any qualms on that, Abjorn understood his situation back there with the skeevers so it would be totally hypocritical of him to mock or blame him for this. In the end me and Lokir slowly walked into the room and when the trapped man saw us he talked.

(Arvel the Swift): "H-help me please! It trapped me here, and if you don't do something quickly it will get you too! Oh no, divines help us. There it is!"

We looked up at where his gaze was directed and saw a giant ass spider coming down on us. We both jumped to the sides and it landed between us. In this position we had the advantage as we could attack from 2 different angles. Though we both were really disgusted when we saw it's legs covered in hairs and it's many ayes with really big fangs, we managed to maintain our composure. Surprisingly though, the fight was anything but difficult, we just had to avoid being hit with it's venom and that's all. It was strangely slow while hitting whit it's front legs so we assumed that it was wounded or maybe weakened by something. I jumped using one of the eggshells as a platform and buried my sword in it's head between some of it's eyes.

*Ding* Host has killed a wounded frostbite spider. Awarding 25 XP and 25 Devil Essence.

The notification I received confirmed our suspicions about it being wounded. Lokir suggested that we store some of the eggs and the spider's venom as it could be either used or sold off in an alchemy store.

We called Abjorn and he apologized again. After convincing him that we didn't care about it, we went to Arvel.

(Arvel the Swift): "Great, you killed it! Now you can free me, right? I-i-i can help you to reach the end of the tomb, I know wha-" *shing*

He was cut off by me...literally, I just cut his throat because I knew that he would try to run away with the claw, he was considered a normal bandit as he only awarded '5 XP'. The other 2 didn't seem to mind as we already knew that nobody other than the bandits and us was here. Abjorn picked Arvel's journal and began reading it , confirming their thought about Arvel. I found the claw strapped to his belt so I took it. We resumed out path and came to a place filled with mummified corpses. Lokir managed to spot a pressure plate and pointed it out we were planning to avoid it of course, as we both were talking about this we heard something behind.

We turned around to see one of the supposedly 'dead' corpses standing face to face with Abjorn in what seemed to be a national level stare contest.

(Abjorn/Lokir/Nero): "..."

(Draugr): "*grunt*"

(Abjorn): "What!? You were one of those sweet rolls-thieves back in your day, fucker!?"

(Lokir/Nero): "..."

(Lokir): "I'm starting to seriously think if I should just push him above that pressure plate. We would at least see what it does."

(Draugr): "*Grunt*"

(Nero): "Did he...no wait...did 'it' just agree with you?"

"..."

Finishing with the jokes, or maybe pissed off by the undead's 'comment', Abjorn headbutted the draugr who staggered back, giving him enough time to take out his sword and take his shield with his left hand. He pierced the draugr in the chest and hit it with the shield metal border in the head. The light in it's eyes faded and we turned around, product of another noise, to see 3 more of those things getting up from the place they where laying on.

Each of us engaged one of them in battle. Abjorn contended with a two-handed swordsman, Lokir with one that used sword and shield, and I with one that had twin swords in each hand. When it slashed with one sword I dodged to the side with difficulty because of the cramped space we where in. He swung at me, this time with both of them, I blocked them with my right arm and slashed with my sword at his head, embedding it in it's cranium and effectively killing it.

Finished with the draugrs, we delved further into the tomb passing through a swinging blades trap, a room that had 3 more draugr, 2 normal draugrs and a restless one, with each of us killing one of the undead creatures, we finally came to a metal door that was opened by pulling a chain.

*Ding* Host has killed 2 Draugrs. Awarding 20 XP and 20 Devil Essence.

The door lead us to a hallway, at the end of it we found a gate with 3 rings that pictured some animals which were clearly part of the puzzle, and a hole with the shape of a claw.

(Nero): "Lokir, take the golden claw and look at it's palm, the answer to the puzzle is there. After inputting the correct combination you have to place the claw in that hole at the middle of the gate."

(Lokir): "How did you know that?"

(Nero): "I just saw some symbols when I picked it up and realized that they're the same as the ones in those rings. The rest was pretty obvious considering the hole's shape"

Following what I instructed him he put the rings in the correct order and the door started opening.

(Abjorn): "I've been questioning myself since the last puzzle. Why did they made them so easy? Like what's the point to put a lock if you leave it accessible to literally everyone that can make use of reason. I think we're already growing used to these 'puzzles', if you can call them that."

(Nero): "Well, I once heard what the purpose of these puzzles were in ancient tombs like these. As you said, if you want to lock something, you would put the best lock you have at hand. But if you put an easy one then it can just mean either one of two things."

(Lokir): "I see, and what are those two things. Because as a thief I can't see the meaning of putting an easy lock."

(Nero): "The first one, is that you don't care if someone were to open it. But that would break the whole concept of what a lock's purpose is, so logically speaking, it can only be the second one."

(Abjorn): "Which is...?"

(Nero): "The second one is that your purpose when putting up the lock wasn't to keep people outside of it. It was to keep whatever's inside from getting out." (credits to the great TheEpicNate315. I got this theory from him. Best TES youtuber)

(Lokir/Abjorn): "..."

(Abjorn): "That's...really creepy."

(Lokir): "Yeah, pretty dark stuff."

(Nero): "I know right? Anyway let's get going. I feel like we're nearing the end."

Going through the gate we found ourselves to be in side a cave. Crossing a natural bridge that connected the two sides of said cave we found what appeared to be an altar. There was a sarcophagus, a table with balsamic tools and a chest by it's side. In front of it was a stone wall that has carvings resembling some sort of runes. I knew that this were the runes used in the dragon language, the Dovahzul, but seeing it in real life it's really something else. It felt like the carvings were alive and oozed both power and wisdom. These stone walls were known as 'word walls' and they hold great knowledge and power about the thu'um, which is another way to call the dragon language. Amidst the carvings there was a section of runes that glowed with a pale blue light, and when we neared it some sort of energy flew from the wall directly towards Abjorn and he gained an aura that lasted for a brief moment until the energy stopped flowing and the carvings on the wall ceased glowing.

On our backs we could hear a loud *THUD* like sound and turned around to find the sarcophagus that was previously closed to be opened by a draugr that was coming out of it. But this draugr was different from the others, it had armor and a helmet, a two-handed sword that gave of a feeling of chilling air and it's aura was overbearing., this was a Draugr Overlord, the boss of Bleak Falls Barrow. Seeing this I prepared myself and told the other two to be cautious.

(Nero): "Guys, if you see that it's preparing to do something like shouting then duck or hide behind something and brace yourselves."

They wanted to know what I meant but didn't have time to question me since the draugr overlord began charging at us. We quickly recovered ourselves and took positions. Lokir ran behind the word wall and started aiming his shot, meanwhile me and Abjorn engaged it in close combat. The draugr overlord was swinging his sword with so much force that we could feel the air pressure each time we dodged. It seemed impossible to find an appropriate moment to attack without being injured in return, bur Lokir managed to struck an arrow to the back of it's left knee, making the draugr overlord stumble and nearly fall over. Trying to defend itself, it swung it's sword at me who was the closest one. Instead of dodging I blocked the blow with my Devil Bringer and the blow made me retreat a couple of steps, making me almost fall into the water stream besides the word wall. Abjorn didn't let this chance go to waste and took out a battle one-handed steel axe along with a steel sword and began madly attacking the draugr overlord which received severe damage.

Feeling cornered, it bobbed it's head back in a motion to shout that I remembered too well.

(Nero): "Watch out, Abjorn!"

(Draugr Overlord): "Fus! Ro Dah!"

The draugr shouted against me and Abjorn and send us flying. Abjorn being nearer ended up way worse than me, but could keep on fighting. I ended up near the bridge at the beginning of the cave with bruises and a light concussion on my head. Getting up after 10 seconds of feeling stupidly lost, I saw Abjorn still engaging the draugr along with Lokir who finished his arrows and started to flank the draugr. Unluckily, it saw what he was trying and swung his sword at him, Lokir tried to evade while raising up his sword and the draugr overlord managed to cut off one of Lokir's fingers making him drop the sword. When the draugr was about to finish him Abjorn tackled it and began striking with his axe at it's head like a completely mad barbarian who has lost all sense of reason.

*Ding* Host's party member killed a Draugr Overlord. Awarding half of total XP and Devil Essence-----> 55 XP and Devil Essence.

'What? Why did it give me a reward for Abjorn killing it if with bandits and other draugrs his never happened?'

Notification: Host will only receive rewards for party kills if the enemy that was killed figures as a boss level enemy.

'I see, well if I went in for the last hit on every boss it could disrupt my party's momentum and result in one or more of us being killed. It's good to know that.'

When I started paying attention again, I saw Abjorn still hitting the now definitely dead corpse of the draugr so I went to calm him down.

(Nero): "Abjorn, stop it! It's already dead!"

It seems he didn't even realize what he was doing because of the shocked face he made when I yelled at him. We stayed still for a while without doing or saying anything, I guess they were processing what happened. After all a walking corpse that can send two men flying with a shout it's not something they're used to seeing,even if they live in Skyrim, at least not until now and I know that if I stick with these two, things will only get weirder for them hehehe, that will be funny to see. Though Abjorn is bound to see weirder things, be it with us or on his own.

(Lokir): "Not to disturb your peace of mind or anything Abjorn, but I would appreciate it if you could help me see if we're able to reattach my finger with your spell, though I don't hold many hopes."

They spent some time trying some things but nothing worked because the spell was too weak. I was checking the sarcophagus looking for the Dragonstone, an essential item that's part of another mission in Whiterun. After finding and storing it in my backpack I approached the other two, but stopped walking after seeing them stare at something behind me. I turned around to see the corpse of the draugr overlord having a blue light sphere hovering around it. The sphere started approaching me, I instinctively raised my right arm and when the light reached me it brightened for a moment before fading into my arm. I was brought out of my thoughts by a sound inside my head.

*Ding* Congratulations Host for absorbing a shard of Devil Power. These will be found in characteristic places of the original story line and will grant the Host the powers and equipment of the selected character: Nero (dmc).

(I have to clarify that the the powers, equipment and whatever he gets through these will be nerfed and using them will be very taxing for him. He will eventually turn OP but I don't plan to do it in a long time, and I don't have a number of maximum chapters set, so i'll just do it until I grow tired of it.)

After seeing that I decided to open my status to check what I got with that shard.

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Congratulations Host for unlocking the Fighting Styles section.

Name: Nero (Host)

Race: Devil/Human

Level: 3

Experience: 35/400

Upgrade points: 4----------> (I forgot to add that these can be used to add 10 point to either HP,MP or SP, just like in the game, but he gets 2 per level. Mainly because he will also need them to upgrade other things)

Health: 57/100

Mana: 100/100

Stamina: 100/100

Devil Essence: 100/100

(Perks): Devil's Blood (infant - Requires lvl 10 to upgrade)

(Status Effects): -Devil's Awakening (impure state)

(Fighting Styles): Unique move sets that allow a specific approach while engaging enemies.

-Trickster lvl 1: Centered on dodging and adopting a mocking style to taunt the enemy.

Moveset: Dash lvl-1 (allows a single burst of speed that covers a maximum of 3 meters and gives versatility to the user's fighting style. Costs 50 Devil Essence)

Wall Hike lvl-1, (acrobatic maneuver that allows the user to run,be it vertically or horizontally, on a wall for 2 seconds and use it to move short distances of 1 meter and half in the air around the battlefield. Costs 50 Devil Essence)

(Abilities): Devil Bringer (demonic strength and durability - Requires ??? to upgrade),

(Summons): (none)

(Quests/Objectives): Retrieve the GOLDEN CLAW and bring it to Lucan Valerio in RIVERWOOD.

(Followers/Companions/Party): Lokir/Abjorn

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'Well it seem I got some new things, though I won't be able to use them until that status effect wear off. I also noticed how absurd our last fight was, the first draugr overlord you encounter it's really weak compared to the others and wouldn't be able to hold a candle against a cave troll, yet we struggled so much with it that it seemed ridiculous. I seriously need to start training, I wish I was like one of those wuxia novel protagonists that just suddenly know how to fight after reading a book and practicing for 3 hours.'

Going back to reality, we agreed to go back to Riverwood, return the claw and get some rest. I think I'll go to Whiterun and see if I can train myself with the companions. It was my error thinking that adventuring would be an easy thing and that I would be special just because I'm reincarnated, I always laughed at those kind of protagonists and it just hit me that I'm in the same situation. The irony.

We went through the exit that's going up the staircase besides the word wall. When we stepped outside we were on the side of a mountain. We didn't talk much on the journey back until we reached Riverwood and each one said what we're going to be doing for the day. Before that we returned the golden claw to Lucan, who rewarded each of us with something different. Lokir and I asked for money, while Abjorn wanted spell books. Lucan ended up giving him conjure familiar and sparks spell books.

We separated in front of the store and each one of us went to do their own thing. I just wanted to sleep, some of the injuries I got couldn't be healed by Abjorn's spell so I needed to recover. I went straight to the inn and paid Delphine the accommodations costs for another night, I took off my armor and threw myself to the bed, feeling my eyes closing without any type of resistance.

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Chapter word count: 4385