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Thread: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR (23/6/13)

  1. #61

    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by Bullet Storm View Post
    This "Senior" seems to be out to kill your poor protaginist! Lets hope that she survives!
    Yes that definitely sounds quite true. A friend or foe? You really can't trust your mentors anymore

  2. #62
    Swaeft's Avatar Drama King
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    All I am authorized to say is that the "Senior" means well.

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  3. #63
    Swaeft's Avatar Drama King
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Chapter Fourteen: More Lessons

    Vaela shook her head groggily. There was a pounding in her mind, and she could not ignore it nor get rid of it no matter how hard she tried. She tried cupping her head in her hands, but that proved in vain as well.


    Irritated, Vaela sat up and looked around. Suddenly, the memories came flooding back--the ward shimmering, the blast of scarlet fire and purple lightning throwing her back...

    Vaela realized that she was in a room, and on a bed, just like the Riften tavern. However, the quality was anything but. The mattress was made of soft, high quality linen, and the blankets felt warm and velvety, sliding over her body with ease. Vaela noticed that her armor was still on, and there was still a small region where tattered leather flapped about--that was where the blast had hit her hardest. Absent-mindedly rubbing her fingers over that patch, Vaela muttered under her breath and tried to dispel the fuzzy feeling in her head. I should go and find my Senior. Vaela mused. Taking unsteady steps towards the nearest oak door, Vaela pushed it open and peered around the corner.

    There was some furniture and decorations along the corridor Vaela was now looking at. The walls and floor were lined with cobblestone, and the ceiling was made up of oak, giving the corridor an antique feel. The dim luminescence of the wall candles flared up every now and then, especially when Vaela walked past them. Weapon racks and cases were quite visible from Vaela's point of view, and there appeared to be many rooms and doors adjacent and parallel to the room Vaela had just emerged from. She was about to call out for her Senior when she heard some scribbling to her right. Curious and suspecting that her Senior was there, Vaela made her way past a wall lined with iron meshes and wall mats, and approached the source of the scribbling. Her deductions had been correct--it was her Senior who was sitting on a chair behind a well furnished desk, complete with quills, pieces of parchment, coin pouches, books and ledgers and everything else she would expect on a desk.


    "I see that you have risen. Are you well?" Sonje inquired, appearing somewhat naive. Vaela's bitterness started to swell up within her again. Her Senior had almost killed her, and yet she was asking if she was fine? The experiment was so dangerous and life-threatening, and yet her Senior appeared so carefree, without a worry in the world? Vaela could not understand what was going on, but she could definitely understand her feelings. Her enraged feelings. Only her respect for her Senior prevented her from yelling out an obnoxious tirade of profanities, but only just. Vaela shouted out in frustration indignantly.

    "What just happened? Why did you attack me like that? Don't you know that I am but an apprentice? That I am still new to this concept of...imagining things? That I could have lost my life there? How could you, as my mentor, risk my life simply to teach me a spell?" Vaela let out in one breath, before heaving and drawing in more air. Her Senior's answer, however, was unexpected. Instead of showing remorse or contrition, Sonje simply narrated her answer in a monotonous, lifeless tone, as if it was all planned before, irking Vaela even more.

    "I understand your feelings and emotions now, but I strongly suggest you reconsider your insulting words. I am your Senior, and you agreed to be my understudy and learn--"

    "But in such a shocking way? I could feel the power in front of me as my ward imploded! I could feel how close I was to death and to the end of my life! I almost died! I--"

    "BUT DID YOU?" Sonje blasted, her tirade of truculence in full swing now. "Did you die? No! You didnt!" Sonje continued, before Vaela could interject. "I expect you to comply with my instructions no matter what they are, because I am your Senior, and I know better! I have years of experience under my belt! You do not question my judgement! Is that clear?"

    Vaela was taken aback. Was she really in the wrong? Was it really completely and utterly in the her Senior's jurisdiction to judge what to do and what not to do?

    "Yes." A voice in her head replied.

    Sonje approached Vaela, putting her right hand on her left shoulder. In a tone much more warm and caring than before, Sonje chided Vaela. "I have the authority, apprentice. You must obey my every command. That is the code of conduct that you agreed to abide by." Vaela's head slumped when she heard that sentence.

    "But that does not mean that I am always right." Sonje assured, clasping Vaela firmly. A single tear rolled down Vaela's cheek, a myriad of her fear, uncertainty and gratefulness that cascaded down her maroon cheeks. "I scolded you because Masters and Seniors have to display absolute authority over their apprentices--that is the Code, and it has never been disrespected. I myself may not like it, but I have bound myself my magic to the Code, and I cannot unbind myself. I had to increase the power on your ward to the point that it would break, so that you would understand the feeling of a close brush with death." Sonje revealed with a sigh. "That feeling will be forever etched in your memory, and every apprentice trained by our Hall has been through that process, so you are not alone in feeling such horror. The Masters of old deemed it necessary for us to train apprentices to feel the pain of close shaves with death once they had gained a certain degree of proficiency in magic. This was recorded in the Legacy of Honor, and has been applied in training incessantly since then." Sonje paused to take a breath before continuing.

    "The purpose of such a painful experience is to ensure that apprentices such as yourself understand that magic is a dangerous thing. It requires exceptional skill to truly master it, and that your life can be endangered once you make a single mistake. If you dare face off against a superior opponent, then you have every chance of facing such a grim prospect of death. The process was devised to instill the values of caution and wariness in our apprentices since many of them grew arrogant and challenged other magic-wielders to duels. They brought our Hall into disrepute, and thus the Masters had to come up with a means to stop them. This was the most effective way they came up with, and it certainly has worked over the years."

    Vaela was still sobbing a little every now and then, but she stood at rapt attention, listening intently to her Senior's words and digesting them.

    "The amount of power that a Master or Senior would use during this process was carefully controlled. You were never in danger of dying, but you would not have known that. As such, I do not blame you for your rudeness just now, but please bear in mind that any other disrespect will not be tolerated." Sonje asserted. A stunned and humbled Vaela could only nod her head remorsefully.

    I should not have dished out my frustration at my Senior. Vaela concluded. She would obviously have known what to do. Why was I so stupid?

    "It's not your fault." Sonje said allowed, not intruding into the privacy of Vaela's mind anymore as a form of respect. "Come, let us do some light work now, to let you settle down but still keeping the learning process going. Take your hood and mask off, give your head some air." Vaela gratefully complied, allowing her hair and face to take in some much needed fresh air. Vaela could feel her pores open up and welcome to cool kiss of the air, and enjoyed indulging in such a relaxing, merry feeling that she almost forgot about her Senior. Sonje had strode in the direction of one of the many doors around Vaela, but when her Apprentice did not follow, Sonje halted in her tracks and eyed Vaela affectionately. "Or do you wish to rest for a while more? You may head to the room you awoke in to rest, but I will be showing you some interesting books if you decide to follow me." Sonje announced, waiting patiently for her Apprentice to respond.

    "I...I think I'm fine now, Senior. I'll come." Vaela expressed. Her desire to escape the boredom of casting spells, coupled with her natural curiosity of knowledge drove her to comply with her Senior. It wasn't that conjuring spells was a boorish chore, but it was simply because Vaela had been casting the same spells almost her entire life that she found it repetitive for now. She had also wanted a keener knowledge of the arcane, one that definitely could be gleaned from within the bookshelves within the room Sonje led her into. She immediately opened a glass bookcase, the green door swinging of its rusty hinges with a harsh, grating jangle, and retrieved a book from within at random. Flipping it open, Vaela began to read, her hungry eyes devouring the text whole while her Senior looked on as if enjoying the sight.


    "You remind me of myself when I was young." Sonje remarked casually, much to Vaela's surprise. "I was just as knowledge-thirsty as you are now, always excited about the whims and rumors of magic. Sadly after a short period of time I lost interest in the many gibberish some authors wrote. I don't pick up one of these as often as I used to for fear of reading yet another worthless or uninteresting text, but I wouldn't encourage you to do the same." Sonje offered. "Why don't you read some of these books to get a feel of its language and style of writing, before you join me for some alchemy?"

    Alchemy! Vaela's mind echoed jovially. She had always wanted to feel the mixing of plants and herbs, and thus she quickened her pace of reading, procuring as many books as possible from the bookcases and spreading them over a wooden table, trying to read in everything at once, much to the amusement of her Senior, who's shrill laughter reverberated around the room.

    ~~~~

    Vaela did not know how long it had passed since she had started reading the informative books. It could have been simple minutes or long hours. Either way, she knew she had just glimpsed the tip of a wealth of information stored within the thick, heavy books. Deciding to finally rejoin her Senior at an alchemy table, Vaela abandoned the enormous books--but only for the moment. She now stood over the table with a small wooden bowl and a cylinder-shaped wooden slab in her hands. Under her Senior's instructions, Vaela pounded the mixture of power and liquid inside, all the while working under the green hue the various liquids and distillates in front of her produced.


    "You have to pound on the white power until it has broken up into very fine pieces." Sonje instructed. "That will allow them to dissolve into the mixture more easily, and when they dissolve easily, the mixture will become more concentrated, allowing for a stronger potion or whatever use you may have for the outcome. You also have to swirl the wooden bowl every now and then to ensure that the mixture is well-spread out and the concentration is even. You're doing fine so far, keep it up, apprentice." Vaela bristled with pride as her Senior constantly encouraged and motivated her. That was all it took for her to lose her concentration and pound the wooden bowl instead of the fine powder. It cracked on impact, the discordant fracas interrupting the peaceful tranquility of the room.

    Vaela and Sonje blinked once. Then twice.

    Then Sonje let out a small spurt of flames from her palms, and smothered the broken wooden bowl in the intense fire. Within seconds, in melted and turned into small residual fragments, impossible to see with the naked eye. "Don't worry about that, this house always has more." Sonje assured Vaela. "However, don't walk away thinking that alchemy is easy. You've just experienced the simplest part of alchemy--the creating of the mixture. The hard part is going out into the wilds and finding the necessary ingredients and herbs to accompany your distillate, and the extremely difficult segment is for you to discover your own recipe...which you will need to know in the near future." Vaela's ears twitched at that sentence.

    "Am I to be tested on that?" Vaela asked, curious.

    "Come and take a look a this." Sonje instructed, paying Vaela's question no heed. "It's a map of the surrounding area. Tell me what you see." Interest piqued, Vaela approached a round wooden table furnished quite similarly to the main desk where she had seen her Senior after waking up. After a few minutes of silent observation and studying, Vaela spoke up.

    "Our location is where the dagger is implanted, right?" Vaela didn't need to look up to know that her Senior had nodded. "But what of its surroundings?" Sonje prompted. "What do you see in relation to alchemy?" Vaela took a closer looked and inspected the area around the lodge thoroughly. Another few minutes of silence passed before Vaela deduced that the lodge's surroundings were pretty natural with dense forests, a running river and open plains. In short, it was the perfect location to gather ingrediants for alchemy. Sonje beamed approvingly when Vaela told her of that observation.

    "Good. You are showing some promise in basic skills. Observing will be crucial to a mage's success. Here is a smaller copy of the map. Keep it with you at all times." Sonje ordered. Vaela received the map appreciatively and compared it with the bigger one.


    They were indeed similar. Vaela stuffed it into one of her many pouches, making sure that it was secure before closing the pouch strap. "Go get some rest. You've covered the basics of some of a mage's theory requirements today, not a bad start. Tomorrow we will take a trip outside, and I will be assessing some of your skills. Sleep early today, and wake up refreshed for tomorrow's adventure." Sonje commented. Vaela nodded, the bad memories having stopped flashing in front of her, but remaining an integral part of her brain. Her Senior was right. Vaela was determined to live up to her Senior's expectations and complete her training, and rescue her Master from the cursed, evil Thalmor.

    Training was underway, and Vaela was starting to like it.
    ----

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  4. #64
    Bullet Storm's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Hmm, she's going out you say? Something bad is sure to happen!

  5. #65
    Swaeft's Avatar Drama King
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    I'm sorry about the current chapters and maybe the next two or three, but I need to fit in some theory into the story. I am trying my best to include action and scenes of fighting, but please bear with me if they don't come out as expected. The current chapters are quite plot based and I'm trying to get the character's traits flushed out here, so I apologize if the action does not present itself to you as it should. However, after maybe three or four more chapters, the actions will resume with an exciting twist!

    Edit: My content page looks much worse now after the update...hopefully that will be resolved soon?
    Last edited by Swaeft; February 23, 2013 at 06:35 PM.

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  6. #66
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Chapter Fifteen: Gathering and Hunting

    It had been a long time since Vaela had ridden Starstruck, and her horse's eagerness to get out of his cluttered stable was quite evident--he was straining against the leash, raring to enjoy some much needed freedom. After her Senior added some equipment and supplies to Starstruck's back, Vaela unbuckled the straps restricting the poor horse to the stables and he immediately galloped past Vaela and across the bridge. "Don't worry, he won't run away, he's as true as steel. I've instructed him to prance about for a few hours or so to enjoy his freedom." Sonje remarked."Meanwhile, let's go exploring. The path outside the lodge holds much to discover."

    Indeed, her Senior was right. Before the Senior or Apprentice could begin looking for herbs, they spotted a lone orc standing in a grassy area, looking about occasionally and sniffing the air. He seemed to be in some kind of sorrow, and frequently looked down at the ground. Vaela hastened over, curious to speak with an orc--a race she had never met before.


    The morning Sun's golden rays lit up the Skyrim brilliantly, and under such a burning glow Vaela noticed two dead saber cats lying beside the unmoving orc. Did he kill those two beasts by himself? Vaela pondered in awe. The orc looked quite strong, strong enough to bare his naked chest in the open and kill two saber cats without body armor, in any case. A steel mace glinted wickedly at his side, buckled onto a ragged armor made of fur. He grunted when he noticed the Vaela and her Senior approach, and turned to face them. The orc appeared older than what Vaela expected up close, but she did not know what to think of it. He barred his teeth ferociously and let out a loud roar that echoed down the hills. Vaela tensed up, but her Senior placed a placating hand on her shoulder.

    "Don't worry, this is an orc's way of greeting others." Sonje informed Vaela. "He means us no harm. Not yet, at least. Stand beside me, but let me do the talking. Don't do anything to antagonize him." Without another word, Sonje took a few cautious steps forward, and greeted the male orc cordially. "Fellow traveler, how do you do?"

    The orc grimaced in disappointment, gnashing his teeth together as he spoke, creating a jarring noise that Vaela hated. "Well met. You are somewhat mistaken, though. I am no traveler. I am an orc hailing from an outpost far North of here. Malacath has guided me here, to be slain honourably, but that event has eluded me so far." Vaela was surprised. She had no idea what the orc was talking about, or what a Malacath was. She was about to inquire about these two things when her Senior said firmly in her mind, "Don't ask. You'll only offend him. Let's see what he wants." Sonje then started to exchange a few pleasantries with the orc, but the orc seemed irritated by them. He hemmed and hawed and finally shook his head, grunting in disgust. "Stop. You test me with my skill in linguistics, a skill that I am much flawed in. I shall not barter with you further. You test me with something that I am not seeking."

    Vaela was glad that she had her hood and mask on, as her facial expression would surely have irked the rambling orc even further. Her Senior's reply was much calmer. "What are you seeking, then? Perhaps we could help you find it." The orc guffawed extremely loudly, a guttural chuckle reverberating from the base of his throat. It was quickly cut short, though, as the orc sobered up instantly and his face twisted into a serious stare. "If you can indeed give me what I seek, I will indeed thank you. However, I have my doubts that you can give me what I want."

    "I want you to kill me in battle."

    Vaela's head swiveled towards the orc in confusion and bewilderment. She could not--her brain would not--comprehend in any realm where someone would beg another to kill oneself voluntarily. To Vaela, such a practice bespoke madness and insanity, and did not give her a good first impression of the orc race either. "This orc is obviously insane. Let's just get out of here." Vaela whispered to her Senior. The orc would not be able to detect her mouth moving behind her face mask. It was there and then Vaela learned appreciated the garb her Senior had bestowed her with, albeit not at an expected place or time.

    Her Senior, however, had other ideas. She continued conversing with the orc, who revealed that he was considered too old to be a warchief in his 'tribe' or 'clan' as he put it. He also divulged that it would be irresponsible of him to take wives, or consume the tribe's resources unnecessarily. Therefore, the only choice open to him was to die, or so Vaela gathered from his mutterings and grunting. The way the orc pronounced the vowels and consonants left room for doubt, but Vaela was sure that what the orc was saying meant his death at the hands of another person, and in a fight. "Come on, Senior. Let us leave this deluded orc alone in his delirium." Vaela tugged lightly at her Senior's armor hook behind her back. Sonje however, had other ideas. She saw this as an excellent opportunity to teach her apprentice a life lesson, and she had close knowledge of orc traditions and rituals anyway.

    "Very well. We shall grant you your wish." Sonje concluded, much to the bafflement of her Apprentice. "Vaela, step back. You may want to--"

    "Then die, honorable opponents!" The orc bellowed, and hefted a swing at Vaela with his heavy mace. Vaela had barely drawn her sword, but unbeknownst to her, her Senior had already backed off.


    Vaela rolled to her right unceremoniously, and the orc's downward swing missing her by centimeters. Flipping herself upright, Vaela wisely retreated a few steps, leaving the orc stumped for the moment--he had no idea which target to attack. Then, with a guttural roar, he lumbered towards Vaela's Senior, who had already conjured up the fiery apparition Vaela had seen but once before--when she was training with wards. Vaela hesitated, unsure whether to assist her Senior or not. Her Senior had warned her that magic was, for the most part, usable and reliable, but not in close quarters. And so she waited for a decent opening to strike, her golden blade glimmering in her hands, almost as if it wanted to taste the scarlet liquid that was blood, almost as if it badly needed to participate in the melee in front of it...

    Vaela watched as her Senior traded blows with the fearsome orc, and occasionally the odd magic spell. It was apparent right from the start that the orc was in no position to win, and he certainly wasn't going to get the better of a well trained mage. Sonje hammered at him until he was exhausted and bleeding from the numerous wounds on his body, inflicted by a deadly combination of spiky shards of ice, terrifying bolts of lightning and the constant agony of fire. She advanced on the weakened orc from the flanks, ready to pounce at him at any moment. She looked to her Senior for guidance, and when her Senior nodded, she wiggled her sword hand and prepared to lunge at the orc's exposed side. Her Senior had time to burn the orc once more before Vaela actually dealt the fatal slash that ending his life.


    "Malacath was right!" The orc cried out, before dropping to the ground, immobile and still. He landed with a resounding 'thud' that sent shudders through Vaela's bones. Vaela blinked absent-mindedly as her Senior stepped over the orc and knelt down to measure his pulse. A sad shake of the head almost brought tears to Vaela's face. "He's gone." Sonje assessed.



    Vaela was mortified. Why did I even do this? She asked herself over and over again. I knew that this would happen, right? Why didn't I object? Why didn't I stop my Senior from letting him die? Why did I participate in his death? Why why why? Vaela pounded her fists together in frustration. Sonje rose and approached Vaela slowly. She noticed this almost immediately, and half-heartedly struck out at her. "Why didn't we just walk away? Why did we kill that lunatic?" Vaela sobbed. Once again, it was up to Sonje to comfort her Apprentice and teach her the necessary virtues that she lacked.

    ”It is no fault of yours that you should weep for the dead, especially one so noble as he." Sonje gestured to the stricken corpse on the bloodstained cobblestone path. "You must understand some things. Imagine the orc we just met, still alive and kicking. If we had simply walked by without taking up his offer, what would he have gained?"

    "His life!” Vaela responded bitterly. Sonje was inclined to agree, but her counterargument was so logical that Vaela simply had to share her standpoint. "If we had just walked by without killing him, he would have stood there for an eternity, waiting for someone to pass by and kill him. Time and hunger would take its toll on him, and he would eventually collapse out of exhaustion, slumping to the ground not even of his own accord, a lifeless wreck." Each description of the orc's possible death sent a cold shiver down Vaela's spine, and a dagger of helplessness into her heart. "That's not the end. He would still be alive, just motionless and dysfunctional. He would still be able to see the maggots crawling about on the ground, the ants scurrying to and fro with their food, the crickets scuttling about, the--"

    "Ok, ok! I get the point!" Vaela shouted, her ears hurting from the abuse. "But to kill him just like that?"

    "Orcish culture is very different from us. They value, above most others, honour, bravery, courage, strength, and glory. They will not accept a death from old age or by disease--you must fall in battle if you want a proper burial."

    Vaela's head thrummed with so many questions it hurt. Never in her life did she expect to meet such an outlandish, incomprehensible culture. She wanted to just throw everything she heard all about it away, but it wasn't easy. There was also something else that bothered her. "Senior," Vaela began, setting herself down on a mossy rock. "When I killed that man...I mean after I killed that man, I felt...well...bad. It was as if I didn't want him to die. He looked so...alive and vibrant." Vaela surmised. "It was a shame to kill him. I mean...I really didn't want to! It hurts so bad when I think about it."

    Her Senior arched her eyebrows in surprise. "You haven't killed people before?"

    Vaela shook her head, muttering in dismay. "I have indeed, Senior, but those people were the blasted Thalmor scum. I enjoyed killing them, because to me I felt that whenever I killed one of those high elves, it would bring me one step closer to rescuing my Master. He does not deserve imprisonment in some lowly prison like a common criminal. No! He deserves his freedom, his luxuries, and his life! I don't even know if he had a romantic relationship with someone! What if he had not told his partner about him leaving? She would be so worried and depressed!"

    Sonje's cheeks were flushed with blood at this statement, but thankfully for her, Vaela was too frustrated to notice.

    "I just...felt that killing those Thalmor scum was right. That was why I didn't feel remorseful or anything when cutting them to bits or cooking them alive in their own armor. I felt that it was just. However, to kill someone voluntarily just like that, especially someone who looks so vibrant and healthy, and who was so innocent and noble, was a real blow to my conscience." Vaela disclosed to her attentive Senior. Sonje put her hand on Vaela's shoulder like she had done many times before, and helped her up. "Walk with me." She said, and Vaela followed wordlessly, her mind still in a tumultuous discord.

    Sonje then spoke with a wisdom that betrayed her age."You are right, Apprentice. You are right. Killing is not an enjoyable task--in fact, it is a thankless, revolting, disgusting chore, however necessary it may be. Many have gone stark raving mad after killing their first victim, whether accidentally or on purpose. To those people, the shock and revulsion at their deed was too great for them to handle. They saw the crazed fear in their opponent's eyes, the helplessness and dread and trepidation. The blow to their mind and sanity was a much greater one than the blow they dealt to their opponents. Two of our own have fallen to such a case. However gruesome this might sound, you actually handled the shock and aftermath quite well. I wasn't as fortunate as you."

    Vaela was in awe of her Senior's explanation and could finally appreciate her Senior's line of thinking. Not totally, not yet at least, but she could start to absorb it and take it in gradually. She could find no major fault with her Senior's breakdown of killing, and the minor grievances she held in her mind were either dissipating fast or too murky after the explanation. Vaela kept a small distance between her and her Senior, allowing the buzzing thoughts in her head to die off. Slowly but surely, a state of tranquility entered Vaela's mind. And as if on cue, her Senior finally stopped walking as they approached a stream, two women and a horse. All the unease from Vaela's mind disappeared as she took in the surroundings.


    "Wow..." The single breath escaped from Vaela's puckered lips, winding high away into the air and into nothingness, joining the fluffy white clouds in a waltz across the sky. The blue water poured out from a small waterfall, dropping a few feet into the much slower-moving stream. The presence of mountains were perfect--close enough to provide refreshing, cool downhill breezes, but yet not too far away such that their presence was negligible. Coupled with the trees actively spewing fresh oxygen into the atmosphere, the air around the area was invigorating and refreshing. Vaela's troubles took a back seat in her head as she walked merrily around the river bank, enjoying the feeling of the water lapping up onto her boots. However, her Senior wasn't just about to let her relax for the entire journey. She knelt down next to some mossy rocks and started to describe some of the flora and fauna, including many mountain flowers and herbs, and their uses in alchemy.



    Vaela spent the next few hours gathering various herbs, plants and ingredients for alchemy. Starstruck accompanied her close behind, ready to store any ingredient his master found in his saddle pouches. Vaela now understood why her Senior had warned her that it was tough. Spotting the different flora and classifying them was the hard part. Doing it repetitively for a few hundred times was just downright tedious and exhausting. Vaela collected numerous ingredients during the few hours she spent in the wild. It seemed to her that she was never far from creatures and other wildlife. Some were friendly and dared to come closer, like small rabbits, foxes and birds. A white-pelted snow fox even descended from the mountainside to sniff at Vaela's boots! Others, however, were more cautious and kept their distance--within visible sight, but out of reach and out of danger. Animals that belonged to this category included deer, elks, squirrels, beavers and so on. The only hostile creature Vaela encountered was a very infuriated mudcrab lurking by the river bank, encased in...mud. It reacted angrily when Vaela pulled a Canis Root out a few centimetres away from it. It clapped its claws together angrily and tottered towards Vaela.

    She roasted it alive. It squealed once and fell silent. That was about the only thing that broke the irascible monotone of the ingredient gathering. Muttering curses and whatnot, Vaela shook her head and returned to gathering more Canis root.

    ~~~~

    It was almost evening when the rain started to come down in torrents. The river swelled and roared furiously downhill, a stark contrast to the peaceful, slow paced scene earlier. It threatened to overrun the banks and flood the low lying plains, and so Senior and Apprentice met up to discuss what to do. As both of them stood at the river banks, with the water gaining ground every few minutes, Sonje decided to set up camp. Vaela glanced at the ingredients in Starstruck's pouches and took note of what she had gathered. Various mountain flowers, Canis roots, Lavender, a few Deathbells, but no Nirnroot. Vaela's head slumped in dismay. Her Senior had hoped that Vaela would be able to find one of those along the shores of the river, but now it seemed that it was but a faint hope. She had not seen any bright glow as her Senior had told her to look out for, but perhaps under the darkening skies and pouring rain, she could spot the brilliant glow of one? "Close your eyes and concentrate.” Her Senior instructed. "Block out everything else, and search for the sounds of the elusive Nirnroot.”

    Vaela, having done such things before in the snowy blizzards of Windhelm, closed her eyes, knowing that although she blocked out the world around her and was vulnerable to incoming attacks, her Senior would be there to protect her. She mentally gazed over the surroundings, hearing the panting of a wolf on the hunt, the chirping of a cricket in the undergrowth, the grass shifting as wildlife walked through them, and...the small, shrill, unmistakable tingling of a Nirnroot. "I've got it!" Vaela exclaimed jubilantly. ”It's somewhere East of here!"

    She scampered quickly towards a niche in an outcropping of rocks, almost tripping over her own legs in the process. Eager to prove to her Senior that she was indeed capable of gathering ingredients that were tougher to find. Her boots splashed over mud and trampled over dirt before she finally found the ingredient she was looking for--a green, well-grown Nirnroot, just sitting noisily below the jutting rocks, beside the rampaging river. Sonje caught up with Vaela and lighted a torch to illuminate the area.



    "Ah, so you've found it!" Sonje exclaimed. Vaela nodded her head, and would have put on a more jovial smile if there wasn't a pounding in her head, like a far off roar. Vaela put it out of mind and listened to her Senior. "The Nirnroot is an uncommon rarity in Skyrim, and you don't get to see many of these. They are mainly used for--"

    The roar in Vaela's head was getting louder, and she twitched uncomfortably. Sonje noticed her Apprentice's discomfort and peered into her mind. Vaela could now hear the flapping of wings, the torrent of wind passing past her. Confused, she turned to her Senior, who now bore a grim look on her face. "Get your ward up, and stay behind me." She mumbled, fidgeting nervously. In her hands, readied spells were prepared, and she looked anxiously around the high mountains, then conjured one of those fiery apparitions again. Before long, a loud roar was heard over the top of the nearest mountain, and with a gush of wind and a tumbling of snow-covered rocks, a dragon materialised over the mountaintop and breathed an incredibly, amazingly cold blast of ice at Vaela, who directed her trembling ward at it.


    Vaela was in awe of her Senior, for she had stood up to the dragon's freezing blast without a ward, but perhaps her armor had something to do with it. As the dragon swooped away and returned for another pass, Vaela hardened her heart to battle, and started to shoot fireballs at the flying monster of destruction.
    Last edited by Swaeft; February 23, 2013 at 11:03 PM.

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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by Bullet Storm View Post
    Hmm, she's going out you say? Something bad is sure to happen!
    Many things will happen. But you may be right!

    Quote Originally Posted by Chirurgeon View Post
    Absolutely huge chapter! I thought you were slowing down! Lol
    It will slow down soon enough. Once I get back my inspiration for the Sicilian AAR. I have an obligation to do so. Thanks for reading! I'll get to reading yours once I have some more free time.

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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Fantastic story so far, Swaeft! I found your AAR after you commented on "The Nascent Ranger", which I've been reading for a while. I'm enjoying your angle on this apprenticeship, and I think it's fascinating following two mages. The story's really got me interested and excited for each next chapter. Keep up the good work!

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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by G-Ballz View Post
    Fantastic story so far, Swaeft! I found your AAR after you commented on "The Nascent Ranger", which I've been reading for a while. I'm enjoying your angle on this apprenticeship, and I think it's fascinating following two mages. The story's really got me interested and excited for each next chapter. Keep up the good work!
    Why thank you! It's nice to have a new reader once in a while. Gives me extreme satisfaction. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, and for the encouragement as well! I hope you continue enjoying this AAR. I will upload the next chapter in...4 hours or so?

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    Chapter Sixteen: Emotional Lessons

    The dragon flew low and fast, rumbling over the land and startling the wildlife. Sonje shouted hasty instructions to her Apprentice--get out of the dragon's path and stay hidden. Vaela scuttled behind some rocks and watched the skies anxiously. She started to channel some power into her hands in case the need to throw up a ward, or blast the dragon with fire, ever arose.

    This dragon fought differently from the previous one Vaela had encountered at the Western Watchtower in outside the town of Whiterun. Whilist that particular dragon had made use of the air well, darting this way and that to avoid Irileth's lightning bolts, this dragon simply landed on the ground time and time again and breathed frost at Sonje. It wasn't that landing made the dragon an easier combatant to fight against--it just didn't make much sense to Vaela. Then again, since when did dragons make sense? Vaela wondered. She ducked as a blast of ice shot over her head and buried itself into an unfortunate tree. It's trunk split in half. Vaela shuddered and remained crouching for the next few minutes.

    It seemed as if Vaela's Senior was invulnerable to the dragon's claws and teeth. Her armor had a blue hue emanating from it, and whenever the dragon tried to scratch her or bite her, it shimmered magically, and thus Vaela assumed that her Senior had augmented her armor or enchanted it in some way. However, there were moments of panic as well. Vaela had cried out helplessly when her Senior was thrown back against the ground when the dragon bashed its head against her. That gave the dragon time to deal with her Senior's flaming apparition, which soon vanished under the dragon's icy breath. That was when Vaela had stepped out of her hiding place to fire a bolt of fire at the dragon, the fireball whooshing to the dragon at incredible speed, briefly illuminating the surrounding forest. Vaela thought she caught a glimpse of a frightened fox prancing around nervously behind one of the many pine trees. That was also the moment when her Senior whispered a few words and threw a small dagger at the dragon.


    The dagger passed through her Senior's torch and became a burning brand of fire. It did not hit Sonje's intended target, the dragon's mouth, but it struck the dragon's left ear in a terrible burst of sparks and fiery eruptions. The dragon writhed in agony, but still managed to flap its wings and lift itself off the ground. The turbulence caused by its massive wings made Vaela stagger backwards. She had no time to recoil from the impact, as a moment later the massive beast bellowed loudly and soared back towards the mountains which it had come from. Vaela was buffeted by the wind and was pushed to the floor. Vaela recovered, but stayed down until the racket made by the dragon's beating wings were heard no more.

    "It's gone, Apprentice. You may get up now." Vaela's Senior remarked, dusting some icy shards off her armor. Vaela stood, shaken, but not as much as someone who had just seen a ghost, let alone their first dragon. "How many of these are there?" Vaela asked, but the words tumbled out slowly--her mouth still had some ice in them.

    "Well, the official Imperial estimates put their number at around ten, but we of the Mage's Hall, after conducting extensive studies in the field, believe that there are around thirty or more." Sonje replied. Vaela shook her head in dismay. "Thirty dragons are many, Senior. What is the Legion doing about it?"

    Sonje shrugged and muttered a gloomy reply. "Not much, actually. They can't handle the Thalmor and the Stormcloaks alone, and they are stretched thin as it is. The dragons have free reign around Skyrim's wilderness now, and even the Jarls are unwilling to send men out on patrol, for fear of losing soldiers to the dragons. That has encouraged the dragons, and now many of them venture out from their nesting and hiding places to explore. There are also other, deeper reasons why the dragons are appearing, but you don't need to know that for now." Sonje revealed. "Come, let us continue your training. That dragon won't be back for awhile. I doubt it can even hear its own breathing after the explosion in its left ear."

    "What did you do, Senior? I saw you throw your dagger, but the rest became murky as the explosion obscured my vision."

    "Well, that dagger was a dagger I had enchanted with a resistance to fire many years ago, when I was an apprentice like you. Unfortunately, the enchantment misfired and the dagger ended up being a great conductor of heat, instead of being resistant to it. I simply threw it at the dragon, and when it passed through my torch it ignited like bushes in a dry savanna. I believe you saw the rest."

    Vaela nodded and shook her head. Questions burned in her mind, but she was loath to ask her Senior about them at this stage, especially after the killing of the weird orc and a dragon's appearance. "Vaela, use your mind to call Starstruck here." Sonje instructed. "This is a good spot to set up camp."

    Vaela looked around, surprised. Her Senior was gazing at a small clearing in the woods. It was indeed an ideal spot to situate a camp--protected from the winds by the mountains, and surrounded by trees. The river was close by, so Vaela knew that water was never a problem. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breathes as her Senior had taught her before. Then, opening her mind up, she called out mentally, imbuing her shout with power from her mind. A few seconds passed, before a thundering of hooves could be heard. Starstruck announced his arrival by breaking a few twigs and branches off a fallen tree. Vaela was glad to see him again, still carrying his packs and pouches, his saddle still neatly placed upon his body, and his armor...coated with ice.

    "Dear me!" Vaela exclaimed in shock. "What the?" She reached out and placed her hand on Starstruck's soft, moist nose, and he nuzzled her hand in return. ”I wouldn't worry if I were you." Vaela's Senior remarked as she approached. "His armor is enchanted, and is likely to break apart only under the most severe and intense of assaults."

    Vaela nodded, some semblance of assuredness returning to her mind. I should have known. Vaela mused. My Master would definitely have done something to protect his beloved horse. She patted him gingerly on the head, and suddenly remembered that he needed feeding.

    "Take out some dried venison from one of his pouches." Sonje instructed. "I've stored some on his back, for occasions such as this. Normally during an outdoor lesson I would expect you to hunt for your own food, but today is an exception. You've done quite well today, so keep it up, Apprentice." Vaela's pride swelled at that remark--it was just the thing needed to motivate her against the bleak outlook of the day's events. She eagerly tore open Starstruck's pouches, and retrieved some preserved, dried venison from one of them. She tossed one to Starstruck, who with amazing agility, snapped it up with his mouth and munched gratefully on it. Handing one to her Senior who gracefully accepted, she then took one for herself and chewed on it. It was not the best venison Vaela had ever tasted, but she was no expert in cooking, so she enjoyed it as much as the lively Starstruck did, chewing and biting on it as if it were fresh from the market.

    The next half an hour so was spent setting up camp. It was to be a temporary shelter, since they had journeyed too far from the lodge to return in two hours. Sonje also wanted Vaela to continue learning to adapt to the wild, and gain skills related to stalking her prey. Just like her time in Windhelm, she set up camp all by herself out of respect to her Senior. She pitched the tent first-wisely too, as the rain was getting heavier. Sonje told Vaela to construct a different design with the limited amount of hide fabric she had, so the tent was notably smaller, but would fit the two of them anyway. At the end of all that, Sonje set some wooden logs alight with magic, bathing the surroundings in a warm, incandescent glow. Vaela then sat down on a large, fallen tree trunk, suddenly feeling weary and lethargic. Her Senior noticed this and approached her with a torch in hand, ready to ward off whatever darkness may be eating at her Apprentice, mentally and physically.


    "Senior...may I ask you a question?" Vaela appealed.

    "Of course, Apprentice. Go right ahead. I'll be listening, as always."

    Vaela shifted, fidgeting for a moment, before asking hesitantly, "Did you know what my Master was like?" An awkward silence descended on the compound, as Sonje twiddled her thumbs uneasily. Vaela attempted to dispel the silence by elaborating further. "I knew him since I was young, but I have only faint memories of our life together. Cyrodiil never appealed much to me, and I do not have fond memories of such a strict province anyway. I mean...I don't even know his name. He simply bid me to call him 'Master' one day, and so I did from then on. I didn't even know his personality or traits." Vaela remarked sadly, lucid, crystal tears beginning to form around her irises. "I only know that he was very upstanding, respectable and righteous. He had tried to instill those same values into me, but I can't say for sure that he succeeded. Can you please tell me more about him, Senior?"

    Sonje's brow furrowed behind her helm, and she wrinkled her eyelashes. A state of melancholy seemed to overcome Vaela's Senior, and she sat down quietly next to Vaela on the log. "Well..." Sonje began, the words squabbling out of her throat hoarsely. "Your Master was quite the man. He was, as you said, righteous and honorable. If there was a man in the Mage's Hall that one could go to for impartial judgment on something, it would be your Master. He was renowned throughout our Hall for being unquestionably loyal and intelligent. It was he who had first discovered that the Thalmor were planning to invade Cyrodiil before the Third Great War many years back. Sadly, the Imperial Embassy there did not heed his advice, and thus Cyrodiil was conquered. In our Hall, he was appointed Grand Inquisitor, Lord of Fire and Ice, and Secretary to the Divine Mage himself."

    Vaela huffed. "Those are indeed great achievements and glowing titles, Senior. But what of his character? His traits?" At the mention of this, Sonje's face descended into gloom, and this caught Vaela by much surprise.

    "Your Master was an...understanding person. He knew what others wanted, and always had good intentions when offering them gifts. He...was also quite...manly." Sonje appeared to have difficulty speaking--she was almost choking out her sentences. "He...was very much the gentleman. He was always keen to help and assist others, and was the epitome of generosity."

    Vaela was glad to hear such a nice testimony for her Master, but to her, it seemed that her Senior was glorifying her Master. She didn't know how to explain it, but it just felt to her as if her Senior was amplifying her Master's traits. She did not have a single bad thing to say about Vaela's Master, which was both heartening and slightly unrealistic at the same time. "Surely he couldn't be the perfect man?" Vaela inquired curiously.

    Her Senior was stuttering at this stage. Vaela had never seen Sonje this bewildered before. "No, he...he wasn't the perfect man. He had his flaws, just as everyone had, but his positive side would overwhelm everyone who met him to the point that only those who were really close to him, and had spent many days with him would understand him well."

    The rain pattered down lightly as Vaela tried to understand what her Senior was driving at. Even from here she could sense the moodiness and dolefulness in her Senior's mind. She reached out and softly touched her Senior's arm. Sonje whisked her hand away as if startled from the contact, and Vaela uneasily asked her a question. "Are you well, Senior?"

    When she received no reply, she extended her mental awareness to reach further into her Senior's mind. Normally her Senior would not have permitted this, but this time Sonje spoke not a word, instead delving deep into the inner recesses of her mind, as if trying to hide from the outside world. The desolate caterwauling and tumult in her Senior's mind seemed much more heightened than usual to Vaela. She detected forlornness, regret, responsibility and many other emotions in her Senior's mind. But there was one emotion which stood out. Not because of its magnitude or presence, but because of its unexpectedness.

    Love.

    Vaela's eyes fluttered in surprise. Could it be? She wondered. Then, the emotions in her Senior's mind vanished abruptly, being replaced by a solid brick wall of...power. She was exiled from her Senior's mind at the speed of lightning. Vaela eyed her Senior warily, and noticed that Sonje seemed to be regulating her breathing and trying to compose herself. She did so extraordinarily quickly, and now turned to Vaela with the familiar determination and authority present in her eyes. It made Vaela feel small and powerless in the grand scale of things--a reminder of her place and position. The glance exchanged between Senior and Apprentice said everything clearly--there was no need for spoken words. Vaela lowered her eyes, abashed. She should not have pried into her Senior's mind. None of them spoke for a few moments, each trying to resolve their own thoughts.

    Then, Sonje got up from the log. Vaela stood quickly out of respect to her Senior and as a form of courtesy. Her Senior dipped her head at Vaela once, and Vaela understood immediately. Sonje had taken no offence at Vaela's curiosity, but behind those kind eyes lay a stern warning not to intrude again. Vaela nodded back at her Senior, who finally let out a sigh, as if a great weight had been lifted from her mind. "It's getting late. We should go to sleep." Sonje noted. "We have a good few hours of journeying back to the lodge tomorrow, and I have to teach you the methods of creating potions." Vaela hurriedly rushed to unpack a single bedroll and spread it out on the floor for her Senior. Sonje smiled gratefully at Vaela--a tired smile, but nevertheless thankful. Vaela watched as her Senior plopped herself down, shifted until she found a good spot, and then went to sleep.


    Vaela, however, could not sleep. Amid the howling wind, she was left to ponder her Senior's emotions and the day's events. She sat cross-legged next to her Senior, and for the moment she imagined herself back in Windhelm in those lonely days, braving the night's cold wind alone, and cowering from the howling of wolves and grunting of bears. Vaela silently huddled closer to the campfire, seeking its warmth and security. Starstruck whinnied softly once. Then, Vaela's mind returned to her Senior's emotions, and of love.

    Thinking about it made Vaela feel lonely once more. Just like in Windhelm.
    Last edited by Swaeft; February 28, 2013 at 07:36 AM.

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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by Chirurgeon View Post
    how do you get your follower to spar with you like that? Great update though
    Sorry for missing this out. It actually took a bit of luck. I accidentally hit my follower with magic more than once while traveling in a dungeon, so she attacked me. Then I realized that any follower would do the same when attacked. So I simply dismissed my companion and attacked her four times before she turned on me. Then I just spammed spells at her and (repeatedly hit the ~ key to get lucky with a screenshot moment). It look half an hour to get those pictures lol. Again, sorry for missing this comment out.

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    Chapter Seventeen: More Alchemy and Training

    Vaela was awoken by a tap on her shoulder. She rose groggily and stumbled to her feet. "Wake up, Apprentice. It's time we headed back. Pack our stuff up, and prepare to go." Sonje ordered. Vaela complied and set herself to taking down the tent first. When everything else was on Starstruck's back, Vaela mounted up and awaited her Senior's command to get moving. Instead, Sonje eyed her Apprentice with disdain in her eyes. "I expect you to treat Starstruck better in future. He is not your pack animal. He is not your slave. He has followed you loyally all this time, and yet you do nothing do bond with him. Is that acceptable behaviour?"

    Vaela looked downcast. She knew that her Senior was right. Her remorseful glance travelled to an oblivious Starstruck. Vaela's horse's ignorance only served to increase Vaela's contrition. "Your bond is so weak that even he can't feel your sorrow. I expect you to work on that once we reach the lodge."

    Sonje's tone left no room for argument, and a very humbled and abashed Vaela trudged back to the lodge on foot, too shamefaced to even ride Starstruck back. It was only now that Vaela realized she had neglected to take care of Starstruck and treat him well. Therefore, the trip back to the lodge was one of silence and self reflection.

    When Vaela returned to the lodge, her Senior wasted no time in bringing her to the alchemy lab, where she intended to teach Vaela about potions and how to create them. "Alright. What we're going to do here is will be different from last time." Sonje started. "This time, we are going to actually make potions instead of simply pounding the ingredients. We will still need to get the ingredients in shape for potion-making, so have a go at a few of these."

    Sonje tossed Vaela a few Blisterworts, and Vaela started to pound them until a very fine powder came out from the Blisterwort. Meanwhile, her Senior rummaged through a nearby rucksack and procured a piece of parchment. She hadned the parchment to Vaela, who read it carefully. "This is a recipe that lists the ingredients for a restore health potion." Sonje explained. "You need all the ingredients listed there, in a ready state for potion making, in order to create a potion capable of healing your wounds in the middle of battle." Vaela nodded and returned to pounding the pores of the Blisterwort until no more of the fine powder could be extracted.

    "Good." Her Senior remarked. ”That is the stage where you can no longer effectively gather any more of the Blisterwort's spore. It is pretty useless now, so feel free to incinerate it with some fire." Vaela roasted the limp remains of the Blisterwort and continued to pound another one.

    ~~~~

    About half an hour later, Vaela had finished grinding and pounding some more Blisterworts, many Blue Mountain Flowers, and some Wheat. Her Senior had prepared some empty grey vials for her while she was busy, but potion mixing was not top of the agenda yet. "I see you've gained a new aptitude for destroying ingredients." Sonje remarked churlishly when some of the mountain flowers' powder were too small to be used and lay all over the floor, courtesy of Vaela's reckless pounding. "Remember, keep the force even and hammer different spots every time, else the results will be inconsistent and you will have useless ingredients that you cannot make use of." Sonje instructed. Vaela blushed in embarrassment and bent down to clean the floor.

    "A good mage must keep his or her own workplace safe and clean. A cluttered and messy workplace leaves much room for error. If you do not want liquids exploding in front of your face, I suggest you keep your alchemy table as pristine as possible."

    When Vaela had finished nicking up the last scraps of flower seeds off the wooden floor, Sonje handed her a grey vial, filled with nothing but air. This stirred up Vaela's excitement as she had always wanted to create her own bubbling froth that could increase her powers in battle. But she knew by now that her Senior's training regiment was not all fun and games, and her enthusiasm dimmed somewhat when her Senior instructed her to gather up some of the Blisterwort spores she had so nicely arranged by the sides of the alchemy table.

    "Eat it."

    "What?" Vaela exclaimed in astonishment and revulsion. "Senior, surely you can't expect me to eat a disgusting piece of--"

    "If that is how you view the ingredients necessary for potions that can save your life, then I have nothing more to teach you about alchemy. Do you wish to learn, or not?"

    Once again, her Senior's indomitable authority had silenced Vaela, and she had no choice but to comply. Her fingers shuddering slightly, she placed the small substance into her mouth and swallowed it quickly in order to avoid the taste. However a blue hue immediately exuded from her, and Vaela yelped in surprise.


    "Relax. That's just the effects of the ingredient on your body. It's reacting normally. You've just gained a tiny amount of health back." Sonje interjected in between Vaela's frantic muttering. Vaela calmed herself down gradually when she sensed that her Senior was right--she was feeling slightly better than before. "What you just felt was the pure reaction between a blue mountain flower and your body. It's effects have taken place instantaneously, as you might have felt. Some ingredients have effects that take place over time, and that can be both a help and a hindrance. But more on that later. For now, what you have done was to absorb the effect of a blue mountain flower directly. As you may have noticed, its effects are minimal. What we can do now, however, is to combine it with ingredients that react and exponentially increase its effects. Come closer."

    Vaela inched closer and Sonje handed her some of the blue mountain flowers' pollen and a couple of smashed wheat. "Now pour them in this distillate." Sonje instructed, holding up a vial with liquid swirling around inside. Vaela shook her hands until the last vestiges of the ingredients were swept in, and with remarkable timing, the vial seemed to sparkle. The ingredients settled around the bottom of the distillate and appeared to just...disappear. Sonje shook the mixture gently with a triumphant expression on her eyes. "It is complete." She breathed. She handed the vial to Vaela, and now instructed her to drink up. This time, Vaela did not hesitate, and immediately plunged the liquid in the vial into her throat. The effects were pleasing. Vaela felt reenergized and reinvigorated. The potion had done its work. All the small bruises and bumps she had on her skin had all but vanished into thin air. Her skin was as smooth as a newborn child's, and the pain she felt was greatly reduced. Vaela muttered a single word in awe.

    "Wow."

    Sonje's chest heaved with joy when she saw her Apprentice being awestruck by magic. "Do you see now? Magic is indeed exciting and its potential is boundless. What you just drank was a potion that healed you of your physical ailments and wounds. The mountain flower's pollen reacted with the smashed wheat to expedite the healing process."

    Vaela nodded, digesting the information. Her eyes glittered with wonder. "Does this mean that it's possible to create potions with incredible effects like...longer lasting stamina?" Vaela pondered aloud.

    "In a sense, yes." Her Senior confirmed. However, she was also quick to caution Vaela about her impulsiveness again. "But not everyone can do it. For the more advanced potions, one requires exquisite and exotic ingredients that are quite rare, a good knowledge of where to find said ingredients, a sound set of alchemy equipment, and great skill when doing the process, such as measuring the exact amount of an ingredient to add. The potion you just made required only a small amount of ingredients and an exact amount is not needed. For the more advanced potions however, creating them necessitates the adding of exact, specific amounts of the required ingredients. Otherwise, undesirable outcomes may be attained, such as the harmful explosion of the mixture itself."

    Vaela nodded and made a mental note of it. She was sure that one day, she could create powerful potions that would change the tides of battle against the Thalmor forever. For now, however, she was stuck creating small restorative potions while hiding from the cursed High Elves.

    ~~~~

    An hour later, Vaela had finished putting together ten potions. It was no easy feat, and Vaela's forehead was glistening with dripping sweat. She was tired from all the pounding and mixing, and that was when the thought hit her. "Senior, can I take a potion to remedy my lack of stamina?" Vaela thought that perhaps she could continue making potions and continue taking them to give her strength to make even more potions. Such a cycle would be boring, though.

    Unfortunately for Vaela, her Senior revealed that taking potions in excess could be harmful to the body. One's body might not be able to take in the effects of many potions at once, which was why potions had to be consumed in moderate, controlled amounts. "You have done well for now, Apprentice." Sonje remarked. "I must now proceed to teach you an integral part about spell casting. Walk just over here, please."

    Vaela watched as her Senior took a key from her belt pouch and opened a casing. Inside, Vaela glimpsed two things. A book with a weird symbol in front, and a small rolled up sheet of parchment. "I know what that is!" Vaela exclaimed, pointing to the parchment with a red circular seal. "It's a magic scroll, isn't it? I've used one of those before!"

    "But do you know how it works?" Sonje responded, to which Vaela shook her head.

    "A woman named Erin told me before that a scroll could only be used once, and that its power was stored magically in the writing. That's about all I know of it." Vaela recalled. Her Senior, however, seemed distracted.

    "Erin..." She whispered. "How did you get to know this woman?" Sonje asked.

    "I met her in my travels, and she accompanied me for a short while when I was tracking down a Dragonstone." Vaela revealed. She then related the intense battle of Bleak Falls Barrow to her Senior, who listened with great interest.

    As Vaela completed her tale, Sonje's lips parted and a soft chuckle seeped through them. "Erin...you clever woman."

    "You know her, Senior?" Vaela inquired. Her Senior shook her head, a smile still on her lips, and directed Vaela's attention back to the display case. "Back to the scroll, Apprentice. You are indeed correct. A scroll's magical ability only allows users to absorb its power once. The magic infused in it allows users to quickly breach their mental barriers and direct the flow of power to their hands instantly. This particular scroll will call upon a flame atronach Now that you have the experience of invoking the power's of one, I suppose I shan't need to tell you about it. Let's move on to the book."

    "This book is what mages call a spell tome. It stores magical knowledge about a particular spell within its pages. Just like scrolls, it can only be used once. The knowledge stored within the tome will be transferred directly to your brain upon use. It, however, will not break your mental barriers for you. It only imparts to you information on how to break the mental barriers when imagining the spell. You activate its power by placing any one of your hands on the book and directing the book's power into your mind. Be aware that this will destroy the tome in the process."

    Vaela placed her hand over the book and connected with the power radiating from it. She channelled it to her head and expected to learn something. However, absolutely nothing happened. Confused, Vaela tried again, only for her to fail once more. A small spark travelled up her arms, but apart from that, nothing happened. No violent effusing of light, no powerful surge of energy, and the tome in the display case still remained intact. Sonje started intently at the tome until she realized the problem.

    "You already know this spell, don't you?" Sonje asserted. Vaela inquired about the nature of the spell, and when Sonje told her that it enabled users to shoot lightning from their palms, Vaela slapped herself on the wrist. "Yes, Senior. I do indeed know that spell. No wonder nothing happened." She remarked. Sonje shrugged and closed the case. "Well, now you know that nothing happens when you already know the spell. This proves that only the knowledge is imparted to you. By the way, you can always recognize the spell the tome is describing by simply flipping a few pages. Or, you can simply tell which school of magic the spell is from by looking at the symbol on the cover page. This is the symbol for Destruction. Don't stare at the tome like an idiot when the answer is just a few pages in front!" Sonje jested.

    A few more hours of teaching and Vaela was ready to hit the sack. Her Senior guided her to the burning lodge fire, where Vaela would have her customary 'debrief' session before going to bed. Vaela removed her hood and mask with the approval of her Senior, and wiped away the sweat on her forehead.


    The debrief session was going on as usual and Vaela was clarifying her doubts when she suddenly noticed something that had been nagging at her mind since her first debrief session. "Senior, why do you never remove your helmet?" Vaela inquired curiously. "Come to think of it, I have never seen you remove your armor, Senior.Not even when you sleep. Don't you feel hot?"

    Vaela's Senior suddenly looked uncomfortable with the question. "Well, it's a form of respect for my previous Master." Sonje said, and left it at that. No matter how Vaela beseeched her for details, she would not elaborate.

    And so Vaela's training continued in such fashion. For two weeks, she trained regularly at the bridge outside the lodge, hurling firebolts and erecting wards. For two weeks, she continued to hunt for ingredients in her spare time, and strove to mix and create them in potions. For two weeks, Vaela read books about the sources of magic and magic's abilities itself. She also took the time to carefully bond with Starstruck, spending an hour everyday riding with him around the hillside while scouring for ingredients for alchemy. After a week, it was fair to say that the bond between Apprentice and horse had grown significantly. All this while, Sonje watched her young Apprentice with pride and joy, but with an equal amount of sadness and guilt. There was something her Apprentice would never understand, but she did not expect her Apprentice to even know the secret she was hiding. She had even lied to her Apprentice about her armor. It was indeed out of respect for her previous Master that she continued wearing it, but not in the way Vaela would imagine.

    Then, after two weeks, the time came when Sonje judged Vaela to be sufficiently prepared for her test. A trial in which she would prove herself as a worthy Apprentice, or die as a forgotten, miserable pawn. Sonje summoned Vaela to the lodge one fine day and begun to explain to Vaela about her new task--her new trial...

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  14. #74

    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Sorry I have been a bit quite. Been having to catch up in my AAR reading and also my own AAR writing. Some great last couple of chapters. A very interesting read, keep it up!

  15. #75
    Bullet Storm's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Dun Dun DAH! What is this, surely life-threatning and perilous, task? Does it involve killing someone? Or something?

  16. #76
    Swaeft's Avatar Drama King
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by Merchant of Venice View Post
    Sorry I have been a bit quite. Been having to catch up in my AAR reading and also my own AAR writing. Some great last couple of chapters. A very interesting read, keep it up!
    Haha, no worries there about being quiet. As long as you enjoy my AAR I will be happy. But a comment once in a while would be nice, like what you are doing now. Thank you for your constant support.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bullet Storm View Post
    Dun Dun DAH! What is this, surely life-threatning and perilous, task? Does it involve killing someone? Or something?
    Well...I promise you killing, but beyond that I dare not say.

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  17. #77
    Swaeft's Avatar Drama King
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Chapter Eighteen: A Test



    Vaela scouted ahead. The towering stone structures were supposed to mark the bandits' camp. Vaela had already seen a few patrols walk around the camp, and she had constantly skirted them, keen to remain hidden until the time was ripe. Ducking below once more as a bandit sent a casual glance her way, Vaela recalled what her Senior had told her last night.

    Her Senior had told her that it was time for her to undertake a test. Not a written theory test, but a practical, exciting, but certainly dangerous one. To pass out of Apprenticeship, Vaela had to go through a rigorous three stage test. This was the second stage. According to her Senior, she had already passed the first stage, which was to survive in the wilds alone for a week or longer. This second test would be a more trying challenge. Vaela was supposed to attack a camp of bandits and wipe them out. Alone. As easy as it sounded, her Senior had taken pains to warn her of the severe consequences of underestimating the enemy. This group of bandits were not the common ruffians and thugs Vaela was thinking of. "You better watch your back at all times. These bandits are seasoned veterans. They know how to protect themselves, let alone gut you like a fish." Her Senior had cautioned.

    According to her Senior, this particular group of bandits had survived so long because they were experienced and boasted different skillsets. Most of them could wield a bow with a good degree of proficiency, and all of them were good at swords. They even had a rogue mage within their midst! Vaela wasn't troubled by the normal bandits, but she was wary of the mage her Senior had spoken about. Ever since the sparring lessons with her Senior and ward practise sessions had commenced, Vaela had developed a slight fear of other hostile magic wielders, partly due to the fact that Vaela still wasn't accustomed to using a ward. Even though the spells would not hurt her because of the ward's protective influence, Vaela found that having spells shatter in her face was really terrifying. Moreover, her Senior had warned Vaela that it was best to end a magical duel with hostile mages as quickly as possible in order to save one's strength for other fights. This particular bandit mage was a deserter from the Mage's Hall, and deserved to die a painful death.

    "This trial will allow me to judge your skills under duress. Remember, you have to do this alone. Have some integrity, and report back to me here when you are done."
    Her Senior had ordered over dinner last night. "I want all of the bandits dead, especially the mage. That recalcitrant must burn!"

    Vaela peeked out of the rock outcropping she was hiding behind, and noticed that the sentries seemed to have left their posts. Vaela made sure that her pouches around her waist were carefully closed so that its contents would not spill out, and eyed her potions for one last time before closing the pouch flaps. She had a feeling she would be needing them before the day was over. Then, when Vaela strained her ears, some form of shouting was be barely audible. Vaela decided that this was the moment to attack. Under a glimmering, shining Sun that heated up Skyrim with its brilliant rays, Vaela advanced upon the bandit camp, expecting to roast her first bandit within seconds of her entrance.

    Instead, the front areas of the stone camp were empty. Unoccupied chairs and leftover ale were clearly visible, and there was no sign of any bandit on the lookout. Could something have happened? Vaela wondered. Suddenly, her ears picked up a sound she was pretty familiar with--the drawing of a bowstring. She immediately threw up a ward, pivoting about her heel at the same time. The loosed arrow halted centimeters from Vaela's face, and dropped to the ground like a doll with its strings cut. Vaela heard an astonished gasp and looked up. She was staring directly at a male bandit garbed in fur armor. He was apparently surprised that he was fighting someone who knew about the arcane arts, instead of a swordsman or an archer. Vaela did not hold back anymore. She unleashed the full force of her intense flames into his face, scalding the bandit's skin at a tremendous rate.


    The bandit immediately dropped his weapons and clutched his face in agony. He did not have the energy to do so for long. Within seconds, his lifeless body lurched to the ground at an awkward, obtuse angle. His face was burnt beyond recognition, and his upper body was charred black. Vaela smiled at her handiwork and then refocused on the steps leading to the main body of the bandit camp. It was time to fight.

    She cautiously made her way to the stone steps. What would have been a twenty second stroll for anyone developed into a four minute, heart pounding search for Vaela. She did not want to leave any stone unturned and risk someone backstabbing her. She searched every nook and cranny at the base of the stone steps, determined to weed out anyone who was hiding in ambush. When she was satisfied that her area was clear, she then ascended the steps warily. She could now hear the muted shouts of anger, but could not discern their location. Suddenly, she heard a clearer, louder voice from the top of the stairs. "Come on! We have to help--"

    Vaela came face to face with three onrushing bandits. She had no time to hide from them as they emerged from the peak of the stone steps--one female and two male. The female one was wielding a longbow and was wearing fur armor. She halted in surprise at the peak of the steps. One of the males also stopped in his tracks at the top, but Vaela was surprised to see that he had no weapon in his hands. However, instead of making the fight easier, Vaela realized that this man was the mage her Senior had warned her about before she had set off for her trial. Fear started to grip her, but she had no time to stop and panic, for the third and final male bandit was charging down the stairs. He had not stopped since seeing Vaela and the bottom, and the bandit was now using the momentum he had to carry himself forward, aiming to shoulder barge Vaela off the stone steps. The bandit was wearing full iron armor, and if he did indeed make contact with Vaela who was diminutive in contrast, she would definitely be sent flying. Vaela started to shoot the charging bandit full of flames, just as she received a blast of freezing cold from the top.


    The bandit in iron armor started to writhe in agonizing pain, for Vaela had managed to set him ablaze from one of the chinks on his armor. The bandit now slumped to the ground, paying the price of death for not repairing his worn out armor from previous skirmishes. Only two remained now, one pelting Vaela with arrows that her ward barely managed to deflect, while the other started to charge up more ice spikes. Vaela knew she needed to do something and she needed to do it fast. Making a snap decision and praying that it would work, Vaela dashed up the stone steps two at a time and managed to catch the archer off guard. Shoving her off the steps, Vaela focused the full might of her magical ability onto the bandit mage. For a short span of five seconds, neither could outmatch the other, with Vaela's fire countering the bandit mage's frostbite.

    It was a tough fight, and both mages soon started to tire. Vaela knew that the bandit mage would eventually lose based on the projection of his wavering power. Already his frost was weakening, and Vaela's searing flames blasted every closer to the enraged bandit. However, it would be another minute or so before Vaela could subdue the mage using the arcane arts, and in a magical duel, a minute was an eternity. Too much of her energy would be sapped, leaving Vaela weak and unfit to continue the fight, thus failing her test. Vaela's eyebrows inched closer to each other as the thought crossed her mind. Could she tolerate failure?

    "Just die already!"
    The bandit mage roared, redoubling her efforts. Her voice rang unpleasantly in Vaela's ears, and she too committed for energy to the fight. However, with a flash of inspiration, Vaela removed a potion from her pouch and threw it at the surprised bandit. It shattered upon touching the bandit's skin, and Vaela could tell that the bandit mage was starting to feel the effects of the poison. Her Senior had told her that this particular vial contained liquid that would sap one's magical power pool for a short moment of time. Slowly but surely, the tide turned very quickly in Vaela's favor as her superior training and the effects of the poisonous liquid started to show. Vaela's flames were much stronger than the bandit mage's weakening frostbite, and soon nothing protected the bandit mage from Vaela's scorching inferno. He was roasted to a crisp and burnt to his own death.

    Her senses still heightened, Vaela crouched down and awaited the female bandit archer's attack. It never came. Vaela peered below the structure and realized that she had shoved the archer off the stone platform she was standing on. A weakened bandit now lay on the floor, panting and unable to get up. Vaela rushed down to confront her. "Don't kill me...please..." The bandit grovelled at Vaela's feet. Vaela kicked away the fallen archer's weapons with her left foot. The archer's last hope slid fifty feet across the grassy knoll and plummeted out of sight. With a sigh of resignation, the bandit closed her eyes and awaited the final blow.

    Vaela wanted very much to kill this woman. She would have loved to hear her scream in pain as the flames slowly worked through her inner body. She would have enjoyed seeing the bandit die before her very eyes, but she could not deal the final blow somehow. A sudden thought entered her mind. What if she was forced to join this gang? Vaela eyed the stricken female in front of her. She certainly did not look like bandit material. She was trembling in fright, and none of the arrows she had shot earlier had even come close to striking Vaela. After thinking hard, Vaela hoisted the female to her feet, but grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.

    "Where is everyone else? I thought this gang was powerful!" Vaela demanded.

    "I honestly don't know." The shivering bandit replied. "The rest...they ran to one of the doors below the steps...I heard shouting. Our leader went in there. That's all I know! Please!" The woman begged as Vaela threatened to incinerate her.

    "Very well. You may leave. I expect to never see your face in banditry or any other vice again, is that clear?"

    The woman's face exploded with joy and relief. "Oh...Gods!" She yelled reverently. "Thank you so much! I'll never forget this! I'll--"

    "Shut up and get lost before I change my mind!" Vaela roared. The woman scuttled away in a panic, and Vaela refocused on the set of doors she had been pointed to. Panting heavily, she threw them open one by one, an each time she did so, a new sight greeted Vaela's eyes. Storehouse, armory, and finally a suspicious looking staircase. Vaela halted and listened curiously.
    Some noises were coming from within, and so Vaela stepped in cautiously and readied her spells. She rounded a bend as the noises got louder and louder. Sounds of steel on steel could be heard, and Vaela raised her hands higher in preparation for an attack. She dashed down the tunnel she was in, turning left once, then right thrice. She finally emerged in a fairly spacious, oval-shaped room, to see a man and an orc fighting tooth and nail for their lives.


    With a sudden abruptness, Vaela realized stupidly that she had no idea who the bandit leader was. Was it the stout man in steel plate armor, or the rampaging orc clad in leather armor and swinging his giant warhammer? She hesitated, but then suddenly remembered reading about orcs and their culture in one of the books her Senior had forced her to read. Remembering that orcs never ventured out of their strongholds in Skyrim, Vaela knew with a soaring burst of clarity that the orc was the leader she was supposed to kill. Vaela sprinted forwards and before either of the combatants could notice her, a hot spurt of fire erupted from her palms and started to singe the orc's thick green skin.


    The man in steel plate armor had a rattled look on his face when he saw the magical fires emanating from Vaela's hands, but he wasted no time in cutting the orc bandit down. Vaela watched incredulously as it took the man not one, not two, but three clean hits to bring down the monster. The orc's thick skin was so tough that the orc was able to absorb some of the impact from the man's battleaxe, and did not flinch or recoil from the savage blows as Vaela expected him to. When the orc finally fell dead, the man slumped to the ground as well, looking very lethargic and weary. Vaela hastened over when she saw that the man was clutching his stomach in agony. A small but steady stream of blood dripped out of a puncture wound near his abdomen, seen clearly through a large hole in his armor.

    "Whoa. That's one big gash."
    Vaela remarked as she sat down in front of the man to assess the his condition. A forced groan of agony was the man's initial response. "Tough bastard smashed me...with that gigantic excuse of a...warhammer. I'm lucky he only caught me...with half of it." The man struggled to say. Vaela pushed him against the floor and told him to rest. "Conserve your energy. Let me think of something."


    Her fingers brushed her pouches absent mindedly, and almost at once Vaela saw the solution. "Idiot! Why didn't I think of that earlier?" She reached into her pouches and extracted tenderly a potion of restore health that she had created during one of her training sessions with her Senior. Uncapping the vial carefully, Vaela opened the man's mouth and poured the liquid down his throat. After a few seconds of coughing and sputtering on the part of the still unknown man,
    Vaela's potion made its way into his abdomen and started to work its magic. The man's eyes stopped fluttering weakly and he now glanced at his stomach wound, which was miraculously closing gradually on its own. When eventually all his wounds were healed, the man flexed his arms and legs in wonder. Vaela smiled at the man, glad that she was able to help. The man flashed a grateful grin at Vaela, and stumbled to his feet.

    "Careful. You're still weak. My potion only managed to heal your exterior wounds. It's not powerful enough to treat the inner wounds as of yet."
    Vaela warned. The man nodded and proceeded slowly out of the room which was littered with dead bandit corpses. Vaela counted them as she stepped past their bodies. One...two...three...

    Vaela counted seven in total. The man she 'saved' had killed seven bandits on his own! And not any normal bandits like the ones she had fought outside--those bandits wore only fur armor with the exception of one. The bandits this man had
    fought were all clad in iron or even steel armor! She marvelled aloud at his feat. "You actually managed to kill all seven of these bandits and only sustain a few bruises?"

    The man winked at her. "Well, I almost died doing so. Twice I thought I was about to get killed, but then I barely managed to deflect an oncoming blow. Today was a stark reminder for me to know my limits. Thanks again for saving me."

    Vaela shrugged. "Anytime. I'm sure I'd appreciate someone saving my life as well." The two of them broke into chuckles as they emerged into the not so sunny afternoon. The sky was now clouded and overcast, and Vaela could feel the atmosphere changing quickly--it was about to rain again. The bright and luminous Sun had gone into hiding, shrouding Skyrim into a dreary, bleak darkness. But it was here that the man stopped hobbling about painfully and found the strength to stand on his own two feet once more.


    He stared wordlessly at Vaela, who took a moment to admire him in his own light. In his well fitting steel plate armor, this man looked manly, muscular and most certainly strong and powerful. Vaela secretly thought that he appeared quite dashing. His black moustache nestled around the underside of his cheeks, and above his lips, and his dark hair was quite well combed for a man who was...
    I don't even know his profession or why he's fighting here. Vaela noted. Grinning from ear to ear, Vaela politely asked for his name. The man slapped his forehead in disgust, and flashed a wry smile at Vaela. "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. The name's Nikolai, and I'm a bounty hunter."

    The man named Nikolai grinned awkwardly, as if expecting Vaela to frown at his profession. Instead, Vaela was all smiles, and laughed the tension away. "Well, it's not every day that I get to meet a handsome warrior that fights bandits!" She joked, eliciting a short burst of laughter from Nikolai. "I'm Vaela."

    "It's not every day that I get to be rescued by a charming mage with potions too, eh?"
    Nikolai countered, and the both of them erupted into fresh spells of mirth. The two of them chatted amicably for a few more minutes. Vaela found that she had taken a liking to this new friend she had just met. She couldn't tell exactly what she liked about him, but that was not important to her at this stage. She wondered if he felt the same about her, but then chided herself for being childish.

    "Well...I'd best be going, then."
    Nikolai said, bidding farewell to Vaela. Suddenly a look of concern entered his eyes. "Are you...alright? You're cheeks are turning red."
    Vaela couldn't help but laugh once more. Indeed her cheeks were turning red, and Vaela knew exactly why. "I'm embarrassed, is all." She lied. "I have yet to thank you for saving me the trouble of killing those bandits." The creases on
    Nikolai's face disappeared when he heard that. He hefted his battleaxe one more time and bid farewell to Vaela. She watched, enchanted, as Nikolai strode away slowly into the gloomy land, seemingly headed in the direction of Whiterun. She admired his stout posture, his muscular physique, and everything else about him.

    When Vaela left, her cheeks were still burning brightly, but this time, it was a deeper shade of maroon, and embarrassment was not the cause.

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  18. #78
    Bullet Storm's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Wait a second! This is turning into a romance! I thought this was skyrim?

    Aren't you supposed to be killing dragons? Or does she do that in her sleep?

    Anyway, Great work, i am really enjoying this.

  19. #79
    G-Ballz's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    This story is fantastic! Keep up the great work!

  20. #80

    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    LOL! and Now Nikolai....I need to find some followers you arent using!! Nikolai will be an important character in book three...lol! However I just got caught up reading this. Its interesting following our apprentices parallel tracks. How they both have to pass tests and learn to make potions and stuff. Great reading and keep it up I added some rep to ya

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