Dragonborn Chapter 88: Hunting The Hunter

[A/N: By the way guys! In case you are wondering about the star of azura, the vote is 51:34 for the black star. Enjoy!]

I lost to her so Jull went in.

No matter how it is, with my new looks, sneaking will be hard, I will need to find a new way to sneak around now.

My height totally ruined the whole thief thing I used to do.

I kept thinking about this subject while Jull is in there.

I really wanted some magic for sneaking. 'Invisibility' spell is not a bad choice, 'm.u.f.fle' spell too, there is a spell that is called 'Chameleon' that helps the person to form an illusion around himself that makes him or her visible but much harder to notice.

Speaking of 'Chameleon' spell, I created a shout lately and it was my own original shout, it also had a lot of inspiration from 'Chameleon' spell.

The way to create a shout is either by the using the current understanding of Dragons which is called the 'Aspect' with certain 'Words of Power' that share the same 'Aspect' between its three parts. Still, there is another way.

To weaken the Dragons, ancient Nords have created a shout to deprive the Dragons from their immortality temporarily. This meant that Voice Masters can train on new 'Words of Power' that was never created with the Dragons' understanding.

The problem that comes with that is the 'Aspect'. Every 'Words of Power' had one or more 'Aspect'.

To magic, 'Aspects' are the source code of the spell and with different techniques and effects, the aspects can be manipulated and controlled.

Dragons, on the other hand, had a more straightforward way. Each word has an 'Aspect' which is considered its understanding, and if one wants to change how the word works, one has to use at the word of power with another 'Aspect' or 'Understanding' that suits it.

A good example to that is the word of power I acquired from Mount Anthor, the 'Slen' word which means 'Flesh' that comes in 'Ice Form' shout and the word 'Tiid' which means 'Time' that comes from 'Time Slow' shout. These two words were combined by the dragon Alduin to make another spell called 'Slen Tiid Vo' which meant 'Flesh Time Opposite'. It is the very shout that Alduin uses to revive his dragon comrades that got killed long time ago and their souls still dwell in their remains.

Point is, one 'Word of Power' has more than one 'Aspect' or 'Understanding', and a word that has no 'Aspect' still have the potential if someone researched its 'Understanding'.

That took me back to the shout that was used by the ancient Nords to put down Dragons. It was really hard to comprehend and I tried to learn it for years since the first time I started practicing the Thu'um but I had to face a bitter truth. No matter how talented I am, I can't learn that shout without witnessing it.

If I could learn it then I wouldn't need to delve into a dangerous dungeon to get an 'Elder Scroll' only for the sake of learning that shout. Still, it was impossible to learn on my own.

When I tried to look for records about how the ancient Nord made it, I was left with zero result. Not even the famous Arcanaeum of the College had an answer to uncover such a mystery. But it wasn't that hopeless!

When I was reading a certain book, I found an old tradition of old mages that was something akin to forcing one's way through understanding but it was quite dangerous.

Researching it with some of my friends, I found out the truth of how to create a special 'Understanding' for a 'Word of Power'...

...And it wonderful!

The ancient Nords used an extreme method to create the shout. It was harsh and had difficult conditions too.

The 'Words of Power' with the proper 'Aspects' have the power to make the impossible possible such as degrading Dragons to Mortals.

To make it that way, first, one must have the true desire to do it. Not just any desire, but one must be driven by strong emotions such as loathing and warth. It was easy to imagine the ancient Nords in such a state of hate against their enemies, the Dragons.

The second step one must take is to forge those emotions into an 'Understanding' on an 'Aspect'. Apparently those ancient Nords who fought Alduin drank alcohol continuously for seven days and seven nights. Nothing but drinking and cursing the immortality of the Dragons. They kept drinking to fire up their loathing to an unimaginable degree until the point when they gave birth to a new 'Aspect' and that is 'Mortal Dragon'.

No matter how I thought about it, it was incredible, and I insisted on copying what they have done.

During my training and on a later stage when my hunger was easily suppressed, I chose a location in the forest and put my mind into action. I had learned the first word of 'Aura Vision' shout beforehand and copied its unique technique. 'Aura Vision' is not exactly a shout, it is a whisper, the only Thu'um that was introduced in the game as one that can be used in sneaking and can't be heard easily.

Anyway, after I arrived to the forest, I hid myself within the flora and started to merge in mind with it.

It rained heavily the first night.

It became cold the second night.

Birds started to stand on me the third night.

A small snake attacked the birds the fourth night.

Some ants had a fight with the snake and drove it away the fifth night.

A bear came and scratched his back to me the sixth night.

Some bees came and attacked the bear that stole their honey the seventh night.

Day by day, my presence started to be thinned and merged with the place around me, I also kept whispering the new 'Words of Power' I tried to create. Until the seventh night, my presence in the forest was so thin that I was hard to spot as a person anymore.

The eighth day was when the 'Aspect' was born. During that time, I found a way to channel my energy to nature and enrich it. I also found many ways to give Magicka and make the flora get energized.

By the time, I was finally planning to break free from my isolation but something more incredible happened. It was…

"Nothing in there!"

"Huh?"

Jull came out of nowhere and I was not in the mind to even sense her coming.

"Don't tell me you s.p.a.ced out!" She said angrily.

"I am so so so sorry. I was planning something ahe…"

"It's not the time, that Sinding doesn't have the ring. I searched the whole place few times with 'Scan' but it was clean."

Oh!

This is not according to the plan at all.

So we don't know where the ring is. And we have no clue about it.

"Okay, this is enough for today." I said and walked away from Sinding's place.

"What will we do then? We can't stay in this town forever and we can't ensure anyone's safety from a werewolf."

"I know. Sinding will steal the Ring one day so that means he has a meaning to know where it is. Also he is a werewolf, and werewolves don't live in isolation from the pack."

"What do you mean?"

"I am saying there is another group of werewolves we don't know about. If I am not mistaken, Sinding belongs to a pack and they are nearby. There is a lot of questions here but I can already see a rough image of the situation now. Let's track him the next few days."

"I have already taken care of that, I have marked him with a 'Pinpoint' spell."

"Smart girl!"

Good move, good move indeed!

We went back to the inn and directly to bed.

I wasn't hungry like the last few days and I started to return to my normal diet.

The next day, I went out and started looking around the forest for anything abnormal.

The fact that there may be a werewolf den around the area made me excited as I have never fought one before. Many hunters chose the path of 'Lycanthropy' because of the many perks it would give them, but most importantly it was for the perks of acute and sharp senses. These gifts were incredible for hunters.

For a mage like myself, this was nothing amazing. I can train myself to the point where I can be as sharp as any beast anyway. And between training and gifts, training is more solid.

The day pa.s.sed by but I couldn't find any interesting tracks or mark. Werewolves tend to leave some totems to mark their territories but there was nothing here.

If this keeps going, I will have to use more reckless measures.

Jull's search was the same. Nothing she could find.

That brought an end to the day and it started to make me feel impatient. To a hunter impatience is a sin but I am no hunter. I will do something about it.

The next day, I decided to make a strong appearance in town. My plan was to disguise as a 'Vigilant of Stendarr'.

The 'Vigilants of Stendarr' are a militant order of fighting monks and holy warriors of Stendarr, the Divine of Mercy. It was founded after the Oblivion Crisis that almost ended the world to combat the Daedric influence. The Vigilants also seek to root out vampires, werewolves, witches, and other creatures that prey on Mortals.

The appearance of such a character in Falkreath will sure create a small uproar. Jull will be watching Sinding's actions while I am snooping around him.

I had a locket of Stendarr that looked like one of the G.o.d's magical amulets. It was easy to fool people with it as the G.o.d amulets are actually rare and those who can tell the difference are only the mages or priests so I was safe as long as no one important checks it. I also put some shielding half a.s.sed enchantment on it to be safe.

After sneaking out of town, I changed my appearance a bit and wore a robe, also I carried the mace of sun damage that Jull uses. I think the act can stick around for some time now.

I entered the town once again from a different gate and introduced myself as a Vigilant. I thought for a second that my height may give me out but it seemed to be fine as long as I avoid the inn.

After talking to people and raising suspicions about werewolves, I went to the place Sinding works in, 'Corpselight Farm'.

"Stendarr's Mercy be upon you, for the Vigil has none to spare."

"Oh, yes, welcome!"

I talked to Mathies, the farm owner, and put a small amount of 'Aura' in my walk and talk.

The people were easily intimidated by my presence this way.

I really was apologizing to them in my heart. I didn't want to scare them at all. The one I was after is Sinding.

Sinding was present in the place and heard me asking about the werewolves yet he acted cool and natural. He was very calm and didn't even look away.

Anyway, after I was done. I walked out of town and headed south. Only then, I had checked my surroundings and changed back to my normal appearance then sneaked back to town.

"How is he acting?" I went to Jull who was waiting in the graveyard.

"He acted as if he was ill and requested to take the day off to visit the shrine."

Good! He is moving.

"Hey before we go…" Jull handed me a flask with a strange liquid.

"This is?" I asked.

"I realized that we neglected one fact. Werewolves are very vigilant to scents. We may get caught if we tracked him down like this."

Oh! I almost neglected that fact completely.

Humans are not that great with scents but sure as h.e.l.l werewolves are. Jull just saved the whole operation right now.

"What is that anyway?" I asked.

"A mixture that the hunters use, some grinded herbs that grow in the forest and other things!"

"Good. Let's go after him."

-Bonus-

+The other things.

"Jull, you said other things are in this mixture!" (Jon)

"Yes." (Jull)

"What are they?" (Jon)

"You want to know?" (Jull)

"Sure." (Jon)

"Really?" (Jull)

"Really!" (Jon)

"Animals' p.o.o.p." (Jull)

"I don't want to know anymore." (Jon)