Chapter 353 - Chaos (1) <REWRITTEN>

A/n: A Late Day Extra for his Meowjesty (J.G).

Some parts of the Chapter were rewritten!

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The Reach maybe is a cursed place that trapped Jon for three and a half months but the air outside the prison sure smelled nice. Jon was reincarnated as a Nord and Nords are the children of Kyne the Sky, Nords stray from the Sky are forever lost.

After arriving at the tunnel behind Madanach's cell, Jon used [Greed] as a large digging drill and opened up a path through a Dwemer ruin directly to the city of Markarth. Knowing he shouldn't draw much attention, Jon snuck through the city skillfully despite his eye catching size and completely walked out of Markarth to the hills of the Reach.

He no longer has any attachment to the city or the hold itself, he even prayed not to ever return here ever again.

Riding on Cold Flame Atronach Horse, Jon kept heading to the west where he can finish this damned Labour. His heart was finally full of hope he would see his family once again. He looked around the hills and chose one near to Karthspire, the Major Forsworn settlement he is targeting. He found a peak suitable enough for observation and recon.

Climbing the way up there, he felt some presences lurking around.

"You sure Alaric sent them away?"

"Yes, he wouldn't risk after that time with the Nord. The monster would kill even children."

"You are right. But we can't worry about him now, that woman that is looking for him, we need to do something about her too."

"Yeah, Alaric called the mountain tribes and they came, not sure if it is a bad thing now that they withstood an attack of that woman and we didn't fall back. What worries me is the North, another band of Nords are coming up from Hjaalmarch."

"They can't navigate in the Reach from the North."

"Really? As far as I know, these Nords will do anything to kill us. Especially that red eyed woman."

Jon heard that conversation and his whole being shivered.

Alina was here in the Reach and the Firemanes are coming from the North. He expected them to show up but not with large numbers. At least some search teams should be here first.

Jon bit on his lips until blood came out. His mind was screaming 'not today'.

He can't meet them today, not with the plan he has in mind, not with his appearance, not with all that.

He realized what was he escaping from all that time. He should have at least… contacted them.

'Goddammit!' He closed his eyes and felt the unease that was piled up in his chest coming out all at once.

He couldn't escape from this feeling anymore. The tightness in his chest from being defeated and humiliated was unbearable. He didn't want to look broken in front of his family with a messed up face and some lost limbs. He wasn't that weak person. Truth be told, he didn't bear looking at his reflection on water or a mirror, it was all too much for him.

Knowing it was all his fault, he just needed to fix it the way he knows, by simply going forward. Just like that kid who broke something and his parents discovered him then he shouts and screams 'I can fix it, I can fix it.'

That's what he tells himself. "No need to involve them, I can still fix it."

Was it a matter of Pride? A matter of not showing weakness? Of being the Hero whose weak side must always be hidden? Even from his family?

It was a tough choice and a miserable one.

***

It took him quite the time to regain his composure. Actually, he got tired of it. His baseless selfishness and egotism were still hurt but he at least can still focus on what he had without them for now.

He stood up lifelessly with the mace in his hand but he wasn't willing to step out just yet. He sighed and called for Xikil.

"Are we going to attack, Mortal?" Xikil was as excited as ever to hunt down more humans.

Jon pointed with his head and spoke.

"Some mortals are behind that rock, go kill them." Jon said.

"... You are not going to kill them?" Xikil was taken aback.

"Just dealing with some mortal insecurities that keeps us weak and puny. You can use some fun too." Jon said with a hint of self-mockery.

"I knew it! Hahaha! I knew it! Getting to follow the Mighty Xikil will soon make you realize how puny and pathetic mortals are." Xikil was feeling satisfied at last.

"Yep, go for it, champ."

Xikil raised his greatsword and started running towards the mortals he ought to kill.

"Watch and Learn! Mortals, here I come!"

Jon felt a bit lighter after seeing that idiot running forward with no plan. He sat on a rock and took out a Crystal Orb from his [Cube]. If Alina was close then she should have one similar orb with her. He brought the orb near his head and let his consciousness flow into it.

"Ali...na…" His transmission was weak due to his disturbed severed Magicka but he at least can do it with a magic tool.

During the wait for a response, Jon felt the connection with Xikil get disturbed too.

"Hm?" He looked around and narrowed his eyes then summoned Xikil again.

Sure enough, Xikil was covered in a blue slime with a pitiful appearance.

"What happened?" Jon asked.

"I… will… not give UUUUP!" Xikil ran in the same direction once again.

"... Okay."

Xikil charged up again and got defeated. Jon could tell that the blue slime was the Azure Plasm, the substance where the Dremora of Coldharbour gets recreated from after experiencing death.

Jon called him once again and the idiot ran into death without even clearing his mistake.

"Mortals! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Each time angrier than before. It caused Jon to chuckle.

"I may have been de-feeted, but I am not defeated."

'Good one!' Jon clapped in his mind.

During his fun time waiting for a reply and trying to push his worries away, Jon could feel a response.

{... Jon? Is that you?}

Completely taken off-guard, Jon heard Alina's reply from the Telepathy Orb.

Hearing that voice was something he yearned for since the days he was captured in the Briarheart tree but now that he heard it, he got cold feet.

He wanted to say many things as his lips parted yet none of those words came. The chaos piled up in his mind was all cramped up trying to fit in through the tiny amount of words in the common language but words ran out long ago.

"Hey... girl."

He smiled as he finally said it. Just a normal greeting after 3 months of not seeing her. Well, he can be branded as a jackass and call it a day.

{Jon, is that you? Is that really you?}

"The... one and... only! Sorry, transmission... week."

{Kyne! It is you. Jon, listen. Something big happened. You need to disappear!} Alina said hurriedly.

"What?" Jon couldn't collect what was going on.

{Jon, hide someplace and we will come to find you. You can't attack Karthspire! Please don't come to the open.}

Jon was confused.

"Alina… what is… going on?" Jon asked completely unaware of the chaos.

{Jon, listen…}

Alina's next words came across Jon's mind and made it numb. Something happened that none expected.

It was too soon.

Jon heard those words and couldn't help but take a deep breath then sit down and try to organize his thoughts.

'They know? They are waiting?'

Jon felt his throat going dry.

'Goddamn! Now of all the bloody times? A trap is waiting for me?'

This was ridiculas! There was not much he can do now but to walk right into another trap all over again. Jon felt the irony of Fate.

He got himself into this mess when he willingly walked into a trap and now he needs to get himself out from it by walking in another trap.

How fucked up it was!

Alina's voice was sorrowful. She only said those words in the end.

"Run, Jon. Run!"

Jon felt the vines around his body squeezing on him tighter as if a rope of powerlessness strangling around his neck. Now as he is just this close from fixing everything, it can't just stop now.

Jullanar's life is on the line. Once he breaks from those shackles, he will be free and she will be saved.

There was no way to walk down from this even if all the world came between him and his target.

"Sorry, Alina. It is too late!"