Chapter 427 - Cyrodiil

A/n: couldn't write yesterday cuz I was doing some research on Hammerfell, took me all day.

Also, thanks for @Lewis Waaka.

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*14th of Midyear (June), E4 199*

Four young people hit the road from Mournhold heading west. According to what they were up to, they are going to cross the whole Continent horizontally.

The four left Mournhold on horseback until they took enough distance and Jon decided to blow their minds. He took out a big carriage from the Cube.

This carriage was something he requested from Barenziah. She introduced him to a carpenter and he had his custom design for a carriage pulled by six horses and had a custom design from the inside.

The inside was so fancy that the craftsman was unwilling to give the carriage to Jon. The seats inside were made by Jon's preferences just like a 1st class plane seats. As Wulfur always said, Jon is an expert when it comes to luxury.

That carriage was made to endure all manners of roads with many mechanisms and enchantments. It had Suspension mechanisms, tire wheels, Air Conditioning enchantment, Dwarven ballista on top and armored parts.

Now when it comes to traveling, Jon wasn't humble and conjured six Atronach Horses to pull the thing. He also camouflaged them with [Pride] to not raise any suspicions. Still, the carriage can be driven from the inside as long as someone is on the captain seat that has a good view to the outside. This meant that one can be the captain every six hours while the other rest. This also means that whoever tries to pursue them will go through hell for the Atronaches' superior speed and stamina as well as the ability of the carriage to run all day long.

And so, the journey began.

The four young people took the road to the west borders of Morrowind aiming to enter the Empire of Cyrodiil. They traveled across the Sadrasi Veranis region in Morrowind and their first stop was Kragenmoor city, a major city-state under the control of the newest Great House, House Sadras.

As travelers, the four decided not to enter the city or attract attention. House Sadras is the replacement for House Hlaalu and there may be trouble if someone found out that they are the Labourers that assisted House Hlaalu. For that, they stayed in the suburbs outside the city and restocked at a travelers' inn.

They moved the next day and took a drift out of the road to sightsee the Tormented Spire, an active volcano north to Kragenmoor. It was Jon's first time seeing the flowing lava coming out of the ground and devastating the lands.

"Why are we stopping here?" Isha asked.

"For as long as I can remember, my world was limited to what I thought I knew. Now, I have a strange urge to look at things differently." Jon said.

"... Hello! Did the Old Woman possess him or something?" Mirren joked.

"Not really... but I think she opened my eyes." Jon said and looked at the sight in front of him.

"The world in my head was Magic, Winterhold, Oblivion, fuck shit up and that's it. I was planning to sightsee the world at some point in the future but... why delay when I can do it now?" Jon said.

The three felt that the youngest member in their team became strange all of a sudden. Miranda thought for a while before sitting beside Jon.

"It smells bad." She said.

"I know." He said and gazed forward.

"Jon, I really want to sightsee but... I thought we could just head home faster." Isha said.

"Relax. Without his carriage, it would have taken a week to reach Kragenmoor, not three days." Mirren said and decided to sit down and watch the volcano as well.

Isha seemed a bit reluctant.

"Isha, my friend. We haven't spoken a lot in the journey so let's have a chat." Jon said, "First time we met was in Riverwood when my friend became El Diablo, remember?"

"... Haha! It was a crazy time, man. We had to travel to Oblivion..." She said but paused.

"Go on, I bet Miranda and Mirren don't know the full story." He said.

"... Yes." She relaxed and sat down. After some time, she continued.

"We went to the Shivering Isles, the realm of the Daedric Prince Sheogorath. It was my Sixth Labour and Jon was dragged with me."

"It was my first but I haven't realized it by that time." Jon commented.

"He was confident and pushed forward without care throwing spells wherever he went. At first, he used Necromancy and weird magic then we slew the Guardian of Gates of Madness. After that, we went to the Dark Side and met Sheogorath after doing all sorts of crazy tasks. Somehow, this guy bonded with Sheogorath and became his Nephew."

"... What?" "Nephew?"

Mirren and Miranda were baffled.

"Well, I don't brag about it that much but Uncle Sheo came to my wedding and visited me in prison. We are really bonded." Jon said.

"I knew this guy was a crazy bastard." Mirren shivered.

"Truth be told, I wouldn't have made it out of the madhouse if he wasn't a crazy bastard." Isha said.

"I just don't know if I should beat you two up." Jon glared at them.

"Here, here." Miranda patted Jon's back.

"Don't comfort him, sis."

"Anyway... why do you want to return home this urgently." Jon asked Isha.

She looked at the sky for a breath then replied.

"My Labour's reward is to find my brother." Isha said.

"What happened to him?" Jon asked.

"..."

"I take back the question if it makes you uncomfortable but if you need anything..."

"Thank you. He is back home now as far as the Boethiah claimed." She said.

"I see."

"He was caught with Lycanthropy and became a werewolf, after that he abandoned the Mosque of the Spear Battlelord and disappeared. I chased after him and strange things happened but I was told to get my hands on this spear and take it to a Shrine of Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt. Once I showed up with the spear, everyone there tried to kill me, I killed them first but something was wrong.

The ones I killed were not Cultists of Hircine but rather Boethiah and they were an Important cult to Boethiah at that. Hafiz, the prophet of my Labours, managed to summon an Aspect of Boethiah to stop me from eradicating the Cult and I was put down in one exchange... With a weapon aimed to my head, I was in rage and my brother was nowhere around.

Boethiah, however, knew where he was and decided to tell me his location if I agree to do her bidding. The Spear of Bitter Mercy was decided to be my Labour Weapon. Two years passed and here I am." Isha told her story.

"Two years?" Jon was taken aback.

Isha sighed before nodding.

"I always wondered why the Spear of Bitter Mercy was your Labour Weapon. Kinda thought you're Hircine Labourer back then."

"I know."

"So... what about your brother?"

"Zain? He is back home at Sentinel." She said.

"... Wait? He is back? His Lycanthropy was healed?" Mirren couldn't put things together.

"Boethiah said that he is in Sentinel, when I asked about the Lycanthropy, she said he is not a werewolf. Nothing more, nothing less." Isha shook her head.

"I see why you are nervous now. Must have been quite the ruckus knowing that your brother is back home while you were wandering for two years." Jon said.

"Not really. I just got whatever answers the Daedra have for me and took my way out. I don't want anymore to do with the Daedra." Isha said while looking a bit more relaxed than before.

"Good to know."

"You know what, you are right. We should relax every now and then now that our traveling speed is like that." She said.

"Rest is over." Jon stood up.

"Where to?" Isha tilted her head.

"You have a brother you haven't seen for two years and I had pinpointed many spots on the road to Hammerfell. Looks like I'll have to make priorities in my sightseeing plans."

Jon dragged the other three back to the carriage and adjusted his plans to the minimum. Isha's and her brother's reunion can't be delayed more than that in his opinion.

During the next two days, the carriage was already on the National Borders between Morrowind and Cyrodiil.

Jon may have traveled across Skyrim, Morrowind and some in Oblivion but this is his first time in Cyrodiil. The border checkpoint was on the Velothi Mountain Range that extended from Eastmarch in Skyrim down to Black March. Once Jon crossed the borders, he was now in Cyrodiil's Cheydinhal County.

Unlike the pale-colored Skyrim or the ashen Morrowind, what Jon saw after going down the border area was immense lands of green and Forests all over the place.

The Heartlands, the land of forever strife, Cyrodiil.

Cheydinhal was a week's ride from the borders but the carriage reached it in three days. A city that resembles a lot of Morrowind with a large Dark Elf population. The number of refugees here is more than that of Windhelm.

With the Pass of House Vici that Jon was carrying, he was able to enter the city at night.

Cheydinhal Bridge Inn was where could the four rest and eat after the long trip.

Nothing interesting happened in Cheydinhal city and the group left in the second day taking the road north to Lake Rumare.

The most fascinating thing was the White-Gold Tower in the middle of the Imperial City which was built on the central Island of Lake Rumare.

By just a look from the outside, the sheer size of the city was... breathtaking.

A city built with white stone in a circular shape, there was no suburbs or anything outside its double walls as if it is a solitary white palace on water. The White-Gold Tower in its center was so high that its base, which was dome-shaped, seemed gigantic on its own.

This is the largest city in the world and the crown jewel of Tamriel even if the whole continent stood upside down.

Jon thought if trying to just detect all the life signals in this city and that gave him the scare of his life. This city is larger than the Medieval Rome by almost two times with almost two million inhabitants.

Simply speaking, All of Skyrim cities can be fitted in the Imperial City with even room for more. Mournhold maybe the largest city Jon has ever visited but it was still lacking compared to the Imperial Titan.

[A/n: Best art I found for the city and describe based on it, credit to the artist - http://fav.me/db4qf2z]

Still, after Jon detected the life signals, he detected his own Magicka Mark in the city.

"Hm? The only ones I mark are... Oh!"

Jon thought of something and smiled, he then used Telepathy and linked himself to the one who carries the mark.

{Vittoria!}

{...}

{You are not hearing things, it is me.}

{... Jon! How... Wait! Where are you?}

{I am outside the Imperial City.}

{Truly? I never thought you can... oh! Sorry, no I am just talking to someone by Magic...}

{... You okay?}

{The Court Mages were all looking at me, your magic signal frightened them.}

{You're in the Imperial Palace?}

{Yes, go to Tiber Septim district and show the pass I gave you and you will be shown to the Vici Manor. I will see you there.}

Jon hung up with her and looked to the ones around him.

"We're entering the city."

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