Dragonborn Chapter 268: Catatoskr (5) : A Grelod Breakout

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By a nightmarish night, it meant that I will go out in the city holding the [Skull of Corruption] in my hand and collecting the people dreams replacing them with nightmares. That's the first ability of the Skull, [Dreamsteal].

I went out in Riften wearing all black and flew in the night sky hidden from view, I started collecting the dreams from the sleeping people house by house.

While I was causing nightmares in town, I started to settle old grudges by drawing more dreams from the people I don't like and it was fun. I avoided the orphanage by all costs and made sure to annoy the corrupted people more.

After a while, I landed on a certain high building in the city and observed the town below with some nostalgic thoughts.

Riften, a city that the game didn't give justice at all. Actually, it is the most city that wasn't given justice.

Winterhold was a more tragic version of the game's version. Whiterun was much larger. Solitude was really a really majestic city. Falkreath was a calm mix between a forest and a city. Dawnstar was a large town on a bay. But Riften… oh man!

Riften is the place one would love to hate and love at the same time. A city with no discrimination whatsoever, even though it is in the gutter, Argonians and Dark Elves live peacefully here even though their homelands are currently at war. Nords here are as slimy as Bretons and love money as much as Imperials, they accept outsiders more than the people of Solitude themselves.

A really mysterious place!

I would compare it to a medieval rustic version of Gotham city but that doesn't make me Batman now, doesn't it? A super rich guy who came back to town after he trained outside… yep, I am Batman.

I also remember that I stayed in Riften more than any other town when I played the game. Something about it was just better than any other town in Skyrim. I remember adding a ton of mods to change many things in Riften from 's.e.xy Riften' to 'Jk Riften' to 'Riften - Thief Edition' to 'Ravengate'. I modded the h.e.l.l out of that town but the reality was still far better.

I always think of it as a blessing that I was reincarnated in Riften rather than anywhere else.

Anyway, I was done with the nostalgic feelings and focused on the matter in hand.

(Are you really going to kill the hag?)

'G.o.ddammit, Shadow? Where do you pop up from, man?'

(I was just curious… hey, can I control that black thing?)

'Fine.'

I could feel that [Greed] was starting to take consciousness of its own and moved to form a figure beside me.

It looked like a really bad figure with an evil face and a fluid body, it felt like some sort of a Lovecraftian creature.

[A/n: 'Lovecraftian' is a subgenre of horror fiction where bad creatures are scary, moisty and gross.]

(Oh! It sure feels nice. How did you get that thing?)

'Like you don't know a thing about me.'

(Come on. There is a lot I don't know about you, you are really a very interesting guy.)

'... Thanks. Just don't possess me with that Dark Matter and call us Venom.'

(It is actually a very dope idea. I love that movie.)

'Maybe you should get out of my head.'

(I agree, too many movies in there! So, you are doing it, huh? Killing the old woman now?)

'Yeah… I am planning on something good.'

(Oh! I can't wait… but, are you really going to mess up the future?)

'You mean the future of the game?'

(Yes.)

Shadow was talking about killing Grelod and what would it affect in the future. Killing her will surely change things as she is the NPC the player kills in the game to start the Dark Brotherhood Questline. Surely killing her will change things but I had another idea in mind. The contract on her head wasn't even out yet.

'Well, look around you…'

I stared at Riften… a city that its true essence never appeared in the game. Tall buildings, rustic wood, stinky places.

'... This is no longer the game, man. This is a reality.'

(I know… but changing too much future may change the fates of many things.)

'I have already changed many things. I am not afraid anyway.'

(... You are right. But keep in mind that some events will happen out of the scenarios you know of from now on.)

'Yeah… but at least things will get better for some people.'

(A piece of advice… you haven't matured yet as Jon. Don't try to put obstacles in your fate. You already p.i.s.sed off a Daedric Prince.)

I see… he is right.

'Tell me, Shadow. What is fate?'

(I want to say that I can answer that but I am not a mortal. I can't put a right answer to it so I will say that Fate is the potential of Mortals.)

'Come on, you are a celestial being, there is more right? Can my fate affect those who are around me.'

(Yours surely can. But strong fates have a problem you see… it is hard to be free of them and they backfire like a b.i.t.c.h, especially for people who have prophecies like you.)

'What about weak fates?'

(They are… unfortunate in a way. But think of it like the beings that evolve. Strong beings have less evolution potential and harder conditions, weak beings have more potential and fluid conditions. Still, the weak beings face more risks. All that applies to fates.)

'Interesting subject! I have never studied things like fates before.'

(It is hard to do so even for immortals. We don't have fates, you see.)

'I know, I still never understood much about the higher realms at all.'

(One at a time, my mortal friend. One at a time… let's just move to the part where you kill the hag. You're keeping everyone on edge here.)

'Yeah, let's do it.'

The day following the Market Robbery was a day that the people of Riften expected and hoped to pa.s.s quietly… their wish came true for the day, but the night was the stage when Jon and his girlfriends started to act.

Jon was in a large cloak and walked towards Honorhall Orphanage. He was trying to avoid attention as he approached the door.

As he did so, he activated his spell [Third Eye: Eye of Magic], a unique spell only Jon have enough Magicka quality to use. It allowed him to see through Energy, s.p.a.ce, Objects but it was really a costly spell.

He checked the place until his eye landed on a room. There was a woman sleeping in a large room and seemed hateful in a glance.

Jon instantly teleported in the room quietly but the old hag woke up right away. She saw a large guy in her room and instantly jumped out of her bed with a dagger at hand.

"Who are you? Do you think you can get… oh!"

Jon removed his hood and the woman felt that his face was awfully familiar. Jon also looked at the familiar old woman whose face was as cruel as it used to be.

"Long time no see, Grelod."

Memories started to get back to her brain and her eyes widened.

"It… it is you, the witch's boy." She said.

"Hehehe! Yeah, it is me."

"Why are you here in my room? Do you think I won't call the guards for you?"

"Oh, this is just a dream… don't worry… I am not really here."

"A what… you are insane like that witch and look how she turned you into a freak…"

"No, I actually grew taller on my ow…"

"... Hehe, it is good you finally came. Lady Maven will be pleased that I finally have a clue on you…"

Grelod said something interesting.

"Oh, really? Keep going… what does Maven want with me?"

"Hehe, I don't care but you really messed with her at last, now she will get rid of you and that witch for good."

"... Maven will?"

"Yes, she is the strongest woman in Riften, she funds the orphanage now."

"Oh, I see… I see… now that Nurina left, you accepted funding from Maven and things are still this s.h.i.+tty. I knew nothing good would come from you. Anyway, I'll be leaving but before doing so…" Jon said and took out the Skull of Corruption.

"What… what evil sorcery is that?" Grelod jumped away from the evil appearance of the staff in Jon's hands.

"Nothing to concern yourself about." Jon cast the spell [Walking Nightmares] on Grelod.

"See you then." He then disappeared from the room.

"What… what did you do to me? Tsk! Dammit… I got to tell lady Maven."

Grelod was scared when Jon did something with magic to her then disappeared like that, she decided to run to Maven Black-Briar right away.

Two years ago, Maven came to see the orphanage and asked Grelod about Jon. She wanted to investigate the man she suspected to be her son's murderer but things didn't go well as Nurina and Jon didn't let anyone into their secrets. Still, Grelod promised Maven to interrogate the people in the Orphanage who were close to Jon and Nurina and not enough results came out. Still, Maven decided to fund the orphanage for whatever reason.

Grelod wanted to run to Maven right away to tell her about Jon being in Riften and so she did put on her cloak and ran outside the Orphanage towards the Black-Briar manor but she was stopped on the way… someone very familiar stopped her… too familiar for her to not recognize. It was her. She herself was standing in front of her own self.

She didn't understand. She didn't know how can there be two of her.

She felt that her guts were on fire from the shock… the resemblance was flawless.

She then remembered.

'The witch's boy. It got to be him!… what is he planning?'

Grelod tried to put her thoughts together but she didn't have the chance as a third Grelod appeared.

"Wha…"

A fourth!

A fifth!

A sixth!

A seventh!

A whole bunch!

A hundred or more!

There were just too many Grelods surrounding her in the middle of the road.

Onlookers noticed… people freaked out…

Grelod may be too idiot to understand Magic but she felt the crisis approaching… something very big was being brewed for her.

"""""""""AAAAAAAHHH!""""""""""

Hundreds of Grelod started screaming and shouting like savages… a thousand Feral Grelods broke-out in Riften.