allonlinenovel Chapter 125 Stalker
Chapter 125 Stalker
We rested for a day in Stone Mountain Town. Since everyone had to go to Mosal City first, we could still travel together for a while. I tried to summon the ice element several times on the way, but all failed. Willers said that there was no flaw in my spells and gestures, so there was only one reason: my mana was not enough to cast a spell of this level.
The head of the circus made the same judgment as Ilandur, he thought I had a good talent in magic, but it was a pity that I started too late. But unlike the Mara priest, Wills comforted me and said that since I already knew the field I was good at and had good teachers and helpful friends, I should naturally continue to practice. It might be difficult to become famous, but I can always have a clear conscience.
"Brother Lund, in my humble opinion, although elves are long-lived, they are not immortal. Imagine that when our souls return to the gods we believe in, will we have no regrets? Since we are bound to feel unwilling, why not follow our hearts and enjoy life?"
What Veles and Yilanduer said each made sense, and I couldn't tell who was right or wrong. Perhaps they were just giving advice based on their own life experiences and insights, and as for how I should go, I still had to make my own decision.
Stone Mountain Town is quite a distance from Mosar City, and the circus was unable to buy new horses, so it took us nearly a week to reach our destination. Fortunately, we did not encounter any more robbers along the way. Sohier has not yet gotten over the pain of losing his brother, and he chose to stay in Stone Mountain Town to guard the body of Vader. Helgi and Aigis were learning juggling along the way, which led to Velus suggesting that we join the circus every day.
We were reluctant to leave, and Wills and I each performed a line of "The mountains remain green, the water flows forever", and Helgi waved goodbye with a smile. Wills planned to turn south along the Yar River and enter the Whiterun Territory, while we stayed here to continue "bear hunting".
After passing through a canyon to the north, the scenery in front of us suddenly opens up. It is the city of Mosar, the capital of the Yar Border Territory.
The Yar River originates from the Gray Swamp Mountains in the middle of Whiterun Territory and meanders northwestward. This gentle upstream area gathers several small streams and splits into two branches in the area of Ossam. The western tributary joins the Kaas River near Dragon Bridge Town, while the eastern tributary passes through a steep mountain range and plunges into the depression between Cangyuan Territory and Hafengar Territory. The Yar River overflows here and forms a large swamp called Drachkmire.
The city of Mosal is located at the southern edge of this swamp. Its existence shatters everyone's beautiful impression of "being close to mountains and rivers". It is cold and damp here. It rains and snows at least seven days out of ten. On days without rain, thick gray fog fills the sky and the earth. Two-thirds of the entire town is built on the water, relying on thick wood to struggle away from the rotten mud. These woods need to be checked and replaced frequently to prevent the buildings they support from being swallowed by the never-satisfied abyss. As a result, the lumberyard has become a rare vibrant industry in this lifeless corner.
Corrupted miasma and annoying mosquitoes are always looking for the flesh and blood of people and animals. In order to resist their invasion, residents have to seek the help of pharmacists, which has also given rise to the second largest industry in Mosal City - alchemy. The four types of medicines, pain relief, cold dispelling, disease removal, and detoxification, can be said to be essential items in the homes of people living here. And detoxification medicines are of various types depending on the source of the poison. If it is just a general mosquito bite, it is not a big deal. No matter what kind of medicine, it can be more or less useful. But if you are bitten by a poisonous snake or even a frost spider, you must have a special medicine to cure it. The most serious is the poison of Charus, which not only requires a special medicine, but also timely treatment, otherwise your life will be in danger.
Because of this, there are many pharmacies of all sizes in Mosar City, and the most famous one is the Magician's Hut. This store belongs to a female alchemist named Lamy, and her husband is Jorgen of the Axe-carrying Clan. He is not only the keeper of the handle of Dagon's razor, but also runs the largest lumberyard in the city. The couple are engaged in the most "money-making" careers and are leaders in their respective industries. This is truly the richest family in Mosar City.
We entered the city in the afternoon drizzle and found a nearby place to stay. In the game, there is only one hotel in Mosal City, the Merced Inn, but it is located in the north of the city. Going there means we have to endure at least half an hour on the slippery mud. Besides, we are just here to buy some supplies and continue to move west. It is naturally more convenient to choose a place close to the southern official road.
The inn was unexpectedly lively, with more than a dozen people sitting in the lobby in groups of three or four, some shouting loudly, some drinking silently, and some whispering in low voices. Unlike big cities, this place is not forbidden to tiger people and dragon people, so the Hayou siblings did not attract people's attention. In fact, at least a quarter of the people in the lobby had tails, and there were three orcs with green faces and fangs. The owner of the inn was a middle-aged Nord man who didn't seem to be talkative. He collected the money, led us to the room, lazily said, "If you want to eat, go to the lobby," and turned and walked away.
Helgi kicked off his deerskin boots, revealing his wrinkled feet soaked in rain, and grabbed the bed sheet to wipe his hair. Snap! A scorpion that had been sleeping under the bed sheet fell to the ground. It raised a pair of large claws and stretched lazily, then spread its four pairs of long legs and began tap dancing. Unfortunately, the audience did not seem to appreciate its performance. A dagger fell from the sky, ending its short and carefree life. Helgi carefully controlled the flames in his left hand, and soon dressed the dancer on the tip of the knife to make him crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a burnt aroma. Agis swallowed his saliva and began to look for gifts from nature on another bed.
Although the conditions in the room were not satisfactory, we decided not to join the fun in the lobby. The group of people not only had different races, but also had a variety of occupations. Some had daggers on their waists, some wore wizard robes, and some were dressed in ordinary clothes, and their identities could not be seen. With such a group of people from all walks of life gathered together, who knows if they are doing legitimate business, so it is better not to provoke them.
The next day, we asked the boss where the market was, and we went into the thick fog in the early morning, carrying the skins we had caught on the road. According to the division of labor, Hayu and Agis set up a stall to sell goods, while Helgi and I went to buy things, and Babas was left in the hotel to look after the luggage. The water network in Mosal reminded me of the water city of Venice that I had heard of in my previous life. People here also use small boats as a means of transportation. Sometimes two shops look very close, but there is a ditch between them. The occasional bubbles that pop up remind people nearby that these few steps that seem to be wading through actually lead directly to the Soul Cairn. Whenever you encounter this situation, you have to find a boatman nearby, spend one or two Septim, and you can reach the other side safely. But in this way, Helgi and I quickly lost our way, not to mention that the surroundings were all white, and there was no way to find the iconic buildings.
"Brother, come and take a look. We have been to this store before, right?"
Helgi stood on tiptoe, checked the sign of a shop on the roadside, and waved to me.
She was right. I had an impression of this shop because it was one of the few places that sold fruit. Although the so-called fruit was just a few sour and hard green apples, I was still willing to pay for it. Helgi and Hayou were both excellent hunters. Thanks to them, we had no shortage of meat along the way, but the intake of vitamins and dietary fiber was a problem. Unfortunately, there was almost no decent farmland in Mosal City and even the entire Yar Border Territory. All crops were heavily dependent on the supply of other territories. The owner said that in the past, his goods would be sold out within three days. However, the war on the front line has become increasingly tense recently. Not long ago, there was a fire in someone's house in the city, which caused panic and chaos. That's why there were only a few left.
"So, the past twenty minutes we've spent have been wasted. We've ended up back where we started."
I came to Helgi's side, squinting to identify the direction, wondering if we should wait for the fog to clear before leaving. The little girl came up and hugged my arm.
"Someone is following us."
She whispered something, then returned to her normal volume.
"Yeah, so we should go back, don't you think, brother?"
Helgi put a sweaty hand into mine and pointed behind me with the other hand. There were streets and houses covered in thick fog, and pedestrians were coming in and out of the gray from time to time. I looked back and forth, but didn't find any suspicious targets. If it was just an ordinary thief or robber, it wouldn't make the well-informed little girl so nervous. The person following us must be very simple.
Sure enough, Helgi lowered his voice again and added.
"Not a living person."
This news made my hair stand on end. There are three common undead creatures in Skyrim, wights, dragon priests and vampires. Wights are slow in movement and low in intelligence, and dragon priests were of noble status during their lifetime and were usually buried in magnificent tombs after death. It is unlikely that either of them would appear casually in broad daylight, let alone use thick fog to track living people. Then the most likely one is the most evil, cunning and powerful vampire among the undead creatures.
"How did you know?"
"Detect Undead. I found a book in the library of the Bloody Throne that recorded this spell. I just used it."
I tried to calm myself down. Vampires are not rare in Skyrim. We have dealt with them before. According to the information in the game, three of the nine cities in Skyrim are related to these things. The Lord of Falkreath has a vampire ancestor. We got to know the old fox Danger by hunting down this guy named Vighar. The court wizard of Solitude is also a member of the Night Clan. This guy has served at least two generations of the Supreme King, and he has hired adventurers to hunt his kind in a very high-profile manner. The third city related to the blood clan is the city of Morsal where we are.
I had planned to pass through the border of Yar long ago, and naturally I knew that there was a female vampire named Alva in the city of Mosar. She was lurking among the residents, intending to secretly seize control of the city. This guy's master is the powerful vampire king Movars. According to a book called "Undying Blood" in the game, Movars was a vampire hunter in the past. He once asked a vampire expert about the characteristics of different types of blood. His consultant generously shared his research results, and Movars couldn't wait to verify the new knowledge every time. Who knew that the expert himself was a member of the Cyrodiil blood family. Because of his good disguise, he deceived the experienced hunters and finally succeeded in a sneak attack and converted Movars into his own people.
This is what I forgot to ask Cindy when I was in Helgen.
As a member of the Cyrodiil blood clan, does Movarth have any connection with Cindy's family? What is the relationship between the two sides? Does his plan in the border territory of Yar have the consent or even support of the family? And can I take action against him?
Of course, I didn't intend to provoke such a tough opponent, so I forgot about it and just avoided him. Who knew that he would come to our door? Maybe it was because Helgi and I were shopping everywhere, looking like we had a lot of money, and we were obviously not familiar with the roads, which made people tempted by the money. The fog didn't seem to be dispersing for a while, and I was afraid we wouldn't be able to meet up with Hayou. In the game, the vampire Alva lives in the south of the city, so I decided to go north and find a crowded place, such as the Merced Inn, so that she wouldn't have a chance to attack.
"Helgi, do you know which way is north?"
I regretted my words the moment they came out of my mouth. This question made me look like a fool, but Helgi was not in the mood to joke. She looked at the thick fog that enveloped the surroundings and shook her head blankly. Since neither of us knew the way and we were being followed by someone with ulterior motives, we couldn't wander around anymore. I pulled the little girl into the alley and jumped onto a small sampan in a few steps.
"Boss, can you take us to the Merced Inn?"
Judging from the voice, the boatman was an elderly man, with a bamboo hat covering half of his face. All that could be seen was his unshaven mouth and a mouthful of yellow teeth that showed when he smiled.
"Are you here to collect medicinal herbs? This place is a bit far from the north of the city, but the old man knows the shortest way, and it only costs five Septim."
I quickly took out the money and urged him to start the boat. The sampan went deep into the thick fog, and the white curtain closed in, blocking the surrounding scenery. Only the sound of the bow breaking through the stagnant water reminded us that we were moving forward. I don't know how long it took, but a stone bridge suddenly appeared. The boat passed under the bridge and then docked at the shore.
"Guests, please get off the boat. Do you see that hill? As long as you climb over the hill, you will reach the back door of the Merced Inn. It is most convenient to take the water route. If you are in the city, the fog is too thick and you outsiders will easily get lost."
I thanked him, but I cursed him in my heart. This unlucky place is the outskirts of the city, and the so-called hill is actually the cemetery of Mosar City. I tried every means to avoid the ghost, but you sent me directly to the ghost's lair. I really have to thank you for your eight generations of ancestors!
Unfortunately, things have come to this point, so I had no choice but to go up the mountain. I took Helgi's hand, but it was cold. The little girl stared at me with a pale face. I turned around quickly, but saw a slender figure slowly emerging from the fog.
"Little girl, you are quite clever. You are much more useful than that stupid man next to you."