Dragonborn Chapter 25: The Round of 32 is a Good Distraction

[A/N: This bounce chapter comes to you by the good graces of @MO.FI.SA , pray for him to never have diarrhea.]

[A/N: There is a damn vote ladies and gentlemen and it's 7:6 for the people who wants not to save Torygg, what are you waiting for? Go to Discord and #Save_Torygg.]

The first match was us against the team 'North Stars', the arena was full and every big shot was there.

Viarmo took the commentary as usual and made the introduction of the teams. Team 'White Wolves' was me, Jon Battle-Born a swordsman and Wulfur a shield bearer. Team 'North Stars' was Ongeim a berserker, Hjargrim with a sword and shield and Dritla a giant tomboy girl with a spear and buckler.

Wulfur stood in the middle with his big shield, he had four small axes on his back and a new flail, to his right was Battle-Born with a longsword, and on his left was me with 'Agni-Ra' on my shoulder.

On the other side, Ongeim stood on the middle, on his left was Hjargrim and on his right was Dritla.

I could see Skadi and Bjorna in the crowd which made my mood much better, now I need to kick Ongeim and his goons to Oblivion and win the damn duel.

As the match started Ongeim ran like a madman swinging his dual axes downwardly at Wulfur, Wulfur bashed him with his ridiculously large shield and Ongeim staggered backward.

Our plan was to not give them a time for breath, I rushed at Ongeim and swung the hammer at him, the poor boy was taken by surprise and the hammer landed on him nicely.

His teamwork skills are lacking, he rushed at us alone, we, on the other hand, didn't move from our starting place.

His team caught up but I was back to my position.

As Hjargrim attacked Battle-Born but they were evenly matched, Wulfur and Ongeim clashed once again yet Ongeim this time has the upper hand as his axes were faster than Wulfur's flail.

Dritla attacked me relentlessly, I have to finish her before we get the others.

After few exchanges, Dritla stabbed at me with her spear but I retreated backward and hammered down her spear, as her spear touched the ground it broke, the girl was in distress but I kept attacking and she was defending with the spear's pole.

I managed to land a hit after a long exchange and she was as good as done.

"Wulfur, switch." As I say that, Wulfur backs away from Ongeim and faces Dritla, Ongeim tried to stop him but I was on his way.

"What's up?" I said.

Ongeim was annoyed by my way of speaking and started waving his axes left and right.

I dodged only to the back to make a space away from others, after taking enough distance and using his rush I started my counterattack.

I swung my hammer at him and he crossed his axes to make a hasty block.

The weapons met and he survived the surprised attack relying on luck, he thought he change the situation using the slow reaction of hammers, yet who did he think I am?

The second swing was not a second late to the first followed by a kick to his knee and a third hammer swing.

Ongeim couldn't do anything but to retreat, he took some distance and started running at me like a madman.

His axes moved faster than my hammer and he was moving fast too, I can't afford to lose in speed against that guy.

I rotated my body around itself and throw the hammer at the rushing Ongeim, his rush was disturbed.

Then I hastily made two 'Bound Sword' spells on each hand summoned two spectral swords.

"Using magic you shameless bastard." Ongeim said, he must be one of those Nords who hate magic.

"Humph!" I could only snort at that icebrain Nord, These people are simply stupid.

The fast exchange started to happen once again, this guy was really tall, also he had a lot of Stamina, his strength and speed were good as well.

I was faster than him but to overwhelm him, I needed to

weaken his momentum.

I cut him few times and he got annoyed of it, but as I should not exhaust myself on him I had to play it dirty, no, we had to play it dirty.

Just as Wulfur was done with already beaten up Dritla, he came rushing at Ongeim who started felt distress.

Two on one ended quickly and Ongeim was lashed by sWulfur's flail on his armor which barely absorbed some of the shock.

The last one was Battle-Born and Hjargrim, Battle-Born was already winning but we surrounded Hjargrim and thrashed him black and blue.

Our win was declared, it was an easy and fast fight.

Following up was the Companions second team against team 'Cold Wind', I could foresee an easy win to the Companions first team.

The other important matches were 'Stormcloaks' vs 'Winter Era', 'Wolf Song' vs 'Warmaidens', 'Wolven Storm' vs 'Companions first team', 'Golden Swords' vs 'Shatter-Shield', 'Arcane Wisdom' vs 'Fair Winds'.

This only meant that the city will be watching the matches and the streets will be quiet.

I told Wulfur and Battle-Born to watch the matches and left alone, I have a plan to make.

I tried to get a map for the sewers from the 'Thieves Guild' but it seemed like there is no one who goes there for any reason.

My interest in the sewers was because in the game, you can escape from the castle's jail through it, that's how I was planning to save the assassin girl.

After all I left her a message when I threw her journal to her.

I remember what I wrote, I thought to interest her if I wrote a poem back to her and this was my first time writing a poem to a girl, how embarrassing.

I found a manhole in a hidden place behind the alchemy store I spotted a while ago, I had already taken my plate body armor off as well as the helmet and left the hammer away before I leave the arena.

I was now light armored and pretty much agile, I went into the manhole and closed it after I went in.

This smell of s**t that I never forgot from Riften's rat way was here, still much better than the Ratway, this sewer system was wide and its style was much more modern compared to Riften, I think the city takes care of this place probably.

Preparing a 'Candlelight' spell and a 'Bound Sword' spell, I now was ready to explore this sewer system.

Relying on my good sense of direction I made a guess and followed it towards the location I guess is the place where the castle is.

Some parts of the sewers were new, some other parts were really old, some parts had Dwemer pipes going through them, I guess the city imported them from Solitude.

Skeevers were everywhere of course and I was used to killing them in the Ratway, what was unexpected was undead.

An undead draugr appeared before me! What brings a draugr to a city sewer tunnel?

I made a guess but maybe some old crypt was opened to the sewers or something.

Draugrs are mummified ancient Nords to protect the old crypts of the dead, these things were one of the arts of necromancy that the old Nords excelled in.

I didn't find the draugr to be that much strong but it moved so fast, I used the 'Bound Sword' with a 'Sun Fire' spell on the left hand, It was pretty much done for.

I checked the equipment on it, it looked like the 'Ancient Nord Equipments' from the game but they were pretty much rotten, the wood of the axe turned green, it was a mystery how these things remained sturdy.

Moving on, I arrived to corridor, it was going up somewhere, the area around was old so it meant this part of the underground sewers wasn't manned.

I went up the corridor and could feel few presence, I think I reached where I want, I was under the castle.

I could see some old walls and few holes in them, I cancelled the 'Candlelight' spell and waited for my eyes to get used to the darkness.

I tried to look through the holes but I found no clue to which part of the prison was this.

I made a 'Bound Dagger' and started removing some bricks from the walls, I could see few prisoners now.

Examining the terrain, I found the cell of the girl but it was a challenge to get to.

After finding a way to the wall behind her cell I started removing the pricks carefully.

The girl noticed something was not right and approached the wall.

"Don't make any noise!" I whispered to her.

"Why are you helping me?" She talked in a low voice.

"I am from the guild, Geem-Zaw wanted you out or dead depending on what you confessed." I said.

"But I didn't confess anything." The girl said.

"That's not for me to decide." I said.

"Thank you about the Journal." She said, "And the poem."

"No problem, five days from now the tourney will end, I will leave the city and I'll break you out that day." I said, "Remember what I wrote, wait until fire breaks out."

"Fine!" She said.

"By the way, what should I call you with?" I asked.

"I am known as Mabia, but that's the name they gave me! I don't have a birth name." She said.

What a tragic child!

"The hole is big enough now." I said, "When the fire breaks out in the castle, know the bricks and run to the sewers, I'll be waiting."

"Okay." She said, "I'll be needing some boots by then."

"Demanding one, aren't you? Fine, I'll bring you food too." I said.

After a I finished I left her and went back to the corridor and from it to the sewers.

I can find my way back to the city, but where does the sewers end at?

I followed the passage for a while and finally found the exit, it was barred but it seems there is a gap beside the bars.

Using 'Bound Battleaxe' I conjured a big battleaxe and started digging in that gap.

After a short time of hard digging, the gap has widened enough, I could go in and out easily.

The place outside was under the city after the docks this was a good place to make the second part of the plan.

After covering the gap, I went back and climber out of the manhole while checking my surrounding.

The sky was about to get dark yet the arena was still bustling with noise, this has taken longer than expected.

I returned to the inn and ordered some hot water to wash myself from the filth, these were some very annoying couple of days.

As I got cleaner I dressed properly and went out of the city towards the bathhouse.

Finding Micalo the Altmer barber, I entered his shop and looked around.

"You got out early from the arena." He said.

"You too." I said.

"Were you up to something?" He asked.

"I was making preparations." I said.

"So, how will this go?" He asked.

"The girl seems to have said some things but her mind is all broken from the torture." I said.

"So it will be like this? Have you killed before?" He asked.

"No, how do you think I should do it?" I asked.

"A stab to a vital spot will be fast and clean." He said.

"What should I do with the body?" I said.

"Throw it in the sewers, unless you want to bring a shovel and a priest of Arkay." He said mocking me.

I made up an upset face, but just as I turned and left I couldn't help but smile.

Everything was ready, I will go and relax now.

I headed to the bathhouse while whistling.

"So you came back! Remember what I said. The private rooms for you, no cheap tents after you did last time." The bathhouse mistress met me with cold gaze.

"Fine, fine, don't glare like that or wrinkles will appear on your pretty face." I said. "The girls from last time?" I asked.

"Did you think I would give you any other girls? Do you know how they couldn't take a client without complaining how boring it was?" She said while glaring at 'Little Jon'.

"Okay, okay, I'll be going in, here, for 4 hours, just in case." I said while going to the one story bath building.

[A/N: Rest of the chapter will be published on SSAoJD.]

Chapter end