User blog:Psychomantis108/Daggerfall: Chapter 13 - Shut Up

The doors to the throne room, huge, hulking wooden structures made of some form of decaying wood, required both members of Agatha’s party to open. Both she and Dodger grunted loudly as the base of the two doors ground against the stone surface of the floor. Judging by the grooves down there and the indentations in the doorway, it seemed quite obvious that the door wasn’t the right size for the doorway and thus it caused quite a bit of friction.

Eventually they forced it open, revealing the throne room of Sedugent castle. A large hall flanked by staircases, with banners of the kingdom of Daggerfall, stitched onto old tapestries and suspended from the ceiling. It seemed to have a number of small rooms to the left and right as well as the magically locked door that had hindered them before, that stood defiantly to the south.

The two of them cautiously stepped deeper in the throne room, despite the fact that it was the most civilized room in the castle, it was still somewhat unsettling, perhaps more so due to the illusion of normality. Dodger was quick to settle down, however, as she wandered deeper into the throne room.

“Hey, Nulfaga, you crazy old bitch! You in here!?”

“Shhh!” Agatha hissed, it was more than possible that they weren’t alone.

As if to confirm Agatha’s suspicions, a creaking could be heard, coming from the right as a rhythm of clatters could be heard, prompting the two women to glance to it and step back. A skeleton, with a mace of some description, stepped out from the darkness and struck out at them, bringing the blunt weapon down on Dodger, prompting her to quickly deflect it with her bow before whacking the Skeleton over the head with it.

The Skeleton stumbled back, prompting Agatha to blast it with her silver staff, the staff sent a fireball out that shattered the Skeleton on impact. Dozens of pieces flew across the room and its weapons dropped to the ground.

The two of them panted with a sigh, after that Flesh Atronauch abomination they had encountered earlier, this wasn’t too difficult of an opponent. Dodger was quick to look around to Agatha, giving her a nod of satisfaction.

“Don’t think she’s here, we should check upstairs.”  She suggested, gesturing to the stairway, to her left. Agatha couldn’t exactly argue, unless she’d died ages ago and had resurrected as a skeleton, she certainly wasn’t here...

The two of them quickly got into formation, Dodger drew a knife and put her bow away as she began her ascent...

The two of them arrived at the upper level of the throne room, there they saw an old woman in sack-like brown robes and bedraggled blonde hair, with witch-like features. A long, crooked nose, missing teeth and an eye that had gone milky long ago...

The woman stumbled about, she seemingly hadn’t noticed them, prompting the two adventurers to look at each other and sigh as Agatha stepped forward.

“Nulfaga?”

The woman didn’t seem to notice that Agatha was there but she did respond... in her own way as she stumbled about, circling her throne room.

“United thoughts, counsels, equal hope and hazard in the once glorious enterprise joined with me, now misery hath joined in equal ruin!” She wept rubbing her face as she wandered over to Dodger before slapping her twisted, gnarled hands on her shoulders and pulling the Bosmer closer.

“Eternal, eternal, eternal ruin. I tell the door to my soul to shut up. Oh, my child, why wouldst thou not listen, thy ear, thy glorious mortal face...” As she spoke, she cupped Dodger’s face with her bony fingers, gently grazing her cheek with her long, rotting nails.

Were Nulfaga a lot younger and had she not stunk of... A blank  that only the Gods could fill in... Dodger would be pretty turned on right now, sadly though, as things were, she was just freaked out.

“Thy throat and the arrow. Oh misery!”

Dodger gave her a nervous smile as she pried the old woman off, somewhat throwing delicacy aside as she did so.

“Okay... She’s nuttier than squirrel shit. Can we go now?”

“Choosing out few words most horrible, let none them read!” She gasped, wandering over towards Agatha, seemingly fretting even more.

“Verses, verses frame which with and other spells like terrible curses Heaven! Curse Oblivion! My boy! My boy is dead and let Tamriel tremble until he and I findeth peace denied. Shut up the door to his tomb and to my home!” As she continued to stumbled around, Dodger quickly glanced back to Agatha giving her a shrug, it seemed that talking to her was somewhat counter productive.

“What strange motive! Goddess! Could compel an arrow to my beloved lysandus’ bare throat? Did he died there mourned and blessed or are my pretty birdies all turned to graywings? Oh doorway to my heart, shut up lest the world-between and now where do I find the lightness of my son. Oh, madness to thy breast I cling suckling!”

“Pfft... At least she’s self aware.” Dodger sighed as she approached Agatha, looking around.

“Should we... Do something whilst we’re here or...?”

“Nah, nothing we can do... She’s fine, guess we just have to report that.” The Breton shrugged, sighing heavily as she rubbed the back of her neck.

“We are only like dead walls or vaulted graves, that, ruined, yield no echo. Oh, this gloomy world, in what a shadow or deep pit of darkness doth, womanish and fearful, mankind live. How came Lysandus by his death? In a mist, I know not how. Oblivion not come yet? Shut up mine door and keep out its gray skies. I’ll move it nearer by a perspective or make a glass that shall set all the world on fire upon an instant. I cannot sleep; my pillow is stuffed with a litter of porcupines.”

“Guess their spikes pierced her skull.” Dodger shrugged, looking back to Agatha.

“Can we go? She’s starting to make sense to me and I don’t like that.”

“Yeah, let’s... Get out of here...” Agatha grumbled, turning away and wandering back over to the stairway. It would seem that the mad old Breton just wanted to be left alone, to her own madness...

Somehow, despite gaining the favour of the King’s wife... this all felt like a waste of time.

The two of them returned to Daggerfall, after several hours of travel and a few minutes of recuperating from teleportation sickness. Both Agatha and Dodger returned to castle Daggerfall, quickly making their way through the gateway.

“Well, I think that was significantly shorter than one hundred and fifty days...” The Breton said, with a grin, though Dodger didn’t exactly seem impressed. Right now she wouldn’t mind a nice trip up to the north, instead of being zapped there via a Mage’s teleportation spell.

As they stepped into the castle, it was obvious that the staff members who had seen them before were surprised to see them again. Agatha paid no mind to this and simply marched up to the nearest servant and glanced up at him expectedly.

“We’re done, got a report on Nulfaga!” She informed him, getting an irritated sigh.

“Surely you don’t expect me to beli...”

“The crazy bitch has a milky eye and mumbles to herself that she wants doors to shut up or something and she also speaks in ‘ye olde speak!’” Dodger snapped at him, not really having the patience to deal with the hired help.

“Does that remove your doubt? Or will the back of my hand have to do it? We went there, there’s vomit stains on the Mage’s Guild floor to prove it!”

The Butler sighed, clearly not paid well enough to be remotely invested...

“Very well, I’ll get her Highness.” He sighed, turning away and leaving the others to it. An awkward silence fell over them, as Agatha glanced up to the ceiling and Dodger just ran her foot along the floor, back and forth.

The Butler emerged, a few moments later, stepping through the Breton Styled doors and stopped just before them, standing properly.

“The Queen is ready to see you now.”

Agatha nodded and stepped on up to the throne room, sighing heavily as she shuffled inside, seeing the Queen sat on her throne before them...

“Ah, Agent Tira. I doubted I would ever see you again.” She admitted, rising to her feet with a smile.

“Your news that Nulfaga is still among the living does my heart much good. Here take this Amulet, I think it will serve as an adequate reward for your troubles, it should assist you in your magical endeavours.”

“Th-Thank you, your Highness.” Agatha murmured as she took it, giving a respectful nod.

“We were glad to be of help.”

Dodger gave a rather exaggerated nod and smile in response, getting her to sigh heavily as she was dragged away, so that she couldn’t offend the Queen any more than she potentially had...