[Encanto] 15 – Mercenary Work Part 1

Floating high in the sky above a seemingly normal fishing camp, with a boat resting on the shore and many men gathered around a fire wearing furs, steel, and armed with various weapons, I knew I had found my targets. A group of pirates was terrorizing the area and using this camp as their staging ground to attack the few caravan groups and ships that traded with Winterhold and the College. These men were those pirates. No fishers or traders in their right minds would build a camp in the tundra west of Winterhold, home to Ice Wraiths, Ice Wolves, Giants, Falmer, Trolls, Bears, and who knows what else.

None of the pirates had noticed me, as I was far enough up to be a mere blip to their eyes, but I could see them as I channeled Magicka into my eyes, performing the equivalent of [Far Sight] from any number of Dungeon and Dragons games. These men were all Nords, meaning despite the freezing temperatures, all they needed was a bit of fur and warmth, and they'd be able to easier camp out here in the Tundra without a worry. According to the bounty, they have been operating for a few weeks. However, that's only because one of their victims managed to survive and inform the Jarl in Winterhold, so who knows how long these people have really been operating here, attacking every poor soul that neared, but the bounty's notice did state that the group could have been operating for a few months, as that was how long it has been since the last caravan visited Winterhold.

As I observed the camp, I estimated that there were somewhere between sixteen and twenty-eight total pirates based on the number of bedrolls lying around the camp. Half of the camp was absent, so I'd have to wait for the remaining Pirates to return before I cleared the camp. My guess was that they were either hunting, lying waste in ambush at some checkpoint along the roads that led to Winterhold, or sailing the Sea of Ghosts on another ship. 

It's said that Atmora lies past the Sea of Ghosts, and it is Atmora where Nords are said to originate. That's right; Nords were invaders and trespassers to Tamriel. It's the Nords that arrived at Tamriel that was ruled by the Mer. Over the course of countless years and the intermingling of the Mer and Man, other races arose, such as the Imperials, Bretons, and so on. 

I was curious and wanted to explore it, but I knew I was by no means capable of passing through the Sea of Ghosts at my current level. From what I've read, Pirates, sea monsters, terrible storms, and so much more call the Sea of Ghosts home.

Shaking my head, I looked down at the pirates below me; looking around, I realized there was nowhere I would be able to touch down and keep an eye on the pirates at the same time. So, with nothing but time, I floated up with the clouds, enjoying the warmth [Sun's Embrace] gave me despite the freezing temperatures around me.

As I floated, I pondered: Why did the Jarl agree to help me? It was clear in the game just how much he despised Mages and Magic in general, so I doubt his hate grew even further despite me being a few years early. Wait, did I heal him of something with the spell? I doubt it was some mental illness as he was a young man in his mid-twenties, by my estimations.

If it wasn't a mental illness, was it something else? A physical injury of some kind? Or was it because of my sincerity and how I openly challenged him, claiming I wanted a better Winterhold? Maybe I should ask him when I get back.

That's when I noticed it: a group of figures walked through the deep snow of the Tundra. By my count, there were nine of them, meaning there were a total of twenty-five Pirates, though there was one missing if the extra bedroll was any clue.

Once the pirates convened at the camp, I knew that it was time. The question was, what approach should I take? I could attempt the [Familiar] Conjuration spell, which would summon an entity from oblivion to fight for me. Most novices of Conjuration chose a Wolf as their first and sometimes only familiar. Still, there were many other options, as shown in Elder Scrolls Online, such as undead, imps, shades, Winged Twilights, and so on, but that knowledge was lost to time, as nowadays, only Wolves were seen as Familiars summoned by the [Summon Familiar] spell.

So much knowledge has been lost, but there existed one source for me to regain this knowledge, the Augur of Dunlain. Once I return, I'm trading for as many spells as possible but enough distractions. Now that they were all in the camp, It was time to finish them.

Taking a deep breath, I summoned as much Magicka as possible, and in moments, the magicka ignited, bathing the area around me in flames. Reiling in the flames, I let go of myself using my gift and plummeted from the sky.

...

[Pirate Captain's POV]

Just reaching the camp, the men around me carried themselves stiffly. We hadn't hit a caravan or trade ship in over a week, and the men were beginning to become...rowdy. I knew that if we didn't catch something soon, then I'd have a mutiny on my hands. I chose this area because I thought we wouldn't have to be worried about being hunted by bounty hunters, imperial agents, or Thalmor wizards.

Sure, it would mean less loot for me and the crew, but I figured that more ships would pass by Winterhold on their way along the northern coast of Tamriel. However, hardly any ships came near the Sea of Ghosts besides heavily armed and guarded merchant ships controlled by the East Empire Trading Company. The few other ships that did come through were few and far between, with some of the ships having nearly no cargo.

It was bad, and if they didn't find something soon, he knew they'd either have a new area to raid ships or his crew would kill him.

"Uh...Captain? Do you see that?" One of his crewmates asked, pointing up to the sky.

When he looked up, he raised his hand over his eyes and squinted, trying to make out what his subordinate was pointing at.

"Is...Is that another star?" the Captain asked, baffled, before said 'Star' crashed right into the camp at tremendous speed, incinerating everything around it, turning everything within the camp to cinder and ash, and lighting everything else that was left on fire.

Surprisingly, the ship came out just fine, though some wood was burnt from the fire.

...

[Salem's POV]

Whew, I sighed as I looked at the carnage around me.

It smelt of ash and burnt wood, as the camp I crashed into was completely burned away by the explosion and wave of fire from my descent. All that was left was a burnt chest and the ship itself. Everything else present was either melted or burnt to ash. 

Feeling the area with my gift, I grabbed whatever melted gold and Septims I could before throwing them on the ship.

From there, I sat on the ship's deck and reached out with my gift, grabbing the entire ship with gravity. I pushed the ship off the shore and back into the water, directing it further into the sea, just enough to avoid any speed bumps I might encounter. I pushed with a deep breath, and the boat sped across the water.

It was draining, but it took only half an hour to reach the shore at the bottom of the cliff that Winterhold rested on.

Parking the ship with its anchor, I flew up to the town, where I floated down to the town's longhouse, the buildings that housed most of the Jarls of Skyrim.

Stepping inside, I noticed the Jarl right where I expected him, on a large fancy wooden chair at the back and center of the longhouse.

"Back so soon," the Jarl arrogantly replied.

"No, just stopping by to say that I took care of the Pirates that were attacking the Caravans and trade ships that pass by," I started, before continuing, "Said pirates also had a sea-worthy vessel and a decent some of Gold, both of which, I now give to you."