This is truly unpleasant but I couldn't make heads or tails of it. The way the Aspect looked at Nefertiti was weird even though she didn't react to it at all.
Maybe Hircine is a fellow cat-lover.
Anyway, I should just put the idea in the back of my head now. I should find where Sinding has gone.
In the game, after the player takes the ring back from Sinding and offers it to Hircine, Sinding would escape to a cave called 'Bloated Man's Grotto'.
'Bloated Man's Grotto' is a small cave which leads to a vast glade. There, Sinding will be hunted.
As the Aspect told me there will be more competitors for Hircine's favor. So, I summoned a Flame Atronach Horse and took the road to the north at full speed. Jull followed behind me while carrying Nefertiti.
'Bloated Man's Grotto' is located outside the hold of Falkreath and can be accessed only through the Whiterun hold. This made my day even harder. If my calculations are correct, I will reach the cave by sunset. Now is still not noon yet.
I was hoping to find Sinding before he gets to the cave but it was surely just some wishful thinking. The werewolf must have traveled all night till there.
***
I sure arrived at sunset.
It was a horrible long ride, even though the road was straight and open, we bumped into some travelers who lost their marbles when they saw the 'Flaming Horse' and its 'Ghost Rider'.
Me? Ghost Rider? I am sixty times sexier.
Sigh!
Anyway, The path leading to the entrance of the cave was marked by a pile of stones with human bones and a skull lying on them. It sure looked dangerous but we stopped to rest there before we go in.
Jull dismounted her horse and sat on the ground.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"My butt hurts, my back hurts, my neck hurts, my head hurts, everything hurts." She said.
Probably the high-speed nonstop ride was too much for her to handle. Nefertiti was already passed out too.
"Okay! You can rest a bit but there is no time to laze around, ladies. We have an innocent werewolf to slay."
"You are horrible!" She said while looking at me coldly.
She was indeed tired.
Well, we can rest a bit before we go in. I don't think anyone has arrived yet.
Just as I was about to sit I heard…
"Gaaaaaah!"
… A miserable death shriek.
"This came from the cave." Jull said as she jumped up.
Yep, this came from inside the cave!
"I am going in!" I stood up and walked to the cave.
"Can we wait here for a bit?" Jull asked with teary eyes.
"A lot of hunters may come to this place anytime soon. It will be problematic to face them on your own."
"Guh! Fine." She took her bow out and readied some arrows.
We went in just like that.
The entrance of 'Bloated Man's Grotto' led into a natural tunnel. The tunnel was a bit narrow but we went in just fine.
After a bit of a hundred meters in, the glade surrounded by short cliffs appeared and it was truly a place of natural beauty.
What ruined the beauty of the place was three corpses lying around and were miserably cut to shreds.
Looking left and right, I noticed a lot of fighting marks. After trying to detect the area with magic, I noticed a lot of signals from the northwest.
"The hunters are here already?"
"Already?"
"It seems so."
"What will we do then?" Jull asked.
"Hmmm! You kill the hunters that obstruct my path! I will take care of Sinding."
We started to run to the place I thought Sinding will be in.
Just as I arrived, I saw some hunters and bandit like people trying to surround a certain place.
"Wel-met! Did anyone of you see Sinding?" I asked them in a friendly manner.
One of the hunters looked at me as if he was looking at some idiot. He came to my direction and blocked my way.
"This is our hunt! Piss off…"
"Take a cookie!" I offered the man a 'Thunder Cookie' to his chin. As expected, his chin couldn't handle it… or maybe all of his head was not to be found anymore.
Poor thing!
"What!"
"No!"
The other hunters were frightened and tried to do anything but Jull was already killing them.
I think we are a good team! I kill, she kills, they get killed.
"Sinding! I came to see you, buddy! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
"It's... YOU!!!" Sinding was in his werewolf form and appeared to be really pissed at me. He was stained with blood as it seemed he has killed a lot of enemies.
"Ready for round two?" I asked with a grin. I can't help but be the bad guy here.
"I can't stop you if that's what you want to do. Hircine is too powerful for any of us to oppose, but…"
"Save your breath! I don't intend to let you go." I said it straightforwardly.
Sinding looked at me then nodded.
"So be it!"
Then he ran the other direction.
I evoked 'Chain Lightning' spell and started spamming it on him.
In his werewolf form he was fast and a little bit hard to aim at.
He started climbing some old structure and hid behind the walls. I knew he was trying to ambush me.
Still, the good point of 'Chain Lightning' is its bouncing ability so I could even catch him behind his cover.
After he got struck by me again, he started running and jumped from the other side of the ancient structure, I followed him but it would take me some time to get down. My head came to an answer and I cast another spell.
Void distorted and a flaming creature appeared. The Flame Atronach Hawk with his mighty looks came out.
I jumped on its back and ordered it to fly.
The spell was not perfect yet so the highest I can get is about ten meters from the ground, but from this high ancient structure, the hawk can glide its way down.
The hawk was following Sinding who was not yet aware that I was right above him. Just as I was on the right altitude, I jumped from the Flame Atronach Hawk with my saber in hand aiming at Sinding's back.
Just before I could reach him, Sinding noticed my shadow and looked above to see me falling on him. He tried to do anything but it was too late, my saber was already going through his skin, flesh, and vitals.
"GAAH!"
He screamed from the pain yet he used his monstrous strength to grab me and throw me away.
It was not hard to endure as I managed to flip myself in the air and land on my feet.
Looking back at Sinding the werewolf, he was crawling on the ground on all fours muttering something, then he breathed out his last breath out.
That was not hard.
"Jull I am done here!" I yelled to Jull.
"Me too! I am coming."
She killed all of them, impressive!
Jull came down and looked a bit excited.
"What happened?"
"No, I was just killing people a lot these days so it felt fun."
This…
Sigh!
"Anyway, hand me the skinning knife."
Jull took out the knife, it has a wide and short blade that is specialized in skinning animals.
Dismantling was something I learned from my teacher in Riften so it was not that hard for me.
But it is my first time skinning a werewolf and it was troublesome but I managed to take most of the hide.
Putting the hide aside. I was about to start thinking of what will happen now but the answer came by itself.
{You've done well, hunter}
The scary Aspect of Hircine appeared once again!
This time, it looked like Sinding in his human form.
"I did as you asked!" I said as I presented 'Hircine's Ring' to the Aspect of Hircine.
{You did! And found mine favor! That skin will serve you well, child. Look more closely at it. My glories shall protect you from all this world's grievances.}
As the Aspect of Hircine said that, the ring disappeared from my hand and the hide I just took from Sinding's werewolf corpse started changing into something different.
Finally!
What I was waiting for.
"Woah!" Jull who was standing on the side started to look taken aback.
After a short while, the hide turned into a cuirass.
The 'Savior's Hide'!
{Good Hunting!}
The Aspect of Hircine left us with these words! Yet, I sensed some mockery in them.
What does that mean?
***
'Savior's Hide', also known as 'Scourge of the Oathbreaker', is a Daedric artifact commonly associated with 'Hircine'. The name Savior's Hide is usually associated with just the cuirass, but a full set of the hide once existed.
The cuirass can be easily put on and was super light. Its weight is less than the Leather Armor and its sturdiness is that of the Ebony Armor, the strongest metal in Skyrim.
This armor is by far the best light armor for traveling. It doesn't stand out too much if one just put on a cloak on it. And of course, unlike the game, I am wearing pants with that thing.
Its magical effects grant the wearer a high resistance to both Poison and Magic as Hircine said, "... protect you from all this world's grievances."
[A/N: An Image to the Armor: https://ibb.co/juW5gp ]
I was still in 'Bloated Man's Grotto' as I was checking the armor. I moved from the place I killed Sinding into a shrine located in the cave. It was a 'Shrine of Talos'.
After putting the armor on, I tried it left and right and it just was super fit. Nothing can fit like an armor crafted by a Daedric Prince on the spot.
I was too satisfied with armor and asked Jull to hit me a few times but it was just too good to feel anything.
After this was over, I focused on the Shrine of Talos.
There were a letter and a blade next to it.
"What is that?" Jull looked at the blade and asked. It was an unusual looking blade.
"This is an Akaviri Katana. The weapon that was adopted from the Akaviri Civilization by 'The Blades', the former intelligence agency of the Empire before and during the Great War." I replied.
"Woah!" Jull was taken aback again.
I held the blade up and took the letter next to it.
It said;
__________________
To he who finds this, know that I, Acilius Bolar, last of the Blades to survive the attack on Cloud Ruler Temple, took refuge here, in this ancient sanctuary. The Thalmor have come for me, but they shall not desecrate this place. I go forth to meet my death with honor. If you are worthy, take up my blade and do the same.
__________________
Sigh!
Rest in peace!
If I managed to meet up with any of 'The Blades', I shall return this Katana to them.
I know some other than my own father so I will try to pass on the memory of that man, Acilius Bolar.
This katana was known in the game as the 'Bolar's Oathblade'. It resembled the Japanese katana from my past life as its blade was curved the same way, its hilt (or tsuka) is wrapped in black leather, and its guard (or tsuba) is a stylized coiled serpent.
Due to the magical quality of the blade, it was not that damaged after being kept like that with no maintenance.
From what I could sense, it can increase the fatigue of the target it slashes at and can cause enemies to flee in terror. A good sword.
I fixed the scabbard to my left side and sheathed the katana the same way the Japanese do in movies, I think it was called the 'Okuden Noto'.
"Fufufu! I always wanted to do that."
This was one of my past life regrets that I finally managed to achieve it in this life. The chuunibyou within me can rest in peace now.
"Jon!"
"Hm?"
"Look!"
Jull called for me and pointed at something behind me.
I turned around but suddenly lost all my words...
"ROAAAR!"
"Fuck!"
... except for this one.
A massive black cave bear appeared in front of me.
Was there anything like that in the game?
"Jull! Ready for battle! We can take it down together!"
"Yes!"
We face the bear that suddenly appeared behind us.
"Woooo!"
"Wooooo!"
"Wooo!"
"Wooooo!"
What?
"Wolves?"
"Why here?"
"Hey! Where is Nefertiti?"
"Eh! She was just here?"
"Dammit!"
"We need to force our way through!"
"I am not leaving without her!"
Shit! What is going on here?