Hjalti Early-Beard

My travels in the wild continued once more.

Sometimes I came across minotaurs so I had to change my way but other than that nothing of note happened until I chanced upon an inn in the middle of nowhere.

"Old Hroldan Inn?" It read on the sign.

I entered the inn and surprisingly, this one was bereft of any customers.

"Ah! A visitor! Welcome. Old Hroldan Inn has hundreds of years of history friend. I take it you want to rent Tiber Septim's room?"

A woman in her forty to fifties was standing behind the counter.

"Tiber Septim's room?"

Was she talking about the founder of the Empire?

"That's right. In the Second Era, Tiber Septim himself led the army that conquered Old Hroldan from the barbarians of the Reach. Septim would later found the Empire that united Tamriel, but his first known battle and victory was right here. And this inn has the very bed the great general slept in on his first night as Old Hroldan's liberator. As good as it was hundreds of years ago."

"I'll take it." I mean, why not?

"Splendid. The room is just on the right, it is the big room with the double bed." She pointed towards the right where four rooms were located.

I easily found the room she was talking about. It was the biggest out of the four, and easily the biggest room I've seen so far.

I closed the door, spent some time training with my blades to get a better feel for them and practiced my magic. After I felt sufficient with them, I went to sleep.

"Aahhhh!!"

It was in the dead of the night when I woke up from my sleep because of a woman's scream.

The voice sounded just like the innkeeper's. I quickly equipped my armor and blades and stepped out the door with full alert.

It didn't take me long to find the innkeeper for she was just sitting on the ground not far from my room.

"What happened?"

"Mara have mercy that gave me a fright. There is a ghost wandering around my inn like it owned the place." She said while pointing towards a direction.

I looked towards where she was pointing and was surprised to actually see a ghost sitting at a table while drinking from an ethereal mug.

He seemed harmless since all he did was just sit there and drink…menacingly!

While I was looking at him, the ghost turned towards me.

{Hjalti?! Is that you? I've been waiting.}

His ghostly features looked surprised to see me. His voice sounded as if it was echoing inside my head.

"Hjalti? Who are you talking about?"

{You promised me, Hjalti. You promised that when we sacked Hroldan, you would make me your sworn brother. And I've waited. Even after the enemies' arrows dug into my chest and their hammers crushed my bones. I've waited. Give me your sword, Hjalti. That we may become brothers as you promised.}

"Uhh, you wouldn't happen to know something about this, would you?" I then turned towards the innkeeper.

"I heard stories that Old Hroldan in was supposedly haunted, but no one has seen a ghost since the great war. He's from the battle, I just know it. He is one of Tiber Septim's soldiers…back from the dead."

Then I turned towards the ghost. "Who are you? Where are you from?"

{You don't remember me, Hjalti? Two campaigns we served together. You saved my life time and time again.}

"Look, you are confusing me with someone else. I'm not this 'Hjalti' person. I'm Alaric." I intended to clear this misunderstanding,

{Bring me your sword Hjalti, so that I may rest in peace.}

But the ghost didn't listed or just didn't care.

"How in the hell do I find an ancient sword for this guy?"

Then the innkeeper said, "A sword? Hmm…I remember there was a legend that Tiber Septim attacked one of the enemy camps before he came to Old Hroldan. It could be there."

How can an ancient sword with hundreds of years of history behind it be conveniently located in a place that an innkeeper remembered from a legend?

There is simply no way.

—

{Ah, you brought me Hjalti's sword. Thank you young man.}

…Okay, I was wrong. It was exactly there.

Wait, what did he just call me?

"Young man?"

{Indeed. You are young, no?}

"Yes, I am but that was not the question." I squinted my eyes at him. "You knew I was not Hjalti from the beginning."

{Haha I did. I may be an old ghost but I can still remember my brother Hjalti.}

"Then, why?"

{Maybe because you two are not so dissimilar. Anyways, thank you for bringing his sword to me, I can finally rest in peace in Sovngarde. But I should still properly express my gratitude.} And he touched my forehead with his finger.

Then, memories started appearing in my mind. Battle, battles and battles. It was full of fighting.

How a man was cleaving through enemies. How he acted when he was surrounded, how to better position oneself for an attack and a block.

{These are my experiences in the battlefield, they should prove useful to you. And with this, I fare thee well.} And he disappeared.

But I didn't pay that any mind for I was absorbed in the memories.

The experiences of the ghost brought a familiar memory in my head.

[Using the Math Athlete, you could occur several places during a single duel, illustrious and sure.]

Domain.

As far as I could reach, was my Domain. Math Athlete. I could be anywhere. I could attack and defend from anywhere. I was in full control of my body.

"Do you think the ghost is coming back? It seems to have vanished." I was taken out of my thoughts by the innkeeper.

"No, I don't think it is coming back."

"I'm glad. I don't want a ghost scaring away my customers. Thank you for your help. Here, a little something for your troubles." Then she passed me a pouch full of septims.

But I refused it. I already had enough for a while.

"No, it is okay. I couldn't have done it without your information. Besides, I got a lot already."

"Oh, okay. If you say so. But if you happen to find your way through here again, you can stay here free of charge anytime."

"Thank you for the offer, if that happens I will make sure to do so." This time I accepted her gratitude. "I should get going. I have a mission to do."

"May the divines' blessing be on you."

"Thank you."