Isekai From Hell: Modded Skyrim

"You don't have to go to all that for this old smith, but it'll be appreciated." Eorland says with a faint, self deprecating smile slightly pulling taught his weathered and wrinkled face.

"Don't mention it, whether you're a Companion or not, you're one of my people now and I take care of my people." I say clasping him on the back as we walk out of the hall together.

Once outside, Eorland nods to me as he walks off back to his wife down in the market below.

It's still about an hour til sunset, but the sun is already hanging low and I see most of the Companions with minor wounds gathered outside the Hall. The worse off ones have managed to just barely pull themselves from the temple to sit or stand around the withered elder gleam tree as I see Balgruuf and Irileth making their way down from the palace.

"Silvantus, I hope I'm not too late for the ceremony. I've received a number of troubling reports since we last spoke, but I can save that for after." Balgruuf says as he shakes my hand.

"Don't worry, we're only just now beginning. Follow me up. What was this about reports? What's going on?" I ask, returning the shake as we head up to the skyforge.

"Ulfric has been setting up additional encampments and a legionnaire showed up pressuring me to let them garrison troops within the city for, 'our protection.' Ha... We can talk more later." Balgruuf explains as he goes off to the side of the rocky outcropping we just walked up, with Irileth standing guard close at his side.

Once up there I see Aela holding a torch, much like how we had previously for Vilkas's funeral, though with Skjor being the one shrouded in a Companion flag this time.

As I go to her side, she hands the torch over to me, as she asks a question.

"Who will start?" Aela asks as I respond like she has at the last funeral.

"I'll do it. Before the ancient flame..." I say as the crowd echos like a mournful chorus.

"We grieve."

"At this loss..." Aela continues.

"We weep." The crowd echos in unison.

"For the fallen..." Farkus says.

"We shout!" The crowd responses, raising their voices together.

"And for ourselves..." Ria says, stepping up from the crowd to finish the call.

"We take our leave..." The gathered group says quietly, though they wait silently as I place my torch upon Skjor's shroud, finally laying him to rest as I start to make my way down through the city and out the gates as the rest of the funeral goers follow me, with even some of the wounded from the temple doing their best to keep up with the help of their fellow Companions.

Once outside the city I see the rows of pyres that number almost two hundred, as they are placed close enough together as to allow them all to catch fire once I light the first one.

We began the call and response once more, however, after lighting the pyres, everyone remains there quietly watching the flames consume the shrouds and the bodies beneath before returning to the temple to treat their injuries and find lodging for the next couple nights.

I make my way to back to the palace to continue talking with Balgruuf about what he told me before the funeral.

Once inside the palace I see Balgruuf 's throne is empty, which prompts me to head to the strategy room upstairs behind the throne where I see him leaning over the map that now holds a couple more blue flags than it did the last time I saw it, with Whiterun, the Western Watch Tower, Riverwood, and now Helgen holding purple flags on them which gives me a small sense of pride while reminding me how much farther I have to go.

"Silvantus, sorry I couldn't stay for more of the funeral, it's just that what Ulfric is doing has me in edge." Balgruuf apologizes as he looks up from the map.

"No need, we all have our burdens to bare, now tell me more about what's happening." I say, moving over to the table.

"Right after you left earlier today, an Imperial messenger came to deliver reports of additional Stormcloak camps being made in the area. I sent Irileth to confirm their presence, which she did for at least half of them, with a couple stocking war supplies and beginning the assembly of siege equipment." Balgruuf explains as he stops to take a sip from a nearby cup.

"After confirming the status of all the camps, Irileth came back, and a representative of the Stormcloaks then came up shortly after her return demanding an answer as to where my allegiance lies. Which I pushed off by saying it lies with a strong, and united Skyrim, but he left dissatisfied with my answer. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to push off giving them an answer." Balgruuf says, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he sighs in exasperation.

"Well, it's obvious Ulfric is mounting an attack, should you side with the Empire, and the Empire is trying to make the situation appear worse than it is so you'll have no choice but to side with them in the war. I think I'll start ordering my men to attack the Stormcloaks supplies to here and here." I say, pointing at two camps, one marked as the siege equipment site and the other as armory and food stores.

"We can pin the blame on the Imperial's and push back their attack schedule buying time to gather more holds to our banner." I say, explaining my plan to him.

"That could work, I'll leave the details to you... Ha..." Balgruuf says before laughing to himself.

"What's so funny?" I ask, raising my eyebrow inquisitively.

"Nothing, it's just finally sinking in how you might actually make a good High King. I have problems with refugees, you solve them. I tell you about an invasion and you find a strategy to delay them. I just find it funny that an outsider like you might truly be our best candidate to bring order to this broken land." Balgruuf says, explaining his train of thought.

"I promised you that's what I'm going to do, and I keep my promises." I say with a smile, pouring myself a drink as we spend the next couple hours drinking and talking about life before I make my way back to the Companions' Hall, slightly drunk after spending so much time drinking.

(Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, had a major research paper due and was rushing to get it in. Hope you enjoy and also wanted to take this opportunity to thank my patrons Provilas Demikis, Riku DreamEater, and bgbng for their financial support.)