"Beneath the Greybeards,
"Dawn light dims,
"To its north,
"Watching, lost for long.
"Nirn's ancient roar,
"Has torn the sky,
"Again releasing terrifying cries,
"And depositing thick frost."
Jonas put the dictionary back on the shelf, then found an old map and began searching for his destination.
The Greybeards must refer to High Hrothgar.
As the dawn light dims, the sun rises in the east, and High Hrothgar's morning shadow falls to the west.
Looking closely at the map, based on his previous experience finding the Windward Ruins, Jonas inferred that the symbol for his destination should be similar, both resembling an inverted pot. These ancient places were usually stone shelters or watchtowers built for temporary stops, and their shape was indeed much like an inverted pot, so simple it was almost silly.
Jonas quickly spotted his destination, the Northern Sky-High Watchtower, simple and straightforward. He set off immediately.
…
Upon arriving at his destination, Jonas roughly guessed the meaning of "Watching, lost for long," as this was a half-mountain lookout with an open view, suitable for vigilance.
Three bandits occupied the watchtower: an Orc and two Bretons. The leader was even a half-baked frost mage, and the boy almost got impaled by an ice spike when he wasn't paying attention, scaring him so much that he roared at the watchtower. The violent airflow shattered the stone walls, and the bandits inside were crushed by massive bricks and stones, their brains splattering.
Jonas was immediately flustered, terrified that his roar might blow away the ceremonial stone pillar. Fortunately, the stone was magically protected and unbreakable. Jonas moved aside the broken walls and rubble, placed elemental power, and cast a Frostbite spell at the pillar.
The activated pillar erupted with extremely cold blue airflow, and within three seconds, Jonas was covered in a thick layer of frost.
The boy shivered, brushed off the ice, and reached for the book.
New content appeared.
This time, Jonas had specifically asked the librarian to borrow the dictionary, saving him a long trip back to Winterhold.
"Across the west,
"Where water flows freely,
"By the Karth River,
"Connecting north and south,
"Upon the mountain stands,
"A humble crown,
"Here the sky,
"Rages furiously,
"Shaking the snowy peaks."
Jonas pulled out his map. To the west, a river, which is the Karth River, originates in The Reach, flows north to the border between Haafingar and Hjaalmarch, forming vast coastal marshes, and then rushes into the sea.
The middle and upper reaches of the Karth River are mostly in mountains and plains, which fits the fifth line, "Upon the mountain stands."
As for "A humble crown," it likely refers to the destination's stone shelter, as such buildings are indeed humble in form.
Jonas examined the map by starlight. Although the given range was large, the destination was actually very clear: the Four Skull Lookout, located in the mountains and river valleys of eastern The Reach, with a symbol identical to the previous two locations.
…
After activating the final pillar with a Lightning Bolt spell, Jonas took down elemental power.
This time, the new content in the book was a florid Old Nordic note.
"The magic of nature operates,
"The thoughts of nature are revealed,
"Catastrophe occurs like a drastic change,
"All efforts are in vain.
"I shall only use a blade.
"Diligent, eager for knowledge,
"Regardless of all, ignite my wrath!
"My disciples, or others,
"If not for Shalidor,
"You foolish and weak mage!
"Quickly surrender, useless waste!
"Though I am content to possess such a magnum opus,
"Yet I also find pearls in the sand,
"Even mediocre thoughts can yield shining gems.
"Now die, and curse my name!"
Jonas translated the entire passage with a bewildered expression.
He pondered for a while and translated these sentences.
The general meaning was—a certain ancient mage declared: "I am awesome, and all my disciples except Shalidor are idiots, but I will still guide you, so strictly that you'll wish you were dead!"
Shocking! Who is Shalidor? A powerful Ancient Nord mage, if all the wisdom of Nord mages were a bushel, Shalidor would claim eight pecks. The statue standing in the courtyard of the College of Winterhold is him, and the once magnificent city of Winterhold was also established through his arcane arts.
This friend was active in the First Era and is said to have single-handedly fought a Dwemer army. He advocated separating magic from common folk and set higher standards for mages, an elitist view of magic that, in some ways, promoted the formation of various mage organizations.
To select candidates for Arch-Mage, he created a magical labyrinth beneath the ancient city of Labyrinthian to test mages' practical abilities. It is said that many died during the testing process, and now, the labyrinth is lost, and mages no longer use it as a standard for judging spellcasting ability.
Shalidor was active for a very long time, from the First Era to the Second Era. Legend says his body died, but his soul lives on, still possessing thought and vitality like a normal person. He entangled with the Mad God Sheogorath for centuries, remaining unharmed, his power unfathomable.
The author of elemental power appears to be Shalidor's mentor, which is truly impressive.
Jonas was astonished by the book's content, but the clue ended here, and he was at a loss as to what to do next.
Mentor Faralda had said that this was an ancient path, and whether one could appreciate the scenery along the way depended on individual effort. Jonas had fully expected to gain powerful strength and catch up with his teacher's pace after unlocking the secret, but now, the path ahead seemed vague and still required exploration. The boy cheered himself up and, holding the book, embarked on his journey home.
…
In the month of First Seed, the southern part of Skyrim had already warmed up. The sky above Whiterun Hold was clear and cloudless. Although the biting chill of spring had not yet dissipated, the sunlight felt warm on the skin.
Trolls and Vampires strolled across the revitalized plains. Green spring shoots were already peeking through the grayish-yellow withered grass. Looking out across the fields, it was like tiny emerald stars twinkling amidst the dark evening clouds. The sky was azure, the flowing clouds like gauze, and the sun behind the clouds was like a Glass cup, pouring forth light for all creation. A gentle hill rose on the horizon, and human buildings grew along the slope like strange trees. Windmills were scattered among the fields, and the long wind carried the lowing of cattle, with the fresh scent of grass and trees in the moist air.
Serana took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, remarking, "This must be the good weather of Skyrim, I suppose. Everything is perfect except for the dazzling sun. White Mountain, look at those windmills, they're so interesting! I heard that Solitude has the biggest and most beautiful windmills. We should go see them together sometime."
Simon: "Solitude is famous for its Bards College, and I really wanted to see it. I heard many eagles circle above that city; I want to raise a few. After all, a white wolf and a hawk are a perfect match."
"Is there such a saying?"
"Hmm, I just remembered a story I once read; the protagonist had a wolf and a beautiful white hawk."
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