Chapter 105 The Test
A cold wind swept across the ashen plains of Sovngarde as Alex and Emma slowly approached the towering male warrior standing at the entrance of the Whalebone Bridge that led to the Hall of Valor. The bridge, carved from the immense bones of some ancient beast, stretched over the mist-filled abyss below. The warrior stood unmoving at its threshold, his massive frame clad in ancient Nordic armor, his presence alone enough to make the air feel heavy.
Each of his breaths came slow and steady, like the rumble of distant thunder.
As their footsteps echoed faintly against the stone, the warrior's eyes sharp and piercing shifted toward them. His grip tightened slightly around the haft of his great axe, not in aggression, but in vigilance.
"What brings you, grim wayfarer, to wander here in Sovngarde souls' end, Shor's gift to the honored dead?"
His voice boomed across the bridge, deep and resonant, carrying an ancient authority that seemed to vibrate through Alex's chest. It was not merely a question it was judgment wrapped in sound.
Alex instinctively straightened his posture under that overwhelming presence.
Then the warrior's stern gaze softened slightly as it moved to Emma. His brow lifted in faint recognition.
"Ah… Emma."
He shifted his stance, planting the butt of his axe against the stone with a solid thud.
"Where have you been?" he asked, his tone still commanding but less severe. "Were you not told to remain inside the Hall of Valor when Alduin arrived?"
Emma let out a small sigh, rolling her eyes dramatically. She crossed her arms over her chest, her weight shifting onto one hip in clear defiance of the scolding tone.
"Oh, come on," she said lightly, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face. "I was bored staying inside. Everyone was just sitting around waiting. So I went out for a little walk."
She tilted her head slightly, a playful smirk forming on her lips.
"And besides," she added, lifting a finger as if presenting something important, "I bring good news."
Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she glanced briefly at Alex before looking back at the warrior.
"The Dragonborn has arrived."
The wind seemed to pause for a moment after her words, as if even Sovngarde itself was listening.
The warrior's sharp gaze slowly shifted from Emma to Alex.
His eyes narrowed slightly, scanning him from head to toe the way he stood, the way he breathed, the faint aura of life clinging to him in a realm meant for the dead. His grip around the haft of his axe tightened ever so slightly.
"Are you the Dragonborn?" he asked, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. There was skepticism in his tone. "You do not look like one. Who are you?"
The weight of that stare felt heavy, as though the warrior could see through flesh and bone and into the truth of his soul.
Alex instinctively swallowed but forced himself to remain steady. He shook his head slowly.
"No," he answered calmly, lifting his chin just a little. "I came here with the Dragonborn… but we were separated because of the fog."
As he spoke, his brows drew together in concern.
"I'm looking for a woman with golden hair and blue eyes," he continued, his voice tightening slightly with urgency. "She is the Dragonborn. Have you seen her?"
For a brief moment, silence hung between them. The wind whispered across the bridge.
The warrior studied him again, this time more carefully, as if measuring not his strength but his sincerity.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"Unfortunately," he said in a firm, steady tone, "I have not."
The words landed heavier than Alex expected.
His shoulders dropped slightly, and the tension in his jaw loosened into quiet disappointment. His gaze lowered for just a second, frustration flickering across his face before he quickly masked it.
"…I see."
A few seconds passed.
When Alex lifted his eyes again, he noticed the warrior was still staring at him intensely, unwaveringly. Not hostile… but evaluating.
Alex shifted awkwardly under that unblinking scrutiny.
"Ah " He cleared his throat softly. "Forgive me. I haven't introduced myself."
He straightened his back and placed a hand lightly against his chest.
"My name is Alex," he said respectfully. "May I know who you are?"
The warrior stood taller at the question, drawing himself up with quiet pride. He planted the butt of his axe firmly against the stone bridge, the sound echoing faintly into the mist below.
"I am Tsun," he declared solemnly, his voice carrying the authority of ages. "Shield-thane to Shor."
A faint wind swirled around him as he spoke, his presence almost mythic against the bone-white bridge.
"The Whalebone Bridge he bade me guard," Tsun continued, his eyes never leaving Alex, "and to winnow those souls whose heroic end sent them here to Shor's lofty hall."
His grip tightened slightly on the axe as his tone deepened.
"Where welcome, well-earned, awaits those I judge fit to join that fellowship of honor."
The declaration was not boastful.
It was absolute.
Inside his mind, Alex pieced everything together.
(So he's the guardian of the entrance to the Hall of Valor… the one who decides who is worthy to pass.)
His eyes briefly drifted toward the massive Whalebone Bridge behind Tsun. The ancient structure stretched into the mist, leading toward the grand golden doors of the Hall of Valor. Just standing near it made his heart beat heavier.
Alex drew in a slow breath, steadying himself.
"So," he began, lifting his gaze back to the towering warrior, "to enter the Hall of Valor… I must defeat you?"
There was no fear in his voice but there was caution.
Tsun did not hesitate. He gave a single, firm nod. The motion was small, yet it carried undeniable authority.
"Yes."
He shifted his stance slightly, boots grinding against the stone as he straightened to his full imposing height.
"I am the one who will judge you."
Then his eyes flickered toward Emma. The severity in his gaze softened just a fraction.
"Do not worry, Emma," he said in a calmer tone. "You will not be judged again."
Emma let out a soft chuckle, clearly unconcerned. She brushed her fingers through her hair and leaned slightly toward Alex, her lips curling into an amused smile.
"He's pretty strong, Alex," she said lightly, though there was a hint of challenge in her eyes. "Do you think you can defeat him?"
Her tone was teasing but her gaze was sharp, watching him carefully.
Alex exhaled slowly through his nose. His fingers curled into fists at his sides before relaxing again. He took one step forward, boots scraping lightly against the stone.
His voice, when he spoke, was steady.
"I seek entrance to the Hall of Valor."
The air seemed to grow heavier at his declaration.
Tsun's eyes narrowed, his gaze sharpening like a blade being drawn.
"No shade are you, as usually here passes," Tsun rumbled, his voice echoing across the bridge. "But living you dare the land of the dead."
He leaned slightly forward, studying Alex more intently now. Not just as a warrior but as something unusual.
"By what right," Tsun demanded, "do you request entry?"
The question struck deeper than expected.
Alex's jaw tightened.
(That's right… in Skyrim I'm not a hero. I'm not the Dragonborn. I'm just her partner…)
A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.
(What reason can I possibly give him?)
Alex lifted his chin, forcing his uncertainty down into the pit of his stomach. His fingers curled tightly at his sides before he spoke, grounding himself.
"By right of birth," he answered firmly, his voice steady despite the weight pressing against his chest. "As a Nord, I have the right to enter the Hall of Valor."
He held Tsun's gaze as he said it, refusing to look away.
For a split second, silence lingered.
Then Tsun's expression darkened.
A deep frown carved itself across his stern features, and the air around him seemed to grow heavier. His hand tightened around the shaft of his massive axe, knuckles whitening beneath ancient gauntlets.
"You," Tsun rumbled, his voice dropping lower, edged with disapproval, "who are yet unproven how dare "
The beginning of anger flared in his tone, like distant thunder building into a storm.
But before he could finish, something changed.
Tsun suddenly stilled.
His words cut off mid-breath. His eyes shifted not toward Alex, not toward Emma but slightly upward, as if listening to something beyond mortal hearing. The wind around the Whalebone Bridge seemed to hush, the fog swirling more slowly.
For a brief moment, the great warrior looked… contemplative.
Then realization flickered in his gaze.
"Ah…" he murmured, his voice quieter now, yet carrying a strange weight. "The man not bound by this world."
His eyes returned to Alex, studying him with a different intensity no longer simple judgment, but something closer to recognition.
"My master Shor has spoken to me," Tsun declared solemnly.
At the mention of Shor, the air itself felt sacred, charged with unseen presence.
"Yet still," Tsun continued, straightening to his full height once more, his authority restored, "living or dead, by decree of Shor, none may pass this perilous bridge until I judge them worthy by the warrior's test."
His axe struck the stone once thud final, absolute.
Alex felt a chill crawl down his spine.
('Not bound by this world'…?)
His brows furrowed slightly.
(What does he mean? Does Shor… know about me too? About where I truly came from?)
A brief flicker of unease passed through him, but he quickly suppressed it. This was not the time to dwell on divine mysteries.
Whatever Shor knew… it didn't change the fact standing before him.
If he wanted to cross that bridge
He would have to fight.
Alex lifted his eyes to meet Tsun's towering figure once more. The wind brushed against his cloak, carrying the faint scent of ancient battlefields long past.
"So," Alex said slowly, his voice calm but edged with resolve, "I must defeat you. Is that correct?"
Tsun did not hesitate. His gaze remained steady, unwavering like a mountain that had stood for centuries.
"Correct," he replied, his deep voice resonating across the Whalebone Bridge. "You must prove you are worthy."
There was no mockery in his tone. No arrogance.
Only law.
Alex inhaled deeply, the cold air filling his lungs. Then he gave a single nod.
"Very well," he said firmly. "I accept."
Without another word, both men moved.
Tsun stepped back first, the heavy soles of his boots grinding against stone as he created space between them. He rolled his shoulders once, adjusting his grip on his massive axe, muscles beneath ancient armor tensing in preparation.
Alex mirrored the movement, retreating several paces. His heart began to pound not in fear, but in anticipation.
He raised one hand slightly.
Crackling arcs of lightning burst into existence around his palm, blue-white sparks dancing violently between his fingers. The sharp hiss of electricity cut through the stillness, illuminating his face in flashes of light.
Emma watched from the side, arms folded across her chest.
Then she scoffed loudly.
"A true Nord fights with strength and steel," she said, her tone dripping with challenge. She tilted her head slightly, one eyebrow raised as she looked at him. "If you want to be judged as a man, you should use your body."
She uncrossed one arm just to gesture dismissively at the lightning flickering in his hand.
"What kind of warrior relies only on magic?" she continued, stepping forward half a pace. "Which woman would admire a mage who can't fight properly with a sword, an axe… or better yet, bare hands?"
Her words were sharp. Intentional.
The lightning in Alex's hand flickered unevenly for a moment.
His jaw tightened.
A faint crease formed between his brows as irritation stirred in his chest. He didn't look at her immediately but he heard every word.
After a brief silence, he exhaled slowly.
The crackling lightning dissipated with a sharp snap, fading into nothing.
"…Fine," he muttered under his breath.
He lowered both hands, then closed his eyes briefly in concentration.
A pulse of magicka surged outward from his body, swirling like mist around his arms.
In his right hand, shimmering purple light condensed into shape forming the outline of a blade. The energy solidified with a low hum, coalescing into a translucent ethereal sword.
A second surge followed in his left hand.
Another blade materialized identical, glowing faintly with arcane energy.
Two Bound Swords now rested firmly in his grip, their edges humming softly with contained power.
Alex rolled his shoulders once, adjusting his stance. He spread his feet slightly apart, blades angled diagonally downward as his posture shifted from mage to swordsman.
He finally glanced toward Emma, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Is this better?" he asked quietly.
The ethereal blades hummed softly in Alex's hands, their glow reflecting faintly in his focused eyes.
For a brief moment, the world around him seemed to slow.
He exhaled quietly… and then, with a subtle flicker of thought, translucent panels of light appeared before his vision visible only to him.
His status system.
The faint blue interface hovered in the air like a ghostly overlay, numbers and text shifting as he focused.
Without moving his lips, he navigated through it mentally.
One-Handed: 35
• Fighting Stance – Power attacks with one-handed weapons cost 25% less stamina.
• Bladesman (1/3) – Attacks with swords have a 10% chance of dealing critical damage.
• Dual Flurry (1/2) – Dual-wielding attacks are 20% faster.
Perk Points: 5 -> 2 → 3 (after sleep)
His eyes sharpened as he allocated the points, feeling something shift within his body the moment the perks activated.
It wasn't dramatic.
But it was there.
His grip tightened around the hilts, and the swords suddenly felt… lighter. More natural. As if his muscles understood movements they hadn't fully mastered before. His stance adjusted subtly on its own feet angling just right, shoulders relaxing into a more efficient guard.
A faint rush of confidence coursed through him.
"Alright…" Alex muttered under his breath, lips barely moving. "If this is what makes me a 'man.'"
Tsun, watching him carefully, seemed to notice the slight shift in his aura. His brows drew together faintly not in anger, but concern.
"Alex," Tsun said, his deep voice less thunderous now, more measured. "Do not be provoked by Emma."
He adjusted his grip on his axe, planting its blade lightly against the stone.
"You must fight according to your strengths and abilities. A warrior who abandons his nature for pride walks a dangerous path."
Before Alex could respond, Emma burst in with an enthusiastic laugh.
"Yeah!" she shouted, pumping her fist slightly in excitement. "That's the spirit of a Nord fighting with a sword!"
She stepped closer to the edge of the bridge, eyes gleaming with competitive fire.
"Even if you still use magic to summon it, that's better than hiding behind lightning." She smirked. "Now show us what you're made of, Alex!"
Her voice carried both teasing and genuine anticipation.
Alex felt the sting of her earlier words still lingering but now it mixed with something else.
Determination.
He rolled his neck once, then lifted both blades slightly, letting their arcane glow flare brighter for a second.
He raised his chin proudly.
"You heard her, Emma," he said, voice steady and confident. "I'm ready."
He shifted his weight forward, lowering into a proper dual-wield stance, knees bent slightly, blades angled for both offense and defense.
"A true Nord focuses on physical combat."
Tsun stared at him for a long moment.
Then he let out a long, heavy sigh one that carried both resignation and inevitability.
He slowly shook his head.
"Very well," he said at last, stepping back into position. His massive axe rose from the ground, its edge catching the dim light of Sovngarde's sky. "If that is your wish…"
"Prepare yourself."
The wind howled across the Whalebone Bridge.
And the distance between them suddenly felt very small.