“Sana broke out of prison and is missing.” 

“What! How?"

“After I took her to the barracks, I stayed to tell the guards how we captured her. I was just about to leave for the college when there was a large boom sound from the dungeon so we all rushed down there. The back wall of the cell that Sana was in had collapsed and she was nowhere to be found. Some guards went through the hole in the wall and found out it led to an abandoned part of the castle.”

“So she’s somewhere in the city?”

“I don’t know, maybe.”

“Well, why don’t you stay here in the city while Dahyun, Mina and I go out to run a little errand for Seungwan.”

“Alright. You’ll be back in time for the festival?”

“About that…”

Momo explained to Seulgi that the festival was canceled and Wendy needed to convince Jackson to allow the college to celebrate it. Mina stepped forward and told the monolid mage how the festival is also how students graduate from the college; performing one final song or poem to show all they have learned. 

“So we are off to Dead Mans Respite to find King Olaf’s verse to convince the court.”

“Alright then, I’ll help the guards look for Sana and let you know if we find her when you come back.” Seulgi waved the three off as they exited the city.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Momo led the group out of Solitude and towards the Drajkmyr Marsh. Much of the marsh is nothing but uninhabitable land, consisting of sunken ruins infested with mud crabs and caves where vampires are often found. They pass by the capital of the Hjaalmarch Hold, Morthal, which is often shrouded in a thick fog and ominous twisted trees growing from the surrounding marsh. Morthal is foreboding to travelers approaching it, and the torches of the town glowing in the fog often give the impression of phantoms at a distance. Many travelers choose to steer clear of the place altogether.

The three continue along the bank of the wetlands before approaching a Nordic tomb that had sunken slightly into the swamp.

“According to Seungwan’s map, this is the place.” Mina looked up from the map the bard had given her and turns to the other women. Momo was carrying a sleeping Dahyun because halfway through the marsh the thief had remembered that she had not had lunch yet. Claiming her body was too weak to keep going and urging the others to go on without her, Momo just rolled her eyes and let the actress piggyback the rest of the way.

“Alright then, let’s find that verse.” 

Upon entering the tomb; the three see a crumbling table in the middle of the ancient room as well as mummified bodies wrapped in linen laying on indented stone beds against the walls. Displayed on the table was a dragon claw cast out of ruby. The giant gem was covered in dust, having gone untouched for centuries. 

“Wow, I haven't seen a draugr in a while,” Mina whispered while approaching one of the bodies against the walls.

“Draugr?” Dahyun asked.

“In Old Norse, the word ‘draugr’ meant ‘ghost,’ ‘spirit’ or ‘undead’.” 

“Gods, you’re smart and beautiful. What did I do to deserve you.” Dahyun walked up behind Mina and back-hugged the mage.

“I know you two haven’t had the time to go on a date in a while, but a crypt isn’t really the place for romance.” 

“Alright alright. And just so you know, I would have called them ‘creepy dead people in a tomb’ but draugr works just as well.”

Momo approached the center table and reached out for the ruby claw.

“Momo no!” Dahyun whisper yelled while pulling the Archmage’s hand away from the gem, “Do you want this whole room to collapse on us?”

“What?”

“Its obviously a trap. See watch.” Dahyun climbed over the table onto the other side. She pulled out a lockpick from her leather bracer and began fiddling with the other side of the display. A clicking sound was heard and Dahyun put the lockpick back in her pocket.

"Whoa. How did you know know that it was a trap.”

“Experience. This isn’t my first-time grave robbing.”

Another unlocking sound was heard from inside the room and a section of the wall on the other side of the table began sinking into the floor, revealing a tunnel that leads deeper into the tomb. They went through the tunnel, following the twists and turns until it opened into another burial chamber. Rotating stone circles blocked the other side of the room. 

“I know that Nordic tombs were known for their complex traps, but I never expected this,” Mina said as she walked up to the next obstacle. They watched the circles slowly rotate until a large hole that let them see through to the other side spun into view. Dahyun quickly ran through the gap and to the other side before the gap rolled back up into the ceiling. 

“What are you doing!” Mina yelled out hoping that Dahyun could hear her on the other side.

“It’s all about timing!” The two mages heard back.

Mina watched the rotating circle, waiting for the gap to appear again. Meanwhile, Momo had walked around the perimeter of the room until she found a dusty pull chain hanging from the wall. Just as the hole came down from the ceiling, Momo pulled the chain and the stone obstacle stopped rotating. 

“How did you do that,” Dahyun asked after the two casually walked through the opening.

“Its all about timing.” Momo winked back.

Continuing further into the tomb, the next room had two circular grates in the floor. Right as they pass through the archway, two giant frostbite spiders dropped from nests on the ceiling. Igniting her hands in flames, Momo launched two fireballs at the spiders exploding the now dead arachnids across the room and against the back wall. 

"I hate spiders." The Archmage shivered and continued into the room.

Mina walked to the right of the entrance where another chain hung covered in cobwebs and pulled down. 

“AHHH!” The floor grate on the far side of the room under Momo retracted, causing the Archmage to fall down into the hole. Water splashed back up and on the edges around the hole. “MYOUI MINA!”

“Are you alright?” Mina and Dahyun looked over the edge only to see Momo standing waist deep in water.

“Yes, I’m fine, just waist deep in what I think is swamp water. And good news, I’ve found the way out of this room.” Momo said as she waded out of view of the others. 

“I’m not jumping down there.” Dahyun looked over at Mina.

“That’s fine, you don’t have to.” Mina stood up and nudged Dahyun in the with her foot causing the pale girl to fall into the water below.

“MYOUI MINA!”

 

~ ~ ~

 

Mina gracefully joins the two down in the watery passage and smiles when she sees the to soaking wet women. Wading through the water until they are knee deep, the mages + Dahyun find themselves in a large, two-story room. Iron sarcophagi lining the walls burst open when the women wade further into the room. A draugr climbed out of each sarcophagus and began wandering around in the water.

“Now I know what you meant by undead.” Dahyun leaned over and whispered in Mina’s ear. 

Dahyun drew her dagger and cast a fireball spell in her other hand while Mina and Momo engulfed their hands in ice and electricity. As one of the draugr waded closer, it sensed some sort of disturbance and grabbed an ancient sword strapped to its waist and quickly moved to attack the women. Momo shot a bolt of electricity at the draugr’s chest and it collapsed into the water. Now alerted, The other undead in the room all splashed towards the women with their weapons drawn. 

Mina fired ice spikes into the head and body of a nearby draugr causing it to stumble in the water but the undead enemy stood up and continued moving. The draugr was brought down as Dahyun plunged her dagger into its back. Two other draugr in the room were shot down with Momo’s lighting bolts while another swung its axe at her head. The Archmage ducked and kicked the undead away while Mina prepared another ice spike. Launching it at the draugr, the ice impaled it against the wooden ramp that leads to the next floor.

The last draugr is brought down by Dahyun as she slashed her dagger across its stomach and kicks it backwards then throws a fireball. The three stand back to back, scanning the room for any more undead. When it seemed that all the draugr in the room were (once again) dead, Momo started walking up the wooden ramp to a cage-like door and a bridge leading out of the room. 

Dahyun pulled Momo back once more and pointed up towards the ceiling where pendulum axes were attached to a wooden beam above the bridge. If activated, the axes would swing back and forth over the bridge. The thief examined the door until she found a wire that would release the pendulum axes. She pulled out another lockpick and began fiddling with the mechanism until the wire fell loose against the ground. After disabling the trap, the three safely crossed the bridge and go up a set of stairs.

The next room is a catacomb maze where many linen wrapped draugr and skeletons are tucked into holes in the walls. They silently make their way through the maze so they don’t alert any undead. safely making it through the maze, the three enter another chamber where a heavily armored draugr stood waiting for intruders. Behind the draugr was an enchanted gate 

“Alright, Dahyun and I will attack it from opposite sides while keeping our distance. Mina, can you cast a bane of the undead spell?” Momo whispered to the others while watching the draugr sway with his large ebony battle axe. 

“I can do that.” Mina slid behind Momo and began the incantation for the spell. 

“Okay, let’s keep our distance. This guy is not going to be as easy to beat like the others were.”

Dahyun and Momo went to opposed sides of the room and approached the draugr. Before it could acknowledge their presence, Momo and Dahyun both throw fireballs at the draugr causing it to stumble back a few steps. The two ran up closer before the undead could recover and attacked again; Dahyun with fireballs and Momo with bolts of lightning.

Dahyun had to stop when her magicka had depleted but Momo continued to fire at the draugr. When the Archmage finally stopped, the draugr stood back up and rushed at the two. He raised the battle axe over his head before swinging at Dahyun. Momo dove and tackled her out of the way before the weapon could hit her. 

“Move!” Mina was standing near the other end of the chamber with glowing gold eyes and a giant ball of light pulsing in-between her hands. 

She took a shuffle step forward and launched the energy at the draugr. It made direct contact with his chest and launched him back against the enchanted gate. When he fell to the ground, the area the spell had hit began glowing and spreading until his entire body was glowing a bright gold and was surrounded in blue flames. The draugr dropped his ebony axe and started running towards Mina before exploding in a bright flash of golden light.

 Mina dropped to her knees exhausted from the powerful spell. Dahyun ran up to her and engulfed her in a tight hug planting kisses all over her face and neck.

“That was so cool babe! You saved us!” Dahyun continued to pepper Mina with kisses while Momo walked up to the couple. 

“Not only that, but you also unlocked the enchanted gate behind that guy.” The pair look up to see the glowing runes on the gate fading away.

“Just give me a moment then we can go get that stupid verse.”

 

~ ~ ~

 

Behind the sealed door was a wide hallway decorated with carved murals that led to a puzzle door. The large, ornate door featured three rotating rings with carved totem symbols. Dahyun’s eyes widened when she ran her hand over the stone carvings. She pushed against one of the rings displaying a wolf and watched as it rotated, showing the next symbol.

“I know what to do!” Dahyun shouted as she ran back down the hallway.

“Where are you going!” Mina shouted out.

“I’ll be right back!” That was the last thing the mages heard before she rounded the corner.

“Are you not worried about her?” Mina slumped against the wall and let out a sigh as Momo began casting a healing spell on the exhausted mage.

“Not when it comes to locks no. when she finds something that she wants and it’s kept behind a lock and key, she always gets in.”

“This sounds like you have personal experience with this.”

“One time I had to run an errand for Sowon, so while I was gone she unlocked every bookshelf in the Arcanaeum and rearranged all the books at random just because she was bored. The bookshelves are magically locked so there is no key and only I know the spell. I still don’t know how she did it.”

“Is that why you were so mad at her the last time she came to visit?”

“No. That was because she snuck up behind me with a fake beard and weird glasses on while carrying a plant. Now I have a potted plant in my room that I have to take care of.”

“Sharon? I love that little plant.”

The sound of wet leather brought their attention to the hallway entrance where a dripping wet Dahyun was returning. She was carrying the ruby dragon claw from the first chamber in the ruins.

“Did you go all the way back for that?” Momo scrunched her face in confusion and watched as the thief waddled by in her wet boots. 

“Just trust me. I’ve always wanted to open one of these,” She walked up to the three rings and looked at the bottom of the ruby claw. She then reached up and pushed on the outermost ring and watched as it spun to show the wolf symbol. Dahyun pushed on the second ring and the third ring until the stone carvings displayed wolf, eagle, wolf then pushed the claw into the center of the door where three little holes were. She twisted the claw like a key and then pulled it back out. All the rings spun once more until three dragon symbols replaced the others. The door then started to sink into the floor, revealing the rest of the hallway.

“Oh, you have no idea how jealous Jihyo is going to be.” Dahyun smirked then set down the claw next to one of the walls and pointed at it, “I’ll be back for you.”

Mina and Momo just rolled their eyes and started down the hallway.

The mural hallway led to a large oval room where more than 20 draugr that sat undisturbed in thrones. The back of the room had a set of wide stairs that lead up to an iron sarcophagus.

“I think we might have just found the final resting place of King Olaf,” Mina whispered while looking around the throne room.

“We can’t cast any spells in here if we don’t want to wake up all,” Dahyun began counting all the draugr in the room, “twenty-six of the draugr.”

“I got this.” Momo took a few steps back into the hallway and began casting a spell. She created a purple orb in her hand and closed her eyes. She raised her hand with then flicked her wrist and the orb stretched out into a bow. Opening her eyes, Momo grabbed the magical bow and pulled back the string allowing a glowing arrow to nock itself in the string. 

“Okay we get it, you an all-powerful Archmage.” Dahyun rolled her eyes and smiled.

Momo winked and walked back into the throne room. 

“Just so you know, I can do that too.” Mina looked over at Dahyun who was Momo watching kneel down and shoot etherial arrows into the seated draugr.

“Yeah, but not with as much finesse as I can,” Momo said as she shoots one final arrow into the eye socket of a draugr.

“Whatever.” Mina pouted and walked past the kneeling Archmage into the throne room. 

“No one has more finesse than my penguin.” Dahyun kissed Mina’s pouted lips.

“Stop kissing in front of dead bodies.” Momo walked over to one of the draugr and covered their empty eye sockets with her hand, “Stewart did not need to see that.”

“Momo. Don’t play with the corpses.” Mina scolds.

“Fine, see you later Stewart.” Momo fist bumps the draugr then walks up the stairs.

The three go up the stairs and approach the final sarcophagus. Expecting the lid to pop open and a boss draugr to climb out, they are slightly disappointed when they push off the lid and see the skeletal remains of King Olaf, or at least Momo and Dahyun are, Mina, on the other hand, was freaking out inside because they had actually found the final resting place of King Olaf. 

Momo reached into the sarcophagus and pulled out a key. she walked over to the left of the stairs and unlocked an iron door. on the other side was another skeleton, but this one was still chained to the wall behind it. 

“Oh my god! Not only was that King Olaf, but this is Choi Sooyoung, the bard who was locked up for writing the scathing verse decrying him as a fraud and a tyrant.” Mina bent down and picked up the blue book in front of Sooyoung. 

“Is that the verse?”

“I think so.”

Alright then, let’s get out of here and get that book to Seungwan.” 

Mina and Momo looked around the small room before finding a hidden lever that opened a secret passage.

“Wait!” Dahyun ran back into the throne room then came back with the ruby dragon claw in her hands, “bragging rights.”

The two mages just shook their heads and went into the tunnel with a giddy Dahyun bouncing after them. They followed the tunnel until they found themselves walking back into the first room that the ruby claw was in.

“Are you kidding me! We went through all that when there was a secret passageway that led right to where we wanted!” 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

They returned to Solitude by late afternoon, after spending half their day underground in an ancient crypt. Seulgi greeted the trio with news about Sana when they enter the college.

“We didn’t find her in the city, but now she’s wanted in four different holds for breaking out of solitude. If she’s found she will definitely be taken straight to prison.”

“Thank you, Seulgi for staying behind and dealing with that” Momo intertwined their hands and squeezed. 

“Well, we found the verse and the remains of King Olaf himself.” Mina still wasn’t completely over that discovery.

“And I solved an ancient Nord puzzle door,” Dahyun added while raising her ruby prize. Seulgi just patted the top of her head while the thief smiled at her gem.

“You guys made it back! I was worried I see you out there for nothing.” Seungwan came from upstairs with Chaeyoung and Tzuyu following behind her. 

“Here’s the verse you wanted.” Mina handed the book to the small bard.

“You actually found it!” Seungwan carefully opened the book and flipped through a few pages before her smile faltered, “Oh no. This won’t do.”

“What do you mean.” Chaeyoung and Tzuyu asked from behind. 

“The copy is incomplete, it's aged to the point that parts are unreadable. And the parts that are readable... well... bardic verse has come a long way since ancient times."

“What does that mean?” 

"It means I can't read it to the court. Without the verse, I won't be able to convince Jackson of the importance of The Burning of King Olaf Festival. If he isn't convinced of the festival's importance then he won't reverse his decision to stop the effigy burning. It means that the Burning of King Olaf, which the Bards College has held for time immemorial, won't be happening." Seungwan walked over to a nearby wooden bench and slumped down on the seat.

“Can’t we just… make up the missing parts?” Dahyun queries from next to Mina.

"Make it up? That doesn't seem appropriate... I suppose I could copy her style based on what you brought me but I have no idea what happened in between these verses." 

“Alright then, what’s the first verse?” Momo clapped her hands together, ready to help Seungwan.

 

“O, Olaf, our subjugator, the one-eyed betrayer;

death-dealing demon and dragon-killing King.

Your legend is lies, lurid and false;

your cunning capture of Numinex, a con for the ages."

 

"King Olaf was Olaf One-Eye? He famously captured the dragon Numinex and took him to Dragonsreach. What do we say really happened?" Mina sat down on the bench next to Seungwan. Everyone took a few moments to think of what could have happened.

“Olaf made a deal with Numinex,” Seulgi suggested after a few minutes.

"Hmmm, Olaf did become king and Numinex escaped later. It's entirely possible... and I'm sure the court will like that, I'm writing it in." Seungwan began writing and when she was finished she read aloud the next verse.

 

"Olaf grabbed power, by promise and threat;

From Falkreath to Winterhold, they fell to their knees;

But Solitude stood strong, the land’s truest protectors.

Olaf's vengeance was instant, inspired and wicked."

 

"Strange. According to history, Solitude attacked Winterhold, but Sooyoung seems to be saying Olaf reacted. What do we say happened?" After another pause and a few ideas (two shot down from Dahyun because she really wanted the dragon to be a part of it).

“He convinced Solitude to attack Winterhold,” Mina said while covering Dahyun’s mouth so she wouldn’t say anything else that that could embarrass her.

"It's not the most exciting answer but the most likely. I'll write it in." Seungwan began scribbling in the pages, "It has a few final lines but that's all we needed to add. I need to head to court immediately and present this. You all should come." Seungwan stood up from her bench and left for the Blue Palace. Momo, Seulgi, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu all followed the small bard up the cobbled path to the Blue Palace. 

The group entered the building and passed through the large archway, ascending the sweeping flight of stairs that lead up to court.

"Ah, Wendy. I assume you are here to petition for the reinstatement of the Burning of King Olaf Festival."

"I am, Jackson. I wish to present King Olaf's verse from the Poetic Edda. Recovered this very day from the Bard’s Tomb."

 "Ah, you mentioned something that would convince us the festival should take place but I didn't expect King Olaf's lost verse. Please proceed."

 

"O, Olaf, our subjugator, the one-eyed betrayer;

death-dealing demon and dragon-killing King.

Your legend is lies, lurid and false;

your cunning capture of Numinex, a con for the ages.

No shouting match between dragon and man, no fire or fury did this battle entail.

 Olaf struck a deal to make himself king, Numinex let go though none tell that tale.”

 

“Olaf grabbed power, by promise and threat;

From Falkreath to Winterhold, they fell to their knees;

But Solitude stood strong, the land’s truest protectors.

Olaf's vengeance was instant, inspired and wicked.

Olaf gave orders, Winterhold disguises. An attack on Solitude total destruction to follow.

 His men dressed up and then went out to fight, but they reversed Olaf's orders much to Winterhold's sorrow.

So ends the story of Olaf the liar, a thief and a scoundrel we of Solitude commit to the fire.

In Solitude bards train for their service, they also gather each year and burn a King who deserves it.”

 

The courtroom falls silent when Seungwan had finished reciting the verse. Jackson held her gaze for a few moments before nodding his head.

"You have proven your point, Wendy. The festival is truly a celebration of Solitude and a condemnation of false kings."

"I thank you and the college thanks you, Jackson.”Seungwan bows to the court then turned back to the group. “Unbelievable! You three have done us a great service here. I can't begin to thank you enough." 

Momo puts her a hand on Seungwan’s shoulder and smiles. “You can pay me in meat pies.”

 

~ ~ ~

 

Once the sun sets the festival begins. Residents from all over the city came to the college courtyard where vendors had set up stalls. Momo had stationed herself at the meat pie cart and was now having an eating contest with Seulgi. Dahyun was bartering down the price of spiced wine so that she, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu could get drunk once the two officially graduated. Mina was speaking with Seungwan when the clocktower in the city chimed signaling the turning of the hour. 

Seungwan bows to Mina and walked to the center of the courtyard to begin the main event

"Welcome, people of Solitude! We of the Bards College are pleased to be here to celebrate the Burning of King Olaf as well as this year's graduates.” Seungwan waits for the applause to stop before continuing, "With the lighting of the effigy..." She motions for Momo to step forward. 

The Archmage, after cleaning her appearance, approached the effigy and engulfed her hand in flames. She reached up and pressed the flame against it, holding it there until the whole effigy is surrounded in flames. “Please welcome our newest graduates.”

More cheers came from the crowd as the flames lit up the whole courtyard and students excitedly drank from their glasses of spiced wine. The celebration lasted a few more hours before residents drunkenly disperse from the college grounds. 

“Thank you Seungwan for the free meat pies. They were delicious.” Momo lay on the grass next to Seulgi, both mages had extended stomaches from all the eating they did.

“I can't thank you enough for what you’ve done for the city.” Seungwan smiled down at her blissful friend.

Mina was holding up a very drunk Dahyun as they crossed the courtyard towards the group. “I think this one fit right in with those two graduates of yours.”

The group looked over to where Chaeyoung and Tzuyu sat under a tree, Chaeyoung passed out with her head on top of Tzuyu’s legs as the taller bard strummed on the lute. Slowly, Tzuyu began leaning over until the woman had fallen on her side still holding the lute. 

Before they dispersed for the night, a courier ran up to the group breathing heavily. 

“I have a letter for a miss… Dahyun?”

“That's this one but I’m her girlfriend.” Mina looked down at the thief that was now drooling on her shoulder.

“Alright, looks like that’s it. Till next time.” He said then ran off into the dark.

“Who sent Dubu a letter?” Momo sat up in the grass.

“It’s from Jihyo.” Mina opened the parchment as best as she could with one hand then read the letter. When she finished she looked up from the letter, her face as pale as Dahyun’s normal skin tone.

“What is it?”

”Markarth was just attacked… by a dragon.”