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A morrowind story

A morrowind story

Title: A Morrowind story
Author: N’wah
thanks to: EbonyShroud


(Prologue)

It was just a night like all others, when my mother was bringing me to bed.

‘Sleep well my darling, tomorrow will bring a brand new day’, she said to me.

I smiled, closed my eyes, and immediately started drifting away
When I was still on some level of consciousness, I heard footsteps coming closer.
I opened my eyes, seeing everything a bit blurry, and I listened to the footsteps.
I heard about 6 pair of boots, and though they didn’t make much noise, the footsteps still sounded heavy.
When I was listening to the footsteps, I realized I couldn’t stay awake no more, and I drifted back to the world of my own imagination.

When I woke up, I heard screams, the clashing of swords, and the burning sound of fire. I jumped up out of my bed, and ran to the front door. What I saw next, was something I would never forget. In every direction, I saw people from my town fighting against what seemed imperial soldiers. Some houses were set afire, and other ones were already burned down to the ground. I stared into the crowd for a while, and I saw my parents fighting side by side. They were greatly outnumbered, and were losing the fight. I wanted to scream, and call out for help, but I couldn’t move, nor talk. All I could think of were my parents. I closed my eyes for a while, and all good memories came back into my mind. I thought of all good things I had done with my parents, and how they loved me as I am, always trying to see through the negative sides of me. When I opened my eyes again, the only thing I saw was dead bodies, ragged clothes, and burned down houses. I scanned the dead bodies, and saw my parents lying in a pool of blood, holding hands. A sudden rage of anger filled my body, and I ran towards my parents. I didn’t care about the other dead people, whom I had known since my birth, but my parents…they were dead. Slaughtered in cold blood. I sat down next to them, and I cried. I sat there crying, for what seemed like an hour, as I heard voices coming out of a house.

‘There’s a live one here!’
‘Finish him off!’

Next, I heard a cry, and then there was nothing. Everything went silent. I looked at the house, from which I had just heard the voices from, as I saw 3 soldiers run out of a house, which hadn't been burned down yet , their armour covered in blood. They looked at me, and started running towards me.





Chapter one: /title


I woke up, my body covered in sweat. It was just a nightmare. It had been haunting me ever since the day it actually happened. I found myself lying on a bed of grass, in the forest I had lived in ever since I escaped from the guards.

It was 5 years later now, and I knew the forest and the creatures in it, as if they were my own. They knew me, and we knew each other territories. In the 5 years I had spent in the forest, I had made myself a simple, but decent spear, a bow and some arrows, and I had even managed to create a piece of chest armour from a boar’s skin. That was all I had, and all I needed to survive. The forest gave me a decent opportunity to survive. I hunted the creatures for meat, I ate the berries from the bushes, and there was a small lake in the middle of the forest, from which I could drink and clean myself.

I spent only a few hours per day on hunting and gathering food, so I had a lot of time to think. I thought of the village, my parents, and everything I used to have, which I hadn’t got any more. One day, I decided to leave the forest, and head into the country. I knew I couldn’t spend the rest of my life in the forest, and I didn’t even consider going back to the village, not even to pay it a short visit.

One day later, I walked through the forest one last time. I made some kind of bag from leaves, and gathered enough food for the trip. I headed south-west, not looking back once. I had already left everything I had once before, so this was an easy one. I walked, and walked even more. It took me one day to get out of the forest, avoiding contact with any creatures, because I started to love them, and I didn’t want to lose any beloved things any more. All I had with me were my weapons, armour, and the bag with food. I collected a lot of berries, because those could lessen my thirst. I didn’t take any water.
It was in the midst of the summer, and everything looked beautiful. There was a small gravel path, which led me along my way. While I was walking along the path, I suddenly felt the need to talk. I didn’t say a word in 5 years. The need flowed through my body, as I walked on, trying to ignore it. I walked for a few miles, when I suddenly burst out in crying. I kneed on the floor, crying out loud, and screaming for help. There was no reply. When I had stopped crying, I laid down for a while, trying to rest. When I woke up, it was night, and it was raining a bit. The fresh drops of water touched my skin, and it made me feel indestructible. I packed my gear, and started walking again. The night had become my time. I followed the path, and it led me over a small hill. From there, I could see a lot of the region, but I couldn’t see any living creatures, or human beings. I knew it was going to be a long trip. I walked on for miles, and the night started turning into day. It had stopped raining, the sun was coming up, and a slight breeze came from the north. The air was still fresh from the rain, and the smell gave me new energy to go on. After another mile, I sat down on a broken tree, which, as it appeared, had been struck by lightning. I ate 2 hands full of the berries, and I started walking again.

Now the environment started looking a bit darker, and there was an evil presence surrounding me. I had felt it before the night my parents died. I kept walking on, not paying attention to the surroundings. Everything seemed dead from here. There were no trees, no more grass, and everything seemed empty, without any kind of emotion. It made me realize that I was all alone, without a goal in life, left alone to rot away, without anyone asking about me. It made me feel depressed, and it really got onto me. I didn’t want to walk any more, so I stopped again for some food. I tried eating some berries, but I couldn’t swallow it. I knew I needed to get out of here. This was a dangerous place for young wanderers like me. I stood up, and with all the energy I had left, I started running. As far away from this terrible place as possible. I ran through a never ending scenario of nothingness, and 2 hills beside me. The gravel path had turned slowly into a paved stone path, which obviously was a sign of life.

Again, I felt refreshed, and my depressed feeling was gone. I stood still when I set foot on the stone road. It was a long time ago since I had encountered something human. I looked up at the sky, and thought it looked beautiful. I thought about my parents again, but with another point of view. They had died for me, to protect me, so I wouldn’t get killed. It was the first time since that day that I thought of it in a positive way. It made me cry to think of it, but I was crying of happiness. I walked on, and now the 2 hills were merging into one. As I walked up at the hill, I saw a sign. I ran towards it, and it had 2 pointy pieces of wood on it. The first one was pointing to the north-east, saying ‘Balmora’. The other one was pointing south south-west, and it said ‘Seyda Neen’. I was delighted by the sign, and I knew I couldn’t be far until I reached the town. I smiled at the sign, ate the last berries I had left, and walked on.
Chapter 2: /title (possibly: The first life)

I walked on for half a day, not stopping once, and at last saw the little shacks and houses from Seyda Neen. I walked into town, trying not to get everyone’s attention. That plan failed, as I saw everyone looking at me. It made me feel a bit embarrassed. What they saw was a young boy with long hair, wearing a pair of jeans, which were obviously too small, a piece of leather chest armour, with on his back a spear, a bow, and a quiver with arrows. They looked at me like I was a complete rip-off from society. I figured they had never seen someone who had a story to tell. I looked at the inhabitants with a happy face, and I approached a tall woman with long blond hair. I asked her if there was some kind of shop, and she gave me directions to one of the biggest houses, and she said I needed to ask for Arille. I walked over to the shop, and I knew the people were still watching me. I entered the shop, and the interior looked just like my old house. It had a wooden floor with stone walls, covered with sheets of what seemed to be signs in an ancient language. I walked over to the counter, and I looked at the tall man standing behind it. He looked just like the woman I had asked for directions.

'Hello sir, can you tell me where to find Arille? I'm wanting to sell some things, and buy myself some food'.
'If you're looking for Arille, you've come to the right place. I am Arille, what can I do for you?'

I showed him the weapons I had made, and I asked how much he could give for them.

'Hmm, now that's interesting', Arille said as he took my spear, while cutting his finger, trying to figure if it was sharp or not.

'You've got yourself a decent spear here, where did you get it?'
'Thank you sir' I proudly said. 'I made it myself'.

'Again, very interesting, how can a boy your age make such decent weapons?', Arille asked, still looking at the simple spear I had made.

'I don't know sir, my dad was a warrior, and so was my mum, and I made it one day when I was bored'.

'Hmm, interesting, very interesting. Who were your parents then?'

'Korvingas, Erdrin and Aldoreth Korvingas', I said with a bit of pride. They had died, that was for sure, but my parents were well known throughout the country.

Arille frowned, looked at me, trying to remember the names of my parents.

'Korvingas you say? Were they your parents? But, for as far as I know they were slaughtered during...oh good lord...', Arille said, his face now turning pale, and with a depressed look on his face.

'Your parents are dead, but they died a long time ago. Why are you here? How did you manage to survive? I suppose you're about 15 years old, and they died about 5 years ago...you're still a child...how can this be possible?'. He asked, still holding my spear, but now with such force, his knuckles turned white.

Those were a bit too much questions to me, and I didn't really answer any of them. I just wanted to sell my stuff, so I could eat.

'I don't know sir, I think their strong blood runs through my veins'.

'Hmm yes, that's for sure, young one. But you still haven't told me how you managed to survive, so tell me now please'.

I didn't really feel comfortable, but I trusted him, so I told Arille how I managed to survive in the forest. When I was done speaking, he looked at me, and he seemed pleased with my presence.

'You are one hell of an interesting kid, ...but you haven't told me your name, what is it?'.



I smiled. He was the first person since a long time I talked to. It made me feel good, although I didn't really like the subject, but it was a start.

'Methaami sir, that's my name', I said, still smiling.

'OK then. Well, now Methaami. I've heard your story, and you were wanting to sell your weapons to me for some food right?'.

'Yes sir, that's why I came here in the first place'.

'Well, I can make you an offer. You don't look like you have much belongings, so therefore, you can keep your equipment, and I will provide you with food, and a place to sleep. But you need to do me a favour sometimes, it can be anything, do you agree?'.

I looked at Arille,and I smiled. He was a nice man. He earned my trust.

'Yes sir, that is most kind of you! I will do anything you ask me to'.

'Good Methaami. You can call me Arille, I feel old when you call me sir'.

We both laughed for a while, as Arille spoke again.

'If you want to get yourself some money, you should see Caius at the office. To get there, walk out of the store, go to the right, and the office is left of the watchtower'.

'Thank you Arille, I will go now, and If you need me, I'll be in town'.

I turned around, when I heard Arille whisper something, and I walked out of the store.
The people were still outside, they were talking, and as I walked by, they looked at me. I didn't mind, I had food, a place to sleep, and I didn't need to sell anything for it. My day couldn't get any better. I walked over to what Arille had called 'the office', and I entered. It was the biggest building in town, and everything looked very expensive. I walked through a small hallway, and then went to the left, where I saw a man sitting behind a desk, looking at some papers. It was an old man, with white hair, and a white beard. He looked up with a concerned face as I walked towards the desk.

'Hello sir, I'm Caius, head of this office, what may I do for you', Caius said with a deep, but friendly voice.

I looked around for a bit, and noticed a guard standing in the left corner of the room. He wore the same armour as the guards that killed my parents. I felt a rush of anger coming up, but I knew I couldn't handle a trained guard by myself, so I left it for what it was.

'Hello, I ehm, I am looking for a job, and Arille said I should go here, so...'

'ah yes' Caius interrupted.

'you want a job. That's great news. Local rumours tell that the local tax collector has gone missing. You need to find out what has happened to him. I give you 500 septims if you can find out what happened to him. Deal?'

'deal'.

I walked out, still furious, and I wanted to attack the guard. The moment I stepped out of sight, I spit on the floor, and walked out of the office. I walked over to the water, at the side of the village, and I sat down for a while. I burst out in tears as I thought about my parents, I would never see them again. They were probably buried underneath a layer of soil, rock and misery. My soul had died with them.

After a while, when I had stopped crying, I stood up, trembled for a while, and rubbed my eyes. As I walked back to Arille's shop, I noticed the sun had started going down already.






















Chapter 3: /title (possibly: The beginning of a new life)


I woke up in a small room Arille had prepared for me. The room looked just like the rest of his shop. Wooden floors and doors, stone walls, and there was a small chest of drawers next to my bed, in which I had left my equipment before I went to sleep. I got out of bed, got dressed, and walked downstairs, where I found Arille, already standing behind his counter.

Arille was a man driven by pride. He was the only merchant in Seyda Neen, and if anybody needed something, his shop was the place to be. He sold nearly everything, varying from pickaxes to food and magical potions. Arille had it all, but most of all, he was a man you could trust. At least I did.

As soon as I came downstairs, Arille looked at me.

'Hello Methaami, did you have a proper bit of sleep?'

'Hello Arille, yes, thank you so much! Have you already sold anything today?

'No, not yet, but I received this letter from a squad of guards, heading our way, and they needed some food, so they're coming here to get some'.

'where did the guards come from?'

'I don't ask questions that are not necessary to ask. Those can get you into trouble you know. Keep that in mind'.

'thank you Arille, I will. Now, can I help you with something today?'

'Well actually you can, Methaami, unless you want to be giving your breakfast to a squad of guards? I bet you don't'

'No, indeed not, I would never share anything I own with imperial guards!'

'Hmm..don't go angry now Methaami. Stay calm. I need you to go to Balmora, to get some extra supplies for my shop. It's still early, but the siltstrider has already arrived here. Ask the driver of it to bring you to Balmora. He won't go for free, of course, so I will give you some septims to cover the expenses.'

'Hmm, ok, the siltstrider is the big bug-like creature slightly north of town, isn't it? What exactly is it I need to get for you Arille? You haven't told me that yet'.

Arille laughed out loud as he spoke.

'Ahh, yes of course!! I nearly forgot! Can you read, Methaami? And yes, that is the siltstrider, the driver should be next to it on a small deck'.

'excuse me? Well, yes, I can read...for a bit'.

'Hmm ok, I've written down the things I need on this piece of paper. I need you to go to Relyssa Thragn. Shes a pawnbroker, and she should be selling the supplies I need. Tell her you were sent by me. And oh, before you go Methaami, if you don't understand things I wrote down, just show the piece of paper to Relyssa, she can read. Go now Methaami, and make haste!'










The day was still young as I walked over to the siltstrider. Other townsfolk were waking up as well, and already gathering outside, to have their daily 'good morning, how are you doing' talk. I walked passed 3 of them. The first one was someone just like me. He had long black hair, a dark skin, and he wasn't very tall, but not short either. The second one was shorter. He had light brown hair, and a pale face. The third one was the woman I had seen earlier.

'Eldafire, have you heard of Nexus? The word has spread that he has been killed! At last'.

'Yes, I've heard that rumour yes, but I'm not sure if I should be happy with it or not. With the tax collector killed, the emperor might send a squad of guards over here, to check on everyone. We don't want imperial guards ruining our business down in...hey you, outlander! What are you looking at! Mind your own business!'

So the woman's name is Eldafire, I thought. And she was up to no good with her friend. I knew that for sure. But most of all, I now knew what had happened to the tax collector. That was my main concern, since there was money to be made out of it. At least for me.

'Oh, nothing, I'm terribly sorry, I was drifting away in a moment of thoughts', I said as I walked away.

When I walked up the small hill that led to the siltstrider's deck, I noticed that the group was still looking at me in a quite unpleasant way. I thought not to spend much time on it, and I walked on.

When I arrived at the deck, I saw a man standing next to the siltstrider.

'greetings, outlander, how can I interest you in one of my services?' the man said with a smile on his face, and a friendly, yet intriguing voice.

'Well, yes, I suppose you can. I want to go to Balmora. Arille told me you could get me there, or can't you?'

'Ahh yes, Balmora, Hlaalu's city', he said, with his eyes drifting off to the beautiful looking sky.

'Yes, I can take you there, but there is a price to be paid'.

'Well, yes, I expected that, so name it. What do you want from me?'

'6 septims to be exact. Nothing more, and nothing less'.

I handed the 6 septims to the driver, and we took place in the strider. The siltstrider was a huge bug, 4 times the size of a house, with 8 long legs, and 3 pairs of black eyes. The creature didn't look that friendly, but I couldn't care less. As long as it took me to Balmora, I was ok with it. The creature took off, and it brought us to Balmora quite fast. Its long legs made it an easy travel, stepping over hills, rock and dusty paths. When we arrived at Balmora, the creature stopped at a big deck. There were 2 stairs leading down to the solid ground. I got out of the strider, after the driver.

'thank you sir, have a nice day!', I said, walking towards the stairs.

'No problem, its my job right..yeah, you too'.

As I walked downstairs, I could see the whole city, the architecture was other than anything I had ever seen. The houses and other buildings looked so much simpler than any house I had ever seen. But still they attracted me. The houses were simple, but they gave me the feeling I was home again. I took a deep breath, and started walking. I had no idea where I could find Relyssa, so I just thought to ask somebody. Asking somebody wasn't that hard. Everywhere I looked, I saw people. All of them were different, but still, all of them looked like they could get along well with each other. I walked up to a human, the people I had only seen as soldiers, or in books my mum used to read me before I went to bed.

'Ehm hello sir, can I ask you a question?', I asked, trying to get the man's attention.

'No, get out of my sight, outlander', the man said as quickly walked away from me.


I didn't really like his attitude towards me, but I took it for granted, and walked up towards someone like me.

'Hello sir, can I ask you a question please?', I asked, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

'Well yes of course, fellow Dunmer, but my time is precious, so make it quick please'.

'thank you kind sir, ehm, can you tell me where I can find Relyssa the pawnbroker?'

the Dunmer fell silent for a few moments, and then he spoke again.

'Yes, I remember, you see that little house over there, with the urns and crates in front of it? That's her shop I suppose, but I have to get moving now, have a nice day'.

He waved as he turned around, and quickly walked away. I looked at him as he was walking down the street. He took big steps, his feet landing heavily on the ground, with his body swinging from the left to the right with every step he took. I turned around, and looked at Relyssa's shop for a moment. The building was made out of some kind of sandstone, and thus, the whole building was light brown. Unlike every house I had seen in my life, this house looked simple, but yet sophisticated. I walked over to the shop, and I entered through the wooden door.

‘hello young dunmer, how can I help you?’, Relyssa asked with a smooth and soft voice.
‘Hello, ehm, you expected Arille to come over today, but he sent me instead ‘.
‘ah yes, Arille. I see he has finally found himself a decent and good looking apprentice’.
‘well, yes, Arille told me to get some supplies, and he told me i should get them here. He gave me this note with all stuff he needs’.
I took the note, and i handed it over to Relyssa. First, she looked at the note, then returning her eyes back at me.
‘young man, forgive me for asking this, but how did you think to get the supplies back to Arille? And again, I’m sorry, but what name can I call you by? You’re a friend of Arille, so you’re a friend of mine’.
‘it’s no big deal Relyssa, feel free to ask anything you want. My name is Methaami. And i dont know how, but i can barely read, so i had no idea how many and what kind of supplies i was supposed to get. Arille told me there was some food involved, and thats all i know’.
I looked at her, and i felt afraid somehow. Relyssa was a lovely woman, not much older than me. Like me, she was a dunmer. Her hair was long, and black like the midst of the night, while the moon was spreading its light over it. her eyes, unlike other dunmer, were light blue. The same colour as the oceans to the east, my parents used to tell me stories about when they were still alive. She frightened me in a delicate way. She was the most beautiful woman i would ever know.
‘…together?’
I fell out of my world of thoughts, and smashed my face to the harsh reality as Relyssa spoke to me.
‘methaami, whats going on? Why were you staring like that? You frightened me…’, Relyssa said with a trembling voice, her eyes focused at mine.
I smiled at her, as i was trying not to drift away in thoughts again.
'I'm sorry Relyssa, i was thinking for a while. I tend to forget to blink my eyes when I'm thinking. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you'.
Relyssa laughed and nodded. She seemed to understand me.
'its ok Methaami. You made me laugh. Not many people manage to do that. You're a pleasant companion, I must admit'.
'Well, thank you Relyssa, it's a pleasure to be your companion. But, what did you say just ago?'
'Oh Methaami', Relyssa said, closing her eyes and smiling.
'handsome, funny, and yet to the point. You make a very interesting man, that is. But yes, I asked if you came here by siltstrider, and I was suggesting the two of us take the supplies, and walk back to Seyda Neen. It would take a lot longer of course, but you would save some money, and we could take everything at once. Besides, we would have some time to talk. You know, about life, and that sort of things. Do you fancy the idea?'

now Relyssa really started to scare me. Why would she ever want to have some time alone with me? I would lie if I said I didn't like the idea, but now was not the time to think about myself, and my emotions. I had a task to fulfill, and it had to be done fast.
'yes, I'd love to do that, but I guess I just haven't got the time to do so right now. Arille told me to hurry so I will. I'm sorry, but I'd be coming over later, so we can still go out for a walk, or just sit and enjoy each others stories for a while'.
'it doesn't matter, I already thought you'd refuse. But I'd really like to see you again Methaami. You can go by siltstrider as you wish, but that would be more expensive, and you need to go twice, because you can't take all supplies at once'.
'That should be no problem. Arille is paying for it all, and the faster he gets his supplies, the better'.
'Well ok then. Tell Arille he owes me 203 septims, or has he given you some septims already?'
'Well, yes, Arille has given me a small purse with septims, but I don't exactly know how much it is',
I gave Relyssa the purse, which I had tied to my leather chest armor when I left
she took the little bag, and she emptied it on her counter. After looking at it for a while, she started counting. I watcher her, and noticed all of her movements were smooth and swift. Her arms and eyes were moving over the septims separating the counted from the uncounted ones. When she was done counting, she made a nice pile of the septims, looked at me, and smiled.
'You've got 244 septims here. Adding that to the price you paid for the siltstrider, I suppose Arille gave you 250 septims to cover the expenses', Relyssa said with a smile.
'Ehm, well, ok, so what supplies should I be taking with me first?', I asked, while drifting away in the ocean of her eyes.
'well, lets see. Arille has requested two steel swords, netch leather greaves and boots, 2 clay pots, potions for healing and to cure common diseases, 2 of each, 4 breads, 4 pieces of saltrice, and a bottle of sujamma'
she said,while turning around, and taking the things she just named.
'its best to put on the greaves and the boots, and to tie the swords on your back. That way you will have both hands free, so you can carry more. You can take the basket with you in which i've put the breads. You can bring it back later, and put some more things in it now.
'do you really think Arille would let me wear the armor he is going to sell? Other than that, its a good idea, thank you'.
'yes, I know Arille for quite a bit. He'd even let you use the swords if that could be the difference between life and death. And for him, it adds a nice story to the swords, so he could be selling it for a higher price. So now, put on the armor. I want to see how you look while wearing it', Relyssa said, smiling at me, her eyes scanning the figure of my body.
'Hmm, ok then, if you say so. It might be a bit awkward to ask, but can you help me getting on the armor? I've never wore anything like it, you know, and I don't want to get things damaged'.
I wondered why I really asked it. I had never wore anything like it, but I could manage to get them on myself. I think I just wanted her body to touch mine. Never since my parents got killed had someone touched me on purpose. I felt so desperate towards Relyssa, but I knew I shouldn't be thinking like that at all. Relyssa was just a woman who was going to help me getting on some armor. If only she wasn't as beautiful...
Relyssa looked at me with a smile, but she seemed a bit surprised by my question.
Her eyes twinkled like the stars at night as she came walking towards me.
'Of course, Methaami, I'm always happy to help a fine young man like yourself. Now, spread your legs for a bit, so I can help you with the greaves'.
I spread my legs for a bit, as she requested. I kept my head up, and my eyes focused at the door. Relyssa only took a minute to put my greaves on, but to me it seemed to be hours.
After that, she helped me with the rest of my armor and the other supplies. I was glad it was over for now. Her looks, the chills I had across my back as she moved her fingers over my body, while putting on the supplies. Once I had all the supplies I could carry at once, I thanked Relyssa for her time, and left.
After I had closed the door of Relyssa's shop, I felt like I had closed a complete chapter of my life, and was going to start a new one right away.
I walked back to the siltstrider, by the same road as i had taken before. I saw some people walking through the small streets, but somewhere between the houses and people, I noticed the human, whom I had asked for directions earlier. He was looking at me, his eyes filled with agony and regret. I looked back, staring at his eyes. I could feel the hate towards me grow. I didn't really know what to feel, but I thought it was rather amusing, so I smiled, and waved at him. The human just kept staring, and suddenly I started feeling dizzy, and I couldn't move a single muscle.

And there I stood, in my armor, my hands full with other supplies, unable to move, and endlessly staring into the humans' eyes. I felt completely powerless towards the human, and the more I resisted my state of paralysis, the more it hurt. After a short amount of time, I felt like I was going to faint.

As I noticed the human blinking his eyes, I felt the paralysis flowing out of my body, and as soon as I could move again, I sank to my knees. I was still staring at the humans' eyes, as I saw him walking towards me with slow and long steps, coordinating his every move. As soon as the human came close, he reached out his hand. I took it, and he roughly pulled me up.

'I'm sorry for my actions and behavior of today Dunmer. Tell me your name, and I might tell you mine', the human said while smiling, but with both regret and respect in his eyes.

I turned my eyes from his, scanned the small streets, checking if there was no one watching us. I took some time to regain my my breath and strength.

'M..Methaami. That's my name sir. Can I ask you why you acted like that?'

'Yes, I will tell you, but not before I have given you my apologies. Again, I'm terribly sorry. I'm looking for men, physically and mentally strong enough to be in my personal army. Now, like all others, you will be wondering why I need a personal army, so I will tell you right away. Ofcourse, I cant go into the details with you, for you just haven't earned my trust yet, but I can tell you this:
throughout the island, the Emperor's men are randomly burning down villages, raping and slaying their inhabitants. All of that is to show the smugglers around here you cant mess with the emperor and his laws of so-called peace'.

I was terribly shocked by the man's story. I thought of my parents, and in a flash, I saw everything happen again, right before my eyes. I felt like I got paralyzed again, but this was far worse. I sank to my knees, and all the tears I hadn't shed before came flowing out of my eyes as I screamed.

The human kneeled in front me, firmly placing his hand firmly on my shoulder.

'Son, your parents got killed in such a raid? What a shame. From the beginning I knew there was something special about you. I will tell you my secret, but you must promise to forgive me. I am another man now.'

'yes, I will forgive you', I said, still crying, and knowing things couldn't get worse now.

'ok then. I was there the night your parents got killed. I was on duty, and doing what I was supposed to. It wasn't me who killed your parents though, it's Clogus Nevul you're after. You were the kid that ran off to the forest, aren't you?', The human told me with tears in his eyes.

I stopped crying, and my tears were replaced by an endless pool of hatred. It wasn't hatred for the man I was talking to; he resigned from the army, and he was now trying to help me. No, it was the hatred for this man, Clogus Nevul, that filled my body.

I stood up, picking up the supplies I had dropped earlier.

'as I promised, I forgive you. You're trying to help me, and you're a honest man. I have to go to the siltstrider, and bring those supplies to Seyda Neen. Shall we meet again some other day? I'd like to talk to you about things.'

'of all the men I've known in my life, you, Methaami, are by far the most unique. If you are willing to join my army, I will resign my highest captain, and I will sign you up for it. I will wait by the siltstrider tomorrow to meet you again, is that ok?'

'I will consider your offer, but with my age, I don't know whether I’m strong enough to fulfill your wishes. And yes, I will meet you here tomorrow just after sunrise. Sir, I’m sorry for asking, but can you tell me your name?

The human scanned my body and smiled.

'Erdrim Nevul, that's my name. And yes, you heard me correctly, I’m Clogus' brother, but don't mention it to anyone! Now, get moving or else you'll upset your boss, and you don't want that to happen. I will meet you again tomorrow Methaami, enjoy your day.'

Erdrim didn't wait for me to reply, but turned around, and vanished into the streets of Balmora.

When I woke up it was early in the morning, and the sun was just about to rise. I immediately thought of Erdrim, and the appointment I had made with him. I got dressed, ate some bread and drank some water in my room. As I walked downstairs, I heard a few men talking, including Arille. When I got downstairs, walked around the corner, I noticed the guards had arrived, and they were talking to Arille, and making jokes about what they had all been through. Except for Arille. He just smiled, and laughed when the guards did so. When I walked over to Arille, I noticed his face was pale and he seemed to be a bit scared.

'Good morning Arille. You're up early as always, how are you doing today?', I asked, trying not to make the guards suspect anything.

'Well good morning to you too. I see you're doing good, and so do I, thank you. I would like to thank you again for what you did for me yesterday, here, take these 50 septims, and do with it as you like.'

I took the septims from Arille, and I was happy with his gift. But on the other hand I thought about the deal we had made: I help him to maintain his shop, and he would provide me with food, water, and a place to sleep. I figured to let that thought go, and be happy with the things he gave me.

The guards were now quiet, and they were giving me a suspicious look, as if I was a notorious outlaw. Arille noticed it as well, and he gave me a quick look before he started talking.

'you're off for today. I can handle everything myself for today. Enjoy your free time, and I'll see when you get back.'



Arille gave me a quick smile, and started talking to the guards again. I spoke no more words, smiled back, and left the shop. I walked over to the siltstrider platform, said hi to the courier, gave him the septims for the trip to Balmora, and we set off. While traveling I closed my eyes and though about my mother and father. They were the most caring people I had ever known. Arille was a very nice and kind man, but I had only known him for a couple of days now.

When I felt something poking my shoulder, I opened my eyes, and noticed the courier was poking me because we had arrived at the Balmora siltstrider platform. I thanked the courier, walked down the stairs, and looked around for a bit. There were just a couple of people on the market square, mostly small children playing with their toys, and parents watching over them. It was a nice day. The sky was clear, there was a slight breeze, and the sun, even though it was still early, was shining. I walked across the market square, to see if Erdrim was already there, but he wasn't. I walked back to the small alley where I had met, or, encountered him yesterday. When I walked into the alley, I thought about the paralysis he had put me in yesterday. The moment I thought of it, I felt like I was going to throw up, and one second after, I fell into a black maze of nothingness.

CHAPTER XII (the meeting)

when I opened my eyes again, I was in the main room of some house, and Erdrim was standing next to me, laughing out loud.

'Good Methaami, I really expected your stomach to be tougher than that! Welcome to my secret hideout. Today, I'll show you all of the facilities here, and if you want, you can join one of the training courses, given by only the hardiest and most experienced men I have. That's it for now, eat, drink, and refresh yourself. When you feel ready,come meet me here again.'

Erdrim walked away into the hallway, and I looked around for a bit. It appeared as if this hideout was underground; the walls were made of rocks and mud. The floor maynly concisted of gravel, and some places were soaked with water.

There were about 20 men, of all races, standing in a neat line, and tney were all wearing the same simple clothing, and they were all wielding the same swords. In front of them, there was a women, wearing a black set of armor, decorated with red tribal patterns. She was shouting at the men, telling them exactly what to do and when.

After I had watched the recruits for a while, I noticed 2 women walking up to me, barely dressed.

'Hello young man. You must be Methaami', the first woman said.

'our boss said you needed to eat and get refreshed. Let us escort you to your room. Please follow us', the second continued.

Both women giggled as they walked into a hallway, with me following, as they requested. We walked through a dozen small hallways. Every one contained a few doors, and each hallways was marked with a sign, in a language I couldn’t understand, nor recognize. At a certain point, both women stopped, and turned towards a door.

'Well young man, we have arrived. This is your room. Have a look inside, and we'll wait here for you'.

I walked into what now appeared to be ,my room. The room wasn’t big, nor luxurious. There was a simple bed, a small drawer, and a table with two chairs. When I sat down on the bed for a while, I thought about Arille. I didn’t really know how I was going to tell him this. I wasn’t even sure if I really wanted to join Erdrim, but it apeared that choise was already made for me. living with Arille meant that my life was stable and secure. I had a place to sleep, and someone to talk to. Still I missed the adventure I had experienced when living in the forest; waking up every morning, knowing that it could be your last. I knew I was born to fight.

That moment I decided to stay, and that I would once fight where my parents had fallen.

I stood up from the bed, and looked around the room again. This again was the start of a new chapter in my life, I just needed to close the old one.

The two women walked me back to the main room where I had first met Erdrim. I looked around to see if I could find him, but with no results. I did notice the two women, vanishing in a hallway. I stared into the hallway for a while, and then I noticed Erdrim, walking right up to me.

'i'm sorry I took long, Methaami. I was putting a group of students to silence, when my two lovely assistants came running up to me, telling me that you were waiting for me. But again, sorry. We will go now, and eat. Oh, and Methaami, if you have any questions, which i'm sure you have, feel free to ask them'.

'that's not a problem at all sir. And yes, I have some questions, but I will ask them later, when there is more time and room to discuss such matters'.

'It's perfectly fine with me. Follow me now, please'.

Erdrim led me through another hallway, but this one was more broad than the others. while walking, I noticed a few unlighted torches. Even though I was pretty sure we were underground, there was still as much light as you'd expect in a normal house during the day. After a while, we walked into a luxurious looking room (that is, for what I had seen so far). There were 6 big tables, with chairs all around them. The walls were of the same material as all the others, but these were decorated with carpets. Every single one of them had a certain figure or pattern on it, and put together, the carpets seemed to be one big piece of art.

Erdrim turned around , and stood next to me.

'Methaami, you think this is impressive? You haven't seen nothing yet. Follow me to the counter, and we'll get ourselves something proper to eat'.

We walked over to a wooden counter, in the back of the room. Behind the counter, there was a young woman wearing the same clothes as the women who had led me to my room. she looked at Erdrim, and smiled.

'hello master, you're looking good today, how may I help you?'

'thank you, Elindyr, you seem to fair well yourself as well. I was hoping to get myself and my young apprentice a decent meal. Can you provide that for the both of us?'

'well yes of course, I will prepare the best meal I've ever made for the 2 of you. Please, have a seat, and I will bring it over to you as soon as I get it done.'

'on behalf of me and Methaami, I thank you, and we're looking forward to the food'.

Erdrim walked away, and headed for a small table in the back corner. Although he was in charge, he didn't seem to have his own dining room and cooks. he was a very polite man as well, talking to his slaves, or employees, as if they were his own children.

I followed him, and sat down on the chair across of his.

Erdrim looked at me and smiled.

'Now, you were wanting to ask me some questions, or am I mistaken?'

'Well yes, I wanted to ask you about the profit I will be making from this, and what I can expect from all this. Of course, I have many more questions, but those are to be answered by myself'.

Erdrim looked away from me for a while, thinking of the answer he'd give me. In the meanwhile, I noticed Elindyr walking up to us, taking 2 plates filled with delicious food with her.

'Master, I have brought the food you requested. I did my best to make it as delicious as possible. Can I get the 2 of you something to drink?'

'Well thank you. If it tastes as good as it looks, then you really overdid yourself. I would like to have a glass of brandy please. Methaami, is there anything you would like to drink?

'Well actually, I would like to have a glass of water please'.

Both Erdrim abd Elindyr looked at me, seemingly surprised. Erdrim was the first one to start laughing.

'hahaha! You want a glass of water instead of my delicious brandy? That's odd. I can tell you, my brandy will make you feel a lot better!'

'I am not doubting the quality of your brandy sir, but I still have a lot to think about, and I prefer to do so with a clean mind. That's why I would like to have a glass of eater. Next time, we will be having a glass of your brandy ok?'

'haha, you truly are one amazing kid! You look good,and you make the right decisions. But how come a kid your age thinks like that, and has so much worries? I'm sorry, that is not up to me to ask. Elindyr, can you please get our drinks over here now?'

'Yes sir, I will bring them as fast as I can.'

Elindyr turned around, and walked towards her counter. As Erdrim spoke, she stopped, and turned around.

'Elindyr. After you have gotten our drinks, please, get yourself anything you like. You have been of good service today, so you earned it.'

Elindyr didn't reply, but turned around and walked on. After Elindyr had left, there fell an awkward silence between me and Erdrim. I still felt a bit bad about the water I wanted, instead of what Erdrim called 'top class brandy'.
For a moment I thought of what my parents would think of me doing this, when Erdrim interrupted my thoughts.

'Methaami, your parents would be proud to see you stand up for your rights. I know they are looking at you now from the clouds. if you look at the stars by night, you will see them as well'.

'May I ask you where you've learned how to mindread as well? You seem to be good at everything you do. And what about the other things I wanted to know about?'

After Elindyr had brought our drinks, Erdrim explained everything to me. He told me i t could be quite dangerous to be here, since the emperor nor his forces knew anything about this. And if he would find out, every single man here would be hunted down. He told me as well that I’d get 10 septims per day, appropriate gear, and a training course for attacking,defense, and magic every day. And i , as his new captain would be walking in Erdrim's steps, to learn how to command a squadron.

'Thank you for explaining all this to me, Erdrim. It really cleared up my mind. you can count me among your captains, I'm in.', I said, with a smile on my face, thinking about the adventures I was about to be part of, and that one day, I could avenge those who once killed my parents.

Erdrim walked me back to the main room, without speaking. When we got there, he started to walk away from me. I dint know if it was the right thing to do, but I followed him. He turned around when he heard my footsteps following his.

'Methaami, please wait here. I'm confused, and I need to think in rest. I will not take long.'

'I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to...'

'It's ok kid, just wait here.'

I waited for a while, and had a look around. Everywhere I looked, there was the same amount of light, and there were no shadows at all. I had already noticed that already, but I didn't think of it as a magical bulb of light. I stood there thinking for what seemed to be hours, when Erdrim came back.

'I'm sorry I took so long Methaami. But I will tell you why. Yesterday you needed to get supplies to Seyda Neen, so I suppose they were for Arille. He is a fair man, and you told me the supplies were for a group of guards who were stopping by. Now, I don't want you to worry, but let me tell you this: before we were ordered to destroy your village, we had to go there, and stay for the night, so we could find out how many people were living there, how many houses we had to destroy, and how many men in town could raise their swords against us. if you want to join here, you mostly have to do a test. This is your test Methaami: go back to Eyda Neen, and talk to Arille about what the guards had been up to so far. If you think there's anything suspicious about it, tell the courier of the siktstrider about it, he's a friend of mine, he'll tell me. When you tell him, go back to Arille, and wait for the courier to visit you. He will tell you what to do. I'm teleporting you back to Balmora now, my apologies if I make you vomit again. You know your task and the importance of it Methaami, give it everything you got! Good luck son, and take care!

I was terrivly shocked by what Erdrim just told me, but if I had tne chance to save the people from Seyda Neen, I'd gladly do so. at once, I felt a shock, and everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in Balmora, and the day was still young. It seemed to be days, bit not much time had past in Erdrim's hideout. Nevertheless, I had learned lots, and made some decisions I wouldn't have made if I didn't go there. I still had no idea where the hideout was, but I suppose that was a good thing: if no one knew where it was, then no one could tell the guards.
I ran to the siltstrider's courier,ave him the sptims, and he brought me back to Seyda Neen. When we got there, I thanked the courier, and ran towards Arille's shop on the edge of town. When I got there, I noticed the group of guards, patrolling through the village. I ran into Arille's shop, said hi to him, and sat down to regain my breath. As I stood up and walked towards Arille, he gave me a concerned look.

'Methaami, what are you doing here? You're having a day off, remember? Why did you coma back?'

'My apologies Arille, that's too many questions for now. I need to tell you something in private. Are there any people upstairs?'

'No, and why in private?'

'Good. I spoke to Erdrim, the former imperial guard. He's planning to build a personal, to prevent the imperial's from destroying villages, like they did with mine. I have agreed tonjoin him, so I'm leaving here, I'm sorry Arille. Second, the guards here...those are doing the exact same thing as the guards, including Erdrim, had to do in my town. So there is a possibility of the town getting attacked very soon. what did the guards from you, and what did they say? I need to know Arille. if you get killed as well, I wouldn't know what to do anymore..'

Methaami! Lower your voice! Follow me to my basement. No one will hear us there.'

I followed Arille to his basement, where I told him everything in detail. When I was done talking, Arille seemed deeply shocked.

'This can't be true Methaami. The guards did ask about the population here, and how everyone was doing. They said they were going to look around for a bit, so, if you are correct, they're now scanning the village for the weak and strong, planning their attack. You confused me Methaami. What are we supposed to do now?'

'And so am I. Erdrim told me to see the siltstriders' courier, so that's what i'll do. You should go back to your shop, for when the guards come back. Please keep an eye out Arille, I won't take long!'

I ran upstairs, and out of Arille's shop. When I came outside, I tried to act like nothing was going on. I calmy walked past the guards, and smiled at them. I walked up the small hill, told the siltstrider's courier what I had found out so far, and asked for instructions.

'Young man. I suppose you are Erdrim's new captain. He did give me orders, yes. In this situation, it is best to evacuate everyone to Suran, a city north- east of here. The guards will never attack that city, because a lot of noble men live there. The people here should move when the guards have left. I will take them, and their most precious belongings to Suran by siltstrider'.

'ok, if Erdrim thinks that's the best thing to do, I'll do so. I'll ask Arille to see if he wants to help me notify everyone'.

It was a dangerous game we were playing. if the guards noticed anything, they would probably attack us right away. they could as well not leave at all. That would be even worse. The worst thought I could come up with, was that there still was a chance that the guards weren't going to attack us at all. if that was it, and the villagers left, that could make the emperor suspect our resistance.

I didn’t want to think of it anymore, and I calmly walked passed the guards again. I walked into Arille's shop, were I found him drinking a glass of brandy.

'Arille, I have news and instructions. There is not much time to waste, so can we go downstairs and talk this over?'

Arille agreed, and downstairs I told him Erdrim's plan. Arille wasn't really comfortable with the fact that he had to give up anything, but he said his life was more valuable to him. I

Reacties:

Dipsjitt zei op 25 juni 2010 - 23:20:
jep, helemaal correct ik heb arena, daggerfall,morrowind gespeeld, oblivion vond ik TE liniair...maar indd, het is een verhaal wat zich afspeelt in Morrowind (ook met de NPC namen, heb dr een paar gebruikt, Arille uit Seyda Neen bijvoorbeeld), en namen van steden etc. maar de quests en gebeurtenissen van het spel zelf gebruik ik er niet voor. lees het als je wilt en er tijd voor hebt!!

Faramir zei op 25 juni 2010 - 22:36:
Heeyyy,
Is dat een verhaal van The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind?
Ik heb toevallig Daggerfall, Morrowind en Oblivion gespeeld van de Elder scrolls serie Maar volgens mij ken ik het wel een beetje.