There was darkness. An endless darkness. The mind of this soul felt lost, confused, unsure. Nothing made sense. There were times that emotions and feelings very much felt strange to this individual. What was going on? Why did things feel this way? In the darkness, this soul could see strange beings, markings, and it couldn't comprehend anything. It comprehended movement. It pushed against some strange barrier. It began to hear voices. It pushed harder and harder, but couldn't push any further. Even if it tried to push in another direction, there was a barrier. It was trapped.

But it could comprehend hearing, and it heard voices. Voices it did not know, yet somehow it felt comfort upon hearing them, as if it had known them for all of its existence...if that existence had been long at all. Where was this? How long was this? Who or what was it? For a moment the voices came back, but so did the being. The soul could not comprehend vision, yet it saw this strange being, and this strange being saw it.

This being opened its mouth and spoke in a language it did not understand. The soul could not comprehend speech. It could try, and barely even manage a grunt. There was no sound. But it did not feel the strange comfort that it shared with the voices it thought it knew. This being was strange. What was it? Who was he or she?

There was a flash. A monster. The lost soul suddenly comprehended fear. What was that thing? What was this being? It remembered movement and began to push against the barrier, trying to escape. It didn't want to be here anymore. It didn't want to be with the strange being, and the monster. It pushed harder against the walls...

The being reached forward. The lost soul continued to kick and claw at the darkness, the invisible walls that held it. It couldn't comprehend sight, yet it watched as this being reached forward...a glowing white hand reached forward...the lost soul tried to evade the touch, but to no avail. The soul was touched...and a warm feeling entered the soul...a feeling it could not comprehend. It felt warm, soothing...but at the same time, the soul felt an unusual feeling...rage...domination...but why? Why did it feel this?

It didn't make sense! Why would it comprehend such feelings? It kicked once more! It wanted out! It clawed again, and again...it suddenly felt the barrier weaken...it had broken through! It reached for the opening...yet found more of the barrier...It pushed...in fear. It could feel the barrier weakening! Another opening! The barrier was breaking away! It kicked...clawed...but could comprehend nothing else...it could move...but what good would it do? There was a new force suddenly in play...something that seemed to just...pull it down...it suddenly felt strange...

The fear began to return. It could no longer move. A new barrier was here. But it wasn't so weak. In fact, quite the opposite. It was tightening all around him. Pushing against him. He couldn't even comprehend what it was. There was only darkness. The warmth in the soul seemed to fade away. It comprehended an entirely new feeling...cool air...

Air...what was air? It could feel itself clawing at nothing. Part of the soul was no longer getting pushed...the barrier was gone...replaced by an entirely new environment. In a moment, it feared that it would be all over. This soul would very suddenly be falling. There was nothing to catch it. It was alone. The memories of the monsters and beings all that were left. It clawed, trying to find something! Something to hold on to.

"Easy...settle down..." a voice said. The soul heard the voice, but could not comprehend its words. But as the soul felt the strange force on it's body continue to pull down, it felt something on it's backside. It...it had been caught. It had made sure it didn't fall! The voice spoke again, and the soul began to comprehend the voice. It was one of the two voices it had heard, and recognized from so far away...but how? Who was it? "Shhh..." it said, and it caressed the lost soul in a calming motion. The soul could feel large hands, just rubbing it, embracing it's touch, and the soul, though it was confused...slowly felt the memories of that strange being, and the images of the monsters fade away...soon, it was just this voice...and it's soft, loving feel.

"It's...it's a son, love..." the voice said again...

Then a softer voice spoke. "Please...let me see him..."

The soul perked at the voice. It recognized that voice too! These were the voices that calmed it. However, it...or he grew uneasy when he felt the touch of one of them, leave his body...but as one left, he felt the embrace of yet another. The other voice. In fact...he felt rather...closer to this voice. Perhaps it held him as close. No matter...these two voices...whatever they were or whoever they were...he was just happy to be with them. This new world was strange, and he still was unsure of what it was, as he could not see, but the voices, the raspy, yet calm voices calmed him, and held him close. He felt the one who held him breathe a little and sigh.

The other voice spoke. ""Are you okay, love? Do you need anything?"

"N...no...he...he just did a bit of a number to me..."

"His shell certainly looks beat up. He did quite a bit of damage to it...doesn't look like he was willing to stay in there a lot longer."

"As long as he's healthy, and well...he's just what we've been hoping for..."

The soul...he did not understand the talk of these two, nor could he comprehend a way to speak back. He reached, and felt a large...muzzle of a sort. There was a small sound of a pleasant...laughter. He didn't know how he knew that, but it made him feel warm. He tried to speak...resulting only in a small grunt. The grunt resulted in more comforting touches from the one who held him.

He felt the other touch him, as if it were close by. These two beings...whoever they were...he didn't want them to leave.

"He has your skin..." one of them said.

"No sign of any horns though...perhaps he'll take after his mother there..."

"Well...perhaps once he takes his first taste of hist, he'll surprise us..."

Mother...that name brought the young soul comfort. He suddenly yearned for sight. He wanted to look upon those who held him, who seemed to protect him...he wanted to see...but could not. Perhaps...perhaps it was not his time yet.

"I cannot wait for him to open his eyes for the first time..." one of them said.

"Think of when he'll be able to take his first step...speak his first words..."

"When he'll be given his name..."

The soul did not comprehend their words as they spoke, but he didn't care for that moment. Right then and there, he was just comforted to be in their grasp, their comfort, their very life...and he relaxed, and began to rest...his escape from the barrier had tired him out...and he desperately wanted to recover from that...

Time would go on for an unusual length. The new environment was slowly but surely becoming the reality. All memories of the barrier, the tight imprisonment was fading away. Soon, it was just him, and the voices he was continuing to grow to trust and...love. He was starting to comprehend love. How? Was it because though he could not see them, he could hear them, and feel their loving, comforting, and even playful touch on him? Their presence was a feeling he'd not felt before. He felt comforted around them, warm, happy. This new world was so strange to him, yet he felt little fear so long as the presence of these two continued to be with him.

Each period of his activity, despite being so weak, and unsure of what was to come in life, they would care for him. Feed him a strange substance that was sweet, yet bitter at the same time. Play with him. He was growing closer and closer with them. Then there would be the periods in which he was tired, and required rest. There were times they would wrap him in a warm covering, and let him rest, or there were times when they would rest with him. Then when they'd awaken, the cycles would start all over again.

Each period of awakening, he would be introduced to something new. There was a time after some play with the beings he was now recognizing more and more as "Mother" and "Father" before the time ceased, and they took him up into the air as they always did, as he could not move himself in this strange world, and then they set him in an even stranger environment. It was cold to the touch, and heavy, yet his foot could kick through it with little resistance. What was this strange substance. As they lowered him, he realized that the substance was dense, and though he easily could fit through it, it made him uneasy. What was this? Was this perhaps another world? Why did he need to leave this one? He was happy in this one. With the mother and father! The cool feeling got up to his upper part of him, before he felt his lower part of him his a solid surface. He still felt the comforting touch of whoever carried him in this strange environment. He reached out, and felt the strange substance, and it coated him. He also felt the strange substance suddenly pour all over him, though some of him had not yet touched this strange thing. Yet it not only felt cool, but it felt surprisingly natural to him, and he liked it. So much that he felt as if he could cry out for more.

"Oh! Does that feel good?" his mother's voice said in her playful voice. "Listen to you! Just listen to you!"

He could comprehend sound...

He could not talk to his mother, or give her any clear meaning of how he felt or anything, but she had heard him! And that alone was enough! He felt the strange substance pour on him again, and he sat up, before losing his balance, and falling back. The strange environment was no completely all over him. At first he didn't know how to feel. The substance felt strange when he felt it go into an opening in his body, one that normally had nothing in it. It seemed to serve a function, but he didn't understand it. He still couldn't see, but he still felt the loving touch of his mother, even down in this strange new world.

He found it strange that he'd not bothered to act like he would out of this world. He'd not been breathing. Down here, he was hesitant. This environment seemed strange to him. Maybe even dangerous. But he felt his body starting to tense...and he took a breath. No difference. He could strangely breathe down here as well. The cool pleasing sensation now fully covered his body, and he gave another playful sound, which was only muffled. Perhaps down here, he could not comprehend sound as he could up above.

He felt his mother push his upper body from the depths of this strange world, and he felt his upper body break the surface. He could hear the sloshing of the strange world below him, and his mother's amused laughter.

"You like the water, don't you. You're just like your own. But let's get you cleaned up for now..."

Water. Was that what this new world was? The strange feelings that it gave? Water? When he was completely immersed in the water, not only could he breathe it, but he felt rather tranquil. Beneath the surface, he couldn't hear the other world, in fact there wasn't much to hear except the endless void it seemed. It was relaxing. Above the water, he could hear so plainly, and beneath, it was just another sensation on its own.

As his mind contemplated all these thoughts, he felt his mother gently massage and rub his skin with a different substance, which was smooth and slick. However, he seemed more interested in this strange event that was now taking place. Why was he in water? And what was his mother doing to him. He wasn't sure, but as she continued, he began to feel more and more refreshed, almost like a new...whatever he was. He felt great. It was such a great feeling that he felt somewhat...sad when his mother removed him from the water.

"Okay, little one...bath-time is over..."

As he was removed from the water, he noticed how though he felt the water leaving his body, much of it clung to him. The cool feeling was all over him and it felt strange. But as she was wrapping him, effectively drying him of the water that remained, he began to feel somewhat strange. He breathed, and wanted to see. He almost felt as if he was ready to see. Was he? He focused...and for the first time in his life, his world of darkness was brought to life by color. Off to the side, a roaring glow of heat was seen in an alcove in this shelter, and it brought light to his new sense. He could comprehend sight finally. And the first thing he saw, was the face of his mother.

She looked down at him, her eyes meeting his tired, and opening eyes, and she gasped. "Jeelius! Come quickly!"

His mother sounded so surprised, and it confused him. But it wasn't long before soon another face entered his vision. Was that his father?

"What is it, Meerana?" he asked somewhat worried, as if her call had distressed him slightly.

"Jeelius...his eyes are open!" his mother said.

"Are they really?" he asked looking toward his son. He knelt closer. The faces of both his mother and father were shaped in a way that would not allow them to make certain expressions, yet it was as if the young one could feel the emotions behind the face. The father reached forward and touched the little one, and the eyes of the young one closed gently as the hand of his father rested gently on the cheek of his son.

"What...what will we name him?" he asked.

"I never expected his naming day to come so soon...I've barely had time to think about it..." his mother replied.

What were they talking about? Naming day? What was that?

There was silence for a moment. The young one gave a yawn as he looked at himself...seeing his little hands, and feet...and even discovering his tail below his sitting body...

"...Kaayan..." his mother responded. "I like that name..."

His father lovingly embraced his mother, and replied, "Kaayan it is."

They had a small moment as they embraced each other. The newly named Kaayan simply looked upon them in curiosity, unable to comprehend what exactly they felt. Perhaps he wouldn't feel that way for a while. He didn't know. But he yawned again, before he saw his mother reaching to carry him. He was starting to feel that exhaustion as his mother carried him into yet another place, and set him in a large soft area. Kaayan wasn't sure what it was, but he could rest here, in complete comfort...

His father looked over his mother's shoulder and gently rubbed Kaayan's cheek, before rubbing her shoulder. "He's full of surprise..."

"He's wonderful..." she said softly. She then leaned down and gently kissed him. "Rest well, my Kaayan..."

Kaayan had already closed his eyes and had fallen into a deep sleep. The memories of the monsters and strange beings, now a distant memory...his new world had been opened...and his dreams were of color...his young life had started out...wonderfully...

Thanks for checking out this experimental story. I am exploring the possibiities of writing an origins story for my Skyrim character, Kaayan. And I decided to write this out. Perhaps I will explore this some more. Depends on how this is received. If you got questions, feel free to ask.