G'day. New story *cheers for self*. This is another series in TES, but another where I completely screwed it over. If you can get past this, you are doing well.
All that the woman can see in her dreams was the ash. It was so thick that she couldn't make out any features. A woman's voice was heard, but the dreamer couldn't hear the words. Unknown sigils were fleeting across her vision. One sentence was made clear. Many fall but one remains. Then, a male Dunmer's voice was snaking its way through to her dream.
"Hey, are you alright? Hey, you're dreaming! Wake up! Wake up!"
Her vision suddenly blackened and felt herself waking up. She felt the familiar jolt of movement of the surface that she and the other has been on for the past few days. Her eyes fell on familiar red-hued ones.
"There you go. Stand up." He ordered.
Grumbling from his pushy nature, she complied. She felt the birthmark on her neck move to an uncomfortable position. When she stood up, she got a good look at the Dunmer. A large scar ran over his right eye, dimming the glow slightly. His chest was bare, revealing a muscular frame. But he was small and wiry, not like the Nords of Skyrim.
"You were dreaming." He said.
"I knew that much. Not sure what of though." She answered.
"What's your name?" He asked.
"Vivdena Kharbussi. Yours?" Vivdena replied, with a heavy Khajiit accent in her voice. It was weird, they've been on this ship for days and never once did they ask for each other's names.
"Jiub. Not even last night's storm could wake you."
"Storm?"
"It was bad. The wall here almost broke from the waves." Jiub replied, knocking on a section of wood, which was, in fact, almost broken.
"I've also heard them say we reached Morrowind. I'm sure they'll let us go." Jiub said.
A rhythmic pacing was heard above, going towards the plank at the opposite end of the ship. The footfalls revealed the source to be a young Imperial male. He began to walk over to the two prisoners, head held high and smugly.
"Quiet. Here comes the guard." Jiub whispered.
He stopped at the doorway to the two. He pointed to Vivdena, gaining her attention.
"This is where you get off. Follow me." The guard said bluntly, not waiting for Vivdena to catch up when he turned around.
Vivdena followed, but not before looking back at Jiub. She went up the plank to the first deck below, following the guard to just above where she was before. He stopped before a set of stairs, turning to Vivdena.
"Get yourself up on deck and lets keep this as civil as possible." He ordered.
Vivdena grumbled her assent. She was a rebel at heart, always fighting against what rules were placed anywhere. That always landed her neck deep in trouble. She walked up the stairs and opened the trapdoor, feeling a blast of salty air brush across her face. She got out of the cabins and out onto the deck of the small ship that brought her to... a shithole.
A Redguard was standing alone on the deck, near a gangplank that lead down to a dock. He noticed Vivdena, who was looking at him curiously.
"This is where they want you." He replied.
"This place? The ass end of nowhere?" She asked.
But the Redguard ignored her question. "Head down to the dock and he," He gestured to an Imperial guard standing on the dock, "will show you to the Census Office."
Vivdena grudgingly walked down the plank, feeling it creak under her weight, and onto the dock. The Imperial guard walked up to her to a respectable distance. He looked at the note in his hands, making a face that resembled confusion.
"You've finally arrived, but our records don't show from where." He said to Vivdena.
"As you can see, Imperial, I am a Dunmer." Vivdena replied.
"Then what is with the Khajiit surname?" He asked.
"I was taken up with a middle class Khajiit family." Vivdena answered, fingering the Moon amulet that was given to her.
The Imperial nodded, rolling up the parchment. "Follow me up to the office and they'll finish your release."
He turned his back to her and marched up to the door down at the end. Vivdena really wanted to jump off of the dock and into the water, but something made her follow the Imperial. They walked up until they reached the door, which was rotten and termite ridden beyond compare. The Imperial turned around and gave Vivdena the piece of parchment he had.
"Go inside and talk to Socucuis Ergalla. He'll sort your papers out." The Imperial explained.
"Who is he and what does he look like?" Vivdena asked.
"White hair, balding at the top. Stuck up attitude. You cannot miss him. He's usually looking towards this door now." The Imperial answered.
Vivdena nodded and tentatively pushed the door open. She walked into the room, where two people were. One was a guard and the other was exactly how the Imperial described Socucuis, sitting behind a desk. The balding man looked up at the sound.
"Ah, yes. We've been expecting you. You'll have to be recorded before you are officially released." Socucuis said, gesturing for Vivdena to sit one the chair in front of him, which the Dunmer did and placing the parchment onto the table, which Socucuis took.
"You mean I am not released yet?" Vivdena inquired.
"Technically, you are but, officially, you aren't. Now, there are a few ways we can do this and the choice is yours."
"What are those ways?"
"I can ask you questions, and the combined answers will see where you fit into Morrowind's society. You can pick from the list here," he pointed to a list by his right hand, "and I will write it down. Or you can fill out the forms yourself."
Vivdena sat there silently, fingering the cloth she had tied around her wrist for her entire life. She was found as a baby in it, having an odd picture embroidered on it. It was a Great House, but no one knew which one. She remembered her training back in Elsweyr, where her adopted father trained her in the spear and longsword, all while in either modified Iron armour or Chainmail.
"I'll fill them out myself." Vivdena answered.
"Sure." Socucuis responded, pushing an inkwell and quill towards her.
Vivdena dipped the tip of the quill inside the ink, coating it, and began to write. Since none knew about her origins, she placed Elsweyr as her home province, before she began to write her skills. Spears and longswords were the best skills she knew. She preferred her medium armour. She was quick and could run for miles along the sands of her home province. And she was also a proficient marksman, taking out birds way up high with an arrow from the ground.
When she was done, Vivdena placed the cap back on the inkwell and pushed the papers back to Socucuis. He rolled up the paper, dripped a few drops of wax onto the join and sealed it shut with his signet ring, the Red Dragon making its mark. The wax rapidly cooled, sealing her fate shut. That was who she was now, another somebody in a sea of them.
"Take these papers to the Captain when you exit to get your release fee." The old Imperial said, pushing the paper back to Vivdena.
Vivdena stood up, bowing her head slightly in thanks. She took the papers and began to walk towards the guard. He opened the oak door, allowing the Dunmer to pass through.
"Go to the right and talk to Captain Sellus Gravius." He said.
Vivdena nodded and walked through the door, closing the door behind her. She took the direction that the guard gave her. She came to a table, where a note was pinned to the table by an Iron dagger. She took ahold of the hilt of the small blade and pulled, taking the dagger out of the wood. It was still sharp, but it was rusty. Vivdena saw a small chest on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. She tried to open it, but it was locked. Giving up, she stood up straight and turned around. A sight befell her, a lockpick. She picked it up and went back to the chest. She placed the end of the pick inside the lock, but she couldn't unlock it. She tried again, but still didn't work. She tried a third time, hearing the lock click open. She lifted the lid, seeing a small pouch of 300 gold pieces inside. She took it and continued out of the door. The blast of stink came at her. Even the slums of Elsweyr's cities smell better than here.
She had to brave it though. She walked over to the other door, but stopped when she reached the barrel beside it. Feeling curious, she looked inside. Not a lot, a goblet, a plate and a ring. But this ring was engraved and glowing, obviously imbued with magic. She took it and continued into the next room. There, an Imperial guard was standing off to her left, garbed in very ornate armour but still functional. Obviously the Captain that Socacius mentioned.
"Sellus Gravius?" Vivdena asked.
"Aye." He answered, completely bored.
"This one has papers for you." Vivdena said, but clamped her mouth shut after with a hand. She accidentally used Khajiitic speech patterns. The Captain must've been bored out of his mind though, as he didn't notice.
"Identification." He ordered, holding his hand out.
Vivdena pulled the paper out and placed it in the Captain's hand. He placed it onto the desk and cut the wax seal off with a dagger. He was muttering all the while, mainly about Socucuis and the wax. He read the parchment, finally awaking.
"Oh, it's you. Are you ready for orders?" He asked.
"Sure. But, why?" Vivdena asked.
"Well, more of a favour." Sellus responded. He pulled out a sack of 200 gold pieces, a note and a small package. "The Emperor wants you to go to the town of Balmora, just north of here. You need to hand these," he pointed to the note and package, "to Caius Coscades. The sack of gold is the release fee."
Vivdena took each item. "And how would I get to Balmora?"
"Two ways. You can walk to the city, although I wouldn't recommend it. Or you can take the silt strider on the edge of town." Sellus pulled out a knapsack for Vivdena to use, which she did.
"Silt strider?"
Just as Vivdena asked the question, a loud moan or wolf cry pierced the air.
"That was the silt strider's moan. They are peaceful creatures." Sellus explained.
"Ok."
Vivdena walked towards the door at the far side. She placed a hand on it, wanting to push it open.
"Wait!"
Vivdena looked back at Sellus Gravius. "Yes?" She asked, keeping her hand on the door.
"Welcome to Seyda Neen." He said.
Vivdena nodded and pushed the door open, meeting the stale air of Seyda Neen.
Her journey has begun.
Before you go back, I will hold a small competition. Whoever could sketch and colour in a strange insignia for Vivdena's piece of cloth will be the cover picture. I cannot do this because 1. I cannot draw to save my life and 2. I cannot draw originals. It needs to be sent to me, though.