NIRN, PRESENT
In the Thalmor Embassy Dungeon up in the mountains of Haafingar, there was a dimly lit cell that contained woman. She sat on metal chair that was bolted to the floor and she was chained down and gagged. She had long, silky, black hair in a messy braid, her bangs wet and sticky with blood and clinging to her pale, ivory skin. Her amethyst-colored eyes took in the surroundings, framed by thick lashes. A stream of blood was dry on her face. She wore tattered, dirty clothes, feet bare on dirty stone floor. Her eyes focused on the barred cell door as it opened. A Khajiit (Tsavani perhaps?) came in, swept the floor, put a table in front of the raven-haired woman, and a chair on the other side.
What is the wood they used? the raven-haired woman wondered. Spruce, cedar, oak, willow, cherrywood, applewood, a type of fir or pine? Wait, aren't those the same as spruce and cedar? Certainly not birch. Too light in coloration and it looks too sturdy. Birch is a soft wood after all. It was a distraction from the pain of the steel chain biting the corners of her mouth.
The Khajiit took her leave and a towering Altmer, a High Elf, entered in her place. She had the typical golden-skin, harvest gold-blond hair, and gold-brown eyes. She wasn't very attractive. She wore far too much makeup. Her lips had a thick coat of gloss, heavy eyeliner, and bright-red eyeshadow. And black blush? What the actual Hell? the woman wondered. The Altmer woman wore black robes trimmed in gold. She held herself in high regard, giving off an air of pretention. Elewen, First Emissary of Skyrim.
A lesser Thalmor placed a leather-bound book, an inkwell, and a quill in front of Elenwen. "Remove the gag," the emissary ordered. The Thalmor guards came, removing the gag from the raven-haired woman's mouth. They were afraid. They had every reason to be. This was the one who slaughtered two dozen Thalmor Guards, Mages, and Archers before they took her down. And that's not even counting Northwatch where she silently slew every guard, mage, and archer guarding the prisoners, whom she had released; the battle at Solitude, her infiltration of the Thalmor Embassy a year ago, and every Justiciar unfortunate enough to cross her path. She was dangerous, and according to her spies in Solstheim, she has gotten worse. She's a threat that needed to be eliminated. But first, Elenwen would record what she could about Belinda Scale.
"Writing a little dossier?" Belinda, the raven-haired woman, asked with a chuckle.
Elenwen glared.
"If so, you'll need more paper, ink, and quills," her advesary chuckled. "Because I have quite the tale to tell."
This made the Altmer raise a brow. "Speak, then."
"Very well," Belinda said. She cleared her throat. "To start with, I am not of Nirn. This plane is not my own..."
EARTH, PAST
Belinda grew up on the plane of Terra, on the planet of Earth. At age 7, she lived in a suburb in Northern Illinois, the name of which evades her. It was winter, and snow coated the land. She got out her beautiful sled and towed it to the hill atop which she lived. She wore pink snowboots, blue overalls, a pink shirt, and a pink winter coat. She was so excited to go sledding! And build the world's biggest snowman. And have snowball fights. And drop snow down Karr's shirt...
Speaking over was flying down to greet her. He was six feet tall with wild white hair that fell past his shoulders, bound at the base of his head with a leather cord; a pair of amethyst-colored eyes, and pale ivory skin. He dressed in black combat boots, black faux leather pants, a white button-up shirt, and a black vest with gold buttons, all under a black winter coat with a faux fur-lined hood. Sprouting from his back were feathered wings in a shade of ivory. Karrin Ivory-Winged, or Karr Ivorring for short. A name he preferred. He was half-Human, half-Angel, and a well-known member of Earth's hidden magical community. He landed, folding his soft wings. They shone before disappearing with a burst of sparkles. They weren't gone, merely hidden.
"Hi, Karr!" Belinda greeted, hugging him.
"Hello, Sweetling," Karr responded, using his favorite nickname for her. He always called her Sweetling. She couldn't quite understand why.
"Karr, what's a Sweetling?" Belinda asked. She always asked, but Karr always answered, "Someday." Today was no different. Belinda stuck her tongue out at him.
"Put that away, you," Karr laughed.
"You always say someday! So pick some day and tell me what a Sweetling is!" Belinda whined.
"And I will, child," Karr assured. He knelt down to kiss Belinda's forehead, an irritated expression on the raven-haired child's face. "Now, go sledding. I'll watch."
Belinda smiled and put her sled at the top of the hill. She hopped on and Karr gave her a push. "WHEEE!" Belinda cheered, picking up speed. She climbed back up the hill, towing her sled. On the sixth time, she was tired from climbing, but she couldn't rest, not with the sight that greeted her. Karr's coat was on the ground, his scythe in his hands as he fought someone. This someone wore a black, hooded robe. The hood obscured his face from Belinda's line of sight. She watched in fright. The stranger fought swiftly with long, curved daggers. Karr was on the defensive. Thankfully, he had enough experiance to keep up with the stranger.
Soon, the stranger was in a position where Belinda was able to see his face. It was a face could never forget. It should have been the last face she saw, but the Multiverse had other plans...
PRESENT, NIRN
"Bullshit!" Elenwen barked, rising abruptly to her feet. Her chair flew back. Tsavani hurried back in, picked the chair up, dusted it off, and scurried back out.
"You wanted to know my story for your little dossier," Belinda pointed out. "Is the knowledge of other worlds too much for you to handle? Beyond the Dominion's compacity?"
"Nothing is beyond the Dominion's compacity!" Elenwen snapped.
Belinda smirked at that. "I was hoping you'd say that," she said. "Most cannot not handle the truth of the Multiverse. They deny it, or it drives them mad. It's much easier to believe when you're a child."
"Enough!" Elenwen barked. "Resume you... Little story." She sat again, dipping the tip of her quill in the inkwell again.
PAST, EARTH
Belinda watched as Karr was blasted by a powerful, shadowy magic. Karr, shouted in pain, collapsing to his knees. Violet lightning zapped him, the wispy shadows coiling around him. It contristed around his neck, cutting off his air passages. Belinda's own amethyst-colored eyes went wide in terror and she screamed, "Karr!" The stranger turned to her, and she saw his face, a face she will never forget. The stranger charged at her, ready to strike her.
"Belinda!" Karr gasped. He raised his hand, white energy exploding from his palm. The charging stranger then disappeared from line of fire, causing the energy to go straight for Belinda. The child's eyes widened and she quickly held out her hands, muttering an incantation. A bubble of royal purple magic encased her, crackling with silver streams. The white energy blasted the shield, but sent Belinda flying, and far enough of that massive sledding hill that the fall would kill her. The shield shattered like glass. In that moment, she felt suspended in the air. She looked up at the cloudy sky, closing her eyes as she started to fall. However, when the impact came, it was gentle. She opened her eyes to the face of a graying-white dragon with hazy blue eyes.
"Drem yol lok, Dovahkiin," the Dragon greeted in a deep, rumbling voice, "Welcome to Nirn."
PRESENT, NIRN
"So, the tales are true of a Dragon living atop the Throat of the World," Elenwen said.
"Sadly, they are no longer true," Belinda sighed. "Alduin killed Paarthurnax, and forced me to consume his soul. His very bones and scales went into making the sword I used to slay Alduin."
"I see," Elenwen huffed. "Now tell me, Dragonborn, why tell me all of this?" she asked.
Belinda smirked again. "Why Elenwen! Whatever made you think you'd live to retell it?"
"What?"
"Feim-Zii-Gron!" Belinda Shouted. She became ethereal and stood as the chains went limp. She ran through the wall, before becoming physical again. She grabbed a sword before Shouting again, "YOL-TOR-SHUL!" Flames engulfed the charging Thalmor. The wooden beams caught fire as well. Belinda fought through the fire to Elenwen's broken body. She was close to death.
"There's... One thing I don't get," Elenwen rasped.
"What's that?" Belinda asked.
"You said you would never forget that face," Elenwen answered. "Who did you see?"
Belinda smiled. "I do not know who. Just that he had bright red eyes." And with that, she turned to make her leave, the ceiling collapsing behind her. She sat on a nearby peak, watching the Thalmor Embassy burn under the fiery breath of Odahviing. She had made sure to recover her belongings and cleaned up, her hair brushed and braided while her bangs started to fluff up.
She really hadn't thought about the red-eyed man in so long. But now that she had, she wanted to find him. Why had he tried to kill her and Karr? Or had she already found him and did not know? A gale alerted her to Odahviing's closeness, and she could sense Saranna emerge from the shadows. The two were her closest friends and allies on Nirn since her return nearly two years ago.
"So, what now?" Serana asked.
"It's time I find the man with red eyes," Belinda answered. "He's the reason my Spark ignited, and I want answers."
"The Multiverse is huge; how will you find him?" Odahviing wondered.
"I guess I'll start here." The sun was rising, and Belinda's feet carried her down the path and to Whiterun.
