Holocaust(Prologue)
Night had just settled over the Khajiit caravan. Jone and Jode were full overhead and stars shone bright in the inky sky. A fire crackled in the center of the camp and the elders sat around it, softly discussing plans for the coming day and last leg of their journey. Most of the young had already been carried to beds, after falling asleep at the fire. The group had celebrated the last night of their journey with a feast. Tomorrow evening they would arrive in Riften. The city had a shadowy reputation but was also one of Skyrim's most southern cities, and therefore, a gateway to the province. The knowledge that their trip was almost over, in addition to warm food; music; dancing and their games, had put the cubs quickly into slumber.
Except for eight-year old An'wyn, who silently crept through the shadows of her grandfather's tent. Laughter drifted from the fire and she froze, her ears twitching as she listened intently. Fur, black as a starless night, kept her nearly invisible as she hid between some crates. She waited for twenty heartbeats before she peeked at the entrance. All clear.
Quietly, the young Khajiit made her way around the tents, away from the fire and gathered elders. Just beyond the comfort of the firelight was a whole new world! Amber eyes scanned the forest around her. Shadows skittered along the ground, night birds called softly through the trees, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of deer to her sensitive nose. An'wyn inhaled the surrounding mystery deeply and smiled.
A rumble in the distance caught her attention, her ears twitching at the sound. It was similar to thunder but...wrong. Distracted by her musings, it was too late to react when she realized someone was standing behind her.
A furry hand clamped around her mouth, effectively stifling her scream. "Ah, little sneak, this one has put you to bed once already," her mother's windy, soprano voice tickled her flattened ears. "Sitara thinks this one must rest for tomorrow." Sitara chuckled, tickling her daughter.
An'wyn giggled and squirmed from her mother's grasp. Relief flooded her small body, her foolishness for wandering from the camp obvious now. "An'wyn is sorry, Mother," she sighed as her gaze scanned the tranquility of the surrounding night. "But the unknown calls to this one. There are many secrets to learn."
Sitara smiled as her gray hand slipped into An'wyn's and squeezed gently. "Yes, adventurous, little sneak, and you will learn them all." The older Khajiit chuckled softly and gave her a playful swat. "But, even great adventurers need to sleep, little one," she sighed as she led her daughter back to her bed.
An'wyn took one final glance at the surrounding wilderness. Tomorrow they would break camp and move on to Skyrim, leaving this part of the unknown to be discovered some time in the future. The little Khajiit sighed dramatically as they entered the tent. "This one wonders what this...Skyrim will be like? Has Mother been there?"
Sitara chuckled as she tucked her little one into the pile of furs. "Yes, Sitara lived there for some years," she sighed, "when this one was young." She smiled fondly, lost for a few moments in her memories.
A small frown settled over her features. She stared at her cub intently, a sudden need to tell her the truth; to prepare her for what she may face. "There's hardship to be sure. Khajiit are not very welcomed, but tolerated more than Dunmer," she said. "But, that is the way of it, at least that is how Sitara sees it. There are many, many miles of wilderness left unexplored. Perfect for an adventurous, little sneak." Sitara smiled and rubbed her forehead against An'wyn's in a gesture of love and comfort. "No more sneaking, little one," she reiterated firmly.
An'wyn settled more comfortably on the furs and closed her eyes. As she rolled to her side, already half in sleep, she thought she heard the distant thunder again. Closer. There was an underlying sound, like screaming wind that again gave her the impression it was wrong. Quickly though, she forgot it, as dreams carried her into untamed lands.
An'wyn woke with a start, her body wracked with coughs. Smoke hung like dense fog in the tent, making her lungs scream in protest at each gulp of air. The cub crawled to the exit and found that the smoke was still a cloying mass outside. She staggered to her feet, intent on escape. As she stumbled towards the outside of the camp, she saw the nightmare in its entirety for the first time.
Most of the tents had been reduced to smoldering ash, with the occupants still inside from the smell. Her grandfather's and four others were just now ablaze and screams punctuated the night all around her. Smoke billowed into the sky, which was brilliant with the glow of tents burning.
A gigantic, dark figure rushed past the girl with such speed that the ground shook, knocking the girl to her bottom. Amber orbs followed the monstrous beast as it circled into the sky. A thunderous roar shook the ground again and An'wyn was thankful she hadn't stood up yet. The girl wondered, with terrified curiosity, how she ever mistook the sound for thunder. She dropped to her stomach as the animal came around for another assault. Her clan scattered, taking up bows and spears as they tried futilely to protect the caravan. There was a hissing sound and suddenly the night was alive with fire.
"An'wyn!" Sitara's voice called from somewhere to her right, and the young Khajiit turned at the sound. In those few moments of light, An'wyn had seen the beast. She couldn't believe what her eyes told her, it simply wasn't possible. But, there it was, circling the camp and setting fire to the whole world. A living, breathing dragon!
She stumbled towards the area she thought she'd heard her mother, terrified the dragon would snatch her away at any moment. So terrified, that she started with a scream when her mother tugged on her dress. She knelt beside the older Khajiit, pulling her mother's gray hand to her furry cheek. "Mother! What can An'wyn do? We must run! This one saw the beast, it is a dragon!" The young cub sobbed.
Sitara's mouth moved but only blood trickled out. An'wyn finally took in the scene before her with more attention. Her mother lay gasping, her fur singed and smoking in areas. There were jagged wounds on her left side, and the ground around them was getting slick as Sitara's precious life force poured from several wounds. Her fur was matted in other areas, the smell of blood; burnt flesh and fur; and death hung heavy in the air around them.
Tears fell rapidly as she leaned down and rubbed her forehead against her mother's cheek. "Please, Mother, it is only a bit farther to Skyrim. An'wyn is sure they will have healers. Please, we must go!" The dark furred cub begged as sobs shook her frame.
Sitara grasped her daughter's hand and squeezed as hard as she could. An'wyn frowned at the weak gesture, her eyes going to her mother's face. "Listen to Mother, little sneak," she wheezed, and the girl leaned closer. "You must continue, reach Skyrim, little one. In Riften, find the woman named Sapphire. Tell her you are Sitara's young one. She owes this one a favor, she can help you," Sitara whispered. She coughed and it sounded like she was choking.
"No! This one must-" the girl was silenced by her mother's hand. Somewhere in the distance, the dragon screamed again. This time it was farther away.
"Go to Skyrim, little one. Your destiny is there. Remember this one fondly, An'wyn, and know you are the love of this one's life, Sitara's everything. Now, go, find shelter until the morning. Then set out for Riften. Find Sapphire," she whispered with her last breath.
The young cub buried her face in her mother's neck, sobs and screams ripped from her body with painful force. She lost track of the minutes, maybe hours that passed. The moans and screams of her clan members had long since faded to nothingness as she lay mourning her mother.
The sun was just a whispered promise on the horizon when An'wyn finally forced herself to get to her feet. A quick glance around confirmed that she was the only survivor of the decimated clan. Everything was reduced to ash or charred remains. The sudden realization that she was utterly alone pushed her from misery to a numb nothingness.
She set her sights on the mountains in the distance. Skyrim, she thought, her legs carrying her forward unbidden. She glanced back once at the burnt remnants of her life. There were no tears left to shed, just a dull aching in her chest. She turned back to the journey ahead and the looming country she knew so little about. "Home," she whispered and started on towards her destiny.