The Ritual

by greatlizardcuckoo

Felix is a drifter, pissing away his legion pension on ale in an attempt to forget his past. As his money is about to run out, he hears of a mysterious mercenary group known only as "The Guardians" who accept members who pass their secret initiation test. Having nothing better to do, he goes for it. -M/M Lemon-

Around a hundred mercenaries, thieves, out-of-work drifters, and questionably-trained mages were gathered outside the stone walls of Aesthund, waiting for the one time each year when its gates were opened and the mysterious Guardians inside accepted new recruits. Felix Virgilus, a veteran of the Imperial Legion, waited nervously among the gang, not seeing any recognizable faces from his time in the army or from his farmboy childhood in Cyrodiil. The crowd around him mostly consisted of Nords, though there were at least a few Imperials like himself who had also made the pilgrimage to join up with what was probably the toughest and most highly esteemed mercenary groups on the entire continent.

Some Guardian-aspirants had come in small bands, camping out a few days in advance, keeping warm by a few fires in the shadows of the keep's high walls. A few burly Orcs were sparring with wooden swords on the edge of the camp, and there was a lone Argonian who was nervously leafing through a stack of books he had brought in his were even a few itinerant merchants who had come to try to hawk their wares to the veritable makeshift town that had sprung up over the past week, selling religious trinkets, potions, and weapons.

From a statistical standpoint, Felix knew that most would probably not make it through the highly selective process by which the Guardians chose new members. There were probably nearly as many people waiting to get in Aesthund than there were people inside it. None of those gathered knew exactly what waited for them inside once the gates opened, but all hoped they had what the mysterious men inside were looking for.

At high noon, the sparring, bartering and nervous chatter died down. A lone Nord man, dressed head-to-toe in plated steel appeared on the ramparts. Without saying a word, he walked over to a large crank and began to turn it so that the heavy steel-reinforced wooden doors of the main gatehouse slowly opened outwards to reveal a sole elf brandishing a scroll. As the doors finally came to rest in their fully open position, the crowd of adventurers closed ranks into a semi-circle around the lone figure.

"Greetings!" The Bosmer proclaimed. "I, Malenor, the head Armourer of the the Guardians of Aesthund, welcome all those who have journeyed here today to join our most ancient and venerable organisation. Unfortunately, we cannot accept all of you. We are bound by our magically-binding creed established by Dwemer who built our ancient fortress which restricts who we can admit each year."

"I knew it," the book-toting Argonian hissed to himself in earshot of Felix, "they do use Dwemer magic."

The Wood-Elf continued. "We only welcome new male recruits, in good health from the ages of twenty to thirty-five…"

"What about the women?!" One of the female Orcs shouted. "I could kick your ass in a second little man!"

Malenor was unfazed. "We do not doubt the martial abilities of female warriors, but we are unable to modify the terms of our order. The Companions of Whiterun extend their invitation as always to those who are excluded in this way to join their order instead."

The warmaiden Orc grunted angrily, gave an obscene hand gesture to the Wood Elf and went to collect her belongings.

"Now, for all those who are able and willing to undertake the initiation ritual, please follow me to the Great Hall, where we will record your names. Please note that any attempts at thievery or violence against members of our order will be met with lethal force." Malenor rolled up his scroll and gestured for the crowd to follow him inside the fort.

Felix was among the first to go in, his pack slung over his shoulder. As he shuffled forth, following the Bosmer, he looked around in awe of the world inside the imposing Nordic walls protecting Aesthund from the outside world. It was much bigger than Felix anticipated, with what looked to be a city rivalling the size of Falkreath or Morthal contained within the Nordic walls. There was a massive stable, capable of holding nearly a hundred horses. There was what looked to be an arena, with men in perfectly polished armour sparring while a crowd of a dozen other men watched intently from their stone seats. There were also a half a dozen other buildings in traditional Nordic style, their use not immediately apparent to Felix, though he reckoned each was around the size of a Jarl's longhouse in most of the holds of Skyrim.

In the centre of the compound was a large, imposing cube-shaped building of polished stone. It had giant doors made of Dwarven metal which were big enough to allow entry to one of Skyrim's giants without them needing to bend over. The doors parted of their own accord as Malenor approached. The pack of potential noviciates followed silently behind him.

"Form a line please before we enter." Malenor instructed, and the group obeyed.

Inside the building, there were rows of simple wooden chairs lined up in rows, all facing a pedestal which stood on a raised platform against the far wall. As he walked forward, Felix, who had never before been inside a Dwarven building stared in awe of the geometrically-patterned metal-plated walls that surrounded him.

"Simply astounding," the Argonian muttered to himself. "I have never seen Dwarven art of this magnitude before…. I wish I had brought my sketchbook with me."

A tall long-bearded Nord stood at the pedestal in the front with a quill and jar of ink. As Malenor brought the line of adventurers up one by one to the pedestal, the Nord instructed them to write their names "clearly and truthfully" on the page for their "official records." Felix didn't hesitate, signing his name with a flourish taught to him by his childhood tutor. When he was finished, Malenor instructed him to take a seat and wait for the rest to finish the process.

Once all had been recorded on the parchment and were seated, Malenor joined the Nord on the stage and opened his scroll of instructions once more.

"Now, before we begin the selection process, I must warn you of a few important points. First, by signing your name in our annals, you have agreed to our binding magical contract for noviciates."

"Why didn't you tell us that before we signed it?!" A thickly accented Nord yelled from a seat behind Felix. Felix felt his insides grow queasy. What the hell had he signed up for?

The long-bearded Nord on the stage rolled his eyes while Malenor continued his speech. "The contract states that in the event you are rejected by our order, try to tell someone about what you have seen or heard today, you will forget all information that will be revealed to you here. It will also magically bar you from attempting to join our order in the future. This pact was established in time immemorial for the protection of our order from potential harm from the outside world." He paused. "Any further questions?"

The room was silent, so Malenor continued. "We shall begin the process." He nodded to the Nord accompanying him on stage, and then quickly exited the room.

"Greetings noviciates." The Nord announced. "I'm Korlak Battle-Born and I will be selecting shield-partners for you all today. Thankfully, there is an even number of you today, so you that will make things easier." Korlak drew a Dwemer artefact from his pocket. It was shaped like a magnifying glass, but instead of a glass lens, it had some sort of purplish, glowing, translucent stone.

"Our instrument here will select two of you at a time. When you come up, you will be handed brief instructions and sent on your way." He then held the device over the parchment of names. Twin beams of light shot forth, presumably focused on two separate names on the sheet.

"Valencio Arutini and Anjiir. Please come forward." A Khajiit and an Imperial approached the pedestal. Both were heavily armoured in steel plate. Korlak muttered a few words and handed them a piece of paper. The two selected then hurriedly jogged to the door the group had entered from. Felix watched them leave and wondered why they were in such a hurry.

Korlak raised the instrument again. "Felix Virgilus" Hearing his name, the young Imperial snapped his head to face the front. "…And Aldun-Rei. Please come forward."

Felix stood up and so did the Argonian who had kept muttering about the Dwarves. Felix was immediately disappointed. The Argonian was not wearing any armour at all, and was not even carrying a weapon. What the hell was he doing here trying to join a mercenary group? What did he think they were going to do, sit down in a circle and read?

Obediently, Felix grabbed his pack and headed for the front of the room. When both men who were called were present, Korlak spoke softly to them. "Here is a list of Dwarven ruins." He handed the Argonian a bit of parchment. "You may go to any of them. Inside, you will have to locate a room found inside known in Cyrodillic as the Inner-Garden-Sanctuary. There you must perform the necessary ritual at its altar in the presence of a filled Soul Gem. You must complete this and both return here within seven days to the hour. You are not to work with any noviciate other than your assigned partner, and you cannot complete this ritual alone."

"What sort of ritual are we talking about?" Felix asked.

"That is all, Imperial. You must find that out for yourself." He then made a shoo-ing motion with his hands towards the door.

"We will take my wagon." Aldun-Rei announced once they had left the compound. "You can follow on horseback if you brought one."

"I came on foot." The Imperial responded. "Is it alright if I ride onboard?"

"Of course, of course. What is mine is yours, for the next week at least. We must work well together if we are to pass this test."

The Argonian's wagon looked like a little hut on wheels. It had a terra-cotta tiled roof, curtained windows and even a little metal chimney poking out at the back. Felix was impressed. "Did you build this yourself?"

"No, no," Aldun-Rei explained. "I won it in a card game off of a Breton at my brother's inn in Riften. Climb in the front with me. We have no time to waste. We have a long road ahead of us."

Felix quickly did as he was told and climbed in beside his shield-partner. Aldun-Rei grabbed the reins and urged his horse onwards.

The pair sat in awkward silence for a while, watching the scenery pass by, unsure of what to say to one another. As Aesthund disappeared over the horizon behind them, Aldun-Rei spoke up.

"I was thinking we should go to the ruins of Mzulft, near Kynesgrove. It's on the list and I've done some preliminary exploration of it already. I think I may've even come across this room they were talking about last time I was there…" He trailed off, lost in thought. "Have you ever been in a Dwarven ruin before?"

"No, I haven't. I guess we should go where you think is best." Felix paused. "Are you some sort of scholar specialising in Dwemer history?"

"Not really. I have been many things, but a professional scholar is not one of them. I've been a fisherman, a bartender, and at one time I almost joined the priesthood of Arkay, though I backed out before taking any vows."

"…And now you want to become a mercenary?"

"I figured it was worth a shot. From what I heard, these Guardians live like lords in their castle of theirs. I wouldn't have to worry about food, or money, or protection from bandits…" he trailed off, looking back in the direction of the castle. "I'll let you in on a secret. I found out a little about what we are supposed to do ahead of time.

"There was this Nord traveller staying at my brother's inn. He was drowning his sorrows in ale, telling his sad life story to anyone anyone within an earshot. He had just been rejected from the Guardians, and what made him especially upset was that he didn't remember why he was rejected. His memories were gone just like Korlak said they would be.

"The place was pretty empty at the time, and since I was intrigued by his story, I sat down across from him and started up a conversation. The only thing he was able to tell me was that they had given him a piece of paper with a list of Dwarven ruins on it, but he didn't know why he had been given it. He gave me his list, identical to the one we received today. I made a trip out to Mzulft to check it out, see if there was anything valuable out there. My brother and his wife thought I was crazy, going spelunking in those old ruins. They were scared I would get killed."

"Do you know how to handle a sword?" Felix asked.

"Eh… no. I know some simple potion recipes though. You?"

"Me, I'm pretty good with restoration magic. They had me patching up soldiers when I was serving in the Civil War. I got trained on how to use a sword, but I never fought in any battles."

"Now if only they had let us join up into groups of five or six, we could have had a proper complement of mages and warriors of different specialisations. Getting into this sanctuary would be like taking a sweetroll from a baby… though, I guess that wouldn't make it as much of a challenge." Aldun-Rei paused. "I'm sorry if I cost you a place in the Guardians because I am not a skilled warrior."

"Its ok. It's not like I have been wanting to join them since I was a kid or something. Besides, I'm sure your knowledge of the Dwarves will come in really handy. I'm glad I got placed with you actually."

At this, Aldun-Rei's tail began to swish unconsciously behind him, whipping Felix on the behind. "Ouch!" the Imperial exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh sorry. That sometimes happens." The Argonian fidgeted nervously in his seat, a bit embarrassed.

"I'm sure I'll get used to it," Felix chuckled.

Around sundown they came to the village of Riverwood, and they parked the wagon in the stables next to the town's only inn. Both Felix and Aldun-Rei's stomachs had been rumbling for the past hour and the scent of freshly cooking bread and meat coming from inside only made their hunger pangs worse.

The inn's main hall was toasty warm. A roaring fire was ablaze in the room's massive fireplace and music played by a questionably-talented bard filled the air with a song telling the exploits of long dead King Pelagius. Thankfully, the loud chatter of the inn's two dozen or so occupants was almost loud enough to drown out the singer's braying.

The pair of travelers were greeted at the door by the inn's busty barmaid. "Hello gents! Can I get you a pint?" She asked, setting some mugs at a table of crusty local farmers.

"Sure miss, and two suppers with them please, we're starving." Felix clarified.

The barmaid nodded. "Sure, I'll bring it out in a second. Sit wherever you'd like."

Aldun-Rei found a table for two in the far corner of the hall. "I never like sitting with my back to an exit." He reasoned, as Felix sat down opposite him.

The barmaid made a speedy return, carrying two full plates of goat and potato stew with grilled leeks with herbs on the side and of course two frothy iron tankards of ale.

"Are you two looking for a room as well? Would you like to share a bed or would you like two rooms?"

"Just one." Aldun-Rei answered. "I…" He was going to explain that he was going to sleep in the cart outside while Felix took the room, but he was cut off.

"That'll be twenty septims in all then, you two lovebirds. Let me know if you want any more beer!" she said, sauntering off to wait on another table.

Felix was red in the face. "First time anyone anyone mistook me for a…" He searched for the word.

"Married man?" Aldun-Rei suggested, taking a slug of ale.

"You know what I mean." Felix stammered.

"Isn't Cyrodiil supposed to be the most cosmopolitan of all the provinces of the empire?"

"Maybe it was just the town I was born in." Felix explained, shovelling food into his mouth. "People were hush hush about that sort of thing. I guess here in Skyrim all the men and women are built the same anyways, all muscle and sinew so they don't care." He added in a hushed tone.

"I suppose." Aldun-Rei absent-mindedly replied, swirling the chunks of meat in his stew. Felix's comment struck him as odd for some reason, though Aldun-Rei couldn't place why. After a while he asked, in an attempt to continue the conversation, "you really can't tell the difference between that pretty woman over there and the men she's serving mead to?"

"I was just making a joke." Felix clarified. "She is quite attractive." He stated, matter-of-factly, his eyes not moving from his now half-full plate.

Aldun-Rei smirked. "Why don't you go talk to her later then, see if she'll share your room tonight."

"Nah. I don't think so. I'm not good with that sort of thing. Besides, she thinks we're together."

"Ah, I see. Should we kiss to keep up the facade?" the Argonian asked.

Felix looked up and studied his partner. "I can never tell when you people are being serious or not."

"You people?"

"I'm just saying…"

Aldun-Rei cut him off. "Ah, the old inscrutable Argonian trope. I suppose you think I'm a burglar too…"

Felix didn't answer. He simply returned to eating. The rest of the meal was spent in awkward silence. When the Argonian was finished, he placed five gold coins on the table. "For my half of the meal. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'm sorry Aldun-Rei." Felix offered.

His shield-partner sighed. "It's alright. I'm going to get some rest now." Aldun-Rei grabbed his cloak and left.

Felix ordered a few more beers that night, but he never tried talking to the barmaid. In fact, he didn't attempt conversation with anyone. He just thought about why the hell was he doing with this Argonian, going to some Dwarven ruin to join a weird Nord cult. Painful memories resurfaced which reminded him why he couldn't just go back home now that his service was over. There wasn't much else to do but drink away what little money he had left and jump through some goddamn hoops for these Nords so he could get some more beer money.

It took him a while to get to sleep that night.

The next morning, a groggy and stiff Felix exited the inn to find Aldun-Rei perched on the front seat of his carriage.

"I took the liberty of procuring a filled soul gem since you took so long to get up." He tossed the purple gem to Felix. "Its got the soul of a fish caught this morning… should be sufficient for the ritual."

Felix eyed the translucent gem up close in his hand. It emanated a bit of heat and glowed, like it contained a small fire inside. "Perfect. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Aldun-Rei replied. "Now climb up, we have a big day of travelling ahead."

Felix did as he was told, and soon they were off again. The Imperial was still a bit hungover from the night before and the rocking motion of the carriage wasn't doing any favours. He resisted throwing up his breakfast for as long as he could muster, but soon after they left the town, he vomited.

"Food not agree with you?"

"Nah, too much ale." Felix replied, quietly. Just as he was about to vomit again, Aldun-Rei pulled back on the reins and stopped the carriage in the middle of the road. He hopped off the front seat of the carriage and went around back to rummage through the contents inside. He came back quickly with a orange-coloured potion in a small vial.

"Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better."

Felix took it and downed it in one swig. "Thanks." He felt a warming sensation travel down his oesophagus and reach his stomach, soothing its ache.

Aldun-Rei took hold of the reins once more and the horse carried on the road. "Ever thought of being a potion salesman, with the cart and all?" Felix said.

"The man who owned this cart before I did was a pretty well-known alchemist.. He said he had travelled frequently between Skyrim and Morrowind selling his stock and had built up quite a clientele. When I won it from him, I thought of picking up where he left off, but I couldn't manage to make the sort of complex potions he was able to."

"Seems odd that he would have bet his livelihood on a card game."

"Well, he had a problem with drink. He was low on money and alcohol, so he gambled what he had left. I felt really guilty the day after winning it, and I intended to give it back to him, but he had already left the city early that morning. I never saw him again."

"A sad tale."

"…And an all too common one." Aldun-Rei added, he glanced over at Felix, concerned. Felix was fixated on the passing scenery. "Sorry. Didn't mean to lecture you."

"Nah, it's alright. I should learn to cut myself off…. Say, do you see that man up there in the armour?" Felix asked.

Aldun-Rei lifted his left hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "Yeah I do. He looks like he's by himself. I wonder what he's doing all the way out here." He slowed the horse down.

The man was dressed head to toe in Legionnaire armour, resting his weight on a spear. He was standing just before a bend in the road where it curved around a mountain to the right. There was no way of telling if there was a larger force behind him. As they drew closer to the man, Felix kept his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Halt! By the order of the Emperor." The man, who upon closer inspection, was a middle-aged Nord with a flowing white beard. He lifted his spear, and pointed it in the pair's direction.

"Soldier, I must ask which order are you referring to?" Aldun-Rei inquired, a bit annoyed.

"There have been reports of some Stormcloak loyalists still active in the area. We need to search your carriage to make sure that you are not harbouring any fugitives."

Felix glanced into the bushes on the left side of the road. He could make out the outlines of two figures hidden amongst the brush, brandishing some sort of weapons. He quickly realised this must be a shakedown.

"We will let your carriage pass through with the payment of a thousand septims. Otherwise, we will have to take your carriage off your hands for further inspection."

Felix tugged at the reins, trying to take them off Aldun-Rei. The Argonian held on tight. Felix didn't want to say anything to his partner that would let the bandits know that they were on to him.

"I'm sorry. We don't have that kind of money on board."

"Then I guess we will have to seize your vehicle." At this, the two hidden figures emerged in full view. Felix saw they were both armed with crossbows. He had no time to waste. With full force, he seized the reins from Aldun-Rei and cracked them hard. "Hya! Hya!" He shouted.

The Nord with the spear jumped out of the way to avoid being trampled. "Shoot them!" He yelled.

"Aldun-Rei, get down! Get your head down!" Felix yelled as the cart jolted forward, the horse sprinting.

The Argonian's reflexes were not good enough. He looked at Felix in shock and was struck through the arm with a bolt. The blood splattered all over his shirt and some hit Felix in the face, momentarily blinding him.

Aldun-Rei doubled over, screaming, collapsing in Felix's lap. "Gods preserve us." Felix muttered. He grasped blindly for his partner, trying to keep him from flying off the side of the carriage as the horse galloped at full tilt around the bend of the road. He prayed that there were no more bandits up ahead.

As the carriage straightened out again, he wiped his eyes on the fabric of his pants, allowing him to see the full extent of Aldun-Rei's injury. The bolt hadn't gone through his arm and it looked like it had missed the bone. He was lucky.

Felix glanced behind them. The bandits who had attacked them had so far not given chase. Perhaps they did not have horses of their own.

Aldun-Rei was crying. "Am I going to die?" he asked through his agony.

The question created a lump in Felix's throat. "No, not if I can help it, but we can't stop here."

The next few minutes felt like hours to Aldun-Rei, but Felix wanted to make sure they were out of harms way before they stopped. He waited til they were within shouting distance of a small mill before stopping the carriage. When they finally pulled to the side of the road, he realised he was still cradling his partner in his left arm as he steered the cart with his right.

"Alright. This is gonna hurt a bit, but I got to do this. Are you ready."

Aldun-Rei nodded meekly, pressing his face further into Felix's armpit. With all his strength, Felix yanked the bolt clean from the wound and tossed it over the side of the carriage. The Argonian yelped in pain, but Felix was quick to press an open palm quickly to the bloody spot. He recited the incantations in his mind and willed the wound to seal.

"There, its patched up. All better." Felix said softly. "We should get you cleaned up. There's a stream…"

Aldun-Rei cut him off. "Soon…" He muttered, shivering, not withdrawing from Felix's shoulder.

It took a few minutes before the Argonian got up and walked over to the stream by himself.

"Hey, where are you going?" Felix asked, jumping off to follow him.

Aldun-Rei was busy stripping out of his bloody shirt. "I shouldn't have signed up for this. I'm no warrior. I'm sorry I almost got us killed back there."

"Wait up. You didn't almost get us killed." Felix said. "That could have happened to anyone coming down that road. We were at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Aldun-Rei shook his head. "I thought right up to the time I got shot that they were actually a part of the Legion." He explained, dunking his shirt in the cold stream.

"Listen." Felix sighed. He gently grabbed Aldun-Rei's shoulders and turned him around so they were face to face. "I had a bunch of close calls with bandits when I first joined up with the Legion, but I learned from my fellow soldiers how to watch out for these things and so can you. I've got your back here."

Aldun-Rei nodded. "I still want to go through with this."

"Its alright if you don't want to."

"No… No… This is what I want to do." He said, pulling away from Felix, finishing up his washing. Felix was left feeling a bit numb. A part of him felt like he hadn't said the right thing, or perhaps hadn't said enough. "Thanks for having my back, Felix." Aldun-Rei said, over his shoulder.

Luckily, there wasn't any more disturbances on the road and they made it to Kynesgrove before nightfall. Just as the night before, they stabled Aldun-Rei's horse and went inside to eat.

The atmosphere was grim in comparison to Riverwood. There was no singing or dancing going on, just a cacophony of chatter amongst the bar's patrons. For the most part, they were Nord miners from the local iron mine, pissing away their wages on cheap beer and making small talk. A few in the corner were shooting dice and exchanging small piles of gold between them.

The pair of adventurers went up to the bar and asked for two meals and a room as they did in the previous town. The barkeep didn't ask any further questions and slammed two plates of salt pork, two mugs of beer and a loaf of hard crusty bread on the counter and demanded fifteen septims. Both Felix and Aldun-Rei paid their share and took a seat against the inn's far wall.

As they sat and chewed their food, Aldun-Rei pulled out a small leather-bound book he had tucked in his pants pocket. "Over the past few months, I have been trying to learn the Dwarven script, though I've made little progress." He leafed through the book's pages to reveal a chart with one column of what looked like gibberish and a parallel column of words in Cyrodillic.

"I thought that Dwemer was a dead language."

"Oh, it is. Much of their work has been lost, but there are fragments here and there that have been found by spelunkers, and there are a number of words that have been borrowed by other languages, especially by Dunmeri. Look! There's the word for sanctuary." He said, pointing at the page. "I swear I've seen that written on a wall somewhere the last time I was in Mzulft, near the entrance. There was also a part of the ruin sticking out from the mountain which looked as though it were an exact copy of the Guardian's meeting hall. It might be the place we're looking for."

"Those are great places to start. If we're able to get the ritual done tomorrow, whatever that entails, we should be able to get back in time."

"Unfortunately, I have no idea what they mean by 'ritual.' I don't remember reading anything about that in my books." Aldun-Rei acknowledged. "Maybe it's something the Guardians themselves set up. We'll have to find out tomorrow."

"I guess we have an evening to kill then in the meantime." Felix said. He glanced over at the Nords playing their dice game. "Want to join them?" he asked, half-sarcastically.

"Nah. I don't feel like getting swindled. If you look closely, you can see that one of them keeps switching the dice with some that he has up his sleeve. They're probably loaded. I wouldn't bring that up though if you don't want to start a fight."

"I never would have figured that out. I guess you have seen a lot of that sort of thing…. Because you've been working for a long time in your brother's bar, not because you are an Argonian or anything. I'm sorry." Felix stammered.

"None taken. You acknowledging that those biases exists means a lot honestly…" Aldun-Rei replied. "Say, speaking of games, are you any good at Nibenay Chess?"

"I've played it a few times, but not since I was a child…"

"Great!" Aldun-Rei said with a smile, leaping to his feet. "I've been waiting for someone to play a game with. I have a really nice copy of it out in the cart."

Felix started to object, but the Argonian had quickly turned his back and hurried out the door.

A few minutes later, he returned, with a rectangular wooden box, locked shut with a fine silver chain and a small padlock. Pushing their empty plates to the side, Aldun-Rei set the box on their table, and, using a small key produced from the inside pocket of his vest, opened the lock.

As soon as he had removed the chain from the box, it began to open slowly of its own accord. Felix could hear the whirring of gears, like ones found in a music box. It opened to reveal an inlaid ebony and moonstone playing surface of interlocking rows of different coloured diamonds. On either side were playing pieces, each of which were tucked into their own little green felt-lined pigeonholes. Each side had a full complement of characters unique to the game: dragons, knights, farmers, mages, and the emperor and empress of course.

Felix delicately picked up one of his moonstone dragons and cradled it in his palm. The dragon was covered in thousands of individually carved little scales, each must have been carved with a blade no thicker than a human hair. Its eye sockets were each filled with a minuscule ruby.

"These are beautiful." Felix said admiringly, placing the dragon on its appropriate diamond. He took each piece out and examined it individually as he set up the rest of his army. "Where did you find a set like this? I've never seen such workmanship."

"My mother carved the set when I was a child and we were still living in High Rock. She was a jeweller by trade. This set was kind of her pet project, the only thing she wasn't willing to sell."

Felix noted Aldun-Rei's use of past tense but he didn't press for any further details. "It's incredible. It beats the crude set my brother whittled when we were kids." Felix paused, looking away from the board. "I haven't played it since then though."

Aldun-Rei, busy eagerly setting his pieces up, replied distractedly, "I'm sure the rules will come flooding back to you."

"Yeah." Felix replied, putting his last piece in position. "I guess I go first." He moved one of his farmers one row out towards Aldun-Rei's side.

"Beginner's mistake." Aldun-Rei declared with a smirk, quickly deciding to move an ebony farmer of his own in the same fashion.

"What, how?" Felix protested.

His opponent's smile widened. "I'm just kidding, friend."

Before long, Aldun-Rei managed to eliminate most of Felix's pieces until the Imperial's emperor was surrounded by a swarm of mages, trolls and dragons. "I believe that is checkmate." Aldun-Rei announced.

"Yep. It appears that way." He sighed, looking at the game board.

"You played well for someone who hasn't played in ages." Aldun-Rei offered to encourage his shield-partner. "Want to try again?" Felix noticed that the Argonian's tail was swishing rapidly at the chance of another round.

"Sure, set up and I'll get us two more meads."

"Okay, here's a few Septims…"

"Ah, don't worry about it. I lost, I'll pay." Felix said with a smile, walking away.

A pair of Nord men were ordering at the counter as Felix approached the bar.

"And here's your room key gents." The bartender said. "Your room is over on the far wall there," he said pointing in the direction of Aldun-Rei.

The two men thanked the owner and upon paying him, they turned around, revealing strangely familiar faces to Felix. The Imperial tried not to stare as they walked by. Both had the bulky physique of trolls and could probably snap each bone in Felix's body like a twig, so Felix gave them a wide berth.

They weren't from the legion, but where were they from? Felix asked himself. He stole another glance at them as they disappeared into their room. Ah, that was where they were from: the Guardian's initiation. They must be on the way to Mzulft too, if they hadn't already been there.

Felix quickly brought the two mugs to their table. "Thanks a lot, shield-partner." Aldun-Rei said.

"Don't mention it." Felix said nervously, glancing side to side. He leaned in closer to Aldun-Rei and whispered further, "those two men in that room," he pointed to the door merely a foot away from their table, "were at Aesthund yesterday."

Aldun-Rei paused before whispering back. "I think I can hear them talking in there. Maybe they know something we don't."

"Aren't we not supposed to be collaborating on this whole ritual?" Felix asked.

"We'll if we are quiet enough, they won't even know we're here, and if they don't know were here, how can they work with us?" Aldun-Rei offered. He cupped his hand and held it against the wall beside him, and very carefully, he rested his ear upon it.

Felix trusted Aldun-Rei's logic and did the same. He tried to be as silent as he could, but he could hear no words being spoken, only the faint sound of fabric being rubbed against fabric, of straw crunching, of wood creaking. Felix was puzzled. He then heard a gruff grunt, like someone shifting some furniture, then a few more.

Aldun-Rei quickly took his head away from the wall, a faint blush appearing on his green-scaled face.

"What's the matter?" Felix asked. Instead of a reply, Aldun-Rei simply grasped Felix's hand and gently pulled Felix away from listening in.

"You really don't know what they're doing in there?" Aldun-Rei asked with a smirk.

"No what?" Felix asked in complete bewilderment.

"Oh," Aldun-Rei said, a shocked expression slowly coming over him. "You really don't do you? They're having sex, Felix."

"Those two? Really?" It was Felix's turn to be shocked.

"Yeah," Aldun-Rei shrugged and took a sip of ale. "I see guys like that all the time staying at the Bee and Barb."

"I guess we should give them some privacy. Want to go to a different table?"

"Sure, let's do that." Aldun-Rei agreed as he placed his pieces back in their cubby holes.

The pair finished many more games of chess that night at their new table. Over time, the Imperial began to pick up on the Argonian's little tics and mannerisms, the way he eyed certain pieces but not others, and tried to plot out his opponent's next moves. He still felt foolish for making that comment the night before.

Aldun-Rei, though inexperienced, seemed to be a decent person, way better than the class of men that made up most of the Legion. Felix wondered if they got to keep their shield partners permanently if they managed to get in to the order. He hoped that was the case.

After six rounds, Felix eventually managed to best his opponent. The hour was late, and Felix assigned at least some of the credit to Aldun-Rei being tired.

"I think I'm going to quit while I'm ahead," Felix gloated lightheartedly.

"Fair enough." The Argonian yawned, stretching his clasped hands above his head. "I do demand a rematch though tomorrow night."

"For sure," Felix replied, as he helped pack up the pieces.

That night, after Aldun-Rei had departed, Felix lay awake in bed for a while, hearing the loud snores of the pair of Nords through the wall. He wondered if they fell asleep naked together. Perhaps one had his arm around the other. The image he was creating in his mind made him feel weird. Was it disgust? No it wasn't, but his stomach felt as though it was tying itself in knots. He tossed and turned a few times, and tried to convince that it was just the noise itself that was keeping him up, yet his state of arousal betrayed him. His phallus was stretching the fabric of his undergarments to their limit. It hurt.

Felix threw the covers off of himself in frustration and sat on the edge of the bed. He quietly cast a flame spell lighting a lantern on the table next to him. Sure enough, when he looked down, his penis was at full mast. Felix struggled to get his undergarments off and threw them across the room. Gripping his penis, he began to stroke it vigorously, almost angrily. "Well, is this what arouses you now? Huh? " he thought to himself. His penis agreed, his hands providing soothing relief.

It took only a few strokes for him to come. He bucked his hips and grunted as he climaxed, shooting spurt after spurt of thick white cum, coating his hands and spilling more than a few drops on the wood floor below.

It had been at least a week since the last time he had tended to himself. Too long. "You're just too pent up." The ex-legionary told himself. He had had plenty of opportunities to bed women during his time in the army, throughout his time on campaign in the Pale, and then when he was sent to occupy Windhelm after Ulfric was slain. The other men in his company called him queer for never sleeping with barmaids or even hiring prostitutes. Felix always told them that he didn't comfortable with either option. It was probably time that he get over himself and actually sleep with a woman to make him feel more secure. He was nearly twenty after all, and he was still a virgin.

He resolved to make sure that he did not remain one for much longer. It was this resolution that helped him finally fall asleep.

The next morning, Aldun-Rei was again waiting outside with his carriage. "I asked the innkeeper about those two Nords from last night." Aldun-Rei announced, as Felix climbed aboard. "He said that they had just come from Mzulft and were heading back to Aesthund."

"Wow, they must have travelled through the night to get there so quickly." Said Felix. "I wonder if we can still use the inner-garden-sanctuary at Mzulft even though another pair has been there."

"The instructions didn't say that we couldn't," Aldun-Rei replied "but we'll find out soon enough."

Just as they were pulling out of town, Felix could spot the familiar Dwarven metal domes peeking out above the hills in the distance.

They arrived at the ruins within the hour, and saw no other signs that anyone else was there. No tents were pitched or horses tied up outside.

Aldun-Rei sized up the ruins. "So if our hypothesis is correct that this inner-garden sanctuary is located in a room similar to the meeting hall at Aesthund, it should be in that area up there which should be accessible from the second floor." He pointed at a place where the Dwarven ruins protruded out from the face of the mountain. It did resemble quite closely the cubic building at the Guardians' stronghold.

"So, do you know how to get up there?" Felix inquired.

"I did find a spiral staircase in the centre of the ruins, but I never went up to the second floor."

Felix nodded.

"Its still going to be a challenge though." Aldun-Rei replied, picking up a coil of rope and throwing it over a shoulder. "You should stick as close as possible behind me. There are traps everywhere."

"Got it." Replied Felix, swallowing audibly.

When they got inside, Felix cast a luminescence spell which lit up the path in front of them. He drew his sword from his scabbard. Giant Dwarven gears continued to turn centuries after the deaths of their creators and pipes with more than a few holes in them belched clouds of steam. On the floor there were several disabled Dwarven spiders lying immobile.

Felix began to walk towards one of them when Aldun-Rei grabbed him to stop him in his tracks. "Watch it, friend." He warned. "See those round impressions on the floor? Those are pressure plates. Two more steps and you would have been flambéed."

"Thanks for the warning." Felix was careful to tiptoe around the plate in front of him as he approached the broken Dwemer automaton.

Felix ran his finger along the cold metal of the spider. It was covered in a thick layer of dust. The soul gem which powered such devices was missing.

"I have never actually seen one of those things walking around here." Aldun-Rei offered.

"They must have been destroyed long ago. I wonder how long this place has been used as a proving ground by the Guardians? You would have thought they would have restocked it with some skeevers or trolls or something to test people's martial abilities."

"There must be something more difficult on the second floor." Aldun-Rei suggested.

Felix nodded, getting up and shuffling forward down the hall, his eyes glued to the ground. When they got to the far side, Felix noticed a pull-chain next to an imposing set of Dwarven doors.

"Behind these doors is the Grand Staircase." Aldun-Rei said, as Felix instinctively grasped the chain in his hands.

"By Stendarr! Don't pull that chain!" the Argonian exclaimed.

Felix almost jumped out of his boots at the sudden yell of his partner.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. We have to exercise caution here." Aldun-Rei explained. He removed the rope and tied one end to the chain in front of them. "We have to take a few steps backwards now."

Felix quietly obeyed and retreated a few feet. When Aldun-Rei took his place beside him, the former barkeep pulled the rope tight. All of a sudden a pair of metal poles sprang from holes in the ceiling, and pierced the air with a speed approaching that of an arrow before withdrawing once more into the holes they sprang from. The large doors then parted in front of them.

Felix exhaled deeply. "I would have already died twice over had it not been for you."

"You're welcome, now let's hurry. The doors will close again soon."

On the other side, there was a spiral stairway leading to the floors above them, as well as into the bowels of the structure below them. It was probably wide enough and was gentle enough in steepness that one could probably walk several horses side by side up the polished marble floors. Aldun-Rei assured Felix that there were no traps there and that he could relax for the time being.

Aldun-Rei was the first to speak once they had reached the second level. "You have to be kidding me."

"What's the matter?" Felix asked, looking at the hallway in front of them. "It looks exactly like the first floor."

"Yeah, and those doors ahead of us are probably lead to the room we could see from the outside."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Felix asked.

"I suppose. It just seems too easy. Keep an extra eye out and follow me."

Felix did as he was told, and watched not only the floor for pressure pads, but also the walls and ceiling for other potential traps. He couldn't see any, but he still advanced at a half-snail's pace. When they got to the other side, both adventurers scanned the walls and ceiling surrounding them for the tell-tale sockets of automated spears. They found none.

"We should pull the doors open with the rope from a distance just to be safe." Felix suggested.

"You are learning quickly." Aldun-Rei remarked, throwing his companion the coil of rope. The imperial tied a quick knot around the pull-chain next to the doors.

The doors opened without springing any traps, to reveal quite the sight. Both Aldun-Rei and Felix were at a loss for words. The room was cubic, and its walls were of the same polished white stone found in the auditorium of Aesthund. It did not, however, contain chairs or lecterns.

Instead, the room resembled a meadow not dissimilar from Felix's childhood in Cyrodiil. The Dwemer had evidently brought in enough dirt to cover the entire floor of the room and had landscaped it into gently rolling hillocks, complete with green grass, flowers, and about half a dozen coppices of leafy green trees. The plants were nurtured by a large Dwemer chandelier shining centuries after their demise with the brightness of the sun on a clear day in height of summer.

The pair took a few cautious steps into the room and got a better look. They could hear the gentle running of water, which Aldun-Rei quickly discovered to be coming from a pipe coming from the wall near the door and pointed it out for Felix. The water flowed into a stream bedded with polished stone which snaked through the sanctuary.

"What do you suppose that thing is over there?" Felix asked. He pointed at what looked to be a birdbath made out of Dwarven metal. Its bowl was shallow, perhaps only an inch or two deep.

"I have not read of such a thing, but that may be what we're looking for."

When they approached, it became apparent that the bowl was rimmed with words in the old Dwarven script. "Do you recognise any of it?" Felix asked.

"Yes, definitely." Aldun-Rei replied. "This is the word for 'soul gem' right there" he tapped one of the longer string of letters completely unintelligible to his Imperial companion. Aldun-Rei got one of his reference books on Dwarven from his pack and the soul gem they picked up in Riverwood.

The Argonian placed the gem down into the middle of the bowl, and then started translating the inscription on the spot. "So the first word seems to be 'to perform", then 'ceremony'…" then he trailed off. "Yes, this is the place that the Guardians were talking about. We have to place both our hands on the soul gem while it is in the ceremonial altar here."

"You sure this is safe?"

"I can't say for certain. We don't have much to go on."

"Maybe this is the hard part of the whole thing." Felix suggested. "Suppose this is how they keep their new members at such a low number each year."

"That could be it. The inscription does not say anything about any effects for the ceremony participants. There doesn't seem to be any other writing anywhere." He took an extra look at the base of the altar just to make sure. "Do you want to still go through with this?"

Felix weighed his options. He could just back out and go back to his old life, drifting aimlessly between holds, pissing away his money, friendless and jobless. It wasn't a particularly good prospect, but his heart was beating a mile a minute, an animal reflex to the fear of the unknown, of possible injury or death.

He looked at Aldun-Rei, knowing that failing to complete the ceremony would eventually cause his memories to be erased. Would he ever cross paths with him again? Aldun-Rei happened to be the only thing approaching a friend he had made since his discharge from the army. Felix didn't want to lose him.

"I'm ready if you're ready." Felix announced.

"All right then." Aldun-Rei spoke excitedly. His tail was swaying behind him. "Let's do it."

Their finger's met as they placed their hands on the gem. For a few seconds, nothing happened, but soon it began to warm up like a hot coal beneath their fingers. Felix was tempted to pull his hands away, but kept them there despite the pain. "I can't hold on much longer…" Aldun-Rei announced, his voice straining. "I just can't…" He continued, but was cut off by a heavy rumbling behind him and the turning of heavy gears.

Behind Aldun-Rei, the white stone walls of the room slowly parted, driven by Dwarven machinery. The stone panels scraped stone against stone, until they eventually ground to a halt, revealing a small alcove. Thankfully for both of the adventurers, the gem rapidly cooled to room temperature when the doors were in their new position. "Look!" Felix exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loudly, lifting the gem up to eye level. "Its glowing red. This must be how they determine if noviciates have completed the ceremony."

"Yes, that might be the case. Perhaps we should investigate what was behind those walls first." Aldun-Rei suggested, making his way over there.

Felix pocketed the glowing stone and followed him.

Inside the alcove, there was a spout protruding from the wall around eye level. Clear liquid poured out of it, filling a semi-circular bowl below. Next to the fountain was a shelf containing glass potion bottles. Below was some writing in Dwemer script embossed on some Dwarven metal sheets.

"What do you reckon it says?" Felix asked.

"It says…" Aldun-Rei said, trailing off as he examined the letters closer. "There are some words that I don't understand at all; I haven't encountered them in my books. Let me double check." He said, retrieving some tomes from his sack.

The Imperial waited patiently while Aldun-Rei flipped through the books he brought with him. After a few minutes, the Argonian continued, writing the words down in his journal. "Here is what I was able to translate:

In order to (proslethein) the ceremony, one must (urlthegmein) this potion to the (hyperthigma) . The two will demonstrate their (agpalein) through (syntagme). The stone will glow green when (syntagmein) is accomplished."

"Its all nonsense to me." Felix remarked.

"From what I can understand, we should probably take some of whatever this liquid is. We haven't completed the ceremony. Our soul gem is red, not green."

Felix held his hand out under the stream of liquid. It felt much more viscous than water, similar to honey, yet not at all sticky. "I don't want to drink something that I don't know what it is." He said.

"Hmmm….." Aldun-Rei pondered. "Let's take some with us in a bottle at least. I have been told of a rare book seller in Wildhelm. She's in the old Grey District. She may have some books that I do not own which may prove useful in translating the rest of this."

"I hope so." Felix said. He took a bottle off of the nearby shelf and held it under the stream of liquid. When it filled, he put a cork stopper on the top.

Just as Felix had filled the bottle, the pair heard the sound of stone scraping against stone. The doors of the alcove were beginning to close. Both of them instinctually retreated from the fountain back into the sanctuary. They watched as the doors slowly shut.

"To Windhelm, I guess." Aldun-Rei suggested.

Felix nodded in agreement, heading for the exit.

The road to Windhelm was a short one. It was only a few miles beyond Kynesgrove and the pair of adventurers reached the front gates of the city by the middle of the afternoon. As they approached, a pair of Imperial guards hailed them.

"We'll need to take a look inside your wagon, citizens." One of them announced.

The request startled Aldun-Rei, nearly making him jump out of his seat. "Uh… Uh…" He began.

Felix put a hand on his partner's shoulder, "Its alright friend, this is for real." Felix hopped off the passenger's seat once he had brought the wagon to a stop. "Sure, I'll unlock the back for you." He clarified to the soldiers as they approached the pair.

As the soldiers went through their belongings, Felix pondered what sort of atmosphere the city would be like inside the walls. It had been four years since the fall of the Windhelm and the end of the Stormcloak rebellion and the Imperial Legion guards seemed to be still treating the place like it was conquered yesterday.

Felix had been in Windhelm when the Imperial Legion forcefully integrated the city's residents under the order of the newly installed Jarl Free-Winter. The Nord inhabitants were not pleased. Felix remembered standing guard next to the fish stand of an Argonian named Lotash in Windhelm's open air market to make sure he wasn't accosted by Stormcloak loyalists. At first, the local Nords hurled insults at the poor Argonian. Even those not virulently prejudiced kept their distance in those early days. The only buyer keeping Lotash's business afloat was the quartermaster buying supplies for the local garrison. Felix remembered eating many meals of fish loaf, fish soup, fish fillets with snowberry sauce and fish chowder in the mess hall, all probably purchased from that one merchant. It wasn't until Felix was nearly discharged that the locals began to patronise Lotash's establishment. That was two years ago.

It didn't take long for the legionnaires to discover that the wagon was not concealing any insurrectionists, and the pair was free to park their wagon in the nearby stables.

Once inside, Felix found a city he barely recognised from his army days. All the buildings which had been destroyed by imperial catapults were rebuilt, and well-kept citizens of every race were milling about, just like any metropolis of the empire. There were even Khajiit wandering around, no longer banished to their caravans outside the walls of the city.

"This one has fine robes for you and your beloved." A Khajiit man implored, producing a set of purple and tan dyed finery from his backpack. "Only thirty septims." He glanced expectantly at both Felix and Aldun-Rei.

Felix blushed. "Well, I don't know…" He stammered.

"If you wish to purchase, please come visit Raj-Chiit's stall in the market." The Khajiit explained. "This one cannot guarantee it will remain for long!" He said, already eyeing another potential customer. He quickly dashed for a pair of Altmer who had just come in through the city's main gates.

Aldun-Rei asked. "I wonder why people keep thinking we are a couple."

"I don't know." Felix said. "Perhaps in another life we were." He suggested.

"An interesting theory." Aldun-Rei chuckled.

Felix followed Aldun-Rei down the steps to the old Grey Quarter of the town, the place where the Dunmer had been segregated to during Ulfric's reign. "I think this is the place." Aldun-Rei announced, pointing at a battered old sign written in Dunmeri.

Upon entering the store, the pair were greeted with a smelly cloud of pipe smoke. It hung permanently in the air, permeating one's nostrils with a scent of old leather, burnt lavender, and a touch of sickly sweetness. All around them were floor-to-ceiling shelves of books, most of which were covered in a thick layer of dust. Out of curiosity, Felix removed one of the tomes from the shelf and cracked it open. Before he could figure out what it was about, the shopkeeper interrupted him.

"Hey, careful you don't damage the spine." An elderly Dunmer woman muttered. She took her pipe out of her mouth and pointed it accusingly at Felix. He quickly shut the book and replaced it on the shelf. "Can I help you two find something?"

"Yes, actually. I'm looking for a book on Dwarven vocabulary. Something that may help me translate some scraps of Dwemer I have recently found."

"Ah" the shopkeeper replied. "I am afraid that you have come too late. I just sold my last set of Dwemer Inquries earlier today."

"Damn. What terrible luck." Felix cursed. "Are you sure you don't have any other copies hidden away somewhere?" He implored the bookseller. "We really need this today."

"By Azura, it is not as though there is going to be a revival of Dwemeri tomorrow you have to prepare for. If you really need something from that series right away, I would suggest going up to the College in Winterhold."

Aldun-Rei turned to Felix. "We don't have the time. That would take up an additional two days just travelling there."

"Well, I still don't know why you two are in such a hurry but I may have something that you might be interested in…" The lady scratched her head, looking at the space under the counter. "I did just get in this volume recently." She said, picking a quarto-sized book bound in chipped leather.

"Wow." Aldun-Rei remarked. "Is this what I think it is?"

"If what you were thinking of was Nelyn's Corpus Poetica Dwemeria, then yes."

Felix remained unfazed. "This is useful?"

"Definitely." Aldun-Rei remarked excitedly. "Its the largest collection of Dwemer poetry ever assembled. Nelyn was a master wizard of the Mage's Guild in Morrowind sometime before the eruption of the Red Mountain… I can't remember when exactly…" Aldun-Rei was beaming at this point, rambling excitedly about the topic. "He included extensive footnotes and a gloss. It would be just as useful as reading from Dwemer Inquiries."

"Great then, problem solved!" Felix remarked happily.

Aldun-Rei reached his hand out to open it up, but was blocked by the storekeeper. "This isn't a lending library. That'll cost you a thousand."

"One thousand Septims?" Aldun-Rei objected, devastated. "There's no way an average citizen could afford that. Do you think we're relatives of the emperor or something?"

"That's what is worth, take it or leave it." The storekeeper stood stoically, unaffected by Aldun-Rei's protests with her arms crossed. To her, the two adventurers were just two strange, impatient scholars with no real need for the book. Felix and Aldun-Rei knew that to let her know why they needed the book so badly would possibly trigger their magical contract's "no help from others" clause. They felt as though they were treading on thin ice.

"I guess its our only option." Felix remarked.

"We could you know…" He dropped his voice to a whisper. "back out of the challenge."

Felix had the money for the book, though just barely. He hadn't considered quitting to be an option. In fact, the suggestion kind of hurt him. "Do you really want that?" He asked the Argonian, who admittedly looked forlorn at the prospect.

"The price is just far too much. There is no way we can afford it." Aldun-Rei said. "Of course, if I was able to purchase it, I would. We're so close, and I guess I let us down."

Without another word, Felix reached into the inside pocket of his shirt and withdrew a small leather sack. He held it just over the counter and shook out its contents. About a dozen Septims and a rolled piece of paper sealed with red wax embossed with an intricate design of a dragon. Felix opened the roll, being careful not to damage the seal itself.

"This is my discharge pension from the Legion. It's guaranteed for fifteen-hundred Septims by the Imperial Legate in Solitude. You'll find her signature in the corner there."

"Oh, Felix. Are you sure?" Aldun-Rei asked as the shopkeeper held up the piece of paper to eye level.

The Imperial turned to him and sighed. "I decided a long time ago that I wouldn't use the money I received to put down money for a farm, as the Legion expected of its ex-legionnaires. It's a long story…. I can tell you tonight."

"If you feel that you're making the right decision…" Aldun-Rei said hesitantly.

"I am taking a risk here by accepting this as payment." The storekeeper sighed. "I have no way of verifying this is authentic with complete certainty. Since you are not paying in hard cash, I can give you the book in exchange for the total sum of your document: fifteen-hundred."

"That's acceptable." Felix said.

"Alright. Let me write you up a receipt."

After ordering their dinner and paying for his own room, Felix took a seat across from Aldun-Rei in Windhelm's Horker's Head Inn. The inn's dining hall was one of the province's largest, its ceilings as tall as the cathedrals dedicated to the Nine Divines in Cyrodiil. It had seating for several hundred people at least. It was as chaotic and noisy as a market at harvest time with all the people constantly milling in and out, but the quality of its food and drink made up for the boisterous atmosphere. It smelled of buttery pastries, rotisserie-cooked meats cooked in exotic spices, just as it had the last time Felix had been there.

"I ordered us each the special." Felix told Aldun-Rei, whose snout was already in the book they had purchased. "Salmon in dill sauce with potato dumplings and spiced mushrooms on the side." Felix was excited to finally share the place with a friend. He had spent many a lonely evening there by himself in his army days."

Aldun-Rei looked up and smiled. "Sounds delicious… Now, words cannot express how grateful I am to have this book. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Its alright. Think about it this way: we'll be set for life once we get accepted in to Aesthund. We won't have to worry about food or a roof over our heads anymore. Plus, I think we make a great team and I wouldn't want to split us up."

"Makes sense, though you would probably have an easier time farming than fighting for a living for the rest of your days. Why choose this path instead?"

Felix looked away. He saw their food arriving with mugs of ale. "I suppose I should tell you the complete reason why I came to Aesthund. It's as good a time as any." He thanked the waitress for their food, and started relating his story to his shield partner.

"It all began when I was ten. I discovered magic then, by accident. I set fire to my family's woodshed. My parents were furious, especially my father. We had a rather large family, and my parents struggled to maintain the household. The next week my father took me by wagon into town to the Mage's Guild for them to sort me out and make sure that I wouldn't lose control over my abilities again. They put me through a series of tests, asking me to recite incantations, cast some simple spells. Apparently I didn't show enough promise because they didn't take me on as an apprentice. They told my father just to keep me away from spell-books until I was an adult, when as they put it "master some run-of-the mill spells" like healing minor scrapes and bruises or lighting candles with a touch. Satisfied with their answer, my father took me home and little was said of it after that.

I, meanwhile, was angry. How dare they reject me? I was otherwise an unremarkable child among nearly a dozen, and this was the one thing that set me apart. At the time, I spent hours imagining what life would be like as a journeyman in their guild in some far away land like High Rock or Elsweyr, searching after rare plants for arcane alchemical concoctions and fighting off skeletons and necromancers. I disobeyed the orders of the mages and began to train in secret.

First, I learned some spells from the library owned by our village priest. I gained access to them under the pretence of doing chores for the benefit of the priory by cleaning his home and organising his library. I quickly became proficient in any spell I could find and I spent many nights alone in the hay loft of our barn, illuminated by the mage-light I had conjured.

Being a man of the cloth, his books on magic were limited almost entirely to restoration spells, nothing too dangerous, nothing that a boy quickly approaching manhood would see as particularly impressive. Wanting something that would really demonstrate to those mages how far I had come since my childhood, I saved up the small pittance I got from working for the priest and managed to acquire a text on fire spells from a travelling merchant. That was the biggest mistake of my life."

"How so?" Aldun-Rei asked, in between bites of his meal.

Felix paused a moment. "I was blinded by pride. I thought I could handle a spell like that, even though I had no formal training. When I started reading the tome that afternoon in the barn, I set off a firebolt inadvertently. I was thrown back against opposite wall of the barn. I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, I was lying face up on the grass with my father standing over me. The air was saturated with the smell of smoke and burnt flesh.

He knelt down to my level, and hoarsely whispered. 'Do you realise what you've done boy?' I mumbled something in response. I was still in a state of shock. 'Your brother….'

I sat up and saw my mother crying, clutching at my brother's prone form, holding his head up to her's. The priest was next to her, reciting spell after spell. 'I swear by the Nine if he doesn't pull through.' My father threatened.

I knew right then that I had to leave. Ashamed, I took off when my father turned back to my brother. I didn't look back. I slept in a farmer's field that night. The next day I was in Cheydinhaal. A few weeks later, I signed up with the Legion even though I was only seventeen at the time."

"How long ago was that?" Aldun-Rei wore an expression of incredulity. "Have you not seen your parents since?"

Felix scratched his head. "It seems like yesterday, but I guess it was four years ago now. I still haven't gone home, no. Couldn't imagine building a farm of my own either. It'd be like erecting a permanent memorial to the lives I ruined at home."

Aldun-Rei spoke. "I can't imagine running away like that… It seems so…"

Felix cut him off. "Cowardly, I know."

"I wasn't going to say that."

"Its the most accurate word for it." Felix looked down and he toyed with his food with his fork.

"Do you think you can keep running away forever?" Aldun-Rei asked, rhetorically. "Your brother may still be alive, and your parents and other siblings are probably worried about you. I don't have my parents anymore. If there was a chance they might still be alive, I would walk the entirety of Tamriel to see them again."

"Oh… I'm sorry."

"I don't have an elaborate story like you. Some robbers broke into my family's shop in Wayrest and killed my parents while they slept. I was at the tavern at the time. When I came home, the city guard were already there. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"Well that.." Felix thought he couldn't feel any more ashamed of himself, though Aldun-Rei's revelation proved him wrong.

"You just can't go through the rest of your life hating yourself for that accident." Aldun-Rei interjected. "I even blamed myself for being at the tavern so late. There was no way I could have known, and neither could you."

Felix remained speechless for a little while, struggling to appreciate what his friend had said. Doubts quickly re-entered his mind. No, he's wrong. I should have known that the spell was too advanced for me.

Aldun-Rei smiled weakly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I guess you're right." Felix mumbled.

"Thanks for the food by the way." Aldun-Rei mentioned. Felix noticed that he himself had not touched his food yet. He ate a few forkfuls of now lukewarm fish in silence.

"I'll start working on the translation after dinner. I'm too scared that I'd spill something on the pages."

"Good idea."

"Are you sure you're okay? I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I'm just concerned about how heavily it weighs on your mind."

"No. This isn't your fault. I think I'll turn in early for the night."

"Not going to keep me company while I work on the translation?"

Felix smiled, getting up from his seat. "I'd like to, I think I just need to get some rest and process some of what you said. I'll be eager to hear what you've come up with in the morning though."

"Can't say I'm not disappointed but alright." The Argonian replied. As Felix walked by, Aldun-Rei grabbed his sleeve gently. Felix stopped and turned to his partner, who looked deeply concerned. "Take care of yourself, you hear me?"

Felix nodded, smiling weakly. "Yeah, I'll be alright." Aldun-Rei let go of his arm slowly. There was an awkward pregnant pause. "Goodnight, Aldun-Rei."

"Goodnight, Felix."

Felix found Aldun-Rei atop his wagon outside the city gates the next morning. The Argonian was staring vacantly into space.

"Hey." Felix said, climbing up beside him. "Ready to get going?"

Aldun-Rei nearly jumped out of his seat in response to Felix's question. "Uh… Yeah, for sure." The Argonian grasped the reins and urged his old gelding onwards. Felix noticed that Alun-Rei's hands were shaking, as if he were a skooma-addict just being weaned off the stuff.

"Are you alright?" Felix asked.

"Yeah, never been better." Aldun-Rei stuttered, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

Felix thought maybe he was having flashbacks to the incident with the bandits en route to Mzulft, and offered a detour. "I was thinking maybe we should swing right at Whiterun, and avoid that whole stretch of road near Riverwood where we were ambushed.

"Good idea, good idea."

"Also, we could stay at Whiterun tonight or keep pressing on to Rorikstead. Either way, we'll have time to spare before the deadline."

Aldun-Rei nodded in agreement.

"Did you make any progress with the translation?" Asked Felix.

"Well… I didn't make as much progress as I would've hoped. I'm getting there… I'll try to work on it again tonight."

"I'll promise to stay up and help you tonight." Felix offered.

Aldun-Rei smiled weakly, continuing to stare at the road. "Sure."

That was the last time Aldun-Rei spoke before noon. By that point, Felix was getting worried. This was unlike the usually chatty, chummy Argonian he had come to know. Felix wondered if he should have started up the conversation from the previous night.

Upon taking the cutoff for Whiterun, Felix saw in the distance the mighty keep of Dragonsreach, perched high above the city below. It had been years since he had stopped in the town. He had briefly stopped their as his legion was marched north to the Pale and hadn't been there since. He was now retracing his teenage self's footsteps, taking the same road.

Felix suddenly remembered how they stopped close by there in fact - at Stillwind Grotto. They camped the night there. It was a tranquil place, he remembered, a small niche carved out of the mountains over thousands of years by an unrelenting waterfall. Inside this small enclave, a world in miniature grew, complete with green grass, trees and animals, all sheltered from the often chaotic world outside the grotto's entrance.

Perhaps, they could stop there, have lunch and talk. Perhaps, Felix thought, he could get his partner to open up to him.

"Hey, Aldun-Rei. Do you see those cairns up ahead." Felix pointed off to the left side of the road in the distance. "Let's stop there. They mark the entrance to this really beautiful cave. I've never seen anything like it in my life. You should see it for yourself."

"Sure. I guess its good a place as any." Aldun-Rei answered.

When they reached the grotto, they repeated what they had done at Mzulft, making sure to tie up the horse outside and lock chains on the wheels to prevent the theft of Aldun-Rei's carriage.

When they got inside, it was just as Felix had remembered it. "Hello!" He called out into the vast cavern, and heard only his echo and the rushing waterfall in return. "I guess we're alone."

Aldun-Rei followed Felix. "You're right, this place is amazing." He extended his hand in front of him upon seeing one of the massive palm-sized butterflies fluttering around. It landed delicately on one of his scaled fingers. "Felix, look."

Felix turned to see Aldun-Rei finally showing a bit of cheerfulness. The Imperial smiled. The butterfly took off again, quickly making its way to a nearby flower.

By the time they eventually made it to the bank of the small pond at the base of the waterfall, both shield-partners had grumbling stomachs. Aldun-Rei spread out a blanket, while Felix rummaged through a box of provisions. He retrieved some sausage, hard cheese and tack and some plates and knives.

They chewed a few bites in silence. Felix wondered if he should say anything. He looked at the water. Didn't Argonians like to swim? Or was that just like their supposed inscrutability? The mutual silence was painful, so Felix cautiously questioned his friend, seated next to him. "I wonder if we could swim in that water, or if it would be too cold."

"Only one way to find out." Aldun-Rei replied, getting to his feet and dipping his finger in the water. "Its chilly, but it's not unbearable." He declared, taking a seat again.

"Well, I could use a dip myself." Felix announced. "Would you like to join me?"

Aldun-Rei looked startled. "That would be… great…" He nodded nervously and took an aggressive bite of a hastily made meat and cheese sandwich.

"I know I asked you this earlier, but are you sure you're alright? I can't help but feel like I touched a nerve when we we're talking last night."

Aldun-Rei breathed in and then exhaled deeply in an effort to calm himself. "Its about the translation."

"Are you worried that you won't figure it out?"

"No, the problem is that I have the whole thing translated and I don't think you'll like what those words translate as."

"What do you mean?"

"I've discovered why so few people get accepted by the Guardians each year. It's the final part of the ritual - its the bottleneck. I can go grab the book and show you my translation." Aldun-Rei looked absolutely dejected.

"Well… perhaps we should take a quick break before we jump back into that stuff. You look like you've seen a ghost."

Aldun-Rei stood up abruptly. "I need to get this over with. I'll go fetch the book."

"This ritual doesn't involve harming me in some way, does it?" Felix asked, suspicious.

"No, not at all." Aldun-Rei looked taken aback at the prospect. "Just wait here and I'll be back soon." He spoke over his shoulder as he marched off towards the cave entrance.

All that was left for Felix to do was wait. He looked at the pool of water in front of him. He hugged his knees close to his chest, sitting on the blanket. His heart beat loud and hard in his chest. It was if Aldun-Rei's nervousness was contagious, and his mind began to race as to what the ritual entailed. Luckily, he soon heard Aldun-Rei's footsteps approaching. The Argonian had brought a stack of books along with the potion they got from the Dwarven sanctuary.

"Well, where do I start?" Aldun-Rei pondered, pushing aside his meal and arranging his books around him.

"You could just start with the translation." Felix offered.

"Well. Alright." He said, flustered. "Here it is."

"In order to (finish/complete) the ceremony, one must (lather/spread) this potion on the (phallus) . The two will demonstrate their (attachment/love) through (consummation). The stone will glow green when (consummation) is accomplished."

"Their poetry…" the Argonian continued, "revealed to Nelyn that the Dwarves' poetry was full of references to love, and this Inner-Garden Sanctuary functioned as a sort of chapel for the sacred vows of lovers." Aldun-Rei looked to Felix, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry I wasted your money on this stupid goose chase."

"Hey. It's not your fault." Felix instinctively reached out to his friend. Aldun-Rei shied away from him. "Aldun-Rei, please, there was no way of knowing. Don't feel like you owe me money for this or something."

"It's not just that…" the Argonian continued, he kept his gaze averted from Felix.

Felix paused for a minute. "I know. Its going to be a shame I'll forget the past couple days. Maybe we'll still end up travelling together even after our memories are erased."

"…and why would you do that? The only reason why we were travelling together now is because we were paired up by the Guardians."

"I don't know. Something just seems right about befriending you. I don't know how to explain it. I spent years in the legion and I never connected so fast to someone that quickly."

"That's the deepest irony of the whole thing. You see, I didn't tell you the whole story of the man I ran into in my brother's bar who had tried to join the Guardians."

"Why not?"

"I didn't think it was relevant at the time. He seemed to be distraught over losing out on a place in the Guardians, but he was also upset over losing his friend, who happened to be the first person that this traveller met when the contractual spell erased his memory. They were probably shield-partners."

"So they ended up travelling together after? Isn't that a good sign that we may end up being friends after?"

"Well," Aldun-Rei explained, "they attempted to figure out how to outsmart the Guardians' magic and get a second chance. After a few weeks, they came to the conclusion that their efforts were futile. They couldn't figure out what the list of Dwemer ruins meant and made the decision to part ways, but the traveller I met didn't want that. The traveller had grown close, romantically, to his friend and confessed it. The other did not share his feelings. They didn't speak after."

"Well you don't have to worry," Felix spoke, "I don't have feelings for you. I'm not that way…" He trailed off, a sinking feeling developing in his stomach. The words came so easily off his tongue as they had when he denied preferring men to his legion comrades, but for the first time in his life, it seemed to be an accurate statement.

"Felix." Aldun-Rei turned to face his partner. "I'll kick myself later if I don't say this." He sighed. "I am that way… as you put it, and I do have feelings for you."

Felix didn't meet the gaze of his partner. His heart skipped a beat. "I… I…"

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to make this whole thing awkward. I just couldn't resist asking before our time runs out."

"Are you proposing what I think you're proposing?" Felix interjected.

"Felix. We don't have to. I needed to ask before the memory spell kicked in, 'cause of the chance we'd never talk again."

"Its just…" Felix stuttered. A silence hung in the air for a moment. "I'm really confused about all this. I've never had sex with anyone before… I know that's embarrassing for someone my age."

"Felix, we don't have to talk about this further." Aldun-Rei replied. "We can just drop it…"

"I want to keep talking about this." Felix stuttered, his lips quivering along with the rest of his body. "I do like you, as a friend at least, and I think… I think…" He exhaled deeply in a poor attempt to calm himself down. "I have suspected for a while now that I may be attracted to males."

Aldun-Rei glanced down and saw Felix's shaking hand resting on the ground. The Argonian gently placed his hand on the Imperial's. It grew still. "How do you feel about this?"

Felix laughed nervously. "I don't know. I kind of feel like I'm going to vomit." Aldun-Rei withdrew his hand at the remark but Felix turned and grabbed it with both hands and pulled Aldun-Rei in closer. With his eyes closed, he kissed a now wide-eyed Argonian on the cheek.

"Wow I…" Felix began, but before he could finish his sentence, Aldun-Rei grasped the back of his partner's head and pulled him close, kissing him passionately.

When they pulled back, Felix was the first to speak. "Sorry, that was my first time doing that sort of thing." He murmured bashfully.

Aldun-Rei smiled. "You're great, you're just great." He laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I just thought that never in a million years that you'd say yes, especially after that conversation we had in Riverwood."

"We'll, I guess I was in denial before… So what are we going to do now? I'm not sure how to have sex…"

"Slow down there," Aldun-Rei remarked, "we don't have to do anything serious just yet. How about we take a dip first?" He proceeded to take off his shirt in one quick motion, and started to work on his belt buckle.

"Alright, if you want to…" Felix took off his own shirt. Upon stripping it off, he noticed his partner was standing completely naked next to him. Felix tried not to stare at Aldun-Rei's flaccid penis, ample in length and girth even when unaroused. It was similar in shape to Felix's, though it appeared to lack a discernible head or foreskin and it was completely without any pubic hair.

Aldun-Rei on the other hand, seemed completely nonchalant about being in the nude and quickly waded into the small pond.

Felix, now starting to become aroused and thus embarrassed quickly ditched his clothes and followed the Argonian in, stealing glances at his partner's scaled butt and toned back.

Soon, it was too deep to touch bottom and the pair began treading water. Felix, who hadn't had a recent opportunity to bathe, dunked his head several times in the water and scrubbed his hair. Aldun-Rei was content to lie face down on his front, breathing through his gills.

"There's nothing but small fish here. Nothing dangerous," he announced, lifting his head from the water and treading water next to his partner.

"Thanks for checking." Felix responded. "How does this whole thing work exactly?"

"You mean sex?"

"Yes, sex. Specifically with two males."

"Specifically one Argonian male and one Imperial male?" Aldun-Rei asked facetiously.

"Yes," Felix replied, his face now a bit red and his dick a bit stiff.

"Well," Aldun-Rei said, moving closer to his partner, "I was thinking we could begin with this." He reached for Felix's cock and grasped it gently. "Oh, hard already, are we?"

"Y… yeah." Felix replied, "Gods, that feels…"

"Incredible… Amazing…" Aldun-Rei whispered, moving in closer, resting his head on the human's shoulder. As Felix's cock became fully erect, he began to pump his hand rhythmically up and down his length.

Felix moaned softly, and immediately felt a little ashamed. He bit his lower lip so he wouldn't betray his feelings further. He was now holding Aldun-Rei's back tightly.

"No need to be quiet, love. There's no one around." Aldun-Rei spoke softly into Felix's ear. The Argonian traced a path with his mouth downwards to Felix's neck, lapping at it all the while with his tongue.

Felix's hips jerked upwards involuntarily driven by lust. He moaned again, much louder this time. "Ah… That tickles." His moan turned into a laugh as Aldun-Rei kept on kissing his partner's neck.

At this, the Argonian retreated from his kisses and smiled. "You are so adorable." He told Felix.

"Thanks." Felix smiled, embarrassed, not knowing what to say to that. He had never anticipated being referred to that way by another guy. "I hope you're not doing this just to gain admittance to the Guardians." Felix blurted out, immediately regretting his words.

Aldun-Rei looked crestfallen. "No, of course not." He spoke softly. "I like you Felix. I really don't care about the Guardians that much. I can always find another job, but you, I think you're irreplaceable."

Felix was tearing up a bit at this point. "To be honest, the thought of joining them wasn't really the main reason why I bought that book for you. I didn't want to split us up either."

"I have an idea." Aldun-Rei announced. "Why don't we just refuse the offer of admittance when we get back to Aesthund?"

"Are you serious?" Felix asked. "We almost died getting this far. We would have done all this racing around for no reward."

"I think I have my reward right here," Aldun-Rei moved in close to his partner and kissed him on the cheek. "Does that prove to you that I'm serious about you?" He asked.

"I suppose." Felix replied, mirroring Aldun-Rei's facetious humour, before kissing him back on the mouth.

Aldun-Rei held him close and deepened the kiss. He had never felt the soft, warm feeling of human lips on his. His reptilian tongue lapped at Felix's lips as they continued, begging entrance to Felix's mouth.

"Let's finish the ritual." Said Felix.

"Right here?" The Argonian teased.

"Maybe on shore. I mean I don't really know…" Felix stammered.

Aldun-Rei silenced Felix with another kiss. "Don't worry. I'll show you how it's done."

On the shore, they dried each other off with the towels they brought for the picnic. Felix could not help staring at Aldun-Rei's erect penis.

"You can stroke it if you'd like." Aldun-Rei said, slyly.

Felix grasped his partner's cock gently. "mmmm…. That feels amazing."

"Can I use my mouth?"

"Naughty boy… You may…"

Felix leaned down and kissed the tip of Aldun-Rei's penis. It twitched involuntarily. He gave it a little lick, making it jump again. "You must be so pent up." Felix whispered, giving his partner's cock a few more slow gentle strokes with his hand. The Imperial could scarcely believe the words coming out of his own mouth. His insides felt weird, his heart was going a mile a minute.

"Yes… yes. I am. Please don't tease me."

Felix gulped, then possessed by a nervous energy, murmured "if you insist."

He plunged his mouth down on the head of Aldun-Rei's penis. His mouth stretched to accommodate Aldun-Rei's ample length and he felt the tip poke at the back of his throat. He resisted the urge to gag, and quickly got the hang of making shorter strokes with his mouth.

Felix listened to the Argonian's breathy moans continue as he bobbed his head up and down on Aldun-Rei's pole, and felt a gentle hand tousle the hair on the back of his head. "You're have a natural talent."

Felix didn't reply. His lust-addled mind didn't even recognise the words. He closed his eyes, lost in his own world, focusing simply on how his partner's cock felt in his mouth. Felix traced his tongue over every inch as he sucked, exploring it.

Before long, saliva coated the entirety of Aldun-Rei's penis, dripping onto the Argonian's balls and the ground below them. The slurping sound he was making turned him on even more, and with his free hand, he began to pump his own cock in rapid strokes.

"You are going to make me come." Aldun-Rei breathed. "Stop… Stop…"

Felix withdrew and wiped his mouth clean with the back of his hand. "Isn't that the point?" He asked, looking up at his partner.

"Well, ordinarily…" Aldun-Rei gave a sly smile, "but we have to finish the ritual, and that requires use of the potion."

Felix retrieved the bottle. He scratched the back of his head and looked at it inquisitively. "Should we drink it?"

"I think it's supposed to ease intercourse, that's what the translation alludes to." Aldun-Rei said. "The question is, which one of us is going to be on top?"

"On top?" Felix asked.

Aldun-Rei chuckled. "In that case, I'll be the bottom the first time."

Felix watched as the Argonian turned around and got on all fours, sticking his ass up in the air, his tail swishing behind him. He slapped his round butt with his hand. "You understand now?" He asked. The Argonian took one of his hands and spread one of his cheeks back revealing his tight puckered hole.

The Imperial gulped as he uncorked the small bottle. He lathered the sweet-smelling clear liquid on his aching erection. He gave his cock a few good strokes, making sure it was evenly coated. He had never been so turned on in his life and had to stop quickly before he blew his load.

Felix lined himself up with the Argonian's hips. He cautiously grasped Aldun-Rei's waist and rested his prick in the groove of his partner's ass. The Imperial grabbed Aldun-Rei's tail and swung it over his shoulder, out of the way.

"I don't want to hurt you." Felix whispered.

"Don't worry, you won't." Soothed Aldun-Rei. "Just go slowly, lover." His tail began to beat furiously back and forth as he spoke the words, swatting Felix in the face. "Sorry. I have a habit of doing that when I'm excited." He said, looking back with a blush on his face. The tail soon became still.

"It's very cute." Felix chuckled, grasping his cock and positioning the head at Aldun-Rei's opening. His heart was thumping in his chest. Sweat formed in beads on his brow, yet he had no trouble keeping himself at full mast. He pushed his hips forward and penetrated the Argonian's tight hole, guiding in his meat with a hand.

Following his partner's instructions, he slowly leaned in, grunting with effort to force his cock into Aldun-Rei's tight anus. At about halfway in, he began to pull out, rocking back, and soon began a steady rhythm.

Felix bit his lower lip, trying not to utter a moan. The pleasure was more intense than he could have ever imagined and he was struggling not to come right then and there. Aldun-Rei was warm, wet, and tight. Felix avoided looking down to see his meat going in and out of the Argonian's hole.

"Deeper… deeper…" Aldun-Rei moaned.

Felix sped up his rhythm, his hips now hitting Aldun-Rei's butt with every thrust, his balls slapping against the Argonian's. "Gods." Felix breathed.

With every stroke, Aldun-Rei gave a loud grunt. "Keep fucking me, lover." The Argonian managed to get out. He was furiously stroking his own cock as the Imperial fucked him.

Felix tried to reply, but his words died in his throat, and he merely grunted in pleasure.

"Please…" Aldun-Rei breathed. "Tell me you love me."

"I…"

"I am about to burst Felix…"

"I… I… I love you, oh gods…" Felix cried out, jerking his hips forward, his hands gripping Aldun-Rei's waist with white knuckles. Felix came deep inside his partner, thrusting his hips a thrust with every spurt of hot white semen from his aching tool.

Felix's orgasm sent Aldun-Rei immediately over the edge, making him shoot cum all over his hand and the soft grass below them.

Even before his cock softened, Felix pulled out of his lover and collapsed to the ground next to him, leaving a trail of thick white semen dripping from Aldun-Rei's hole. Felix was utterly exhausted, and struggled to catch his breath and wiped the sweat off his brow.

Aldun-Rei soon lay next to Felix, face to face. "So…"

Felix took a few deep breaths. "I meant what I said." He sputtered.

"Oh… I was going to ask how that was for you." Aldun-Rei spoke. "But that's good to know, I guess I'm just blabbering…" He scratched the back of his head and looked away. "I'm terrible at after-sex talk, it seems."

Felix shushed him with a soft stroke of the Argonian's cheek. "I know things have been rushed, and it seems kind of crazy that we're doing this, but I am going to try my hardest to keep this thing we have going…" There were tears welling in his eyes. "I haven't met someone who's understood me as well as you have."

"Aww… Come here." Aldun-Rei replied, pulling him close and squeezing him. "The feeling is mutual." He assured Felix, stroking the back of the Imperial's hair.

Felix said nothing in return, his head resting on the Argonian's chest. Soon, Aldun-Rei heard Felix's soft snores.

The Argonian chuckled, letting his lover sleep. There was still a long journey ahead of them, not merely to Aesthund. He lay on his back, hands clasped behind his head and gazed upwards, pondering the options they had in front of them.

A few steps away, a soul gem lay amongst wildflowers, glowing green.