A/N: So here's the "first" chapter... honestly I don't know if the last chapter really qualifies as a prologue. But still... These chapters seem short for some reason. I'd like reviews on this story as well. I'm not just uploading it for my own personal amusemen- okay maybe I am, but reviews are always welcome. The dates on this fic are all screwed up. They match the Earth calender perfectly (such as the actual year it would correspond to for me), but the distance between dates is completely messed up... I won't change it though.
Chapter 1 – Getting On One's Feet
Tirdas, 21st Evening Star, 3E418
— Tirdas, 21st Evening Star 3E418 —
It's definitely getting colder, but thankfully I finally paid off my bounty to the Thieves Guild. It took almost seven months to come up with 20 septims. Seven months of careful movement to avoid catching the attention of the many guards around here. Vvardenfell is still pretty much like I expected it to be when I first arrived... I still remember thinking that this was all a dream. It makes me laugh. But back to the guards... they STILL hate me, even though they can't arrest me legally anymore. It hasn't snowed yet, but I hear that the ash storms aren't as bad this time of year, which is good, since this should be the longest night of winter, according to the Earth calendar.
Progress: I managed to pay off Thieves Guild, but will starve if I don't find a way to buy food or find it myself.
I finished my journal entry and put it in the satchel at my waist, wrapping my cloak tighter around me as the cold set fully in. I always hated winter back home and my dislike had carried over into Nirn now as well. It hadn't been too bad at first, especially once I managed to escape the swamp that surrounded Seyda Neen. In fact, it was quite nice during the fall, not too hot and not too cold.
Standing up, I looked at the sun and then, coincidentally, my long-dead wristwatch. I had found it in my pocket (I was surprised that I had those) along with a map of Tamriel after I had found shelter in a cave a decent distance from Seyda Neen and the guard I'd assaulted. The sun's position let me estimate that I had maybe three hours of daylight left. Perfect… I thought as my stomach growled, reminding me that it had been three days since my last meal. I fished out the last of my final loaf of bread from my satchel and began eating. It was the best I could afford, which was pitiful considering that I had been in Vvardenfell for as long as I had.
An idea struck me as I stepped out of the cover of my handmade lean-to. There was an abandoned ebony mine somewhere near the swamp, almost directly south of Balmora, which I was no longer near. I had attracted too much attention when I entered the city the last time to finish paying off my debt to the Thieves Guild. Ohgod,theThievesGuild. I thought. They had threatened to put a commission out to the Morag Tong for my execution. It was almost as bad as if I had asked the Camonna Tong to help me instead. I had thought that the Thieves Guild had honor.
I sat down and tried to remember where the mine was. It took a few minutes of hard thinking before I was forced to accept that I truly had no idea anymore. Even in the game, I had only ever found it once and that was by complete accident. The out of the way location aside, I knew that ebony was heavy as all hell and that I wouldn't be as alone as I would hope in the old mine. I remembered there being flame atronachs and nix-hounds, but I wouldn't doubt if there were other creatures in there as well. I sighed as I belted my stolen sword, which was in a stolen sheath (something that had nearly resulted in my death), to my waist and placed my dagger in my boot. I hadn't yet used the steel broadsword, not at all, since a trail of blood is still a trail for people to follow.
I looked off in the distance. Balmora could only be a few hours walk away, but I didn't walk anymore. Seven months of conditioning had helped me along with that. As long as the terrain with stable and not too steep, I could run all day. It actually reminded me of the Incans, with their road systems through the Andes Mountains; they were actually very athletic and were quite efficient despite a lack of horses. But just because I was able to run all day didn't make me fast, just enduring.
– – – – – –
Balmora was rather busy despite it being well past dusk, yet I didn't so much as go past the outskirts. Instead I turned south and filled the small clay cup I carried in my satchel, taking the drink of water I hadn't allowed myself before I reached the starting point in my search for the mine. I took another as well, since I knew that I was most likely dehydrated beyond all belief.
Placing the cup back into my satchel, I looked south. All I knew about the distance was that if I reached the place that was or would become the Sixth House base Hassour, I had gone too far, though only just. Without wasting anymore time, I began running. I didn't want the money to lead a rich life, but rather so I could survive. I would worry about living in comfort later, when I wasn't in danger of starving.
I hadn't gone a mile before I was forced to dodge the lunge of a nix-hound, which I almost failed to notice. I drew the broadsword and held it as if I were wielding a Chinese blade. This would be my first actual test of my combat abilities since I arrived and I couldn't let it end here. If I couldn't kill a simple nix-hound then I would stand no chance against the flame atronachs, which I wasn't entirely sure I could kill either. There was a nagging suspicion in my mind that any battle with them would end up being a magical one, one which I doubted I'd win.
The nix-hound lunged again and I dodged, bringing the sword down along its side, creating a deep cut. I resisted the urge to just go ahead and fry the animal because I had long since learned that I was affected by the Atronach birthsign somehow, meaning I didn't have the ability to regenerate my magicka, the energy to fuel spells, over time. I could only rely on the ability to absorb spells, which worked only half the time, and potions, which I had never been able to afford.
This time when the nix-hound lunged I met it head on. Pivoting, my leg whipped out and caught it square in the face, which I was surprised at how quickly it collapsed. Just to make sure the hound was dead I raised the broadsword in both hands and swung down on its neck, decapitating it. I wiped the blood off of my sword and sheathed it again. Looking at the body of the nix-hound I had the urge to rest for the night and eat a real meal for the first time in weeks, if not months.
– – – – – –
I had a nice fire going as I cut up the meat on a wooden plank and cooked the pieces one at a time on the point of my dagger, eating them when they were done. When I was full, I cut up some strips, skewered them on sticks I sharpened, and dried them by having them sit in the smoke of the fire. I didn't care if it would be considered smoked meat or jerky, all I was focused on was making sure that I would have food to last me a while.
When it was done I looked up at the sky, with Masser and Secunda hanging high overhead. I had once read that the two moons were actually dying worlds; that was why they seemed to have phases. I didn't really doubt it since I had once noticed how the dark sides of them were often transparent. TothinkthatI'dmissreadingthismuch,orhavingabed,orwarmthfromafireplaceorheater… evenjustknowingthatIcanhavethreemealsadaywithsnackswheneverIwished. I thought longingly. That wasn't even the beginning of things I missed about home, but those things were the basics.
I packed up my camp as best as I could manage in the dimming light of my fire. Finally, I lied down. Dagger gripped firmly in my right hand my eyes closed, and I fell asleep rather quickly.
– – – – – –
Morning seemed to come quickly and I awoke somewhat refreshed. Packing up the rest of the way, I finished by throwing some dirt on top of the embers of what had been my campfire. Sheathing my dagger in my boot, I got my bearings on directions and began running south once more, believing that I was close to my destination.
I was right in my assumption. I saw a cliff in front of me along with three huge boulders. My heart leapt as I recalled seeing those boulders when I had last found it. This would give me enough money that I could actually get myself some decent equipment along with anything else I found need for. I drew the broadsword again and opened the door leading inside. I grabbed the nearby (thankfully) unused torch and lit it with a spark of magicka. I sheathed my sword when I saw, up ahead, a mining cart and, leaning against it, a mining pick; another stroke of good luck. WherewasthisluckafewmonthsagowhenIwasnearlydeadfromhunger? I wondered crossing over to the closest rock, which had ebony visible in various places. I was just about to swing the pick at it when a rather large fireball flew right by my head.
I froze, my mind registering my attacker before I turned to see it. My first opponent was one of the flame atronachs. Turning around filled me with even more fear however when I saw not one, but two of the daedra, each preparing a fireball to hit me with. I dropped the pick and lifted my now free right hand, gathering my magicka for a frost spell I managed to learn a few months ago; a spell which would hopefully kill my attackers in one hit.
My hand hit my chest right before I released the magic, throwing a ball of cold just as two fireballs soared towards me. "Icicle!" I yelled before ducking under the attacks. The cold spell hit one of the atronachs dead on. Its fiery body flickered a little bit before returning to normal. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." I said, throwing another frost spell. This time it thankfully banished the atronach but not before I was struck in the chest with a firebloom spell. My spell absorption worked as the spell simply disappeared into my skin, but I wasn't so lucky with the second spell which hit me right after the first. The pain of being burned felt horrible, but I could tell that my body was resisting most of what could have possibly been a fatal spell. Fireresistance… abilityoftheArmorElves.Gotit! I thought as I cast another frost spell, jumped out the way of another fireball, and healed my wounds with the ring on my finger.
That was another thing I had to learn quickly: how to use enchanted items. I found that just by concentrating, I could activate the ring of healing, but I wasn't sure if I could do the same with other items. I went to cast my frost spell again and smirked as the second flame atronach fell. I really needed a silver or enchanted weapon. I doubted that I was going to be able to cast another spell for a long while, which meant a cold supper unless I managed to get some ore back to Balmora and in turn get my hands on some septims.
I picked up the pick again, jabbed the torch into the ground, so that I could still see without having to hold the torch in my hand. Bringing up the pick I chopped downward as if I was using an axe to chop wood. My strength surprised me when a fist-sized mass of raw ebony broke off. Reaching down, I picked it up and was shocked to find that it weighed about ten pounds. Still, it was money.
– – – – – –
I left the mine with a full sack of ebony ore, which felt like it weighed a ton. I very much doubted that I would be able to run this time, but I had enough daylight, judging by the position of the sun, to get to Balmora again and sell my loot before darkness fell again.
I was surprised when I hadn't been harassed anymore as I was banging away in the mine. While I walked, I took the time to notice my surroundings. Off to my left, there was a swinging bridge. When I realized where I was, I truly wanted to kick myself. I could have simply followed the road until reaching the bridge and then entered the mine. Instead of walking towards the bridge, I continued my harder, yet shorter, walk north, heading straight for Balmora.
– – – – – –
I walked into Balmora, smiling at a nearby guard who I was sure was scowling at me underneath his helm. I didn't pay him any more attention really as I made my way to Ra'Virr, who I hoped would have enough money to take the ebony off my hands. Actually, I didn't really care if he had enough money; he just had money, which would be more than enough for me.
"What can Ra'Virr do for you today, good customer? Perhaps Ra'Virr can interest you in Ra'Virr's Daedric weapons." The Khajiit shop owner said as I stepped inside. I simply shook my head "no" before holding out the heavy bag of ebony and dropping it. A few chunks rolled out of the sack and onto the floor.
"I'm here to sell this to you. I'm assuming that a couple thousand septims will cover the costs and allow you to make a decent profit." I told him, my face betraying no desire for money and my voice letting him know that I wasn't going to give him much of a choice in the matter of haggling the price. I had given him a fair bit more than two thousand septims worth of the "black gold."
"Ra'Virr is happy to buy such riches from you. Ra'Virr is more than willing to pay your price." On the inside I celebrated; on the outside, I betrayed nothing. I merely nodded in thanks as he counted out my money.
"I will, however, buy a second satchel from you to carry all of this gold." I told him when he went to pass the money over to me. Ra'Virr quickly produced my request. "I'll pay ten septims for it; no more, no less." I told him, passing over the coins, scooping the remainder into the new bag when Ra'Virr accepted the money.
I walked out of the shop, no longer as worried as I had been these past few months. I felt calmer, more like I was the one in control of my fate. Still I couldn't imagine what I would have done if I hadn't found my way back onto the road when I ran out of Seyda Neen almost seven months ago.
I turned and walked a little down the street to the Mages Guild. It was time to begin my training as a mage before I suited up and became a full-fledged assassin, thief, and nightblade. It was time to show Vvardenfell just who it had decided to screw with these past few months.
I was going to be the Nerevarine after all, damn it!