Crystal sat upon the plush, opulent bed. Her world seemed to have crumbled around her. She lost her freedom, then her loved ones. She felt truly alone. A tear rolled down her cheek.
"Crystal..." Ondolemar started.
"Just go..." Crystal interrupted morosely. She continued, "You've done enough damage..."
"I'll have one of my guards close by should you need something." Ondolemar stated.
He then left the room. Crystal could hear him giving orders to a guard.
"Make sure no harm is done to her." She heard him say.
"Yes, Master." The guard replied.
Ondolemar had just stepped outside when he saw the guard he ordered to stop the executions. He approached the guard.
"Any luck?" He asked.
"I could only spare three prisoners." The guard replied. He continued, "The others were already executed."
The guard had a small child, a young woman with long, loosely braided brown hair and green eyes, and another woman with short white hair with him. The child looked cat-like in appearance.
"What are your names?" Ondolemar asked.
"Ma'Ori." The child replied.
"If you really care to know, it's Tetra. The other girl is Star. She's mute." The woman replied.
"Very well." Ondolemar responded. He ordered to them, "Follow me."
Ondolemar opened the door to the room Crystal was in.
"Crystal..." He said.
"Go away!" Crystal demanded.
She then heard Ma'Ori's voice.
"It's okay, Crystal." He said to her.
Ma'Ori stepped into the room. Crystal gave him a big hug.
"Ma'Ori!" Crystal cried out as she hugged him. She asked him, "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?"
No, he didn't." Tetra said.
Star ran in and gave Crystal a hug.
'Star miss Crystal' Star signed.
"I missed you guys too." Crystal sobbed.
'No cry Crystal.' Star signed. She continued, 'Us still alive. Ondolemar okay. Not good. Okay. Wait see.'
Crystal nodded. When she looked up, she saw that Ondolemar was gone.
Ondolemar sat in a comfy chair, in front of a fire, contemplating.
"Is something wrong, Master?" A Khajiit asked him.
"That human female perplexes me, Na'Mir..." Ondolemar replied. He continued, "She despises us, and yet refuses to act upon any desire for revenge."
Na'Mir was an old Khajiit manservant who had served Ondolemar for decades. His mane was littered with streaks of grey and his eyes clouded with age.
"Perhaps that is part of her nature..." Na'Mir replied.
"How is that possible?" Ondolemar said as he got up and paced. He continued, "I've witnessed many humans attack one another under the provocation of wrongdoing, but not one who refuses to do so."
"Then perhaps you do not understand them as much as you'd like to believe." Na'Mir said. He continued, "They can be quite complex."
Ondolemar pondered for a moment, his brow furrowing. He then started rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb.
"As much as I hate to admit it,..." Ondolemar responded finally. He continued, "... you may be right."
"Give the girl some time." Na'Mir advised. He continued, "She will eventually warm up to you."
"Then..." Ondolemar started. He continued, "Then there's this effect I hear so much of that she has on people, especially males. I thought I would be immune to her subconscious wiles, but apparently the Mer can be just as vulnerable to it."
"It is mortal nature." Na'Mir reassured. He continued, "We are all vulnerable to many things."
"You're too wise for you own good, Na'Mir." Ondolemar chuckled.
"It is my duty to advise you, after all." Na'Mir replied.
Ondolemar sat quietly.
Flashback
Crystal was following a river when she heard yelling.
Ondolemar was clinging onto a root that was sticking out of a cliff wall.
"Fine mess you got yourself into." He said to himself. He continued, "No one's going to hear me call for help."
Suddenly, he saw a familiar face peeking over the cliff at him.
"Oh, wonderful..." Ondolemar said, dismayingly. He asked, "Come to mock at my demise?"
"Are you okay?" Crystal asked.
"Oh, I'm doing fantastic..." Ondolemar replied sarcastically. He continued, "I'm just precariously dangling from a root that's jutting out of the side of the cascade-drenched cliff."
"Hang on!" She shouted. She continued, "I'm coming down to get you!"
And with that, Crystal carefully climbed down the face of the cascading cliff towards him.
"Grab my hand!" She said to him.
Realising immediately he had no choice, he reached for Crystal's hand. When she got a good grip of his hand, Crystal pulled him towards the ledge she was standing on.
"Get on my back." Crystal told him.
"And degrade myself?" Ondolemar objected. He asked, "Are you mad?"
"It's better than being stuck on a Cliffside." Crystal responded.
Ondolemar thought about it. He then hesitantly climbed onto Crystal's back.
"Don't EVER mention this to anyone." Ondolemar stated.
Crystal smirked and started climbing. Ondolemar marvelled, while clutching onto Crystal, at how she climbed with great ease.
After they reached the top of the cliff, Ondolemar quickly got off Crystal's back.
Back to the present...
"Ondolemar?"
Ondolemar was brought out of his trance when he heard Crystal's voice. He turned his head to find Crystal standing in the doorway.
"There's no need to fear me." Ondolemar stated. He requested, "Come closer."
Crystal merely stood where she was. Ondolemar let out a sigh.
"You're rather stubborn, aren't you?" He said as he approached her.
He then placed a hand under her chin and lifted it to where she face him. Her sapphire blue eyes were met by his vivid emerald green eyes.
"I have no desire to hurt you, dear girl..." Ondolemar said to her.
He then did something that Crystal had not expected him to do... Ondolemar kissed her forehead. She flinched at the feeling.
"...Thank you..." Crystal said. She continued, "...for doing what you could to save my friends..."
"You're welcome..." Ondolemar responded.
