Chapter 13: Of Fathis And Orc Diapers
******* Fathis Aren
Everything changed the day Fathis saw the golden armor on display in the Best Defense. The shock that she had sold a gift from him…still, it could have been worked out between them but for S'Jirra rushing between them in a rage. As if he would ever hurt Maxical! His point had been made, Maxical was not to sell his gifts. If she needed money, since when did she not ask him? It was a clear indication that he would brook no other man being with her.
When a week went by without a word from Maxical his patience frayed and finally Fathis made his way back up to the Faregyl. S'Jirra had to realize Maxical was only months away from the legal age that would emancipate her, it was time for S'Jirra to step back a bit and let Maxical make her own choice of spouse.
"I'm not a green young buck that will just fold under to her will." Fathis mused aloud, but for all his firm plans Fathis found himself hesitant to face S'Jirra again after their last encounter.
His pleasant daydream of himself discussing marriage settlements with Alix was blotted out in a flash by an image of S'Jirra's angry face berating him. Then the vision changed to one of him laying a ladder up to Maxical's window and stealing away with her in the night.
He eyed the door of the Inn as he rode up, trying to drum up the nerve to go in. It was with relief that he spotted the Forester outside and decided to speak to him rather than face S'Jirra's wrath again.
"The Little Miss left that same night you were here last, she's not been back since." he said, watching Fathis for a reaction. Satisfied with what he saw, he continued.
"I heard she was seen in the Imperial City." The Forester said.
Fathis vaulted onto his horse and dug his heels in, his thanks barely discernable over the horses pounding hooves. The Forester shook his head and went in to tell S'Jirra and Alix about the visit. Fathis may have galloped his horse straight into the gates of the city but for the guard on duty's glare and shout.
The talk of a white Khajiit fighting in the Arena was buzzing on everyone's lips.
Trying to get that armor back I'll wager! Fathis thought, breathing a sigh of relief.
The Merchants Inn was overflowing and promised a long wait for a table. His stomach protested loudly the delay though, and Fathis finally acted against his better judgment and headed over to The Feed Bag. Their only promise was a quick and hot meal, the word edible was not on their menu. He hadn't been there long when a group of fighters came in and plopped down at the table behind him. Their conversation was lurid and explicit, coarse and filthy.
An image of innocent Maxical living amongst these sex-crazed men caused Fathis's stomach to churn and lurch even worse than the swill they called dinner had. He threw down his fork and slammed out, hurrying over to the Arena.
The Bloodworks door was locked and no one answered Fathis's pounding.
"You can't get in there. You have to pay an entrance and make a bet to get in the Arena. That is the only way." The Bosmer at the gate yelled. Fathis came over and paid his entrance and a bet. Glancing at the man's nametag Fathis pulled some more Septims out.
"Thank you, Hundolin. And do you know of any way I could get to talk to one of the fighters? She is a white Khajiit."
Hundolin reached out for the sack of gold. "Sure. Go up that ramp over there, that is the side she fights from. Lean over the balcony till you find the chute she comes out of. She has to stand there for three minutes before the gates are lowered. You shout to her and she will look up. Tell her you want to meet her after the fight."
"Thank you kind sir, here is an extra twenty Septims for your troubles." Fathis hurried up the ramp to the balcony.
He was just in time to see a girl fighting in a tight one piece Battle Raiment with a very short skirt.
"What is that she is wearing?" Fathis asked the man next to him.
"All the girls wear those. Gives us men something to think about." The man said, then spat a huge green wad of something near Fathis's foot.
Fathis stood up and moved, his mind racing. The image of Maxical in that skimpy outfit down in that Bloodworks with those coarse men, that blue shading on her nose waving like a flag in front of all those young bucks assailed his mind like a sledgehammer.
He would have to get her out of this place immediately. A vision of himself crashing into the Bloodworks demanding she come away with him instantly seemed quite a satisfactory solution till it was followed by an image of eighteen young bucks pounding him into the filthy floor of the place.
The only solution that presented itself was to wait for her match and hang over the balcony calling to her as Hundolin suggested. Fathis decided to get a room at the Merchants Inn while he waited. Some time alone with her to get the closeness back between them, that is exactly what they needed to do before he brought her back home. They could stop off on the way and buy back her golden armor as well.
After getting a room and having a quick dinner Fathis walked back to the Arena to wait for Maxical's match. He made his wagers and walked the ramp up to the balcony, but as soon as he stepped out he spotted Alix Lencolia. After a moment of indecision Fathis tiptoed back out, forfeiting his bet. Alix must have come to bring Maxical back home.
Fathis had not been sleeping well since Maxical joined the Arena. Not hearing from her anymore after years of correspondence caused Fathis to wonder if she took that argument over the armor, the way he stormed out…could it be she thought they were over?
He trudged down to the Castle dining room for breakfast after another night of tossing and turning. He loaded his plate up with several meats and sat down to a hearty breakfast and a bit of news. Putting a large forkful of steak into his mouth he picked up the Black Horse Courier and began to read. GAAAAAK! Fathis heaved out of his chair, knocking it over with a crash. He was clawing at his throat and gasping.
Gellius Terentius leaped up and whacked Fathis on the back hard, causing the piece of meat to fly out of his mouth and bounce off Count Regulus Terentius.
"Good gods man! Watch what you are about!" The Count carefully blotted the meat juice off him with his linen napkin.
Fathis face continued to turn purple, but it was from anger at what he had read in the Courier.
"I'm at my breakfast man! If you are passing this life I request you do it somewhere other than my breakfast table! Gellius, have the staff come get Fathis. And send a healer to him. He appears to be succumbing to a heart ailment." The Count said disgustedly, turning back to his breakfast and picking up the now crumpled edition of the Courier.
Fathis waved Gellius back down and stormed out. He strode immediately out to the stables and demanded they saddle up his horse. Steam appeared to be rising off his head.
He rode at breakneck speed to the Imperial City and stomped the whole way to the Arena. The board out front showed Maxical was off the schedule for her injuries. She must have gone home then.
Fathis hurried to the Faregyl only to find she wasn't there either. His temper rose each time he thought about Maxical being 'skewered on a man's sword' and these delays in confronting her were not helping. He galloped back to the Imperial City, his mind a turmoil the whole way.
Why did she not go home? Surely she wouldn't lay around in that filthy Bloodworks when she didn't have to! Had one of the young bucks from the Arena set her up somewhere in some hovel? Well he would find her if he had to go house to house through the Imperial City!
Fathis decided to begin his search by crashing into the shacks on the waterfront first. As he started across the bridge he saw the waterfront was crawling with Legion guards. Swinging around he hurried back up to the gate.
"What's going on down there?" He asked the guard.
"They're going house to house searching for the Gray Fox." He eyed Fathis up and down. "You don't need to be going down there dressed up like that, not unless you plan to be knocked over the head and robbed."
"Good gods, is it that bad down there? I was looking for that white Khajiit, the one that fights in the Arena. Have you seen her go down there? I am to escort her home."
"I've seen her down there every now and then with the Gray Prince. He has a house down there. She's not down there now though."
The rage that filled Fathis was so great that the guard's eyes widened and he took a step back from him.
"Here now, I'll have no trouble on my watch!" He called as Fathis stormed away.
By the time Fathis left the Imperial City the next day he had heard about Haki and Owyn as well. So little Maxical was no longer sweet and innocent, instead she had become a scheming hussy who used her favors as a tool to get ahead in the Arena…
******* Maxical
Fathis was in a rage and wouldn't hear a word I said. I stood watching him gallop away, my eyes swollen and raw from crying. A slow ache climbed from my stomach to my throat and hovered, making it hard to breathe. Not wanting to chance running into Hassiri, I cut down the hill to the Waterfront District and used the key Agronak gave me to wait in his mother's house. It wasn't long before Agronak showed up.
"It doesn't look like you got it straightened out with Fathis, I'm sorry Maxical. I should have waited till we were private to give you that."
"What am I going to do Agronak? He won't even speak to me anymore." My voice sounded dull to my own ears.
It was then, right there with Agronak holding me while I cried that the decision to keep fighting in the Arena was made. Fathis was gone. I had lost him, and without him I just didn't care what happened to me anymore. I can't say I wasn't a little mad at Agronak for his timing, not only because of Fathis, but Hassiri as well. I didn't even ask what Agronak told him, every time that scene played through my mind it was only Fathis's reaction that mattered.
Eventually I got up and began helping box up his mothers things again. We were filling a second crate when I came across a very old looking journal and when I picked it up a key fell out.
"Look at this Agronak. It must be your mother's diary." I handed it to him with the key.
"I've never seen this before." Agronak said, leafing through it.
A very old looking parchment fell from it as he was flipping pages. I picked it up and glanced at it as I handed it to him.
"It's a map! Do you think it is to a hidden treasure? That's what it always is in plays."
He gave a cursory look at the map and then sat down on the bed and began pouring over the diary. Every now and then he would shout something out. "It's talking about me as a baby! She says I wouldn't eat vegetables! Should I read you the part where she discusses my diaper habits?" He grinned.
"EW!" I laughed at him. I went back to boxing up items, glancing up each time he called something out so I could see the expression on his face. I wondered if my mother ever kept a journal and what she would have written about me.