Darkness engulfed, Kenrick pressed on through the tunnels, disregarding the throng of creatures inhabiting the depths of the Imperial City sewers. How they came to be, yet again, boggled Kenrick's mind as he tried to focus on something other than the darkness. But as the moments passed on darkness's hold grew limp on his conscious. His mind became clearer and less frightened of the unknown. Though, other worries began to creep their way into this mind. Particularly the worried thought of where an exit lay.
Passages traversed, tunnels navigated, a labyrinth of interconnecting systems sought within for some manner of escape only yielded more of the same as Kenrick pressed further on. Was it minutes or hours that passed since he first started? Kenrick knew not.
Finding himself in a large circular culvert – a narrow bridge extended across its length, murky waters filled in on either side – a faint memory pooled back into Kenrick's thought. A distant memory it was, but seemingly bordering the edge of reality and fiction. My dream?
A creaking groan drew Kenrick's attention to the end of the bridge where a shadowed figure stirred beyond a metal gate hanging loosely on fragile hinges. Though, as soon as he stepped onto the ramp leading down the shadow vanished, just as though it had never been. This thing had haunted him ever since he entered the sewers after the Emperor's death, but not harmfully so. Whatever it was it occasionally helped him out. But Kenrick grew curious of the being. What does it want with me? The shadow reappeared and gestured him to go further on. And a faint something sounded from it, almost a… a musical humming resonating from the being, carrying the tune on unseen lips. Following, Kenrick soon found the melody familiar, but broken up by distance, and immediately began chasing after the being, trying to get close enough to catch the remaining snippets he couldn't make out. The tune quickly came into focus. A single name flashed into mind: Karlirah? Can it really be? He followed faster and faster, traversing many passages.
All ended, however, as he came to a small stair, and at its top led a ladder to someplace Kenrick could only make a wild guess at – hopefully somewhere safe. The shadow turned around as he looked up at it. It halted for a moment and began humming again. But quickly, as if confirming his thoughts, it inclined its head and vanished, leaving him alone in the dark once more. At least he had an escape.
Climbing up, and eventually out of the condemned sewers, Kenrick stood in a basement surrounded by boxes. He didn't care to whom the basement belonged, as long as he now stood on firmer ground. Seeking a way out, he came to a door, pushed it lightly, finding it unlocked and cracked open, and went through. No one was around, so he proceeded through cautiously, keeping alert of any tell-tale signs of people.
Quickly, he found the front door and scurried over to it. It was bolted shut by several machines. Carefully turning the locking mechanisms, the bolts clicked open, unleashing a loud metallic sound, and a noise rustled about upstairs. Frantically, he fumbled with the other bolts, unlocking them as fast as possible. Though, no sooner had he finished unlocking the rest of the bolts, he stumbled forward, the back of his head throbbing, and all went black.
--
Zoe Ashhart hovered over the boy, delicately wiping a dampened cloth across his forehead, occasionally pausing to glare at her housemate, Dynari Amnis, and then would refocus her attention back on the boy. She looked over him, pleased he was still alive after a blow like that. He didn't appear to be much older than seventeen, about her age, and was obviously made of studier stuff than he first appeared. His cheek bones sat slightly higher up on his face, his cleft chin rounded and bold, and small dimples on each side of his lips. She stroked away a lock of brown hair that casually fell done covering his face as he stirred. Don't worry. I'll take care of you.
Getting up, she strode over to where Dynari sat, an annoyed glare resting on the Imperial female's brow, the only light in the room, a mere candle resting atop the table next to the bed, flickered endlessly across her face, casting her eyes in a menacing shadow. Dynari appeared threatening, though Zoe knew better. She frowned and sat next to her friend. Silence filled the emptiness between them as the minutes passed by. Their gazes fixed in opposite directions.
At length, Zoe sighed and turned her head. "Did you have to hit him that hard?" Dynari Amnis didn't stir, not even the slightest twitch could be seen, her narrow eyes locked on the boy with a cold gleam of defiance and distrust. "Dynari!" Zoe shouted. Pouting, her lips quivered.
Dynari lazily tossed a glance at Zoe, and then resettled them on the boy. With a huff, and then a smirk, she returned her eyes and settled them on her friend. She saw the same glare that Zoe frequently gave her when she did something that Zoe did quite approve of. "What, Zoe?" she barked. "What was I supposed to do? Do you really think I should have let a thief escape, not knowing if he had stolen something of value?"
"But he didn't steal anything!" Zoe stood up, firmly placing her hands on her hips.
"Well, how was I supposed to know he didn't steal anything? It is very likely he could have, Zoe. You of all people should know that." Dynari cast the little Breton a sarcastic smile then refolded her arms and sat straight, avoiding Zoe's glares.
"It still didn't make it right for you to whack so hard! You could have hurt him far worse than you did." Zoe stomped her foot and returned to sitting. They both started as they noticed the boy sitting up, awake and well aware of their conversations, on the edge of the bed, completely aware of the two girls arguing over... something. "Hello!" Zoe chimed, quickly forgetting all that had just transpired, but remembered as Dynari huffed. She released a low growl of warning, and went to the boy's aid. "What's your name?"
The boy winced then raised a hand to the back of his head, noting a sore patch of skin at the base of his skull. It hurt badly, a massive headache threatening to break out within his entire skull. Leaving it alone for now, he looked up at the inquirer and said, "My name's Kenrick. What happened? And where am I?"
Zoe thrust an accusing finger at Dynari. "She did it. Thank the gods she didn't paralyze you. She hit you right where you could have been immobilized for life… or worse." She then gestured with a finger, slowly sliding it across her neck.
"Lucky me," Kenrick smiled.
Dynari pulled her chair closer, an uncertain light in her eye, and stared hard at Kenrick. "Do I know you?"
What is it with people asking me that? Kenrick shook his head. "I don't think so."
"No, I've heard of you. At least… you fit the description." Dynari shook her head. "I just read about you in the Black Horse Courier. Though, those things are often just a bunch of fantasized make-ups of foolish nonsense." Dynari shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose you're not the one. That person wouldn't have been sneaking around in MY basement." She shook her head. "No, he's much too brave to be you."
"What are you talking about?" Zoe tilted her head to the side in confusion. Then she remembered the courier Dynari was talking about. "Oh! He does match the description!" She jumped with excitement. "Did you really go to Kvatch and wipe out those evil creatures?"
Kenrick faintly grinned, then lowered his eyes, letting them rest on the floor and focus on a rough knotted section in the wooden flooring. He slowly shook his head, not wanting to remember the gruesome sights. In fact, he never wanted to see anything like it again. "I am."
"Then you're a hero!" Zoe sat next to him, and clasped his hands. "You should rest a little while."
Kenrick looked at her hands; her soft smooth skin resting ever so gently on his own. For a moment he just sat there staring at their touching skin. It felt so good. He raised his eyes to meet hers: glimmering emeralds in the candlelight. Slender and shapely eyebrows rested above her beautiful eyes while soft, smooth, flawless skin rested beneath. Pouty pink lips lay beneath a thin nose and above a softly rounded chin. She was beautiful. A wave of emotions washed over Kenrick, feelings he'd never felt before. He almost wanted to… to rub one of his own rough, calloused hands across her cheek to better understand the meaning of soft.
Tearing himself out of the situation, he retrieved his hands and began to explain why he'd been down there, excluding the part about him being on a secret mission for the blades, killing the men apart of the secretive daedric cult, and entirely avoiding the presence of Baurus. Well, he'd basically come up with an entirely different story as to why, explaining he'd been down there hunting some stray goblins terrorizing a couple citizens. Though, throughout the entire story he'd barely left eye lock with Zoe.
"So you're a mercenary?" Dynari chimed in.
"No, well… no. I wouldn't call myself a mercenary. I wasn't paid."
"So you did it for kicks? For a friend? Why would you hunt down a group of goblins without any reward?"
"Well, you see…" Kenrick had to come up with something quick. Quickly deciding, he explained it was for a friend who would help him out with a problem of his own – a true enough statement. "I really need to get going. I have some things that need to get done. It was nice meeting both. Kenrick bowed a bit, showing respect to the two women, and after smiling at Zoe for a brief moment left in a hurry.
Dynari sat back, whistling a faint tune as she watched Zoe. Zoe turned around to find Dynari staring at her.
"What?"
"What do you mean… what? You like him." Dynari laughed.
"No," Zoe replied matter-of-factly. "I just thought he was interesting."
"Uh-huh. Whatever." Though, no matter what Zoe did, she couldn't hide the inescapable beaming smile.