"Hell is other people."
Jean-Paul Sarte
I was still in Sheogorath's vision of his memories. The long-haired Sheogorath looked at the man he was talking to, who was quite visibly human. This man had thick, short dark brown hair, a scruffy brown goatee, and cunning pale hazel eyes. "Sheogorath," said he in a gruff voice, "What do you plan on doing about this? You just ran out your latest apprentice with your damned temper." Sheogorath scoffed, and folded his arms. He shifted his weight onto his left food. He scowled a little, and looked hardly pleased by the confrontation. "Well. I'll get a new apprentice that has a spine," he answered in an irritated voice. His grumpy expression definitely made him look his age. The man lifted a furry eyebrow and responded, "The council won't be particularly pleased with you. Do you have anyone in mind?"

Sheogorath sighed, and grimaced. I watched his uneasiness. His position tensed up, though his arms were now to his sides. "Not at the moment, no," he replied with regret in his voice. He rubbed the back of his head, which ruffled the long hair he possessed. He looked quite tired in the lighting of the room. The man stared at Sheogorath, and shook his head. "Oh, Sheogorath," he sighed, "you are incorrigible. Well, I've heard there's a youthful, potential magician you might be interested in. However, there is something I should mention about them." The older mage Sheogorath cocked his head and his slender eyebrows. He interrogated, "And who might this be? What's the condition?"

"Well," the man replied, though hesitantly, and stumbled on a few words, "uhh, well, this youth, I'm not certain about her name, is, well, female. There's not exactly many female apprentices in many crafts and such, so it's bound to be a controversy. Maybe even a disgrace." Sheogorath looked at him with a bemused, almost offended expression. "I don't understand why you don't think I wouldn't take the challenge. Besides, I've already made asses out of the council. I doubt I could do more damage than I have already done," he retorted in an insulted voice. He brushed his hands off, as if to clean them off of some sin. The man then informed him, "There's a local year's end celebration in eight days. I'm pretty certain you'll be able to meet her there. I've heard she's not only very bright, but very pleasant to the eyes. You know what I mean?" The man's voice turned almost husky in mid-sentence. His companion looked annoyed.

"Terence," Sheogorath riposted, "I'm probably twice her age. I'm much too old and too dedicated to my studies to be…interested. Besides, it's unprofessional to get romantically involved with an apprentice." He chewed on his fingernails a bit as Terence lifted both his eyebrows, as in surprise. Terence remained silent, but I had the idea of what he was thinking. Sheogorath idly began toying with his hair, running his hands through it. He seemed a bit nervous about the topic. There was an awkward silence between the two for quite some time. Finally, Terence spoke up, "Well, I suppose I'll see you at the gathering." Then Terence left.

When Terence had exited the room, Sheogorath exhaled, letting out a "phew" noise. "Enough bloody pressure for one day," he mumbled to himself contemptuously. He ambled out of the room, and into the den of what appeared to be his house. He then went into his bedroom, and lay down on the covers. "It's amazing how public interest has turned away from my…problems to my sexuality," he remarked to himself. His apostrophe was quite ironic, as I learned later. But I shan't tell you that until it comes up.

Sheogorath took off the boots he was wearing, which were leather and black, and laid then aside his bed. He then slipped his body under the covers, and curled up in a fetal position. "People," he mumbled in a low voice, "are such trouble. Nuisances. Yet, I dare to bother with them." He closed his eyes, and his breathing rate slowed. The vision of him blacked out, and reopened to Sheogorath, sitting on a rock, reading in front of a great gathering of people in a temple without walls.

Indeed, it seemed as if it had been eight days. Oh, it certainly most had been eight, Sheogorath told me in his eerie, echoing mind-voice that made my mind cold and numb. The Sheogorath I had seen in his memory was dressed in quite a fine black robe. It had gold embroidery, and lace around the collar. He looked quite pale, sitting cross-legged, reading in the moonlight, with his red-blond hair half-covered his face in curly ends. He was quite close to the forest surrounding the village-turned-city. It was a thesis over magicka, where it originated from, and how it is obtained. He had heard some noise. He perked up his head, and listened.

Sheogorath's mind-eye's focused on two people talking a few good strides away. It was Terence in a blue dress robe and some tallish, seventeen to nineteen year old girl, who was dressed in similarly fancy gray robe. She appeared to have shoulder blade length, flowing bright brown-burgundy hair. She had pointy eyes, and skin that was tinted a slight gold, at least as what I could tell in the light of the temple's lanterns and candles and the light of the moons. Her cheekbones were high. She had a noble aura about her. They were enjoying their conversation, because both were smiling and laughing. The lady turned her head towards Sheogorath, and pointed at him.

"Who's that over there?" she asked Terence in a sweet, soft voice. Terence grinned at her. The girl pushed the long bangs behind her ears. Terence suggested, "That's the master I told you about who needs a new apprentice. 'Is name is Sheogorath. Why don't you get to know him?" He winked his sharp eyes at her. She nodded, and smiled. "Guess I'll do that then," she said before heading off towards the lone mage.

The focus returned to Sheogorath, who was still reading. He didn't notice as she approached him from his front. She smiled as she spoke to him, "Hello." Sheogorath jumped slightly on his rock. He looked up, distraught with surprise. He then saw the young lady, and looked at her with wide green eyes. "Hullo," he replied in a low, quiet voice. He shut his book, and looked up at her. Had he never been approached by a female before? Sheogorath looked a trifle nervous.

"I'm the girl you've been hearing about," she declared matter-of-factly. Sheogorath nodded. His gaze was fixated upon her. It was almost if he was entranced with her. He continued ogling at her as she sat beside him and looked down at the book he was holding. "Oh, I've read that!" she exclaimed, visibly excited by her discovery, "I think it makes complete sense, though many of the council you belong to have marked it as bunk." Sheogorath looked into her eyes, which were a peculiar blue. He replied, "The council is full of fools, but I suppose most of the ones who deny it are merely pseudo-intellectuals with only regurgitated talent. I suppose I am special for being both blessed and cursed with a natural-born talent for the arcane arts, which leads to my shared belief with the author that magicka is something you are born with, but seldom harness without education."

"So I've heard," she stated warmly. She smiled widely at him. Sheogorath smiled, though faintly, back. "Don't believe all that they have said about me. I'm not quite a wretch as many say I am, though I am a bit warm-spirited," he told her as a bit of a warning. She nodded in understanding. The potential apprentice touched his left arm, which made Sheogorath turn a little rosy. "Don't worry," she told him in an amiable tone, "I seldom believe any gossip about someone. You don't seem like the demon the council has described you as. You know, I do like you." The magician tensed up, and turned a brighter shade of red. "I…I…I…I…like you too, I suppose," he replied quiescently. His companion grinned.

"Well, Sheogorath, when would you like to interview me for the apprenticeship?" she interrogated him. She shifted closer to him, although she had no flirtatious intentions as I understood it. The look in her eyes was platonic. Sheogorath remained silent for a few moments. It appeared that there were several things running through his mind, as his brow was furrowed. Then, he answered calmly, although I could tell he was thoroughly enthused, "You shall meet me in two days. It'll be at the big house in the woods not too far from the old rich section." The girl beamed.

"I'll meet you there in two days, then, around afternoon," she informed him politely. She stood up, and curtseyed. Sheogorath stood up to bow to her. She gazed at him in amazement. Her eyes were huge. "I didn't realize you were so tall," she commented. Indeed, I realized that she was a little more than a head shorter than him. Sheogorath looked down at her, and chortled. He then bowed. The girl, after watching him bow, turned around. "Wait!" he shouted, "I didn't catch your name!" She turned back towards him, and softly replied, with an angelic smile, "My name is Zarrexaij Alighieri."

So, he had known Zarrexaij since his past life…