Cearbhail:
Um... I have no words for this. Down below, as usual.
=^^= Enjoy...
Each step we took led us further into the Argonian part of the town. And while we didn't exactly run into any… any more of those 'guards', we did get a lot of nasty sideways looks. After all, seeing a small preteen Dunmer girl followed behind by an aged eloquently dressed man carrying a mess of complicated enchanted staves on every inch of his back would scare off even the bravest of sane people. I'm sure everyone heard about what happened up near the entrance to the town. There had to be some survivor that came running down here, shouting about the girl Dunmer and how she cooked everyone down to glass and bone. It had to be true… the way everyone looked at me, the way everyone's eyes shifted away, the way everyone made certain to back to the corners of the streets… it had to be true.
It was disconcerting… and I could feel the heat rolling off my shoulders. The Argonians could probably see it too. It would only lead to that… this-Dunmer-will-kill-us-all vibe thing I seem to be having. And with Master Neloth, my father, strolling just behind me did not help me look more like an innocent girl. That didn't really matter to me though. I couldn't stop chasing after Ruby's energy signature. It was so feint that I couldn't run and keep sight of it; I had to take slow steps otherwise I would lose track of it. That added a small layer of apprehension as I slowly walked through the desolate streets of this quite large undersection of Windhelm.
I never knew this place existed. It was like built underneath Windhelm, like an sewer town living down in the rocky cavern that used to be a riverway of some sort. The tiles were wet and slippery, water dripped from the cavern ceiling. The only real source of light were the torches and domed ceiling lanterns filled with glowing insects. The light was just lit enough that the Argonians living down here were visible. And I'm guessing that they have a natural filter in their eyes that allowed them to see clearly in this lowlight. I hear Black Marsh is a low-lit place, thanks to the tree overgrowth. A damp sewer would not be a step down from that.
The town like this, you'd expect it would be completely barren, filled with nothing but Argonians sleeping on cots on the damp stones. While the cavern walkways weren't all that large or wide, it would seem that the Argonians built around it. There were plenty of wooden structures built around the cavern walls, plenty of gardens, mostly insect gardens to feed off of. The houses looked like joined little treehouses somehow logged into cavern walls, feet off the ground. The cavern floors also were filled with wooden planks that lifted the floor up, while small trenches still seemed to flow the sewage through the streets. Some kind of algae grew on top of it… and I had to say, the smell of crap never smelled better. It's weird. This town should not be able to exist. But still… for a town like this to even exist… it's amazing. I couldn't believe no one knew of this… or perhaps the Nords did and did nothing to help the Argonians… or hurt them. I don't know sometimes. This seems like a prelude to more problems later on. Like societal problems. I'd hate to think that one day Argonians will voluntarily choose to live in places like this.
"Master…" I said as glanced back at him. "Have you ever seen a place like this?"
Master Neloth looked more unimpressed at the sight of this underground town than I could have guessed. I thought that seeing a place like this would at least spark a small emotion from him… maybe even empathy. As it was, he only nodded, glancing about like it was an ordinary day. "You would be surprised at the depravity humans can have. However, do not think that humans are the only ones who behave in such fashions. Think of Ayleid and how they enslaved not only beasts but humans as well. Think of the current Dominion and the current policies enforced upon the humans, the banishment of their one and only human god… the hinted partnership with Elsweyr made through threat and deceit, only to have its members serve as little more than slave staff… think of Morrowind, and how slavery was a thriving method of commerce, both in the labor force as well as the more sensual work force. Why, my grandfather in Morrowind had a thriving slave farm. He even owned his own cornerclub, and I must say… the stories he told me of his favorite slaves, and how his customers would spend their evenings… it is a wonder how we as mighty mages could not comprehend what we were allowing to happen. Slaves lived in slight better conditions among the Dres and Telvanni clans, regulations had to be met as well as substantial living conditions… but let's not distract from the growing issue: your friend. Where is she?"
I turned back to the golden trail of energy. It was leading me just ahead. I continued walking down the slippery pathway, trying my best to avoid the glances of the Argonians watching me go by. Just thinking about how nervous I was… how afraid I was to find out what had happened to Ruby… it made that fire of mine grow around my shoulders. It made me look even more intimidating than I would have liked. It kept any Argonians from approaching me, and if I'm here to rescue my friend, it will help when getting her out of here unharmed. If she's unharmed anyway. I really hope she is. I really do not want to leave dragging her body behind me.
I let out a small sigh. I tried to let the flames die down around me. I could feel the ground underneath me starting to warm up and with each step I took, I left a small trail of glass behind me. Was I burning that hot today? My flames felt stronger than ever… and for me that's never a good thing. "So… this Shock thing?" I glanced up at Master Neloth. "How does it work?"
He glanced down at me, almost smirking. "The key to mastering Shock is mastering yourself. Your spirit. Shock is the pure essence of our spirit. Flames, as you have come to understand, is the pure expression of our emotion… Frost: the absence of emotion, apathy at its core. Alteration: the manifestation of our imagination, Wind: the core principles of thought, contemplation. Conjuration: understanding behind manifesting what exists in other realms. Understanding how to penetrate the other realms and call to you what you need. Nirn: a firm grasp on reality, an unmovable conviction of your place in this world. You know of Ash already: the combination of Fire, Wind, and Earth. To have the passion to go forward, the conviction to continue the part never walked, and the mind as fluid as the wind, making you the strongest element on this planet. All can be undone by the presence of Shock. Shock is the strongest element ever known and for good reason. It can penetrate your enemies, force your will upon them, drain them of their willpower… their magicka. The closest a mage can come to combating a Bard on their ridiculous level."
The way he talked about Shock… it reminded me of the times he would lecture me back home in Tel Mithryn. I missed these lectures. He was trying to teach me Shock before we went on our current quest… back when I made my first Compatibility with Seth. He wanted me to meditate, to… focus on my whole, or something like that. I mean… I've meditated before and I've never formed Shock before. Seeing how I had wooden planks catching fire and sandy flooring melting into glass… do I really have a choice now?
I sighed, looking up at Master Neloth. "Sir… do you think Ruby will be ok for a few more minutes? I… I need to meditate."
He glanced down at me, releasing a built-up breath before glancing up at the stone ceiling filled with glowing mushrooms, ones that looked like millions of tiny stars giving even more light to this already well-lit subterranean city. "I suppose it would not hurt. After all, we are all on a mission… a quest. If the Divines pushed you on this path… if Azura really cares for you two as I've seen in your life recall… I would highly doubt her hand in all this is anywhere near lethal. If you dawdle too long however… I fear your friend might regret it. And you by extension. This is your moment, Veselle. Make me proud. Show me the daughter I believe you to be."
Master Neloth placed his hand on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring nod. "I know you can do this. Never a doubt in my mind… nor in yours. You know what you need to do, and for this… this final test… I will not be aiding you. You must find the answers to Shock on your own. I've already said too much, and now… show me you are a mage. Show me you are Telvanni."
I never heard Dad talk like that before. Ever. It was always some kind of snide remark… some kind of comment about how stupid I was, how feeble-minded my attempts at magick were. I never heard him talk to me like this. I liked this version of Master Neloth more than my own father, and that's sad! But… at the same time, I knew that if Dad was really here, he'd try to say much the same thing while not letting me know how he really cared. It was like him to do that.
I nodded to Master Neloth, and I couldn't stop a small tear from escaping my eye as I hid my growing smile. "Um… thanks." I managed not to crack my voice as I stepped away from him. I turned away, letting myself have a small moment to fully express myself. My flames shot up bright blue and pink for a few seconds, purely Illusionary to anyone at this point… I was allowing my flames to spread out, but at the same time I was willing them to be harmless… another lesson I had to learn a long time ago. That didn't stop the Argonians from fleeing away from me at the sight of my cotton-candy colored flames.
I let the fire run its course before sitting down in an elven lotus knot. I tried to remember what Dad told me about this particular meditation. I started with closing my eyes… letting that cold dark embrace of emptiness take me. I then moved onto controlling my breathing… slowing my breaths down and focusing on each little inhale I did, holding… and then focusing on each exhale in return. As my breathing started to become quiet and still, I started focusing on my relaxing my muscles. I started with my forehead, trying my best to relax my brows and my eyes. I moved onto my ears, then my neck, each time trying my best to keep everything else calm and relaxed.
I started hearing some movement around me, soft footsteps of barefoot Argonians walking across the wet floorboards; slapping their feet against the wet cobblestone. Argonians breathe in a raspy way, their gills sometimes flapping against their neck; I never knew they had gills. Whispered voices from the houses told me how the Argonians all feared the two dark elves that were sitting and meditating in the middle of their marketplace. I never knew I was in their marketplace. I didn't think there was anything special about it, honestly. I would have to finish this up if I was to get out of here.
I pushed myself further down, relaxing my shoulders and back, letting my arms sag… and then pulled them right back up, puffing out my chest as I took in a deep breath. I allowed my arms to rest, my stomach as well. And then I moved onto my legs. As my whole body came to rest, I started pushing my thoughts beyond the relaxation. I tried to feel the magick flowing from within me. The small sounds of dripping water from the sewer's ceiling caught up to me, the rhythmic pounding of a drop slapping the wet cobblestone keeping me centered. The rhythmic pounding of several drops started melting into a song of its own, adding to it were the breaths of the Argonians, the silent slapping steps they took adding in a hidden pulse all its own.
I felt some really sharp cold spark down my back, pushing me straight up, arching my back as it hit me. I could feel my entire soul come into being; the entire world shifting through me. I could see myself outside my body, looking down at me… seeing me arching my back, mouth stretched out in silent pain… or realization? I couldn't tell. Maybe surprise. And that's when I saw the fire surrounding my body suddenly die off. No more flames. Small sparks of lightning started coiling around my fingers. Tiny little sparks, but I could see it. And just like that, my eyes slowly started opening.
I glanced down at my fingers. Tiny sparks of lightning zapped from one finger to the next. I could feel the light tingling from each spark, but the lightning did not feel how I thought it would feel. It felt warmer, more alive than I guessed. Whenever Dad hit me with lightning, it made my whole body go numb, draining me mentally and physically. This did not feel at all the same, but then again, it was my own energy. Of course it would feel differently to me; it was my own.
Master Neloth looked down at me, nodding in approval. "Never doubted you for a second." He turned himself around, his cape flapping dramatically behind him as he did so. "Now, let us continue on to our next objective. Your friend, Ruby, is dire need of your help. Let us find her."
I brushed off my leather costume and pushed myself up to my feet. "Ok. Let me just… power up the detection spell." I pulled Ruby's small tuft of fur out, focusing on her and willing the fur to lead me to her. The trail of energy came back brighter than ever, creating an even greater spell than last time I tried to do it. I smiled as I took off in a sprint, running as fast as I could. The trail did not waver as I raced after it, even ducking, dodging, and diving, not to mention jumping over any obstacles that were in my way. My mind and body were in perfect sync, and I danced through crowds of Argonians with ease, my body and mind allowing me to do some crazy things like get through a whole crowd sprinting at full speed, jumping and dancing through the crowd without disturbing a single person.
Once I got through the crowd, I found myself standing in front of a large building, the one at the very end of this walkway in the main sewer tunnel. There was a large crowd standing outside the building, and when I saw everyone standing outside the building, I noticed that most of them looked pretty excited. A few of them turned to look at me, and when they did, I saw everyone's smile quickly turn into a frown. A few of them started to back away from the building. Ruby's glowing trail was leading right through the main doorway, the same doorway that was covered by one massive Argonian covered in scars and a missing tail. He stood at the entrance, arms crossed, and eyes scanning right at me.
I nodded to Master Neloth. "She's in there."
Master Neloth nodded. "Good luck. I shall oversee everything from out here. This is your quest, after all. I just wanted to see you get here." He sat himself down onto the wooden floor. "Best of luck to you, Apprentice. And beware… what you see in there will change you forever. And to what extent… I will egregiously stand by my decision. This is your life, and in some cases… there will be things you will have to face, have to see for yourself. The world is not all rainbows, little bound creatures of healing beams, and life-lasting friends. Sometimes, you must see the world for the darkness that also exists."
I think I knew what I was going to find in there. "You already know what's in there, don't you?" I looked back at him.
Master Neloth shrugged. "I care not. This is your friend, your decision, your life to live… and you must be the one to live it. You must be the one to accept it. You must be the one to own it. If your friend is that special to you, you must be the one to save her. I must not. I would only get in your way and slow your progress. Such is the way of the Telvanni. In House Telvanni, we raise our children to become as independent as possible. Once they master the powers of Shock and Lightning, they are on their own. Their studies only progress as far as they do. Some move on to become Masters like myself, like your mother. Others become like your current father, shopkeepers with little to offer to the magickal world. Either way, this is now your life, Veselle. Do me proud and show me what kind of mage you can become."
Master Neloth left it at that, and I turned my attention back to the building that sat in front of me. I can't believe that just like that, I was suddenly on my own. I was hoping that Master Neloth would be behind me the whole time, helping me save Ruby. As I stood there, I thought about the previous battles I'd been in before. The first time I was at the castle, where Master left me alone with the Ash spawn, where Talvas had to come and save me. I was almost killed back then, but Kyuu came to my rescue, saving me at the last minute. Without his help, I would have surely been killed by the Ash Guardian that was conjured to kill me.
There were other times, like when I was thrown into the mines to find that journal. I had to fight a dragon priest on my own, with little to no help from Talvas. It was just drunk me versus an ancient Nordic spellcaster of epic proportions. And somehow… I won. When I fought the Ash Guardian… I won. I survived long enough for Master Neloth to save me at the last minute. When I was kidnapped by my mother and shoved in a dark witch training camp… I survived. I slowly began to understand myself and what I was capable of. And this was no different. I am a Telvanni mage. I may be stuck in the body of a twelve-year-old but I knew that didn't matter anymore. I had full control over myself: mind, body, and soul. Time to go in there and kick some ass… Telvanni Veselle style.
I brushed off my leather outfit as I marched up to the Argonian bouncer. When he saw me coming, he made certain to puff up his chest and flex his mighty arms, as if challenging me to a strongman competition. "You got a ticket?" He asked in a deep gravelly voice as he flexed his muscles.
"A ticket? A ticket to what?" Was Ruby just here to watch a show or something?
"A ticket to The Slave that Died." The Argonian bouncer sneered. "A thrilling tale of a Khajiit girl that was abducted and forced to live through a series of torturous events leading to her tragic death. Of course, one brave stupid little Dunmer Telvanni brat makes her way into the compound where the slave is being kept hostage… and as the two are reunited… the Telvanni girl is forced to watch her best friend die… all while the slavers laugh and sneer. When the slave is killed, the Telvanni unleashes her magick, killing everyone inside the compound. It's a very tragic tale. One I think… you'll love to watch."
Oh my gods… was this the plan the whole time? They were in here torturing Ruby… to get to me? Because I'm Telvanni? "You're sick. And I'm stopping it." I started to shoulder my way past him, but his massive muscled arm stuck out, almost striking me in the face.
"I'm sorry, but you need a ticket." He replied with a sneer.
"Ok… how do I get a ticket?"
The bouncer flexed his arms again. "You must… beat me in a test of skill and…" I kicked him in the balls. And that seemed to be good enough for him. He dropped to his knees, groaning in pain. "Never mind. You may go in."
I ruffled his feathers as I walked past him. "See? It's that easy. And imagine, I could have done so much worse for what you did to my friend." I walked past him and into the building.
I saw nothing but darkness, but even I could see the rows and rows of seats filled with Argonians. There was a bright light shining down on Ruby. She looked broken and bloody, tied to a chair, dressed in what looked like slave clothing, her fur ruffled and bloodied. Her right eye was swollen shut. "Ruby!" I screamed as I ran through the rows. I noticed that every Argonian was watching me as I ran past them.
Ruby was silently sobbing in her chair, looking off to her right. "She won't come, you know." She half-growled out to someone in the dark part of the room. I guess she didn't hear me then.
A Dunmer walked into the room, dressed in what looked like rich robes. "She will come. She has to. You're her… precious friend." The Dunmer replied, reaching down, grabbing Ruby's chin and holding her face up to meet him eye-to-eye. "Until then… I guess I can just have some fun with you." He placed his hand on her lap.
"Oh, go fuck yourself." Ruby replied.
The Dunmer sneered. "That's your job." He replied. "Ah…" He glanced over to me. "It would seem the fun is about to begin."
Ruby saw me standing there, glancing up at me. "No!" She screamed. "Stay there!" She shook her head madly at me. "Just… don't do anything!"
Argonians started coming out of nowhere, dressed in dark tight leather outfits, carrying serrated swords. Was it a trap or something? This was all set up for me? What did this Dunmer want with me? My head was spinning. This was crazy. Did Master Neloth know about this? And he was going to do nothing to help me? I couldn't let this continue. I took a deep breath as I prepared myself to fight the seven or so Argonians forming up around the Dunmer pressing himself against Ruby.
"Ma'Insha?" I heard someone else say behind me. I turned around to see another Dunmer dressed like a witch scream standing right behind me. Her battle robes looked theatrical at best, like they were made at the last second. She looked more or less just like me, only… she had purple eyes. Oh… and she was wearing a pointy hat with a giant golden star stitched on. What kind of stereotypical witch was this anyway?
"Prella?" Ruby called out. "Get out of here! It's a trap!" I glanced back at Ruby to see her glancing from me to Prella. What? What was this?
Prella, the other Telvanni mage, shook her head. "I would never leave you. I'm here to free you!" She glanced at me, shaking her head. "Leave this to me." She whispered to me.
Ruby cried out, "It's too late. You need to leave… before they kill you."
The door exploded and in rushed a bunch of Argonians, each one carrying what looked like spears. Prella tried to turn around, but I watched in horror as she was ran through, blood flying into the air. I managed to jump back in time to evade a bunch of blood landing on me. A few of the Argonians laughed out loud at seeing Prella getting run through, a few of them exclaiming loudly at being hit with her blood. I couldn't believe what was going on, but I couldn't just stand here and watch this. I stuck out my fingers and launched what I could at them. A wave of lightning crackled off my fingers, colliding with the spearman. There was a second where I thought I had hit him, but a circle came out of nowhere, taking my attack for him.
"What are you doing?" Prella asked as she glared at me, her own fingers glowing from the circle spell she cast to take my attack. I couldn't believe she was still alive. "I told you I got this!" She waved her hands and two wands appeared of nowhere. Her wound was already stitching together.
"I'm a mage too!" I screamed. I pointed down to Ruby. "And she's my friend! I'm going to help you, even if you don't want it."
Prella only rolled her eyes. "OK… everyone stop!" Just like that, the guards rushing her came to a stop. They lowered their weapons, and Prella looked down to Ruby. "Ruby… is she for real?" Her entire demeanor turned from fierce to dull and flat. She acted so… robotic.
Ruby shrugged. "I'm sorry, Ashana… I think I forgot to tell her about the play." She glanced up at me, grinning madly. "I could have sworn I told you about the play today. Sorry. Just… take a seat. I saved you one up front." She winked to me.
I felt so lost… so confused. I only shrugged. "Ok, whatever." Well, so much for my epic battle. I nodded to Ashana. "I'm so sorry."
She only blinked. "It's ok. There's plenty of seats up front." Everyone glanced at me, and I could see some impatient faces growing even more impatient as I continued to stand there. So, I shrugged.
"I'm so sorry, everyone. I totally thought I was going to have to kill you all to free my friend." Just another massacre avoided. I was totally going to blow everyone up if it meant freeing Ruby.
I made my way up to the front of the stage and sat down in the reserved chair Ruby probably saved for me. Once I was in my seat, Ruby cleared her throat. "Ok, we'll take it from the entrance scene. Ashana… just go back to the part where you kick the door in and… we'll go from there."
Ashana nodded and turned around. The guards let her pass and they took their spots back into the dark parts of the room, where I couldn't see them anymore. A full three or four second passed and I saw the doors explode open, the Dunmer witch marching her way in, looking just as fierce as before.
The Dunmer leaning over Ruby sneered, rubbing his hand on her lap again. "That's your job." He replied, more forcefully this time. "Ah…" He glanced over to Ashana. "It would seem the fun is about to begin."
"No!" Ruby screamed up to Ashana. "Stay there!" She shook her head madly. "Just… don't do anything!" I could see tears actually dripping from Ruby's face. Man… she was acting? My head was spinning all over again. From up here, I could see that the majority of the blood and ruffling in Ruby's fur was fake. Even though her closed eye looked real, I could see that any pain she was feeling was forced. But… man was she good at acting.
"Ma'Insha?" Ashana called out.
"Prella! Get out of here! It's a trap!" Ruby screamed, her voice actually breaking.
Prella shook her head. ""I would never leave you. I'm here to free you!" She started walking into the room, and I could see the rows of stage actors slowly creeping up to take their positions.
Ruby cried out, "It's too late. You need to leave… before they kill you."
And that's when the stagehands jumped out with their now looking-fake-as-all-oblivion weapons. Prella turned around just like the last time, taking the spear to her chest, more of that blood shooting out from her. She was quickly taken to the ground by the spear-carrier. I watched closely as the witch stuck out her hands. Lightning shot from her hands, traveling from the witch to the spear-carrier. He convulsed dramatically before letting go of the spear and falling to the ground.
The other spear-carriers yelled out as they charged Prella, who's only reply was a hand shoved at them. The spear-carriers were quickly pulled off their feet by what looked like strong cords and lifted into the air, where they thrashed in the air as they tried to lower themselves down. I heard one complain as he reached for his balls, complaining that the harness was in a spot it was not supposed to be in.
Prella yanked the spear out of her chest, grabbing herself as healing magicka flew into her. She took a deep breath as she pushed herself to her feet. "I won't let you… continue doing this… anymore." Prella said as she limped her way down the aisles. "You Dres piece… of filth. Your… continued…" She fell to her knee, stumbling and landing in the third row, barely reaching out to catch herself as she spat up realistic-looking blood. "misuse of your slaves will not go unpunished."
"Oh… really?" The overly-dressed Dres actor put a knife to Ma'Insha's throat. "You think that one little slave is worth taking the life of one of your own?" He started drawing a line across Ma'Insha's throat.
Ma'Insha, Ruby, glanced up at Prella. "I'm sorry." She cried out. And with a quick yank of the knife, Ruby's head lobbed down. She was dead.
The Dres man shrugged as he walked up to Prella, coming to the front of the stage. "You, lone Telvanni brat, chose war against all of Dres for… her?" He shoved his knife back at Ma'Insha. "You would war on your own people… a House family… for her?" He stabbed at her again.
Prella, glanced up at Ruby. "She was my friend! And she's not the only one! There was Nuxan, Veninian, and Whiskers. You took them all away from me! They were my friends! And I won't let you take another one! I won't let this continue!" She rose to her feet, her eyes flashing bright white as she started levitating. I could feel real magicka roaring out from within her. As I looked closer, I would see she had some kind of… crystal bracelet attached to her arms; the crystals were glowing brightly from underneath her sleeves. Was she using those crystals to her what she was doing? Why? Was she that weak as a mage in real life that she needed that for help? Heck, I could do that before even coming to Tel Mithryn. Oh… stop that, Veselle. You're starting to sound like Neloth.
Prella stuck her hands out to the Dres man. "You will pay for all that you have done! All the lives you took!"
"What manner of magic is this?" The Dres man screamed. She glanced to her leather-clad Argonians. "You, Shadows… do your job. Kill the witch."
The Argonians started to move, but with a wave of Prella's hands, the Argonians were suddenly thrown back. "You have a choice! Stand with your brothers! Stand with each other!"
I could hear Argonians behind me starting to cheer for the Telvanni witch, clapping as they cheered for her. What on nirn was going on?
Prella clutched her hand close to her heart, looking down at her feet as she silently started to cry. "Do not let your brothers live as slaves any longer. Stand for your countrymen, stand for those who cannot stand for themselves. Fight for their lives, just as you would for your own! This is your moment!" She pointed her finger at the Dres slaver. "There is the one that would take your freedom; there is the one that kills all he considers his pets! He is not your friend; he is not your ally; he is not your leader, your lord, or your superior. He is a villain, nothing less. So, Shadows, you have a choice. Stand with me and help me free everyone like Ma'Insha, who was beaten and broken, treated like less than trash by the very same man that would do the same to you if you were not stronger than him."
The crowd grew silent as the Shadows onstage lowered their spears, looking to each other for answers. The leader of the Shadows nodded to each of them and then brought his spear back up. With a single flash, he was no longer standing where he was, and his spear found a target: the Dres slaver. Obviously, the spear went along his right side, where he pinched it to him as he glanced down, gasping in pain. "You… traitorous…"
"You are the traitor, to the Argonian race." The leader of the Shadows said loud enough for the Argonians in the audience. "And this is your punishment: death." With that, he pushed the Dres slaver to his knees, letting him fall to his death. The leader of the Shadows walked up to the Telvanni witch, bowing to her. "Thank you for… reminding us of ourselves. You have our word, we will spread across Morrowind and free our people."
The Telvanni witch nodded. "Dres will not be the only ones you will be fighting. You will likely have to face my family… House Telvanni. My mother… Sadela Areth, as well as her presiding master, Mistress Dratha, will not go silently I'm afraid, and they hold the last great slave plantation in Morrowind. In Tel Mora. I will need the help of your fellow Shadows, and together, I know we can save not only your friends, but we can also fully abolish slavery in all of Morrowind."
The Shadows all bowed to the Telvanni witch. The entire stage darkened, and a single chair on the stage started glowing as an old Argonian hugged a lit table lantern close to him. "I was there… in the room. I was there when Prella Areth led us to Tel Mora. I was there… when we overran House Telvanni. While Prella looked young… you wouldn't think she was a formidable fighter. She fought with a fury I'd never seen in a person so young… so vibrant. So passionate… so… devastated by what she had allowed to exist within her family. Her much older sister, Davilia Oreyn, showed up to the final battle, and the two sisters showed us Shadows exactly what House Telvanni was capable of. Their use of the Compatibility spell the Telvanni loved so much… left the town in flames. The two women… I watched as they brought their mother down… and Mistress Dratha, the oldest living Dunmer in history… buckled to their might. It was that day that slavery was fully abolished in Morrowind. It was that day that I felt I was truly free. And while House Telvanni eventually recovered and attempted revenge on the Shadows for what they had done 70 years ago… they quickly were reminded of just how exacting the Shadows truly were. I was there, leading the charge for the second time when we ransacked House Telvanni only 30 years ago, and then again… 10 years ago, under new leadership. To my horror… just how far we had come. The injustices we committed in the name of past grievances, to be committed over and over again. I knew I'd seen too much death, too much pain. If Prella was there to witness what we had done to House Telvanni that day… she would have cried. And for this… we honor her… we honor the fallen…"
I watched as the Argonians in the audience began to bow their heads in respect. I felt a few hands clasp on my back as a few Argonians started whispering silent prayers to my fallen family.
The old Argonian glanced down at me, nodding. "It would seem we have a special guest member… from House Telvanni, correct?"
I nodded. "Yes… My name is Veselle Tenvanni."
The Argonian slowly nodded his head. "Family Tenvanni. I was there, you know. I believe… I helped kill your grandparents… or at least a few of your granduncles and grandaunts. It's a sad thing… to see in you the same faces I helped split open. But… it also brings me some closure… to know that even when I killed your entire family… you still survive. You still live." He nodded. "Thank you for coming today… thank you for listening to my story. Now… I may finally rest." He closed his eyes, letting his head sag. The small lit lantern sitting on his lap slowly started to die off. And with it… I think he died too.
Cearbhail:
So... I threw a lot at you. Davilia has a sister... Prella. And... this really old Argonian, who has survived on Hist sap for so long, trying to prolong his life long enough to see his past catch up to him... has finally told his story, as he does every year. Ruby... was dragged into the mess when her friend Ashana showed up and asked her to help her put on a play. Ruby, as always, cannot resist some amount of bardic whatnots and whenever Ashana wants something, Ruby delivers. Even at the expense of playing a slave. And of course there was that whole moment where Ruby rushed into Ashana, knocking her over, happily squeezing her to death because she thought Ashana left her or something like that. And now... it's all come to light. Prella is the reason why House Telvanni fell. Her and Davilia actually. So... yeah... I had no idea until I wrote this chapter, honestly.
So... alternate outcomes. Um... that whole scene were Ruby was being manhandled was going to be legit... and Veselle would have been there to see Ruby get brutally murdered in front of her. And then... well... no more Windhelm. The entire city would have burned to her invisible flames. Everyone dead. And then the future chapters would have been Veselle on the run from Skyrim and Dominion patrols, living off the land as a witch being hunted. Eventually taking shelter in an abandoned farm during one really bad blizzard, only to be found by some unlucky man and his wife that came to collect their cow. Veselle, incapable of escaping her fears of being caught, would vaporize them instantly, slowly driving herself to madness as she became the monster she was always being warned against becoming. Only through that trauma would she be able to learn how to focus on her magick and master Shock. I know... it's a very dark ending... that's why I went with this! That and I really did not want to go into that thought pattern. Going dark like that... I really don't want that in my mind. Like... ever. I have enough trouble staying positive; and having Ruby contemplating suicide more than once is not good for my mental state. Well... anyway, back to the High King and Mirri having fun.
