"...devehr Drarprovidiihn..."

He muttered parts of the incantation out loud as he sat across his bed, the spell taking form in his hand, its violet glow feeling somewhat unfamiliar as he called upon a plane of Oblivion other than his usual. He spread his fingers, straightening his arm out in front of him to aim the gateway in the center of the room, smirking at the memory of the first time he'd ever summoned this particular creature.

The scamp materialized in a swirl of thick smoke and wisps of flame, inclining its head to sniff the air noisily as its black eyes took in the room. Teldryn's nose twitched when the creature's acrid stench reached him. He'd forgotten about that. Odor aside, it was incredibly easy to keep docile so he felt this would work quite well. He frowned at its wicked talons as they clicked together. Definitely need to cut those. Suddenly, both he and the scamp whipped their heads toward the door at the sound of the lock turning.

With no time to banish the scamp, Teldryn leaped off the bed as the door opened.


She couldn't believe it had been so easy to get off work a little early, why had she never done it before? She smiled as she entered Teldryn's room, the change of pace making her a little giddy. Come to think of it, she might even suggest that Geldis hire a third barmaid. Azura knows I could use a whole day off sometimes.

The smell hit her first, like burning sulfur, and she barely had time to move out of the way before Teldryn slammed the door shut behind her. "What the-" Her question was cut off by her sharp gasp at the sight of a nightmarish creature in the room, her attempt to scream muffled by Teldryn's hand over her mouth.

"No," he said, pressing a finger to his lips. "No screaming. I'm in control of it, it won't attack us." He pulled his hand cautiously away from her mouth and she peeked around him at the...beast? It was short and scrawny with long pointed ears, like a shriveled elf with sharp orcish teeth. Sickly yellow skin with patches of scales stretched over corded muscles that twisted down disproportionately long arms, its bony hands ending with overgrown, jagged black nails. Shaggy brown hair covered its legs and she jumped when it moved, noticing a whiplike tail swishing behind it.

Her eyes darted between the creature and Teldryn, who seemed to be watching her for a reaction. "The fuck is that?"

"This...," he said, making a showy gesture as he backed away."...is a scamp." He looked at the scamp with a satisfied grin, then back to her. "A creature from The Deadlands. I summoned it."

She folded her arms, raising one hand to press against her lips as she studied the man in front of her, waiting for him to say something that made sense. She slid the hand on her mouth up over her nose. Gods, that thing stinks.

"This is why I wanted you to get armor, so you can fight it. If it becomes too much, I can make it stop but you can go so far as to kill it, it will just go back to Oblivion."

That thing was from Oblivion? She could only stare between the creature and Teldryn, unsure which one was more bizarre. And what the hell is The Deadlands? She squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her fingers along her brow as she tried to remember what she'd read about Daedra and their realms. Azura's is Moonshadow, Boethiah's is...something...

She gave up, the names and places mixing around with her exasperation. Not to mention the rough, gurgling sound of the creature's breathing was making her stomach roll.

"So let me get this straight," she said, lowering her hands. "You summoned this..." she motioned toward the scamp. "...thing from a god's realm just so I can kill it? Except, it's not really dead and you just bring it right back to start over?"

Teldryn held her stare for a few moments, looking like he was mulling over her words before he finally nodded. "I believe that sums it up, yes."

Un-believable.

"What on Ea-" Nope. "Nirn-" Not good enough. "What in the universe is wrong with you?" she shrieked, throwing her arms out. The scamp hissed and she turned her glare on it, staring into beady little eyes, each second replacing her anger with pity. It didn't matter that it was hideous and probably mean as could be, she was not going to torture a living being for sport. She looked back to Teldryn, not wanting to believe he could be so cruel but it was clear by his maddeningly confused expression that he didn't see anything wrong with the idea. She couldn't be in this room any longer.

"You take care of this." She waved her arm around in the direction of the scamp as she backed toward the door, raising her chin. "I'm gonna go smoke."


"What?" He was pulled from his utter bewilderment at her reaction by her last statement. Did she say smoke?

He started after her, catching the door handle before it closed, the skittering sound behind him causing him to stop. He slammed the door shut and turned, gathering energy into his palm, throwing his hand out to banish his latest apparent mistake.

The scamp screeched as fire erupted at its feet, a plume of black smoke rising up with unnatural speed, swallowing the creature into a formless void before dissipating as quickly as it came, leaving only the scent of death and decay.

He nearly left the room, but again stopped. He didn't know where she was going and he hated the idea of going out completely unarmored, but there was no time. He turned with a frustrated groan and crossed the room for his dagger, strapping it onto his waist while heading back to the door to go and find out exactly what the fuck her problem was. Although that had not been how he had planned for her to meet the scamp, her hysteria was above and beyond what he had expected.

He stalked into the tavern, eyes darting between the kitchen and the stairs as he wondered which way she had gone. He didn't wonder long as Vanya emerged from the kitchen rubbing something onto her arms and neck as she headed toward the stairwell. A sweet, lavender aroma reached him as he approached and he had to pick up his pace to cut her off right before the stairs since she was very conspicuously ignoring him.

"You stink," she said, not meeting his eyes, only raising a hand to show him the lotion in her palm. "Pull up your sleeves."

He did as she said, holding out his arms as she spread the cool cream onto his skin, a little bit roughly. "Vanya, look at me."

As if she hadn't heard him, she tugged his sleeves back down then brushed past him up the stairs. Curling his lip in frustration, he followed her, skipping steps to again cut her off before she reached the door. Before he could demand an explanation she looked up at him placidly, stopping the words in this throat.

"Bralsa got a hookah," she said as she stepped around him and out into the market. He sighed heavily, recognizing her attempt to divert him with some kind of Earthling word. It wasn't going to work. He went through the door after her, suppressing his urge to ask what a hookah was, satisfied with the fact that he'd find out soon enough.


She peeked up with an arched brow as he caught up to her. He wasn't going to take the bait this time. "I don't think I've ever seen you leave the Netch without your armor."

"I was in a bit of a hurry," he said sourly.

"Don't you get tired of wearing it, anyway?"

"Sometimes, but I've never regretted it."

"Even when you're just around town?" she asked, looking up at him as they rounded Fethis house toward the path to the mine.

"You well know things happen in town, Vanya," he replied sharply, and she focused her eyes ahead, not wanting to admit he was right. "Speaking of," he added. "You should wear yours as much as possible, to get used to it."

The reminder about her armor stoked her anger and she shook her head as she picked up her pace to put distance between them, only gaining a few steps before he caught her elbow. She whipped around, pulling her arm from his grasp.

"Let's have it out, Vanya. Right now."

Who exactly does he think he is? She had honestly had just about enough of him ordering her around, acting as if he had some right to make decisions for her. He wanted to have it out? Fine.

"How could you think I'd be okay with that?" she hissed, pointing behind him toward the Netch. "How are you okay with that? Pulling that creature into this world to kill it over and over like some twisted kind of...torture slavery? It's sick, Teldryn!"

He raised a hand in a calming gesture that had quite the opposite effect. "I don't think you understand..."

"No, I guess I don't, thank God," she spat. "And where do you get off going behind my back when I explicitly said I wanted to pay for my armor, which, by the way, I'm not even sure I want anymore if this is the kind of shit you think is fun."

"Admittedly, that was a mistake..." He had both hands up now.

"Only because Glover was not as good a liar as you hoped. I'm not an idiot, Teldryn."

"I know that, Vanya," he clipped out, taking a step forward. "If you wouldn't be so gods-damned stubborn..."

"I'm the one who's stubborn?" She put her hands on her chest in disbelief. "Me? You know, how about instead of going around making plans for me, you ask me what I think first? Could have saved us both a lot of fucking money this morning."

She'd pissed him off now, she could see it in the way his features tightened. He turned his head, closing his eyes as he pressed his fingers to his forehead and she swore she could see a flicker of green light. There was more she wanted to say but the subject whisked the wind from her sails before she could form the thoughts into words. All of her furious energy collapsed under the weight of the tension between them. Did he plan on mentioning his mother to her? What would it mean if he didn't...what would it mean if he did? Did she want it to mean anything at all?

"I'm just..." he said finally, bringing his hand down as he looked at her. "I'm just trying to help you."

"Why bother?" she said, suddenly weary. "It's a waste of time. Don't you see that?"

"No, I don't."

"Well, open your eyes. I'll never be more than what I am, to you or anyone else. A burden that everyone has to carry because I just happened to fall into this world and take up space."

"Don't talk like that," he said stiffly as he stepped closer and she looked away, no longer able to keep up her facade.

"I try not to but it sucks to hear the truth, doesn't it?" She blinked back the tears in her eyes. She was so tired of crying. "No matter how much I try, how much I learn, I can never quite make it." Her voice fell to barely a whisper. "I shouldn't be here."

His fingers grasped her chin with surprising force, snapping her head up, the edge in his voice making her hair stand on end. "I don't accept that."

She swallowed as she ran her hand up to his wrist, tugging to loosen his grip. He let go, his arm going limp in her grasp. "It's not really up to you."

At that moment, as she looked into his defiant eyes, it was as if her statement had been directed at herself. Who was she to tell him what was right or wrong in this world, to try and impose her will on someone who'd lived her life many times over, or to expect so much when he would continue long after she was gone? He was doing what he knew to help her and she was being horrid about it. She dropped her eyes as a wave of shame engulfed her and words she knew he didn't want to hear formed on her tongue.

I'm sorry.

She choked them back, knowing he would only argue. Unsure what else to do, she pressed her face to his chest, the way his arms immediately encircled her easing the stress that had been clawing at her all day. Despite the lingering mixture of aromas on his shirt, his was there underneath, a scent that could pull her out from under the fear and doubt that clouded her mind, if only for a little bit.

"I don't want to fight with you, Teldryn. I don't like it."


He wasn't sure if she meant just here or in training as well, but he agreed on both points. "I don't like it either."

Did she truly believe that of herself? It was a horrific revelation that he had no words for, so he simply held her, feeling the same helplessness that disarmed him every time she gave him a glimpse of the true nature of her pain. All his attempts to help only seemed to agitate the dark shadows that plagued her soul.

He tightened his hold on her as if she might suddenly decide to float away from this plane in which she felt so dissonant. Long moments passed, the only sounds a light breeze whispering over the cliffside and the occasional distant chirp from the herd of guar.

Her gentle voice broke the silence, "It's a shijah, by the way."

He narrowed his eyes at nothing in particular until he remembered the reason they were standing out on the path to the mine in the first place. With sudden excitement, he pushed her shoulders away, looking her in the face. "A molghelu?"

She nodded as a smile pulled at her lips. "Yeah, I couldn't remember what Bralsa called it." Her brow pinched a little. "Mo-ghelu?"

"Mol-ghelu," he corrected, mirroring her smile as she intertwined the fingers of one hand with his.

"Mole-ghelu," she tried again while they started up the path together.

He chuckled. "Closer, the emphasis is wrong. Molghelu"

Her lips pursed slightly and she inclined her head, concentrating. "Molghelu."

"That's it," he said, squeezing her hand in encouragement. Her expression brightened further and she swayed their clasped hands lightly between them as they walked. It occurred to him that part of what she believed was right- she wasn't made for this world. That didn't matter. She was now a part of it- just as much as he was- and if it were up to him he would say that Nirn was better for it.