Lands Unkown part 3

If anyone had witnessed what happened on the beaches, they would think they had gone mad. They were not native to this area, and yet no-one could deny that it were definitely bats that were flying over the beach. Hundreds upon hundreds of bats flew in tight formation, seemingly looking for something. They flew south ward, yet every once in a while they would turn north, only to then turn around back south.

If that was not strange enough, a few miles further south the bats dove to the ground. All to a single spot on the sand, and from the hundreds of little wings and bodies a woman was formed. Her clothes were dark, and her hair was darker. Her pale skin was whiter than even the sand and she wore a black ring on her finger. Her eyes were blinded by the bright sun, and she looked around.

Serana had arrived at a beach with large rock formations. She could see a small cave on the far end, yet she paid attention to only what was right in front of her. The beach was littered with driftwood, shattered crates, barrels, chests and rigging. But among the remains of a large ship, she saw bodies. A few dozen, and she recognized a few.

"Please… by the blood, no," she whispered to herself and she started searching the bodies.

They were all members of the crew of the ship that she had sailed on. The men that had fallen overboard during the storm had washed ashore here. They looked bloated and blue, seaweed wrapped around them, as if the sea already embalmed them for their burial. One by one she checked the bodies and yet she did not find what she was looking for, but whether this was a good or bad things, she did not know.

For a few moments she panicked and looked at the open ocean. The endless waters seemed to isolate her from the world, because behind her she saw an impenetrable jungle. She felt trapped, between two things she could not cross… not alone, and she did not want to do so.

"Dammit, Tarrion," she whispered to herself. "You'd better not be lying on the bottom of the ocean. You did not come back from Oblivion and Death itself only to drown because of some lousy storm. You can't be…."

But the waves flowed endlessly and unchanged. There was no answer.. no indication he was alive.. no hopeful message from which she could draw comfort. The world was terrible in its silence.

Many miles to the north Tarrion was getting tired. He had no idea which way to go and randomly picked. He was looking for any survivors, or at the very least something that would indicate that the remains of the ship had landed on the shores. He hoped Serana would still be alive, and he had good reason to believe that she would be. As a Vampire, she could survive much and it was unlikely she drowned. She could have been killed in the storm, but Tarrion believed she could still be somewhere. But finding her would be difficult.

The shores were endless and the soft sand made every step tiring. The sand was warm from the sun, and he felt his feet burn. He had nothing on except the trousers he managed to grab the previous day…. Or maybe it was two days ago. He had no idea how long he was out for, and he feared it was more than he hoped.

But after another hour he saw something. At first it was only small, yet after a while it was unmistakable. Something, or someone, had started a large fire, and large clouds of black smoke rose up to the sky. He did not know if this was a good or bad sign, but it meant life. Fires don't start out of their own initiative, and he knew that this one had to have been started by someone.

And yet he did not trust it either. He did not know where he was, or what could be spying on him. Using caution he Shouted and revealed the aura's of all living things around him, but the only thing he could sense were small lizards in the trees and fish in the shallows. He walked toward the treeline, making sure that whoever started that fire would not see him coming.

Serana stared at the flames. The many crates and barrels were finally burning, after it took her a long time to get them to start burning. The salty seawater did not make it easy, yet the damp seaweed caused a lot of black smoke. She hoped it would attract the right sort of attention… if that was still possible.

From the sky she had seen that this was either a massive island or a place much larger than that, since she saw no oceans anywhere else. The land just stretched further and further to both the east, south and north. Only the west had oceans, yet that did not comfort her. She had no idea where she was, yet she had her fears.

She suddenly sat up straight. She had sensed something behind her and she took a deep breath through her nose, trying to catch a scent, yet the smell of burning wood blocked it out. But she knew there was someone looking at her, that was certain. She turned around and immediately screamed.

"TARRION!"

From the treeline her love appeared and she ran toward him. He looked tired and beaten, yet alive and a smile was on his face. There in the sand they embraced each other neither held back tears of relief. They both knew they would survive, because they were together.

By nightfall they had doused the fire, since both knew it was unlikely anyone else had survived the storm. After they made sure that they could not be tracked they sought shelter in the rocky formations near the beach. There they found a small cave where the sea had carved a way inward. It was fairly spacious, with a flat floor, stalactites hanging from the ceiling and a large basin of water than was linked to the rest of the ocean. They saw that the water was crystal clear and a few lightly coloured stones and pebbles were visible on the floor, several metres below the surface. It was a good place to take shelter and it may even be considered beautiful, if it weren't for the terrible circumstances.

They had also found a few things that were still intact from the ship. A few pieces of rope were wet, but hardly damaged. Half an outfit from Tarrion's wardrobe was undamaged, yet it seemed like it had shrunk a bit. A few glass bottles had survived, and the red and blue liquids in them seemed untainted. Tarrion also found a lute filled with seaweed and water, yet he had cleaned it after deeming it useful. Serana disagreed with him, yet it was one of the only things that was almost completely undamaged, and she simply shrugged when she saw Tarrion cleaning it.

After the sun had gone under neither had said much. Both were too busy making sure they could at least survive for the time being, yet now that they had a few supplies, they sat near each other, wondering what would come next. But neither could break the silence. Tarrion thought about the sailors that died in the storm. Serana thought about what she thought she had seen in the storm. She was not sure, her eyes had not betrayed her before yet this seemed impossible. And yet, the more she thought about it, the more she started to think it wasn't that crazy.

"Are you alright?"

She woke up when she heard his voice and she looked at him. A look of concern was in his deep eyes and she found them hard to resist.

"It's just…." and she sighed.

"Again?" he asked.

"Again," she nodded. "We think we can have some peace, and again something happens to ruin our plans and our days."

Tarrion nodded in understanding and stared into the deep pool of water. "Agreed. Solstheim was already a nightmare… who knows where we are now."

There was something about Serana's silence that made Tarrion look at her, or maybe he had experienced so much with her already he knew the difference between a silence and a silence.

"You… know where we are?" he asked carefully.

But she shook her head. "I am not certain…. But the more I think about it, the more impossible and yet less crazy it seems."

When Tarrion's brow furrowed she looked at him.

"Akavir."

Tarrion stared at her for a few moments before he opened his mouth, only to then close it again.

"Akavir?" he finally asked. "That seems…"

"Impossible?" she asked him. "I know, and yet…. The sun rises in the east… and the east is far inland. It sets in the west, where there is only ocean. This means were are not in Black Marsh, or it would have to be the other way around. We have sailed far to the east, so…. In legends and stories, the Akaviri of old came from the east. A massive and uncharted continent. But…" she paused, not sure if she was certain of what she saw. "I think I saw a ship, during the storm. A massive ship, larger than any ship I have ever seen. I couldn't see it well enough to be certain…. The mist and storm and rain blocked even my vision, yet it looked like a ship…. Just much, much bigger."

Tarrion sat motionless. His brain desperately trying to find a reason to say it was impossible, that it could not be true… and yet it seemed to make sense. Impossible, yet not crazy. And as he came to the conclusion that Serana may be right, he stared at the walls of the cave and they seemed to frighten him. Outside they could hear the endless tide and the waves breaking on the shores… and they seemed hostile to him.

"Akavir," he repeated to himself and he shuddered at the thought. "You're sure it is not just a large island?"

Serana shook her head. "I cannot be certain, yet I do not think so. I tried looking for you, and when I assumed the form of a large swarm of bats I flew high up. I saw no other shores anywhere. No end to the island… but this may also mean it is indeed just a large island. I hope you are right… I hope I am wrong here, but I fear the worst. That we have landed on an entirely new and unknown continent."

"I know almost nothing of Akavir," Tarrion said and he stared at the rocks. "I have read the book The Mysterious Akavir but that is it. There are only a few records of the people that live there, and almost nothing of the land itself."

Serana nodded. "I have read the book, yes. There seem to be 'tiger people' and 'serpent folk' here. There are more but these two are the most prominent. I'm not sure what to expect of them, but I'd rather avoid them."

"Agreed… and yet, we cannot cross an entire ocean on a handmade raft."

Serana knew he was right, that it would be impossible to return to Tamriel without help. It seemed to be an impossible task and the prospect of it frightened her.

Outside the darkness was deepening. The moon did not shine into the cave, yet the pool of water did bring in some light from the outside. There seemed to be small pebbles below the surface that reflected the light of the moon into the cave, and the wrinkling of the water cast playful shadows on the walls and ceiling.

Serana and Tarrion were tired and they found a soft corner and fell asleep. The hard rock was not something they liked, but both had slept under worse conditions. They lay calmly next to each other, but for a short while Serana could not sleep. Doubt and other thoughts gnawed at her mind and when she finally fell asleep, it was out of pure exhaustion.

Not two hours later Tarrion woke up. He rubbed his eyes and saw that it seemed to be day already. There was light all around them, but when he looked again, they were still in the cave. The walls and ceiling were illuminated by light and when he finally sat up straight he gasped for air and woke Serana.

"Serana," he shook her arm, trying to wake her. "Serana… look. You must see this."

"Mmm…." she mumbled and slowly opened her eyes. "Just a few minutes."

"Trust me on this… you'll want to see this."

Serana grunted and sat up straight and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "What is-.." and her mouth fell open. "By the blood."

The large pool of water had started to shine, and now illuminated the cave. A clear light of both gold and silver were mingled in the water. When they neared the edge of the pool their amazement grew even more now that they saw what caused it all.

Hundreds of little fish swam in the water below them, and each of them seemed to have reflecting scales. They had no colour of themselves, yet seemed to shine with all the colours around them. Small eels, black and white, glided over the bottom and seemed to dance with lights. The bottom was covered with white sand and countless pebbles that also reflected the hundreds of lights from the moon and the plants in the water. And it was those plants that caused it all.

Large parts of the walls were covered in a strange type of moss that glowed with a golden light. Small patches of seaweed grew on the ground and waved softly in the tide. The edges of the leaves were lined with luminescent algae and a soft blue light came from them. And further toward the underwater entrance to the cave, large strings of kelp reflected the light of the moon and bathed the entire pool in a silver light.

Serana stared into the water and saw something that even she couldn't have dreamed of. Untouched nature having formed itself into a cave of light that rivalled even Sovngarde. She looked at the man next to her and saw the lights all around him. A surge of regret came over her when she looked at him and she knew she had to apologize.

"I lied."

It took Tarrion a moment to hear Serana and when he finally turned around he saw how a tear fell into the water.

"Sorry?"

"I lied," Serana repeated. "I never forgave you."

Serana felt her heart in her throat and her tears now forced themselves out, and she wept bitterly. Tarrion tried to calm her, but she hardly heard him. The pain overwhelmed her and even after Tarrion embraced her she could not stop. Her body shook uncontrollably and the walls echoed with her sobbing.

After a while she was able to speak again and she confessed to Tarrion how she had lied.

"I never forgave you. I wanted to, but….. I hadn't."

Tarrion looked at her and saw that it was about what happened on Solstheim. There was no other thing he could think of that would cause this much pain in her, and he waited for her to finish.

"I wanted us to be together again. I wanted it all to be over… but I didn't try. I thought I could ignore what happened and move on with our lives… but I see now that that is not what forgiveness is."

She slowly pulled herself together and took a deep breath. "Forgiveness doesn't mean ignoring or forgetting… yet that is what I tried to do. I tried to forget about Solstheim and love you like I did before. But…. I couldn't. I still looked at you and saw someone who wounded me more than I can describe. More so than my own parents…. Because you are closer to me than anyone else has ever been."

She took a deep breath and continued. "But in the last few days I started to see you again for who you are…. The man I love," and a slight, watery smile came on her face. "I think I can forgive you now."

"Then what is forgiveness?" Tarrion asked.

"It means accepting what happened… yet not letting it harm you again. It means throwing it over your shoulder and never look back… yet not forgetting it, but learning from it. It means understanding that you may be in the right, yet you still choose the other over yourself. Forgiveness is against what humans learn… there is always a debt to pay, and there is always a debt to be called in. But forgiveness is mercy. Giving up your right, in favour of the other… and never bring it up again. Not ignoring… accepting."

All this time she had stared at the stone floor, but now she looked at him and she felt a shot of lighting running through her heart, and her head became filled with a blessed happiness. Those deep eyes of him now looked at her with kindness and although she saw a few tears, she knew they were not the grieving ones.

But when he did not say anything, whether because he thought she wanted to say more or because he did not know what to say, she slowly leaned in a bit.

"I…" she stammered and she stared at his lips, desperate for their taste. "I really want to kiss you again."

He chuckled slightly and leaned in as well, but before Serana could control herself, she jumped him and planted her lips on his.

With all that had happened in the last few months, Serana could feel it fall from her shoulders when she finally kissed him again. Every time their lips touched each other felt like a rush of adrenaline. Every second she felt his warmth in her arms felt like a piece of sorrow ebbing away. Every moment she wrapped her legs around him was one she wanted to last forever. She felt that familiar feeling again. That warm shiver down her spine… that lightheaded bliss in hear head… that stirring in her loins as his hands ran through her hair. She tasted him again. A taste that, till this day, she could not define or even describe.

Outside the night progressed. The untouched shores of Akavir were teeming with life. Countless fish swam in the ocean, and even more countless animals moved around in the trees or had found a burrow to sleep in. But in the cave, Serana had removed her tunic and now undid her trousers. The thousands of little lights were again reflected on her pale skin. Tarrion leaned bare-chested against the wall and stared at her naked figure.

Serana had always been beautiful. Her skin had always been flawless and her eyes had always glowed with a soft glow. But now, as she walked backwards, away from her man… slowly and with a confident smile on her face as she sensed Tarrion's blood flowing in his veins, it was like he saw her again for the first time. Not the first time he saw her back in Dimhollow Crypt, but when he first started loving her in Ancestor Glade. Where they had shared their first kiss. Where she had cupped his face for the first time and truly said what she felt. Where he too confessed his feelings for her and how he embraced a woman who, to him, was no Vampire.

The lights of the pool made every part of her body dance, reflecting in her pale skin. But it were her eyes that captivated him. They almost flared with the lights, or maybe it was because of how much she longed for him… Tarrion did not care as he stared at her and became red in his face.

"You still turn red when you see me naked?" she asked as she sat down against the rocks.

"Have I grown used to it?… yes," he said with a smirk as he stood up. "But will I ever get tired of it?…. never."

He walked toward her but she raised her hand and he stopped. She pointed at his trousers and proceeded to point her finger down firmly.

"Loose those first," she said.

She saw how he turned around just as he unbuttoned them. She felt a slight urge to protest, yet that disappeared when he finally faced her again.

His entire body… from his feet to his scalp and everything in between, she craved it. She saw him walking toward her and every muscle in his body became highlighted in the ever changing lights. From his legs to his neck, she saw the muscles… and the scars that covered them. She knew most people would be taken aback by this, or even slightly repulsed… but not her. She loved every inch of him. She even felt a slight sense of intimidation coming from him as he approached her, yet it only deepened her want for him.

She had her eyes closed as she felt him. She could hear the soft rushing of the waves outside of the cave, yet it was drowned out by the sound of Tarrion's heartbeat. She smiled and softly bit her lip as she felt how he kissed the inside of her knee. The warmth of his cheeks rubbed her thigh as he kissed them. She reached for his head and ran her fingers through his black hair… softly stroking his scalp.

She gasped loudly for air as felt his tongue, only to let oud a satisfying moan. A chuckle escaped her mouth as she felt his breath on her stomach… her breasts and finally her neck. The pain that she had felt in the last weeks ebbed away as they kissed each other, breathing in each other's scent.

The ebb and flow of the sea was now sensed in the two lovers. Each being dominated when the other took charge. When Tarrion would move, Serana let him wash over her. When Serana would make her advance, Tarrion would let himself be taken by her.

She moved on top of him, gently touching his jaw. She felt the heat coming from his body, and it took all her willpower to stay calm. His heat invited her… called to her to take and ravish him. And the more she held back, the more her body ached for him. She softly kissed him at the base of his neck where she saw a scar. A soft and longing grunt came from him as she moved again and it made her shiver with anticipation.

He lay back as she straddled him. Her skin was white as milk and softer than silk. He placed his hands on her legs, gently guiding them to a steady pace. She had raised herself above him. He saw how her head almost touched a stalactite. She noticed it as well and grabbed it to steady herself, now in full control of both their bodies. Her slim waist almost dancing as she moved. Her free hand moved through her hair as her eyes were closed in ecstasy.

She suddenly stopped moving and stared at him. The gaze in her eyes forced Tarrion to look at her and she slowly started moving again. She let go of the stalactite and leaned forward, still keeping his eyes on her. As she lowered her chest she felt his heat around her… almost like a physical aura that she entered. She heard his heart… she sensed his blood pumping through his veins and she felt the warmth that came from his chest as she neared him, still keeping his eyes on her. When she saw he was at his limit and she smirked a bit, her lips slightly parted as she moved faster. Quickly she grabbed his wrists and pinned them on the rock. She would make sure he could not escape her. She chuckled again as she rocked herself back and forth and saw his squirm. She missed this. She missed this so much.

Later they both swam in the large pool in the cave. Many of the fish had disappeared as soon as they had entered the water, yet the light of the algae and kelp was still around them. Serana had her eyes closed as they vented their passion even now. She could only feel his body pressed against her, yet she could not sense him. At all times she knew where he was, or what he was doing. She sensed him everywhere, even with her eyes closed…. Yet now, she truly felt that her body had to rely solely on touch, and it amplified everything. The soft kisses on her neck and shoulders… the rocking of his hips against hers…. His soft touch on the small of her back…. She felt it all, almost as if it was for the first time. She felt his muscles, and the scars that covered them. She felt his lips, and the warmth that came from them. She felt him… and the love that she felt for him.

Large bubbles escaped her mouth as she reached her limit. And even more when she told him that she loved him. He could not hear her, yet he fully understood. Her senses were numb as he cupped her face again and kissed her. Her legs were shaking as she embraced him, knowing that all was well. That no matter the challenges they would face… they would be together… now and forever.

When Serana woke up the next morning, she woke up with a smile on her face. She felt rested and she sensed the warmth coming from the exit of the cave. The day had dawned and she felt well rested. She did not see Tarrion though, yet she did see a small pile of fish lying next to their supplies. A minute later she heard his voice coming from the pool.

"Hey… you're awake," she heard him and he dispelled his Invisibility charm. "I've been fishing," and he pointed at the pile of dead fish.

Without a word she crawled on all fours toward him and kissed him. "Good morning. I haven't slept that well since before Solstheim."

"I have noticed," he said kindly as he lifted himself on the edge, his muscles wet and glistening. "and I didn't want to wake you. It seemed you needed the rest."

"Mmm," she hummed as she kissed his shoulder. "I needed you. So, thank you."

He kissed her shoulder in return. "My pleasure."

They left the cave two hours later. They had dressed themselves and packed their supplies as best they could. With renewed strength they left the beaches and headed inland, trying to find something that would help them return to Tamriel.

They quickly saw that that seemed almost impossible. They found no signs of civilisation, or even remnants of it. The open forests of the beaches were behind them and now they had entered a jungle the likes of which they had never seen before.

The trees were tall. Taller than anything either of them had ever seen. They reached higher and higher, until the canopy was over a hundred metres above them. The branches of the one tree connected with the next, creating a network of endless vines and trees. The ground was covered with undergrowth, like ferns and small bushes, but also small trees and flowers. They could hear the sounds of unknown animals around them and they also looked unlike anything they had ever seen. Some had horns like cows, yet had scales like a lizard, walking on six legs. Others seemed to be a conjoining of birds and lizards, having features of both and they flew away as the two approached.

As they walked there, the sense of euphoria and excitement that they had felt in the cave was all but gone. They first felt carefree and happy, yet that started to be replaced with worry and dread. They started to understand better and better the enormous task of returning to Tarmiel and how difficulty… or even impossible it was. They knew that without a ship, they might never return. It became clear to them that they would be trapped here for a long time.

But for how long? Weeks? Months? Years? Neither of them knew.

=End of Chapter=

=Author's Notes=

And that wraps it up for this chapter. I had a few ideas for this chapter, but I could only pick one of them. oh well… maybe I can squeeze in the others somewhere else. But that is it for this chapter… stay tuned for the next one where they meet the natives. There is no way that should end badly…. Right?