Lands Unkown part 4

The days had turned to weeks, and still both Serana and Tarrion had seen no sign of civilisation. The jungle around them seemed endless and both started to despair that they were walking around in circles. The surroundings seemed the same everywhere and it did not help that they had no idea where they really were. Akavir was the most likely scenario… yet also the worst, although it did mean that they could find other, sentient races. The other scenario was that they had landed on a large and abandoned island, and that did not bode well either. It meant that although they were not too far east, they were completely alone. Both Serana and Tarrion did not know which scenario to hope for.

Although the lands were completely unknown, they had little difficulty surviving. Serana needed to feed only on blood, and Tarrion was willing to give it. He did need food and water, yet hunting was not difficult. It seemed some of the animals were not accustomed to dangers, and hunting them proved easy. And when they needed water, it was not difficult to use magic and create ice.. only to then melt it down to drinkable water.

Thus they survived the massive jungle as they tried to make their way further north, since both felt that the north seemed kinder.

But after a few weeks of walking, and their clothes becoming ragged and torn, they started to notice the difference in elevation of the land. The ground became rockier, and they slowly felt that the terrain was going up. It was clear they had reached the slopes of a large mountain until suddenly they found themselves standing at the bottom of a massive cliff. The land had risen itself up almost a hundred metres, and they saw vines hanging down from the top.

"How are we supposed to climb this?"

Serana looked up and although the sun was blotted out by the canopy far above them, she still could not see everything. Tarrion tried to spy a way up the mountains, but saw none. The rock was too steep, almost like a wall of stone, and the trees could not reach the top.

"The trees," he said to himself.

"Hmm?"

"We can climb the trees," Tarrion said as he looked at the massive jungle around him. "Or… I can climb the trees.. you can fly if you want."

"Unless I have to, no thanks," Serana pointed out. "It feels very strange to have a hundred separate bodies at the same time."

"Hmm…"

The way he hummed told Serana that he was thinking about something, and it was not about their current problem.

"Hmm, what?" she asked him and she saw a slight tilt in the corner of his mouth. "What are you thinking about, Tarrion?"

When he did not answer Serana knew enough. "Are you thinking about what you would do with more than one of me?"

Tarrion swallowed before he answered. "… maybe."

"Pervert," she snorted.

Eventually they found a tree that seemed climbable. The log of the tree was wide, almost ten metres wide, and the first branches only appeared after almost thirty metres. But when they finally reached the canopy, they found it was easy to climb from the one tree to the other. The branches were intertwined with each other and although the thick layer of moss made it slippery, they managed to get closer to the large cliff. They saw large vines hanging form the edge above them and they seemed strong enough to climb them.

Standing on the large branches of the massive trees, they could look around them and saw many things. Although the trees were massive, they stood far apart… sometimes a hundred metres between them. Vines were stretching down to the ground and small animals used them to get up and down. They saw how some of them had only two arms, yet no other limbs. Despite this they seemed to have no trouble to climb the trees and look for fruits and leaves to eat. The ground was covered with a thick blanket of green. Ferns, bushes and plants grew everywhere. Beneath that both of them knew there were countless other, smaller animals scurrying around, looking for food, yet they were invisible to them.

After a few other trees they arrived at the massive canyon wall again. They could reach the vines that hung from the top and they climbed up.

At the top they found that the jungle continued and both felt a sense of despair when they saw it. Nothing seemed to have changed as the trees seemed to be even taller than before. But they did see that they were heading in the right direction. Looking back at the land where they came from they saw it was a massive peninsula, with oceans covering all sides, except the northern side where it was connected to the mainland.

"It seems we chose the right direction after all," Serana remarked.

"Indeed, yet now what?" Tarrion asked as he looked at the seemingly endless forests. "We seem to be out of the bear's den, only to fall into the Dragon's lair."

"Then it is a good thing you are a Dragonborn."

Serana came standing next to him and took his arm. "I know our conditions haven't improved much…. But we'll get through this. I know we will."

"Hmm… I wish I had you optimism," he answered as he looked at the seemingly impenetrable jungle. "I have no doubt we will survive, it's just going back that I am worried about."

As they continued deeper inland with no idea where they were really going, Tarrion started to get more and more worried. The vast jungle, empty of any form of civilisation, gave him a sense of isolation unlike anything he had ever felt. But on the third day after the large climb up, that changed.

The two had made a small fire for Tarrion to warm himself, and he roasted a chunk of meat from an animal whose name he did not know. It tasted a bit like horker meat,a bit saltier, but he enjoyed it. Serana sat next to him and leaned in a bit and whispered.

"Do not react to what I am saying. Just keep roasting your meal."

"What?" he asked and he looked at her.

"Eyes forward," she commanded him, still whispering. "We're being watched."

Tarrion turned his eyes back to the fire and nodded slightly. "How can you tell?" he whispered back.

"I sense them," she whispered back as she poked the fire. "Two of them in the trees above us."

"They're not animals?"

"No…. they have neared us, but keep their distance for now. Also their movements are too organized to be from animals."

"Can they hear us?"

"Doubtful. They are almost thirty metres above us… so I don't think so."

"Hmm," Tarrion nodded and he Shouted.

LAAS

The whisper of the shout was only heard by Serana and immediately Tarrion knew that she was right.

Two large beings were indeed hidden in the trees above them. He could not say what they were, but they seemed to be almost unnaturally large. Yet… what would be natural in a strange continent like this? But that was about all he could deduct from what he sensed.

"Strange," Serana whispered. "They seem to be alive… yet not."

"What do you mean?"

But Serana shook her head. "I'm not sure."

"Well… whatever they are, they seem to be getting closer."

He was right and Serana sensed it too. One of the creatures slowly moved downward to a branch a few metres lower.

"Well, are you ready?" Tarrion asked softly.

Serana answered with a large yawn. "Y-yes… 'm tired for the day," and she deliberately raised her voice slightly.

"Agreed," he answered and he rubbed his neck. "Shall I take the first watch?"

"What for? We haven't seen any form of civilisation in weeks, and the fire will keep the animals at bay. Come here."

She pulled him closer as she placed her body against the log of the tree. She hugged his arm as she closed her eyes and she whispered. "I'll let you know when to attack."

"I know you will," and he kissed her forehead. "I trust you."

Both lay still with their eyes closed and their chests going up and down in deep breaths. The fire softly danced as it ate away the logs and branches. In miles around them there was almost no sound now as the night had fallen on the land. Yet both Serana and Tarrion were wide awake. Serana took shallow breaths and tuned her senses to detect any movement from the two creatures that were still above them. Tarrion took deep breaths through his nose, his Werewolf-blood allowing him to smell the two intruders. Both would be ready in the blink of an eye… ready to turn the hunters into the hunted.

Tarrion's ear twitched at the sound of something moving. Serana felt the movement above her… just a bit closer. One move to the right… one to the left… a halt. A gesture with an arm and hand. A small drop… a hissing sound… then silence and both knew that time was up.

A loud rustling came from the tree and Serana and Tarrion both dove in a different direction. They heard something large land on the ground where they lay a second ago. A second slam was heard and Tarrion ducked under something large that lunged over him. Both creatures picked their target and went after their prey. Serana jumped away and in a lighting reflex dodged the tip of a spear. She dodged a second jab and fired an Ice Spear at her assailant. It was a blind shot, yet it hit its mark, albeit it barely. She heard a loud hissing and she jumped backwards again and finally got a good look at her attacker.

It was large. Larger than any sentient being she had ever seen. Its head looked similar to the head of an Argonian, yet flatter and more humanoid with a flat nose. Its eyes had slits instead of pupils and in its mouth she saw a long, thin tongue with a cloven tip. Its entire body was covered with scales, and its torso with a supple but strong armour. It had two arms, each with five fingers, and it held a long spear with a barbed tip. But the most terrifying feature of this being was its lower body. Serana saw no legs, but instead a long and muscular tail. It stretched almost ten metres long and was covered with tribal markings and war paint.

"Humanssssss," it hissed at her. "Lookssss like you are very tassssty."

A bit further away Tarrion could hardly see where his attacker was. The canopy above them blocked any light from the stars and he knew that the moon was waning. Dodging under another attack he ran back to the fire and grabbed a branch and waved it in front of him.

His attacker hissed and laughed. "Fire will not sssssave you, Human."

YOL

With an unexpected burst flames escaped Tarrion's mouth. His attacker saw his spear go up in flames until only a small metal handle remained. His armour caught fire and he quickly jumped away, desperately trying to douse it.

"You sure about that?"

Although Serana had been forced on the defence at first, she was able to counterattack now that she knew what she was fighting. Her opponent was fast, but she was faster as she ducked under a large strike from the tail. She had no weapons on hand, but her magic was enough to at least keep her opponent at bay. She summoned a Bound Dagger and when the tail again swung over her head, she lunged upward.

With a scream her attacker recoiled and immediately curled up. Dark red blood flowed over the coils as he placed his hand on the wound. He hissed again at Serana, but she disappeared into the shadows. Confused her attacker looked around, but before it could react, a dagger was jammed into its skull.

Meanwhile Tarrion was struggling. He did not have Serana's speed, nor her eyesight. His opponent however appeared to have no trouble seeing him, and before long Tarrion found himself constricted by the long tail. He slowly felt how he was squeezed tighter and tighter. His attacker smiled at him and hissed in his face when Tarrion used his strength to Shout.

FEIM

Immediately the tight grip disappeared and Tarrion jumped away. The Snake-man lost his balance and fell over and Tarrion saw his chance. He summoned a Bound Battle-axe and swung it down when the Shout wore off. With a fountain of blood he decapitated the snake-man and the body fell limp.

Serana came running and saw Tarrion's battle-axe vanish. The head of the snake-man had come to a stop near a few tree roots and now lay there, staring unsettlingly in their direction.

"What in Oblivion?"

He still panted from the fight and felt his ribs pushing against his lungs. He still felt the effects of the strangulation and he took shallow breaths.

"You're alright?" Serana asked and he nodded.

"You?"

"Yes, I'm fine…" and she looked at the dead body. "It seems we have indeed landed on the continent of Akavir. These are no doubt Tsaesci."

Tarrion came standing next to her and rubbed his chest. "They're bigger than I expected."

This was not an understatement since Tarrion was already large for a human, yet the torso of the Tsaesci that lay at their feet was almost one-and-a-half times bigger. The chest had lighter scales than the back, just like the inside of the arms and hands. The scale on the back were dark green and brown, while the chest and inside of the arms and hands had a shade of yellow and light brown. Each of the fingers had long, sharp nails. Tarrion saw no other weapons on the body, and the tip of the spear lay charred under the undergrowth.

"There are more!"

Serana looked up as she sensed more enemies approaching. At least a dozen of them were heading their way and although Tarrion could not see them, he could hear them.

Loud noises of a number of creatures moving with speed through the trees. The rustling of leaves was now unmistakable and the two immediately stood ready. Back to back they prepared but Serana sensed that something was different. The creatures approaching were smaller than the Tsaesci they just fought, and much louder. Screaming now filled the air, yet it almost sounded like communication, because underneath the sounds words were heard. Words neither could understand.

"They're not Snake-men," Serana said as she looked up to the canopy. Her vampiric gaze pierced the shadows and she saw a glimpse of the onrushing strangers. She quickly saw a creature with relatively short legs and long arms before it disappeared behind a tree again.

Suddenly they all changed direction and climbed down to the two adventures. Serana now clearly saw them and was astounded when she saw how nimble they climbed, using both hand and feet and when they landed Serana was not sure if she should be scared. All she felt was surprise.

The intruders were completely covered in fur. Their faces were humanoid, yet had an extremely flat nose and a large mouth. Their feet looked like hands, with long fingers and a flexible thumb. Their overall stature was smaller than hers, yet Serana saw that if they would stand up straight, they would be as tall as Tarrion. Their front teeth were sharp with long fangs in both the upper and lower jaws.

In under a second Tarrion and Serana were surrounded. At least a dozen dropped down from the trees. Some were larger than the others, but all were clad in light armour with small, steel plates and hardened leather. Some held long sticks in their hands, others spears, and a few held strange swords at the ready.

Three of them said something in a strange language neither Serana or Tarrion could understand. Both held their summoned weapons at the ready and Tarrion stared down the large figure in front of him, baring his teeth. This seemed to anger the figure immensely and he shouted something at him, and he took a few steps toward Tarrion who held his swords tighter.

"Abul!" a harsh voice shouted. "Calm!"

With a thundering roar another of the creatures landed behind the outer line of enemies. This one was clearly bigger than all the others because when he landed the ground shook so much that both Serana and Tarrion could feel the tremor. Whoever this one was he clearly outranked all the others for they made way for him and made a slight bow as he walked past them. Serana turned around and saw what came their way.

Although he looked similar to the other creatures, he was much larger. Covered in black fur and dark skin he almost disappeared in the shadows of the canopy. His yellow eyes seemed to glow and both stared at the two humans in front of him.

"Humans," he grumbled and he spoke the Common Tongue of Tamriel. "Must ask… put weapons down."

"You speak our language?" Tarrion asked himself more than he asked the figure in front of him.

"Not many…" the figure grumbled and he repeated. "Must ask… put weapons down."

"We do not trust you," Serana said.

"We not trust you," the figure said and he took a step closer. "Put weapons down…. Not hurt you…. Ehh…" he scratched his head for a moment and placed his hand on his chest. "Not hurt you."

Tarrion saw he tried to make a promise and he looked at Serana, who carefully nodded. They both dispelled their weapons, yet remained ready.

"Good," the figure grumbled and he looked at the dead Tsaesci. "Hmm… Tsaesci. Enemy?" and he looked at Tarrion.

"They attacked us," Tarrion answered. "We had to defend ourselves. This was not our fault."

The leader, as both Tarrion and Serana knew he had the leader of the group, shook his head. "Many words…. Must ask speak slow. You Tsaesci enemy?"

"For now, yes," Serana answered.

"Enemy of enemy… friend?"

Tarrion hesitated and looked at the figure in front of him. It was still too dark for him to see properly, yet he saw that the leader of this group had to be much larger than him. He gave an uneasy nod. "Maybe… yes."

The leader gestured to the others and they all relaxed and moved away. Some went to check on the other Tsaesci body but most of them stayed relatively nearby, throwing the occasional suspicious gaze to the two humans.

The leader gestured to himself. "Name… Ogun Mo Kal. Name?" and he gestured to Tarrion and Serana.

Both introduced themselves and Ogun explained, with difficulty, that they had to come with him.

"Humans not here. No Akavir human. You here…. how?"

"Our ship stranded here. A storm happened," Tarrion explained. He spoke slowly and simple.

Ogun looked at the canopy and growled. "Hmmm…. Must come. Must come to Tang Mo.. And Ka Po Tun."

"Why?" Serana asked, although she was not wholly against the idea of reaching a form of civilisation.

But Ogun shook his head. "Boss… Big boss tell better. Know words better."

The morning came, and after that the evening and another morning, and still they walked. Ogun gave a number of orders in his own language to the rest of his troop and spoke a few words with Tarrion and Serana, but other than that he was quiet. On the second night Serana soflty whispered to Tarrion.

"Are they ignoring me or do they not know?"

"Hmm?" he looked at her.

"They haven't said a thing about me being a Vampire," she whispered. "Do they not know, or…."

She looked at the patrolling Monkey-People, for this is what they were, and although there was suspicion in their eyes, it was not directed at her specifically. This was strange to her, since she found it nearly impossible that none of them had noticed anything during the nights. Her eyes would glow softly, something she could hardly hide in the dark.

"Maybe they do not know about Vampires."

Serana looked at Tarrion in disbelief.

"Their eyes glowed too in the night," he explained. "I saw them light up sometimes. They seem to know very little about us or about Tamriel… so they might not know about Vampires at all."

"Possible," she nodded. "Yet they do know about the Tsaesci, and according to the book 'The Mysterious Akavir' they are a 'vampiric' race of Serpent-men."

"Vampiric is not the same as Vampire," Tarrion corrected her. "I do not know for sure what makes the Tsaesci vampiric… maybe because they consume the living, or because they are immortal. I don't know," and he smiled at her. "but if they don't know… why tell them?"

"True, I guess," and Serana relaxed a bit. "but it is just… There is no way they would not have noticed my eyes glowing…. Given that, I would thought they would notice it.. or mention it or… anything."

"Do you want them to notice it?" he asked her with a slight smirk.

"No, it's just…. I just found it strange, that's all."

"Hmm… when people do notice it, you get nervous. When people don't notice it, you feel ignored. You're strange, Serana."

"That says more about you, since you are actually interested in me."

"Point taken."

After another week of travelling did they finally reach their first destination. They had entered a different type of land and a thick fog now blocked even Serana's vision. The massive trees were still all around them, yet the type had changed. The surroundings heavily reminded them of Hjaalmarch back in Skyrim. The air had become damp and heavy, and they could hear strange creatures, but the fog made it impossible to determine where they were. The ground became marshy and wet, and Tarrion found it difficult to keep his balance.

Ogun and half a dozen guards escorted them to what seemed to be a ferry. A small ship was hidden between the large bushes of high reed.

"Where are we going?" Tarrion asked.

"Big boss," Ogun answered.

"Yes, but where is he? Why do we go by boat?"

"Tang Mo not one land," Ogun explained. "Many… ehh… small lands. Water between. Must use boat from land to land. Sometimes bridge."

The boat was not large, yet large enough to be able to transport around twenty people and four of the guards that escorted them used long poles to push the boat forward.

They softly glided over the water, making almost no noise. Serana and Tarrion made quick glances at each other and wondered where they were going. He could not see a thing in the thick fog and Serana could only see a few metres in front of her. Strange sounds echoed through the air, indicating that life was all around them, but it gave everything a sinister atmosphere.

After a while the boat docked at a small but well maintained pier and they continued on foot. The fog had lifted a little bit and Tarrion could see large shadows around him, and the shape of them told him they were trees. Large trees. The ground was marshy but they were escorted over paths that were dry…. Mostly dry.

Suddenly they walked into what seemed like a new world. The fog was lifted and the sun shone around them, blinding them both. When their eyes adjusted themselves they saw a large village…. Build entirely in the large, swampy trees.

The houses were made primarily out of wood, with many roofs made from straw. In many small, round windows Serana saw eyes looking down on them and she sensed that there were over a hundred Monkey-people in this village. The houses were built above each other, with sturdy pulley-systems to bring supplies up and down. The largest trees had a winding staircase built around the trunk and they saw a few inhabitants walking up and down. Vines hung from the branches and many were used to swing and climb from the one house to the other and there seemed to be only a few real pathways that could be used by those who could not climb.

Ogun walked ahead to a large character with white and grey fur and a fierce expression on his face. He was smaller than Ogun himself, but larger than the rest of the Tang Mo. He wore refined clothing with gold and green and he held a strong stave in his hand. His legs were relatively short for his height and his arms were quite long, just like the others. His tail was long and curled with white rings at the tip. He exchanged a few words with Ogun before walking towards the duo.

Before saying anything he first stood right in front of Tarrion, sizing him up. He leaned in and took a deep breath through his flat nose…. And he started laughing. Or at least, that is what it sounded like.

"HuuHuuAaaaHaaaaHaaa!" he uttered and he struck his staff on the ground. "You smell funny."

=End of Chapter=

=Author's Notes=

After that long in the jungle… I am sure he does :)

But that is it for this chapter. It took much longer than I expected, but hey… I also had a vacation.

When it comes to the Tang Mo, it is pointed out on the Wiki that there are 'various breeds'. I assume this means that some bear resemblances to gorillas, and others to chimpanzees or gibbons. So that is also what I will do. Ogun for example is a 'gorilla Tang Mo' and its unlikely he will be swinging on any vines. Others, the smaller more flexible ones, would.

Also, I am not sure if people want this, but it was my plan to continue the Tsaesci-speech that I used here. With the extra-long 'ssss'. If that makes it more annoying to read, give me a heads up… then I won't.

But that is it for this chapter… stay tuned for the next one.

Dragon Language Used:

LAAS: Life (Aura Whisper Shout)

YOL: Fire (Fire Breath Shout)

FEIM: Fade (become Ethereal Shout)