Lands Unknown part 10
"Not possible," Tarrion said to himself. Next to him Serana realized the same and stared with open mouth at the Dragon that flew high above them. Shazra had stared for only a few moments, but had quickly dropped to her knees and bowed deeply, placing her head on the snow. She muttered in her own language, but Tarrion and Serana could guess what she was saying.
The Dragon turned and saw the three invaders standing on the mountain side. Three small dots in that sea of white and it growled. It took a deep breath and fired a massive ball of fire at the trio. It saw how it flew at the mountainside, with a fury that would burn anything. But then it saw how one of the figures spoke the same words it had spoken before.
FUS RO DAH
Confused the Dragon saw how a wave of energy flew across the sky and met the fireball in mid-air. With the sound of thunder the fireball exploded in an inferno and at the same time a few small spells were fired at the Dragon. They all hit their mark but did no damage and merely annoyed it. With another roar it banked and flew directly toward the invaders, breathing fire as it went.
FO KRAH DIIN
By some unknown magic the Dragon felt an unnatural cold and for a few moments it was stunned. Enough for it to loose balance and it flew over the trio and crashed against the mountainside.
Immediately a deafening rumble echoed through the mountains and all could feel the ground shake. Another avalanche was coming and it headed directly for the Dragon. Still surprised and confused by the attack the Dragon was swept away by the snow. Not even a Dragon could withstand a force of nature and as it felt itself being dragged down to the glaciers below it roared in defiance, but was quickly silenced and buried beneath the snow.
Tarrion wasted no time and ran down from the mountain as fast as he could. Nearly losing his footing a few times he ran past the cave where they found the sleeping Kamal, and he found it blocked again. Without hesitation he jumped down to the glacier below where the Dragon lay buried, but alive… this Tarrion knew.
Serana ordered Shazra to stay where she was, and received no complaints, and ran after Tarrion. Freezing the snow beneath her feet she slid down the mountainside, leaving snowy clouds in her wake.
Tarrion landed unharmed on the snow a few hundred metres below him. His body turning solid again after Shouting and he braced himself for what was to come. And not a moment too soon. With a thundering roar that would have caused an avalanche, had two not happened already, the snow as thrown aside and the Dragon reappeared. Striking its tail against the side of the Glacier it breathed fire again at Tarrion, who again became Ethereal after Shouting. The snow vaporised almost instantly in the heat of the flames and two dead Kamal that were buried appeared, but they were turned to ashes instantly.
Serana had reached the edge of the cliff and looked at how Tarrion was a small figure near a massive Dragon. Even from this distance, Serana could see the scales on the wings and back and tail; orange and black, and there was something about these scales that reminded her of something. Just as she was about to jump down Shazra called to her.
"WAIT!"
"I am helping him!" Serana shouted back and turned around. "You cannot stop me!"
"I don't think that is a Dragon!"
Serana froze and had the urge to laugh at the insanity of the Ka Po Tun woman behind her.
"It sure looks like one!"
"Not what I meant," was Shazra's answer as she reached Serana and both looked at the two figures down below.
In all the destruction Tarrion remained calmer than he had ever been during a fight with a Dragon. He had faced enough of them to know what to do, and although this Dragon was clearly different, it would not stand against him. He calmly walked to the side, confusing the beast even more who now saw that its prey seemed completely impervious to its attacks.
Tarrion removed his hood and summoned a Bound Battle-axe. He held it tightly in his hands, yet walked with an icy calm around his opponent.
Again the Dragon breathed an inferno, yet this time Tarrion summoned a powerful Ward. The impact shook his entire body and it felt like his bones almost broke.. yet he stayed upright. Absorbing the energy from the fire Tarrion felt his body crackling with magic and when the fire-breath stopped, Tarrion Shouted again.
WULD NAH KEST
Faster than the Dragon could react Tarrion surged to him and sliced one of the beast's legs. It was twice as thick as Tarrion's entire body, yet blood gushed from the wound. The Dragon screamed and slammed its tail down, but Tarrion dodged it quickly and struck a blow on the tail. Now in more pain than ever the Dragon limped away before another leg would be hurt. A roar was all it could muster and ignoring the pain in two of its limbs it marshalled energy to fly away.
Immediately Tarrion charged a powerful Thunderbolt in his hands and with the magic from the fire-breath still in him he could feel the spell becoming unstable. With deadly precision the central joint of the wing was hit and with another scream the Dragon fell down and crashed on the glaciers. With the battle-axe in his hand Tarrion ran after the beast, but instead of attacking another leg or the tail, he jumped on the tail and ran up the spine and over its back. When he reached the joints of the wings he took a mighty leap to the neck and with his axe raised above his head he unleashed a battle-cry to strike his foe.
In a reflex the Dragon flapped the unwounded wing and Tarrion was thrown aside, sliding over the ice of the glacier, away from the Dragon. With extreme effort the Dragon raised both its wings and created a hurricane-like wind that blew Tarrion even further away, sliding over the slippery ice, until he slammed into the icy walls of the cliff.
On that moment Serana appeared on the ice in front of Tarrion and stood between him and the Dragon. Having no weapons in her hands she walked toward the beast and shouted as loud as she could in what seemed like the language of the Ka Po Tun.
"Tosh Raka! AkaKhal kol Ka Po Tun!"
She repeated this line two more times and to Tarrion's shock and surprise the Dragon stopped moving. Now staring at the small human before him it growled audibly and it bared its teeth.
Serana stopped moving and held her hands forward, to show she was unarmed. Now more confused than ever Tarrion quickly hastened to her side and looked at how the Dragon looked at him with burning eyes.
"Serana…. What is going on?"
"This is Tosh Raka," she quickly said to him.
He stared at her for what seemed like an hour before he was able to understand what she just said and he looked from her to the Dragon and back to her. "This is…. What?"
The Dragon uttered a rumbling growl again and Tarrion thought he was going crazy when he could hear it speak.
"Grag am deor de?"
It was in the language of the Ka Po Tun and so neither Tarrion or Serana could understand it, but Serana answered. "Please… wait for our companion to join us. She can speak your language."
Clearly understanding what Serana said the Dragon reared its massive head and looked at Shazra who tried to find a way down from the Glacier.
"Who are you?"
Now even Serana was surprised to hear it speak in the Tamriellic language. "You speak our language?" she asked.
The Dragon growled again and lowered its head slightly in intimidation. "Answer my question."
"I am Serana," Serana answered. "and this is Tarrion. We are from Tamriel."
"And what are you doing here?"
"Our ship stranded on Akavir. How we came to be here in the mountains of Kamal is a long story."
Despite standing a mere ten metres away from a Dragon larger than any creature either of them had ever faced, Serana stayed calm. Tarrion stood next to her and panted from his short, but intense battle. He kept both his eyes fixed on the beast, prepared to make his move as soon as the Dragon did.
When Shazra finally joined them she looked at the Dragon for exactly half a second before dropping to her knees and bowing deeply. Her entire body trembled before this mighty beast, but more so for who it was.
"My lord… my Emperor…" she muttered. "I cannot say what an honour it is to kneel before you. You are even mightier than the legends say."
The Dragon kept his eyes fixed on Shazra and nodded. Now Tarrion and Serana knew for sure… this was indeed the Dragon Emperor Tosh Raka himself. Although Serana kept her calm she was astounded and questioning everything she thought she knew, now that she saw living proof that the legends of the Ka Po Tun, of their quest to turn into Dragons, of Tosh Raka achieving just that, was standing in front of her. Tarrion felt the same as he stared and saw that he was larger than even Alduin, yet he did not sense the same power in him.
Now that they could both see Tosh Raka in full without defending themselves from his attacks, they saw that his head was rounder than that of the Dragons of Tamriel. His scales were black, yet an orange pattern, not unlike the stripes of the Ka Po Tun, was visible across his body. His wings were large, yet there was no claw at the central joint, like the Dragons of Tamriel had. His tail was long and ended in a tip, yet did not have the arrow-like shape of the Tamriellic Dragons. His scales were rough, almost spiky, except around his underbelly and the scales on the wings. Tarrion saw that the wound on his front leg had started to heal already and his tail was no longer bleeding. It seemed Tosh Raka did possess the recovery speed of a Dragon.
"My Lord and Emperor," Shazra continued. "My name is Shazra and I serve Queen Shalem Khalemai of the city of Telom. Allow me to explain our actions and why we are here."
Tosh Raka nodded. "Then stand and speak, Shazra of Telom… and explain yourself and your companions."
Shazra carefully rose to her feet yet dared not look the Dragon in his eyes. "My Lord and Emperor… I have come here with these two humans, Serana and Tarrion of Tamriel, to find your remains, by order of my queen, Shalem Khalemai. We also have been given support by Queen S'hirianasae Tal'Sharnia of the city of Sharnia. We would have received the help from the other queens… yet they likely have not been able to reach us while we were still in Ka Po Tun."
"Why have the queens tried to find me?" Tosh Raka asked and his voice rumbled like the thunder over the glaciers of Kamal. "What happened to the kings?"
"My Lord and Emperor… it would seem the kings have betrayed us.. and most of all, you. They have abandoned your teachings and turned their backs on what you have taught us and build for us. They value only the strength of the body and no longer the strength of the mind. In their arrogance they hoarded power for themselves and reduced the queens to trophies… to be shown to others, only to be placed back on a shelf when not needed. The defences that you helped us build are crumbling, our borders weakening and we are no longer united as One People. The Tsaesci grow bolder every day and soon they will realize that they can defeat us. One by one we will fall by their blades, and although it will likely still take a long time for this to happen… it will happen eventually. We have created an alliance with the Tang Mo, yet it seems they are more united than the Ka Po Tun… some of us even dare to say we no longer deserve that name. All you have taught us and urged us to build and preserve…. It is no longer being build or preserved. My queen, Shalem Khalemai, along with several other queens, has exiled herself and all have tried to find a way to remind the kings of our past. Our kings no longer try to become Dragons themselves… like you have ordered us to do. They have forgotten."
While Shazra spoke Serana saw how Tosh Raka gritted his teeth and his claws drew furrows in the ice.
"And why are these two humans here?" Tosh Raka asked.
"They arrived on Akavir little over half a year ago," Shazra explained. "They were found by the Tang Mo and brought to the city of Telom where the king thought they were invaders from Tamriel. He decided to find out the truth by having a trial by combat. The male, Tarrion, would fight against the strongest warrior of Telom, with nothing but the strength of his body. But it seemed that the Gods favoured him and our warrior, Tarsh, surrendered when hundreds, if not thousands of bats flew over the arena and sowed panic among the onlookers. I saw it all and I saw someone who was favoured by the Gods. I had been given a message by my queen to find the two humans and give them that message. So they would meet her on a predetermined location, but..." and Shazra sighed in shame. "They discovered me and forced me to bring them to my queen directly. I was forced to obey them and my queen gave me to Tarrion, to serve him with my life. My queen wanted to find your remains… to remind our people of our past and our strength… and since the two humans wanted to go back to Tamriel, my queen struck a deal with them. They would try to find your Tomb, with me as their guide, and in return my queen would help them to return to Tamriel."
Tosh Raka remained silent for a while and he closed his eyes and seemed to think. When he opened them his eyes flared in anger and all could feel the heat of his breath as he spoke.
"So…. It seems your queen is smarter than your king. It seems the women are smarter than the men. It seems the 'males' need to be reminded of real power."
He now directed himself to all three and spoke with a voice of thunder. "You will travel to Rakash Tol where I will remind them of their past… of what they have forgotten… of who they have forgotten."
And without warning he spread his wings and took to the skies. With a mighty roar he turned and headed southward toward Ka Po Tun, leaving Tarrion, Serana and Shazra alone on the cold glaciers of Kamal.
The days turned to weeks, and those to months as the three companions journeyed south to Ka Po Tun. They were all happy to leave the frozen wastes of Kamal behind them and headed toward warmer lands. Serana had given the Shazrae to Shazra, saying it belonged to the Ka Po Tun and had little value to her. After this it was clear that Shazra seemed to feel shame, and she held her head lower than before.
In all this they had many questions, yet none were answered. What both Serana and Tarrion did not understand was how Tosh Raka was able to survive for over three hundred years.
"Unless the Ka Po Tun naturally have lifespans this long… how is he still alive after all those years?" they asked Shazra.
She shook her head when they asked her. "We do not live past one hundred years, only in great exception… not unlike humans. I do not know how he is still alive after more than three centuries."
Instead of travelling through the jungles the way they came, they moved more to the east and found roads that lead south. As they walked these roads they journeyed past a few small villages, yet all seemed completely abandoned, while Tarrion saw that the roads had seen large amounts of travellers in the last few weeks. This only became more and more apparent when they found roads that were well maintained and made of stone. Hundreds… thousands of footprints told them that a huge crowd had travelled south in the weeks before. All three knew that Tosh Raka had made his return wildly known and now all would try to catch a glimpse of him at Rakash Tol, the capital of Ka Po Tun.
Eventually they caught up with the crowds and Tarrion and Serana saw how indeed thousands of the Ka Po Tun had abandoned their cities to travel south to see their great leader. Even the king of the city they had passed a few days ago seemed to have left without his entire entourage. His carriage was pulled by large strange beasts that had thick, grey skin and a single horn on their nose. In front of them the guards of the king tried their best to move people out of the way, but there were simply too many.
"He will get his due," Shazra chuckled. "Just wait and see."
They thought about joining the ever swelling crowds, but they moved slow, and so they continued on their own.
They now entered lands that were strange to Tarrion and Serana. Both had heard of them, and Tarrion remembered many of the Khajiit speak of their homeland, but he had never imagined that such a thing would exist. Everywhere he looked the land was covered with sand. The stones of the roads were hardly visible and to Tarrion it almost looked like the icy tundra of the Pale, yet covered with sand instead of snow. Endless dunes stretched out as far as the eye could see and Serana started to feel the sun burning on her head. It seemed even she, without her ring, would be burned by the scorching sun. She took Tarrion's hand when she thought of the pain the sun would cause her and silently thanked him for his gift.
After several months they finally arrived at the capital of Ka Po Tun, Rakash Tol. It was a massive city, larger than all the cities in Skyrim combined, and Tarrion thought it was likely to be larger than the Imperial City. It was built near the southern ocean, and thus the heat was less scorching here than further inland. It was even so that the city was surrounded on all sides by large oases that made farming possible. A large harbour was built to the east of the city and countless small ships, presumably for fishing, had their white sails light up in the sun. On the southernmost side of the city, the terrain was elevated, almost like a large hill. It reminded Tarrion and Serana of Whiterun and Dragonsreach, for the palace was built on the highest areas, far outside the range of any siege equipment. Even from a distance they could see that the palace itself was massive with dozens of large towers and hundreds of smaller ones.
But as they neared the city they saw the Ka Po Tun had gathered in numbers that had not been seen in centuries. The air was buzzing with their murmurs and greetings, for many had not seen each other in years. But at the centre of it all there was a large open area which seemed to be a hill. And on top of that hill all could see a massive Dragon, waiting for something. Its scales glistened in the sun and his eyes were closed as he waited. No-one dared to near him and the closer the three companions came, the more of the Ka Po Tun were kneeling and bowing, with many even praying.
It seemed all were waiting for the arrival of all the kings of the Ka Po Tun. Tosh Raka had summoned them all and all would answer his call. All but one had arrived already and many of the queens had arrived as well. Shazra was summoned by her queen and all of the women that followed her now praised Shazra's name. The queen herself was quite literally at a loss of words, not knowing how to thank Shazra, or even how to respond to this all.
Many of the Ka Po Tun had gathered what her mission was and how Tarrion and Serana were involved. They bowed and praised their names with many holding out their hands, hoping to be blessed by them so that some of their glory would pass on to them. Both of them were uncomfortable with this and quickly retreated to a special tent that was reserved for them, but even there they could not escape the buzzing of thousands of Ka Po Tun that were all around them and although all were speaking in their own language, the two knew that they were the subject of their conversations.
The next day the final king arrived. All fourteen kings and queens had now gathered, something that had not happened since the day that Tosh Raka decided to leave. Then Tosh Raka decided that the waiting was over and he summoned the kings and queens to him. Shazra, Serana and Tarrion were also summoned to the hill and as they walked they could feel the air getting heavier with anticipation.
Arriving on the hill they saw that a few of the queens had joined their husbands and stood quietly next to them, yet many of the kings stood alone and were nervous and scared. Tarrion saw three of them shake, either with grief or fear. In front of them, within earshot yet far enough the remaining queens stood alone. Many of them were nervous, yet all held their heads high and especially Queen Shalem stood as if triumphant, showing no fear.
When all had gathered it became quiet. Amongst the kings and queens there was fear, but amongst the Ka Po Tun there was anticipation. For what, no-one knew but all realized that something was about to happen that would be spoken of for years to come.
It was then that Tosh Raka spoke, with a voice like thunder. Although the Ka Po Tun had gathered in numbers not seen in ages, all could hear him. Hundreds of thousands of Ka Po Tun, perhaps more, could hear his voice echo over the land, yet the kings, queens, Shazra, Serana and Tarrion were not overwhelmed by the sound. All could hear it just as loud as the other, perhaps through magic none knew of and although he used the language of the Ka Po Tun, through perhaps this same magic Tarrion and Serana understood every word.
"I have returned," Tosh Raka spoke and his voice dripped with a venomous threat. "And I am disappointed. Merely three centuries ago I left to force you to make yourselves strong… like I have become strong. Merely three centuries ago I left to leave the defences of the Ka Po Tun in your hands. Merely three centuries ago I left and the Tsaesci were cowering before us. We became stronger than them and earned the name Ka Po Tun…. But. You. Have. FAILED. The kings and queens turned their backs on my teachings. Teachings that would make them stronger, both in mind and in body. You have all abandoned the goal to become Dragons… like I have done. You have not just failed… you have stopped trying altogether. The kings and queens have abandoned this… and the people have let this happen."
His eyes now went from the kings and queens before him to the crowd around him. "Make no mistake… there are no innocents present today. None of you have dared to question your kings and queens… your leaders that were supposed to lead you. Anyone could have stood up and said 'no… we will not abandon the path to strength'! All have failed, and your kings and queens… your leaders most of all."
He looked down and his glare alone was enough for two of the kings to fall to their knees. "I see only three kings and queens that stand together. Only three husbands that have stayed true to their wives, and only three wives that did not abandon their husbands. The kings that stand alone… I command you; Step forward!"
Eleven kings were forced to step forward. All now were shaking with fear and it seemed they were too afraid to even kneel. Five of them wore their crowns, the rest did not.
"You have committed crimes against Ka Po Tun and its people," Tosh Raka said. "What say you in your defence?"
None answered.
Tosh Raka reared his head and looked at the queens. "Your husbands have committed crimes against you and the people…. Wil you not defend them? Will you see them punished?"
It was then that three of the queens stepped forward and one of them spoke. Tarrion and Serana recognized her as S'hirianasae Tal'Sharnia and they saw that she too was shaking. "My husband has indeed committed crimes against me and our people," she said. "But if he is willing to accept his faults and admit his wrongs…. If he can embrace me as his wife and as one that wishes to rule beside him, not beneath him…. I will forgive him and I would not have him punished."
Tosh Raka looked at the group of kings that stood alone and one of them walked toward his wife. His every step was hesitant and Serana saw tears crawling from his eyes. He kneeled before her, faced the ground and held his hands up.
"I am at your mercy… my love. I beg of you…. Forgive me."
And S'hirianasae smiled slightly. She kneeled next to him and helped him up. The other two kings did the same and they too were helped up by their queens… three husbands re-joined their wives and even in the current the circumstances, Tarrion and Serana considered it romantic. Tosh Raka seemed to agree and he nodded and permitted them to join the other kings that stood with their wives.
Eight kings now stood alone and they were clearly too afraid to move.
"None have come to your aid," Tosh Raka growled and he took one last look at the queens, but they did not move. "And thus you will be punished."
All eight now kneeled and one of them spoke. "My Lord and Emperor… Command us. What would you have us do?"
And all Tosh Raka did was growl: "Burn."
Before Tarrion, or even Serana, could react Tosh Raka breathed fire and the eight kings of the Ka Po Tun were burned alive and not even their ashes remained. The queens that stood alone were horrified and recoiled when they saw their husbands disappear in the flames and as soon as the fiery breath stopped, there was no trace of them left.
Tarrion stared at the spot where the kings stood only a few seconds ago and was shocked by the brutality of the sentence. The kings had been completely engulfed by the flames and their cries were silenced in the roaring of the fires, yet Tarrion knew they must have felt the pain before the end… even if it was only for a short moment.
"The queens that stand alone," Tosh Raka continued. "I command: Step forward."
The queens were clearly shocked by this yet the voice that commanded them compelled them to move. They now stood on the same places their husbands stood moments ago and all feared they would suffer the same fate.
"Six of you have committed crimes equal to that of your husbands," the voice of Tosh Raka thundered. "Six of you have used men.. the 'males'… as toys and pets. To be used and discarded afterwards."
Serana understood fully what Tosh Raka spoke of and she saw two of the queens sigh in relief when they were told they could leave. The remaining six now had tears fall from their eyes and three of them sobbed openly.
"None have come to your aid," Tosh Raka continued. "and none will. The only ones that could save you were left at your mercy and you turned your back on them. You turned your backs on the ones you promised to aid and support."
"Because they did the same to us first."
Queen Shalem spoke with the smallest voice yet dared not look at the Dragon, who simply shook his head.
"I see three queens that stand next to their husbands that were guilty of the same crime… yet forgave them. Their husbands turned their backs on them… yet they did not do the same in turn. You did… for that crime.. and for the crimes of reducing half of the Ka Po Tun to mere toys… you too will burn."
And without any other warning the six queens were burned by the fire-breath and just like their husbands, not even their ashes remained.
All of the Ka Po Tun, the hundreds of thousands now saw that six cities were left without a ruler and many feared for what was yet to come. Many feared the words 'there are no innocents present today' and all thought that more punishments would follow. Yet those closest to the hill could see how Tosh Raka seemed to calm and he sighed.
"Shazra of Telom… step forward."
Serana and Tarrion looked at their companion who seemed on the brink of fainting when she heard those words… yet the voice was calmer than before and she took the uneasy steps to the place where six queens and eight kings had just been burned alive. She was able to make a quick bow before Tosh Raka spoke.
"You have shown the traits that all of the Ka Po Tun should have. You have shown bravery by entering the frozen plains of Kamal. You have shown strength by surviving its frost. You have shown intellect by realizing it was I that attacked you and your companions. And you have shown wisdom by explaining to me the plight of your people. You have shown all these traits that all Ka Po Tun should have. Since the city of Telom is now without a ruler… I name you Queen of Telom. May you let the city prosper, and have its people know no hunger, pain or hardship."
Shazra fell to her knees and bowed deeply before her Lord and Emperor and thanked him a thousand times.
In the days that followed the remaining cities were given new rulers while Tosh Raka himself took up his old throne in Rakash Tol. The Ka Po Tun were rejoiced by the return of their emperor and feasts were held all across the land. Emissaries were send to all corners of the land to make sure none of the Ka Po Tun would miss the news. Emissaries were send to Tang Mo as well, who promised that they would soon welcome the Dragonlord of Akavir in person.
In the palace, Tarrion and Serana were given their own quarters, and they were truly royal. They were surprised when they saw that only the doorway that lead to the main hall of their quarters had a large, iron forged and ornamented door, while all other doorways between the rooms had thin curtains. Scarlett-red, blue and purple they were made from silk or satin and other fabrics. Large open windows looked out over the southern oceans and balconies gave view to the vast jungles far to the east. Inside all felt soft and warm, right between hot and cold.
A large and round bed had been prepared for them, with purple covers and pillows. All around it curtains hung like veils, just thin enough to see through them, yet they could be removed or hung to the sides. A large and private bath with white stone was built in the next room, and the soft scent of lavender was present there from dusk till dawn. Serana and Tarrion knew they would be able to find rest there… for a time, for both still longed to return to Tamriel.
Both of them had a brief moment of concern when Tosh Raka summoned them to the throne room. He was no longer in his Dragon-form, but sat there as a Ka Po Tun. He looked similar to all the others, yet an aura of majesty was around him and his eyes still had a soft burning in them. His entire body seemed to have been sculpted by the most skilled of artists, being very muscular, yet not so that it slowed him down. His fur was the same as the rest of his people, yet around his neck there seemed to be a slight change in colour till it looked almost like gold and silver. He wore robes that would make Titus Mede II weep with jealousy, being made from one piece with yellow and golden imagery.
Tosh Raka explained the value of the Shazrae they found on his 'tomb' and why it was put there. He explained that, now Queen Shazra, had given it to him since she thought it belonged to him.
"Before I left I decided that I would make this gem difficult to reach, and I made it so that only a woman could claim it. This woman would have to go through a number of trials while facing death every step of the way. They would have to show that they possess the traits that I value most and when one would reach it, I would wed her and make her my queen."
Both Serana and Tarrion looked at each other and realized where this was going.
"It would seem a strange turn of events that it was you, lady Serana of Tamriel, that claimed the stone first… before all others."
Serana furrowed her brow and had little intention of letting Tosh Raka indulge this fantasy. "Slow down," she stopped him. "I have no intention o-…"
But Tosh Raka chuckled deeply and raised his hands to calm her… and Tarrion who had already readied himself to defend her.
"No worries… both of you, at ease… please. As I have showed I despise it when those that have promised themselves to each other, abandon that promise. I have punished the kings and queens of the Ka Po Tun for that… and I have absolutely no intention of asking you to do such a thing. Not only that, but I see that your man is prepared to kill us all to defend you… and I am sure you would help him with it."
He looked at the two lovers and for a few moments he was in awe of the devotion both showed to each other. "I see that not even the entire world would separate you… and I deeply respect that. Let us then say that you, lady Serana, have found a loophole in my oath. We shall agree that you made clear to me that I meant I would wed 'the first woman of my people to reach the jewel'. And since you are not of my people… you are not bound by this."
"With all respect, Tosh Raka," Serana said stoically. "I was never 'bound' since it was your oath… not mine. I made my oath to Tarrion years ago… and not even you have anything to say about it."
Tosh Raka nodded. "I agree… but let us write my version in the history books. After all… an emperor was told 'no' by a foreigner? That would not sit well with history."
Serana nodded since she refused to argue with him and she left with Tarrion to their chambers. There Tarrion sat on the edge of the bed and sighed.
"So… that was some 'value' that gem had. A prize for women to claim to sit next to someone who fancied himself a god," he shook his head. "Some value."
"At least he didn't go through with it," Serana agreed with him. "After all; you are the only Dragon for me. I guess this 'loophole' was an easy excuse for him since I think he knew he wouldn't be able to fight us both. I mean, you did practically sweep the floor with him back on that glacier."
Tarrion chuckled and grinned proudly. "I did, didn't I? What do you think I would have done to him if he decided to go through with this?"
"Honestly Tarrion," Serana said coyly as she sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I do not care about what you would have done to him," and she brought her face closer to his. "But I would love to find out what you want to do to me right now."
Tarrion's smirk became wider and he threw her next to him on the bed and smothered her with a kiss.
=End of Chapter=
=Author's Notes=
I really liked writing this chapter, since it progressed the story. I would say that this arc is now around halfway done in terms of what I had planned. That means there is still plenty to go. And that also means that the other characters like Lydia, Aela etc. etc. will not be returning soon.
But I hope you will forgive me for that.
I'm sure there are still a few questions left… or a number of questions that were raised after this chapter. But I hope to answer them in the coming chapters.
I gotta say… looking back on the story and what it is now (60 Chapters and almost 300K words), I started to see a few things it I would like to change.
For example I now see that I could have given Serana a bit of a distinct speech-pattern. For example she never uses 'combined words' like 'can't' or 'won't'… but instead always uses 'cannot' or 'will not'. I thought about wanting to give her a bit of an 'old-fashioned' way of speaking. Not full blown Shakespeare, but a bit older than the others… makes her stand out a bit more. She is from 2000 years ago after all.
But I won't do that now, since she doesn't have this in the entire story and it would feel strange to add it in now.
But that is it for this time. Stay tuned for the next chapter… and since it is Christmas: Merry Christmas to all.
Dragon Language Used:
Fus Ro Dah: Force Balance Push (full Unrelenting Force Shout)
Fo Krah Diin: Frost Cold Freeze (full Frost Breath Shout)
Wuld Nah Kest: Whirlwind Fury Tempest (Full Whirlwind Sprint Shout)
Also that line that Serana shouted:
Tosh Raka! AkaKhal kol Ka Po Tun : Tosh Raka! DragonEmperor of Ka Po Tun
I'm not making my own language for the Ka Po Tun here… I'm just putting things together that pop into my head.