Chapter 14: Mania and Dementia

Siena turned, her shoulders rotating towards the speaker, but her hips remained in place, still about to take another step. She finally moved one foot towards the man, to better her balance.

"Yeah, I did. So?" She snapped hotly. She'd not forgotten the irritation Haskill had given her the last time they met.

"Well, you'll now be able to enter the Realm proper. You'll notice there are two doors. One leads to the lands of Mania. The other to Dementia. Enter through either one." Haskill told her dutifully, reciting a script line for line. He's a terrible actor.

"And what's the difference?" Siena asked, now turning fully to face Haskill and folding her arms, arrogantly jutting out one hip and slouching.

"The lands of Mania are bright, vibrant, and full of color. You'll find its inhabitants reflect the land itself. If you wish to meet the residents of Mania, you'll find them in the settlements of Hale and Highcross. Take care, though. Though the citizens and creatures of Mania are colorful, they can often be quite deadly. I'm sure you can handle it, though." The compliment came dryly, lacking interest or conviction, and made Siena feel as special as the multitude of dead adventurer bones around her.

"The lands of Dementia reflect the darker side of its residents." Haskill continued carelessly. "It is easy to get lost among the tangle of roots growing out of the ground. If you wish to meet Dementia's citizens, seek them out in Deepwallow or Fellmoor. I'm sure they'll welcome one such as you with open arms."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Siena snarled, reaching for the iron dagger at her belt. Just like last time, she paused, unsure if she should strike, or let this man carry on.

"It means whatever you make of it." Haskill replied, shrugging in a courtly, elegant fashion that only made him even more pompous and haughty. "You may enter through either one. Really, it depends on which aspect of the Realm more suits your disposition." The last word was spoken slowly, and he had narrowed his eyes disgustedly at her. "As I've said, all choices have consequences, but don't trouble yourself too much with your decision. All those that enter the Realm are forever changed, but some believe it is for the better. A good portion of them, at least."

Haskill suddenly seemed to remember something, and reached into his buckled blouse, pulling out a delicately folded piece of parchment. "Here." He told her curtly, and Siena snatched the parchment from him with a glare. "You'll want to seek out Lord Sheogorath. I believe He has plans for you. Try not to disappoint Him." Haskill sighed, and Siena looked up at the man, frowning.

"More of this champion stuff, huh? Where is he?" Siena inquired, her aggravation lowering as Haskill proved even more useful.

"You will find Him in New Sheoth, in His palace." Haskill explained, before tilting his head to one side a small degree. "It is best not to make Lord Sheogorath wait. His whims are fleeting, and should He decide you are no longer necessary, it would be to your detriment."

"Yeah yeah whatever. I'm his guest and he should account for travel time. I'm no god after all. Can't appear wherever I bloody well wish." She shot this remark dryly at Haskill, who raised one eyebrow with supreme eloquence before sighing.

"My work is never done." He retorted, and right before her eyes began to deteriorate. Dark purple light swirled around him as he faded, becoming transparent. Siena snarled, snapping out one hand to try and grab the man by the collar and give him a piece of her mind. She grasped thin air, flexed her fingers, and growled.

Shoving him from her mind, Siena unfolded the parchment he had given her, looking at it. It was… a map. She stared at it, looking over the details. So… this is the Fringe… And New Sheo is here. From this map, the most direct route to New Sheo seemed to be the Low Road, which ran through Dementia and 'The Hill of Suicides'.

"Peachy…" Siena muttered, folding up the map and sticking it in her boot along with the one lockpick. Hearing steps behind her, she looked to see Jayred standing there, stalwartly holding his bow and waiting for the Gates to open.

"You get them gates open, and I'm going in. They call to me." Jayred muttered, and Siena nodded, sighing.

She had to get to Sheogorath; that much was certain. She had to find him, and either beat the royalty out of that Daedric Prince –and his irritating Chamberlain- or convince him to give her back her comrades, somehow. Both were about as impossible as her being able to fly, but Siena didn't care. All her life her superiors had advocated her determination, to never stop no matter the obstacle. She wasn't about to ignore their preaching now.

Pushing her glasses up her nose again she moved up the stairs, chainmail cuirass clinking softly. One of the two doors, the southern one, stood before her, and she stared at it.

It was less of a gate, and more of a tunnel into infinite darkness. Even the sun as it angled towards the horizon on its afternoon descent failed to pierce into the darkness of that tunnel. Siena looked up and saw the ceiling of the gate, which towered over even the Gatekeeper. With Jayred behind her, Siena began to walk into the tunnel, her fur-lined steps damped by the sheer size of the gate.

Somewhere within the dark depths, Siena was forced to stop as her hand began to shake, and she looked at it with horror. One of the keys, the dark blue and spiked one, had begun to glow, and she dropped it and the other key. Both began to glow, and then lifted into the air in front of them, before disappearing in a flash that blinded Siena.

Once the light faded from her vision, she looked around, uncertain. There was a stone platform ahead, so she walked onto it, emerging from the gate to the afternoon sun. Even in the daylight it was dank and foggy, and she couldn't make out much beyond a few yards, glasses or no. Cautiously she tread forward, taking step after step and growing a little more confident with each one.

She girlishly squealed when a trail of sparkling green lights danced in front of her and then weaved off ahead in the air. Hands on her heart, she sighed, head dropping to the ground. Get yourself together Siena. It was just… whatever that is. She looked up again at the dancing lights, curious. A hand nervously reached out, but just as she was about to touch the lights they skittered off, swerving into the air in wild yet elegant motions. And then Jayred ran off ahead.

"Wait… Jayred hold on!" Siena took off after him, trying to keep up with the athletic Nord. After a minute or so she gave up, plopping herself down with a huff in the grass and leaned her head back against a tree. "Just like all men, gets what he wants then up and leaves." She grumbled, and then laughed softly at her own joke. She stopped laughing when there was a creak of wood, and she opened her eyes, looking up.

Looking back down were eight eyeballs, attached to wood by small stalks that sprouted from a mangling of branches and trunk. The tree was carved in places, the bark removed to reveal smooth wood in a fashion that resembled a skull. Through the teeth of this skull emitted a soft glow of green light, and a wisp of emerald smoke curled out.

Siena tensed up, and slowly turned herself around so her back faced away from the creature. On all fours, she began to stalk backwards, slowly moving away from it. The thing tilted its head to one side, the eight eyeballs watching her, before what she once thought were roots lifted off the ground; they were arms. Three thick claws of carved wood protruded from the ends of the branches, the arms double jointed and tree-like. Siena froze, but it made no other move, and she began her retreat once again.

Another set of roots shifted, and the entire 'tree' rose off the ground, held up by three double-jointed legs in a tripod fashion. The creature lifted its front leg and leaned back, reaching out and taking what looked to be a very off-balance step. The two back legs jolted forward as the entire creature lurched toward her, arms reaching to skewer her flesh. Siena screamed, balling herself up and rolling away.

Getting out of the roll with one hand and drawing the iron dagger with the other, she looked at the tree creature as it righted itself and turned to face her, those eight eyes staring and never blinking. Siena shuddered and turned away as it lopsidedly charged. Coiling herself she sprung up onto a rock cliff running along the left side of the road, pulling herself up and turning to see the tree run into the rocks, stumbling back.

Going on pure instinct Siena jumped, landing on the thing's shoulders. Bracing her feet against its inner elbows to prevent it from reaching back to her, Siena frantically stabbed at the skull of the tree, swaying with the beast as it went this way and that and tried to dislodge her.

After what seemed like an eternity it fell backwards, pinning Siena to the ground with its head on her stomach. Siena gasped in pain, but on a good note… the beast stopped moving. Siena just stared at the sky as she laid there, a mutant tree being between her legs and pinning her stomach to the ground. Vivec help me… even the trees are murderous… What is this place?