Hey! Seb here, nice to meet y'all! This is my first story here so I would be happy if you PM or Review it and tell me what you think of it! I'm not experienced at all in the art of writing, but I've read enough that I gained the determination to give a try. So don't be shy about telling me what you think!
I will be using a non-canon vocabulary for the Words of Power, So don't bother checking the meaning, I will spare you the dire work and write the English meaning at the bottom of each chapter.
I don't know why I started this X-over, it simply popped in my mind, and from that point, I simply wrote what I had in mind at the time. Just so you know, I'm not a fan of an Omniscient author explaining everything and all to the reader. I like to go with the flow of the story, and see where it will take me.
Anyway, I think it's enough for now! Catch ya later!
'Thoughts'
"Speech" –
Dragon speech will be written as normal. E.g. "fus!" "Fus!" "FUS!" when whispering/talking/shouting.
ooo...ooOOoo...ooo
Ri'Zha felt the shift of the Void before it was even created, bending the texture of space and time at his own leisure, commanded by the One known as Hermaeus Mora.
Miraak didn't.
So the Void picked them up and swallowed them whole, disobeying his master for once, the only sign of their absence was the collapsing tower of Apocrypha.
The black-green blob eye narrowed, and a scream of rage could be heard through the whole damned place.
ooo...ooOOoo...ooo
A deep, endless, pitch black void surrounded him. Everything was dulled to almost nothing. Tasting, smelling, touching, hearing, seeing.
The void was a merciful abuser of one selves' sanity, but also a cruel keeper of one's insanity.
In the Void, anything makes sense, though everything just does.
Ri'Zha felt like someone was watching him. Someone from above.
"Raising his head", for in the Void dimensions were a madman's folly, the Dovahkiin tried to understand, or feel, for he couldn't see anything aside from blackness, who or what was watching him.
A spark of black light surged through the dark endless space of the void, and Ri'Zha frowned at how that was possible.
He could see, yet, his eyes were closed.
The spark grew in intensity, becoming an orange flame. The flame surged through, and grew into an inferno of blue fire.
A cold Blue Fire.
Wish upon the moon, young one.
Ri'Zha howled in surprise and pain when a Roar whispered in his ears.
THOU SHALL NEVER AGAIN SEE THE LIGHT.
The roar felt hollow, echoing through everywhere and nowhere at the same time. In his mind, in the fire, in the blackness, and in the sky that appeared a second after above him.
Searing pain erupted from every pore of his very being, and he felt, crawling on his skin, thousand of molten rusted knives raking it, piercing it and spreading the pain in his insides.
His mouth and throat were raw without screaming, like something spiky was forcing itself down it. His eyes were going to burst and his brain thumped against his skull, trying to break it apart from sheer force. His fur was scorched to the pores, with no hope of growing back.
For minutes, or hours, or even years, the fire burned, the pain flared.
Then, a shift.
The fire started to travel from the most outwards toward the inwards of his body, toward his stern. A good news, if it wasn't that the pain doubled everywhere. His mind reeled. How was that even possible? The fire felt hotter too!
To his horror, he could see the flames spontaneously burst in a blue and white tint, leaking everywhere in the realm of fire that he was inside.
Wish upon me.
The same soothing voice of before, the one that preceded the roar, chided gently, aiding his dizzied thoughts in a lucid way.
As the fire started to close angrily the hole that – his mind was still accepting that- the moon – that appeared out of nowhere - apparently had tore open, when said celestial body started to glow, tearing a ray of its light, shining upon his body.
Wish, child, and I will free yourself from this.
THOU SHALL NOT TOUCH HIM! HE IS OURS TO BE! HE IS OURS!
The roar tried to overtake the calmer voice, but it was like the latter was omnipresent, and every word was heard above the screaming. The sheer force of the angry voice shook the inferno, the flames flaring angrily, becoming hotter. They started to rise in an attempt to cover him and cut his only hope to escape.
And for the first time, perhaps in a lifetime – against his oath – he wished.
And the moon answered his plea.
So be it! Thee will carry Our power. Even We cannot deny Thy Wish, Thy Will. We shall give Thee Our burden, and Thee shall carry it! Forever cursed to bear the pain of The World!
The voice was resigned at first, and then it carried on determinately, and with every word the fire started to move more quickly, burning more hotter, into his chest, on his left breast. Into his heart.
Awaken. Child of the Sun.
ooo...ooOOoo...ooo
THOU SHALT NEVER AGAIN SEE THE LIGHT.
NOT DAYLIGHT.
NOR STARLIGHT.
NOR MOONLIGHT.
NO ONE WILL REMEMBER THEE.
THY EXISTANCE WILL BE ERASED FROM THE MEMORY OF THIS WORLD.
UNWANTED.
UNNEEDED.
THOU SHALT WANDER THE LAND FOR ETERNITY.
UNSEEN AND UNHEARD BY MORTALS AND SPIRIT ALIKE.
NEITHER WILL MATTER ANYMORE.
NEITHER WILL BE REMEMBERED.
THOU HAVE NO PLACE HERE.
THE DARKNESS WILL TAKE THEE.
THOU ART ALONE...
ooo...ooOOoo...ooo
"Who, are you?"
"Dragons were never gone. They were just invisible, and very very quiet, just like you. Until the old geezers shouted it for everyone to hear."
"The true mark of a fool is deeming anything outside of his realm of familiarity as impossible. I don't think you can be a fool. After all, you're familiar with the impossible."
"Highly unlikely, but never impossible, and I'm sure you can do it as well. I believe in you."
"Fos Los Pruz, Wah Kos Kiin Kul Uv Wah Lokiig Hin Vokul Lund Zeim Lot Grav? Uv Los Nii Vahk Fah Saag Lund Wah Divoon Hi, Ulaaknu Do Faal Lein?"
"What, are you?"
"You are a monument to all of our sins.. for that, I... We... thank you"
"Legends don't burn down villages, you should remember that well, lad"
"ZU'U UNSLAAD, ZU'U NIS OBLAAN!"
"Name's Neri! You better not forget that, 'cause I won't repeat myself, got it, rookie?"
"You're such an idiot. But I'm a bigger idiot for falling for you."
"Never in my wildest dreams I dreamt that I'll get married. Especially to you."
"Come back safe to me...ok?"
"Don't cry, love. Promise me."
"...Goodbye..."
"… Vaba rawlith..."
ooo...ooOOoo...ooo
Ri'Zha opened his eyes, standing abruptly in a sitting position, gasping for breath. He looked around in panic, trying to understand where he was.
The room was cozy to say the least. There was a chimney with fire crackling inside, two armchairs at the sides of it with a low wooden table with finely carved doodles.
Frowning deeply, he tried to remember how he ended up here, and why everything seemed different. In a rush, all of his memories jumped in his mind, making him leer back at the sheer entity of the events.
Tears started to gather in his eyes as in his mind everything was replayed with the minimal particular of what happened on the top tower of Apocrypha.
A shuddered breath left his mouth as he rested his head in his hands, knees bended near the stomach for comfort and support.
"Neri..." he moaned out pathetically.
The door burst open, startling him from his sorrow for a moment. Looking sideway with wide eyes, he met startling green eyes full of surprise, before it was replaced with slight relief and curiosity, alongside with an alertness of a veteran.
It was a seven foot tall rabbit with blue and gray fur, with leaf markings on both his arms and forehead. Two boomerangs were attached above his right shoulder with a bandolier. Bracelets were on his wrists, and wrappings were on his feet.
"Woah, woah! Ye okay, mate?" asked the rabbit with a smooth voice thick with an unknown accent, at least for Ri'Zha.
Said Khajiit blinked slowly, and his eyes widened a bit when other strange beings entered the room in a hurry.
A gigantic man, taller than the rabbit, stood on the doorway with two swords on his hips, trying to comb his white beard, which looked like it was electrocuted.
"Vat, for Man In Moon's sake, iz going on?" grumbled the man.
"He woke up, ya dill! That's what!" replied the rabbit, gesturing to someone over Ri'Zha's view to bring something.
"Oh. Oh! That iz good new!" Exclaimed the man, and crossed the room with big steps, aiming for the bed.
Ri'Zha tensed, and out of habit his hand went to his left hip, and met air. Eyes widening in surprise, he jumped off the bed as fast as he can, and half a second later, his back met the wall with a light thud.
Ignoring the surprised reaction of the man, and the shell shocked face of the rabbit, he checked himself over, finding with horror that he wore just short black pants. Where is my armor?! Patting his sides twice, he raised his head and narrowed his eyes. Everyone in the room tensed.
There was a man made of gold sand. What? With a chubby appearance and a worried look on his face, and a feathered woman. What the fuck? The woman was hovering with two pairs of rainbow colored wings, just as the feathers on her whole body.
And finally, just a few feet in front of the two, a young white haired boy with a blue thick shirt gaped at him, gripping his curved staff, ready to take action.
Resisting the urge to scowl and press his ears on his head, Ri'Zha took a deep breath. He didn't know these people, and what they're abilities were, if they were skilled or not. But judging by the weapons, they were. Especially the rabbit, and the bulky man.
He was outnumbered five to one, but that counted nothing. Perhaps there were other people outside this room, so he was outnumbered by a great hypothetical number.
He couldn't even speak, because it would crack the room, and whispering could shook it. And who knows how many floors were above him.
Weighing his option, Magic was his only way, beside close combat.
The advantages of being a mage...
"North, ya drongo! I told you to not barge in here! Damn it! You scared him!" snapped the rabbit, annoyed.
Scared? No, no. He wasn't scared. He was alerted. And that was a bad thing.
"But, Bunny! He iz injured! Ve must help him recover!" reasoned the giant, trying to press the rabbit to let him stay.
"No means no North. I'm the one with the medical experience, so rack off!" grunted "Bunny", shoving the man to the door, the rest of them following, despite their protest. The rabbit accepted something from a furry giant with moustaches and closed the door.
Sighing, "Bunny" turned around with a eased expression. "Sorry back there, mate. I told him to not come, but bastard just wouldn't listen"
Ri'Zha stayed silent a few moments, in which he eased himself from the wall, and took a step forward.
"Who are you?" his voice was raspy from being unused, so he cleared his throat, trying to clear it.
"Bunny" picked up a can of water from the shelf beside the bed and poured some water in a glass, and offered it to Ri'Zha.
"Name's Bunnymund. Mind giving me a name?" Ri'Zha accepted the glass, but eyed suspiciously the rabbit, before giving it a sniff, then a sip. Founding nothing wrong with it, he drank and gave the glass to Bunnymund.
"Ri'Zha"
Bunnymund blinked, giving him a curious look. "That's a name not from here"
Ri'Zha rolled his eyes. "Duh. Elsweyr, where else?" He received a blank stare.
"What?" asked the cat.
"Where?" replied the rabbit.
"Elsweyr. Don't tell me you never heard of it?" asked Ri'Zha with a slightly disbelieving stare.
"Afraid not, mate. Where is supposed to be this... Elsweyr, right?" questioned Bunnymund. The Khajiit blinked, then laughed. It was a crystalline sound, clear and with a perfect pitch.
Bunny liked that. He shook his head.
"Were did you live? Under a rock? Nevermind, don't answer that." Said Ri'Zha once his laugh was under control. "Elsweyr is in Tamriel"
Bunny only gave him a blank stare. "Nirn? Mundus?!" With every name Ri'Zha's eyes were widening more and more, for Bunnymund was failing to react to those.
"Sorry mate, dunno those." Eyes opened in shock, he grabbed the rabbit by his shoulder and, muzzle just inches from touching the other, yelled.
"Where the fuck am I?!"
Once again, the doors exploded inward, and the thrice damned Cossack entered wielding his two swords (Where did he get those?) in a ready stance. Following him were the other tree oddities.
"Ok, this is becoming annoying! I don't care what you say, Cottontail, but we're staying here whether you like it or not!" said the white haired boy with an annoyed voice, gaining the agreement of his three other companions.
Then, they realized they were purposefully ignored by the two, who were staring at each other. Bunny had grasped the wrists of the near panicking Khajiit, avoiding a broken shoulder.
Slowly, he spoke.
"You are on the planet that the inhabitants call Earth. This planet is in the Solar system, composed by eight planets, one dwarf-planet, which all of them orbit around the star they call Sun, which orbit in the Universe. I don't know of any universe called Mundus, nor any world called Nirn, nor any continent called Tamriel, nor any country called Elsweyr."
Ri'Zha fell on his knees, looking down the floor with wide eyes. Bunnymund kneeled in front of him, brows furrowed in slight concern, and rested a paw on his shoulder. The Khajiit remained unresponsive, his mind trying to take the information in, but failing.
Another Country? Another world? Another universe? Earth? Eight planets? Don't know Mundus? Don't know Nirn? Tamriel? Elsweyr?
Neri?
He silently hunched forward, his head resting on the shoulder of Bunnymund, who froze in surprise. The other four looked shocked, though he didn't saw them. A part of his mind noticed that his eyes were watery, and that his body was rocked by sobs. Crossing his arms on his belly, he wept silently, trying to cope the fact that he won't see, couldn't see his home anymore. Couldn't give his wife and his never born son a proper burial, her body forgotten on top of Apocrypha, at the means of Hermaeus Mora. Couldn't see his adopted child, M-Rakha, who was waiting for him at home, only for someone to tell him that his parents were dead. Couldn't come back home to pick up his son, put him on his hip and hug his wife, who was cooking for the three of them, humming a sweet song all the while.
Ri'Zha, in a long time, truly cried. For his world, in a single instant, shattered.
ooo...ooOOoo...ooo
"I didn't want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that's really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you're so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare."
"They say when you are missing someone that they are probably feeling the same, but I don't think it's possible for you to miss me as much as I'm missing you right now."
ooo...ooOOoo...ooo
"You think he is awake?"
'Duh'.
He tried to ignore the words hushed next to him. His mind was a jumbled mess – again – and he couldn't recall the moments before aside the fact that he had cried and was carried to the bed by the rabbit – Bunnymund -, and promptly fell asleep for exhaustion.
Keeping his eyes closed, he focused on his hearing and smelling. There was the hushed voice beside him, with a soft jingling of sort, and a soft glow at the edge of his obscured eyesight.
On his left, dulled, was chaos. Hundreds and hundreds of feet thumped on the floor, while machines were on and someone – Ri'Zha knew it was the Cossack – was shouting at the top of his lungs in a strange language.
He smelled evergreen pine and freshly fallen snow, along with honey and vanilla with a bit of dust.
So the white haired boy was here, along with the golden dust-man. He didn't hear a flutter of wings, so the feathered woman must be somewhere else.
He sighed, gaining the attention of the two next to his bed, and he slightly opened his eyes.
"You're awake!" said the boy with a grin on his features.
Ri'Zha was so mentally exhausted that forgot how to roll his eyes. "You should stop stating the obvious, kid"
The glare he got was both childish and irritated.
"Well, sorry for being worried!" replied the boy with a huff.
"Why would you be worried about me? We don't even know each other" said the Khajiit with a snort.
Then both the boy and the dust-man seemed to realize something that had their mouth opened. Ri'Zha eyed them strangely.
"What?"
The boy raised a hand and gestured the bedded cat with a hopeful look.
"You can see me?!" asked, or rather, yelled the boy, his eyes shining brightly with hope and wonder.
Ri'Zha's face screamed 'Duh!'. "'Course I can. Why, are you invisible or something most of the time?" asked sarcastically.
The boy flinched, but nodded nonetheless, still smiling "Yes. I'm a spirit, but I'm invisible to everyone because no one believes in me." Was his reply.
Ri'Zha blinked, then shrugged. "Not the first time I saw a spirit. Though the last one tried to kill me"
Dusty's eyes widened, along with the boy. Golden dust created forms out of thin air, and the cat found himself in awe at the display. The form of the boy next to him, a sword and a big X above his head formed in a sequence.
"Yeah, Sandy's right! Spirits can't attack human on purpose!" said the boy, frowning deeply, while the newly dubbed Sandy nodded along.
"Oh don't worry, Potema was just being bitchy about her cavern. Crazy ass Queen She-Wolf Spirit..." said Ri'Zha nonchalantly, waving off the disbelieving stare he got from the duo.
"Now... As it was clearly stated before... I can't leave." The cat winced slightly, but continued. "Do you mind giving me a hand to understand where am I?"
The boy beamed and raised a hand in a childish motion to seek attention.
Ri'Zha snorted.
"Alright kid, what can you tell me about this... Earth, was it?"
ooo...ooOOoo...ooo
"Sooo... you guys are called "Guardians", who protects children and their "belief" so you won't disappear, and in exchange you give them... toys, eggs, dreams, memories, and snow?" recalled slowly the cat on his fingers, getting a nod from both of them.
"But the... Nightmare King... is trying to regain his power to wage war against the... Man in the Moon... by making children stop believing in you, so you'll disappear?" Continued the Khajiit, gaining a pleased look from the winter boy, who was giddily jumping in his seat.
"And... You –" Ri'Zha pointed at the boy. "- are Jack Frost, Winter Spirit, while you –" he added pointing at the gold man. "- are the Sandman, who brings good dreams to children. Then there's the... Tooth Fairy. She collects teeth and keeps them in order to restore the good memories in the children." Ri'Zha raised a third finger to count the Guardians.
"Then the Cossack –" started Ri'Zha. "Santa Claus, but just call him North. Everyone does" piped Jack in to help the Cat.
Nodding, he raised a fourth finger. "Santa Claus, Spirit of... Christmas, was it?" Sandman nodded, albeit a bit wide eyed. Apparently, the idea of Ri'Zha not knowing what Christmas was, was appalling for him.
"Spirit of Christmas, bearing gifts across the world to the children who are well behaved, and nothing to the naughty ones." Finished Ri'Zha, and raised his index finger to conclude.
"Then lastly the Easter Bunny, who brings eggs and chocolate to every children in the world, bringing hope to everyone in the homonymous holiday."
Sandman smiled widely, while Jack grinned.
"Bunnymund said that this world was called Earth, and you, Jack, said that the people that lives on this planet are technologically advanced in many way, as well very skilled. I still can't quite understand what a "cell fon" is, because I've never seen one in my life, neither a "car", nor... what was the last one you said?" asked Ri'Zha to the winter boy, who pursed his lips.
"Airplanes, and it's Cell phone." Corrected the spirit with a smile.
Ri'Zha sighed and rubbed his forehead, feeling a migraine coming up. "This is a lot to take in. I've been thrown in a new world with near-null knowledge of it, save some similarities, amidst a war with a mad spirit who is trying to regain his lost powers to rule again"
Sandman smiled comprehensively, and patted the shoulder of the Cat, who smiled exhaustively.
A crash echoed through the whole complex, followed by loud cursing, a 'slap', and other cursing.
The trio just looked at each other for a few seconds, then Jack burst out laughing, Ri'Zha snorted and Sandman shook his head with a fond smile.
"I don't even want to know..." murmured the Khajiit, and Jack wiped a tear from his eye, nodding in agreement.
Ri'Zha then looked at Jack. "Do you know where they took my equip?" the boy frowned, but nodded. "If it's possible, could you take it here? All of it." Jack's eyes bulged out. "But that armor must weight a ton! I can't carry it here all the way!" exclaimed Jack.
Ri'Zha rolled his eyes. "Just find my bag, and put it in. It's enchanted, so it's nearly bottomless, and weightless." The winter's child eyes sparkled in wonder, and all but shot through the door to find the pouch.
Ri'Zha laughed. It felt good, just a bit.
Exactly two minutes later, Jack all but bounced in the room with wide eyes full of wonder, glancing at the pouch with awe.
"How the hell does it do that?!" He exclaimed, giving it to the bedded cat.
"Do what?" asked Ri'Zha, putting his entire arm inside the pouch, rummaging inside of it.
"That!" Jack pointed the pouch as Ri'Zha extracted a pair of boots, gloves, a brown muffler, belts, a steel shoulder pad, a chainmail covered by a blue cloth with gold trims. A silvery sun was proudly and carefully painted on the chest of it, and a black leathered armor.
Ri'Zha shuffled off the bed and started to put his armor given from the Dawnguard on.
"Magic, kiddo. Don't tell me you've never seen something like this." Replied the cat, smirking. The kid's enthusiasm was rubbing off of him.
"Yeah, I know magic, but never seen a bottomless pouch!" Jack said, scratching his hair trying to understand how the bag worked.
Ri'Zha almost snorted. 300 years old and still acting as a kid. Tightening the belts on his left side, he adjusted the muffler and kicked the boots. Years of experience in this armor actually made it quite easy to put it on.
The armor was made so it could pack a big punch and allow fluid movements from the wearer. It was a beautiful craftsmanship of speed and strength.
He ghosted his fingers everywhere on the armor to check if everything was in order. Almost as easy as breathing, magicka poured from his near limitless resources, and a light frost formed on the parts of the armor, while the cloth got a snowflake like pattern.
Ri'Zha breathed in and exhaled a puff of condensed air. The very next second, the frost melted, leaving no trace of its existence on the armor.
Turning around, he grabbed the pouch and rummaged again, touching objects, and identifying them in the process.
"Septims... garnets... arrows... bolts... fittons... ah!" He exclaimed, and pulled. From the pouch emerged a pommel, then a handle, then a guard, then the rest of the sheathed blade followed. Strapping it on his left his, Ri'Zha unsheathed the sword, letting the light of the crackling fire in the chimney dance on the blade.
The blade was a light sky-blue with markings of grey flames from the guard to its fuller. The guard was a golden head of a dragon with two pair of spikes on the sides. The entire handle was wrapped in blue sturdy cloth to prevent slips from hands, while the pommel was a spherical sapphire wrapped in a golden spiral.
"Wow..." Jack breathed, letting his eyes travel on the sword. Sandy just hanged his mouth open. "I want one too..."
"Dream on, Jack. You could never forge one" said Ri'Zha in a playful manner, switching the sword from hand to hand.
"Hey! I can learn!" protested the boy, mildly irritated. The Khajiit shook his head, and pointed the sword to the winter avatar.
"Can you infuse a soul into something?" asked rhetorically the cat to the boy, who shook his head in negation. "Because I used the soul of a dragon for this one, and unless dragons exist here, you could never create such a thing as this."
Jack touched the flat of the blade, and he felt it hum with power. "What is this anyway?" He ran his finger on the fuller, and watched mesmerized as the ice mixed with it, letting the material soak in it.
"A Dragonslayer"
Sandman's head shot up with wide eyes, and images formed on his head so fast that Ri'Zha couldn't follow any of it. Frowning in confusion, he shook a little bit his head with a questioning look. The star nearly sighed, but replied the images more slowly.
A dragon, a sword, him, and a "?" danced on his head.
"Did I kill dragons, or How I killed them? Which one?"
His chubby hand held two fingers up. "Right. I... Dragons are a very strange race. If you slay a dragon, expect to see it again, because they will revive. Why? The soul never left the body, so they can... force? – I don't know – their way through death and replace themselves in the body. Only one could properly kill a dragon, and he, or she, was called Dragonborn."
Sandman seemed to understand, because he nodded and just left it at that. Jack instead tilted his head. "So you're this Dragonborn, right?" Ri'Zha nodded in response, and expected the glaringly obvious question ahead. "How many dragons you've killed?"
The cat raised his head slightly, picked up his gloves and put them on, and strapped the pouch on the back of his right hip. Tying a knot, he shrugged. "I've lost the count, or rather, I stopped counting after the seventh. That was about four years ago, I believe." He couldn't help but smirk at the pale face of the boy, even paler than normal. He waved the boy off, chuckling despite himself, and went to the door, the Sandman following him floating over, and Jack just walked next to him in some sort of trance.
Opening the door, he was met with the most chaotic place he ever laid his eyes on. And Breezehome was messy, oh god if it was. The cheese...
Turning back on track, Ri'Zha's eyebrow twitched when he saw the Cossack laugh condescendingly at Bunnymund, while the Tooth Fairy quirked orders at her mini-clones almost absent mindedly.
Deciding to go and check over to see what was going on – he so didn't want to get lost in this thrice damned place – when he was nearly thrown off the floor by a sea of white, gray and brown fur yelling gibberish to tiny red hats with giggling bells attached to the end.
Shaking his head, he headed to the three Guardians, minding his footing for the red horrors, and winced slightly when North's booming laugh pierced his ears.
"Bunny, I already said it twize now! Easter iz not Christmas! Even if it'z at three months from now, there iz no need to fret! I will take care of him!" The Cossack patted his belly with a jolly laugh.
Bunnymund was on the verge of pulling his ears, or punch the man on the nose. Ri'Zha cheered for the second.
"North, ya bloody drongo! In case ya didn't notice, Am on the verge of mah holiday! Ah don't need ta worry 'bout you givin' a heart attack to the bloke in tha other room. So, if ya'll excuse me, Am going to bring him to the Warren. Ah don' have the time ta come and check on the cat with mah event on the rhetorical doorstep." With that said, he whirled around, leaving a surprised man, to come face to face with the subject of the discussion, who was staring at him with a raised eyebrow.
Bunny's eyes widened a bit, but smiled slightly nonetheless. "Good, yer awake! Ah'll make this quick for ya. Short story is, you're going to come with me in the Warren because Ah need to check on your health, and because mah holiday's near, Ah can't afford to go back and forth just to check on yah."
Ri'Zha's eyebrow shot higher. "What am I, a kid? I've had worse than this, I'll be fine on my own" he replied, shrugging the bloody bandage of his neck nonchalantly.
Bunnymund sighed. "It would ease mah mind if Ah could check on ye constantly. A lot. Besides, Am concerned about your condition." The rabbit whispered the last part only for non-human ears to hear, avoiding a chaotic worrying by North.
Frowning, Ri'Zha stared at the rabbit for a long minute, in which he didn't yeld, staring back with his emerald ones into his glaciers. Slit pupils bore into round ones, searching for a simple reason of distrust, because, even if the rabbit had saved him and worried about him, Ri'Zha was still hesitant to trust.
Years of fighting the Thalmor, Ulfric and Dragons would do that to you.
Years of death, betrayal and pick pocketing would do that to you, too.
Closing his eyes in defeat, Ri'Zha nodded, and Bunnymund smiled a bit, clearly relieved at how it turned into his favor. "So when we are going?" Asked the Khajiit, scratching a bit his bandages on the neck; Whatever they did to him was starting to fade, because the dull throb of the blood pumping was starting to get annoying.
The Bunny smirked and raised his right foot. "Now, mate" Ri'Zha raised an eyebrow and turned to Jack, and shrugged. "Guess I'll teach you later, kiddo. See ya" Giving a two finger salute, he gave himself a lot of credit for not yelping when the ground under his feet cave in.
Grunting when he landed, his eyes widened when he started to slide in the tunnel in what he considered fast.
As fast as his Whirlwind Sprint.
Trying not to panic because of his uncontrollable state, Ri'Zha's eyes widened when a blue-white blur appeared next to him, identifying it as Bunnymund, who was running.
Running.
Mind boggling as it was, he too was fast; three years of people telling that to you made it quite believable. The Whirlwind Sprint was something that he was fond of. Especially the three steps of it.
Letting a startled – manly – yelp when the tunnel headed downward in a rather hard way, he sighed in relief as light shone at the end of the tunnel. The last meters were made with a smirk on his features.
Exiting the tunnel, he expected to touch ground, but his feet met only air, and he looked down in confusion, only to freeze.
He was going to kill the rabbit.
ooo...ooOOoo...ooo
"Oh c'mon! 't wasn't that bad!" Bunnymund tried not to snicker by biting his tongue, but it seemed it wasn't enough.
"I'm going to ignore you for the time being, and when my sword is sharpened enough, I shall skin you alive, then make a coat out of your fur, and hang it on whatever place I deem fit. Then I'm going to stuff you with straw and put you somewhere. Until then, you'll have to be patience. I can only do much with just a whetstone." Ri'Zha listed calmly, polishing the Dragonslayer with expert movements.
"Ye can't be serious! 'twas just a dip in the pond!" reasoned the rabbit, eyeing the sword warily.
Ri'Zha stopped polishing for a second to look at Bunnymund. "A seven meter deep pond filled with cold water." The deadpan was something to behold. Bunnymund made a gesture. "So?" The Khajiit nearly hissed. "I'm a cat, you overgrown bunny!" He slashed the air in irritation, avoid purposefully the lagomorphs in front of him.
He wasn't angry, no. More like annoyed – no, irritated was the right word. He was grumpy because his clothes were wet, and his fur was wet, and the inside of his ears were wet, and his feet were wet and –.
He hated being wet, and cold.
He liked having baths mind you – he was a very clean cat thankyouverymuch – but being dipped in a freezing pond with a 46 pounds gear wasn't the best experience in the world.
'Why am I getting worked up? It's nothing a bit of fire won't solve'.
Bunnymund frowned a bit. "And I'm a bunny, so what?" Ri'Zha growled softly, and shook his head. That stubbornness reminded him of someone really annoying.
Making a vague gesture, he motioned Bunnymund to show him the way, where he could rearrange his inventory, equipment and, if needed, his health.
Walking up a small hill, he noticed the scenery around him. The Warren was something to behold, mostly because of the greenery of it, and the exotic plants that it contained. Ri'Zha was suddenly reminded of the humid forests of Elsweyr, but on a much more welcoming sight.
A big mound of dirt suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of them, with a door in it.
"A warren... Should have seen it coming..." murmured the Khajiit, and nodded in thanks as Bunnymund held the door open for him.
As he entered, he noticed the earthy smell of the place, and the warm temperature it carried. The rays of the sun filtered through the windows, giving it a cozy, calm atmosphere, and he found himself relaxing slightly.
He didn't even heard Bunnymund slip past him, and continued to scan the room. It was simple, plain, and yet, it had everything that was needed, although he didn't even try to understand the strange contraption of tubes and a basin fixed on the wall.
Hearing the sound of running water – 'running water?' – he walked in the direction of the sound, just in time to see Bunnymund come out of a door and looked at him.
"Hey, bath 's ready, soap 's on the shelf and towels are next to it. If ya need anything just ask". The rabbit pointed the door, and Ri'Zha nodded, grateful.
Noticing the steaming water coming from the... 'how was it again? Ah, tub. Thanks, Jack.' he quickly undressed and slipped in, letting the warm water wash away his grime and fatigue.
Resting the head against the border of the tub, he let out a content sigh, and started to doze off.
'Maybe... just for now... I can relax a bit...'
ooo...ooOOoo...ooo
-
"Fos Los Pruz, Wah Kos Kiin Kul Uv Wah Lokiig Hin Vokul Lund Zeim Lot Grav? Uv Los Nii Vahk Fah Saag Lund Wah Divoon Hi, Ulaaknu Do Faal Lein?"
"What is better, to be born good or to overcome your evil nature through great effort? Or is it easier for said nature to swallow you, uncaring of the world?"
"ZU'U UNSLAAD, ZU'U NIS OBLAAN!"
"I AM IMMORTAL, I CANNOT DIE!"
Hope you liked it! Cheers!~
Seb