Innocence Questioned
Chapter 4
"Father, why do we keep slaves?"
Jamin Iscario looked up from his desk as his daughter entered the study.
"I remember the first time you asked me that question Lessa".
"It was a long time ago" she replied, watching him closely. "There was much I did not understand then, or wish to accept".
"And now?" he asked, glancing up at her briefly before returning to his work.
The young woman walked over to an open window observing the great city with its teeming crowds below and for a moment said nothing.
Despite the gloriously warm day, her fathers' study seemed to have an odd chill about it.
"I am of age now Father, no longer a child and I must face the fact I have responsibilities to this house".
"You have always had a responsibility to this house and to me Taless'naverine" he stated frostily.
Here we go, she thought.
"But you have nothing but defy me at every at opportunity! Doing nothing but squander my wealth on useless things and the way you treat these slaves Lessa, you think I never noticed. You have no idea how that reflects on me in court, the excuses I've made for you. And now, only now you waltz in here with your grand epiphany!"
"Damn you Father it was never about you, don't you understand?" Taless'naverine cried.
Jamin launched himself out of his chair sending it flying backwards, a furious aura, like the very flames of Oblivion burst into life about him. "How dare you" he bellowed with a voice like an angry god. Grabbing his heavy work desk, the enraged Ayleid tossed it across the room smashing it to kindling. "The insolence!"
"I dare Father!" she cried, taking an involuntary step backwards. "I dare because it's all I have left. You drove Incra'te away, do you have any idea how much I hated you for that? He never wanted the role you chose him. Then you left me, a piece at a time, you have become some distant shadow of the man I once knew. Have you any idea how much you've hurt me father?" She felt a tear rolling down her cheek. "So I gave the slaves an easy time, I was the one who was generous and kind to them, not because I felt for them but because it infuriated you".
The fiery glow surrounding Jamin began to subside and he regarded the devastated study. "What is it you want from me Lessa?" he sounded suddenly tired.
Taless'naverine tentatively laid a hand upon her fathers shoulder. "I want to be a part of your world father, to be the daughter you wanted me to be with no more fighting between us; I wish to take the Blood Rite".
"So much like your mother" Jamin said with a thin smile. "She never backed down from a fight. Very well, I will make the arrangements" he squeezed his daughters' hand. "Your certain you wish to do this Lessa?"
"Yes Father" she nodded. "I made an oath".
All too easy, Taless'naverine thought as she left the study later that day. She felt elated both at the ease of which she had lied to her father and sickened to the pit of her stomach thinking of what was yet to come.
Shalinva had left earlier that morning, leaving Taless'naverine feeling lost and in need of someone to confide in, but she had to remain hidden until she felt the time was right.
Having to assume the persona of a cold and heartless member of the aristocracy was a terrible strain on Taless'naverine as it went against everything she personally stood for; she had quietly maintained good relations with many of the house servants, all of which had to be torn down to keep up appearances.
Taless'naverine grew increasingly uneasy as the days passed with doubts about the whole plan beginning to occupy her thoughts, sleeping was nearly impossible, so early one morning, after a lot of tossing a turning Taless'naverine was less than pleased to hear a knocking at her chamber door.
"Taless'naverine Iscario, daughter of Jamin and Talesh'navei you are hereby summoned to the halls of lament" her father called formally. "Prepare yourself Lessa". He added softly.
For a moment she was numb, laying there unable to move. It had happened just like that, when she had least expected it. Taking several deep breaths and focusing herself, Taless'naverine pulled aside her sheets.
Deep beneath the city, through a maze of dimly lit chambers and twisting corridors was the dominion of the slave masters of Miscarcand. It was a place of unspeakable pain and misery. Fresh slaves are taken into the depths and quickly 'educated', no one else outside of their ranks dared to tread here, for to do so meant a drawn out, painful death at the hands of the flesh sculptures.
It was through this maze a procession sixteen people, all wearing hooded black silk robes escorted a seventeenth.
Taless'naverine, was walked at the end of the silent march, she was the only one wearing white robes which signified her purity, something she now feared for.
For over an hour they walked in seemingly random directions until finally reaching a great, high domed chamber lit with huge levitating glow stones, in its centre was a large round pool. Evenly spaced around the pools edge were sixteen glowing runes, each signifying one of the Daedric powers. There was another space containing no runes at all. As the group approached its centre, each member took a prearranged position. Taless'naverine stood upon the empty space and looked down.
The pool was filled with blood.
Before the horror of it all had time to register, those assembled spoke the Sanguine Rite, beginning the initiation.
"Where there is light" they intoned in one voice.
"Darkness shall reign" she replied.
"Where there is hope".
"It shall be broken and tamed", she took a deep breath.
"The flesh you offer us", they continued.
"I sacrifice freely".
"The soul you give?" They asked.
"An open book to see". She concluded.
"Then take your place amongst us Acolyte and earn your mark".
In one fluid movement, the cloaked figures turned their backs to the pool before casting off their robes revealing naked women and men and upon each of their backs Taless'naverine noticed a Daedric inscription tattooed in black.
It was said that each one represented that persons true and innermost nature, Taless'naverine forced down the growing fear, for they were dark and evil inscriptions indeed.
Taless'naverine loosened her robe and let it slip to the ground revealing her milk white skin before stepping down into the pool.
It took all of her restraint not to vomit as she waded into the pool, hair trailing out behind her; it steadily became deeper, until at the centre the Ayleid stood to the breast in warm, thick blood where she stopped and waited.
She recalled some of the rumours told by her friends about those who had failed the rite and how they had devoured body and soul by the Daedric powers; she had always assured herself that they were just that.
Now she wasn't so sure and felt a near undeniable urge to flee and forget the whole stupid idea, but for nearly an hour nothing happened, Taless'naverine just stood there naked in the pool when she saw the tattoos' on those above begin to glow an eerie blue.
Something brushed passed her leg and crying out in alarm she twisted about in the fluid but saw nothing.
Something else brushed against her stomach, her back, legs and waist.
Her heart was hammering in her chest, as she was about to plea for aid when suddenly something below coiled around her legs and hips; Taless'naverine barely had time to scream as she was pulled under.
Blind terror coursed through her as Taless'naverine was pulled deeper and deeper; the light from above quickly dimmed and vanished. Desperately fighting not to exhale, she began seeing things moving towards her. They were huge and ethereal, radiating malice and they were surrounding her taking form, Daedra.
The servants of oblivion itself.
"Deceiver!" a voice boomed through her mind, it took all of her strength not to scream out as agony tore through her head.
More and more voices assailed her, each one a physical blow. "Pretender! Oath breaker!" they roared. "False believer!"
"Murderer!"
Taless'naverine screamed in agony, air bursting from her burning lungs and for a briefest moment she was still, at peace.
Then she inhaled, warm blood gushed down her throat and after a few moments the contorting and twitching ended as Taless'naverine's lungs filled.
All grew dark.
With a sharp intake of air Taless'naverine awoke to found herself lying naked upon on a cold stone alter. She stared up at into a clear night sky at unfamiliar stars, something in the distance the Ayleid heard a sound like the crashing of water on a shore. Oh gods I'm dead, she thought. With a sinking feeling in her stomach Taless'naverine sat up.
"I failed, bloody wonderful" she muttered. "Here I am nothing on but my skin, destined to walk forever through a forest; you Daedra have a sick sense of humour". Taless'naverine had the sudden urge to just burst out with laughter at the ridiculous twist of fate.
Looking through a thin copse of tree's there was indeed a beech and deciding that it was probably a good place to start her 'eternal wanderings' left the alter behind.
Taless'naverine had no idea how far she'd travelled as there were nothing familiar in the landscape, no moon to light her passage or way to measure time, not that such a thing mattered now, all that seemed to matter to her now was to reach the ocean, but there were no roads or paths only endless black fields of wheat that blew lazily in a breeze she couldn't feel and ever in the distance was the sound of the ocean, seemingly calling to her but always just out of sight. She walked on and on and on…
"I always knew you would come Lessa" said a voice behind her. It took a moment, or an eternity, for her to realise it was Nandi's. Taless'naverine turned to face the former slave and found herself standing upon white sands. There were warm silvery waters washing up between her feet and upon looking to her left and right she saw sandy shores disappearing off into the distance.
Taless'naverine's attention focused on the beautiful woman standing before, for Nandi was a sight to behold, standing there, her dark skin aglow and dressed in a fine white and gold silk dress with her wrists, neck and ankles adorned with silver and bronze, she was a picture of royalty among her people.
Taless'naverine crying out in relief, at the simple fact she was no longer alone and rushed forward to embrace her old friend, only to pass though her and landing face down in wet sand. Nandi laughter was full of love wand warmth as she watched the Ayleid sitting before her spitting out sand. "Alas kind little Lessa, the living cannot touch the dead and you young one, are still far from dead".
"What?" she asked "this is the test?"
"Yes and no" she answered. "My master has intervened in your failure to complete the ritual and brought you here".
"Nandi, what master?" she stammered, "What's going on?"
"You have a destiny little Lessa, one that has been foretold before the beginning of time". Nandi knelt down before the Ayleid and looking deep into her eyes, continued.
"You will witness the rise and fall of empires, Lessa. You will endure love and sorrow and hate beyond anything you can imagine". Nandi leaned forward towards the confused Ayleid, "Close your eyes Lessa, and see" She whispered.
So she did and for awhile there was darkness and the sound of waves washing against the shoreline until soft blurry images began taking form, suddenly a kaleidoscope of distorted scenes assaulted her; a massive battle line of mounted humans charging across a charred landscape into a hoard of Daedra emerging from oblivion gates. A funeral procession moving solemnly through the heart of Miscarcand with hundreds of onlookers lining the streets weeping. Two lovers entangled in the heat of passion.
The tower of the high temple, heart of the Ayleid realm, surrounded by a circular walled city.
Her eyes snapped open. "Is this my future Nandi?" Taless'naverine asked after collecting herself.
She shrugged. "Possibly, but I'm not privy to all the universes' secrets. Harmeaus Mora is the keeper of such knowledge, I am merely his voice.
Daedric gods, predictions of death and change left Taless'naverine feeling completely out of her depth.
"It is time us to part ways now Lessa and I can't say if we will meet again but you are to receive something, a gift or curse you may call it what you wish but it will open otherwise closed doors". Standing, Nandi brushed herself off before smiling and walking away.
"Wait!" Taless'naverine cried scrambling to her feet but Nandi had vanished.
White agony suddenly tore through her spine sending her falling into unconsciousness.
The blood pool began to bubble and churn and the slave masters turned as Taless'naverine's body surfaced, looking upon her many of them cried out in a mix of alarm, fear and awe for before them floated never before seen.
Tattooed across her entire back in glowing blue were a series of four interweaving inscriptions, three small flowing into a larger one. Down the back of Taless'naverine's left shoulder, flowing Daedric runes translating into fury, her right was loss, from the small of her back to the base of her spine, eternity.
The most alarming of all was the large flowing runes in the centre of her back linking all the others.
Innocence.
Bloody ell, that took some doing!!!