Lucline Dufrey forced herself out of bed and threw her tunic over her bare skin. The heat of her apartment in Sentinel was outrageous in the summer. She had called the Alik'r Desert home since the Mage's guild had sent her here two years ago. She had trouble with extreme temperatures, preferring more temperate areas. The tunic bared her shoulders and only just covered her butt but she was already sweating as if she was wearing a full dress from Daggerfall. She never liked the fashions of her homelands. Give her a Cryodiilic wear, one piece of long fabric wrapped around the body any day. She patted across the flagstones and cast a frost spell into a basin in the center of the room. It helped but did not completely stop her sweating.

"No alchemy today, Lucline." She scolded herself and walked to the window. She could see the ocean in the distance. "Maybe a trip out on the water is in order."

There was a knock on the door to her apartment. She blinked, unsure who would be visiting her on a hot day like this. She considered grabbing a skirt or pants but decided to just stand as she was near the discharging frost elements.

"Come in, it's open."

The door opened and a cloaked figure walked in. That was another thing Lucline hated about the Summer. The sun was so intense, you could not even go outside in minimal clothing or suffer extreme burns. The figure removed her cloak to reveal her Fighter's Guild contact, Rasina at-Sentinel. The dark-skinned woman had black hair that contrasted with Lucline's blonde and dark eyes. She was also a wickedly good swordsman. She wore a top that barely covered her chest and a pair of silk harem pants with sandals. She had gifted Lucline an outfit identical to this her first summer in Hammerfell. Lucline would never be able to make up that favor.

"Lucline Dufrey, can you not wear something under that tunic during the day?" Her friend scolded though she was smiling.

"Sorry, Rasina. I'm cooking alive in here as it is. Come, stand by the basin."

She did not need to offer twice, the warrior glad came and stood next to the cool air.

"Much appreciated. I wonder if you can rig a larger source of cool in the summer to cool the entire apartment."

Lucline shrugged. "Evidence shows the Dwemer that lived here had things like that. However, I can't get anyone to escort me to their nearest ruin to examine an example of the workmanship. Even then, I can't guarantee it would be worth the effort and coin. Besides, this place is so small, I doubt I could fit something like that in here."

Rasina smiled even more widely. "What if I escorted you for free to the ruins? I recently had a nice payday so I can afford to take a day off. It's supposed to be overcast tomorrow. We could be there and back before night falls. As for location, with something like this, you could move into my home like I offered before. The main reason against it was the extreme heat after all."

Lucline had to admit, this was a very tempting offer. Rasina had also been lonely since her aging mother had died of heatstroke a few months prior.

"Sure, let's do it. I can't get any of my work done in this heat anyway. You got a deal, Rasina."

The two friends shook hands. "I'll be here before the sun rises tomorrow morning. Make sure you're up and ready to go."

After Rasina left, Lucline prepared a simple cantrip to awaken her before the appointed time. She might be lazy in the heat, but when it came to cooling herself down for good, she could muster at least that much energy.

*Elder-Scrolls*

A/N: I have been wanting to do more Elder Scrolls stuff and maybe RPs. I decided to try my hand at writing a fiction for it for now. Hope you enjoy this first entry.

Next time: Dwemer Ruins.