So this was how the land looked.

Rialyn looked uneasy as he gazed at the shore around him, covered in ash and sand. It seemed that the eruption of the red mountain reached as far as the province's shores; it was truly devastating. But at least now he is here like he planned…Like they planned. Still, Rialyn expected something different.

It was a strange feeling. He heard the stories, read books, and collected information. The Dragonborn knew full well how damaged the state of Morrowind was, yet, subconsciously, he still expected something different. Something less barren, less depressing, just a tiny bit more welcoming but these were futile hopes; he didn't see any plants around here. All life was gone.

"The fire has taken its toll…"-Rialyn said with sorrow in his voice; Nerius approached closely.

"I heard this land has always been harsh, all of them are, especially to outsiders."

"Well…Before we make a judgment, it would be good to know where you are."-Rialyn said.

"I wanted to ask you the exact same thing, don't you have an idea?"

Rialyn shook his head.

"We are on the shore. It could be either the mainland or Vvardenfell."

"Hopefully, the isle, we were going to Vivec after all."

"There is only one way to know."-Rialyn looked ahead, first across the shore, then deeper into the isle. "We have to go south to have any idea at all. If we're on Vvardenfell, we should eventually reach Vivec; it would be hard to miss."

"I imagine it's very dangerous out there…"-Nerius said.

"My life is dangerous in general; surely you realize it's too late to turn back."

"Oh, I did not even think about it! I am with you, Dragonborn, as promised. Just saying that we both should be cautious in there."

"Then let's go; no point in hanging around."

And so the two made first steps on their journey into the land of ash.

…

The land was inhospitable and, at times, seemed uninhabitable. Rialyn couldn't help but look around; everything, from trees to remnants of grass and sand, was covered in ash. The scars left by the red mountain still lingered today; how terrifying it must have been after the eruption.

"How do they live in here…It doesn't seem like there is much to breathe."-Nerius noted.

"From what I know, this land is important, its heritage for the Dunmer. They won't abandon it, even if it's just a few scraps near the sea. I imagine they would want to rebuild after the dust has settled."

"Do you think it is even possible to rebuild?"

"Defeating Alduin was considered impossible until recently, wasn't it?"

"Fair…I imagine it takes strength of resolve to live here."

Rialyn paid attention to something else, something on the shore in the distance, something that looked man-made. As they approached closer, they saw three ancient huts, long abandoned. Their planks were old and withered. Some of them were lost, leaving holes in these buildings.

"Was that a village once?"-Nerius wondered.

"I imagine so…"-Rialyn walked towards these ruined huts with Nerius following him. He really wanted to explore and see any traces of Dunmer that once lived here, if anything is left. The two approached one of those huts and entered.

Everything inside was symbolic of fading. Plants began to spur from underneath the broken table, a couple of torn pants and coats. There was no sign of life, but clearly, someone called this place home long ago. Was this how most of Morrowind looked now? Were people that once lived here now moved to other sites? Resided in Windhelm like those he saw?

"Wait, what is this?"-Nerius called Rialyn and pointed to something unusual. This was a mace, very distinct from everything else. It was colored in dark green and had very little dust on it as if brought from outside. Rialyn examined the weapon closely.

"We aren't the only ones here."

It was time to leave. Rialyn couldn't get rid of the feeling that they were being watched. As they left the house, his worst fears were proven. He noticed four argonian warriors approaching the village; the moment they sighted Nerius and Rialyn, they moved quickly, baring their weapons.

"Argonians, here?"-The thief wondered. Rialyn just took his mace out. He was preparing for battle.

The four of them surrounded Nerius and Dragonborn. They talked to each other in a language Rialyn did not recognize, probably Jel, the native argonian language. One of them looked at Nerius and spoke in Tamrielic.

"I didn't hear about anyone else being sent to Vvardenfell…Who are you?"

"Why does it matter? Maybe start with yourself."

"I am Zatuun Je, and I see you have wandered into the wrong house…Whoever you are, you aren't getting out alive!"

With these words, argonians attacked, but Rialyn was ready.

"Fus Ro dah!"-The shout pushed two argonians to the side, distracting them and allowing Rialyn to take on them. Nerius fought with the other two, including Zatuun. The rogue proved remarkably resilient and swift, which compensated for his lack of physical strength. Nerius quickly plunged his blade into one of the raiders, so precisely timed that he dropped dead almost immediately.

Rialyn was fighting two argonians at the same time. They fought fearlessly and held nothing back, clearly having no idea who he was. The elf unleashed his fire magic upon the opponent, burning him alive. Another attempted to strike the Dragonborn from behind but was met with a counterattack and a head cut off.

He turned his attention to Zatuun, who fought Nerius. The young thief held his ground and distracted this raider. Rialyn soon joined the fight and hit him with the accursed mace that Zatuun fell to the ground with his hand broken. He screamed in agony and looked at Rialyn.

"You are…You are strong!"

"Perhaps you should've thought twice before trying to fight. Who are you?"

"We were sent…To scout…I was told that…It's time…"-His voice became quiet and soon fell silent. Rialyn looked at Nerius; the argonian looked distressed.

"I hoped that the day I will meet more argonians outside of Skyrim won't be…Like this."

"They weren't bandits…They were sent here by someone else, and I only have one option in mind."

"Saxhleel invasion?"

Rialyn nodded.

"I wonder if Morrowind authorities know about this. This can be the beginning of something far worse."

"What should we do, then?"

"Nothing. Just carry on, and if the opportunity arises, deliver this news."

Nerius looked over the bodies of fallen argonians and took a blade from one of them.

"I suppose we'll need evidence."

Rialyn gave him a not and turned back towards the road; they lingered long enough here already.

…

After spending a day traveling across the shoreline, Rialyn and Nerius still haven't seen any civilized people of Vvardenfell. So far, it has only been occasional guars and other wild beasts. Most notable of all, however, was the argonian party they fought. To know that these invaders were taking steps to invade the isle was troubling, but at least they knew that they did not stray off their destination. One day they'll reach Vivec, hopefully soon.

It troubled Nerius that he had to fight against his own kind, unable to reason with them; that much was clear. Rialyn wasn't the one for unnecessary violence himself, but he would not hesitate to fight back against whoever dared to challenge him. This wasn't land where people knew of Dragonborn as well as nords did. Perhaps there would be many bolder challenges to come.

Now they needed rest, however. At least Nerius did. He had talent but still needed to work on his stamina and ability to fight for long periods. And so, as the night fell upon the ashen shores of Vvardenfell, Rialyn and Nerius decided to take a few hours to themselves. It wasn't as hard as Rialyn expected to find a safe spot; the creatures were sparse here, and there was very little to feed on in these lands. The Dragonborn imagined many species went extinct.

So far, everything Rialyn saw was just…Empty. A complete wasteland in which one cannot live, only survive. Many other races considered Dunmer reclusive and unwelcoming; after seeing his people's home, Rialyn got his answer. It wasn't what he hoped for, but it was what he expected. Besides, Dragonborn was never the one to turn back from a challenge, no matter how difficult. However, it was complicated when he did not fully know what the challenge was…Perhaps it was internal. Accepting the land as his own…

It was in these musings Rialyn spent most of the night looking at distant stars. It was idyllic, in a sense, even though they were in a dying place, not safe even for a second…

"Heed…"-An echoing whisper sprang through Rialyn's mind. It was a demonic voice, very distinct and somewhat familiar. It didn't last long before the return of silence, but what came back was Rialyn's hunger. Unpredictable and chaotic spike in thirst, he immediately turned toward sleeping Nerius. Rialyn quickly rushed towards him, ready to pierce his flesh with his fangs. Argonian blood must have been cold in taste, but the animalistic desire within Rialyn pushed him toward finding out.

He stopped moments before making this mistake; the elf stepped away from Nerius; he tried to bury his primal instincts within his mind and take control of his body. These whispers, these voices, still wanted to get him to drink more blood. Rialyn felt his fleet withering, becoming reminiscent of grave ash. His blood boiled; he wanted more. The Dragonborn imagined how he would soak his teeth in his delicious blood, drink every drop of it, slit his throat and enjoy the meal. How Nerius would try to talk and drown in his own blood, spilling more and more…

No, no, it wasn't right. Rialyn stopped and thought for a moment. He was not a monster. His vampiric being would not overtake him, not after everything he went through. Rialyn sat near the shore and gazed into the sky again, doing his best to turn his thoughts away from his hunger. He should've fed on those argonians…But now he will have to find another source tomorrow.

These were his last moments of respite.