A Kiss, Sweet Mother - Part 1: Scales Darkened

  • Collaboration work by Teineeva & Karver

     

    1st of Second Seed, 4E 195, Windhelm

     

    The air rushed around my ears, my lungs kept sucking in the cold and heavy air of Windhelm as my feet carried me over the pavement away from the Grey District. People were giving me strange looks as I rushed around them but I didn’t pay attention to that. People? Dunmer mostly, and most of the Dunmer knew me quite well. Because I was like them.

     

    Was I a Dunmer too? No, definitely not. I was a different kind of rat. But I was just as poor as them. One pocket empty and the other holey. So we had at least that in common.

     

    But what did they see when they looked at me? Young boy who just reached his thirteenth year, with long and skinny limbs as he just lost his childish weight - also the constant hunger might had to do something with that. But I was already much taller than Muiri, almost reaching grown-up Nord’s chest. I was dirty, unkept and smelly Nord with an Imperial name, wearing dirty roughspun clothes, living on a street of a city I was born to.

     

    But life wasn’t fair. And how would a thirteen years old boy know that? His dad, an Imperial merchant was killed by bandits. His mother died on sickness during a winter. And the boy himself ended up in orphanage. And now I am living on the street, which is quite bad but not as bad as living with Grelod the Kind.

     

    As I was nearing the gate leading to the docks I nearly bumped into a little girl. I extended my arms to keep balance and also to protect the precious treasure. “Watch it, Muiri!” I barked at her as she dropped a handful of flowers on the ground.

     

    She frowned at me with her childish brows and I frowned back at her. Muiri was a few winters older than me but still barely made it up to my shoulders. Poor Bretons. She often worked on the docks and when she wouldn’t be helping out Suvaris, she was always following me everywhere, giving me flowers and whatnots. Flowers! I am a Nord and a boy - nearly a man - and she was giving me flowers. What use do I have for flowers? I tried to eat them once though… Well, again, what use do I have for flowers?

     

    “Don't be rude, Aventus!” she stomped her foot and that made me grin. Like if that could change anything. “It was you who nearly pushed me into the mud.” She was always acting towards me like if she was better or something. She was an orphan too, she was just lucky enough not to end up in orphanage. Instead, she was taken in by the Shatter-Shield clan of Windhelm, running errands for them.

     

    “Shouldn't you be combing Nilsine's hair or something?” I murmured and then looked at the flowers in the mud, bending to pick them up.

     

    “Hey, leave those alone,” she said in her best commanding voice. “Those are Nightshades.”

     

    “Nightshades?” I raised my eyebrows. I knew nothing about flowers but even I knew that Nightshades were highly poisonous. “Where did you get them?” I smirked and pulled my hand away when she tried to snatch the petal from my hand.

     

    “That big Argonian on the docks gave them to me,” she jumped up, trying to take the Nightshade from my hand which I raised above my head. “Now give it back!”

     

    “Finders keepers,” I grinned and bolted away, laughing like an idiot. It was so much fun teasing her. She had it easy, not like me, so why not? She might have been older than me but she still acted like a little hatchling, so it was only appropriate to treat her like one. Speaking of hatchlings...what big Argonian did she mean? There weren't any big Argonians living in the assembly - but maybe all Argonians were big for her?

     

    I wondered about that as I ran down the stairs to the docks, keeping the treasure close to my body. I didn't want it to break. If it broke then pakseech wouldn't be really happy and I certainly didn't want that. I slowed down just as I was reaching the bottom of he stairs because I didn't want any of the Saxhleel seeing me run around like an idiot. His deelith always kept saying that to rush is to miss the experience or something like that. It was sometimes very difficult to follow all the Saxhleel's analogies and sayings.

     

    So as I neared the docks I saw Scouts-Many-Marshes and Neetrenaza carrying crates from a ship towards the nearest warehouse.A I looked at the ship and its crew with interest, hoping to see a familiar face but to my surprise I had never seen either the ship or the crew. It had the emblem of East Empire Company on its side, but most of the Company's ships docked regulary and this one was new, almost like if she left the shipyards just yesterday. Though I saw that Shahvee was already working on the sails, stitching them together. Maybe they ran into a storm on the way to Windhelm.

     

    My eyes searched for the pakseech among the people and then I saw him standing next to a tanning rack,  talking with another Saxhleel, but this one I didn’t know.

     

    And Xuth! He really was big. It had to be the Argonian Muiri told me about. I began sneaking closer so that I could hear what Stands-In-shallows and this strange Argonian were talking about, my curiosity getting the better of me. There were several barrels of salted salmon near those two Argonians and so I found a spot in between them, very close to Stands-In-Shallows. I could hear everything and see everything happening at the docks if I shifted my balance slightly.

     

    The big Argonian certainly wasn’t a dockworker. Armor like his would get in the way if he would ever have to dive in. He wouldn’t sink, I knew that. I’d seen Scouts-Many-Marshes and Neetrenanza lift far heavier things up from the bottom. Maybe he was a guard on that ship?

     

    “I was a bit surprised to see you, Knight. Normally you and the others only start coming up this far north in Midyear.”

     

    “We had a soft winter in the Rift; most of us left a bit earlier than usual.” The stranger bared his sharp teeth in what seemed a growl but I came to know Saxhleel’s mimics to know that it had to be a grin. “Besides, I’m not one to stay in one place for that long.”

     

    “That’s not what I heard from the others!” Stands-in-shallows cackled. Visibly putting a nearby guard on edge.

     

    So he wasn’t a guard, but a knight? From Riften? None of this made sense. There were no knights in Riften, even the children’s stories there were about thieves and tyrannical jarls. Knights were considered too holy to even come near the town on most days.

     

    “Anyway, what brings you to these miserable docks Marsh-friend?”

     

    “Nothing specific, I heard there’s a bounty on one of Skjar’s old crew members; came here to collect.” He demonstratively tapped the burlap bag at his feet. “Any idea where I could find him?”

     

    To this the pakseech smiled, “You’re a bit late for that, the North Wind set sail to Highrock yesterday. Won’t be coming back for at least a month.”

     

    “Koac!” The big Argonian cursed. “There goes my xuthing dinner!” He seemed just about ready to kick the bag into the water but restrained himself. Mumbled something about it needing to be recognisable. I couldn’t hear it all too well but it made the pakseech grin in disgust; whatever it was.

     

    “You speak Jel?” Stands-In-Shallows replied, seeming genuinly surprised. From all the Argonians at the assemblage he was the only one who properly spoke the Argonians’ native language. All the others knew, just like me, whatever he had taught us.

     

    The big Argonian nodded and let out “Xhu”, the Jel word for yes. “It’s a bit rusty though; there’s not many opportunities to practice out here in the cold.” His eyes scanned the docks and looked at the other Argonians. “The others?”

     

    The pakseech sighed, disappointed. “I do my best, but it’s not easy. This old brain forgets more every day than there are dry-skins disappearing in the Mire.” Yes, especially that part about teaching one of the dry-skins was quite difficult. I still don’t understand most of the language.

     

    “You don’t need to be old for that, I can barely formulate a proper sentence anymore myself.” The stranger bared his teeth again and hesitated on what he said next: “All the mead and bloodwine may not have helped though.”

     

    It pulled the raj out of his somber mood as he was once again cackling like a gull. “They sure don’t, Marsh friend, they sure don’t!”

     

    “Tell me more, you joke but it’s been awhile since I’ve met any other natives. I like to listen to the stories. Are you from one of the cities?”

     

    “Not really, grew up in Archon but I was born a Miredancer.”

     

    Archon? Miredancer? I had no idea what those things were. My guess was those weren’t names for Argonian food. Maybe a place and a rank in society? It was hard to tell with Saxhleel. Lot of the important things got lost in the translation.

     

    “Can’t say I know much about your tribe, but I’ve got to ask: What is a Miredancer doing with the Goldpact of all people?”

     

    Tribe. Miredancer was a name for a tribe. Maybe like one of those Orc tribes? I actually had no idea how an Argonian tribe looked like, the pakseech never really explained that to me.

     

    “Losing all his hard earned money on stupid bets!” The bounty hunter hissed angrily as his tail nearly swept a bucket of fish straight into the sea, a sign of frustration. Want to know how Argonian feels? Watch his tail. “That and showing up too late to collect his pay. Any idea what I should do with this?” He looked at the bag at his feet.

     

    Stands-In-Shallows smiled, he wasn’t satisfied with the answer just yet. “The guards probably know what to do with it.” The pakseech looked around at the guards who were sitting around a table next to one of the warehouses, playing a game of dice. “Although maybe not.”

     

    The raj stepped forward and tried lifting the bag, with little success. “Did you leave him his helmet or something? That bag is heavy.”

     

    “It’s not just him in there. I took some of his friends too, just to make sure I would get my point across.”

     

    “Oh,” the pakseech stepped back again. “What point?” Stands-In-Shallows inquired not entirely sure he would like the answer.

     

    “Don’t ask me to hunt down one guy when in truth there’s more than ten. I’ll still kill them all but you’ll have to pay more for that. The bounty note didn’t mention my target being the leader of the gang, so I was hoping I could get Skjar or the guards to pay me some more for the extras.”

     

    I gasped in surprise; he killed ten bandits? On his own? Whoever this Saxhleel was he certainly knew how to get his point across.

     

    “By the roots, you sure know how to fight. I’ve heard stories about the Goldpact before, did you learn how to fight from one of them when you joined?”

     

    Before the stranger could answer, their discussion was brutally interrupted by Scouts-Many-Marshes roaring at Torbjorn Shatter-shield and Suvaris.

     

    “You’re crazy dry skin! That you have us work for less than your own shit’s worth is one thing, but your greed is not going to get us killed you hear that!”

     

    What now? Just when the discussion was getting interesting. But if Scouts-Many-Marshes was shouting like that… The Nords were at it again. Treating Saxhleel like the dirt on their boots. They weren’t even allowed to the city but even that wasn’t enough to my people. They just had work every single scale off the Argonians in Windhelm docks, it didn’t matter to them. For Nords Argonians were just outsiders, leeches feeding on the Skyrim that belonged to Nords. And it was getting worse each year - it was Ulfric, the Jarl who was igniting this kind of behavior. And Saxhleel weren’t the only ones having an issue with Ulfric. I had my own personal issue with the so called Jarl too.

     

    “If you want us to dive into this freezing water, you’ll have to get us the protection we’ll need.”

     

    “You’ll get the frostbane potions, but they will come out of your pay.” Torbjorn replied, unfazed. “It’s as simple as that.”

     

    Xuth! One thing was to dive into deep water, but other was diving into deep freezing water. I just didn't understand why Torbjorn had to make Saxhleel do that. They could die and he didn't care.

     

    “Then your stupid package will remain at the bottom of the sea, you shouldn’t have trusted those stupid nords to handle it. Koacs get paid more than us and can’t even manage to get all the cargo on the shore.” Scouts-Many-Marshes crossed his arms defiantly, waiting for either the Nord or the Dunmer to react.

     

    “Then you won’t get paid.” Suvaris declared. “The value of the lost item will be retracted from this month’s wages and until it is retrieved you’ll no longer work for clan Shatter-shield.”

     

    “That’s ridiculous, we didn’t lose your bloody item, besides you can’t afford not to employ us. If you’re going to start making threats then at least make sure they aren’t empty!”

     

    “Empty?” Suvaris’ smug smile sent shivers through my spine. “Haven’t you heard? Gjalund, the captain of the Northern Maiden is hoping to start bringing over some of the Dunmer currently living in Raven Rock, they’re desperate and I’m sure they won’t mind having your jobs.” She had them by their tails.

     

    Xuthing grey-skin! She wasn't like Ambarys who at least treated Argonians with sympathy, because he believed they were on the same boat. Nords treated them both the same - but no, Suvaris just had to treat Windhelm's Saxhleel like if she was a queen of Morrowind and they were nothing but her slaves. Oh, how I hated her for that. It wasn't fair.

     

    But what is in this world?

     

    While Scouts-many-marshes and Neetrenanza were doing their best to get out of this situation with enough gold to buy food, I noticed the stranger was reciting something under his breath. I tried to understand what he was saying. Stands-In-Shallows seemed too absorbed by the whole ordeal to notice it, but I’d known the pakseech for long enough to know he was hearing it too.

     

    “Contracts, not causes.”

     

    It sounded like some kind of mantra or ritual. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to put him at ease. And frankly, neither did it put me at ease. My skin crawled just listening to that, even though it didn't make any sense to me. Maybe it was some adult thing, or Argonian thing I haven't learned yet. But it was burrying under my skin.

     

    “So, what will it be Scouts? Will you retrieve my package or do you prefer to starve?” Torbjorn was blunt in his ultimatum, focused on the objective like a bear on a fish. Greedy asshole. But even he looked up when he heard the splash.

     

    We all looked at the origin of the sound, only to see a burlap bag drifting along the current. The bounty. I looked at the knight and noticed he had stopped his mumbling.

     

    “Good to see I’ve caught your attention,” He roared from the top of his lungs, “I understand there’s a problem here?” He carefully pushed Stands-in-Shallows out of his way and walked onto the small pier where the others were standing.

     

    “So what is it you want them to dive up?” He asked Torbjorn. It was a strange sight to see a Saxhleel tower above a Nord like that, if anything it clearly annoyed Shatter-Shield to be talked down upon. I smiled, nice to see the man get the… How did the Saxhleel say it? Who throws the Teeba-Hatsei can expect it to bounce back or something like that. Their sayings really are weird.

     

    “It doesn’t matter, they work for me so when I say they have to fish it back up, they’ll fish it back up.” Torbjorn spat out.

     

    “Let me guess, little Nord, whatever it is, it’s not worth the potions you would have to give your workforce to retrieve it. Am I getting warm?”

     

    The stranger laughed when he saw Torbjorn was at a loss for words. But it was not the kind of laugh the raj called their Lukiul laugh but the proper Argonian laugh. That sound sets even me on edge. From the corner of my eye I could see the guards almost jump out of their chairs at the sound, which I could only describe as something between a daedra cackling and the roar of the Wamassu Neetrenanza would mimic to spook me.

     

    “You know what, Torbjorn? If you want to make a profit so bad, I’ll hand you a golden opportunity. See that bag drifting off?” The stranger continued as he pointed at the bag he had just thrown into the water. “There’s a few hundred, if not a thousand septim’s worth of heads in there. If you manage to catch it before it disappears off into the horizon that money is yours. I’ll let you have it if you make sure to pay my fellow Saxhleel for their efforts. By Sithis, you’ll even give them a raise.”

     

    “What do you mean, if I can…”

     

    The huge Argonian lifted Torbjorn up by his collar before the Nord could finish his sentence.

     

    “We have an understanding, xhu?”

     

    Torbjorn’s face had gone even paler than Suvaris’, I could almost see the pearls of sweat break out and wash down his face. He nodded, clearly expecting the stranger to accept his submission and drop him back onto the ground. The stranger however, had other plans as from one moment to the other Torbjorn flew through the sky and landed in the freezing water.

     

    Woaw!

     

    If I were to say chaos ensued, I would be selling it short. The guards grabbed their weapons but were quickly reminded by a panicked Suvaris that the stranger could wait and that her boss needed help getting out of the water. Neetrenanza and Scouts dove into the water. Scouts-Many-Marshes to save Torbjorn, Neetrenanza to fish up the bag. Both probably hoping to help the assemblage. Amidst it all I heard Muiri giggle, hidden under the doorpost of the Shatter-Shield offices. Shahvee ran inside the assemblage, most likely to get whatever strong alcools they had left; Scouts-Many-Marshes and Neetrenanza were going to need it to warm up. But my eyes were on the stranger.

     

    He jolted through the worried guards but was stopped in his tracks by the pakseech who had somehow managed to make his way to the stairs leading out of the docks and had grabbed the stranger by his arm.

     

    “Before you run Marsh-friend, please accept my blessing and my thanks for your help.”

     

    “I know what you’re about to say, you nosy old xal. Go ahead, I will answer.” The huge Argonian grinned.

     

    Stands-in-shallows whispered:“Beware the night.”

     

    “For the Fangs still bite,” the stranger finished.

     

    The pakseech let out a gasp in surprise, “Then it is true, you are a Shadowscale.” He chuckled, “I knew it.”

     

    “You’re not wrong, but you’re not right either. May the shadow hide you old man, for our scales remain darkened by his touch.” The stranger let out another guttural Saxhleel laugh and ran off.

     

    Puzzled, the pakseech turned to the pier where the guards were helping Scouts-Many-Marshes fishing Torbjorn out of the sea. Shahvee had arrived with a half emptied bottle of Shein and the raj came to help her give it to those who dove in.

     

    Once it was all over and everyone was back on the shore and near a hearth, Stands-In-Shallows looked in my direction and his tongue flipped out if his mouth and back. “You can come out, Hides-Between-Barrels,” he chuckled which sounded more like croaking of a frog and I grimaced. It wasn’t funny, it was a really good hiding spot. There was no way he could have seen me and yet he did. “You reek, little hatchling,” the pakseech continued. “At least to this one’s scent. Did you bring it?”

     

    I reeked? I resisted the urge to smell my armpits and with sour face I brought out a bottle with pink liquid. “I did, pakseech,” I nodded and handed it to him. He quickly took it and hid it under his clotches, his reptilian eyes darting around to make sure no one was looking.

     

    “Did anyone see you?”

     

    I shook my head and grinned. “In and out, like a haj-mota. No one in the Cornerclub saw me.”

     

    The Argonian gave me a cuff on the head. “But they most likely smelled you. What did I tell you about confidence, hatchling?”

     

    And rubbed the back of my head and frowned. “That to stick one’s head into wamasu’s mouth gets your head bitten off,” I peeped. What was wrong with celebrating a victory? No one saw me, I was sure about it. So why I couldn’t act like I accomplished something?

     

    “Precisely. Now-” the pakseech started but I didn’t let him, because there was something nagging at my curiosity.

     

    “What is a shadow-scale, pakseech?”

     

    The Argonian’s tail flipped from one side to another in annoyance, because it was impolite to interrupt a kaj - an elder. But he also narrowed his eyes into thin slits and his nostrils widened. He looked around. “Not now, Hides-Between-Barrels. Maybe later. Go help Shahvee, she had her hands full with the sails. Make yourself useful and maybe you’ll get a piece of salmon tonight.” I frowned, not really happy where was this heading and I opened my mouth to say something but the pakseech stopped me with a raised forefinger. “No talking back. Respect your raj and do as I say.”

     

    “Yes, pakseech,” I murmured and shambled towards Shahvee, who was stitching the new ship’s sails on a table, right on the edge of water.

     

    The spring just turned to it’s last month and days were getting warmer and warmer, but Windhelm was still gripped in the winter’s grasp. It was the Sea of Ghosts people said, the unnatural cold winds blown by the ghosts of Atmora, reminding true Nords who they were, everyday.

     

    I grabbed the sail, standing next to Shahvee, looking for holes that needed a patch. The Argonian female looked at me and blinked few times before she spoke. “Where were you, Kaj?”

     

    I frowned at the nickname. I was neither ample or giant, I didn’t understand why she insisted on calling me that. “I was running an errand for the pakseech,” I said out loud, not looking her in the eye.

     

    “Not only that I think,” she chuckled. “You were at your old house, Kaj. I can smell it on you.”

     

    “I was just-”

     

    She hissed, interrupting me before I could even start explaining, and I bit my lip in frustration. “The river flows only in one direction, Kaj. You can let the stream carry you, you can swim with it, but you can’t swim against it.”

     

    I just couldn’t help myself though. It was the house of my parents, my house. And the Jarl just took it and sent me to that orphanage. I understood that the happy days wouldn’t ever come back, but I just couldn’t help myself but to roam the empty rooms covered with dust and cobwebs and remember my parents. My own innocence. “I understand, deelith,” he whispered.

     

    “Good. So get to work, hatchling.”

     

    I narrowed my eyes and looked in the pakseech’s direction. “Deelith,” I said to Shahvee. “What is a shadow-scale?”

     

    She narrowed her eyes just like Stands-In-Shallows and hissed: “Shush! Focus on the work. You’ll hear about it later.”

     

    ***

     

    The night was getting cold so everyone, including me, gathered around the table that was right next to the fireplace. The flames were dancing over the walls and I watched them with wonder, imagining they were alive, locked in a battle of daggers and claws.

     

    I looked at my hands, at the pale skin and the thin nails and then I looked at the Saxhleel sitting around me, at their fingers. Their claws always amazed me, and I was always wondering what it would be like to be a Saxhleel, with a tail, claws, mouth full of sharp teeth and the ability to breath under water. It were these moments I was realizing that while I was taken in and treated like one of them I really wasn't a Saxhleel. I could talk like they did, move and fight like them, but I never could be a Saxhleel.

     

    I pulled the blanket closer to my body, shivering and Shahvee sitting next to me noticed that. She blinked, her eye caps making that strange alien movement. She took me around my shoulders and pulled me closer. “Are you cold Hides-Between-Barrels?” he tongue flashed between her teeth followed by a clicking noise when she chuckled.

     

    Other Saxhleel chuckled too and I frowned at Stands-In-Shallows sitting opposite to me. “And now everyone knows it,” I sulked, grimacing.

     

    The pakseech tilted his head and blinked, revealing his teeth in amusement. “Words are like running water, hatchling. Sometimes they are but a rivulet and sometimes they are a river.”

     

    “Xuth!” I hissed and Shahvee slapped me on the head.

     

    “What did I tell you about the cursing, Kaj?” she growled.

     

    Neetrenaza shook his head in disgust. “Maybe if you weren't cursing so much yourself this Nordic brat wouldn't repeat everything you say.”

     

    “Neetrenaza,” the pakseech hissed and the spiteful Argonian snorted at that. Neetrenaza never liked me and all that for one simple reason. I was a human. If it were up to him he would drown every single Nord in the city and the fact I was being treated by my own kinsmen like trash just like Neetrenaza didn't mean anything to him. He was spiteful and mean and I always knew that if it were his decision I wouldn't be here. He would throw me out of the Assemblage and wouldn't give a damn what would happen to me after that.

     

    Stands-In-Shallows' tail clapped on the floor in irritation, but Neetrenaza didn't care. He said his piece and he wasn't about to apologize for that. So Stands just sighed and pulled out the bottle I brought him. Double distilled skooma I stole from the Cornerclub.

     

    None of the Saxhleel present in Assemblage approved of the pakseech drinking skooma but even they understood it couldn't be the other way. They were all young, carried out of Black Marsh when young, but Stands-In-Shallows spent there most of his life, under the care of the Hist and in the proximity of hist-sap. I didn't understood either what the Hist or hist-sap were, but I understood he missed it, missed it so deeply I never could understand it. Sometimes he tried to explain, that it is like losing a limb, but I didn't understood that either because I never lost a limb.

     

    And so he was filling the void with skooma.

     

    “Can I have some too?” I dared to ask and all Saxhleel looked at me with what could have been only frowns. Did I see a disappointment in their eyes?

     

    “Trust me, hatchling, if you'd knew what is good for you, you would never ask,” the pakseech answered with bitterness in his voice and all other Argonians bowed their heads in what seemed like a sadness. Which I didn't understood at all.

     

    “But I'm nearly a man,” I murmured. “Just two more years and I will be an adult.”

     

    “There are things you will never be old enough for, Kaj,” deelith hissed. “It's time to stop this nonsense. Listen to your raj. Just because he is using it doesn't mean you should too. And just for your own sake I hope you never will.”

     

    I sulked at those words. They were still treating me like me like a child and I hated that. Maybe back in Black Marsh hatchlings were hatchlings much longer, but here in Skyrim, the moment I'd turn fifteen I will be a man. And only two more years remained. And when that comes I might be able to petition the Jarl of Windhelm for my family's house again without the fear of being thrown back into the orphanage.

     

    I wish I was like that Argonian in the docks who wasn't afraid to get things done. He showed those Nords, that he certainly did. And he was a shadowscaled or something. I raised my head, looking at the pakseech. “Pakseech, would you at least tell me about shadow-scales?” The table went awfully quiet after my words and everyone's eyes scanned the shadows in the room, like if something bad was supposed to happen.

     

    Nothing did, but it didn’t seem to calm the Saxhleel. What was it about these shadowscaled or whatever that seemed to frighten them so much? Was it some kind of Saxhleel secret?

     

    “That tall Argonian in the docks earlier, was he a shadowscale?” I hesitantly asked.

     

    “No, he wasn’t.” The pakseech sighed, “And yet he was.”

     

    “What do you mean, how can he be both?” I frowned in confusion, slowly becoming frustrated by such half-answers. “What a useless answer,” I murmured out loud, immediately regretting it.

     

    “Kaj, could you please show a bit of respect to your raj?” Scouts-Many-Marshes reminded me as he ignored Neetrenaza hissing some insult beneath his breath.

     

    “Let him, Scouts.” the pakseech declared. “We’ve been telling him tales of our people for how long now? Today he got to see one of those tales in person, let the hatchling feed his curiosity.”

     

    “Of course, pakseech, but the boy can still try to be respectful, right?” He replied, his large round eyes pointed at me.

     

    “I’m sorry, raj.” I huddled up in the blanket some more. “But, pakseech, how can someone be something yet not be that thing? It doesn’t make sense.”

     

    “No, it doesn’t, Kaj. I don’t fully understand it myself,” Stands-In-Shallows was still for a moment; seemingly pondering the same question. “You asked about Shadowscales, Kaj, and I will answer you now that it’s just us,” the Raj grinned, “But first, do you know who Sithis is?”

     

    “I think so, isn’t he the Saxhleel god of death?” I remembered the Saxhleel mentioning him when a friend of theirs died last year.

     

    It was Neetrenaza’s turn to laugh.

     

    “Ha! You truly are no better than the rest of those dryskins!” Oblivious to Scouts-Many-Marshes’ stare, he continued: “Sithis is way more than that, little Nord, he is the river. Ever moving, never stopping. Always going forward. Besides, he’s not merely xal to the Saxhleel, he’s a primordial entity in all cultures of Tamriel, but men and mer fear him, for he is the river they are so bent on resisting.”

     

    “Sithis is the changer,” Shahvee added and I saw Stands nod in agreement.

     

    “He is the Void,” Scouts murmured.

     

    Pakseech's tongue clicked and he then looked straight at me. “Hist knows it for you can't spell ‘Sithis’ without ‘Hist’ or even ‘this is.’”

     

    I felt my eyes narrowing while at the same time my brows went up in confusion. I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about, but I nodded, like if I did. I didn't want to make myself more of a fool than I already was for not knowing.

     

    Stands-In-Shallows took another sip of the skooma and his eye caps began twitching, his pupils swimming among the sea of gold that were his eyes. “Like Secunda follows Masser, Sithis follows Night Mother. Her husband pursues, but she seldom pauses, leaving him eternally in shadow.” The pakseech's eyes turned in my direction yet again, now seeming like if they were looking through me, into the Void Scouts was talking about. I shuddered under that gaze, feeling a shiver running down my spine. “Beware those born under the Shadow, and all those who seek to use its power. The downfall of our ancestors is tied to the Fangs of Sithis, and our scales remain darkened by his touch.”

     

    “Night Mother?” I peeped, pulling the blanket closer to my body as I felt the cold assaulting me, even though I sat right next to the fireplace - but the warmth behind my back seemed like something distant.

     

    “Those touched by the Shadow's mark are taken, Kaj,” Stands continued, with his voice slow and lazy, rolling over every syllable, his hissing becoming slowly more prominent. “Or offered. To become His messengers of death, shadow-scaled. Trained to become one with the shadows of the swamps or cities, to swim the dark currents of Void, to sate His hunger. And She listens, and speaks, even without ears and mouth, for she is the Dark Maiden and she leaves Him in shadow.”

     

    “Dark Brotherhood,” Shahvee murmured next to me and I nearly jumped in fright when I heard her voice. I was so enthralled by the pakseech's words I would swear I was slowly being pulled into the Void. “They are taken in by the Dark Brotherhood if they finish their training, fulfilling the Night Mother's commands.”

     

    “It is a privilege. It is a curse. To be born under the Shadow,” Pakseech added, his head rocking from one side to another. “Kota-Vimleel are loyal to the Shadow, proud hatchlings of the Shadow. Wasseek-haleel and Gee-Rusleel not so much but they still obey the call. But where has the Shadow gone today?” His voice trailed off as Stands became consumed by the Skooma's effects and Scouts-Many-Marshes supported him before he could fall off the bench he was sitting on.

     

    “But what do they do?” I asked, still not capable of understanding what was said. But I wanted to know what Shadowscales do. I needed to know. I looked at Shahvee and pressured. “What do they do, deelith?”

     

    She threw the pakseech a worried look and then hissed, not even looking at me. “They shift the stones resisting the river's flow,” she murmured. “They send souls to Void.”

     

    I remained silent just as other Saxhleel and I watched the shadows dance on the walls in the rhytm of the flames. Shadowscales. Sithis. Dark Brotherhood. Night Mother.

     

    They shift the stones resisting the river's flow.

     

    They bring change.

     

    And I was born under the Shadow too. “Can I become a Shadowscale too?”

     

    They all threw me strange looks and didn't answer my question.

     

    For their scales were already darkened by the words both spoken and unspoken.

     

Comments

26 Comments   |   Paws and 8 others like this.
  • The Wing
    The Wing   ·  September 12, 2017
    This was interesting to read. I was not expecting an Argonian culture-burst when I started reading (though perhaps I should have; you are Teineeva after all :P). Interesting scenario, having Aventus be taken in by the dock-workers. Is he really a Nord? He...  more
    • Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      The Wing
      The Wing
      The Wing
      This was interesting to read. I was not expecting an Argonian culture-burst when I started reading (though perhaps I should have; you are Teineeva after all :P). Interesting scenario, having Aventus be taken in by the dock-workers. Is he really a Nord? He...  more
        ·  September 12, 2017
      Thank you, Wing. And yeah, Aventus is a Nord, at least the game makes him one. We decided to roll along with that, making his father an Imperial and mother a Nord. Thus he is Nord.
      • The Wing
        The Wing
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Thank you, Wing. And yeah, Aventus is a Nord, at least the game makes him one. We decided to roll along with that, making his father an Imperial and mother a Nord. Thus he is Nord.
          ·  September 12, 2017
        Huh weird! But are there any actual Imperial kids in the game? I know there's at least one Breton 'kid' (Babette), but I can't recall seeing any other kind of human child other than Aventus who could be Imperial.
        • Karver the Lorc
          Karver the Lorc
          The Wing
          The Wing
          The Wing
          Huh weird! But are there any actual Imperial kids in the game? I know there's at least one Breton 'kid' (Babette), but I can't recall seeing any other kind of human child other than Aventus who could be Imperial.
            ·  September 12, 2017
          Imperial childs: Lucia, Mila Valentia, Francois Beaufort, Samuel.
          • The Wing
            The Wing
            Karver the Lorc
            Karver the Lorc
            Karver the Lorc
            Imperial childs: Lucia, Mila Valentia, Francois Beaufort, Samuel.
              ·  September 12, 2017
            Francois and Samuel are Imperials? Good grief. :S
            • Karver the Lorc
              Karver the Lorc
              The Wing
              The Wing
              The Wing
              Francois and Samuel are Imperials? Good grief. :S
                ·  September 12, 2017
              Well, why not? If the father is Breton and the mother an Imperial, the child is inevitably Imperial. But names usually pass down from the father. So, it's not so strange to have an Imperial with Breton name.
              • The Wing
                The Wing
                Karver the Lorc
                Karver the Lorc
                Karver the Lorc
                Well, why not? If the father is Breton and the mother an Imperial, the child is inevitably Imperial. But names usually pass down from the father. So, it's not so strange to have an Imperial with Breton name.
                  ·  September 12, 2017
                Every aspect of the Biology fanatic in me cringes when I hear about Elder Scrolls genetics. Let's move onto a more tasteful topic - when you collaborate with other writers, do you take turns writing each chapter?
                • Karver the Lorc
                  Karver the Lorc
                  The Wing
                  The Wing
                  The Wing
                  Every aspect of the Biology fanatic in me cringes when I hear about Elder Scrolls genetics. Let's move onto a more tasteful topic - when you collaborate with other writers, do you take turns writing each chapter?
                    ·  September 12, 2017
                  Hehehe, yeah. TES kinda simplifies the biology by making the kids take after mother. When we collab... Well, sometimes it's like that, each writes one chapter. Sometimes each one writes a section of one chapter and sometimes we just mix :D Pretty much wha...  more
                  • The Wing
                    The Wing
                    Karver the Lorc
                    Karver the Lorc
                    Karver the Lorc
                    Hehehe, yeah. TES kinda simplifies the biology by making the kids take after mother. When we collab... Well, sometimes it's like that, each writes one chapter. Sometimes each one writes a section of one chapter and sometimes we just mix :D Pretty much wha...  more
                      ·  September 12, 2017
                    Simplifying is not even half of what it does to the concept of inheritance! By ES logic, every child should basically be a clone of the mother! And everyone would be dead! Clearly not every gene is the mother's, but there's also no universal 'race gene', ...  more
                    • Karver the Lorc
                      Karver the Lorc
                      The Wing
                      The Wing
                      The Wing
                      Simplifying is not even half of what it does to the concept of inheritance! By ES logic, every child should basically be a clone of the mother! And everyone would be dead! Clearly not every gene is the mother's, but there's also no universal 'race gene', ...  more
                        ·  September 12, 2017
                      Hah! Yeah, better to move on. 


                      Had to look at the text to remind myself, but I wrote the first section up to the point Teineeva shows up. Then it's Tein's section, then after Teineeva leaves I wrote the small section before the "...  more
                      • The Wing
                        The Wing
                        Karver the Lorc
                        Karver the Lorc
                        Karver the Lorc
                        Hah! Yeah, better to move on. 


                        Had to look at the text to remind myself, but I wrote the first section up to the point Teineeva shows up. Then it's Tein's section, then after Teineeva leaves I wrote the small section before the "breaker". We both ...  more
                          ·  September 12, 2017
                        Ah, I see! Wow, I might just be terrible at distinguishing between styles, but otherwise you guys have done a really good job blending your writing into one consistent voice. I didn't notice any seams at all in tone or narrative. When you're writing colla...  more
                        • Karver the Lorc
                          Karver the Lorc
                          The Wing
                          The Wing
                          The Wing
                          Ah, I see! Wow, I might just be terrible at distinguishing between styles, but otherwise you guys have done a really good job blending your writing into one consistent voice. I didn't notice any seams at all in tone or narrative. When you're writing colla...  more
                            ·  September 12, 2017
                          Me and Lis figured it's best to write these in Google Doc. That way both of us can open the same doc anytime we want, see what was written, edit it, discuss it and other things. Me and Tein used the same system here. Hehehe, I actually remember how Tein w...  more
                          • The Wing
                            The Wing
                            Karver the Lorc
                            Karver the Lorc
                            Karver the Lorc
                            Me and Lis figured it's best to write these in Google Doc. That way both of us can open the same doc anytime we want, see what was written, edit it, discuss it and other things. Me and Tein used the same system here. Hehehe, I actually remember how Tein w...  more
                              ·  September 12, 2017
                            Pfft, absolutely! That's a good system, though. :) It clearly works well.
          • Karver the Lorc
            Karver the Lorc
            Karver the Lorc
            Karver the Lorc
            Karver the Lorc
            Imperial childs: Lucia, Mila Valentia, Francois Beaufort, Samuel.
              ·  September 12, 2017
            There is at least a dozen of Nord kids. The four Imperials, four Bretons and four Redguards.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  July 6, 2017
    A real nice touch adding the Jel here. It adds a lot of depth to the story. 
  • A-Pocky-Hah!
    A-Pocky-Hah!   ·  June 21, 2017
    It's been awhile since I've seen a story that heavily uses Jel. I think the last time was Dragon of the East.
    It feels kinda odd that Aventus uses Jel words in his PoV though that's kinda justified since he's been thought Saxhleel culture by the Pak...  more
    • Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      It's been awhile since I've seen a story that heavily uses Jel. I think the last time was Dragon of the East.
      It feels kinda odd that Aventus uses Jel words in his PoV though that's kinda justified since he's been thought Saxhleel culture by the Pakseech. 
        ·  June 21, 2017
      Me and Tein were playing with the idea of a Nord being heavily influenced by Saxhleel culture. I think Stands says it there, that even the other Argonians know just words and that is only because he taught them. Same with Aventus. It´s something over a ye...  more
  • Ben W
    Ben W   ·  June 21, 2017
    I feel Teineeva and Xian would get extremely well
  • The Sunflower Manual
    The Sunflower Manual   ·  June 20, 2017
    *rubs hands with glee*

    Oh, this should be good.
  • DeltaFox
    DeltaFox   ·  June 20, 2017
    Karv and Teineeva, two of the best writers, join together to write a killer story. :)
    This is gonna be awesome! :D
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  June 20, 2017
    Was a true pleasure getting a sneak peak of this tale yesterday. Great work, Lorc and Lizard. :D I look forward to more. 
  • Karver the Lorc
    Karver the Lorc   ·  June 20, 2017
    "lick the twig and swallow the sap"



    I´m dying... xD
  • Paws
    Paws   ·  June 20, 2017
    Pretty sweet picture you've got up top there. Cool story too, complicated as fuck with so many strange and fascinating 'Gonian colloquialisms and terms, like what is a Teeba-Hatsei?


    Also, I enjoyed a couple of standout lines: "...  more
    • Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      Paws
      Paws
      Paws
      Pretty sweet picture you've got up top there. Cool story too, complicated as fuck with so many strange and fascinating 'Gonian colloquialisms and terms, like what is a Teeba-Hatsei?


      Also, I enjoyed a couple of standout lines: "Want to know how A...  more
        ·  June 20, 2017
      Hehehe. Thank you, Phil. :)


      What were the most common words we used, Tein? Pakseech = patriarch, leader of village. Deelith = teacher. Raj = elder. What else was there?
      • Teineeva
        Teineeva
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Hehehe. Thank you, Phil. :)


        What were the most common words we used, Tein? Pakseech = patriarch, leader of village. Deelith = teacher. Raj = elder. What else was there?
          ·  June 20, 2017
        Teeba-Hatsei is an Argonian ball game (inspired by a Mesoamerican game from what I understand), 


        I think that's about it. However Phil, if  we missed some: http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Jel


        Sho...  more
        • Paws
          Paws
          Teineeva
          Teineeva
          Teineeva
          Teeba-Hatsei is an Argonian ball game (inspired by a Mesoamerican game from what I understand), 


          I think that's about it. However Phil, if  we missed some: http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Jel ...  more
            ·  June 20, 2017
          Thanks both :) A link, though? You're really gonna make me research Argonianisms? :P Fine, fine, I will remember this.


          Interesting about ball games. I guess all cultures, however fucked up weird, enjoy playing with balls. I like to t...  more