D.K.R Year 7 Elder Part 9 Hearts Black as Ebony

  • As the slaves got to the deck proper, they were handed over to the dunmer guard who now held both lengths of rope in his hand. He

    led the slaves off of the ship and onto the docks. He sneered as he turned to Hasir and deliver a sharp kick to his backside, causing

    the oother slaves to collide with the unforgiving wood of the deck.

     

    As they groaned and cursed indignantly, the guard ent down to Hasir's Level and whispered that he liked him least of all of the slaves

    and told him that Nerethi shared this viewpoint as well. Hasir rubbed his tail vigorously and hissed something in Jel the guard could

    not hear nor comprehend,

    Oi! Lizard, what did you say to me?" He said, confused

     

    Hasir got to his feet and translated what he'd said to the common tongue so that the dumb greyskin could understand,

    "I said tow things," He said, holding up two claws. "One, ow, that hurt and why don't you stick that foot up your own ass." He took a

    deep breath. "The second thing I said was you slavedrivers are senseless moron who are no better than mere bandits, bullies that

    like to watch others suffer for your own benefit."

     

    The guard aimed a slap at Hasir's face, but instead of colliding with his face, it struck the hard outer shell of a shield made of

    hardened volcanic rock. Holding his bruised hand, the guard recoiled and threatened the Argonian of consorting with daedra. The

    Argonian smiled svagaely as the shield diminished  and told the dunmer that he was not that far off. He conjured the flame whip and

    threatened to beat the dunmer senseless if he and his comrades were not set free.

     

    The guard thought on this for a while but before he could respond, Nerethi brandished his sivler whip. The silver arrowheads at the

    end of the whip connected with Hasir's scales, forcing him to buckle under the immense pain. Nerethi sneered at the pitiful

    Argonian, cowering like a dog who has been cornered,

    "Don't think you can use cheap parlor tricks to get out of this, lizard." He said, laughing, "There is no way you can weasel out of this

    one, you've vexed me one too many times." He gesutered to the slaves laying on the deck, "Now, you and your 'comrades' WILL go

    to Caldera mine and you WILL mine for me, lest you want to feel my wrath a third time." The forlorn Argonian got up and followed

    the rest of the slaves as the guard led them toward their fate.

     

    the guard led the captive Argonians through the city, Hasir's eyes beheld the governor's mansion that pierced the skyline like a

    sharpened bit of glass. Before the manor were six cages each filled with slaves: three Argonians and three Khajiit. The slaves yelled

    at the top of their lungs for the passing Argonians to help them. They just eyed them with disappointment and shook their heads

    signalling they could not do anything for them at the present time. The guard rounded a corner and there, atop a far off hill, was a

    run down mine.

     

    The guard came to a halt in front of the Argonians,

    "Listen up slaves, this in Caldera Mine, the largest, ebony mine in Vvardenfell. In my opinion mining is a better punishment than jail.

    He said as he puffed out his chest and looked smugly at them, builds character you know. But you are not here for punishment," He

    said, shaking his head, "you are here for slave labor." His mouth curled around the edges. 

     

    Hasir cleared his throat. The Imperial guard, who was named Phineas Neresticus, glared at him, 

    "What are we going to do once we enter there?"

     

    Neresticus waved a hand in the air and sighed as if he was tired of this question being repeated time and time again. He paced in

    front of the bound Argonians as he told them about his plan to have them mine for diamonds.

    .

    Hasir opened his mouth and told Neresticus hotly that he should do it instead of stooping so low as to resort to slave labor and the

    immorality what he was doing. He told him that it should be brought to Duke Vadem Dren's, and by extension, the notice of the

    emperor so he can put a stop to this moral injustice. The Imperial walked up to the Argonian, lifted his hand and smacked Hasir hard

    across the face, sending him sprawling across the ground.

     

    Hasir got up, slammed his tail down hard on the ground, so hard, in fact, that Neresticus was knocked onto his backside. With the

    guard momentarily incapacitated, Hasir turned to his aunt and uncle and told them what Neresticus had told him of how the dunmer

    are only in it for themselves and don't care for harming other races just to buff up their already inflated ego.

     

    Drujeeta's eyebrow furrowed as she looked at her nephew with a confused look,

    "As mud is my mother! These dunmer sound awful, we can't let them treat other races like scum so they can pad their inflated egos.

    That is beyond wrong, it's dowright immoral. If my sister were here, she would have a word or two to say about certain races lording

    it over others." Her face suddenly fell, "Sadly, I have not seen her, not since she left for Urshilaku camp."

     

    Hasir felt crestfallen. He hadn't thought about his mother ever since they seemingly abandoned him as a hatchling,

    "What do you mean my mother is missing and why would she go to Urshilaku Camp?" He asked, wanting to know more of his

    mother's disappearance. 

     

    Drujeeta turned to her nephew and smiled,

     "Last time I heard, she was in a camp called Urshilaku in Morrowind." Both Hasir and Drujeeta eyed him with shocked

    comprehension, "I hear tell she has taken up post as the tribe's local wise woman after fleeing from Black Marsh. 

     

    The continued look at him with shocked expressions,

    "H-how did your hear that?" They said, both confused, Hasir was about to speak but Drujeeta cut across him, "Did the hist tell you?" 

     

    Hasir felt a twinge of sorrow as he felt Drujeeta did him an injustice by not letting him complete his 'very important' thought. He

    didn't know where the camp was, he heard no conversations pertaining to the camp nor had he ever been there himself. His tail

    slunk between his legs as he walked as far away from the group as he could without the rope breaking its bonds that he shared with

    the other slaves. He felt neglected that Drujeeta had waited until this very moment to divulge this information to him. 

     

    He barely got time to bond his mother befor was aboard the ship, He was whisked away to Akavir without saying goodbye to her. The

    reason why his mother put him on that ship without him so much as celebrating a single naming or hatching day ceremony with

    her. He did not even know if his aunt was telling the truth when he had said his real mother, Kassamae, was here in Morrowind or

    not. He had no time to think on this now, he had to follow the Imperial's orders, no matter how stupid he might think they are or risk

    getting slapped again. Hasir trooped on following the other Argonians to a mound of earth with an oak wood door in the center.

     

    Neresticus put out an arm to block the Argonian's forward movement and directed the Argonian slaves to gather around him in a

    circle to the left of the door,

    "Slaves, as I said before, this is Abaelun mine where you will serve out your miserable existence mining for diamonds. If you find

    anything valuable, like an enchanted bit of Earth the belongs to Kynareth," Hasir growled at this.

     

    Not hearing this thought, the Imperial continued talking,

    "If you find such a thing, please notify me and I will bring it back to my superior, Vadem Dren and he will let you go free."

     

    There were exchanges of excited looks at this. Everywhere Hasir looked, tails raised in jubilent anticipation. Neresticus roared with

    laughter,

    "You stupid scalebacks actually believed me? Vedam, along with all dunmer, hates every damn thing about your race so what makes

    you think we will EVER turn any of you loose?" He said, roaring with laughter as he opened the door and walked into the mine;

    four sullen looking Argonians followed him, each one not daring to look at the other.