Posted by
James March 11, 2013 -
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The Adventures of Zorath
The Old Crest of Harken
The wagon rocked as a young Wood Elf by the name of Zorath read through his fathers old notes. Before the war with the dragons, Zorath's father thrived. His family lived in the high mountains of Cyrodiil. Of course, Zorath had never remembered Cyrodiil, or the Imperial City... He was a child when he was last there... But on this day, he rides toward Solitude to see his family. As he flips through papers and parchments, he finds a strangely marked paper, it's written in ink. It spells "Harken" in Dovah... His fathers name was Harken... Zorath began to get curious. He opened the paper and inside was a list of names. Starting with "Sheenovah of Whiterun". Zorath was interested in this now, he decided to turn towards Whiterun instead.
"Driver!" He shouted.
"Yes?"
"How much would it cost to turn around toward Whiterun?"
"I would say about twenty gold now."
"Deal." Zorath said as he handed the driver some gold
The ride was long and unsettling, painfully rocky. Zorath felt wheezy when he got off of the wagon that night, but that's normal. He never liked wagons... He preferred horses or on foot walking. But that didn't matter anymore, he was in Whiterun. He walked up the stone walkway, strode up to the gate guards as they opened the gates, and he walked through. The city was dimly lit by coal lamps. An he saw a small in named The Drunken Huntsman. He opened the door to see a quiet room filled with rancid hunters and a worn man behind the counter.
"What can I get you, mister?" The man said.
"How much for a room?" Zorath replied.
"Ten gold pieces a night"
Zorath handed the man thirty gold pieces and nodded, then walked off. As Zorath laid in the bed he began to think of his father, although he was dead... That only led to him thinking about his mother. But he pushed the thought away, and fell into a deep sleep.
CHAPTER 2
Zorath awoke several hours later, feeling rested he got up and walked downstairs. He saw the worn man again.
"Good morning, sir. What can I get you?" The man asked.
"Please, call me Zorath. I would like some information."
"Of course sir."
"Do you know a Sheenovah?"
"Hmm... I've heard the name before. You might want to check the center of town, near the Bannered Mare."
"Thank you, I'll be staying again tonight."
Zorath then left the small building. He stepped onto the stone walkway and looked left to right. A guard then walked up.
"Trouble, sir?" He said.
"Uh, yes, where is the Bannered Mare? I used to live here but, so much has changed..."
"To the right, at the end of the walkway, in the circle of stands."
"Thank you, guard"
The guard nodded and kept walking. Zorath began to walk down the path, once he got to the end he heard a familiar voice.
"Zorath? Is that you?!"
He turned to look at where the voice came from, "Cilia?" He said shocked.
"Oh, thank the divines! Zorath!" She ran toward him and hugged him tightly. "Where have you been?!"
"I have had... Work." He replied.
"Something's wrong, are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm just busy. I'll be back soon, okay?"
"Okay..." She said looking depressed.
He walked off, toward the Bannered Mare. He pushed the door open and it hit the wall with a thud. Everyone turned and looked at him, he stood still as stone, hesitating.
"I'm looking for Sheenovah!" He shouted.
An older looking woman stood up in the back of the room and she walked toward him.
"Are you Sheenovah?" He asked.
"Who's asking?" She replied.
"Zorath. Son of Harken." He said.
She paused, and dragged him outside. She may have looked old and weak, but she was strong and nimble. She took him behind the building where no one else was to be seen.
"You are in grave danger coming here." She said.
"I don't care, I can handle myself. I need to know, what is this?" He pulled out the letter and handed it to her. Her eyes widened. She was in disbelief, and anger.
"Where did you find this?"
"Answer my question first." He said.
"I have no idea..." She replied.
Zorath grabbed the paper and read it. The next name "Deresiit of Falkreath", that's where he was heading next. He closed the parchment and walked off. Sheenovah walked back into the inn, she pulled a piece of parchment, an ink well, and a quill out of her bag and began to write.
Tog-gar of Solitude,
I have found Harken's son. He is heading for Falkreath and then Solitude, to you. Find his family, capture them, and take them to the cave. Then leave a note telling him to come there.
~Sheenovah
CHAPTER 3
Zorath walked into the Drunken Huntsman once more, looking at the frail man. He walked slowly up to him, as the man looked up.
"Mr. Zorath, how nice to see you again! What would you like?"
"Twenty gold. I'm leaving."
The man looked confused, but asked no questions.
"Of course, here's a refund for two nights."
"Thank you, sir" Zorath said.
"Have a nice day."
Zorath stepped onto the cold stone, walking towards the gates. When he hear rapid footsteps.
"Zorath!"
"Cilia! Look I have to go."
"But you just got here."
"I know but, I'm trying to find out something that's important to my family."
"But, will you come back?" A tear fell from her cheek.
"Yes, Cilia, I will return" he turned and walked out of the gates.
As Zorath walked out of the gates he saw some Kajiit traders.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"We have traveled here from Elsweyr to sell goods."
"What are you selling?"
"Here try this, on the house." The Kajiit said.
"What is it?"
"It's called Skooma."
Zorath drank the liquid remedy, his eyelids grew heavy, his world started to fade, the last thing he heard was the Kajiit.
"Old Zorath. Son of Harken, I am Kynnoda of Riverwood. Fourth on this list." He said holding up Harken's letter.
He woke up later, feeling wheezy and confused. His vision blurred and his mind foggy. He saw a familiar looking wood elf walk past him, lightly dragging a dagger across his neck. Then the world went black again. Moments later, his eyes flew open, and his mouth came open but he said nothing, the wood elf was stabbing Zorath in the stomach, blood seeped across the blade as laughter fell. The pain was worse than anything Zorath had ever felt. Like a mudcrab pinching you but twenty times worse. Zorath closes his eyes, and let out a pained scream. When he opened his eyes, he looks shocked, the wood elf that stabbed him looked him in the eye an said.
"Good morning... Son."
"Father?" Zorath mumbled.
"That's right! And who are these?" Harken stepped out of the way and standing there, tied up and blindfolded, were Zorath's wife and son.
"You. You're not my dad...."
"Oh, but I am."
"You sick twisted, demon!"
"Haha! So you've found me out!" Shades of black and red smoke surrounded him in a mist of gloomy blood. When the smoke faded he was wearing glistening armor.
"I am a Deadric warrior, son, and you and your family's blood will be shed tonight."
"No!"
The stone cold Deadric dagger slit the throat of Zorath's wife and blood spewed from it onto his face.
"No! Please!" He cried.
His son wiggled and squirmed around as he was lifted up and thrown across the room. Harken lifted his dagger and cut off the child's limbs, slowly.
"NO!" Zorath's tears quit flowing. His hands were tied behind his back, close to his feet. He reached for the Elven dagger in his boot. He pulled it out, cut himself loose, and jumped up.
"Harken!" Sheenovah shouted as he turned around to see his son. Every other man and woman in the room turned into Deadric knights.
"I'll kill you all!" Zorath shouted.
He ran over to Sheenovah and stabbed her in the stomach, then in the throat. Tog-gar ran up behind him, Zorath picked up Sheenovah's sword and cut off Tog-gar's legs. Picking off one Deadric knight after another, brutally, he finished them, except his dad.
"Come here dad! I'm going to Killy you like you did my family!"
"I can't wait to watch you burn!"
He charged at his dad, dagger in hand and his dad just stop there. Once he was upon his father, the worst thing happened. He took one more step...
"FUS-RO-DAH!" His father shouted. Sending Zorath through a stone wall.
Zorath stood up, his wound writhing. But he got into stance and was ready to fight. One swing after another his dad kept missing. But then Zorath took a fatal swing and cut straight through the Deadric armor, cutting his dads arm off. He fell down. In the bloodstained dust...
CHAPTER 4
"Mom is dead because of you..." Zorath said softly. "We were attacked by Deadric Magee when I was thirteen... They killed her. Right in front of me... And now, I'm killing you. What a family."
"Your mother," Harken coughed, "was a cheat."
"Liar!" Zorath brought the sword down so hard that it shattered after hitting the ground. Harken's head rolled off of the body... Trailing in blood... Zorath dropped the sword hilt... And walked towards Whiterun... To go see Cilia.
