Ch.13

[Turdas, 15th of Sun’s Height, 4E: 221]

“So you and that Naga?” The yellow-white argonian innkeeper, Keerava, asked with a shockingly expressive grin on her face. I guess argonians outside of Black Marsh have learned how to outwardly express themselves more openly.

“Uh-um. No. I want to, but he’s not open to that yet.” I grumbled over my mug of mead. Wow this stuff is sweet. If I hadn’t had Hist Sap before, it’d have been the sweetest intoxicating substance I’ve ever imbibed. Still though, I’m on my fifth tankard and I’m not feeling anything. Damn my fancy magic body! I can’t even get drunk!

“Oh, well keep trying. I know if Talen-Jei hadn’t gotten the nerve up to ask for my hand, I’m sure we’d have still been dancing around the subject a few more years.” Keerava leered hungrily at the very handsome dark-scaled argonian man waiting on the tables of the Bee and Barb.

“I guess I can try.” I said before my breasts felt empty?! How?! How could he do that?! Who is the Guildmaster?! Grr! If he’s Nocturnal’s Nightingale like Brynjolf and Karliah, I guess I can understand some mystical bullshit with his thievery, but the sap in my tits?! WTF?!

“Try harder. That girl of yours needs him as much as you do.” Keerava urged me and I looked back at where Neethsi and Brynjolf were regaling Shade with tales of adventure, which the patrons all made a visible point of ignoring. “I know if I didn’t have Talen-Jei around, raising my children would have been nearly impossible. That you manage on your own even if you only have one is incredible to me.”

“You have kids? Pardon if I offend, but Skyrim doesn’t seem the sort of place to raise hatchlings.” I know I wouldn’t want to. Too cold, both from the weather and the people.

“None taken, you’re right! I had to move back home to Morrowind when I was pregnant and left Talen-Jei to run the place. He managed to pack ten eggs into me! Hah! Of course, only three survived, but they grew so strong without the diseases and predators of the Marsh, even if they only had my sap to nurse from.” Keerava sighed wistfully and I felt a longing pain, to feel life growing in me again, but as an argonian I bet it would be a different sensation if similar.

“So where are they?” I haven’t seen any argonians in town despite the lore citing Riften had plenty of them. They were also notably absent in the game too.

“My son decided to stay in Skyrim when he came of age, my daughters decided to move back to Morrowind. He’s a merchant in business with the khajiit caravans, so you might see him soon since his group is supposed to be here tomorrow.” Keerava happily answered and I nodded in acknowledgement.

“Oh, maybe I’ll have a chat with him.” I chuckled and Keerava filled my mug with more mead. Seriously lady, can’t you see I’m not getting drunk? Eh, maybe that’s why she’s still loading me up on the ‘Guildmaster’s’ tab that Brynjolf offered.

“Hopefully one that gets him interested in finding a mate. I’m not getting any younger and I want grandchildren. Not that I’m expecting that of you, what with that towering hunk you’re after.” Keerava snickered and I snapped my tail against the floor in sharp amusement.

“What about your daughters?” I chugged the mead and held up a hand to dissuade her from loading me up any further. I’m going to get a beer belly if I keep going.

“Bah, they’re enlisted in the Ebonheart Emissaries. They’re battlemages with no interest in children, so my mild-mannered son is my only hope.” Keerava huffed in a mixture of parental pride and frustration.

“Sorry to hear that, at least in regards to you getting grandbabies.” I said before getting up. “Well, I’m going to gather up Shade and head to bed.”

“Good to have met you, sleep well.” Keerava cheerfully bid me farewell and I faked a tipsy stagger towards the table where Bryn and Neeth were chatting.

“Mama, I’m still hungry even though I ate.” Shade whined when she saw me approach.

“Shush, mama’s tired now. Let’s go to bed and get you fed.” I quietly said to her before nodding at the two males and guiding Shade upstairs. “Are you doing okay? Adjusting to everything?” I asked her as we climbed the stairs. I’m still adjusting to all of this myself.

“Kinda? I’m still trying to get used to how things are now, being a lizard, transforming into a lizard, how I’m so hungry.” Shade said, scratching behind her head. “Otherwise, yeah, I’m doing just fine.” I sighed in relief after hearing that and because we reached the rented room.

“That’s good, I think the hunger is from being reborn in such a big body instead of growing into it.” I pondered before lifting my shirt for her. “I’m a little low right now due to a thief, but I should have enough for you.”

“Kay.” Latching onto my right nipple, Shade began suckling and drank whatever was left inside my breasts. I know she should be weaned by now, but if she’s hungry I’ll provide damn it.

📜

[Fredas, 16th of Sun’s Height, 4E: 221]

“So you’re good friends with the Thieves Guild I take it?” I questioned Neethsi the next morning after we left Riften on the road north. Shade was still asleep in the Haven Bag, too groggy and drowsy to be awake this early. For some gods-awful reason, Neethsi had decided to wake us up before dawn and practically dressed me in my full suit of armor and my crossbow before dragging me out of the Bee and Barb with Shade in his bag.

“Specifically with Brynjolf. He tried to rob me, I caught him and gave him tips, we became fast friends. Still, everyone in the Guild knows not to try and steal from me, because it’ll end up with humiliation for them.” Neethsi was on edge, I could tell with how he scanned the environment. “Stay alert. Even with Mjoll the Lioness as the Jarl, bandits are still a common problem in this region.” Oh, so Maven Black-Briar and her whole family were dealt with? Good.

“Alright.” I yawned as I tuned out the background noise for anything out of the ordinary. It would be easier with my old fox ears, but I can still do it. We remained silent until we crested the height of the road and were in sight of a small town’s watchtower.

“Alright, the watchtower of Shor’s Stone will deter any would-be highwaymen. Sorry for dragging you out of Riften so quickly. There has been a serial killer in Riften who targets exclusively argonians and khajiit and skins them. They’ve taken to calling them the Skinner of Riften. That’s why you didn’t see any argonians besides Keerava and Talen-Jei, but they have guards posted inside the Bee and Barb day and night.” Neethsi grimly informed me and I balked.

“The killer got them all?” Why didn’t Keerava bring it up? Did she simply assume I knew and she didn’t want to sour the conversation with it?

“What? No. Mjoll is sheltering her argonian and khajiit citizens in Mistveil Keep until the killer can be found. They’ve murdered seven people and the Riften Guard are adamant they won’t let them claim another. I’d have offered my help, but I didn’t want to risk you or Shade. It was also why Brynjolf and his Guildmaster immediately accosted us.” Neethsi answered and I sighed in relief. Seven people was horrible, but at least it wasn’t everyone.

“What a time to visit Riften huh?” I joked wryly, but then felt worried. “Wait, Keerava said her son who travels with the khajiit caravans was going to arrive soon. How long has the murderer been on their spree?” I asked him worriedly and he hissed in agitation.

“A few weeks. Considering the caravans travel in a clockwise route across Skyrim through each of the holds, they would be in the dark about it until they arrived. Hopefully we encounter them on the road and we can warn them to have a guard escort at all times.” Neethsi snarled and I hoped for the same.

The walk was quiet and uneventful until we reached Shor’s Stone. The town was much bigger than I remembered, but then again it having an active Ebony mine would make it a major mining town since the events of ES5. “Hail travelers. Have you seen the caravan that way?” One of the guards called out to us and I felt a sinking feeling.

“No, did they head the way we came from?” Neethsi demanded urgently, but the guard’s shaking head eased our tension.

“No. Then I didn’t miss them. Thank Stendarr, I’m glad I haven’t. I’m also glad to see you two safe and heading away from Riften in these trying times. Hopefully the guards in Riften catch this monster soon. Those were good people that he killed. Move along then or feel free to stay a while, but someone will need to be your escort. One of the people he killed were from here.”

“We have business in Windhelm and the sooner we get there, the better. Thank you for the concern.” Neethsi then led us back on the road and I really hoped that if we missed the caravan, that the guards of Shor’s Stone wouldn’t.

📜

“Why is it so cold, mama?” Shade whined shortly after she’d poked her head out of the Haven Bag on Neethsi’s waist. I don’t know how she was doing that. I didn’t think you could partially be in-and-out of the bag, because when I’d gone in or out it was like my body was being moved.

“Because this is Skyrim, little hatchling.” I paused in my speech, wondering where the argonian context came from, but it was still cute and got across what I wanted to say.

“Where’s that?” She questioned and giggled when Neethsi put a fur cap on her head that wrapped around her skull and framed her horns adorably.

“It is the Northernmost part of Tamriel and a member of the Empire, though we are in negotiations with the High King.” Neethsi explained for me as he tied the ‘ear’ flaps under Shade’s jaw so the warm hat would stay on her head. “Just stay inside, little one. Skyrim may not have as many deadly creatures as Black Marsh, but there are far many more dangerous people as a result.” Well, if that isn’t depressingly true.

“Aw, kay. I have all these shiny toys and puzzles to play with anyway.” Shade then retreated back into the bag.

“So where did you get that bag?” I am obscenely curious. The power to have a studio apartment on your hip with you everywhere you went? That was a traveler’s dream.

“I made it. It was intended to be a prototype, but then I was so happy with the result that I kept it. I have more advanced versions with more generally pleasing aesthetics, but this was my magnum opus in my studies under Neloth to demonstrate my mastery of Alteration and Mysticism. I like the bag over the box. I’d be willing to give you a Haven Box at a later date when I feel you will need it.” Neethsi informed me before he froze and I did too.

“What is it?” I whispered and looked around warily.

“I hear Dwemer Animunculi. I am unsure where from…” Neethsi muttered and I listened. Yes, I can hear the tell-tale steam hiss and clockwork clanking of a Dwarven Automaton. “There!” He pointed at a hole in the ground moments before a brass sphere emerged and rushed towards us while a robot deployed from the top half of the metal ball! “Bows are useless against them, get behind me!”

I couldn’t dispute that logic, considering this isn’t a videogame where every weapon has to be viable for balancing reasons. I really wish I had a gun! Wait! “If you can, don’t completely destroy it! I could use the parts!”

“I can’t promise too much, but I harvest these things regularly for much the same reason.” Neethsi replied as he took his bonemold and stalhrim morning star from his hip and calmly cast a spell with his free hand moments before the dwarven sphere fired it’s crossbow. The bolt crunched on impact with the previously invisible barrier of magic armor over the naga as he closed the distance and swung his mace upward into it’s chassis, which instantly crumpled with the sound of shattering glass. “There, the Soul Gem is destroyed.”

“Wow...good to know their weak point.” I shook my head to remind myself that Neethsi was a post-endgame character from one of the notoriously hardest games in the series and that even if this was reality, some things just seem to apply anyway.

“Only Spheres and Spiders are so easily disabled. Centurions have their soul gems fully encased in their torso next to their dynamo core. I advise never facing one in single combat if you can help it, but if you do, either disable it’s weapons or legs if you don’t think you can smash or pry open the chassis enough to break the gem.” Neethsi advised me as he stowed his mace.

“Got it.” I got on my hands and knees over the disabled automaton and wondered how I could take it apart. I need a full set of tools and a workshop. With a shrug, I opened my satchel wide and fed the sphere into the much smaller opening, which swallowed the machine whole. I’ll have more than enough parts to make my own gun instead of having to machine everything.

“Ah, good to see someone with some creativity there. Most adventurers would just take one or two parts. I’m surprised you can carry the weight though.” Neethsi commented and I blinked when I stood up with ease and didn’t feel weighed down. Maybe my bangles and collar have something to do with my enhanced carrying capacity.

“I’ll take whatever advantages I can get. Let’s keep moving before that hole decides to spit out more of them.” That hole didn’t exist in-game, but then again, it has been 20 years.

📜

Whoa...the view of Eastmarch from this vantage point is incredible. It’s one thing to see the land in the game, it’s another to see it in person. The vast difference in elevation between the Rift and Eastmarch was also even more staggering. When in the Rift, it’s easy to forget that it’s one massive plateau at a higher elevation compared to the rest of Skyrim.

The fact that most of Eastmarch was volcanic lowlands with sulfur fields and hot springs also clashed with the rest of the province, making it the warmest by far aside from the border of the hold shared with Winterhold. The fact that the land below was steaming hot and foggy compared to the snow I could see far to the north helped demonstrate this world’s extreme climate shifts in such short distances.

I mean, it only took half a day’s jog to cross the Rift from south to north and the Atronach Stone would be just at the base of this mountain amidst the sulfur pools. “We’re almost there, but no sign of the caravan. I hope they are alright. They’re well defended and the dragons aren’t much threat after 20 years of their destructive kin being hunted by the Dragonborn and his more open-minded dragons, but bandits are still a problem even with efforts to reclaim the land.”

“Then there are the giants.” I still had to wonder about them. Weren’t they a sibling species to the Nords? I think I read something about them being the result of the Atmorans genes splitting into the Nords, the smart ones and the giants, the strong ones.

“Don’t worry about them. Thanks to cultural exchange efforts, they’ve been much more able to peacefully coexist with the people of Skyrim. So long as they are not attacked, they won’t attack others. Sadly, they refuse to participate in the ongoing war with the Aldmeri Dominion aside from aiding in the defense of the realm should a counter-invasion occur.” Neethsi’s answer surprised me and I almost slipped on the sharp slope of the road, but he caught me.

“The giants are coexisting now?” I asked in bafflement and Neethsi chuckled, which made me feel giddy. He’s opening up around me~.

“Not to whatever extent you’re imagining. The giants agreed at the Moot held between their chieftains and the Jarls of the Holds to open trade and cultural exchange, but you won’t find giants wandering the streets of Whiterun. How could they be in cities or towns when all the structures are made for people half their height?” Neethsi pointed out and I felt a bit embarrassed for automatically assuming I’d see giant citizens mingling with the ‘little’ people.

“Wait, how could there even be an invasion of Skyrim? It has a natural mountain barrier with bottleneck passes and the Sea of Ghosts to the north? If they were smart the Empire would move its military capital up here and turn this place into a fortress for the war in case Cyrodiil was invaded again.” My words were met with a sigh.

“The problem with that is that Cyrodiil is already under siege again and the Empire has been dying for the past 220 years. Skyrim is ready to officially secede from the Empire the moment it falls for the last time, which is why the High King is in talks with us about joining the Pact. We’re going to let Cyrodiil die. It’s long and war-torn history will finally come to an end. Besides, White-Gold fell when it’s Stone, the Amulet of Kings, was shattered at the end of the Third Era.” Neethsi grimly muttered and I looked left, west at the Throat of the World bordering the tundra.

I remember the prophecy of Alduin’s Wall said that Alduin would appear when the ‘Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding’. I can only hope that with a new High King instated and Alduin dead, that the Snow Tower is holding up the sky again and not everything lies upon the boughs of the Tree of Harmony and Ada-Mantia.

“Aahahaha!” A laugh made me jump when a Nord with dreadlocks who was taller than me and wearing Nightingale armor settled into pace with us. “I just robbed the Elder Scroll library of the Imperial Palace!” He held up a sack loaded with Elder Scrolls and pulled out one that had a casing which was more colorful than the ones I was used to seeing. “I believe this belongs to your pony friends.” He held it out to me.

“W-what?” I gasped and took the scroll, not daring to open it. I doubt I’m shielded from the effects of the Elder Scrolls like the Dovahkiin is, who can just open one willy-nilly and just get it’s contents branded on their sight for a few moments.

“Nocturnal tasked me to liberate the scrolls to help them avoid being in the wrong hands. The Imperial City will fall in a month at this rate.” The almost-Redguard towering Nord grimly informed us and Neethsi hissed.

“Damn it. I hope Twilight can get it growing fast. We’ll need it sooner than hoped.” Neethsi snarled and I felt fearful. It was one thing to have the Aldmeri Dominion on the other side of Cyrodiil or the Topal Bay, it was quite another to have them at our doorstep.

“Luckily I’ve gotten help from High Rock, Hammerfell and Orsinium.” The thief then looked at me. “You should get ready. Nocturnal tells me that the fabric of reality lies on your shoulders.”

“Swell.” I grumbled and tried not to be bothered by how the thief simply vanished from my senses.

Seriously, how many people can just do that?

Next Chapter: Ch.14 Estimated time remaining: 17 Hours, 25 Minutes