Private Of Death And Servitude

[Vixen]

She threw it back to him. "I have no need of such things." She spoke to Crengar. "You are quite right, let us be off." With a quick nudge her black stallion began to walk towards the north.

 

[GuardianCren1812]

Crengar rose a brow at Kairi. Did she just read his mind, or did his thoughts come out aloud? He shook it away and just bopped a heel in the horse's ribs to get it going, though he had some trouble keeping control of it.

 

[Specter of Death]

I let out a small chuckle as Kairi let out a small threat to the cocky boy, waving his flimsy sword around. She hopped on her horse, and so did everyone else. I thought back to what she had said about the place we were headed. An Atmoran City, like Sarthaal. Interesting.

I hopped up on my horse, as Kairi told the cocky man to keep an eye on his pouch of Septims, which I had watched her cleverly pull out of her pack. I nodded in approval after hopping up onto Hadoc, my black steed. He went on about how he had more gold back home in Solitude. I bit my lip in a sort of anger, at his overly confident nature, as he was clearly trying to pick up an Elf that had no interest. "Better keep information like that, to youself friend," I said trotting past him, "especially the when you are in the hold notorious for theives."

I caught up to Kairi, as I got the feeling she was keeping us from something. "For five thousand Septims, I suspect the 'item' we will be getting is worth some value," I talked to her, not moving my eyes from the path, "I couldn't help but notice, you neglected to tell us about said item. I don't mean to be, pushy, but I like to know what I am getting into... Especially for a price like that." I looked at her once more, to see if she had any sort of fear or regret in her eyes. Nothing. She was a lot harder to read than the rest of my comrades.

I shook away the question, as she tried to ignore me the best that she could. I pulled out a small schematic that I had from my days in the Legion. I remember going to Blackreach, for the Crimson Nirnroots we had to collect for a rare series of trial potions. It wasn't one of my better missions. I unrolled the map, that I had made of the dark lair. I scanned it carefully. I then noticed the one place I had neglected to mark off, as I remember it being heavily guarded by Dwarven Centurions. "You don't mean the Blackreach trade station is around here," I said to her handing her the map, "or is it?" I was a bit hesitant about continuing with them, as I hated fighting those damned machines.

 

[Vixen]

Kairi looked over the map he was showing her. "No, the passage is normally inaccessible to one who is not immor-" She stopped herself and pointed to the debate hall. "It's through there. As for the 'object', it is not of extreme value. My employer 'lost' it and wishes to have it back, and I have no choice but to oblige." She leaned her body backwards on the horse, bones could be heard cracking as she moved. A large scar could be seen across her side marring one of her tattoos.

 

[Specter of Death]

I let out a sigh of relief as Kairi corrected the position of the trade station. It was near the debate hall. As I remembered, it was only filled with a couple chaurus, and a lot of dwarven metal. I then noticed that she was correcting herself constantly. As she explained it to me, she trailed off in a word that I could have thought to be "immortal". I gave her a suspicious look. Not sure what I was getting into, I now knew that I couldn't be hesitant to kill anyone in this party for my own survival. I hoped it wouldn't have to come to that. "For your...their sake, I suggest telling us exactly what your hiding," It was still just a hunch that I had, coming from her suspicious behavior, "are you taking us into a death trap? What is it?"

My voice was raised, and my heart was pumping very hard. I was ready for almost anything, from an attack, to a very simple explanation. But Septims or not, I was not going to be lead to my death, because of my own ignorance to the situation.

 

[Vixen]

Kairi bit her lip reluctant to tell the man anything. "Telling you would mean the death of my soul. I am not taking you into a death trap that was never my intention. Unless my employer decides to send word I cannot te-" Her eye's grew wide as a young attractive man stood in the middle of the road, Kairi jerked her horse to a stop. The man was tall and had short blonde hair, his eyes were a strange violet color. "Oh love, don't look so surprised. You should've known I'd come calling again." She dismounted and placed her hands on her hips, he walked towards her with his arms open. "What no kiss? Not even one on the cheek? What about a hug?" She crossed her arms and spoke with a venomous tone. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't do this in front of people. Ugh! For a god you can be such a pig!" The man put his arms down and smiled devilishly. "Heh. Always the feisty one." He looked at the rest of the group and bowed. "Names Clauvious Vile, and that she-devil there is my little pet." He pointed to a now very angry Kairi. "You'd think for an immortal she'd be a bit less....serious. However, your probably wondering why I'm here. Let me get to the point, you all are helping Kairi recover some thing that I 'lost'. More like sent to a random place because he is an annoyance, but lost none the less. You all have no debt to me, that feisty little fox does. Because I own her soul and if she doesn't do my bidding she becomes mortal. Which is a lot to handle for someone who can't die from disease, old age and what not. A good crushing of the skull or a knife in the heart does kill her, but I'd rather not have my little flower killed and have to wait a good thousand years then have to find her again. So, protect her well." He laughed slightly. "Ah, but it seems my time here is up. See you at home love! I'll be waiting." He winked and was engulfed into a daedric portal.

 

[Kimrisvik]

Garrens horse stopped as a blonde man appeared in front of them. Kairi seemed to know who the man was, and she got of her horse. They seemed to have some sort of a romance going on between them. The man started to speak to the group about immortality, and Garren laid his hand on the sword hilt as he kept on, expecting the man to do something. But after the man, Clavious Vile, were done talking, he dissapeared into an daedric portal.

Garren let go of his sword and looked at Kairi with an asking look. "Okay.. What kind of trickery is this!?"

 

[GuardianCren1812]

Crengar stepped off his horse for a bit, granting the beast some relief while Kairi talked to the Daedra. Crengar just sneered, "Trickster gods..." he commented as he usually did about the Princes, staying out of the conversation, even keeping a hand close to Stone-fury until Vile vanished.

He would have questions himself but if Vile was already speaking the truth then he felt no need to. In some ways, he felt sympathy for Kairi. To be immortal yet kept as a daedra's puppet couldn't possibly be better than a regular mortal life could it?

 

[Specter of Death]

I watched the man run into the road. Kairi stopped dead. Hadoc didn't seem to fond of the man, as he almost threw me off of him as he reared back in response to him. He announced himself as Clavicous Vile, the god of trickery and mischief. I may not pay my respects to the aedra or deadra, but I know my fair share about them. I knew he was nothing but trouble. When he spoke of Kairi as an immortal, and his little puppet, I was less than surprised. I now knew exactly what this was about. I looked at her as he jumped back into his vile plane of Oblivion.

I felt some sympathy and concern for her, that she may not be immortal any more. What feeling overshadowed that, was of pity, for she could do nothing of her own will. I watched as she mounted her horse once more, and we were on our way. So far, my hood hadn't come off the whole time I had been with this group. I pulled it of though, in order to get closer to her. "Kairi, I can't help but wonder why you deal with him," her eyes did nothing by watch the road. "We can help you get out of his grip, make it so you live... Relatively normal, and so he leaves you alone."

I watched her carefully, not knowing exactly how she was to react. "Or help you get back to him," I said reluctantly, "I can tell you truly need our aid, and I am still willing to provide it." I nodded to her, hoping she had some insight on what she may have wanted to do. I pulled the hood back over my head, and kept in line with her, the others following.

 

[Vixen]

Kairi pressed her lips together clearly unhappy with the situation. "You all must have some questions for me. Let me explain. The people of my tribe are all immortal, we can only die in battle. If that happens in a good five-hundred to thousand years we are returned to the world. It is a gift, given to us by the forest god Y'ffre. I was one of the first immortal's. I made a deal with Clauvious after I crushed An'kiran's soul, he was the leader of our tribe, after he sold me into slavery with the Aldmeri Dominion. I was furious, I went into a rage and killed him...permanately. Warrior's were sent to assassinate me along with agents from the Aldmeri Dominion, I made a deal with Clauvious that if he would protect me from them I woud do his bidding." She sighed. "Clauvious has taken to seeing me...a bit more as just a play thing. It would make sense though. It's hard for immortal's to fall in love, to watch the one you care for wither away and die while you stay young and unchanged. That is why many of us are solitary, it is a lonely exsistance and many of us who are the Originals have gone insane because of it. However, I do not see it as a curse. I have learned much from my time on this Plane and others. I have seen kings and warriors, and great hero's of old. From Tiber Septim himself to the Dwarves and Snow Elves." She smiled slightly. "It is not so bad, just very lonely."

 

[GuardianCren1812]

Crengar nodded somewhat, understanding the nature of her existence except for the immortality part. "I know what it is to be hunted and alone." The silent giant spoke. "Though my life may be but a blink of an eye to you, know that you have gained my earnest respect; from one exile to another." he softly beat a fist against his chest in a salute, though he wondered if it was more pity than it was trust that drove his affection towards the immortal elf.

Either way, whether or not she was telling the truth, he knew his admiration would be misplaced.

 

[Specter of Death]

I listened to Crengar make a connection with the powerful woman. Exile. He does not know the beginning. I looked at the sky as that horrible memory came back to me. I saw the look of pain in my fathers eyes once more. I was reliving the torture. I watched again as they cut off his limbs bit by bit. Then left him there to bleed. While I was chained, and helpless. I ripped gashes in my skin trying to reach my father but it was to late when I did. I remember swearing revenge on who did this. I remember the pain that came with my cuts, and gashes. I pulled off one of my bracers, and examined my arm. It was covered in scars. "Immortals find it hard to love, because you are afraid of watching those you love fade away," I stared at her, "Mortals don't fear love, because we have never seen them fade away. When we do, it can turn some one as happy and normal as ever. To something darker than oblivion itself." I pulled off my other bracer, and stared at the scars on my other arm. "Pain that comes with loss, can cripple the strongest warriors, or drive them to madness." I dug my heal into Hadoc's side, he trotted forward, away from the stopped group.

I remembered the Elf who had taught me that. I was sent to kill his tortured soul, and he convinced me otherwise. He showed me the corruption of the imperials, and how revenge is sometimes needed to ease a clouded mind. I remember the way he was. Kairi wasn't wrong. Living long enough to see those you love, brought to death can make you go insane. He surely was. I remembered what they called him. The Undying Wolf. I remember my commander telling me the story of how the imperials destroyed his people. How he was left solitary, the last of his kind. Kairi was much like this elf. Yet she wasn't alone. He was more alone than any of us. I remember his laughter. It was always present when he spoke. You could never tell if he was serious, or being sarcastic. I remember him putting his blade to my throat and how his eyes were absent of humanity. I never want to see that in someone else again. I felt loyal to Kairi, in the fact that she could fall into that. And we needed to help her.

 

[Vixen]

" It's....painful, to have your soul ripped from your entire being the way Vile did when I made the deal with him." She shivered remembering the incident. "There are stranger things on this plane then me, however. The god's have created many things that mortals have not seen. I've seen Clauvious' plane of Oblivion, it's a beautiful place. He has done much to make it a home for me." She laughed slightly. "He may act like a dragon's backside at times, but he's generally very sweet he just get's bored." She looked over as the sun started to rise. "Why don't we take a break." She guided her horse to the side of the road and silde off of the saddle.

 

[Kimrisvik]

Garren listened carefully as the others talked abput exiles and other painfull things. He looked down to the ground, feeling a bit bad for them, since his life had been more of a dreamlife. He cleared his throat, and was ready to say some nice words to them, as a men behund them shouted his name.

"Sir Rivers!" An old man came riding towards them. He stopped and took some time to catch his breath. Garren looked at him. "Thoren, what is it?" The man handed him a small note and took drink of water. Garren read the note and nodded. He turned to the others. "I'm sorry, but I must leave you now. The Empire needs me. I will find you again, promise!" He turned his horse around and followed Thoren through the forest, leaving the others behind.

 

[GuardianCren1812]

Crengar took the horse's reigns and guided it off the road, letting it rest. He decided to forage for fist sized stones and some loose brush for a fire in case their rest would be long. It seems much of the party would need it considering the big truths revealed about their leader.

He looked at the party and found himself lost again, realizing he wasn't as socially skilled as he once was. Or maybe he hadn't found much to compare with them despite his recent admission of respect to Kairi. He never envied the long living races, but to be immortal...

He shook the thoughts out of him and bring back what he had for the campfire.