Shadows of Darkest Soul (An Elder Scrolls RP)

[NinjaGoddessAyra]

Ayra, aboard The Broken Sun

 

"Are you alright?" The Dunmer named Velanya asked.

 

Ayra closes her eyes for a moment, her face contorted with concentration. She willed the pain away, putting in all her efforts to focus on something else. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked up at the woman who had approached her. She merely shook her head yes.

 

A thought suddenly crossed Ayra's mind; what if the reason she felt she had to go to Molag Mar, was to meet these people? It would make sense, meeting by chance, such as it were, and these people all had....she didn't know how to put it in words....an extraordinary presence, something she hadn't felt from being around other people, atleast, not in quite a few years.

 

But that couldn't be why, it just couldn't. The odds were....astronomical to say the least. And yet...here they all were, surviving a pirate attack, and while they were grateful for their help, the most astounding thing that Ayra noticed was that none of them seemed the least bit perturbed. She seriously doubted whether they would have needed her help.

 

Suddenly, Ayra felt her face go slightly warm, as though someone had trickled warm water down her face, and she realized her potion must have worn off, two hours before it was supposed to.

 

She started to panic, "how could this happen?" she thought wildly. Her thoughts started going from one extreme to another quicker than wildfire; "they'd surely kill me if they see me for what I truly am. I could jump over, that might work."

 

And with that she quickly pushed away Ulfgar's large heavy arms and made a desperate run to the edge of the ship. She was ready to get out of there, as quickly as she possibly could.

[AurianaValoria1]

Caius Cosades and Velanya Therys, the Broken Sun, Top Deck

 

Velanya barely had time to get out a "Wha-" before the woman was making a mad dash for the ship's railing.

 

At once, Caius placed himself in her path, arms outstretched to block her way, "Oh no you don't..."

[NinjaGoddessAyra]

Ayra, aboard The Broken Sun

 

Ayra was running towards the rail of the ship, desperate to get off. She thought she was clear, until that Imperial, the one they called Caius, got in her way.

 

"Oh no you don't," he said, his arms outstretched.

 

Ayra managed to skid to a halt, coming mere inches from bumping into him. She looked up into his eyes, her now Sapphire blue ones staring unblinkingly into his stone face. She didn't know why, didn't have enough time to comprehend it, all she knew was that she had no desire to fight this man. She didn't understand why, after all, her whole life she had been taught "if someone is in the way, get rid of them." And yet, she couldn't bring herself to attack this man. She just stood there, for a moment or so, registering the shocked look on his face, and pleaded with him.

 

"Please," she asked. It was barely more than an audible whisper, but it could not hide the desperation behind it.

[AurianaValoria1]

Caius Cosades, the Broken Sun, Top Deck

 

The Spymaster's brow furrowed as he peered down at this woman, "Please what? No one is doing anything to you," he looked over the side of the ship, "and I'm fairly certain you don't want to become slaughterfish bait. Now, do you mind telling me what in Oblivion is wrong with you? And as I recall, I still don't know your name."

[NinjaGoddessAyra]

Ayra, aboard The Broken Sun

 

Ayra didn't know how to respond to his question, or even if she could. Talking never was her strong suit. Surely this man must see the Daedric writing on her face, must see her unnatural blue eyes, surely he thinks her a freak, who deserves to be tossed overboard. Well, why was he stopping her? She would save him the trouble of it and do it herself.

 

But this man, he didn't blink, he still had that stone face, not a streak of surprise on it. What was he thinking? Just who is this guy? And how do I convey any of this to him.

 

"I...I need to leave," she said, struggling to get out the words.

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn and Garila Indarys, The Broken Sun Top Deck

 

Adrynn blearily opened his eyes when he heard the first fast steps of someone running. He glanced around and saw the Dunmer woman and Caius, facing each other on the opposite side of the ship. Caius had a stoney look on his face. One Adrynn had seen him use before when he was both puzzled and annoyed.

 

Garila, realizing Adrynn was awake again, stroked his cheek softly. "Are you alright to move, dear?" Adrynn groaned and gingerly stretched. His ribs were sore, but he could feel that the mend had been true. He twisted and then stood up in a smoothly shaky motion, having to hold onto Garila to stop from pitching over on his face. He shook his head and stood still, holding onto his wife while his mind and body synchronized with each other.

 

He glanced to Lecuaro and Velanya, who he just realized had come up from the cargo hold, and then to the tall Nord, who's name he vaguely remembered as being Ulfgar or something along those lines. Nord names were harsh and uncouth to try and pronounce to the Redoran. He shook his head and turned to the Dunmer, who looked like she was about to dive overboard.

 

"Why in Oblivion would you want on the ship one minute, then try to jump overboard the next? That makes no sense," he said, moving over to her and gently laying a hand on her shoulder. He could feel how tense she was, and suddenly hoped he wasn't about to eat a dagger.

[AurianaValoria1]

Caius Cosades and Velanya Therys, the Broken Sun, Top Deck

 

"My Redoran friend here poses an excellent question," the Spymaster added, his sharp blue-grey eyes narrowing, "Now, out with it."

 

The Knight Errant moved to stand behind the stranger elf, in case she decided to make a dash in the opposite direction. Something was incredibly off here...

[Zephyr2011]

Kriak, Daedroth's wind

 

Kriak was enjoying the company of his new smuggler friends. The ship was making excellent time with the small crew of a dozen and practically no cargo. They stuck to the coast along where all the other ferries went. The smugglers were all a jovial sort and, thankfully, mostly sober. The captain had explained that all of the men had seen what their "products" did to people if used in excess and they all were quite careful to live lives of moderation.

 

The rag-tag crew sang songs as they sailed. It actually reminded him a lot of his companions that they were racing towards. They were all quite diverse, coming from different backgrounds and of different ethnicities. Aboard the ship were two Khajiit, the first mate and his younger brother; three Argonians, two of which were former slaves; an imperial, the second mate; two redguards, both former legionaries; two bretons; both battlemages; an altmer, an alchemist, enchanter and mage; and the nordic captain. This made it very interesting, most sailors were extremely superstitious about having mages on board, at least as regular crew, yet these smugglers seemed to not mind at all. The normal racial tensions that seemed to swell around Khajiit and Argonians, Nords and elves just weren't there. It was much like the band from the fort from so many different places yet they got along so well.

 

The smugglers seemed to like Kriak as well and all conversed and joked with him as he helped around the ship as much as possible. Kriak decided that if he were ever to return to this realm he would have to find this ship again. Perhaps that could be his grand new cover while he laid low, a smuggler. The band was quite welcoming and found his skills and equipment fascinating. He could live this life certainly. But once again his thoughts returned to his friends that he had to help. He knew they were sailing headlong into a trap at Molag Mar.

 

As Kriak was thinking of his companions, he found them. Up ahead in the distance he spotted fireballs and lightning bolts illuminating the night sky, casting two ships in a stark silhouette. One was clearly a sloop like the smugglers' and the other looked like a ferry boat. Kriak called to the captain to hasten his vessel as much as possible while the huntsman lent his own magic to the sloop. At first Kriak couldn't tell how the battle was fairing but gradually he was able to make out far more coming from the ferry than the sloop, until bodies seemed to start flying from the sloop and a massive silhouette was all over the deck.

 

Kriak breathed a sigh of relief but he knew that this wasn't it. Far from it. The ease of the victory at sea merely proved that the Mythic Dawn ambuscade was further down the road. Even so, Kriak was more than willing to give up the element of surprise against the Mythic Dawn in order to stand with his friends when they did meet up with the cult. The fighting ceased before the sloop pulled along side the ferry, as it did so Kriak heard Caius's distinct voice questioning someone who was very close to the railing. Kriak noticed it was a girl with piercing blue eyes and Daedric symbols all over her face. Kriak sensed trouble, or at least some tension, so he acted without thinking.

 

The huntsman tossed grabbed a line from the smuggler vessel and launched himself into the air and got himself onto the deck of the ferry, not as suave as he usually was but still with a fair amount of grace. "Now why would you need to leave miss?" Kriak said with an uncharacteristic grin, he was a little proud of himself for the agility he had just displayed and the bravado of the smugglers had been rubbing off on him. He nodded to Adrynn and Lecuaro before continuing, "Hello everyone. I hope you didn't miss me too much."

[NinjaGoddessAyra]

Ayra and Ulfgar, aboard The Broken Sun

 

Ayra didn't like this at all, she was cornered, and for her that was never a good sign. She needed to act quickly. But what could she do? These people, they were...different somehow. She didn't want to kill them, she would never be able to live with herself if she did. She would never be able to face him again if she did.

 

She just wanted off this ship. They reluctantly let her on, now she wants to get off, so just go ahead and let her now.

 

Ayra's hand slowly, unconsciously, went to the hilt of her blade. She didn't know what she was going to do. They'd kill her when they saw her face, she was told that over and over again, she had literally lived through it, yet she couldn't just outright kill them, they hadn't done anything to her.

 

Suddenly, she felt another hand on her shoulder, it was Ulfgar's.

 

"Hey," he whispered softly to her, "I promise it'll be alright. I told you before; I'd never let anything happen to you."

 

Ayra heard him whisper to her, and she believed him. She found her own hand slowly letting go of the hilt of the blade. She looked up into his face with those piercing blue eyes...but what was that look? Sadness...? not quite, it was something very similar though.

 

"Yeh'll have to forgive my friend here," he said to the group of people surrounding them, "she's not used to being around many people, and she's very self conscious of her face, but I assure you, she means yeh no harm."

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn and Garila Indarys, Aboard the Broken Sun

 

Adrynn nodded to Ulfgar. "If she meant us any harm, I do believe she'd have let us know by now," he said, backing up. He didn't find her horrifying or anything of the sort. She was merely interesting. Adrynn felt his brand throb. She was important as well.

 

Suddenly, he watched as a ship pulled along the Broken Sun and Kriak leap from the sloop and land on the deck. The Redoran couldn't believe it. He moved over to the hunter and looked him over, making sure that it was indeed the Sarosian.

 

"K-Kriak? Where in Oblivion did you come from? And who are your friends?" Adrynn asked moving to the side of the ship and leaning over to see the sleek ship Kriak had come from. A few of the crewmen waved at him. He turned to the hunter with a puzzled expression.

 

Garila reached down and scooped up Adrynn's sword when the strange man, Kriak, had appeared out of nowhere. She noticed how tense the Dunmer woman had been and didn't like how she had gripped her sword when Adrynn had calmly laid his hand on her shoulder. Garila guessed she just didn't like being touched. She snorted and rested Adrynn's katana on her shoulder and placing her other hand on her hip.

 

"And who are you?" she asked, staring daggers at the strange Dunmer woman shielded by the Nord, Ulfgar.