User blog:DB Baxter/Nightloom: Part II - The Doctor

Natily slowly stirred to the scent of rotten meat and vile alchemy brews. The smells invaded her nose and forced the Bosmer to gag on the overwhelming aromas. She tried to reach up and cover her nose, but found her wrists to be held down by restraints. The same went for her legs and torso.

She was strapped down to a cold, ebony table in the center of a brightly lit room, which   was filled with cabinets overflowing with alchemy ingredients and empty vials, some shattered and some smudged. The counters were also littered with broken and rusted tools and the tattered of remains of what she assumed were the clothes of other prisoners.

She looked down her body and past her feet to see that she wasn’t alone in this room. An elf dressed in the traditional black Thalmor robes was working furiously on something that she could not see. His hands moved about the table quickly, constantly swapping out tools and ingredients as he muttered notes to himself.

“Aha!” He clapped his hands together. “Perfection!”

“Hey!” Natilyn hollered out, startling the elf and causing him to fall off of his stool and bring his concoction down with him. The sound of glass shattering filled the room, followed swiftly by the elf spitting and cursing.

He brought himself up using his chair, revealing himself to be an old, withered altmer whose face was inscribed with many wrinkles and lines. “Blasted Bosmer girl!” He spat, running his hands through his thin, white hair. “I had spent all morning on that! I nearly had it completed, too!”

Natilyn strained to keep from laughing. Seeing this old prig jump and curse was almost too much for her handle. “I’m… I’m sorry,” she said half-heartedly.

“Mhm, you sound very apologetic,” The old altmer scowled. He stood up and wiped the dirt from his robes and sighed.

“So, is that potion holding up?” He asked as he swept up the bits of shattered glass off the floor.

“Pardon?” She asked.

“The healing potion,” He clarified. “It should’ve patched up that nasty knot you had on your noggin,”

Natilyn hadn’t even thought of that. Now that she did, however, she noticed that the throbbing had stopped and she felt as good as she did the night she had nearly robbed Loreiuth. “Uh… Yeah,” She finally said.

“Good, good,” He said, dumping the glass in a small bin nearby before heading back and rummaging through an overflowing cabinet.

“So… you the healer ‘round here?” She asked, tugging on the restraints to see how they held up.

“I am Estion Chaethar. Head of the Nightloom Medical Staff,” He said proudly. “Well… actually, it’s a one man staff, but I am still the head of it!”

“They’ve only got one healer in this place?” She arched an eyebrow.

<p class="MsoNormal">“They only need one healer in this place, ma’am,” Estion stated. He pulled out a vial filled with an orange liquid and looked at its label. “I account for the power and knowledge of 10 healers!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“And the pretentiousness of 20,” She murmured.

<p class="MsoNormal">Estion glared at the girl before pulling up a seat next to the girl and uncapping the vial. “Now, I’m gonna have to ask you to unfold your left hand and remain still,”

<p class="MsoNormal">Natilyn would’ve objected to this, but she decided making an enemy of the only person who could keep her alive in this place was a bad plan. Instead she did as she was told and opened up her palm. From there, she could see that her hand had an engraving on it; a simple N with a circle around it.

<p class="MsoNormal">Before she could question it any further, Estion cautiously poured the liquid into her palm. It tickled a little bit at first before it began to sizzle and burn. She writhed uncomfortably as it did so, but it wasn’t too excruciating. At least, not for her.

<p class="MsoNormal">When the burning subsided, she looked at her palm. The engraving was now a nasty, black color and stuck out much more now.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What the hell is this…” She growled,

<p class="MsoNormal">“That’s a simple way to identify Nightloom Prisoners, girl,” He answered. “Well, at least for the maximum security ones…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Maximum security?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes. You’re not getting put in with the others. Kaelmun thinks it’s too dangerous. They’re putting you in with all the other loonies that he’s collected over the years…”

<p class="MsoNormal">This news forced her heart to sink. “I’m… I’m… Maximum security?” She stammered.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Afraid so,” He said uncaringly. “Killing around 25 of the city guard of Alinor is more than qualifying,”

<p class="MsoNormal">Damn it, she scowled. Maximum security wasn’t good. Not at all. This meant constant surveillance. Less rations. Locked away with psychopaths. And worst, almost 0 chance of escape.

<p class="MsoNormal">Before she could think about it any further, the door opened and in came a young altmer armored up In an elven cuirass entered the room.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Caethar, Kaelmun sent me to get the prisoner,” He announced, glancing over at the restrained wood elf.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, yes. She’s all prepped for Maximum Security,” Estion waved off as he stuffed the vial back in the cabinet and attempted to shut it.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Altmer Guard nodded and began to release the restraints. He began with the legs and moved up to the arms. As soon as the last restraint was loosened, Natilyn stood and faced the wall, once again being binded up from behind.

<p class="MsoNormal">“How long do you think this one’s gonna last, huh?” The guard smirked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I prefer not to wager on the how long one lives,” Estion rolled his eyes. “Now, please hurry out of here. I have business to attend to.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Sure thing, you old codger,” The guard shook his head, forcing the girl at the door, heading for maximum security.

<p class="MsoNormal">Authors Note: Once again, not feeling too hot on this one. Really short and kind of a bore this time around. Number 3, however, I think is going to see a lot of improvements. Promise!