User blog:SkyrimsShillelagh/Twelve Stars of Taneth: Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Thanks for reading, as always, be wary of errors.

For more background read these pages:

Crimson Archer

Daireg

Whistles

Keshik

Reign of Chaos

Tidon al Din

Shayera al Din

Juliette Tharn

Tales of Taneth
Shayera slid down the hall, bare feet smoothly gliding across the waxed and polished marble floor of the palace. Slamming through the sitting room doors, she twisted her heels and came to a screeching halt just at the edge of the coffee table Conner and Aleera had their legs kicked up on, each deep in a cup of coffee, discussing something probably important. Their father had just set out of the city, in the direction of Corten Mont, and Shayera wanted to make the best of it.

“Day out on the town.” Shayera declared.

Conner cocked his head at her, and Aleera groaned. “Not now, Shayera…”

“Come on!”   The young Keshik leader protested. “It’ll be fun. Now that dad’s back you can bet we’re going to get treated like kids again, so we might as well act the part too.”

“Except I have better things to do than waste time pretending I’m an immature child.”   Aleera said, the spoil sport as always. “Although it’s not pretending for you.”   Aleera added.

Shayera opened her mouth to fire off a response, but Conner spoke first.

“It would be nice to go out.”   He said to Aleera, shrugging. “Besides do you know what day it is?”

Although Aleera likely knew, Shayera answered for her, since it wa the reason she’d wanted to go out, “It’s Koomu Alezer’i! The festival starts in roughly thirty minutes. Downtown is already packed.”

“Come, Aleera.”   Conner said, fully siding with Shayera now. The supreme commander of Taneth’s armed forces liked a good party. “We haven’t done anything relaxing for a while.”

Aleera gave him a look that bespoke of pure betrayal, and glanced between him and Shayera, who was wearing a begging expression. “Oh, fine.”   Their older sister relented, rising to her feet. “I suppose it’d be good to get a feel for the populace anyway.”

“That’s the spirit, Aleera, rationalize it!”   Shayera cheered, pumping a fist.

“Are going as royalty, or are we doing disguises?”   Conner asked, toying with some of the sashes on his uniform as he stood.

“I’m thinking disguises.”   Shayera said. “Only way to make it fun.”

And so the three of them soon stood outside the palace gates, in various states of pedestrian dress.

“I can’t believe I agreed to this.”   Aleera said, tugging at her reddish linen skirt, and Shayera supposed she was missing her silk dress. “How irresponsible of me.”

“You have to learn to live a little.”   Shayera told her, stepping off, with Conner and Aleera falling into step on either side of her. “You’re going to shrivel up and die inside that palace unless you let loose every once and a while.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Aleera glared at Shayera, and the soon headed down the palace street, into the city. The upperstreets were empty but as they got further downtown, it grew more and more packed. They were squeezed and jostled as the crowd absorbed them, and it was all they could do to stay together.

<p class="MsoNormal">Taneth’s squat, tightly packed, sand-blasted buldings hung over them, casting shadows across the wide sunny streets as they were carried through the city.

<p class="MsoNormal">Eventually, they reached the market square, which was filled with thousands of Taneth’s citizens, packed in like sardines. A massive stage had been set up at its center, likely by one of the guilds who stood to profit from the holiday. A trope of minstrels was already setting up on it, and likely there would be many other performers throughout the day. Acrobats would be seen leaping about and from roof tops, cock fights in alley ways, horse races at tracks, bull baiting, archery contests, and a day long tournament amongst the knights of Taneth. There were few knights, especially since the Hall of Virtues destruction, but those that remained were very skilled in the Way of the Sword.

<p class="MsoNormal">A man climbed up onto the stage, waving his arms to the crowd, and resulting in a roar of cheers, although Shayera had no idea who this was.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you, people of Taneth!”   The man shouted, throwing his voice to be heard over the crowd, and the response was another deafening roar of cheers. Koomu Alezer’I also saw vendors of alcoholic drinks setting up stands at street corners, and selling at a discount. Most of the crowd was likely rather intoxicated, and it was only noon.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We’ve got a great show for you today!”   He said. “Senior members from the Bard’s College in Skyrim here to play!”   The crowd roared. “Khajiiti arcobats!”   Screams of excitement. “Two master duelists here to demonstrate their craft for your amusement! Illusionists from the Mages’ Guild! And Baron Shuzi’s zoo of exotic Morrowind creatures, and so much more! All will be seen here, on this stage!”

<p class="MsoNormal">The crowd applauded and thundered over the man’s promises and Shayera turned to tell Conner and Aleera how exciting this was, only to find she was alone amongst a sea of strangers.

<p class="MsoNormal">“That’s not good…”   She muttered.

Aleera’s Night Out
<p class="MsoNormal">Aleera finally pulled herself free from the crowd. She’d been practically pulled away from Shayera and Conner, as if the crowd was a river and its current had dragged her to shore. She was down some side street, where the crowd had thinned out and was dispersed.

<p class="MsoNormal">Teach me for listening to Shayera.   She thought belatedly, dusting herself off as she tried to figure out where in the city she was. Aleera knew Taneth in and out, but it was a big city, and the business of the crowd had caused her to become lost.

<p class="MsoNormal">''Maybe I’m on the westside? Near the docks? ''She frowned as she began to slowly walk down the street. It was filthy. A thick layer of moist film covered the road and sidewalk, soaking into her shoes, and litter was scattered up and down the curb.

<p class="MsoNormal">The street was quiet, all the noise coming from the crowd at the market square behind her, when Aleera heard voices coming from one of the few open pubs on this backstreet. She glided across the filthy street, into the establishment.

<p class="MsoNormal">The interior looked disreputable. The ceiling hung low, it was dimly lit, everything was composed of flimsy wood, and no one inside looked like they’d had a bath recently. Almost all the occupants of the bar were men, except for the barkeep, who was a woman, and she looked meaner than everyone else in there.

<p class="MsoNormal">Aleera’s hands were clasped before her as she flowed to the bar, the picture of grace and decorum, and such posture as well as he state of cleanliness drew eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Excuse me.”   She said as she approached the bar, pushing between two massive cutthroats, wrinkling her noise at the stench of the surrounding patrons.

<p class="MsoNormal">The barkeep looked at her hard, both surprised and suspicious. “You lost?”   The woman’s voice was gravelly, and viciously deep.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Indeed.”   Aleera said. “I was hoping you could tell me which street leads west from here.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The female barkeep smirked at her. “The west one.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The barkeep nodded to the thugs on either side of Aleera, both heavyset Redguard men wearing leathers. “Why don’t you boys show Miss?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Kareena.”   Aleera input smoothly.

<p class="MsoNormal">“’Kareena,’ the way west of her. Back to where she belongs.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The one to her right chuckled lowly. “We’ll show her alright.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah,” the left one said, stepping back from the bar. “This way, miss.”   He gestured towards the door.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you.”   Aleera said, bowing her head, and taking the lead. The thugs glanced at each other behind her back, grinning, as they followed Aleera outside.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s just down here.”   Lefty said, stepping alongside her, and pointing down an alley, which had a dead end.

<p class="MsoNormal">Aleera looked sideways at him, glaring. “Seriously? I’m supposed to fall for that?”

<p class="MsoNormal">The thug frowned at her, confused by question, not yet offended or upset, just unsure how to react to this new response. “Huh?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I said the street west. I sound educated. And you think I’m going to follow two frankly disgusting individuals like you, down there?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Just grab her.”   Lefty said to Righty, who stepped forwards to clasp Aleera’s arm with one big meaty hand.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Lady of Taneth held up a finger to scold him. “Don’t you dare touch me.”   She hissed, getting up in Righty’s face, surprising him so much by her ferocity that he took a step back.

<p class="MsoNormal">“By Ebonarm, Ussef, she’s half your size.”   Lefty muttered, grabbing Aleera’s shoulder, causing the woman to turn on him, her face furious.

<p class="MsoNormal">A thin, razor sharp blade slipped out of the sleeve of her top, into her hand, and she drove it between two of the man’s ribs, on the right side of his body. Righty’s face was comical as he went down, in terrible pain.

<p class="MsoNormal">Ussef overcame his surprise fairly quickly as he tried to restrain her, going for the weapon, but a second knife appeared in Aleera’s other hand, and she drove it into the tendon of Ussef’s right forearm. The man screamed, and tried to go for her other knife, but she then stabbed him in the left tendon with her original blade. Ussef screamed again, and tried to flail his non-functioning arms at him, so Aleera drove one steel-toed shoe into his groin.

<p class="MsoNormal">The thug fell to his knees, whimpering.

<p class="MsoNormal">Aleera pressed the point of one knife into the hollow of his neck, and used the tip of the second to lift his chin to look at her.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Now.”   Aleera began calmly. “Where is the west street?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“What?”   Ussef moaned, the pain in his arms excoriating.

<p class="MsoNormal">“The boulevard that will lead me west through the city. Which direction?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s over there.”   Ussef said, nodding since that was all he could do. “By the gods, lady, we were only going to mug you.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well perhaps you should’ve been more polite about it.”   Aleera grimaced. “I’d make sure you get you and your friend to some healers fairly quickly.”

<p class="MsoNormal">With that, she turned on her heel and headed up the western street, back in the direction of the palace.

<p class="MsoNormal">She didn’t make it far, before encountering more crowds, who blocked the streets. Frowning, Aleera looked up, trying to find a way around these people. Perhaps she could use the rooftops. As she looked up, she saw someone vaguely familiar moving from building to building, in the direction of the market square.

<p class="MsoNormal">Conner?

Conner’s Special Horse
<p class="MsoNormal">Conner was rather disoriented when he realized, as he’d been shoving his way through the crowd, that he’d left Shayera and Aleera behind. He could see over the heads of most of the people, but as he pushed his way back, he failed to find his sisters again.

<p class="MsoNormal">He changed directions, headed to the far side of the crowd, to escape into the open.

<p class="MsoNormal">He was deposited on a noisy, busy sidestreet. Bull baiting went on in a nearby alley, the backs of people baring him from seeing what was going on. He meant to walk by it, but suddenly a bunch of shouts rose from them, and his curiosity got the better.

<p class="MsoNormal">He pushed through the crowd, to the front, his large size causing people to give way to him.

<p class="MsoNormal">He came to a thick wooden barrier, which enclosed a wideopen space at the end of the alley. The pavement on the barrier’s other side was covered in sand. A bull danced on it, back and forth, breathing heavily through its nostrils. It had lowered its horns, and its eyes were wild. The bull was fending off three dogs, which were trying to circle around the animal, but whenever they got close, the bull would buck and thrash, scaring them off. The dogs were massive, vicious beasts, and well-kept and well fed. The bull was scrawny. It was probably three or four years old, past it’s mating days, and thus now to make money as entertainment.

<p class="MsoNormal">The cheers had come when one dog had snuck around the bull, the other two drawing it’s sight, and leapt on the bulls back. It had dug its teeth into the bull’s muscular shoulder, and torn free a chuck of meet. The bull had screamed, and thrown the dog free, but the damage had been done. Blood ran in rivets down the bull’s neck, and it stumbled about, wounded. The animal screamed frequently, in fear and pain, and the dogs licked their chops. The dogs simply waited now, expecting the bull to drop soon, so they could tear it to pieces alive, like they were trained to do.

<p class="MsoNormal">Conner was shocked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“This is bull baiting?”   He asked aloud.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Duh.”   Said one wiry, short, Redguard, who looked like he was up to no good, ever. “What, you never seen it before? What’d you think it was?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t know. I thought it’d be the sport of teasing bulls.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The Redguard gave Conner a funny look. “You from around here?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Conner opened his mouth to inform the man he’d lived his whole life in Taneth, but held his tongue. He hadn’t. He hadn’t lived in real Taneth, he lived in a massive palace, staffed by servants, that happened to be in Taneth. But he hadn’t ever truly come to grips with the city. The city he’d been raised in, and the city he was raising his own children in.

<p class="MsoNormal">Conner shoved the Redguard aside and jumped over the barrier.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What—hey you can’t do that!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Conner charged at the dogs. The creatures turned to him, snarling and gnashing their teeth. The first leapt, going for his throat. Conner threw out a well-timed punch and caught the thing’s maw, sending it flying aside. Boos sounded behind him as they realized he was breaking it up. The second prepared to jump, but Conner kicked it in the chest, sending the dog tumbling away. The third prepared to pounce, and he was too far to do anything about it, but the bull saw it’s chance.

<p class="MsoNormal">It stomped it’s hoof twice, exhaled, lowered its rack, and charged. The dog took several hundred pounds of beef in the side, and was bonelessly tossed through the air. It was rather comical.

<p class="MsoNormal">The bull turned to Conner, still furious. It was crazed at this point, and likely couldn’t be bothered to calm down.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hey, easy, good bull.”   Conner said, holding up his hands and backing up.

<p class="MsoNormal">The boos turned to cheers as the crowd began to cheer on the bull, hoping it’d run down the man who’d spoiled their fun.

<p class="MsoNormal">The bull lowered it’s horn once again, and urged on by the crowd, charged Conner.

<p class="MsoNormal">The general licked his lips and, at the last possible moment, dove to the side. The bull crashed through the wooden barrier that had formed the ring. The crowd screamed as the bull charged straight through them, trampling a few unfortunate men, and others fled. It took it’s stampede right out into the street, turned and a corner, and was then loose in Taneth, out of sight.

<p class="MsoNormal">Conner stood, dusting himself off. A few of those who had been trampled were too injured to stand. Others got right back to their feet. Others hadn’t fled. Those remaining took in the injured, the damage, and their ruined fun. Slowly, they all turned to Conner.

<p class="MsoNormal">He stared back at them, eyes narrowed, daring to try something.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Redguard from earlier stood up, and glared at Conner.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Get’im!”   He shouted, pointing.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Damnit.”   Conner muttered, turning and bravely running away as a gang of angry gamblers chased after him. He dashed through side streets, his long strides keeping him well ahead of them, but knew he had to get away eventually.

<p class="MsoNormal">He was in luck. A series of crates led up to the rooftops. With a running start, he dashed straight at one, jumping up onto it, clambered up to a second from there, and up to a third from that one, before pulling himself up onto the roof tops. The gamblers tried to follow, but Conner crouched down, braced himself between the last crate and the lip of the rooftop, and pressed his feet against the crate, using all the strength his legs could muster.

<p class="MsoNormal">Slowly, the crate tipped, then came clattering down the pile of other crates, forcing the gamblers to dive aside.

<p class="MsoNormal">Conner stood, surveying what he’d done, dusting his hands off against each other. The gamblers, angry they couldn’t beat him up now, shouted up foul words and threw loose bricks or paving stones at him,

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ass hole!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Dick head!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Cockwomble!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Conner nodded to them, and set off across the rooftops, looking for a way down far from this place. As he dragged his eyes across the rooftops, he caught sight of someone on a building not far away, overlooking the market square, with several magelight glowing around them…

<p class="MsoNormal">Shayera?

Shayera Steals the Show
<p class="MsoNormal">Shayera pushed her way through the crowd searching for her older brother and sister.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Whoops!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Sorry!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“My bad!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Cunt!”   Someone shouted at her.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Watch your mouth!”   Shayera angrily replied, whirling around to kick that guy in the groin.

<p class="MsoNormal">Unable to find her siblings, Shayera elected to search the rooftops. Through a series of parkour moves and acrobatics, she made her way above the market square. Standing on an especially high rooftop above the stage, she looked down at the massive crowd filling the square, and searched for Conner’s and Aleera’s faces.

<p class="MsoNormal">So caught up in her search, that she didn’t seem to notice that all the faces in the crowd were turning to look at her.

<p class="MsoNormal">“And now we have, the one and only… Doctor T’yiql and his trope of acrobats from Elyswer!”   The announced on the stage screamed, exciting the crowd, as he dramatically turned and thrust an arm up towards her lookout.

<p class="MsoNormal">A series of magelight was cast at the rooftop she was on, and three more were cast at her, and began to float above her. All this light clearly illuminated Shayera.

<p class="MsoNormal">Judging by how the crowd roared, applauded, and cheered, they were too excited by the day’s festivities or the acrobatics to notice there was only one of her and she wasn’t a Khajiit.

<p class="MsoNormal">The crowd slowly quieted as Shayera did nothing. She didn’t want to get pulled down, that would defeat the purpose of doing this while dad was out, and perhaps now Conner and Aleera had seen her.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hiya, folks.”   Shayera called down to the crowd, cupping her mouth with one hand, and waving with the other. “Want to see something cool?”

<p class="MsoNormal">The crowd went wild, shrieking their endorsement.

<p class="MsoNormal">Shayera leaned forwards, touched her toes, and then pulled back into a cartwheel, which gained momentum, and then used that momentum to pull off several back flips in a row, her toes and fingertips touching the ground to keep movement in a backwards direction. She ended them with one finally tuck, spinning quickly in the air like a ball, before landing in a crouch.

<p class="MsoNormal">The crowd ooed and awed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Not good enough?”   Shayera asked, shrugging.

<p class="MsoNormal">There was some laughter, and mild applause.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Okay, okay.”   She called down. “How about…”   The woman threw herself from the room, arms out, and then tucked into a dive, speeding headfirst for the ground. There were screams and shouts of surprise as Shayera plummeted towards the stage. She twisted at the last moment, landing on her shoulders, and tucking in roll as the muscles up her back absorbed the shock of the fall, landing on her feet.

<p class="MsoNormal">She pointed to a guard in the crowd, a warrior in red bearing a bow and arrow alongside his sword.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Gimme.”   The man looked at her, shrugged, and tossed the bow and quiver up to her. She jumped at the crowd, drawing arrow to bow, and kicked off a few people’s heads. There were cries of surprise, but so deft were her feet that they felt little to nothing as she glided over top of them.

<p class="MsoNormal">Still moving by way of jumping off heads, Shayera fired the arrow into the air behind her, at a steep angle. Taking one last leap, she jumped to a wall. Landing against it feet, she kicked off the wall feet first, flying backwards in an impressive back flip, and landed on the stage.

<p class="MsoNormal">She held the bow out to the side, and arrow came flying out of the sky and embedded itself in the wood of the bow, were it was stuck, quivering.

<p class="MsoNormal">The crowd really went wild now, applauding and exploding with noise.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Shayera!”   Conner called to her, from a nearby rooftop, and she turned to look to him, and waved, a grin splitting her face.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Shayera, Conner!”   Both of them turned to see Aleera down a side street. Shayera waved too.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hey you!”   Shayera turned a third time, still grinning, to face three Khajiit climbing onto the stage. Doctor T’yiql was very large cat who looked like he knew how to use his claws. “You took our act! And what was that? Trying to run us out of the business or something?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Shayera smiled at him nervously. “Sorry?”

<p class="MsoNormal">T’yiql snarled.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Thanks everyone!”   Shayera shouted, dropping the bow and arrow, and leaping into the crowd once again, doing her head-jump thing to flee to safety.

<p class="MsoNormal">“That was amazing.”   Conner said, as she rejoined the two of them at Aleera’s side street. “I saw the whole thing.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes,” Aleera agreed, “if mercenary leader ever fails, you can always join the circus.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Way to show support.”   Shayera teased, punching Aleera in the arm. “Where’d you go?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No where busy. I simply needed to ask for directions. The people I asked were a bit slow.”   Aleera replied.

<p class="MsoNormal">As they walked back to the palace, a bull joined them, walking alongside Conner’s flank. It snorted, and nuzzled his side affectionately.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Uh…”   Shayera pointed at the creature. Aleera’s surprise was less verbal and more visual.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I can explain…”   Conner began.

Sahir’s Hilltop
<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson patted Whistles flank as they came to their last step on their journey down from Corten Mont

<p class="MsoNormal">The hilltop over looked Taneth. It was high, green with grass, and offered a superb view of the surrounding area. The temperature on it was always pleasant, and the wind soothing. It was quiet too. Restful.

<p class="MsoNormal">One monument sat there. An elegant marble monolith, about the height of a man.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">Juliette Tharn

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">A mother first, a wife second, a ruler last, and a Queen as result of all three

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson’s hand slipped from the horse’s reins as he approached the monument, his uniform rippling in the breeze.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hello.”   Crimson murmured, kneeling before it.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I think it’s right stupid, you know, to talk to rock and dirt. You ain’t there no more or anything. Why I bring Whistles and all, so its like I’m talking to him… already said this…”   Juliette had two graves. This one, and an addition to the royal crypt below the palace in Taneth. The latter was ceremonial, her body lay here. Crimson couldn’t bear to stick someone who had been so radiant underground, among his ancient, rotting ancestors.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I think it helps. Me, that is. Don’t help you much. But you’d appreciate it.”

<p class="MsoNormal">He smiled ruefully, to himself now, and then sat down, crossing his legs before him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Came up with a new story today.”   Crimson said, pulling some grass up, and crushing it between his fingers. “About Girth and Weaver. Mostly true. It starts with Girth needed some of his outfit mended, and he goes to Weaver to fix it, since Weaver weaves an’ all. Self-explanatory. Anyway, Weaver comes up with this scheme to get the fabric Girth needs, but it’s complicated, ya see.”

<p class="MsoNormal">And so he sat there, the Crimson Archer, the former king of Taneth, telling a mostly made up story to a grave stone, where only a horse could hear, and the rest of it was lost to the wind. He felt Juliette needed to hear. Because no one else would understand what the story would mean to him, beyond the base aspects of it. Because he was the last member of a dying breed of heroes, sword-singers, whatever you want to call someone like him to does something simply because he believes it needs to be done.

<p class="MsoNormal">There are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity. The Crimson Archer was one of them.

<p class="MsoNormal">END OF PART 5