Scales of the Past

PART ONE

You wouldn't recognize me even if your life depended on it.

Seiverin quietly made his way onto the shores of the island far east of Summerset. An unknown miniature stronghold of Maormer claimed this small piece of land for their own. The lightweight ship creaked its way onto the shore as the anchor deftly sunk beneath the tide. Two Maormer patrols quickly approached the mer as he stepped onto the sand. "Identify yourself!" one of them screeched. Once the cloak fell from around himself, Seiverin's milky scale-covered skin glistened in the sun. His eyes had paled and his nails were more akin to claws. He flashed a sharp-tooth grin. "Viseneir. I come seeking Arvossa, the enchanter." The mer was wearing his usual armor with the only difference was its coloration to resemble the Sea Vipers. Noting his appearance and armor, the guards motioned for him to follow. Before long, he would be in the presence of whom he had sought.

"My, my, my...how long has it been my boy? Twenty-two months?" The enchanter fidgeted about with crystals and vials as he inspected Seiverin. "And thirteen days. I always keep count of how long it takes before these gloves start to go bad." He'd place the gloves onto the table and sit himself down. Arvossa snatched one of the gloves up and inspected it with a scowl. "You certainly do know how to rip through my enchantments like no other. Are you so keen on -always- wearing them?" The Maormer turned and began fiddling with the gloves as he inquired. "It's a part of my armor. You should know I'm at my most comfortable when I'm wearing it. Besides, not like I don't pay you well for fixing them." Arvossa turned slightly to side-eye the mer. "And what payment have you brought me this time?" Seiverin wrinkled his nose and lifted a bag at his side, placing it onto the table.

The enchanter moved to quickly inspect the payment. They uncovered the cloth to find a severed Altmer head, as well as a multitude of crystals and gems with varying degrees of uses. Arvossa nodded. "Acceptable. It will take me a few hours to finely tune these back to their former glory. I suggest you go keep yourself busy...and try to pretend you actually belong." Seiverin stood up and stretched. He would place his hands behind his head as he exited the tent. "Yeah, yeah. I know." The Maormer rolled their eyes and moved to continue their work on the gloves. The mer never got used to visiting here in all of his years. Every sea elf that he saw he wanted to kill. He wanted to make all of them suffer for what he had been put through. The only Maormer that ever treated him with any kind of decency was Arvossa. That was the only one he tolerated.

As the disguised mer wandered about the island, a Maormer approached him with a curious expression. “I have not seen you on this island before. Not many know we gather here. How did you come to find this place?” Seiverin clenched his jaw. “Arvossa is an old friend of mine and aids me with enchantments. I only visit once every few years or so.” He turned to walk away but the sea elf followed along. “We don’t get many visitors. I’d like to travel back home when you leave. Could you take me with you back to Pyandonea?” He stopped in his tracks, hesitating before placing a hand on their shoulder. “You’re safer here than most places. Take it from someone that travels a lot.” His politeness never waivered even in the face of those he hated most. The sea elf slumped and nodded before leaving Seiverin alone once again.

After a few hours, the enchanting would finally be finished and he found himself in front of Arvossa a second time. The Maormer set the gloves in front of him with a grunt. “You really put them through some shit. What have you been up to?” Seiverin began to speak as if he weren’t surrounded by the Altmer’s most ancient enemies. “Oh well I lived in Cormount in Grahtwood for a bit, then moved to Auridon in a place not far from Skywatch. Then I got captured by some old pirate buddies before escaping and now I live in Pellitine.” Arvossa stared a few moments realizing how loudly he had spoken. They shoved the gloves forward as their eyes darted to the door, speaking quietly. “Foolish boy! Did you forget you’re surrounded by us? Anyone else here would slit your throat if they-”

His words were cut short as two Maormer entered the small tent. Seiverin had barely gotten his gloves on before they lunged for him. His words had been loud enough for them passing by to believe he had not told the entire truth of who he was. A flash of lightning erupted from within the tent as the two sea elves fell to the ground. Arvossa darted for the entrance, knowing how loud the sound would’ve been. “We have to get you out of here. That loud of a noise is likely to draw everyone to my tent.” They glanced back at the disguised Altmer with a sigh. “You’re on your own it seems.” An arrow found its way through the enchanter’s chest and they silently fell to the ground.

PART TWO

You are the snakes and yet I’m the one that’s trying to hide.

His breathing had deepened as anxiety and fear began to creep across his body. Not only was Arvossa dead, he refused to ask for help from anyone else. Seiverin refused to endanger anyone else in this situation. The portal stone came to his mind, but he shook it off deciding that it’s not fair to bother her with his careless decisions. Lightning pulsed rapidly as he clenched his fists. The glove’s enchantment had been heightened to a degree he wasn’t used to and the heightened atmosphere wasn’t helping. The Altmer cloaked himself in lightning and darted out of the tent in a streak of white light. The destruction magic violently arced him through the group surrounding the tent. Dust and debris flung upwards as he stumbled across the ground to gain his bearings. Five seconds passed before he cloaked himself in lightning to increase his speed and took off running towards his boat.

While he fled, arrows flew past him and lightning ripped across the air. A large rock formation near the coast gave him a brief respite from the onslaught. Crimson hue darkened his right leg. The adrenaline caused him to not notice the arrow sticking out of his thigh. With a light grunt he broke the wooden shaft but kept a small portion in his leg so that it would not bleed too much. Char marks on his left abdomen also became apparent some lightning scraped past him. Seiverin wiped sweat from his brow and released a deep breath, eyeing his boat in the distance. Another short glance followed to his left as a myriad of footsteps approached. He turned and lightning erupted around his gloves as he prepared for a fight. Three Maormer charged for him with an array of sharp weapons.

The next few moments were a blurred mess to the Altmer. Perhaps the adrenaline mixed with fear caused him to blackout in the sudden attack. Whatever happened during the short battle increased the pain he was feeling. As his eyes darted around the dead Maormer, the numerous wounds he had were now apparent. Slices on his arms from various blades, char marks on his armor from storm calling magic. He found his breath beginning to be shallow, now realizing there wasn’t much time to escape before he would either pass out or die. Seiverin’s vision began to blur as he slumped against the large rock. The boat wouldn’t be much farther and he knew he had to get to the portal stone as quickly as possible. A few grunts followed before he stood up and began wandering to the small dingy to row to his boat.

Not long after he began to slowly row his way to the boat, a few stray arrows lit with flame began to splash the water around him. Seiverin grunted trying to row faster and climb onto the deck of the boat. His hand caught the side and with a pained groan he pulled himself up and flopped onto the wood with heavy breaths. Dark gray clouds began to circle above, warning that he wouldn’t have any brief respite from the onslaught of the Maormer. He made his way up and into the small interior as lightning crashed violently into the mast, shattering it and sending shards of wood flying in all directions. Drops of blood trickled onto the ground with each step he took. Creaks of the ship’s anguish became louder and louder and before long water surged into the underbelly.

Panic gripped his hands as he used them to balance himself along the walls towards the small room at the back of the ship. Light began to break from above as the ship’s deck tore apart from the lightning storm. Eventually the damage ripped the boat in half as it groaned in response to the wood planks splintering apart. Seiverin was flung forward, slamming into the back wall as water poured in after him. The surging water filled the back half of the boat and deafening silence followed as it began to sink to the bottom. The Altmer knew he didn’t have long to find the portal stone as light faded within the dampening husk of the ship. He searched for what seemed like eternity before his air supply began to run out. Seiverin clutched at his throat as bubbles escaped his mouth while his lungs began to burn.

Darkness swallowed the hull as he began to find peace. Peace he had never thought possible as the world faded around him. This was the final moment of his life and all of his glory he had achieved. Nothing mattered anymore and he would soon sleep forever. A small glint of stone caught his eye and without much effort his left hand reached forward and touched it. Magic sparked to life as a portal violently erupted and cast a bright light that pulled him through. The portal would rip through Oblivion and into the center of Dawnspring. A massive pop of sound echoed throughout the canyon town as water splashed onto the ground not far from the clinic door. Seiverin landed in the sand and his seemingly lifeless body would rest peacefully there. Blood began to seep from his wounds and the bright red colors dampened the sand and ground around him.

The wind whipped about violently from the portal dissipating as the pain of his wounds returned and stole his peace. A mix of water and blood escaped his mouth and shallow breaths crept from his lungs. Consciousness would not greet him and so he would rest. Sand, water, and blood would be all the companions he had for the time being.