Maya, the memoirs of a Dunmer amnesiac Options

[Linara]

Just giving this writing thing a try, anybody who reads, tell me what you think!
Nell

Chapter One-Part One
In which a Dunmer girl awakes in a cell, and is very confused.

I awoke with a splitting headache. I was cold, lying on a hard bench, in a dank room. I did not stir, experience told me it was wiser to stay still. I lay, shivering now and then, for a while. Minutes passed, then a question floated by in my head. Who was I? I pondered this lazily, and then shock hit me. I had no idea. The questions now came hard and fast: What was I? Where was I? Was this a prison? Am I a criminal?

I shifted my head the slightest bit, and looked at my arm lying on the bench. It was a dark blue, pale as the skin went higher. My hand was small and limp, and an iron shackle encircled my wrist. I felt a bolt of fear, of vulnerability. I was defenseless, and alone. I was unnamed.

For hours I kept my eyes shut, not moving, numb to all but my headache and the pressing loneliness. Several times I drifted off into oblivion, only to hear some phantom noise and start awake. Finally I felt enough was enough. I sat up, wincing as the world spun around me, and waited until the dizziness and pain in my head quieted to a dull growl.

As I peered around my cell- for what else could it be? - I heard a crooning voice.

“I must surely be dead, and in the halls of Azura to look upon such a vision. You are so beautiful, my dear Dunmer maiden...”

I craned my head, trying to make out the voices carrier. The speaker seemed to be like me, a- what had the person said? A Dunmer…- with skin much darker and greyer then mine. The figure was unmistakably male.

The Dunmer continued speaking, and I shuddered as I heard his words.

“ One of the guards owes me a favor, you know. I could get us put in the same cell. Would you like that? You should have some fun before the end. “

What end was he speaking of? Would the authorities of this place kill me for a crime that I could not remember committing?

The Dunmer’s voice grew louder and shriller, echoing in my aching head.

“Yeah, you heard me. No matter what the law says. No matter what they told you. You're going to die in here! You're going to die!”

I shivered again, and pressed myself against the wall, trying to get out of the madman’s sight. I realized that no guard lingered below to keep the prisoners in their cells, that if this Dunmer wished to do so, he could croon these foul things at me all night. My horrible predicament just became worse.

In that moment, I heard a clang of metal, and creaking. Was someone coming? Torchlight flickered against the walls and shadows rose up. Shadows of men.

The Dunmer across from me cackled, muttering something about how I would die now. As the people came into view, four of them, one thrust his elbow into the Dunmer’s cell and hit him squarely in the face.

“Shut up Dreth,” he muttered. “This will be hard enough without your insanity.”

I moved in front of the door, hoping to plead my case, and perhaps they would let me go. Instead, all four stopped the door of my cell, and one man took out keys. I realized that one of the people was a woman, in armor and with a helm on her head when she shouted; “What is this prisoner doing here? This cell was supposed to be off limits!”

One of the men, also in armor, stammered, trying to explain to the woman; “the usual mix-up at the Watch, I-I-I,”

The woman sighed, and said wearily “Excuses Glenroy, more excuses”
She looked like she wanted to say more, but thought better of it.

“Prisoner, stand over by the window!” the guard who it seemed was named Glenroy barked.

The guards didn’t seem to notice that I was barely capable of standing, let alone attack them, but I backed away, and fell on the cold stone bench with a thump.

The man who had elbowed Dreth gave me a strange look, one made of pity and curiosity, but it only lasted for a moment, then he looked away. The woman unlocked the cell door, and stepped forward. It was then that I noticed the fourth person, an old man, wearing a fine robe and a strange red jewel around his neck.

As the guards moved towards the right wall of the cell, the old man peered at me, head cocked at an angle as if he couldn’t see very well.

“You…” he breathed, “I’ve seen you, in my dreams.”

I looked at him in simple surprise, then asked in a small voice, “Do you know who I am?”

[Linara]

Destri:It's very good to be back! The unnamed Dunmer girl (U.D.G.) is indeed toughening up. But is it only a temporary improvement?...

Acadian:Well there has to be some humor, writing these later chapters its a huge slaughterhouse, and tongue in cheek is what I do best! I think... Baurus and his kind are exactly the kind of person an amnesiac needs, strong, loyal and caring.

Haute ecole rider: That's seems to be what the U.D.G. is thinking! Yes, I too am stuck on a console, but I never skip the dungeon. It's an integral part of learning the character, and becoming comfortable with them. So far this is a character only on paper, but maybe one day...

SubRosa:Thank you Rosa. Probably plenty of nits this chapter I'm sure, but I think it needed to be rougher than usual.

mALX:Thanks mALX.

Wolf:Thank you Wolf. I've been trying to make this interesting, as far as I know how, and so far it's doing alright, I think. The tutorial didn't hold much interest to me until I started writing this, and now I'm a little curious to see how it actually plays out.

Treydog: U.D.G. I love it! As you can see it's beginning to stick, to me anyway. Thanks treydog!

All: And now part one of the latest chapter. Most of you know what will happen, but I've done my best to make it from the unnamed Dunmer girl's point of view. Enjoy, and no spoilers!

Chapter Five-Part One
In which a girl is numbed

The tunnel was quiet as we waited for Baurus to speak. After several moments he took in a deep breath, then began to talk.

“When I was attacked by the first assassins, I wasn’t completely ready. I was thinking about other things, and they just jumped me. I managed to get one down, but the other was fighting pretty well, for a crazy man, and he had the advantage. It was while we were fighting that their armor started to fall apart. It literally fell apart, in pieces, and disappeared. Then their weapons started to deteriorate as well, and this bright light shot through the tunnel we were fighting in. I covered my eyes, and when I opened them, both of the assassins were gone. Just gone…” his voice started to wobble, and the Emperor put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“The Nine are watching over you, Baurus.” He turned and looked at me with a glint of curiosity.

“I wonder though…” His thought trailed off unfinished, and we set off towards the end of the tunnels, or so I hoped. I promised my exhausted feet that if I got out of this alive I wouldn’t walk for at least a week.

“Any idea how much longer?” Glenroy grumbled, looking at me with suspicious eyes every so often.

The Emperor’s velvet clad shoulders shrugged, and we kept walking. As the tunnels began to square, and the floor grew smoother, we all grew tenser. Glenroy glanced back several times, pupils dilated, and I was tempted to sneer. Old habits told me not to, and I looked down at the floor, worn and cracked stone with moss growing in between. It felt much better on my feet, and I paused for a moment to enjoy the softness.

When I looked back up, the situation had changed with remarkable speed. I could see several red-robed assassins running at us, and I heard Baurus’s shouts as he positioned himself between the Emperor and the assassins.

I ran up, sword out and ready, already seeing nothing but the attackers, focused on only my own survival. Somewhere inside, I felt selfish, but it was too late to think about such things. The four of us fought, swords flashing in the dim light.

The assassins kept coming, although the wall Baurus, Glenroy, and I made kept many of them out, and away from the Emperor. But there came a time when the three of us were tired, even more tired then before, and the Emperor joined our line, short-sword glistening with blood.

It was after bodies covered the floor in front of us, and blood ran everywhere, that Glenroy fell. We were slaughtering more of the innumerable assassins when I heard a cry of pain, and a hoarse shout. There was only time to glance over and acknowledge the death, a point scored on the assassin’s side. Then the fighting continued.

This post has been edited by Linara: Nov 17 2010, 06:18 PM