Swamp Hider's Tale, A story of a demented Argonian Options

[Wrothken Bear-Scar]

Hi all this is my first post of a fanfic so comments would be appreciated>Hope you enjoy this enthralling tale.

From The Swamps To The City

In the depths of the Imperial Prison where rats and spiders make their home, three prisoners sat in their dreary cells waiting for their fate. A dark elf with white hair wearing dirty sack clothed attire looked at another dark elf across the way with dark hair saying, "You're going to die here."

A simple Argonian with red and black scales and horns of white, cell mate to the dark elf got up and bashed his head against the bars. He said, "Leave the poor guy alone were in the same slump as he is." His clothes were sack cloth pants with his tail wrapped around his legs as he sat back on the murky floor.

As the dark elf started fussing, they heard guards entering the prison cell across the hall. The Argonian hastily jumped up and went to the bars begging to be released with him. But the Argonian noticed that the latch to his cell was loose. The Argonian picked the latch with his claw. As the door opened, the foul mouthed dark elf ran toward it. Quickly, he slammed the door shut knocking the dark elf to the ground.

"Swamp-Hider, you fetcher you'll pay or my name isn't Valen Dreth!" The dark elf warned.

Swamp-Hider did not pay attention but only ran in the direction were the prisoner and the guards left. As he traveled through the hallowed halls he noticed people dead wearing red robes and two guards lying dead. He saw a sword laying on the floor. He grabbed it and ran towards the next corridor.

Swamp-Hider then saw a guard standing over a body. He thought to himself, Great and I thought I could leave. Then he thought of a plan. He took out his sword and threw it in the dark so it would clang onto the floor. The Redguard ran towards the noise. As the guard ran past him, he snuck by seeing the body of another dead man. He did not know or care whose body that was. Only his freedom mattered.

He made his way through the sewers seeing dead rats and goblins. He wondered who had killed them all but didn't worry too much about it. As he breathed in the fresh air he hopped in the water as if going back home. As he floated in the water, he looked up and heard sea gulls caw. Swamp-Hider smiled and swam to shore. When he emerged through the water he saw two more dead bodies. He walked up to both of them seeing that they were bandits. He took a full furred armor and a long sword as well for protection.

He saw a small tent next to some of the bodies and decided to rest there for the night. As laid down, he wondered what his parents were up to and what was going on in Argonian but he fell asleep before he could think too much. As he started to drift, he felt a chill. He rose up out of his bed and took the sword to the being before him.

"I see you haven't lost your touch, Shadow Scale," an Imperial in a black hood and robe declared.

"It's about time." Swamp-Hider replied as if knowing the phantom-like Imperial.

"Watch your tounge, Shadow Scale," the Imperial retorted.

"I was in Black Marsh waiting for the Dark Brotherhood to train me but I was sent to be a slave in Morrowind and I was nothing! As soon as I made it to the Imperial City, I was arrested!" He barked.

The Imperial bowed. "I apologize but now your family has to come to retrieve you and make up for your troubles. I am Lucien Lachance, Listener of the Black Hand. Now if you'll come to Cheydinhal, we can begin your training. What is your name Shadow Scale?"

"My name is Swamp-Hider."

Lucien explained, "You will do one thing before we go to Cheydinhal. You will murder a certain annoyance to us."

Swamp Hider agreed. "I will. Who is the prey?"

"A man name Pilper Carbo he has almost infiltrated our head quarters in many cities. He wants to rid us like rats in a hole. But Swamp-Hider you will send him into the void with Sithis. You will find this man in a small hut near a bridge across from the Imperial City."

Swamp Hider then told Lucien "Very well. I will go kill the fool, but be prepared for when I come."



The next morning Swamp-Hider stood up and headed for the hut. As he traveled through the water he thought of his life in Black Marsh as a child. He was frail waiting for the Dark Brotherhood. Swamp-Hider shook his horrid thoughts and moved on.

He came across a small community and asked the people of a hut. They pointed him in the direction of the old bridge he did not thank the villagers but went to the bridge. As he came across the hut he smiled, finally doing what he wanted all of his life. He knocked on the door and as soon as the Imperial appeared in the doorway, he rammed his blade deep in his throat. As the body fell to the floor he noticed he had been wearing Imperial Legion armor. He searched the body and found eighty gold and a map with the word "shrines" on it. He took the gold and map and noticed Lucien and jumped back alarmed.

Lucien looked at the body and smiled. "Good, good, you will make a fine assassin. Go to Cheydinhal and meet with your brothers and sisters."

Swamp Hider smiled finally meeting his true family after all this time. He ran as fast as his legs could carry to Cheydinhal. When he arrived into the city a drunk dark elf passed him. After all that time of being locked up with one, he tripped the drunk. Swamp-Hider walked away giggling a little and saw an abandoned house.

As Swamp Hider entered the house he noticed the darkness and laughed loudly he then ran into the cellar and saw a bright red door with the night mother enscribe. The door asked him, "What is the color of night?"

Swamp-Hider replied as if practiced. "Sanguine, my brother."

As Swamp-Hider entered the door it spoke, "Welcome, family member."

Swamp-Hider peered at his surrounding and laughed maliciously as if he was returning to his own dark kingdom and he received several strange looks from the other occupants.

This post has been edited by Wrothken Champion Of Madness: Jan 15 2011, 02:40 AM

[Wrothken Bear-Scar]

Alright folks next chapter oh and sometime I will post what this weapon looks like.Enjoy my reading fanatics ^^

The Chosen Blade And The Path To Sweet Revenge

As Swamp-hider shook the voice from his head, Vicente returned as if panicked. "Brother, you have a personal contract. I do not know from who, but it must be done. You will go to an Ayleid ruin off the coast of Anvil. Neither I or your family members know what to expect, but spill some blood for me brother."

Swamp-Hider dropped the cutlass's in a chest and left the sanctuary. "Who could possibly send me a personal contract?" He wondered.

As he walked around Cheydinhal, he saw the Hul with a Khajiit. Neither paid Swamp-Hider any attention.

He sighed and looked upward to the sky, saying "Why do you hate me?"

Eventually he shook it off and made his way to Anvil. As he walked the roads the voice returned saying, "My child, come to me. Say your prayers, for your destiny is falling into your hands."

Swamp-Hider stopped in the middle of the road and held his horns, pulling them as if he could rip the voice from his mind. It silenced. Swamp-Hider fell to the floor tired and worn from his minor episode. He continued on his way to Anvil, looking behind him the entire way. When he arrived, he twitched and looked around nervously like a skooma addict with a bad reaction. Swamp-Hider made his way to the water front thinking that the smell of salt water will clear his head. Entering the Flowing Bowl he came to a Bosmer with a small bun a top his head.

"Please, I need a room," Swamp-Hider begged.

"Uh, of course. Here's the key. Its on the house," The Bosmer offered, pitying the horrified Argonian.

Swamp-Hider retreated up stairs and entered his room, slamming the door and locking it. He laid in the bed breathing as hard as a fighter in the arena. Swamp-Hider closed his eyes and breathed slowly and calmly. Before one other thought could pass his mind he fell asleep. Deep in his slumber he did not think, not even dream.

The next morning the sun shined brightly in the sky and gulls cawed as if singing for Swamp-Hider to arise. Swamp-Hider woke feeling more confident and more sure of himself than the other night. He rushed his armor upon his body and his weapon at his side. He ran out of the Flowing Bowl, dropping the key in front of the Bosmer and ran towards the water. Swimming fast as a slaughterfish, he climbed from the water to shore and saw a large ruin. He looked at his map and knew it was his mark. When Swamp-Hider stepped to the ruin he felt a sense of coming home as he did when he escaped the prison. He entered the ruin and was blinded by darkness but remembering he was born under the Shadow he used his night eye ability.

The room was shown blue through his eyes. He looked and saw many statues standing like guards of this ruin. He walked down the path of stairs and came to a large statue with Daedric lettering. He looked at the letters closely and like reading his own language repeated "The wall holds the weapon of a daedra not of this plain. The one who wishes to use it must make a sacrifice.."

The rest was obscured by the passage of time. He looked for any other doors or through ways but none were to be found.

Like Lachance, a figure appeared behind him silent as a ghost. Swamp-Hider drew his blade. It was a simple Dark Elf woman. She told Swamp-Hider, "You are the one she has told me about. The one of the four. You came for it! What joy!"

"What do you mean?" Swamp-Hider asked.

The Dark Elf replied madly saying, "Please, slay me! Take me down as she would!"

Swamp-Hider knew his target was this maddened women. He would strike at her with his sword but she blocked like a master. She slashed back and cut deep into him. He hopped back touching the warm blood that flowed from his body. He became angered and dashed forward and thrust his blade out. The Dark elf dropped her blade and let the cold steel ram through her. She said with her last breath, "Thank you son of...."

As she fell to the floor, the wall of deadric lettering crumbled and showed a sword. Its design was unearthly. Its blade was long and ridged, below the blade the guard showed a long clawed finger touching the blade from the side and its handle was like woven steel.

Swamp-Hider was walking towards the weapon as if it was yelling for his touch. As he stepped towards the sword it spoke to him. "You were born for this reason. Take it up and follow the blood drenched path." S

Swamp-Hider held the blade up but the blade pulled him to the dark elf and like a vampire consumed the dark elf's blood. The sword then spoke to him for one last time, "Feed me often, child, or you will be as mad as Sheogorath himself."

In a flash, the ruin disappeared and he was standing over a the dark elfs body. She no longer appeared to be a fighter, only a beggar. Swamp-Hider retreated knowing the guards were to come at any moment. As he traveled back to Cheydinhal, he looked at the blade and just pondered more and more .Was he a Daedra or was he a champion of a Daedra. He could not know.

As he walked into Cheydinhal, he stumbled through the abandoned house door and fell into the sanctuary passing out on the floor. Hours later he awoke in the barracks of the sanctuary, where he was met with his family and the Khajiit. They were worried and happy that he was alive. Swamp-Hider felt accepted for once in his life.

Vicente then told all the members, "Leave. Swamp-Hider and I must speak."

Each member left either worried or curious of what this discussion would be.

"It seems you completed the contract. Here's your gold." Vicente handed Swamp-Hider a large sack of gold.

Holding the sack to his ear he shook it and said "One-thousand? Why brother?"

"That's what the contract was worth," Vicente replied.

"Why for a mad women though?" Swamp-Hider wondered.

"I have another contract available, one that requires an expert in infiltration. As always, you fail to disappoint me. Your target is a Dark Elf named Valen Dreth. He thinks he's safe in prison. He is tragically mistaken. A prisoner recently escaped from the prison, using a set of secret tunnels connecting to the Imperial City's sewer system. It's a perfect way inside. Just outside of the Imperial Prison is a grating that leads to the sewers. It has recently been tightly locked, but I will provide a key. It should be easy enough to locate Dreth in his small cell. Besides, I think you know the way, hmmm?" He chuckled a little. "Valen Dreth has been imprisoned for many years. His tongue is sharp, but his body is limp and frail. He will prove an easy, pleasurable kill. You will receive a bonus if you fulfill the contract without killing any of the prison guards. Now go, and may the Night Mother go with you."

Swamp-Hider looked at Vicente with a small giggle that grew into a loud demented laugh of joy. Both Swamp-Hider and Vicente laughed evilly with all the family members looking behind a corner still confused and some what afraid which was surprising for killers of their caliber.

Swamp-Hider walked away as he passed the confused family members he said to himself "Oh thank Sithis my day is getting better as time passes!"

Though he spoke joyfully he still thought about his previous contract still bombarded with questions and confusion of why the sword chose him.