mALX~ Lol! poor Wrothken! Maybe she's into "deformed" ones.... In fact I'd be willing to bet that she has seen many like it
![wink.gif](style_emoticons/sinders/wink.gif)
SubRosa~ I think it will take Wrothken some time to adjust...though there is something I have in store for him upon his return that will be sure to distract him!
Foxy~ Well, if he's that good, then he certainly can't be all that boring
Grits~ Ah, Awour does tend to have that effect on people
~~~~~♥~~~~~
Chapter Twelve: Green Lines
"Mania? Or Dementia?" Wrothken wondered, looking to either side. He watched the arrogant Golden Saints walk around with their chests puffed out and their noses stuck up so high, if it rained, they'd all drown. He didn't want to be anywhere near them, honestly.
On the other side, he saw the Mazken sashay around their half of the Palace district. They were the epitome of strength, confidence, and authority. Wrothken couldn't help feeling a slight attraction to them.
After thinking about it on the way to pick up his armor from Cutter, he still couldn't figure it out. It wasn't a life or death decision, but as he wasn't sure what to expect, he was nervous. After all, the last job had been nothing he had been prepared for. He sat down once he was back in the Palace district for another fifteen minutes before deciding to summon Haskill.
"I see you couldn't be bothered to walk the extra twenty feet to the palace," he said with a sigh. "What is it you require?"
Wrothken didn't bother repressing a smile. "I just wanted to ask you who I should visit first."
With an exaggerated eye roll, Haskill replied, "Thadon is aware you are here, and should be waiting for you. See him at once. Would you like me to accompany you? Hold your hand, maybe?"
Wrothken clenched his fists. He should have known that there would be a smart comment along with it. He tried to avoid making it obvious that Haskill got to him, as the chamberlain vanished. When there was no longer a trace of him, Wrothken headed to the House of Mania.
The House of Mania was the picture of decadence. As Wrothken entered the smoke-filled place, he saw a banquet table filled to its edges with roasts, pastries, fruit, bottles of wine, eggs, and anything else Wrothken could ever imagine eating. As people stuffed their faces while smoking pipes and what appeared to be rolled pieces of parchment. Nude women poured wine for the people at the tables and some sat amongst themselves feeding each other sugar cubes and looking around the room as if they were seeing the most wonderful things in the world. The Golden Saints stood at the door, their expressions neutral, as if this happened all the time.
Wrothken was so busy staring at the women that he nearly bumped into a fully clothed Argonian woman. She was dressed in simpler clothes than the others, a gold gown with embellishments around the collar and a blue skirt with amber trim. Small horns wrapped around her head with ribbons hanging from the backs. Her pupils were so dilated that it appeared her eyes were black with a thin orange ring around them. "How can I help you..." She squinted at him. "Sir? Miss?" She shook her head. "You all look alike to me. It's so hard to tell." She waved her hand. "I am Wide-Eye, Steward to His Grace, the greatest Duke of Mania in all of history, Thadon. He is my reason for being. My purpose in life. Are you here to see him?"
He nodded, his eyes drifting toward the other women.
She nodded as well. "I heard that you were coming, looking for Thadon. Yes, yes. Heard it all. Bored to tears by it. He's waiting for you. Unless he isn't. He wasn't, but then he was. Maybe he still is."
She motioned him to the end of the table, where a Bosmer in a large throne was sitting, surprisingly without any female company. Out of all the guests, he was like a proud peacock in his turquoise and gold finery and crown. When Wrothken approached, he stood up, smiling widely. Wrothken couldn't help noticing a dusting of green powder on his nose and several lines of it on a small tray by his full plate.
"Ahh yes, there you are!” He said lazily to Wrothken. “You couldn't imagine how long I've been waiting for you. So little to do, and so much time. Hmm, could you, in fact, imagine just how long I've been waiting? I don't think you could, but I might be wrong. I might also not care. Which is it?"
Wrothken tilted his head. "Not very long?"
"Hmm... It felt like rather a long time, but then long times get longer when you're standing around thinking about them. A curious thing, that. Long roads get longer too, if you're thinking about them, but what about long words? They don't change nearly as much." He shrugged. "Long, short -- it all ends up the same. Dust and tears. Usually tears first, then the dust. Dust can't cry, you see. That would be... well, amusing." He chuckled, then abruptly stopped. "You know what's not amusing? I don't have my Chalice of Reversal. It makes me sad," he said, dragging his finger from his eye to his chin. "When I get sad, I don't care to do much of anything. I certainly don't care to help people who show up on my doorstep wanting something. Are we getting the picture here?"
Wrothken sighed. He got the picture alright. "Do you know where your Chalice of Reversal is?"
"Oh, so you've heard of it?"
"No."
"You haven't heard of it, yet you know its name? What a strange creature you are." Wrothken didn't bother pointing out that Thadon gave him the name. Somehow, he knew it wouldn't do any good.
"One of my favorite toys," Thadon said. "Does wonders for creativity. Well, not by itself, but it helps. Those Elytra, clever little bugs that they are. Is this making sense?”
Wrothken shook his head. Not very much made sense lately, but this was even worse.
“Look, you eat the Felldew, then use the Chalice, and find the world a much brighter and happier place. Honest. But I don't have it. So I can't eat Felldew, because that would just be bad. I mean, really bad. Damn her!" He snarled, glancing to his left.
Wrothken looked over as well, but he didn't suspect either of the women, who were feeding a roasted leg to a large man, had anything to do with the lost Chalice.
"Do you know who took it?"
Thadon looked back at him with a sly smile. "Opposites repel, strangely enough. All that... pleasure... and pain locked away now, as if it never happened," he said bitterly. "Unfortunately, the Chalice is locked away as well. I have no wish to retrieve it myself, but fetching it might do you some good." He groaned. "My head is positively throbbing now... can you see it? I need to lie down. Find someone to tell you the rest of the story. Get the Chalice." He stood up and wobbled to a door in the back.
Wrothken's head was starting to throb as well. He took an empty seat to try to sort out what Thadon had told him. Thadon's Chalice of Reversal was missing. The Chalice helped him eat something called felldew. A woman took it, after a love affair, which is now being treated as if it didn't happen... Sympathy ran through him for a moment, but that still didn't tell him where the Chalice was hidden.
Wide-Eye returned, taking the seat next to him. "You've been speaking to Thadon. I can tell. He has a certain... effect on people. Did he mention me, perhaps?" She asked hopefully. When Wrothken gave her a confused look, she asked disappointedly, "Or was there something else you wanted to discuss?"
"He wants me to get his Chalice of Reversal."
"It's precious to him, and that's all that matters. It's his own business. But, didn't he mention where it is?” Wide-Eye paused for a moment. “Oh... I see. How brilliant of him." She seemed to be swooning every time she praised him. "This is for you as much as it is for him. Oh, very good Thadon! Dunroot Burrow is your goal, my friend. And what a goal it is."
"Dunroot Burrow..." He said, taking out his map. "Where is this place?"
She pointed. "Yes, right there. A most unique place. Of course, the Chalice would be there!" She cupped his face in her scaly hands. "Don't you see? It's the Elytra! They're the reason. The Chalice, Felldew, Elytra... it's all connected." She poked his nose. "One without the others is no good, poison. Oh, a rough road awaits you. Some Elytra there are... different. You'll need to get Felldew from them, and eat it. Can't get in without it. But once you do... He wants you to learn for yourself. Learn, grow, experience. It's his way. I shouldn't say more."
Wrothken looked around the table. "What's felldew?"
She tapped her lip, lowering her eyes. "Well, perhaps Thadon would want you to have a bit more guidance. He did say that you should talk to me, did he not?" She stroked his cheek softly. "Felldew is a poison, little one. A very dangerous drug. You'll feel good at first, but that wears off, and if you go long without it, you'll suffer."
Wrothken felt a numbing throughout his body. A drug? Thadon was trying to get him addicted to drugs? Without a word, he got up and dashed outside.
He paced by the stairs, trying to think of another way. He didn't want to risk it. He just couldn't. After all, he was able to keep a hold of his sanity so far. Why would he risk losing it to addiction?
This post has been edited by Jacki Dice: Dec 23 2019, 07:39 AM