A Short Story By Kiln The Wanderer, First Fan Fiction...be gentle... Options

[Kell-Reevor]

Very good for a first fic, you have a knack for describing surroundings.

[Kiln]

Hunger had descended upon him incredibly quickly and he was in search of something to eat. He looked for an inn. After asking around about where to find such a place, and being laughed at, he realized that such a small town would not have an inn. So he asked if there was any place in this town where he could get food and the only reply he got was to go to the tradehouse.

After a few minutes of searching he found the tradehouse. It would've been harder to find in a large city but Seyda Neen was very small and the only shop was glorified and marked well by a sign so everyone would know that it was the only service in town.

So Kiln walked in and greeted the shopkeeper, and asked him what he had to eat there. The owner joked, saying they had the best store in town and Kiln had to agree. The owner walked upstairs and came down with a few pieces of scrib jerky. The tender flesh from the small creatures tasted wonderful so Kiln bought more. He was also served an ash yam but it wasn't to his tastes, he ate it but it wasn't very good.

Kiln asked about beds but there were none for rent so Kiln walked out of the building looking carefully for some place to stay. He saw a large group of small makeshift shacks made from wood near the coast and moved for a closer look. One shack stood out from the rest, it looked unmaintained and deserted. On the side of the door was a marking, it said "Foryn Gilnith". He knocked on the door a few times but there was no answer so he entered.

The inside of the house looked like there had been a huge struggle. The lantern was burnt out and had been knocked over on the ground. It was the same with the table and a barrel near the door. This place had been robbed or someone had been in a fight here at the very least but as there were no valuables, he figured someone had robbed it.

He sat down in the hammock against the back wall. It felt strange sleeping where someone might have been killed but a lot less strange than sleeping in the tomb. He would never do that again. But as he laid there he wondered what had happened there but alas, he managed to drift into a deep peaceful sleep.
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Sorry about not having a journal entry this time but it would throw off the plot.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Jul 13 2005, 07:07 AM

[Soulseeker3.0]

good job Kiln

I will trust your judgement, Taking that that is the only thing to do at the moment

[Kiln]

I just realized that I failed to mention what race Kiln was and describe him in the beginning. Kiln is a young Dark Elf adventurer with his hair pulled back and spiked, with blue ritualistic facepaint if that helps any with the visualization. I will add it into the beginning parts when I have time.
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Kiln rose from the hammock and walked through the door outside. He looked around, sunrise was somehow different here, it was peaceful and calming. There was a rather large tree near one of the houses in town and he sat down beside it to read for a while. He settled in and opened the little red journal to where he had left off and started reading.

"I was terribly bored today so I went walking on the shoreline near the Seyda Neen. I had walked only a short distance when I found the body of a man that I presumed was the tax collector that I heard had been missing for some time now. I took the gold and the tax report off his body to keep for myself but strangely I wanted to do the right thing so I ran back to town and told the man that runs the Census office."

Kiln thought for a moment about how he would've done things. He would've kept the gold and not tell anyone about finding his body. But that was how he was, he didn't care about Imperial business. His only concerns were about Morrowind, not the Empire.

" After hearing my story of finding the body he asked me for the gold but didn't care to see the tax report for some reason. He also asked me to look around and see if I can find out anything about the murder. I agreed to snoop around a bit to try and find out more about what might have happened to the man. But for now I'm off to eat and find a place to sleep."

Kiln knew how he'd felt. He had done the same thing the night before. Which struck him as odd. Why had he slept in an old shack rather than just go back to Balmora? He couldn't think of any good explanations for why he had stayed as long as he had. He wondered if Tiren had found out what had become of the tax collector as he stood, still undecided of what he would do next.

[Soulseeker3.0]

good job, please keep updating

[minque]

Very good story here, interesting approach really..and easy to read as well...so you have a talent for this.....

ehhm.....more please?

[Kiln]

I'm preoccupied at the moment with a few more important things.(Not that this isn't important to me but it's rather a lack of time. But expect an update within a day or two.

[Soulseeker3.0]

ok, thats fine

This post has been edited by Soulseeker3.0: Jul 14 2005, 03:23 AM

[Kiln]

I have had more time than I had anticipated because things didn't go as I had hoped today. So I have returned to writing my story.(Sorry for any spelling mistakes as I am very tired.)
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He thought for a moment and finally decided to look into what had happened to the tax collector. He asked around but it was clear that none of the citizens remembered him so he went to someone who would. And that someone was Socucious Ergalla, the young man at the Census office from the journal.

Kiln wasn't sure when exactly the journal was written and he wasn't even sure if the Census agent was still alive. So he entered the administration building and passed through what looked like a small dining room and down the hallway to his left he found the main office. Upon his arrival he saw the man who had been young but it had been some time now. The journal was obviously written years before present time.

Socucious was sitting in a chair beside the desk adding up the taxes. Kiln approached him and introduced himself. After a while of talk Kiln gradually eased in asking about the tax collector years ago. The old man stared off in bewilderment, it was quite clear that he had no memory of what had happened. Apparently age had taken it's toll on him.

Kiln asked him again what had happened to the tax collector hoping that he would remember and explained that he was wondering how the case was resolved. But alas, the old tax collector had little idea who Tiren had been so Kiln assumed that the investigation of the tax collector's murder had never come to it's completion. But he had yet to read the next few pages in the journal he was carrying...
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THE END.

[Soulseeker3.0]

nice and the end!?!? what, you just started

[Kiln]

Kiln walked to the Silt Strider port but along the way he also noticed a small cave nearby so he went to investigate. Upon entering he realized that the cave had no residents, it was completely empty.

He struck a flame and lit a torch that was lying on the ground. The light illuminated the room, revealing an old fireplace and a boat lying on the ground in the first room. There were also bones littering the cave floor. Kiln thought very little of this and continued on to the next area.

This room was much larger than the previous and had two seperate passages, one leading up into the top of the cave, and one leading deeper. First he went left, up to an old wooden door which he slowly pushed open. The torch revealed several metal objects lying on the ground, Kiln approached them unsure of what they were.

After examining the objects it was clear that they were slave bracers. He wondered why there were no bodies of the slaves, had someone let them free? He left the room and went down the stairway into the bottom levels of the cavern. Two more skeletons lined the floor of the cave. Apparently someone had in fact freed the slaves and killed their owners.

Kiln found a bedroll covered in dust and wiped it off, sitting down for a break. He looked found a lantern that hadn't been lit and used the flame from his torch to light it so that he could see what he was doing. He opened the journal and read the entry.

"After asking around I found that the tax collector had previously been arguing with Foryn Gilnith. I will confront him about it today."

Kiln stopped and thought for a moment about the carvings on the door of the old shack, they had read Foryn Gilnith.

"I confronted Foryn Gilnith and he openly admits killing the tax collector. He claimed that the tax collector was overcharging them on their taxes and keeping the difference for himself. I found this hard to believe and told him that I was going to report him to the guards. He then attacked me. I couldn't wrestle my blade from it's pouch and both of us fought by hand in the dirt floor of the shack."

Kiln was finally beginning to realize just what had happened inside the small shack. Starving for more, he read on.

"He was strong and managed to take me down to the floor, beating me senseless. But sometime during the conflict I rolled over on top of him and got a hold of his throat. He was unforgiving and would've killed me if I hadn't got a hold of my blade. After drawing my blade he backed off and I gave him one more chance to come willingly. He refused and charged me, the fight had come to a halt."

Tiren had killed Foryn Gilnith in his home. The journal had revealed exactly what happened there. Foryn obviously had believed in what he was doing if he charged Tiren while he had a sword out.

Kiln would read more of the journal when he had time but first he would return to Balmora and sleep at his favorite inn. He couldn't bare to sleep in the shack with newfound knowledge of what had happened there.

[Soulseeker3.0]

creepy. keep up the good work.

[Kiln]

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Kiln arrived at the Silt Strider port in Balmora, and continued onward to Eight Plates. Once he had arrived there he rented the room and took off his armor and heavy belongings, lying them in the floor. He then walked back upstairs and ordered three huge mugs of Mazte. The taste was horrible but the effect was as desired.

He wanted to forget about all the strange coincidences had occurred. Why had he slept in the shack in which Tiren had killed Gilnith? What had happened in the bandit cave? He had no clue why he was subconsciously visiting all the places Tiren had been. The only thing he knew was he was about to get drunk, very drunk.

After downing the mugs he continued to drink. He talked with the bar's patrons about what had happened. He usually tried to remain without emotion as he had been taught by his father but the recent events and mugs of ale his emotion came out. He sat laughing and joking with the other two regulars and suddenly the happiness left him and was replaced by emptyness. He sat with the other drunks telling them about the journal and they acted as if they understood.

Kiln was glad to tell someone else about the journal even if he knew they really had no idea what he was talking about and didn't really care for that matter.

Nevertheless his emotions were uncontrollable and he fluctuated between happiness and slowly it faded into depression. He stumbled to the door tripping over himself all the while but he remained on his feet. He opened the door and stepped around the corner, removing all of the booze from his body with a few heaves and went back into the inn.

As he had hoped, he couldn't remember what he'd tried to forget and he returned to the table. After a few minutes of listening to the other drunks, he passed out and dreams came to him. In his dreams he saw his father, his voice was deep and slow but at the same time comforting. His father told him to follow his feet and they would lead him to what he had been looking for.

But his father walked away before his eyes. Kiln tried to run after him and keep up but though he ran as fast as he could he did not move. In despair he fell to the ground and yelled at the top of his voice.

Dulnea was yelling at him to wake up and violently shaking him. A cold sweat covered his entire body as he laid on the stone floor. He slowly returned to consciousness, still shaking and afraid.
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And that my friends is the effect of too much Mazte.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Jul 15 2005, 01:16 AM

[Soulseeker3.0]

good job and now I will never drink to much Mazte when/if I ever find some lol

[minque]

Very good! I can well imagine Kiln´s feelings when redaing the journal and then finding himself visiting the very same places!

Can´t wait for the next update!

[Kiln]

He sat up and looked around. The two men were staring at him but as soon as they realized he was waking up they went back to laughing and joking. Dulnea helped him downstairs to the room and put him to bed.

The next morning he sat up from the bed, though he regretted it afterwards. In just a moment after sitting up he laid back down on the bed and decided it would be best not to move. He couldn't remember what had happened the night before but what he did know was that a severely painful headache and nausea kept him from wanting to do anything. Though he wanted to sleep it was very obvious that it was impossible with such a bad hangover.

He rose from the bed very slowly and put his feet on the floor. Standing and remaining standing was a challenge of it's own. He stood and slowly walked upstairs, each step caused a sharp pain in his head. It was pointless to ask what had happened because he already knew he had drank too much the night before.

After nearly half of the day he strangely wanted to read the journal once again. He sat in one of the barstools and opened the journal.

"I thought I would feel bad after taking the life of another person but strangely I don't. I feel a little bad about what happened but is killing a murderer all that bad? Were my actions justified? I was given permission to kill him by the head of the census office, but how was it any different than when Gilnith killed the tax collector? Well at least I've finally found something I'm good at."

The last line disturbed Kiln but he understood that he had killed Gilnith in self defense and Gilnith's death was warranted. But Tiren was probably excited to find that he had a good skill even if it was killing. Kiln continued reading the journal.

"I reported to Socucious and he paid me quite a large sum of money for the resolve of the murder. I went to the tradehouse to look around for something to spend my earnings on but there was nothing too interesting there. Though I did hear rumor of a bandit cave at the edge of town. I'll have to check into that."

Kiln expected that Tiren had killed the bandits at the cave. He had been drawn there just as he had been drawn to Foryn Gilnith's little shack. Kiln still thought it strange that he had followed Tiren's path inadvertantly but tried to convince himself that it was a mere coincidence.

He quit reading the journal, his head still pounded and he could read no more so he ordered a drink, he ordered water this time.

[Soulseeker3.0]

good job and Kiln leaned the lesson the hard way? now he only drinks water? lol

[Kiln]

good job and Kiln leaned the lesson the hard way? now he only drinks water? lol

The lesson is, it's just never a good idea to drink more alchohol when you've got a hangover. J/K Drinking is okay...overdrinking is bad.

I do not in any way support teenage drinking. It is bad and will destroy your life.
This message brought to you by: Kiln productions

[Soulseeker3.0]

lol

[Kiln]

After finishing his drink, Kiln left the building towards the upper part of town. It was time for some new clothes. The two sets of clothing he had were worn and though he washed them often, were beginning to smell quite awful. Kiln was short of money though and decided to try and get a little discount on some of the items in the local clothing shop owned by Milie Hastien.

Entering through the front wouldn't be very subtle of him so he looked for an alternate route. After inspecting the building carefully he saw the balcony which was undoubtably out of reach to him. He climbed the stairs to the upper entrance to the alchemist's shop and looked around carefully to ensure he wasn't being observed.

Kiln walked along the edge of the building and lept to the balcony of the clothing shop. He struggled to pull himself up and wished he didn't have on the heavy chestplate.

Kiln worried he was taking too long and would be caught by the guards but strangely the patrol the mansions rather than keep a close eye on the shops in the area. Finally he pulled himself up enough to get his foot onto the edge and get onto the balcony.

He sat down once he was finally at his destination to rest for a moment before entering. He also removed his chestplate in order to maintain as close to silence in the store as possible.

Kiln searched the upstairs of the building and there were plenty of valuable things there but he had not come to take things because they were expensive. Kiln never took more than he needed and what he needed was clothing.

From the top floor Kiln could hear two women talking and joking.
He slowly made his way to the stairs and peered to the right side of the stairway. Milie, the store owner and the Imperial girl, Serene were both sitting talking.

There was no way he could steal any clothing today with two women here so his plot had been foiled. He was desperate for clothing and might have tried to wait until Milie had gone into the storage room and made a dash for the clothing on the counter and shelves had Serene not been there.

Though she looked kind and caring, she also looked as if she had a rough side to her and she likely would have fought him if he were to try and take some clothing from the place. And so his plan to get new clothing had failed and he would return on another day.

He went back to the balcony and grabbed his chestplate. The guards saw him on the rooftop and ran towards the outside of the shop. They surrounded the building and the two women inside were still oblivious to what was happening just outside.

Kiln had to think fast or he would be captured by the guards.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Jul 16 2005, 01:00 AM