*





This story covers the daily events in the two years leading up to the Oblivion Crisis. It begins following the life of a semi-typical Khajiit girl who inadvertently finds herself the pawn of a powerful necromancer just as factions and forces begin moving into position.

When motivations are revealed it drives out the secrets of forgotten pasts, and another Khajiit girl whose life was an intertwined mirror of her own till both were altered irrevocably by the same necromancer in whose power they both found themselves.

The diverse paths their lives took merge once again in an explosive revelation that leaves one wondering how much of her skills and personality were ever her own, and the other in a desperate struggle to control her life from being used against Uriel Septim as the crisis that will change Cyrodiil and the rule of Tamriel forever begins.

Maxical

Fate is an invincible enemy in a battle you’ll never leave unscathed. It stalks you as prey and strikes regardless of shields or armor. The gods and Daedric Lords can find entertainment in manipulating your path on a whim, but far worse than either are the ancient vampires. They dabble with your mind, alter your life without you even knowing it. Sometimes you don‘t find out till it is too late.

I’d like to blame the gods for where I found myself, but the truth is that somewhere between the void and the Dreamsleeve lies fate; a place where time and space meet, where even the blackness of the void doesn’t reach and the gods make wagers on the outcome of lives caught in the ‘tween.

Wedged into that fold are damned souls, souls that have been marked for paths they can’t change, to destinies they can’t escape.

Ancient eyes see them as beacons, follow them as scents. Their enemies target them for revenge. You find yourself the pawn in a game you don’t even know was being played, with contestants your worst nightmares couldn‘t envision.

That’s where I found myself fifteen years after the game started. That was the day I found out that everything I’d ever known about myself had always been…her. Amiela.

Amiela was a 137 years old demon of a vampire that thrived on destruction and usurped whatever she could from others. She died a century before I was born, but the wars being fought over her didn‘t end with her death. Her soul was marked…and inside me.

For me, fate was my parents bringing me through the heavy forested area of the Gold Road just outside Skingrad at the same time the second worst necromancer of our time was in a battle for the soul of Amiela. And there I was, a convenient hiding spot.

That was the day my parents died. All I ever knew of them was where they died and what killed them. I was twenty years old before I even learned my mother's name. I was twenty years old before I remembered Nisaba. Nissy.

Nisaba

Nissy’s beginning didn’t just match mine, it was mine; though neither of us knew it before we’d both turned twenty years old. That was the year our paths crossed again and we learned the only scraps of our histories anyone was ever able to recover. That's when we learned our destinies were intertwined long before our lives began.

Nissy and I were born within a month of each other en route when our parents traveled together from Vvardenfell to Cyrodiil, but our histories began long before that. From early childhood our parents were owned by Hlormaren, a Dunmer Stronghold on the Bitter Coast of Vvardenfell. Before that they were housed in the same children's slave pen. Maybe our histories began long before that, but that was the furthest back any information went that we were able to find.

Nissy’s father dropped her off at the Imperial Legion Orphanage for the un-adoptable when she was two. Her mother died giving birth to her, Three years later a Legionnaire dropped me off there when my parents were killed in a minotaur attack.

Fate once again found Nissy and me four years later in the middle of the night, right there in our room at that orphanage. Both our destinies were wrenched into the hands of the worst necromancer Tamriel has known since the King of Worms. Both of us have been in his power in one way or another since. Dagoth-Malan.

That was eleven years ago, eleven years that Nissy waited for me to keep a promise to save her. Eleven years that memories of her were stolen from me so I couldn’t. Until fate brought us together again when we both turned twenty.

Nissy and me, we were both in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fate.
















The earliest memory of my lifetime begins and ends in the Legion headquarters in the Imperial City, I’ve never been able to remember a single moment of my life before finding myself in that office, not even how I got there. The only thing I ever knew about myself was my name, Ma'Thjizzrini Qa.

As badly as I've wanted to remember my mother, no amount of straining my brain has ever brought up an image of her, not even a glimpse of a moment with her or the sound of her voice.

There were no identifying documents found on either of my parent's bodies. What that meant to me was that I never knew my own mother's name, or any family I may have sought for shelter. No travel papers to say what they were doing in Cyrodiil, although I know they came from another Province. They both bore slave marks, and slavery is banned here in Cyrodiil.

That day in the Legion office though, that I will never forget. The odors of pipe smoke and tobacco, male sweat and steel; they bring the memory of that day as if it just happened.

It has stayed fresh in my mind all these years, but not because I wanted to remember it. It was because of the number of times I’d come to that stopping point in my memory and tried to force beyond it to find something, anything of who I was; of my life before then. Of my mother.

The jeering voices and laughter of those men as they tried to determine what I was, figure out what I was saying. Listening to them discuss what to do with me. All through it my mind burned with trying to figure out who I was and how I got there. I'll never forget that day.






***


At first I barely understood half what they were saying; strange sounding words spoken so harshly and rapidly that it was impossible to grasp even one to decipher. They couldn’t understand me at all. After several attempts they spoke in front of me freely as if I didn’t exist, and their communication degraded into them miming out what they wanted.

Somewhere deep inside me their words were striking a chord of recognition, a place as unconnected to me as the lost memories of my life before that office. It almost felt like I could speak their Cyrodiilic, but when my mouth opened the words still came out in Ta'agra.

"What is it?"

"Don't know. The get of some beast slaves killed by a minotaur up on the big curve of the Gold Road in County Skingrad. Couldn't tell what they were either. The female was a bloody mess; the male...too big for a cat, and fur so dark it coulda' been covered in coal soot. Can't be Khajiit, the face was like that little white one's." He indicated my flat face.

"No, never heard of a black Khajiit, anyway. Slave tattoos, you say? They're not from here then. No travel papers or identification on either of them?"

The Legionnaire shook his head no. "This travel pack was the only thing salvageable, it was near the female's body." He handed it to the Duty Captain. "This silver dagger was in her hand."

"Probably escaped slaves, then. Spawn of black beast, escaped slave, unknown race." The Duty Captain nodded, writing it down. "How old do you think it is?"

"It's too small to be very old, but it walks. I figure it can't be much more than a couple years old. And mark it as female, it squatted to relieve itself on the road here."

"Albino beast, unknown race. Female. Two years old." The Duty Captain stamped the paper with his official seal.

“I’ll bet it’s got a temper with that red hair!” That was met with raucous laughter by the room in general.

The mocking laughter I understood; and they were actually right. I did have a temper, and could feel it building rapidly in me. Fear and confusion, their mockery, and their rudimentary and primitive gestures to communicate as if I were ape instead of Khajiit. After a while of watching their odd contortions, I realized they were trying to get my name.

“Ma'Thjizzrini Qa.” I kept repeating it, and finally they wrote down “Maxical.”

Years later while eavesdropping I learned that my real name roughly translated meant "What the hell did we do to deserve this child," I never used it again, and from that day on was grateful that by all intents and purposes I was legally renamed Maxical on the day of my parent's death.






***


Because of the condition of my parent's bodies, and without any forms of identification, my parent's race was listed as "unknown." I learned later that they'd listed me as “Albino beast of unknown race.“

To be fair to them, my face shape and features are not like any other Khajiit I’ve ever seen. Where Khajiit faces mold to kingly snouts, mine is as angular as a human's and almost flat. I have no rich heavy rug of thick fur, mine is as fine as a wisp. Back then I still had the kittenish perpetually bushed fur spiking out. White fur. To this day I've never met anyone who has ever seen another white Khajiit. Growing up I used to rub dirt in my fur to try to look like I fit in with my race.

Maybe that’s why the Legion didn’t know what race to list me as. I've never known why I look different than other Khajiit, but as I grew older the theory hit me that maybe I was the product of a mixed union. It was a lot easier thought to bear than being considered a freak of nature. True or not, I clung to it and claimed it. I wanted it to be true, just to have that explanation for my odd appearance and coloring.

The Legion estimated my age to be two years old due to my size, which even now as an adult is a full head smaller than the average Khajiit.

The Legion made their regulated period of attempts to find an adoptive home for me before I was transferred to the orphanage in the Imperial City Prison Compound. That’s where orphans considered “un-adoptable” were sent.

All the beast races end there, or any human too old to be considered cute. I wasn’t cute, and that “unknown albino beast” stamp on my papers would have scared off anyone who might have thought I was. They could have placed a mudcrab before I would have found a home.

There was a certain look they'd get on their faces before slamming the door, a look I'll never forget. You don't have to understand the language to know rejection when you see it.

The Khajiit spoke in my language, I did understand them. They were the worst. We are a superstitious race, and an albino is considered a jinx. Even passing on the street they'd gasp and move away, muttering “Vaba” under their breath to ward my jinx off them. Translated literally it means, “It is;” but when spoken by itself it means “Bad omen.” Maybe it is true, because bad luck seems to touch a lot of lives connected to mine.

I’m not going to say that didn’t hurt at the time, it did. Eventually anger carried me through that kind of pain; but below the surface, deep inside me the scars remain of that time. Then you eavesdrop at the wrong time and learn the meaning of your given name.
Maybe it distorted my perspective, but sometimes when you hear that kind of label you begin to believe it is true. You either live up to it or get angry. I did both.



*

What a wonderful introduction! Lots of info packaged delightfully! Yay mALX!

Maxical!

Oh, yipppeee!!! The world's most adorable khajiit is here.

Who will not try to love that gorgeous face (with low cut fringe and youthful complexion)??
Dont answer that question, time will tell!!

I am so happy to see Maxical rise from the ashes, reborn onto the Chorrol forum. This is a great reworking of a massive volume of labor that has become your pride and joy over the last six months.
Awesome!!!!

It is the uniqueness of your character that makes the tale so engaging, and carries us along on an amazing journey. Onwards, I say!!!

Ma'Thjizzrini Qa indeed, Maxical. . . welcome to Chorrol! I am sure you will make plenty of new friends here.

Strains of Also Sprach Zarathustra play. "Chorrol, we have a kitty."

OK, fine, so I am shamelessly mixing space movies. Don't care, because the Khajiit has landed!

Besides the fact that I am beyond thrilled to see Maxical here, I find this introduction brilliant and sad and exciting. We learn enough to care for the albino kit- deeply- and we are left plenty of mystery for later revelation. Welcome, Maxical!

*


@ Acadian - Sheeeees Baaaaack! Thank you so much Acadian! You ROCK !!
***
@ Zalphon - Thank you Zalphon! She had to come, it was inevitable. You can blame Winter Wolf, who hinted me into it, lol.
***
@ Winter Wolf - Thank you very much Wolf, and I want you to know it was your hints that brought her here!!! I wasn't going to do it, but you got me missing her too badly, lol. Thank you Wolf !!!! You ROCK !!!!
***
@ Destri Melarg - Thank you so much Destri! I just hope she can keep her old friends, but if she makes new ones - so much the better! Thanks again Destri!
***
@ Treydog - (Houston, we have a problem?) - are you equating Maxical to trouble? ROFL !!! Thank you so very much Treydog!!!!



*



Chapter 1: The Orphanage



Four good things came of my time at the Imperial Orphanage for the Un-adoptable. The first was meeting Nisaba, my dearest friend. She spoke Ta'agra, and was the only one there who understood me when I first arrived. She taught me to speak Cyrodiilic.

Nissy remembered her own father dropping her off at the orphanage, though she'd only been a little over two at the time. She said it was a day she would never forget, and planned to search for her father when she was released from the orphanage. She never said what she'd do when she found him.

I believed her at first, but then she said she remembered me too. She said we'd been like sisters once, that she remembered us sharing a straw bed, sleeping on the floor of a cave when we were very little; playing and tumbling with each other in a grassy field. She had scanty and limited memories of moments with a woman she said was my mother, holding us both at once and feeding us; and of a huge black Khajiit that she was frightened of. She said he was my father.

I didn't remember Nissy, or any of the glimpses of memories she shared; always thought she was making it up. A lot of us in the orphanage played that game, so badly wanting a family to claim as theirs, one that wouldn't drop you off here and walk away. l did, wanted it so desperately that I clung to Nissy's imagined memories. We did become as close as sisters very quickly.

It was almost five years later before the next good things from my time at the orphanage happened. The Legion practiced with their swords on the lawns of the quad that housed the orphanage. I would watch the practices with such an intensity that eventually they thought it would be fun to teach “the beast” swordplay. It turns out I had a natural ability.

The first time they placed a sword in my hand I had the oddest sensation that it felt familiar, like it had always been a part of something deep inside me. The metal hilt warmed to the touch of my hand, my heart raced as if rejoicing in the feel of it. It felt like an extension of me that had been missing, as familiar to me as the sound of my own voice.

The blade sings as you wield it, each movement creates a different vibration and tone, its own unique sound. Something deep within me reverberated hearing the song of it, as if I'd listened to it for ages and knew every nuance. I'd close my eyes and listen, knowing where the blade was, and whether it was in a sweep or thrust.

Sparring with blades was as beautiful as a dance; dodging and blocking, stepping forward to meet your partner in a parry of blades; the embracing of swords before the dance separates you again. For me it began with the feel of cool grass and clay beneath my feet, the smells around me so intense and distinct; old leather, steel, glycerin soap, neatsfoot oil, the sweetness of male sweat. I would close my eyes and take deep breaths, letting the aroma of each scent linger in my nostrils like an old friend.

My senses felt attuned, honed; waiting and listening for the moment the opponent's sword left its sheath. When the blade is released from the confines that suffocated, it cries out as if to say, “I’m free!” It is a beautiful sound, arousing feelings in me as powerful as a soldier might feel on hearing his comrades battle cry; or a patriot on hearing his country’s anthem sung. It was more than familiar to me, it felt as if I'd been sparring with blades for longer than several lifetimes.

Maybe it was just another thing they could point out that was freakish about me (and they did), but I loved swords and didn't care if I was different in that. It is in my blood, in my heart. It beats in me as surely as I breathe.












Alix Lencolia was the BladeMaster that came to give lessons to the Legionnaires when a new flock of recruits was brought in for training. I used to watch him from the window of the orphanage before I was allowed out to practice with the veteran Legionnaires. Alix was teaching the recruits in the next quad when I came out to practice, and he must have spotted me. He came over when his blade instruction ended.

“I almost got stabbed by a recruit because I was watching you instead of what I should have been. Did I see you practicing with your eyes closed?“ Alix gaped his astonishment. It was funny to see an adult gaping.

“I always do.”

“How do you do it?”

"Do you want me to show you?"

He nodded, and I pointed at his shod feet. "You'll have to take your boots and socks off first."

He did, and when he was feeling the clay beneath his feet and distinguishing the different scents in the air I said, “Now stand perfectly still and be very quiet.” I drew my sword from my sheath very slowly, savoring the sound of it.

His eyes popped open. “I’ve never heard it like this before!”

"Your eyes have to be shut to hear, just listen to it. Close your eyes again and listen for the sounds. First I'll do a sweep, then a thrust." I swept my blade, then thrust it. "Do you hear it?"

Alix was still unable to distinguish the movements of the blade, or maybe didn't trust he wouldn't be stabbed since my eyes were shut; but he did ask if I would practice with him so he could watch me do it with my eyes closed.

"Would I! Well, duh...er...I mean yes, I would like that very much!"

He started off with all the moves I was used to, then did some I had never even seen him do in his training classes. I stopped him and opened my eyes.

“Wait, what was that you just did? And that move before it? I’ve never seen those done in your training, what are they?”

“Those are moves only the Masters know.”

“Will you teach them to me?”

“Not today, but I promise I will.”






***


The excitement of that promise shone in my eyes, and I did a quick dance of victory singing, "I'm gonna' learn some Master moves! I can't wait to learn them! Da da da da da nya nya nya! I'm gonna' learn...OOPS!" I stopped, looking up at him apprehensively. "I forgot. I'm not allowed to sing."

Alix was nearly choking from laughing, I guess at my dancing. High Commander Adamus Phillida had called the healers in the first time he saw me dance, thinking I was having some kind of walking seizure. As for my singing, Phillida had berated several of his Legion over torturing prisoners before finding out it was my singing. After that I was ordered never to sing again.

Alix sat down on the grass, indicating I should join him. “Is your father a Legionnaire? Does he work here?” It was the first time he had spoken to me as if I were a child. I knew then my practice with him was over.

“I don’t have parents, I live in the orphanage over there.” I pointed.

“They have an orphanage in the prison compound? I didn’t know about it.”

“We aren’t usually allowed out when people are around. This is where they place the un-adoptable children.”

“Why are the children un-adoptable?” His voice softened in a way only a Breton's can.

“Beast races like me aren't desired. Some are just too old, people always want a baby. Once a child is old enough to get into trouble, no one wants them.”

Alix plucked a blade of grass and wet it with his tongue. He held it tightly on his mouth and blew on it, making a strange sort of whistle sound using the blade of grass. I was so intrigued that I forgot what we'd been talking about. I plucked a blade and tried to imitate him, but only heard the sound of my own breath blowing. Before I could ask how he did it, he distracted me with a question.

“Do you get into trouble a lot?”

“Oh…cough, cough…only a very little.” The mock discreet voice didn't work any better than covering the lie with a fake cough, but his eyes lit with amusement.












I was practicing my letters and a shadow fell across the parchment. I looked up to see High Commander Adamus Phillida standing in front of me.

“Pack your things, you are going for a home visit, and I expect you to make a good impression, is that understood?” He went on to explain that Alix had applied to adopt me, and they were allowing him to have me visit his home for a weekend to see if he would still want me after getting to know me.

When he left Nissy turned to me, her eyes huger than normal. "Are you going to ask him to adopt me too?"

"You know I will if it looks like he'll go through with it. I can't spring it on him right away, though. It might scare him off knowing there's two of us."

"Maxical, if you'd just behave he'll have to want you. He likes playing swords with you."

"I'm going to try, Nissy. If he decides he doesn't want me after getting to know me, I'll suggest he choose you instead. Then maybe you can work on him to accept me."

"Let's swear on it. Whichever of us he picks will plead for the other." Nissy spat on her hand and raised it. I did the same and we clasped the slimy hands and kissed each other's cheeks to seal the vow.

One of the older orphans, an Altmer girl that rarely spoke to us burst into the room just as we were finishing. She plopped down on my bed, snatching my desert roll off the nightstand. She took a large bite out of it, then pointed it at me; chewing the hunk in her mouth while she talked.

"He only wants you because you both like swords, but once he sees how you behave he'll be dumping you back off here like yesterdays garbage."

"You know about it already? I just found out!"

"Everybody knows. We've all been talking about it. Listen to me, Maxical. Getting doors slammed in your face is nothing compared to someone getting to know you and deciding they don't want you. These home visits are like a test, they'll be comparing you to a dream they have of some perfect child. If you don't make them love you in one weekend, you come back here a failure. Ask Nissy, her own father dumped her off here." She avoided Nissy's glare by staring hard at me.

"A test? I hate tests! Can't we just skip that part?"

"No, it's the law. They have to let him see what he's getting himself into. Phillida wants rid of you badly, if there was a way to get around this home visit he'd already have done it. He's more worried than you are that man will change his mind once he learns what you're like. You think he hates you now, see how much worse it gets if you're rejected after this home visit. You'd better not do anything wrong at all."

"I never mean to misbehave...well, other than a few pranks. Things just seem to happen when I'm around."

"A few pranks?"

"Those were mostly accidents, I'm accident prone. But we're never allowed to do anything around here, it's boring if we don't take it upon ourselves to prowl around seeking something to do."






***


"He isn't the only one you'll have be worrying about, either. You can play with swords with him, but what about his wife?"

"His wife?" I blanched, turning even whiter if that was possible.

"Maybe she likes swords too." Nissy's voice was hopeful. I shot her a grateful glance.

"Well I heard the guards talking, they're taking bets on whether you'll mess this adoption up. So far Leland and Pilus are the only two betting on you making it. Pilus said he just likes to bet longshots, hoping one will come in and make him wealthy."

"They're all betting on me failing?"

"Yup. Some of the orphans are getting in on the action too, especially over in the boys dorm. They overheard the tirade when Phillida found out that Lex removed himself to the South Watch Tower and refuses to return as long as you're here. What'd you do to him?"

"Hieronymus? Oh. Well, I think that last prank might have embarrassed him."

"Listen, I passed Phillida looking over the repairs needed that you caused when I was coming up here. He's really mad, you'd better hope that adoption goes through." She stood up to leave, holding up the bitten desert roll.

"I can't help being clumsy." I waved her to take the roll, then turned back toward Nissy fighting tears. "I'm never going to make it, am I?"

"We'll run away together if you don't. We've always got each other, Maxical. Just remember your promise to me if they keep you."

"I'll never forget you, Nissy. Never."


*

*


Chapter 2: The Home Visit


Two guards escorted me for my probationary visitation, I probably looked like a prisoner to the people we passed...and felt like one. I was nervous...terrified, actually. I was terrified of failing, returning to the orphanage rejected by Alix. Terrified of seeing the look of rejection on his face, of knowing it would be the end of our practices together. I'd lose everything.

This would be nothing like seeing Alix at the blade practice. Everything about this felt wrong; unnatural...formal and stiff. Then there was the tension about meeting Alix’s wife. Probably a Breton like him. I didn’t imagine Alix wanting to bring a beast home and adopt it going over well with her.

All the orphans that had been through this themselves warned me off getting attached; and how much worse the rejection felt when someone that had gotten to know them slammed the door on them. They'd all been through the Legion trying to place them too, but called this the ultimate rejection. I could see it in their eyes while they talked; humiliation and the kind of pain that cuts deep and doesn't go away.

Several advised me to deliberately blow it, take the pressure off. I wasn't sure if it was because they had bet on me to fail, but to be honest a part of me wanted to follow their advice. As they said, at least then I'd hold the power over whether I was rejected, it wouldn't come as a knife in the dark after trying my hardest.

I hadn't slept and had barely eaten in days, dreading this trial visit. I wished we could have gone on just the way we were; that Alix never applied to adopt me. I've never felt so much pressure, was physically ill from it.

My only firm plan was to watch Alix, gauge what he was thinking. I'd decided to run away straight from his home if I thought he didn't want me, never return to the orphanage and face them knowing Alix had rejected me. They'd assume he'd gone through with adopting me.






***


The guards stopped at an Inn, I thought for a meal. My stomach was in knots, I had no desire to eat. As they were lifting me down from the horse, the door of the Inn opened and Alix came out. It turned out he lives there.

It felt completely different than meeting him at the quad for blade practice. I felt shy and awkward, nauseated and slightly faint. I had a strong urge to burst out crying and didn't know why or if I could stop it. I just stood staring at the ground, fighting to keep from bawling or vomiting. One or the other felt imminent.

“It feels strange for only a short while, then they will leave and we will practice. Will that make you feel more comfortable?”

Alix's voice, but speaking in my own native tongue broke through my intense focus on my shoes, startling me into looking up. I breathed in relief and nodded, somehow comforted by hearing Ta'agra coming from Alix.

When Alix introduced me to his wife it was a welcome shock that brought an instant easing of the tension in my stomach. She was Khajiit.

Not even Alix could have made me feel more welcome than S'Jirra did. She chattered incessantly as she took me up to my room, mostly about how long they had prayed for a child. She said I would fit into their family just perfectly. I hoped they would still feel that way after they saw how I behaved.

S'Jirra had taken a lot of care in setting up one of the guest rooms for me, and proudly showed me every alteration she'd made to turn it into a room that would suit a seven year old girl.

A princess could have stayed in it and not complained. Pink ruffled curtains tied back with ribbon hung in the window and off an arched thing on top of the bed. I pointed to it, wide-eyed.

"What's that?"

"That's a canopy, dear. Alix added these tall posts to the bed, but it looked too severe for a little girl. I made him get right back out there and build the canopy. This will be your room from now on."

A doll made of rags rested on the pillow. I grabbed it up and hugged to my chest.

S'Jirra beamed. "I made that for you."






***


A silver dagger lay angled on the dresser along with a travel pack that wasn't made like the Cyrodiil packs. There was an odd pattern of discolored brown spots that looked like someone had recently tried to scrub off, the leather was still wet. It struck a chord of recognition in my memory and made a sickening knot form in my stomach. Those spots had been red when I'd seen them. This was the same pack I'd seen that day in the Legion office where all my memories stop.

"How did you get this?" When I looked up S'Jirra was watching me, her eyes looking like she may cry any second.

"That pack and dagger belonged to your mother, dear. Commander Phillida gave them to Alix yesterday."

"My mother's?" I sunk down on the bed in shock, fingering the pack carefully. How could I remember a pack, but not my own mother?

S'Jirra picked up a gold locket on a chain from the dresser and sat down beside me on the bed. "This was hers too. The locket opens up, see? You can put something you treasure inside it." She clasped the locket around my neck for me, then held me gently.

I cried, but the tears and ache inside me were for not having any memory of my mother. I fell asleep cradled in her arms, clutching my mother's pack and the ragdoll.

When I woke S'Jirra was still there holding me. The pressure and worry I'd felt all week was gone. Everything felt right here, like I belonged already. I had no doubt Phillida was pushing this adoption through, he'd already given my mother's things to them. Everyone had warned me not to get attached, but...there was no way not to.






***


Alix kept his promise and took me out to practice, teaching me several new moves while S'Jirra watched from the porch. He said that everything he knew of blades came from here, pointing to his head. He said with me it all came from my heart, and that was a gift.

The weekend flew by. I talked a lot about Nissy, but never mentioned adopting her too. I won’t lie and say I behaved the whole weekend, though I did try to. Some things got broken, and I did some things wrong, mostly pranks. Most weren’t deliberate.

I'd discovered you could access the roof from the hill behind the Inn if you ran and then leaped. S’Jirra has hundreds of Jumbo potatoes around that she uses to make the best potato bread I've ever tasted. It was only natural for me to play with the potatoes on the roof because they would roll down it and drop off.

A Legionnaire was riding up for the luncheon just as a potato was rolling down, it was too late to stop it. The potato hit the ground behind the horse and rolled quickly under a bush. The horse went into a frenzy, dumping the mounted and taking off at a dead run. The Legionnaire didn’t see me and blamed Alix, cursing him. I thought I was going to see a fight for a minute.

While on the roof I found a birds nest with baby birds in it. I brought it in to show S’Jirra, and an angry mother bird flew in behind me and disrupted the lunch crowd.

The worst thing I did was truly an accident. A Forester that frequents the Inn was trying to teach me archery with a training bow Alix found. The arrows went everywhere but where I was aiming. I accidentally stuck the Forester with an arrow. That was the end of my archery lessons. He finally accepted my apology, but I didn't get the feeling he forgave me for it.

It was the last day of my probationary visitation when I tried to slide down the steps on a serving tray and crashed into Abhuki, knocking her down. She was carrying a platter of orders that flew out of her hands. Several things got broken and the orders had to be re-filled. Abhuki owns the Inn.

“It’ll be a miracle from the Gods if we ever see another customer. These past two days have cost more than the entire year before.” Abhuki grumbled.

Somehow between S'Jirra's doting fondness and Phillida giving them my mother's possessions in advance I'd forgotten that Alix and S’Jirra could still change their minds about wanting to adopt me. With a sickening twisting of my stomach it suddenly struck me forcibly, the realization that they could. That they might.

That realization, the fear; I know it showed on my face, I could see reflections of their reactions to it building in their eyes. I'd planned to gauge their thoughts, but here was the moment for me to do it and I couldn't. My mind was frozen in the fear that I'd lost everything. No amount of being sorry would take back what I'd done, what I'd cost them.






***


My mind was churning a flood of images, the universal rejection on all those faces as they slammed their doors closed to me. I couldn't stand seeing that same look on Alix and S'Jirra's faces, not from them.

My breathing constricted in my chest with a choking sound. I ran, blindly pushing through the door and out the gate.

At Alix's practice field I ground to a helpless stop, not knowing where else to go. A thick forest ringed the clearing of the Inn, with only a rutted dirt trail winding through the brush leading to it. The dark woods terrified me, Abhuki said it was filled with wild beasts. My mother's dagger lay on the dresser in my room, I'd have no defense if animals attacked me. I turned first one way then the other, not knowing what to do.

The sound of the creaking front door was followed by a footfall I recognized as Alix's. My arms and legs felt rigid with fear that if I turned and looked he'd be carrying my things. I couldn't bear hearing Alix say he'd changed his mind, wished he'd sent S’Jirra...no. I couldn't take her not wanting me either.

Alix's hand touched my shoulder, but I couldn’t turn to face him and kept my face averted. My heart was pounding in my chest and it hurt to breathe. His hand slid down my arm and turned my shaking hand palm up. I expected my mother’s pack, or the dagger. Instead Alix placed his silver longsword in my hand.

The sword warmed in my hand, comforted. An old friend that is beside you when everyone else is gone. A tear slid down my cheek in spite of my effort to hold it back, and then Alix spoke.

“There is nothing you could ever do that would cause us to stop loving you, or wanting you to be our daughter. You need never be afraid again. You are as much a part of us as that sword is a part of you. That is my silver longsword, I’ve had it since I was your age. I am pledging it to you as a vow that I mean this from the heart. You need never doubt our love again.”

“I can’t behave, no matter how hard I try.” My voice was raw.

“Then I guess our lives will be that much more exciting for you being with us."

The air released from my chest in a rush, breaking the hold I had on my control. Alix lifted me up and held me tightly while I cried.

Alix said he believed some children just had more spirit than others, like some horses were more spirited than others. He didn't believe in breaking a child’s spirit by punishing them for ill deeds. I told him I hoped they were on good terms with the Gods then, and he laughed.

Almost five years in an orphanage that even its name tells you there is no hope that you'll ever have a home and family, ever be loved. It was over. I thanked all the gods whose names I could remember for Alix and S'Jirra, they couldn't have picked a better home for me. Alix and S'Jirra doted on me, even after they saw how I behaved.

I had to leave the dagger there when they took me back to the compound at the end of my probationary visitation. Alix said Commander Phillida wouldn’t sleep nights if he knew I was armed. He lay the dagger on my dresser and said it would be there waiting for me to come home. They escorted me back and then went immediately to start the adoption proceedings. I'd forgotten to ask them about adopting Nissy.


*

*


Chapter 3: The Day Of Fathis Aren



The fourth good thing that came out of my time at the orphanage was a matter of perfect timing, although I didn't consider it a good thing at the time.

Being a ward of the state you are sometimes given the opportunity for a benefactor to pay for schooling. Fathis Aren comes annually to choose one orphan to receive a year paid tuition at the Arcane University, the school of magic. It is a real opportunity for a needy child who would not else get the chance, at least that is what we were told.

Eavesdropping netted me much more information than that. I was sneaking through the Legion dorms to pull a prank, but midway in several guards entered through the opposite door. I dove under a bed and froze, not able to leave without being seen. What I overheard; I really didn't know what it meant, but guessed it must be forbidden knowledge. My eyes nearly popped from my head listening.

"What [censored] bee got into Phillida's butt?"

"It's that [censored] rich Court Mage from Castle Bravil, Fathis Aren. He comes early tomorrow. Phillida always gets like this when a big purse comes."

"Aren? Isn't he that Dunmer that always looks like he's ate bad meat?"

“That's him. His expression is perpetual boredom, as if he'll die of ennui at any given moment if his age doesn‘t get him first.” He made his voice airy and drawled his words mockingly.

“He isn’t bored, he just thinks he's better than the working class.”

“True there.” A deep voice grunted.

“He is bored. Court life will drag the life out of you.” An older voice sounded.

“All the women he gets? He sure ain't bored!” A younger man scoffed.

“Pilus is right, he can’t be bored. Fathis gets it more than Uriel Septim, women come looking for him. If you ask me, he donates to the orphans because he fathered over half of them. The rest are Uriel’s so he considers it his patriotic duty to care for them.” Raucous laughter followed that.

“He’s a womanizer all right. He could repopulate Cyrodiil single-handed if the need arose. I've heard stories..."

"Married women hound him, I know that for a fact.” Someone interrupted.

“Get out of here!” Something was thrown and hit the wall with a thud.

“He’s not exaggerating, I’ve heard them. You forget I used to work the gates. You hear and see everything there.” The older voice said.

“That's truth, I worked them for a while myself. You wouldn‘t believe some of the things I heard.” Another piped in.

“I worked mounted for five years; you can't take a step in Cyrodiil without tripping over one of Uriel’s bastards, and there's always two of Fathis’s right behind them.” The older voice said. A roar of loud laughter and jeering followed.

"How many of your own did you trip over Leland?" Someone called out. I took advantage of the noise to slip out.






***


The paperwork was still in the process of being completed for Alix and S’Jirra to adopt me; so I was there the day Fathis Aren came.

Only the beautiful human children were put on display when rich people showed up with their gold pouches opened, beast races were kept out of sight. My window overlooked the row of immaculate children being lined up for Fathis to interview, so my room quickly filled with children wanting to watch.

The magic arts didn't interest me anyway, and my future was already secured with my adoption in the works. The idea of climbing out the window and dropping into the line with the others was merely for a prank, to shock the rich Court Mage when he saw a cat within the ranks of Imperial children.

When I climbed out on the ledge though, it frightened what must have been all of Tamriel’s pigeon population into flight at once. They circled back to defend their roosting spot and chaos followed.

Some of them made a bee-line for the window I had opened, frightening the other children that had been banned from attending Fathis Aren’s arrival. They barreled down the steps and burst screaming out the door.

An air attack of no small proportions began on the row of immaculate children; they were shrieking as they dodged the pigeon attacks.

Some windows were broken in the melee that ensued, and the office of Commander Phillida was compromised. He charged out of his office followed by several Imperial Guards with the flock of angry birds in hot pursuit. Fathis Aren arrived just in time to see the pandemonium.

Commander Phillida was bellowing curses while he and two guards were chasing me across the quad. I glanced back to see if they were gaining on me and was mesmerized by the enormous glob of pigeon poop splashed across Phillida’s brow that looked like it might drip down into his open mouth. Not wanting to miss the moment it did, I continued to run forward while craning my head behind to watch.

At the last second before crashing into him, I glanced forward to see a Dunmer watching the scene with a look of unholy amusement on his face. I leaped onto his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck, clinging tightly.

“Save me!” I gasped in Ta'agra as Phillida and the Imperial Guards came roaring up.






***


My motto is ‘when in doubt, fake a faint’ so I did, letting my head loll back and my arms droop down limply.

“Little minx. It rather looks like they need saving from you.” Fathis said quietly, and in perfect Ta'agra.

I stiffened, opening one eye to see if I'd heard right. He was watching my face and caught me. His slanted red eyes were laughing. I quickly veiled my eyes again, letting the long lashes close down (but leaving just a slit open so I could watch the action).

When they saw it was Fathis Aren, Phillida and the guards ground to a halt, trying to act dignified. That is hard to do with angry red faces covered in pigeon poop.

“Sir, we apologize for this disruption. I can’t imagine what you must be thinking, I assure you…” Phillida broke off, pulling a hankie out and wiping the bird droppings from his face.

“Am I to assume by this greeting that you were not expecting my arrival today?” Fathis asked, his voice inscrutable.

“No sir, I mean yes sir. We expected you. That is, you were expected. We have some candidates over here, if you would like to…Guards! Get Maxical and take her and the others back inside so Fathis can meet the children we have selected for his…that is the children that show promise.”

Commander Phillida pointed to the once immaculate children, who were now a mess. Their hair and clothing was askew and covered in bird droppings, as was the lawn around them.

“I have never asked for a selection, you were to show me all. Have I been wrong in assuming you followed my instructions, and that the determination of promise would be left up to me?” Fathis sounded stern. If fiery red eyes can look cold, his did.

“No sir. Well, to be honest sir, we were under the…that is to say we thought you only meant the human children.” Phillida corrected himself.

“I never said that.” Fathis sounded angry.






***


While still trying to give the appearance of being blacked out, I had buried my face in Fathis’s neck and was sniffing loudly. He was scented! I had never smelled a man wearing scent before.

The guards were trying to pull me out of Fathis’s arms and I clung tighter around his neck, giving up my fake blackout.

“Is this child to be punished?” Fathis’s voice indicated no preference in the matter, but the guards stopped tugging at me.

“Yes sir!…Er, what would you have us do sir?” Phillida hemmed and hawed.

“When they said you were a womanizer, was it because you wear scent like a woman?“ I asked in Ta'agra. Fathis nearly choked.

“Where did you hear that?” He asked, speaking in Ta'agra.

“I hear talk. They said you could repopulate Cyrodiil single-handedly if the need arose. Is that true? What does it mean?” I leaned closer and sniffed him some more.

Fathis did choke. “I don't want to know anything more you have overheard. You should never repeat what you hear eavesdropping, which I'm sure you did to have heard that.” He sounded stern, but his red eyes looked amused.

“But if I don’t know what something means, how can I know not to repeat it? Is it something…shocking?” I tried to sound innocent, but was intrigued. Was it forbidden knowledge? I was determined to learn what it meant now.

“You are too young to be overhearing these things. That should be a lesson not to eavesdrop.” Fathis was struggling to sound stern. There was laughter behind it, and his eyes held the same.






***


“I didna' set out to eavesdrop. I was sneaking through the men’s dorms while they slept.”

“What were you doing in the men’s dorms then?”

“If you dip their hands in warm water while they sleep, their bladders loose in their beds. It's boring here, there's nothing to do. If I can’t stand it another second, sometimes I pull pranks.”

Fathis barked a laugh, but then got serious. “I understand boredom very well. But you must never go in those dorms at night again. Men can be dangerous, you could be harmed. Give me your word you'll not sneak into the dorms again. Do I have it then? And no crossed fingers behind my neck, I felt that.”

“Do I have to spit on my hand?”

“I hope you won’t. I may drop you quickly if I see spit.”

I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck and sniffed him some more. “You sure smell good Fathis Aren. When I'm grown, I want to marry a man who smells just like you.”

“You, my girl, are a little minx!” Fathis said. “Remember what I said, never go in there again.”

Khajiit read people through their eyes, I found Fathis to be not what I expected at all. He gave orders that I not be punished.






***


The guard Pilus popped his head in the door. “You have a visitor, Maxical.”

I was surprised to see Fathis Aren below. “Fathis!” I ran toward him with a smile, then looked around. “Where's Alix? They said I had a visitor.”

“I’m the visitor.” Fathis said, smiling. “You looked glad to see me, come. Take a turn in the yard with me, I have something to talk to you about.”

“Am I in trouble for those things I said? I didn’t know what they meant…then.” I flushed red as a tomato. I'd found out what they meant since.

“Nae, you're in no trouble. I came to tell you about a plan for your future. I'm giving a full scholarship for you to attend the Arcane University.”

“But I’m getting adopted, I don’t need to know anything now.” The fear hit me that the adoption had fallen through.

“I talked to Alix and S’Jirra before coming here. They are thrilled for you to have this opportunity. You'll have five years before your studies begin, but I'll be visiting to bring you elementary spell lessons to practice at home."

I wasn't thrilled to have the opportunity, but breathed relief that I had five years to talk Alix and S'Jirra out of it. I nodded, trying not to show my lack of enthusiasm. Fathis touched my cheek, leaving a hint of his scent behind. I rubbed the back of my hand against my cheek and sniffed it, waving goodbye with my other hand.

Fathis no sooner walked out when Alix walked in. Now that I was sure they'd be adopting me, I had to ask about Nissy. I hemmed and hawed, not knowing how to start.

"Er...remember my best friend Nissy I told you about? She's been crying a lot because I'm leaving, I'm her only close friend here." It wasn't a lie, she had cried; worried they wouldn't take her too. "Er...would you like to meet her?"

Alix nodded. I took his hand and led him up to our room. It was empty. I glanced under each bed, surprised; then peeked into the schrank. Nissy wasn't there.

"I don't understand, she was just here. But you'll really like her. We're like sisters, except she's really well behaved. She'll be so lonely when I'm gone..."

Alix understood, he nodded. "I'll have to ask S'Jirra first, you know that."

"She'll say yes, right? She prayed and prayed for a child...right?"

Alix scooped my up into his arms and squeezed me tight. "Yes, she sure did."









***


The next morning a guard pounded on my door. "They're here for you."

I grabbed my mother's pack off the bed, glancing around the room. I couldn't shake the feeling there was something I was forgetting.

S'Jirra hugged me first. "Where's your friend Nissy? I'd like to meet her. Alix is talking to Audens Avidius right now about adopting her."

I stared blankly at her. "Who?"

"Your friend Nissy, the one you've been telling us about."

Somewhere deep inside me that sickening feeling of not remembering something important was like an incessant needle pricking at me, but my mind kept coming up blank.

"I don't know who you mean, are you adopting someone I know?"

S'Jirra looked stunned and confused. Alix walked up then, shaking his head and giving S'Jirra an odd look.

"Avidius said they've never had anyone named Nisaba here. He looked through the files right in front of me. He said they've had no other Khajiit in the five years Maxical has been here."



*




******* Me And Fathis Aren







*

Oh heck. Here I am in, and I have a nit to pick.

Poetic, and beautiful, mALX. And even rather close to the truth. But IRL, it's slightly different - master swordsmen 'feel' instictively the attack of their enemy, NOT from the sound of the blade through the air, but from the touch of the blade against their own as they parry or block.

I have seen this IRL with my masters, one of whom actually showed me that he could parry my two wooden swords with his own twinset...after the first touch he closed his eyes, and still parried and blocked me easily for about two minutes before he casually flicked a strike straight through my defense.

In fencing terms this is called 'having the touch'. You find this in some martial arts disciplines, too - in fact Jet Kune Do specifically trains for this.

But apart from that...DELIGHTFUL BEGINNING!!!

Yeah! Foxy!!! See what happens when I don't have your expertise? You are a needed addition to this forum! I planned all kinds of errors in my fights just to draw you in to comment! Yeah !!!!!!! Thank you Foxy! You ROCK !!



*******************




*


Chapter 4: School Years


S’Jirra tugged at Alix’s arm, leaning in close to whisper in his ear. Khajiit are incapable of whispering quietly, I clearly overheard S'Jirra’s 'imaginary friend'. Were they buying me one? What was it?

Leaving the orphanage felt like a purging, it was freeing as if I’d been there as a prisoner. Leaving it this way; to a family and love, that felt like a miracle I hadn’t even dared pray for.

Alix was pointing out the sights as we walked, but I barely saw them. My mind dwelled heavily on those names they'd asked me about, Nissy and Nisaba. They were a barb stabbing something in me, as if I should know them but didn't. It brought a sick feeling in my stomach for some reason.

They couldn't have been orphans at the compound, I'd know them...wouldn't I? I strained to remember any of my friends from the orphanage but couldn't think of a single name, not even an image of a face. We'd just left there not half an hour ago, why couldn't I remember them?

My room I remembered in explicit detail; where each bed was situated, even the patterns of the quilted covers on each of the beds. Everything but the girls that had filled those other beds.

There were clear glimpses of the guards stationed there, I remembered their names well. Everything except those I would have cared about most, my friends. Their memories were erased as cleanly as my mother's, or my life before that Legion office.

My friends had become faceless and nameless, their voices muted indistinguishable echoes of sound. It was like chapters in a book whose pages blew free from their binding once the moments were passed.

Once settled in my room, all thoughts of the orphanage and who I might have known there were long from my mind. I'd never have believed my life could be this happy...perfect. The next five years flew by in a blink.







***


I thought the matter of going to the Arcane would have been dropped after I went to live with Alix and S’Jirra. It wasn't. Not long after my twelfth birthday they started making preparations for me to go. I cried and pleaded, but it did no good. I promised everything I could think of, including good behavior which I am sure they knew was a promise I couldn‘t keep.

My first letters home were spent begging for Alix to come get me and bring me home. I finally realized they wouldn’t give in, and tried to make the best of it. It turned out that I actually loved school and made some very close friends there.

Whether the Arcane loved me was another story. Alix and Fathis got daily mailings from the Arcane about my behavior, but truthfully I only got into major trouble a few times.


**************************************************************

Dear Alix and S’Jirra -

You may be getting a letter from Raminus Polus, but there is no proof I was involved.

Raminus Polus is upset by something that occurred. It seems someone entered the upstairs Mage Apprentice quarters and dipped their hands in warm water while they slept. Raminus is just mad because he was sleeping in there and suffered some embarrassment.

He doesn’t feel comfortable sleeping anymore, and has been spotted pacing in the public areas at night. He sleeps in the mornings while we are in class.


Love, M

**********************************************

Dear Alix and S’Jirra -

If you get a letter from Irlav Jarol, please do not worry that I will be expelled no matter what he says. We all have boot blacking, I’m not the only one that had a tin of it, and any one of us could have used ours up. Alix, it does eventually wear out of skin, does it not? Everything is fine here other than that.



Love, M

**********************************************

Dear Alix and S’Jirra -

If you get a letter from Raminus Polus, he is just being spiteful. Not everyone can get the hang of conjuration their first semester. No one was hurt badly.

Speaking of hurt though, several of my classmates have had to be healed. My professor says I can cast destruction spells with the pros but my aim is so bad that I should apply to fight with the enemies for my allies protection.

I was forced to drop out of Archery class, please don’t tell Forester, it may bring up some bad memories.

Love, M

***********************************************

Dear Alix and S’Jirra -

First off, I am not writing because I have gotten into trouble. Other than the watermelon incident in which no one could prove was me because - well never mind. Irlav Jarol just always blames everything that happens on me.

For your own peace of mind, it may be best if you just tear up any letters from the school that aren’t from me.

Love, M.


*************************************

Dear Alix and S’Jirra -

You may be receiving a letter from Arch Mage Traven and possibly the Imperial Legion, but you can ignore them now. I was in trouble, but Fathis Aren fixed everything. He paid off the guard with a large check and made a huge donation to the Arcane University.

We were just borrowing the horse, not stealing it. The horse wasn’t hurt, and the guard said he will press no charges since Fathis paid him so well.

I had to clean up the manure in Arch Mage Traven’s bedroom, so I‘ve already been punished. Oh, and Fathis replaced the Arch Mage's blanket with one much nicer, since the horse chewed up the old one.

Fathis was not mad at all, he did that thing with his lips that you do Alix, when you don’t want someone to know you are smiling. Alix, it was just an experiment, not a prank, I promise.

Arch Mage Traven said he has begun praying to Akatosh for me to graduate. He said I have high spirits. He never stays mad long if everyone would just stop bringing things to his attention.


Love, M

************************************

Dear Alix and S’Jirra -

You may be receiving a letter from Arch Mage Traven and Irlav Jarol. I already wrote Fathis and asked him to pay for the windows in the Arch Mage’s tower. I was not aiming at the windows so was able to honestly tell him that it was an accident.

Irlav Jarol has at least a dozen robes just like that one. How he thinks I can get his robe down from there, I don’t know. I offered to blast it down with a spell and Arch Mage Traven turned as white as me and forbade me do it.

My best friend Delphine Jend asked me to come visit her in Bravil after I graduate. She said she would help me get on with the Mages Guild there. I’d be close to Fathis, but I really don’t want to work there. I found out there is an Arena here where people get paid to fight with swords! That‘s what I want to do.

Delphine has a velvet dress that is almost as nice as Fathis’s clothing. I hope I can have a dress like that some day. (HINT, HINT, Alix?)

Arch Mage Traven said I have wicked imps in my eyes, but he was not terribly mad when he said it.


Love, M

*************************************

Dear Alix and S’Jirra -

I may be expelled. You may be receiving a letter from Arch Mage Traven. He is very upset with me. I wrote Fathis and asked him if he could pay for the damages to the grounds. It really was an accident, and that‘s the truth this time. Fathis said he will pay for them to lay a nice lawn and garden there. I may have talked them out of expelling me since I only lack five or so semesters from graduation.

Arch Mage Traven is going over my grades to see if I can graduate earlier than the six years. He said he had brown hair when I came and now it is all gray, but that’s not true, his hair is the same color it was when I came.

I really didn’t mean to do it.

Love, M

**********************************

Dear Alix and S’Jirra -

Good news! I am graduating early!

Arch Mage Traven said he needed a long vacation after I graduate. I invited him to the Faregyl, but he declined. He said he'd rather visit the planes of Oblivion to get some peace. His eyes twinkled when he said it, he was just joking.

My best friend Delphine will be getting an award for one of her spells, the Arcane is very excited about it. It is called “Enemies Explode.” She is giving me a copy as a graduation present. Delphine said not to worry about me blowing up anything like I did here, she thinks it's fixed now. I can’t wait for you to meet her.

The graduation ceremony is going to be in two weeks on Saturday, I hope you will both be there I miss you! I am writing Fathis and asking him to come too.

Love, M

***************************************************************
***************************************************************








******* Arch Mage Traven


“Fathis, I believe you encourage that child in her mischief by laughing each time.” Arch Mage Traven said in his sternest voice.

“Oh Traven, she is unspoiled. Would you have me read her a lecture? I won’t you know.”

“I would use the term spoiled rather. She is turning this campus upside down.” Traven’s voice reflected his exasperation.

“Irlav Jarol brings it on himself. She is a child with high spirits, that is all. That energy will naturally find a more suitable outlet as she matures. This campus could use some life thrown into it. A morgue has more life in it than Jarol has. The man is positively Fredas-faced. He needs to be retired, or not be in a position to incite the young children.” Fathis signed his name with a flourish on another large donation to the Arcane University.

As he handed it over Fathis added, “Traven, did you never think of hanging your professor’s robes from the towers?”

While Arch Mage Traven was reaching his hand for the donation, his mind was going back in time to a particular professor whose robes had hung from a certain spire “I never tried to blast them up there using a spell, nor broke windows in the process.”

Fathis leaned over and shook Arch Mage Traven’s hand. “For a second there, I saw a flash of wicked imps in your eyes Traven. Let the child grow as she will. The world will smother that life out of her soon enough and I can stand the Septims for any inconvenience.”

Arch Mage Traven shook his head, leaning back in his chair as he watched Fathis exit. His mind traveled once again to that professor. Fathis did have a point, Irlav put him strongly in mind of the man.









******* Maxical


The crowds were gathering on the lawn for the graduation ceremonies. Scanning the crowd I caught sight of Fathis Aren. I tried to twist my head to watch him getting seated although we were instructed to keep our faces forward. As Raminus Polus walked by he clamped his hand on the top of my head and twisted it back to the front.

Delphine Jend clamped her hand on her own head and twisted it toward me. I snickered.

Raminus scowled and whispered, “This is a solemn occasion, there will be none of your hijinks.” Delphine waited till he passed and then did an extremely accurate imitation of him into my ear. I snorted and Raminus spun around glaring. He has never forgiven me for the bed-wetting incident.

Delphine had to go up first for her award on the ‘Enemies Explode’ spell. She had already graduated long since but had come here to work on a spell that would make her famous.

I tried to keep my head forward and just turn my eyes to scan the crowds again. Where were Alix and S’Jirra? Fathis was in the front row reserved for important personages, and wearing a robe of such thick velvet that he looked like a king in it. He saw me looking and winked at me. I smiled and winked back. I heard the slow hiss of Raminus’ exhaled breath and turned my eyes to the front again.

When it was my turn to go onto the stage my foot caught in my robe and I stumbled on the step up. I caught myself so I didn’t actually fall. Fathis was grinning and Raminus was glaring darts at me.

I made the rest of the walk to the platform with no mishaps. Raminus gave me my graduation robes and began to read off my accomplishments. When he read the part where I had mastered in Conjuration I looked over at Fathis to see if he had heard. He smiled at me. He already knew, there was no surprise in his eyes.

Fathis loves Conjuration. I hated it, but worked hard to pass it because I knew it meant so much to him, and he had done so much for me. I hope he was never informed about the Daedra incident.


*

Hold for edit

I like this even better than the original. Very well done, mALX!

I've not read the much spoken of original but this is great.

Thanks for sharing

I agree with Acadian, but I must admit that every time I see ‘Alix’ I think of someone(thing) else.

Who else could think like this except for mALX??!!!?

Great chapter there. I love the reworking you have done!!
Maxical is a adorable rogue right from the very start. Rolling jumbo potatoes down the roof of the inn. That is crazy!! Would make a great screenpic though.

Ah, the silver dagger. Cool.

@ Acadian - I liked it better too, I was trying to stay away from it being overly ooky. Not sure if I accomplished that, but it is still less than the first, lol. Thank you so much Acadian!
***
@ Olen - Thank you very much! I am trying to revamp the original, it is just too long, and there were some parts that on re-read months later just seemed...sappy. So I am attempting to cut them out and slim down the size some, lol. Thank you Olen!
***
@ Destri Melarg - I have been putting a lot of Alix into the latest chapters due to him having no role for so long - and now there is Barbas, who mysteriously likes Alix for something other than a meal, lol. I'll have to wait a bit to post them and re-read them to see if they will fly, lol. Thank you so very much Destri!
***
@ Winter Wolf - Lol, I can get a screenie of her on the roof easily enough, I wonder...maybe using the duplication glitch to roll potatoes down and quick jump back for a screenshot, lol. I'll see what I can do. Couldn't have the story without the dagger, lol. Thank you so much Wolf !!!!!

wow I think I read this on an other site a few weeks back

you're extremly talented Malx, I can't wait for what happens next ^^,

*




******* Me And Fathis Aren







*

Classic Maxical!

I like this better than the original version. Much tighter, and a better introduction of Fathis Aren. This makes him more sympathetic, so let's see how well it holds up later on.

You had me laughing at the comments in the guard room! And the mental picture of red-faced Adamus Phillidia with pigeon poo on his mug!

Yes, your writing skill has improved greatly since the first time around. You are able to convey what you want more effectively now. Nice job mALX.

HEY!!!


WHAT!!?

*Destri puts in a request to adopt one-hundred Cyrodiilic pigeons*

*marches back to screen with paper towels*

*wipes spit and snot off screen*

*sits down again and imagines mALX tied hand and foot under the legs of a camel with a stomachache*

All right, you minx. You have done it again. My screen is attracting flies from all the spit I have had to clean off it...AGAIN...

I hate you.

I hate you.

AND I WANT MORE POSTS LIKE THIS DO YOU HEAR???!!!???

That's our Maxical, no doubt about it!!

The way you write humor is second to none. Even through words alone I can sense that Maxical is straight faced and innocent with her expression while carnage is occuring around her. I love it!!

The 'when in doubt, fake a faint' is priceless. So Maxical. And so womanly.

@ Hauty - Thank you so much Hauty! I am trying to tighten it up, cut the ook out and streamline it so I can get it over here sometime this year, lol. The other forum is so dead it's not funny, I have new chapters up on the story over there and no one is reading them. If it wasn't for Acadian I would be spamming my own thread just to post chapters, lol. I have been considering cutting out updating till I can get it all over here, but my Mom won't let me. My email box would be over-run with threats, lol.
***
@ Acadian - That means a lot to hear Acadian, thank you so very much - and you are greatly appreciated for sticking with Maxical (and me!) I know you have needed some down time to relax, so it means that much more to me that you did take the time to read !! If I don't remember to add it, here is a hug emoticon for you!
***
@ - ROFL !!! Destri, I knew that policy of Adamus Phillida would get your goat, lol. I actually pictured your reaction while writing it! - but I pictured that is exactly how they would do it if they were trying to mild money out of benefactors. Thank you Destri, You ROCK !!!
***
@ Foxy - ROFL !!! I spewed just reading your comment!!! You just don't know how good it is to have you and your sense of humor (raunchy) here!!! You have been missed since we moved over here! You ROCK any forum you get on! And Thank You, Thank You for coming! (and reading Maxical!)
***
@ Winter Wolf - I can't thank you enough for your kind words Wolf! It means a lot to me to hear you say that, the comedy is my favorite part of the story, and as you know I have a bit of a warped humor, lol. It means a whole lot that you have come to know Maxical so well too, you are Awesome !!!

*



***

Hold for edit



*

Malx, the other writers' cry when they see your masterpieces. We aspire to be as good as you

Thanks mALX!! I really miss the 'Love M' letters. Now there is a whole bunch to read to my heart's content.
Yippeee!!

Fantastic stuff!! Dipping hands in water, the upstairs horse, destruction magic, archery, crazy stuff there.

And even the wicked imps are back!!

This is one of my favorites! Still makes me laugh!

Where's the screenie of Irlav Jarol?

I read it. I knew it. I have rolled in the floor for it.
And STILL when I read it again...my gravity...just blew it.
You minx. You imp. You royally rambuctious 'remoseful' recidivist -
You really CAN'T stop making us scream, you prankser most wicked!
For I though I had been cured when I read this the first time
But now I read it again, I see you've compounded the crime
Howling and Snorting and making noises truly BABOON
Giggling and snerking and yelling and swelling like a BALOON
Stamping my feet and waving my hands and something else like a wand
*No, don't ask WHAT it was. All I can say that it was - a gland *
Dancing like a Loon and making noises louder than a band
So that the world is saying "There goes one CWAYZEE man"...
And if only that world knew, that it's ALL BECAUSE OF YOU
That it's YOU my insanity BREWS and makes loose my SCREWS!!!

Congratulations mALX.

This is even more wonderful than the first time through. Yes, Maxical at her best!

I couldn't imagine you could improve upon the original but the first 3 chapters were simply brilliant.... So I am going to read it again

The Maxical we all know and love is back! Her letters home are still the most sure-fire cure for depression that I know of. It is a shame that she is going to graduate before we see what kind of mischief she could have gotten into using illusion spells. Irlav Jarol should count his blessings.


Shouldn’t this be Fredas-faced?

@ Zalphon - Thank you Zalphon! It is great to have you reading Maxical again!
***
@ Winter Wolf - Thank you so much Wolf - I was going to drop this chapter, but Hauty made a special request for it so it stayed, lol.
***
@ Hauteecole Rider - Thank you very much Hauty! And I posted the pics of Jarol, lol. I almost left this chapter out, I'm glad I didn't now. It was one of my favorites of the earlier chapters too!
***
@ Foxy - Thank you very much Foxy! And you are right, I added some to it, lol. I am cutting out a lot of what I bring here, but the Foxy episodes will all stay intact!
***
@ Acadian - Thank you so much Acadian! You are greatly appreciated!
***
@ Remko - Yeah! Thank you very much Remko! I appreciate you - especially for bringing "The Contract" over - that means a lot to me, and when I begged, bugged, and slobbered for you to do it, I really didn't think you would! I am glad it is not holed away here like it was at the BGSF, others really should see it!
***
@ Destri Melarg - Thank you so much Destri! I wanted to limit it to 2000 words, but could have come up with plenty more. That chapter was inspired by my older son. I was called daily by the school - no exaggeration.

Friday-Faced = A dismal countenance; melancholy-looking; dejected.

or, if a picture is worth a thousand words - Friday-Faced =

Well, gee, I wonder what's Irlav Jarol got to be dejected about?

Is it because Skaleel is complaining to him about being stuck in a dusty, moldy ruin (Vahtacen)?

Or is it because she is stuck in a dusty, moldy ruin? With a young, clueless male Imperial (Denel)?

Or because his book Magic from the Sky didn't sell as well as he hoped?

Or because he's stuck with Maxical in his class?

This one has my vote!

*


Chapter 5: Graduation Day


Fathis kept true to his word and checked on my progress regularly through my years here at the Arcane. Still, even though he wasn’t surprised, it felt good knowing he was proud of me. I could read that in his eyes.

He really surprised me. He never got angry at me for the trouble I got in even when it cost him a lot of Septims. A few times I thought it had even tickled him a bit. We became friends, and I wrote to him all the time, not just when I was in trouble.

Fathis did a wonderful thing for me, paying for me to get an education like this, using his influence to get me into the University, checking up on me like he has done, and keeping me out of trouble. I tried to throw him a look of gratitude while it was fresh on my mind. Raminus paused, his eyes steaming, but then resumed his recitation.

I had really come to love Fathis. I had learned enough about him through eavesdropping to know that his longest relationship lasted till dawn the next morning. More cases than not it was over five minutes past the end of the deed. I can’t say knowing that stopped my dreams of him. I told him I would save myself for the day he decided to settle down if I hadn’t died of old age before then. He laughed and touched my cheek. I was serious, and I think he saw it in my eyes. In my mind the promise was made. I would save myself for him.

I had gotten my blue show since the last time I had seen Fathis. It displayed prominently across my nose and forehead in a radiant splash of color against my white. I wondered if he would notice and think about that promise. I was only seventeen, it was earlier than most Khajiit get it. I actually didn’t feel any different, and wasn’t sure if I was supposed to.

The blue show is a Rite of Passage for a female Khajiit, it means we have reached our sexual maturity and is even more telling than the swelling of breasts. It is a point of pride, and is usually highly celebrated. I was the only Khajiit at the Arcane, so mine went unnoticed, even when I spiked my bangs so people would see it.

In the last five and a half years, almost the only time I saw Fathis was when I was in trouble for something. I sat by the windows in class and watched for him to come if I had done something wrong. Every time he set foot on the campus I would excuse myself from class saying I had to use the bathroom, then run to Arch Mage Traven’s tower and wait at the base of it for Fathis to exit, searching his face to see if he was angry. If there had been a way to listen through those transport portals I would have eavesdropped on his conversations with Arch Mage Traven.

Each time Fathis saw me waiting for him there, he would always smile at me and spend a few minutes talking to me. He would always speak to me in Khajiit, he knows a lot of different languages. I lived for the days he would come, even though it meant I had gotten into trouble.

These past years at the Arcane seemed to have flown by. I suddenly understood why a lot of the students stayed and just hung around campus after graduation. It was like a piece of you was left behind if you walked out those gates for good. I wanted to capture this moment in my memory and never forget it, standing up there taking my diplomas.

I turned my head and scanned the audience for S’Jirra and Alix. Raminus’ breath exhaled, so I turned back. He was nearing the classes I did not do well in. I wished he would stop now before he got to the rest of the grades.




***

I mastered in all the magic disciplines except Restoration. That is to say, I could cast the highest level spells. It looks good on paper, but I still couldn’t aim, so they were pretty much wasted on me. I still fried my friends every time I cast, even in the practice room where you aim at a stationary board. Somehow the fireball would curve around and hit a student in the room every time, sending them to Arch Mage Traven for healing. It got so when I walked in to practice the place would empty out.

During the field trials where students were chosen for teams, I was always the last one standing waiting to be chosen. Whoever was stuck with me would always throw a fit. I would notice jockeying going on, where my team leader would offer up all kinds of great things to get the other teams to trade me for their worst caster.

It is not just distance casting that I have a problem with. Part of the reason I couldn’t pass Restoration was that I could not hit myself with the spell. The day I was practicing conjuration and turned the hostile Daedra loose on campus accidentally, I was attacked by my own conjured Daedra like everyone else was. I was trying to heal myself, and kept healing the Daedra that the rest of the others were trying to kill.

My aim is not something I can take pride in. It is not limited to magic either. I wasn’t allowed to even pick up a bow to look at while on campus either. Arch Mage Traven said because of me he could get a post grad degree in healing injuries that involved an arrow wound. Delphine said I was a trick shooter because I would aim in front of me and hit someone standing behind me. I definitely have aiming issues.

I won’t get into the blunt weapon issues, but with Blades…I was outstanding. I tested through my masters in Blade without taking a class, that was because Alix taught me the master moves.

The rest of the courses that I didn’t do well in were Calculations, Enchanting, Speechcraft, Alchemy, and Block.

Arch Mage Traven came and shook my hand, his eyes were twinkling - probably with excitement that I was leaving. He gave me a list of trainers in Restoration. When I told him I'd much rather come back to the Arcane for my post grads in Restoration his face turned white as my fur.




***

When I stepped down off the stage I saw Fathis starting to head my way. I raked my fingers through my bangs trying to gap them in the middle of my forehead so he would see my blue show. I think he did, he got an odd look on his face. Kind of stunned. No one on campus knew what it stood for, but I knew Fathis would. Khajiit read people through their eyes, I looked into his and saw shock. He did notice. I guess the shock is because I was only seventeen, most Khajiit don’t get their blue show for another few years.

“You’ve done well Maxical. You have really grown up and made me very proud of you. I bought you a few presents for your graduation, and an early birthday present. You will be 18 soon, but I couldn‘t wait to give it to you.” Fathis was looking deeply into my face as he spoke.

I fought blushing and hope I smiled. I wanted to thank him for everything like the adult he said I was becoming, but instead I blurted out, “Presents?”

Fathis face lit up in a smile. “I see you have grown into a typical woman.” he said, obviously pleased by my response.

“This comes all the way from Shivering Isles, you can’t find one like this in all of Cyrodiil.”

*

That was when he gave me the golden armor. I had it for exactly six hours before a bandit cracked my skull with a hammer and stole it. That was the beginning of all the problems between Fathis and me.

Fathis wasn’t escorting me home, and it turned out he had come in Alix and S’Jirra’s stead. I had to make the trip alone. I watched Fathis make his way through the crowds and out the gate and suddenly I felt very alone, even in this crowd of people.

It was a Khajiit highwayman that stopped me. He demanded my money, his foul breath wafting through my whiskers. I tried to use my Eye of Khajiit but it didn’t work on him.

“Don’t waste your time, that won’t work on me!“ He said in a gravely voice. When he spoke some spittle from his mouth landed on my face. I thought I would vomit on the spot.

He jerked the pack from my hands and I saw him pull out the golden armor. I had no sword to fight him, having just left school. I started fumbling to find a fire spell, crying because I was scared and because he had taken the armor.

While I fought him another Khajiit came up behind me and bashed me in the head with his sledgehammer. I went down like a stone, and they took the armor Fathis had given me. They emptied out my pack, taking everything. I was left lying naked in the road in a pool of blood. I could feel it‘s hot dampness sticking to the skin of my back and arms.

My head felt like it had been split in two. I began casting healing spells as rapidly as I could, but with my poor restoration skills I was bleeding out faster than I was healing.

I prayed for Akatosh to send someone to help me, but no one came. My magicka was drained and I was still bleeding heavily. In my weakened state it was hard to keep casting.

I started to cry, and it made me feel weaker and that my situation was even more hopeless. I had to stop doing that or I would die. I could not raise my head at all, each movement sent such a pain through my head that I felt I would rather die than suffer it another second.

I was still laying there when the sun came up. Akatosh may not have sent me help, but no more enemies came, thank goodness. There would have been nothing I could do if they had. My magicka was spent staying alive, there would be none left for defense.

My throat ached for water, and I could smell the Rumare so near. I managed to roll over and pull myself the short distance off the road and tumbled down the hill into the water. At first I was afraid I would pass out and drown, so I cast a water breathing spell quickly just in case. I hated to waste the magicka that I needed to heal, but it would do me no good to drown while saving the magicka for healing.

The water felt good on my wounds, and I gulped some down as well. Fearing the blood in the water would draw mud crabs to me, I forced myself to move further down toward the Old Bridge. I was too weak to even fight a mud crab right now.

I pulled myself up underneath the bridge to hide till I could heal. I kept washing my wounds in the water and casting healing spells till I finally found my strength coming back to me.

I thought about the golden armor and started crying again. I had not even had it more than a few hours and it was gone. I could not replace it, Fathis had gotten it someplace called Shivering Isles. That was no where in Cyrodiil that I ever heard of. What would Fathis think?

“What am going to do now?” I wondered desperately.



***



******* Graduation Day - Sad to leave the Arcane:






*

So much deeper than the first time you wrote it. I couldn't help snickering over the antics in the arcana university... LMAO!
The bond she feels with Fathis is far better described although it feels a bit like the Stockholm Syndrome lol.

Hwut he said. This truly IS much better than the last time, because it is a writing style more mature, more subtle - and yet it still packs a delightful frission of humour!

KUDOS once AGAIN!!!

And you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, and you are tactful and not annoying, AND YOU ARE TACTFUL AND NOT ANNOYING....



...gaasp, gasp, gasp, GACK...aRRRRRRGH....

Nice couple of updates. You develop the characters well, the side characters which can be hard with the first person PoV.

And I love the style, so easy to read and just fun. And now she's graduated and free to wreak havok on the world... well... I can't wait.

As friend Remko said, so much deeper this time. This is mALX and Maxical at their very best. I love your character development here. Since I am not a fan of slapstick, I quite enjoyed the more subtle humor that wove through this chapter. Just masterfully done!

Loved the graduation day! I agree with the others - much better than the first time.

This resonated with me:

At my last graduation I was praying God, please don't let me trip on my way up to get my diploma!

Love the foreshadowing! That really sets up for the romantic comedy that follows!

I was enthralled all the way through this chapter. I must have missed the explanation of the blue show the last time through. I have heard you use the term, but I only knew what it meant in the context of the scene you were writing it in. It is nice to have a concrete definition now.

*wolf spins in dizzy circles of happiness*

I really love the new reworks that you have brought to Chorrol. Simply magnificent.
Being able to get my daily fix of Maxical here has restored the order to my world that I thought I had lost since the other site crashed. Yippee!!


There is no doubt about this!

mALX, your story has always been great...but I'm very much enjoying rereading this! Great job!

@ Remko - Thank you so much Remko, I like it much better too. I am cutting out a lot as I redo it. A whole lot, lol.
***
@ Foxy - Thank you very much Foxy, that means a lot coming from you! You are always appreciated!
***
@ Olen - Thank you very much Olen! I see Maxical's reputation for trouble goes before her, lol. I did way too much developing of other characters in the original, so I am slimming this way down and breezing over any character that won't be important to the plot. I am pretty pleased so far with the updated chapters, just hope I can keep doing as well on the edits. (I sometimes get slap-happy with that delete key, lol).
***
@ Acadian - Thank you so much Acadian! I agree, the original was too, too - I think this one has cut a lot of that out but kept the right amount of everything it needed. I tried to edit some today and deleted way more than I wanted to, and wasn't happy with what I put back in...grr, lol. You are greatly appreciated Acadian!
***
@ Hauty - Thank you so much Hauty! I do want you to know that the letters chapter was kept because you requested it, lol. This one - I wanted to make sure the Raminus parts got in there because he is about to show back up in the current chapters over at the BGSF.

The tripping...is there anyone that hasn't feared that? I tripped in every single public ceremony I was ever in from baptism to the grave. (I am a ghost writer), lol.
***
@ Destri - Thank you so very much Destri! I did a better job explaining the blue show this time, and with the cleaner write it was easier to see, lol.

For anyone who is wondering (Hauty and Acadian already know) - The vanilla Khajiit when you pale all the color out of them to make them white have a patch of blue over their nose that you cannot get rid of. The PC Maxical has the same thing, but her bangs cover it. I felt this needed some kind of explanation. I mean, she is albino but has a large blue patch on her forhead.

I used to raise parakeets and budgies - the male and female look pretty much alike till they reach their sexual maturity, then the male gets a bright blue show across the top of his beak (his cere) - so I thought, why not Khajiit females, lol? It certainly added to the story as far as Fathis is concerned, lol.

I know in the animal kingdom that the males usually have all the plumage, and this has always bothered me. I think the females should have plumage to attract the males to them instead of the other way around. I thought it was a pretty good addition to the story, so kept it in, lol.
***
@ Winter Wolf - Thank you so much Wolf! You ROCK !!! You have inspired so many things in this story just by your readership!
***
@ Rachel - Thank you very much Rachel! It is soooo good to see you back up and posting !!!!!

*



Chapter 6: The Golden Armor


Fathis Aren stepped out of the Main Ingredient and immediately encountered the aroma of steaks being grilled that was billowing out of the chimney at the Merchants Inn restaurant. A delicate breeze twirled the scent in a dance under the noses of the pedestrians, Fathis noticed several lifting their noses to the air to catch a better whiff of it. His stomach rumbled its response.

He still had an appointment with Varnado at the Best Defense to discuss the armors he had seen on his recent trip to the Shivering Isles, and had to walk right past the door of the Merchants Inn for the meeting. He found his head turned of its own volition towards that door as he passed and forced himself to look ahead again. Maybe Varnado would be willing to close up a little early if Fathis offered to treat his meal. After all, it was a business discussion for Varnado.

With that in mind Fathis stepped into the doorway of the Best Defense and hailed Varnado, but the words died on his lips as soon as he set foot in the shop. There, hanging on display was the golden armor he had given Maxical at her graduation! He couldn't be right! Surely it was a different armor, but no. There was the M he had engraved in the armor! The satchel of alchemy ingredients in Fathis’s hand dropped to the floor.

Rage building quickly inside him caused his face to take on a purplish hue and what appeared to be steamy vapor seemed to emanate from the vicinity of his face. With what can only be described as a restrained growl, Fathis asked Varnado where he had that armor from.

Varnado stepped from behind the counter and started over to Fathis calling, "A Khajiit brought that in a couple weeks ago, nice, isn't it? Are you interested in..." Varnado blanched, his speech coming to a grinding halt as he stepped back from Fathis Aren.

Without another word, Fathis turned on his heel and stormed out of the shop, slamming the door behind him and leaving the satchel filled with Alchemy ingredients on the floor.

Fathis was in a towering rage when he left the shop, all thoughts of hunger burned away by the hot rage that was filling him. As he strode through the Imperial City to the stables people were glancing up at him then hurrying out of his way.

He leapt on his horse's back in one jump. Without bothering to undo the fence, Fathis put his horse at the gate and squeezed his thighs with such force that the horse did not balk, but leapt cleanly over the fence.

Fathis pushed his horse into a full gallop and kept that pace for the full trip to the Faregyl Inn.



***

It was an ugly scene. I would never pawn anything Fathis gave me, but that is exactly what he thought I had done. The one who robbed me was a Khajiit, he must have pawned it. Fathis assuming the worst of me…that hurt. Fathis being mad at me…that hurt badly. In all the years I’d known him, and all the things I had done and gold I had cost him, that was the first time he was ever angry with me.

Sometimes when your Speechcraft is low like mine, you just can’t explain yourself right to an angry Dunmer. I looked into his eyes and tried to plead with him to let me explain, but about that time S’Jirra stepped up to him like a raging mother bear. He left angry.

On top of that incident, S’Jirra and Alix discovered a rather large key amongst my things. Fathis had given me the key to a Wizards tower he bought up in the Jerall Mountains in case I wanted to use it or live up there. He said I could have it, it was all set up for a mage. That was part of the presents from him at my graduation.

Alix and S’Jirra added that key together with Fathis coming in a rage. Then somehow my blue show got thrown into the conjecture, I guess because I hadn’t had it the last time they saw me. They calculated all this and came up with a scenario that hadn’t happened…yet. And with Fathis mad at me it didn’t look likely to happen any time soon.

I’m not going to say they raged at me, because they didn’t. But they were…concerned. In spite of the fact that I had the show to prove I was mature, at seventeen they felt I was too young to start acting like a woman.

I proved to them how mature I was by running away. I didn’t go far, and it wouldn’t be hard for Alix to figure out where I was if he remembered what I had written him in my letters from the Arcane. I went to the Imperial City Arena. I cried the whole way there.



***

While passing through the Market District on my way I hunted down my armor, it was hanging on display at the Best Defense.

"How much for the gold armor?" I asked the man who introduced himself as Maro Rufus.

"Better ask Varnado," Maro stated, then followed me over to Varnado's counter. He stepped behind the counter and elbowed Varnado. "She's wanting to know about that gold armor." Maro said, not taking his eyes off me.

Varnado instantly looked over at me, then both of them were leering like they had an inside joke.

"How much for the armor?" I repeated. They just kept leering and elbowing each other. My red-haired temper started flaring, and this seemed to amuse them further.

Finally Varnado quoted a price that made my heart drop. There was no way I could come up with that kind of money, no wonder Fathis had been angry when he thought I had sold his armor, it had cost him a small fortune!

As I was leaving the shop disheartened, I looked back to see them elbowing each other and laughing. I looked down to see if my armor was undone or something, and found it had mud splashes from the walk here. Maybe I should clean up before going to ask for work at the Arena.

Before I was halfway down the street I looked back to see Varnado and Maro standing outside the shop pointing at me and jabbing each other, laughing. I stopped and checked my armor again to see if something was showing that shouldn’t be. My eyes fell on the white of my hand.

"Oh, it's because I'm an albino…those bastards."

As I was walking to the Arena I passed a storefront window and caught a glimpse of myself. My hair was bedraggled and my eyes were swollen and a puffy red from crying. I had splotches of mud everywhere.

I hurried down to the Lake Rumare and bathed in it, scrubbing my armor. I had no comb, so I ran my fingers repeatedly through my hair to train it into some semblance of order. I splashed water on my face, but doubt it helped much.



***

The Arena was filthy; I shouldn't have bothered cleaning up. Blood smeared the walls; the place reeked of death, blood, sweat, and something else really disgusting. Everyone was pretty rude to me, but surprisingly I was given a chance to be a combatant by Owyn, the Blademaster.

My first few fights were over with before they even started. I may have been a raw pit dog here, but could have swung my blade against much higher skilled men than they were sending in. They died quicker than a mud crab would have.

My thoughts about that were soon realized. The Yellow team started sending in ringers. I don’t know, maybe they thought Owyn was doing that sending me in.

Since I was a runaway, I always wore an eye mask so no one would know who I was. I made it part of my Arena persona. Okay, so I am not the brightest person in Cyrodiil. The fact that I was a white Khajiit could still clearly be seen. I found out later that my name was posted on a board out front too. There are times in your life when you do stupid things, and later on you look back at them and laugh…I doubt I will ever look back on that with anything but humiliation.



***

One day the Yellow team sent in three combatants at once to fight me. Owyn tried to stop it but there was nothing in the books that forbid it. I was surrounded quickly and realized I was outmatched this time. I made the mistake of backing myself up against the wall and immediately they swarmed in like a disturbed hive of hornets. I had one in front of me and one on either side. I was going to go down, and fast. I was afraid for the first time since I joined the Arena.

Khajiit have an evil eye that frightens anyone that sees it. It is kind of like a spell. It was my only option to get out of the situation. The man in front of me got the full force of it when I cast it. He ran yelling for me not to kill him, and I followed as fast as my feet could carry me. He left a trail of pee as he ran from me. The crowd was laughing, so I pointed out his trail of urine with my sword making my mouth into a big O as I chased the man. They roared.

I was trying to stab him in the liver as he ran away from me, and finally managed to pierce him. He didn’t die, but it injured him pretty badly. I think I took out a kidney.

The other two men didn’t know what happened, and it took them a few seconds to come after me. It was enough time for me to chase down ‘I P Freely’ and take him out from behind.

At least it was a little more evenly matched now, if you could call it that. These men were both good fighters, and quite a bit taller than me. They had more strength too. I started using the moves Alix taught me and combined it with a whole lot of running away to avoid fighting two at once.

The crowd was in a mood to laugh. I didn’t know if I was leaving the Arena today, no one ever does when they walk in. But if I was going down, I wanted to be remembered. I started making my tail do funny things like I used to get in trouble for at the Arcane.

I would face my tail to the crowd and make it look like a question mark, as if saying “What are they going to do next?” I was facing the combatants, so they couldn’t figure out why the crowd was laughing so hard.

The thing about the crowds at the Arena, they just want to be entertained. It doesn’t matter if you make them laugh, cry, or scream. If you make them feel anything they will love you. They started calling my name…my name. I was outmatched, and the Yellow team couldn’t figure out why the crowd was cheering for me instead of them.


***


******* The Fights:
















******* About to kick someone's face in:

The other two men didn’t know what happened, and it took them a few seconds to come after me. It was enough time for me to chase down ‘I P Freely’ and take him out from behind.


(Sigh)

There goes my screen .... AGAIN ...

This was delightfully Maxical. Right down to an albino Khajiit trying to wear a mask to disguise herself. . . or waving her tail at the crowd.

The story continues to be richer than the original without losing anything. Very well done again mALX!

I agree with Acadian, your skill is apparent in every scene of this chapter. The image of Maxical chasing ‘I.P. Freely’ around the Arena will get me through the weekend!

I must confess, however, that I miss the detailed depiction of the robbery that results in Maxical losing her armor. Your description of that scene and of Maxical sleeping under the old bridge was what made me fall in love with her in the first place. Given how important this event is to her relationship with Fathis, it seems wrong for it to occur off-stage.