From m.m.gunn@xtra.co.nzTue Mar 3 23:39:26 1998 Date: Wed, 04 Mar 1998 19:16:12 +1300 From: Mike and Micky Gunn To: "dagrfall@ods.com" Subject: [PORC] Revelations Here's another instalment from Sherrian: --------------------------------------------------- Subject: Porc Tales Date: Tue, 03 Mar 1998 07:42:32 -0700 From: Sherrian To: m.m.gunn@xtra.co.n Nyx went upstairs to her room. It was her favorite because she and Nightshade had spent their first night together here. She smiled at the memory. She had been so afraid! She'd heard all the stories: girls being seduced into giving up their virginity and being abandoned, girls forced along with their lovers into sword point marraiges by angry parents, girls getting pregnant. Worst of all, she had half-feared that Nightshade would be disappointed by her lack of experience. She knew that Nightshade wasn't a bounder, nor would her father be angered. Not that he hadn't cared--far be it. He was simply wise enough to know that his daughter, at the age of seventy-five, was old enough to make her own decisions. And she was smart enough to be careful--she knew the precautions. Still, she had worried. There had been some pain (something she hadn't considered!) but after the pain, sweetness. It hadn't been as exciting as the romantic stories she'd read made it out to be. Nightshade explained that things like that took time, despite what the stories had said. "How long?" she'd demanded, full of curiosity and innocent desire. Nightshade chuckled and pulled her close. "Who knows?" he asked, kissing her nose. "But there's one sure way to find out!" Nyx grinned a little at the memory. Outside the inn, the wind was whooping it up, and lightning flashed, painting the room with blue-white light. 'Sheogorath's having a time of it,' she thought, grinning a bit wider. If there was anything that the Prince of Madness enjoyed more than storms (other than his onw brand of mad mayhem) she couldn't think of it. the half-elven shadow walker stripped off her soaking wet clothes and hung them over the chairs to dry. Then she put on suede pants and a jerkin over a bright blue blouse. She untangled her wet curls and put on dry boots. Almost as an afterthought, she pulled a large bottle of some reddish-black liquor out of her pack. Joel, the innkeeper, collected fine liquors, and he was sure to appreciate this one--if Nyx didn't drink it all telling her story. She took one last look around the room, sighed, and went downstairs. She took a table by the fireplace. A few minutes later the innkeeper brought her a meal: rabbit stew, brown bread, yellow cheese, ale. "I have Crow watching the bar," Joel told her. "All right. I brought you a little surprise, old friend." She smiled wryly and put the bottle of reddish-black brandy on the table. Joel's usually sleepy blue eyes widened. "Is that--?" "Daedric blackjack? May Sheogorath strike me mad if it isn't," Nyx said with a grin. Joel grinned back. "It's too late, dear. You've been as mad as a hatter for years," he teased. "I must be, because I actually like hanging around here," she shot back, and they laughed. "Eat your lunch before it gets cold," Joel told her. While Nyx ate, she and Joel made small talk. The innkeeper, like others of his kind, was a wellspring of gossip, news of the land, and amusing anecdotes. Nyx listened attentively, then asked, "So who's the latest crop of fools--I mean adventurers around here? Other than myself, of course." "Hmmm. Let's see." The slender innkeeperleaned back in his chair. "There's a dark-elven jake named Balefire." Joel always called any men he met 'jakes'. The women he always called 'janes'. Nyx suspected it was an old habit left over from his mercenary days. "Most I can say for him is, he's an interesting fellow." Nyx grinned. "Go on." "There's a couple of Janes, too. Two elves, J'layah and Twilight. And a human lady named Mea Culpa." He chuckled. "She and Balefire are sparring partners." "Ahh. So that's what they're calling it now?" 'In that case,' she thought wryly, 'I'm one of the few mortals who can claim a daedra lord for a sparring partner.' Joel leaned forward again. "Something tells me you've got more on your mind than who's who in the tavern." Nyx sighed. "Yes. It's a long story, and a private one. could we talk elsewhere?" She looked around at the few patrons, then back at Joel. "I don't want this getting around." In the years he'd known her, Joel had never seen Nyx looking so unhappy...except, of course, when Nightshade's death still weighed on her heavily. He patted her shoulder. "Come on. We'll go to my office." Nyx nodded, and Joel led her to the small storeroom that doubled as an office. "Crow, keep the bar!" he called to his beak nosed assistant. The young man looked up from wiping down the bar. "Right, Joel." The small room was crowded with furniture and cabinets and gods only knew what else. The hearth in the kitchen made it pleasantly warm, but in summer, the heat could be stifling. But now, with the storm raging outside, it was pleasantly warm. "Have a seat," he told her, clearing a stack of books off a chair next to the desk. Nyx sat down, and Joel took the chair opposite hers. "I think I'll need a little liquid courage to tell this tale, but not too much, mind you," she told him. Joel nodded. "A little blackjack, then?" She smiled. "The irony will be good for my blood, friend." Joel looked up from pouring. "Eh?" "You'll understand shortly., Joel." She took the glass he offered her and sipped. She paused before swallowing, savoring the cinnamon-blackberry taste of the liquor. It had been a while since she'd had Daedric blackjack. A thin line of fire ran down her throat to her belly, making her shudder. "All right," she said at last. "Remember me telling you about my nightmares about that handsome jake with the green hair? The one who would invade my dreams and seduce me?" Joel nodded. "I do at that, Nyx." "Well, he's real enough. He's a Daedra lord named Emerald Vex. Or, at least, that's what we call him. Julianos only knows what his true name might be. Anyway, the dreams had a purpose. He was testing me." "Testing you? For what?" Nyx blushed, looked away. "He was looking for a consort...a mortal. And I fit his model of what that should be." Nyx didn't have to see Joel's face to know that he was utterly flummoxed. "Begging your pardon, Nyx, but you hardly seem the type," he said at last. "You're pretty enough...but don't they...I mean don't they usually want someone more, well, worldly and jaded?" She smiled. wryly. "He'd already had his share of that. And depraved sorceresses, too. He wanted someone more innocent, but with some experience, with intelligence. Someone who wouldn't give in without a fight. And when Zerith said 'If you take her, you have to take me, too', Emerald Vex said 'Fine by me'. And so we were both his captives." "Gods," Joel said softly. She drank more blackjack. "Oh it gets better, or worse, depending. He had two very loyal minions--Red, and Blackie. Of course, I doubt that's their truenames anymore than I'm Princess Morgiah. But they'd picked up the names from their hair color." "What were they?" he asked. "They..." She swallowed. "They were spider daedra." Joel started. His elbow struck the bottle of blackjack, nearly tipping it over. "Oh, gods...they didn't...I mean, I've heard stories...did he let them..." Nyx sighed. "I fear so, Joel. Thank the gods that he didn't let them do me any time they wanted, or I would probably be in the looney house right now, instead of chatting with you." He smiled weakly. Nyx went on. "Zerith and I finally found a way to escape. There was a summoning here, in the mundus. Vex was going to send one of his lesser minions--a morphoid daedra, I think--to serve the summoner. Zerith and I were there when it happened." She closed her eyes, summoning up the will to go on. "Zerith shoved me through the portal. He wanted me to come home." Tears ran down her face. "Gods only know what Emerald Vex has done to him!" Joel patted her back reassuringly, and Nyx took a deep breath. "So now I'm here. I'm trying to find a way to get Zerith back, if I can. And in the meantime, I know--I just know--that Vex has sent Red and Blackie after me. They'll drag me back to him, but only after they've had their share of fun with me." She sobbed. "But I'd gladly face them, if it meant I could save Zerith!" And Nyx finally broke down in tears. Joel held her close until the sobs ran their course. When she finished, he gave her his handkerchief. Nyx blew her nose. "The only good thing is that two spider daedra will be hard to miss. Red and Blackie are smart, but it's pretty hard to hide eight legs under a cloak." She smiled a little. Joel smiled back, relieved. "Stay here at the inn for as long as you like. I'll try and help you find some people to help you out with this. The Mage's Guild--" "Wants more money than I can really afford." "Ahh. I see. Don't worry, Nyx. We'll think of something." 'Hopefully before those two catch up to me,' she thought, but she only smiled.