Just a little something I decided to start so that I could detail the background of one of the most interesting characters I've ever come up with. Probably not as good as some of the other stuff on here, but hey I wrote it at 2am

Hope you like it! Please feel free to offer some criticism.



Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End




The night was dark and the air humid. A single wagon led by a guar bounced along the bumpy road as its driverstruggled to keep himself conscious. The lantern that was hung on the front of the wagon cast long shadows across the road as it swayed from side to side with the motion of the wagon. The man carried a simple and modest cargo of saltrice and comberries, or so he thought. Unbeknownst to him he carried something far more sinister tucked away beneath his cart, holding fast to the axle.

The driver lifted his head lazily as his eyes met with the light of the torches that hung on the tall walls of the plantation. Two guards approached him as he pulled on the reigns of the guar, slowing the wagon to a stop. The light from the torches they carried cast odd shadows across their masked faces and the contours of the bonemould armor. The guards moved towards the wagon, pulling the hide back to reveal its cargo. The two armored mer prodded around the sacks of berries and saltrice until they were satisfied with the contents of the wagon. They made their way back to the front of the cart, nodding to the driver whose head bobbed up and down as he caught himself from slipping into sleep. The driver of the wagon nodded in reply as he shook the reigns of the guar. The cart once again jolted into a slow and steady pace as it made its way past the guards and the tall walls and into the yard of the plantation. A large manor in the traditional style of the region loomed over the dozens of small rickety shacks that were littered through the plantation. The wagon slowly rolled up next to the large manor, the old wooden frame of the wagon creaked loudly as the driver stepped off the side and walked up to a door near the back of the manor.

The driver lazily knocked on the hard wooden door. A few moments later it creaked open on its hinges as a quite obese mer stepped forth, he looked over towards the wagon then turned back towards the manor motioning to someone inside. Two more mer, much more fit than the first, appeared and began loading the sacks and bags of comberries and saltrice into the kitchen of the manor. One of the mer looked up curiously as a few bit of gravel fell onto his head from above. However he quickly dismissed it and returned to his duties.

A short time later the driver once again took a seat at the head of his cart and shook the reigns of his guar, which began to pull the much lighter cart forward once again. The driver of the cart sleepily nodded to the guards as he passed back through the tall walls. His eyelids finally closed over his crimson eyes as he succumbed to the ever tugging hand of sleep, confident that his companion would guide them home safely. He knew his job was done for now, his lord’s share of his was now delivered. However he knew not of the other cargo he delivered, the cargo that would soon make itself known.


EDIT: Chapter 2 is already finished, I'll post it on here later. Or you can go ahead and read it athttp://s7.zetaboards.com/Scribes_Corner/topic/8531059/1/#new

Chapter 2: If Shadows Could Talk


There was a slight click as the heavy wooden door shut and the lock was set in place. The mer yawned as he stretched his arms out to his side. It had been a long day for him, as managing his large plantation was no small feat. He casually made his way over to his extravagant bed and began to unbutton the elaborate tunic that hung across his shoulders. The blue and green tunic was tossed atop a nearby dresser along with the equally stunning pants that he wore. The mer then reached over to a small table next to his bed, grabbing a leather bound book that rested on the dark surface. He then flipped to the page where he had finished reading the night before and once again began to scroll over the hand written text with his sleepy eyes.

His heartbeat echoed in his ears and his stomach churned with anxiety as he observed his prey. The adrenaline coursed through his veins as he silently muttered an incantation, his form melting into that of the wall he stood next to. He watched as his target moved about the room carrying out his nightly routine. He silently forced himself to move from the corner and towards the other end of the room. Constantly telling himself that this was not the first time he had done this, it was not the first time he had taken a life. However his hands still shook and his breath was still heavy. Little did he know that tonight would alter his entire life.

He moved forward once again, edging ever closer to his prey like a lion stalking a gazelle in the grassy plains of Elsweyr. Then suddenly he felt an unfamiliar urge, an urge that told him to speak out before he plunged his blade into the throat of the mer before him. Then almost as surprising as the urge itself he listened to it.

"He dies in the end." The raspy voice echoed throughout the room, coming from no clear direction. The mer quickly looked up from his book. Startled by the voice he frantically looked around the room for the source.

"Who's there, show yourself," he commanded as he stood from the bed. Rayden's heart had now slowed its beat and was in perfect rhythm with his breathing; he was focused, concentrated, and his mind was clear.

"A shadow," replied Rayden, followed by a slight chuckle. He observed the other mer as he cautiously walked around the room, inching himself towards the door.

"If shadows could talk then I might believe you. Now show yourself!" he commanded once again.

Another louder laugh echoed throughout the room, "You will be wishing I was truly a shadow."

The words seemed to flow from his mouth without thought. He could not control himself; he acted on nothing but instinct. With one quick and deft motion he lunged forward plunging his steel dagger into the mer's torso. His victim yelped with pain and surprise as the dagger pushed its way into his body. Rayden's form then materialized in front of the man, his hand still gripping the dagger that was lodged in the mer's side. The eye's of his target widened as he noticed the figure appear before him.

"Help! Assassin!" he screamed out as he gasped for air. Rayden drew closer.

"Shhh, be silent. They cannot help you now." spoke Rayden as calmly as if he were quieting a crying child.

He turned his head towards the door as he heard muffled footsteps. Then there was a loud bang on the heavy wooden door.

"Is something wrong Thanden!?!" yelled a muffled voiced from the other side. Rayden quickly turned his head back towards the mer in front of him as his target tried to yell once more.

"There's a-" The mer was cut short as Rayden pulled the dagger from the mer's side and with a sweeping motion brought the edge of the now warm steel into contact with the mans throat. The nearby wall was painted a glowing crimson as the mer's blood flickered in the candle light.

"Thanden!? Thanden!?" cried the large and robust voice from the other side of the door. Rayden quickly turned his attention towards it as it burst open, pieces of the iron lock flew across the room as it was shattered. A very large nord then rushed into the room, warhammer in hand. He took one look at his bloodied master and then turned towards Rayden, letting out a deafening cry as he ran forward holding the silver mass of steel above his head ready to crush the life from his master's killer. Rayden reacted quickly, throwing the dagger in his hand at the Nord with as much force as he could muster. The blade struck the large man in the chest, and he dropped to his knee growling in pain as blood began trickling into his lung.

Rayden wasted no time in taking advantage of his strike as he quickly rushed forward pulling the wakazashi from his side and slamming it into the Nord's neck. There was a loud thud followed by a crack, and then gurgling as the large man's blood seeped into his trachea and down into his lungs. Rayden pulled the blade from the man's neck, and then the knife from his chest. His breathing was heavy and his head throbbed once again as the adrenaline rushed throughout his body. He walked over to the lone window and lifted the latch.

Whoa this is intense! I felt you did a great job with the environment and atmosphere, it was like I was in the room with them watching rayden stab into the mer. Very cool.

Oh by the way...WAKAZASHI's are freaking awesome!

Thanks man!

I might work on Chapter 3 tonight and get it posted.

Really great stuff man... Cant wait for the 3rd chapter

Thanks!

Lacking inspiration at the moment however the next chapter should be coming in a few days.

Chapter 3: From Innocence into Darkness

The circular room was dimly lit by a few candles placed around on various objects. The yellow-orange light flickered and danced across the contours of the organic walls, creating dark hues of off greens and browns. Two tall bookshelves lined the back off the room, dark leather-bound ledgers and ancient tomes were stacked neatly within them. Lengths of living wood jutted from the wall on the right forming a spiraling staircase that led to the second floor of the dwelling. There was a desk in the center of the room, it's wood was dark and showed age. A multitude of scrolls and letters littered the surface of the desk, some lay open while others had been sealed with crimson wax. Behind the desk sat an individual that was as dark as the room he resided in. Half of his slender and scarred face was illuminated by a nearby candle, his expression was one of aggravation. His deep crimson eye's pierced the darkness of the room and gazed straight forward at the mer in front of him.

"What do you mean you killed his guard?" the deep and raspy voice came from the dark figure from behind the desk.

"He got in the way Master..." replied the mer from in front of the desk. His voice was younger and sleeker than that of his Master's, it was also laced with small hints of fear and nervousness.

"How could he have got in the way!? You were to enter at night and go through the window." the gravelly voice of the older mer became to assume a tone of great frustration as he interrogated his younger apprentice.

"I..." the younger mer hesitated, wary if he should say what truly happened, "I showed myself and the target screamed for help. He came bursting through the door, there was nothing I cou-" the apprentice was cut off as the Master abruptly stood from his desk while slamming his hands down onto it's surface. A few of the documents that were scattered about the top of the desk fluttered off the side as his hands made contact with the old wooden desk.

"He would not have screamed if you would have done your job correctly!" barked the older mer, "I expected better of you Rayden. I taught you better than this." The Master sat back down, placing his face in his hands. His voice was slightly calmer now, yet still carried a tinge of aggravation,

"Because of this mishap we're going to have the Legion breathing down our necks. It is by the grace of Azura that we are even allowed to operate at all, and people like you running around killing without a writ is only going to make it harder on us."

"Rithe, I'm sorry..." spoke Rayden, his voice was sincere. This was one of the last times he would ever truly be sorry for something. His apotheosis into the monster that would plague the Tong was close now, and the following weeks would only take him farther down this dark road.

"There is nothing to be sorry about now, it is done. Now go, leave me. I must write a report to the Grandmaster so that he can deal with the legal issues of this. Hopefully we can get the contractor to take out a writ on the guard as well."

Rayden looked down, then turned and walked from the room. Rithe was one of the only people he truly cared for other than his parents.

A guild of assassins is not really the best place to raise a child. Rayden had been surrounded by death and murder since he was born; as soon as he could walk he was being trained in the ways of the Dunmeri assassin. He never lived the normal life of a Dunmer boy, like the others he watched from the window of his house as they played in the streets. His parents had always told him that he was superior to them, that he was born with a purpose, with a destiny. When Rayden first began to comprehend that he was being trained to be a cold blooded killer he rebelled and tried to run from the guild and his parents. However the young and innocent Rayden would not last forever, fate would have it a different way. A way that would eventually lead to his descent into darkness.

After the Master of the Sadrith Mora guildhall noticed the radical behavior of the young mer he offered to take him on as an apprentice. Rayden's parents agreed without hesitation and sent their son to live with Rithe. It was under the care of Rithe where Rayden truly found his love for the guild. While his parents taught him the blunt end of the trade Rithe showed him the true meaning of what it meant to be an assassin. He showed him that being an assassin did not mean you were a cold blooded killer but someone with a purpose, someone that balanced the power of the world, and that without them the world would fall into chaos. He showed him how by altering the fate of a few individuals that you could alter the fate of entire Nations.

Rayden's footsteps echoed off of the living hardwood floor of the guildhall as he made his way into the main room of the building. A few of the other Morag Tong assassins sat in some of the ornately carved wooden chairs that where placed throughout the room. Some read books while others sharpened their daggers and swords until the edge could split the finest of hairs. Rayden sat in one of the empty chairs and reclined against the backrest, thinking about the events that had transpired over the last three days.

EDIT: Fixed some spelling and Grammatical errors. Once again I must point out that I'm writing this at 3am

Very vivid O_O As Gary said, you create an atmosphere - colourful language. You got us hooked man

MOAR

Once again superb... keep it up! and here you http://www.mwmythicmods.com/fishystick.jpg

Thanks guys! It means a lot to me when people give comments like those, it even inspires me to write more.

...Just don't let me get big-headed.....for one I don't want to turn into an ass and two I really don't think collecting forks is my thing [/easter-egg reference]