Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-3293219-20140217201750/@comment-24449631-20140221224552

Rowan wandered down the dusty halls of his memory. Vaguely remembering the things that lay there, as if they were once his own.

It was dark, yet he able to see perfectly. Rowan was starting to get more sense of where he was. At least it wasn’t normal. He thought… But wasn’t sure.

Something didn’t feel right.

The halls of his memories had manifested as a lodge corridor with hundreds and hundreds of doors. Each door being a memory. All different sizes, decorations and markings on them. Characterising what was inside probably. A sane person would know this place didn’t really exist and that something was terribly wrong but Rowan didn’t, Boethiah’s Influence kept him nice and ignorant, all the while feeding on his inner most and darkest desires.

Rowan however started to notice something was wrong and felt like he needed to look for something. A memory, an anchor that would lead him back to reality, sanity and control. He remembered being able to do so twice now. Remember… It was long ago since he had ‘remembered’ something. Then again, he wouldn’t have known… With him being completely oblivious to the passing of time. But he did remember he remembered once. It was hard for him to make sense of things now. Like as if his brain was a string and it’s gotten into a big and almost unsolvable knot that he needed to find the end of. Only after that he would be able to peel it open and find his control again. Like when he saw those graves and that High elf.

Rowan walked the corridor, looking at all the different doors. Red, blue, gold, black, small, giant, beautiful, ugly… You name it. All sorts of them.

He tried a red door. It wouldn’t budge, the doorknob seemed stuck. the door was locked. He then tried a smaller one. Also locked. He had been going from door to door now for some time now. How much time that was in real life, he didn’t know.

Almost desperate to give up he tried one last door.

An Autumnal Orange one, with lovely Riftian Woodwork as decorations.

As he felt the doorknob move down he let out a sigh of glee. Finally, one that ‘works’

He took a deep breath as he pushed open the door and looked inside.

-

Riften 4E 209

Riften had one of its rare sunny days. Today, the autumn trees shone in the reflective light of the afternoon sun. The warm summer radiation was a blessing. Riften might be the only place in Skyrim were one could actually wear light clothes in the Summer. Rowan ran down the streets of the busy city. His brother was looking for him. They were playing tag and Rowan knew the best places to hide in the entire city: The plankside district. Da always said we shouldn’t go there but it was so cool. The people down there all had knives, blades and other weapons, they had scares and rugged beards. Like pirates. Rowan always laughed when Sterk said he wanted to become a pirate.

“The best pirate of all lake Honrich!” he would shout proudly while standing on a barrel with one leg in some heroic pose.

Rowan always wittingly said to him that lake Honrich was too small, “pirates are for open seas and oceans!”

<p class="MsoNormal">But Sterk wasn’t the brightest septim in the purse.

<p class="MsoNormal">-

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan had ran down the wooden stairs, Sterk close behind him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll catch you! Hahaha” he shouted.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan made a growling noise as he looked back.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Haha you’ll never catch me Dragonborn” he said with his deepest voice possible.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I will strike you down, you monster!” Sterk wittingly replied.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Then you will have to catch me!” Rowan flew off, waving his arms, pretending they were wings. Flying across the plankside district, dodging the adults who were walking there by zigzagging by them.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan almost was at the wooden stairs that lead to Honourhall when he looked back. Sterk was nowhere in sight.

<p class="MsoNormal">“hah! No dragonborn can catch me” The majestic dragon boasted to himself and turned his massive body around again to fly off once more but as he did, the dragon buried it’s face in the belly of a huge Giant.

<p class="MsoNormal">“ummmpff”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan looked up.

<p class="MsoNormal">A Nord in leather armour, looked down with a fierce look into his eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What are you doing here?” He asked with a dark tone.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan was stammering for words. He was so terrified for the sudden stranger. He looked dangerous.

<p class="MsoNormal">Eventually he let out a silent sorry.

<p class="MsoNormal">“S… sorry…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Kids like you shouldn’t be in these parts…” he looked at the small boy with a grin.

<p class="MsoNormal">“But you don’t have to fear me” His fierce look had turned into a slightly awkward grin.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I I… Don’t” Rowan said with all his courage.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh… a feisty one. Eh…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan looked with worry. No one was in the neighbourhood and the sun, that oh so rare sun had disappeared once more.

<p class="MsoNormal">No adult had ever talked to him like that.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Why don’t you come with me?” The Nord asked pretty sure of his case.

<p class="MsoNormal">“No… I need to go” Rowan said as he backed off.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Now now… don’t go” The Nord started to follow him with a slightly faster walking pace.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan started to panic and before he knew it he was running.

<p class="MsoNormal">“hehe hey! Where you going, boy!” The Pursuer said with a smile.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan felt the adrenaline rush through him.

<p class="MsoNormal">Where was Sterk?! Or anyone else really!

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan ran across the wooden docks, the boards creaking under his small weight.

<p class="MsoNormal">As he looked back he saw the pursuer gain on him with ease and eventually tackle him. Making him launch forward and be practically crushed under the weight of the pursuer.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Now don’t fight!” The Nord said with a slight shiver in his voice.

<p class="MsoNormal">“This won’t hurt a bit!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan started to scream as he tried to get from under the heavy body of the Nord. But it was hopeless. He was too strong.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan closed his eyes hoping whatever was going to happen, it would be over soon. But it was then that he heard the impact of an arrow and a slight “gulp”

<p class="MsoNormal">He looked up. His father stood there with Sterk at his side. He was holding the Autumn-Arrow Bow. Rowan realised what had happened and looked back. The Nord looked in Horror as he saw the arrow rest between his ribs as he drew his least breathe. He then fell to the side, into the canal with a loud splash.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan then looked back at his Father

<p class="MsoNormal">Heppni didn’t look at all pleased.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You, get up. Now…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan sighed, still a bit shaken.

<p class="MsoNormal">“yes, father…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Now.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan quickly stood up and walked up to his father.

<p class="MsoNormal">He now saw the mix of fear and anger in his eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We need to have a word”

<p class="MsoNormal">-

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan looked up. He had not been allowed to leave his room for the entire evening, and he had also lost his right on today’s supper.

<p class="MsoNormal">He sat on his bed, waiting. He knew his father would barge in any minute. And he wasn’t wrong. The door slowely opened and Heppni entered with a very stern look on his face.

<p class="MsoNormal">“How do you feel?” he asked Rowan with an equally stern voice.

<p class="MsoNormal">“euh good…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You shouldn’t go down there, Rowan… You know I specifically told you NOT to go down the ratway and plankside districts. It’s dangerous down there…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes Papa…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I haven’t told everything to your mother, If I did she probably wouldn’t let you out of the house for the entire year”

<p class="MsoNormal">That would be so true. His Mother was a, well… overcautious would be an understatement.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Naturally though, you will be punished”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan looked with dread in his eyes

<p class="MsoNormal">“You will have to take on all the chores of your brother for the duration of the entire month”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan wanted to protest but he knew he really wasn’t in the position to do so. Riften was a dangerous place, and he knew that.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan didn’t dare look his father in the eyes for a bit but eventually he looked up and saw not eyes with anger, but with relief.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m so glad nothing happened to you…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“But I won’t always be there for you… So I’ve decided.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Decided what? Father?” Rowan inquired.

<p class="MsoNormal">“To teach you.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You mean like, with Swords?!” Rowan jumped up from his bed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“sigh… yes.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh Wauw! So cool!” Rowan jumped up with glee

<p class="MsoNormal">“utututut… After. This month. You’re still being punished, remember.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Sigh… yes father.” Rowan sadly agreed with the compromise

<p class="MsoNormal">“The world is full with evil….” Heppni continued

<p class="MsoNormal">“Not just orcs and Trolls, or witches but far worse. Powers that will try and use you, enslave you. We Autumn-Arrows have always resisted these dark forces. It’s in our blood.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan looked at his father, hanging unto every word he said.

<p class="MsoNormal">But he, now, just smiled and said:

<p class="MsoNormal">“Good. That was all. You can come and have your dinner now.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Heppni had to move aside as his hungry little son dashed straight passed him out of the room and to the dinner table, this made him chuckle a bit.

<p class="MsoNormal">-

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan smiled. But he wasn’t at the dinner table anymore. He was standing next to lake Rumare. Looking down to his reflection.

<p class="MsoNormal">As he looked down he noticed the ring on his hand.

<p class="MsoNormal">Again, looking at it. As he slowly moved his other hand’s fingers over it and started pulling it a bit. It resisted, somehow.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s..”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan muttered to himself. While stroking the ring on his hand.

<p class="MsoNormal">He needed to concentrate. And remembered those words his father said. Because that’s right. He had a father, a family, people who cared about him. Maybe not literally anymore. But he wasn’t going to keep dwelling on it any longer. No more living in the shadow of guilt. Time to move on.

<p class="MsoNormal">“it’s…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Sigh.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s over.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan took a deep breath and pulled the ring off in one fell swoop.

<p class="MsoNormal">As he did that he heard it scream while he himself was pushed back by his own body.

<p class="MsoNormal">Everything hurt!

<p class="MsoNormal">He cried out as he felt his ribcage get smaller. His beard started to retract and his eyes became grey again. It all went pretty fast but it felt like ages. As if he was tossed through a hurricane.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan fell to the ground. Unconscious. The ring of Boethiah lay next to him. Calling for help, because it needed a wearer to survive.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan panted heavily as he felt his consciousness slip away. And smiled.

<p class="MsoNormal">“it’s over”