ALL GOOD THINGS...

In my many travels and adventures, I had collected a number of books. One book, however, stood out among all the others: Mysterious Akavir. It is a strange island several thousand miles east of the empire of Tamriel. The text was most disturbing.

 

Akavir means "Dragon Land".
Tamriel means "Dawn's Beauty".
Atmora means "Elder Wood".
Only the Redguards know what Yokuda ever meant.

Akavir is the kingdom of the beasts. No Men or Mer live in Akavir, though Men once did. These Men, however, were eaten long ago by the vampiric Serpent Folk of Tsaesci. Had they not been eaten, these Men would have eventually migrated to Tamriel. The Nords left Atmora for Tamriel. Before them, the Elves had abandoned Aldmeris for Tamriel. The Redguards destroyed Yokuda so they could make their journey. All Men and Mer know Tamriel is the nexus for creation, where the Last War will happen, where the Gods unmade Lorkhan, and left their Adamantine Tower of secrets. Who knows what the Akaviri think of Tamriel, but ask yourself: Why have they tried to invade it three times or more?

There are four major nations of Akavir: Kamal, Tsaesci, Tang Mo, and Ka Po' Tun. When they are not busy trying to invade Tamriel, they are fighting with each other.

Kamal is "Snow Hell". Demons live there, armies of them. Every summer they thaw out and invade Tang Mo, but the brave monkey-folk always drive them away. Once Ada'Soom, Dir-Kamal, a king among demons, attempted to conquer Morrowind, but Almalexia and the Underking destroyed him at Red Mountain.

Tsaesci is "Snake Palace", once the strongest power in Akavir (before the Tiger-Dragon came). The serpent-folk ate all the Men of Akavir a long time ago, but still kind of look like them. They are tall, beautiful (if frightening), covered in golden scales, and immortal. They enslave the goblins of the surrounding isles, who provide labor and fresh blood. The holdings of Tsaesci are widespread. When natives of Tamriel think of the Akaviri they think of the Serpent-Folk, because one ruled the Cyrodiilic Empire for four hundred years in the previous era. He was Potentate Versidue-Shaie, assassinated by the Morag Tong.

Tang Mo is the "Thousand Monkey Isles". There are many breeds of Monkey-Folk, and they are all kind, brave, and simple (and many are also very crazy). They can raise armies when they must, for all of the other Akaviri nations have, at one time or another, tried to enslave them. They cannot decide who they hate more, the Snakes or the Demons, but ask one, and he will probably say, "Snakes". Though once bitter enemies, the Monkey-Folk are now allies with the Tiger-Folk of Ka Po' Tun.

Ka Po' Tun is the "Tiger-Dragon's Empire". The Cat-Folk here are ruled by the divine Tosh Raka, the Tiger-Dragon. They are now a very great empire, stronger than Tsaesci (though not at sea). After the Serpent-Folk ate all the Men, they tried to eat all the Dragons. They managed to enslave the Red Dragons, but the black ones had fled to (then) Po Tun. A great war was waged, which left both the cats and snakes weak, and the dragons all dead. Since that time, the Cat-Folk have tried to become the Dragons. Tosh Raka is the first to succeed. He is the largest Dragon in the world, orange and black, and he has very many new ideas.

"First," Tosh Raka says, "is that we kill all the vampire snakes." Then the Tiger-Dragon Emperor wants to invade Tamriel.

 

I decided that I should investigate this mysterious land of strange and dangerous creatures. They had invaded Tamriel before. The last time, they had been repelled by the power of the Tribunal. However, since I had destroyed the Heart of Lorkhan, their power was diminished. Sotha Sil had been killed by Almalexia in a fit of jealous rage over her desire to grab power. Almalexia had been killed by my hand when she tried to murder me. And I had heard a rumor that some young buck tried to make a name for himself by trying to kill Vivec, trying to capture his soul into a grand soulgem. It didn't work, of course, I had the only soulgem that could have done this. And of course, the idiot died of his own wounds received in the battle.

With the Tribunal gone, Akavir was more a threat now then it ever was, if this book was anywhere near accurate.

And I now had the means to go there.

 

I had Laurenna meet me in the armory.

"Where are you off to now?" she asked.

"Akavir." I replied, as I put on an ebony cuirass. "I feel the place must be investigated.

 

"But Eldorf," she argued, "it's so very far away, and it was so long ago, most people, at least in Skyrim, thought it was just a legend."

"I'm not so sure." I countered. "The information in the book seems very accurate to me."

"Will we be chartering a boat to take us there?" she asked.

"No, I'll be going there by air." I said. "But you will play an important role in what takes place."

"Oh?" she asked. "What role would that be, with me here and you there? And how are you going to get their? As a cliffracer?"

"Wait and see." I replied.

 

I took a number of potions with me, along with an assortment of rings and things with enchantments in them. I figured I'd better make sure I had everything needed in case I ended up in a battle with some very nasty creatures.

We left the castle and headed towards the small island just west of our home.

 

We stopped at the little bridge we had spent so much time on, listening to the babbling brook underneath our feet.

"Akavir is a dangerous place." I said. "Essentially, I'll be going there as a spy. I have read the book describing the creatures there, and their intentions affect us all. There are rumors of trouble in the imperial province, but those things don't concern me. The Tribunal is no more in this land, and they were the only thing that drove out these creatures the last time they invaded.

 

"It is so far away." said Laurenna. "How will we know what you've found out about this place?"

I smiled. "That's where you come in. You know the wedding band we have allows us to communicate by thought, right."

Her eyes widened. "So you'll be spying on them, and reporting back to me?" she asked.

"Exactly." I replied. "We have an advantage no spy ever had before: communication back to my home base."

"But Eldorf," she asked, "won't you get tired flying that far? What if there are no islands between here and Akavir?"

"Follow me." I said.

 

 

 

I took her over to the pond.

"I'll be riding him." I said proudly.

 

I gave Laurenna the biggest hug and kiss she had ever gotten from me before.

"You listen, old man." she warned, "You'd better come home in one piece. I'll hack and slash every creature that stands between you and me, and when I reach you, well, you know...."

"Yes, dear." I replied. I knew she meant it, too. If I didn't communicate with her every day, she'd know something was wrong.

"And you," she said, addressing Poppodopulus directly, "You make sure you take good care of him. He gets into trouble every time he takes a vacation somewhere."

Poppodopulus looked at here, staring directly at her, as if he could, at any moment, let out a burst of dragon fire, then closed his eyes, and responded "Yes, ma'am. I will protect him to the best of my ability."

What more could anyone ask of a dragon?

Well, except maybe to stay out of the kitchen.

 

I turned him around and faced Laurenna directly. "I'll contact you once each day." I said. "If you don't hear from me after two days, I might be too far away for the rings to work. We've never actually figured out what the range is on them."

"True." she replied. "But they should work anywhere. Try them when you reach the Telvanni coast."

"I will." I replied.

I paused for a moment, then added "I love you, sweetie."

"You bet you do." she replied with a smile. "And I love you, too!"

 

With that, I nudged my mighty dragon to the side so he could spread his wings without hitting the trees.

"Let's fly!" I shouted.

 

And fly, we did.

We circled the pond once or twice.

Then with a powerful burst from his wings, Poppodopulus lifted higher and higher into the sky.

 

Seconds later, the trees were small toothpicks beneath us.

I turned him to the east, to fly over the castle.

 

I looked below us as we flew over the castle. A home to protect, and yet, more than that, a people to protect as well, for if Akavir was that much of a threat, this would be a most important mission.

And yet, it felt like a last look, as if I'd never see it again. But no, I would return here again one day. I had to. I had someone to come home to. And in no uncertain terms, if I were to go missing, she'd come looking for me.

The beasts of Akavir should beware. An angry Nord is nothing to scoff at.

 

As my new journey started, I thought back of all the odd adventures I had while I had been here.

I started out as a prisoner released from the Imperial City prison, ignorant of the role I was to play in the history of Morrowind province.

I had been sent to fulfill a prophecy set up long ago, to right a terrible wrong, destroy Dagoth Ur, as well as the horrible disease he let loose upon the peoples of Vvardenfell.

I set things right in Mournhold, ending the reign of Almalexia, and defeated Hircine's mad hunt in Solstheim.

I had the experience of becoming a vampire (and becoming human again), defeating an evil shaman and chieftain in Lokken, rescuing an innocent victim from their evil spell, restoring the rightful heir to the throne, meeting Laurenna.

The rumors of trouble in the Imperial province indicated a problem with the heir to the Imperial throne. I cared not for the Emperor who sent me here as his puppet. Some other person would have to rise up and fix that problem. Tamriel always seems to have a hero coming from the most unlikely of places, and always just in the nick of time. No, the Empire would survive without me, if needed.

Perhaps that was all there was for me here.

My destiny lay in Akavir if only to spy on them, and learn if they were actually a threat to Tamriel. Yes, I understood how dangerous this mission could be. Still, I had a loyal dragon to watch over me, along with all of the skills I had mastered through these many years. Maybe what I discover there would be of benefit to others, perhaps the next hero of Tamriel. I had a reason to return: Laurenna. If it is possible, I'd come back alive.

Only time will tell.

 

 

THE END

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS