The land of the Goddesses: Part 1
I awoke to the sounds of my fellow merchants conversing and preparing to move, the morning sun's warm rays caressing my spotted fur like a gentle lover, and I couldn't help but smile at the window of my (admittedly large) tent. No matter what land we traveled through, there was no better feeling than the sun's embrace, urging you to greet the day before you. To me, the sun represented more, as it was our guide through this alien land, and one thing that remained the same from our home in Tamriel, aside from Masser and Secunda.
That and Moon Sugar.
I sat up with a stretch, eliciting a satisfying *pop*, before getting up and slipping into my tan, somewhat tattered robe. I had the money to acquire better clothing, but the robe was a gift from my family. Looking around, I catch sight of what (or who, I should say) I was looking for.
My assistant, Trixie Lulamoon, was asleep sitting up. Her alchemy kit was still set up, and she was gripping her mortar and pestle. She was wearing a robe, knit in the same style and color as her starry cape and hat. With a shake of my head and chuckle at her antics, I lean down and snap my fingers by her ear, startling her awake. A girlish "eep!" escapes from her lips and she jumps to her hooves, hands up in a fighting stance.
Good, she's still on her guard.
"We'll be heading out soon, Trixie. I suggest you pack up your things before we head out, or you'll leave something behind again." I advise, meeting her glare with a toothy grin. She crosses her arms and huffs, silvery blue strands of her mane falling in her face.
"Why must you wake the great a-" She cuts herself off at my look, "-err, me, up like that?"
"It works, doesn't it? Anyway, let's hurry and load the Senche cart before the others decide to leave us behind." I say, already gathering my few packs of clothes, and stepping outside.
Unlike Griffonia (I believe that's how they say it), the temperature here was warm, a welcome change I might add, and the not nearly as stormy, though the winds were just as strong. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the sun had finally cleared the horizon, changing the sky from orange to blue. With a flick of my wrists, the packs were slung over my shoulder as I walked the short distance to our cart. Harnessed to our cart was a young Senche Lion I named Darada.
Make no mistake, while she does pull our cart and acts as a mount for me, she's just as intelligent as you or I.
Maybe even smarter. It's not as if we'd ever know.
"You're up early, Darada. You ready to go?" I ask, more out of politeness. It was unclear if a Senche could understand spoken language, but he nodded anyway. At this point, Trixie had already come out of our tent, holding most of our luggage in the air with levitation. Said luggage floated, almost of their own accord, towards the cart, depositing themselves without a sound. Trixie stand with her hands on her hips and smiles proudly.
"Huh, that's more than last time. You're improving." I say with a nod. It's fun to stoke her ego every now and then, it sets her up for more elaborate tricks of mine. Nothing harmful, it's all in good fun! But she's working under me for a reason.
"Of course I have. Would you expect anything less?" She laughs. While she's distracted, I gently flick a finger by my side and grin as her hood pulls itself up and over her face. Her laughing ceases, and she huffs.
"Oh, lighten up a little." I say with a chuckle. "Don't forget, you aren't the only mage here." With a sweep of my hand, the tent collapsed, rolled up, and flew into the back of the cart. "Besides," I add, swiftly mounting Darad as the cart's straps secured themselves around the folded tent. "It took me twenty years to learn to do all of that. I'm sure you'll have an easier time getting it."
++Optional music++
The land we traveled was picturesque hill country, with emerald green grasses growing as far as the eye could see in all directions, save for the forest just to the west, where the caravan was headed. The caravan consisted of about fifteen other Khajiit, an Argonian and a Breton.
The Argonian, Ochiivo Mist-Lurker, is a friend of mine from our time in Zebrica (ugh, the names these countries give themselves is unbearable sometimes). He walked beside our cart, his scales, normally a muted blue-green, were vibrant and near glittering. His eyes were much more alive and aware than when we first found him. Argonians tend to avoid the deserts, and I believe it's safe to say Ochiivo learned why.
As for the Breton, I'm not quite sure what he did before joining us, but I know for a fact he was a scholar at some point. It takes a mage to know a mage, and all Bretons know magic. No, that isn't racism, it's been like that for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
Ochiivo wasn't wearing his leather armor or hood, but his dual scimitars hung from his belt, his eyes darting every which way, watching for any signs of trouble.
"I don't like the feeling I'm getting from this place, Jo'Skari." He pipes up, his voice raspy like the others of his kind, which only emphasized his paranoid demeanor.
"I know Equestria is supposed to be a peaceful nation," he adds, alternating between checking the skies and the land around us, "But peace has a tendency to attract the wrong kind of attention. How are you so relaxed?"
"If what Trixie says is true, and the rest of the world for that matter, then this is the land of the Sun and Moon Goddesses. Perhaps it is peaceful for a reason." He opens his mouth, but I bring up a hand to cut him off. "But you're not wrong to stay cautious. The town we're stopping at, Ponyville I believe, has a reputation as a center of bizarre occurrences and bad luck. Sounds like Cyrodiil, if anything." He gives a snort at the comparison.
"Fair enough, I suppose." He concedes. "Hopefully we can make it before nightfall. I'd rather not have to see what prowls this 'peaceful land' when the sun sets."
"Understandable." I give an amused snort of my own. Strangely enough, Trixie has remained quiet throughout the trip so far. Usually it takes a while to get her to shut up... "You've been awfully quiet back there, Trixie. Are you nervous?"
"No! The Great a-" I give her another look "-er, I'm not nervous!" she quickly responds. Defensively.
"Well, if you say so." Before I can add anything else, Rak'Nir, the navigator, holds a hand up. The signal to stop the mounts.
With a pat to the shoulder, Darada stops. The other carts and merchants do the same with their mounts. Ochiivo's eyes immediately narrow, his gaze focusing sharply. "Why are we stopping?" he asks, idly drumming his fingers on the hilts of his scimitars as Ra'Nir dismounts his horse. Something in the distance catches my eye, a splash of yellow amid the deep greens and browns of the shadowed forest.
A soft yellow pony stood on the edge of the forest, staring at us with wide, teal eyes. She wore a green. somewhat thin looking dress and a sun hat... Stranger yet, though, was the panicking chicken she held in her arms...
Huh, not what I expected to see coming to Equestria, but it's better than one of those scorpion-lion hybrids. Manticore, I think was the name.
"A pony?" Ochiivo asks, raising an eyebrow. Or ridge, as Argonians don't grow hair. "And a weak looking one at that. And... is that a chicken?"
"Yes. That is a chicken." I answer, my own brow raised in confusion. Quickly looking back at Trixie, I can see she's trying to hide herself from the view of this new pony. She never was any good at hiding, but the fact that she felt the need to hide warrants investigation.
Later, though. One thing at a time.
The yellow pony snaps out of her daze with a jerk of her head and, just as suddenly as she appeared, disappears back into the forest. Rak'Nir stares at the space where the pony just was with a tilted head... before giving us the signal to get moving. Ochiivo kept his grip on his scimitars, obviously nervous, but said nothing.
"Alright Darada, let's go." With that, we were on the move again. I couldn't help but feel as though we were in for something big...
But for now, let's focus on actually getting to town.
The land of the Goddesses: Part 2
We finally arrive at the forest, the only thing standing between us and the town, and home to many dangerous creatures, or so I'm told. So far, we haven't seen anything dangerous since we've set foot in the vast, jungle-esque wood. The leafy canopy blocked out a lot of sunlight and to the casual observer, the only way through this wood that didn't guarantee death was the path, and even that seemed to contain danger in every shadow cast on the beaten dirt we traveled on.
If anything, it reminds me of my home in Elsweyr, and the time I spent learning magic from my father. I did not believe that a Cathay-Raht like me could ever learn magic, but he proved me and the rest of Elsweyr wrong. I hope he's doing alright, wherever he is. Ochiivo turns to me, raising a ridge.
"You seem troubled, friend." he states, pausing the anxious drumming of his fingers on his sword hilt. I hear shifting from the cart, no doubt Trixie heard the argonian, and was turning to look at me. Or rather, the back of my head.
"Is something wrong, Jo'Skari?" she pipes up from behind me. Damn the lizards' perceptiveness.
"Just remembering my homeland, that's all." I admit with a shrug, "Southern Elsweyr is not an easy land to grow up in, and the deserts to the north could flay a man with their winds alone... but I still miss it sometimes."
"Ah. I grew up in the Imperial City, but I don't miss that place one bit." He says, laughing. "Although, the Arena was fun for a while."
Trixie said nothing, which is understandable. She never liked talking about her past, and it's ultimately none of my business. The caravan continued on, heedless of the forests threatening atmosphere. Most of us, like me, grew up in environments like this and worse, and we were just kittens at the time.
Then again, Elsweyr wasn't home to any manticores. The other monsters... maybe.
But definitely not manticores.
Up ahead, Rak'Nir calls out "There's a clearing not far from here! We must be getting close to town!"
With Ochiivo on the alert, Trixie shifting uncomfortably and the caravan growing silent, we picked up the pace.
+++++
Well, he wasn't wrong. It took us only 17 minutes to get to town. The town, much like everything else in this land, was not what I was expecting. It was a relatively small town, with cobblestone roads and buildings of stone, wood and gingerbread, in one case. There were stalls lining the bustling streets, selling all manner of knickknacks, vegetables and fruit. It looked like a good place to do some business. Despite the number of ponies out and about, I couldn't spot the yellow one from earlier, with the chicken.
I could really go for some chicken right now, actually. Or pheasant, if I can find any.
Ochiivo was taking everything in about as well as expected, his grip on his handle still unrelenting, but now his eyes shone in curiosity. "Bipedal unicorns, pegasi and ponies. And in colors I didn't even know existed." He shakes his head. "Now I've seen everything."
"I'd hold on to those words if I were you." I couldn't help but grin. "Next thing you know, we'll be seeing a dragon in an apron. Or maybe even one of those Cockatrices. Actually..." I put a hand to my chin. "I wonder, do you think they taste like chicken?"
"Or snake. Or maybe both!" He chuckles. "Now that you mention it, I'm starving." His brow raises. "Trixie doesn't look so good there, Jo'Skari."
I turn to look at her as he says this. She's pale, with a hint of green on her cheeks. "I think I'm going to be sick..."
"Right, sorry." I keep forgetting that her kind are herbivores. She'll never understand what it's like to be a predator... sad, really.
"We'll discuss this later." Ochiivo says with a nod. "Sorry about-" a scream cuts him off, and instantly his swords are drawn, eyes narrowed and muscles coiled to strike. Before I even knew what was happening, I hopped off of Darada and unsheathed my claws, my paws glowing with fire magic.
"What in oblivion was that?!" Ochiivo looks around, trying to pinpoint the source of the scream. Before I can say anything, my ears picked up the sound of wheels on cobblestone... heading right for us. Down the street, a group of young ponies were barreling toward us in a small, red wagon. It seems they were going too fast to stop it, and already they were pretty close to us...
Thinking quickly, I push Ochiivo out of the way and reach out with my paw, catching the wagon in a telekinetic hold. Of course, the children are catapulted out of the wagon, but Ochiivo dashed forward, catching three of them while I caught the other two in my magic. By the moons, that was close!
"That was awesome!" One of the children, a young pegasus mare with an orange coat and fuchsia mane, spoke up. She was one of the two I caught, and was currently being suspended in the air with another mare, a yellowish... earth pony with a red mane and pink bow, wearing... I don't know what they're called, but long blue pants and a plaid button shirt. The one who spoke up wore black athletic shorts and a similarly colored... T-shirt, I think they called them up north. So many things I'm unsure of...
"Let's do that again!" the aforementioned yellow one spoke up with a smile on her face.
Ochiivo set down the other three; a white unicorn with a two toned pink and light purple mane, wearing a yellow sundress. Another young pegasus in a blue T-shirt and those blue pants, but his mane was dark and his coat was a light gray with a light bluish tint. And another unicorn, the smallest so far, wearing a gray T-shirt and skirt. Her mane was light blonde and her coat was a purplish gray. She and the boy looked like they were gonna be sick.
"How about no." Ochiivo says flatly, and I release the two ponies in my magical grip. I crossed my arms over my chest and straightened up to my full, considerable height.
"You all could have seriously hurt yourselves, or us. Not to mention smash my wares." I narrow my eyes at them and they all look down guiltily. "Ochiivo, tell Rak'Nir I'll catch up with them in a bit. Have my assistant set up the shop while I handle the little ones." he nods, staying silent as he mounted Darada and hurried to catch up with the other carts. I turn back to the group of children before me.
"We're sorry, mister." The white one speaks up, shuffling on her hooves. "We were just trying to help our friends earn their cutiemarks..." I was familiar with how cutiemarks worked, Trixie has explained a lot about the ponies to me in our travels. The mark that symbolizes their special talent.
"Well, unless you want to try and give them cutiemarks in breaking their skulls open, I'd suggest you try something else." I state flatly. The best way to get a message across to young ones was to be blunt with them. That's what father taught me, and it works to this day. They all nod vigorously at this, a couple swallowing nervously at the image. The orange one was looking at me closely, and I raise my eyebrow at her. "Is there something on my face?"
She shakes her head. "What are you?" she asks, and the others look at me in curiosity as well.
"We are called the Khajiit." I answer, pulling my lips back to show my teeth. "Quite a few of us have been stuck in this world since the Moon-sunder, along with the other races that were pulled here."
"Ah've never seen a Khad-jeet before! What's yer name?" The yellow one speaks up, her unusual accent heavy.
"Khajiit, little one." I correct her with a wag of my finger. "And my name is Jo'Skari. I sell potions and elixirs of all kinds, most of which are from my homeland." at this, the white one raises her hand... why is she doing that? "Eh, yes?"
"Were you using magic earlier?" she asks. Smart little filly...
"Yes, I was. But enough about that, I'd advise you all to go home before you do something to upset our pack animals." I say, turning my back to them and walking in the direction the caravan went. "The Senche aren't known for their compassion towards prey."
I could hear four sets of hooves on the cobblestone road, hopefully going home... and another set following behind me. Without warning, I turn around, eyes narrowing at the orange filly that stood frozen midstep. I pulled my lips back over my teeth and growled.
"Why are you following me? Shouldn't you get home and let your mother know you're still breathing?"
With that, she takes off towards town, a look of hurt visible before she runs away. Maybe I was a little harsh, but it's better than letting her get hurt. I'm no stranger to being the bad guy, so it's no skin off my hide.
+++++
Upon my arrival, the tent is already up, and my wares are on display, same as all the other traders settling down here. Trixie looks to me and smiles smugly.
"Everything's ready, and nothing broke this time." she announces, a little too proudly. I just nod to her before looking around for my mat. It was already set up in front of the tent, just in front of the door, and I take a seat on it.
"You've done well, Trixie." I say too her. I'm very pleased with how she handled this, and conjure some bits from the coin chest and a bag, slipping the handful of bits into said bag and tying it off before tossing it to her, which she catches in her hand with a raised eyebrow. "Feel free to... hit the town, I believe it's said. Bring me a cigar if you can."
She looks at me before weighing the bag in her hand. "This is more than what's needed for a cigar, Jo."
"Then spend the rest of what's left on whatever you wish, it's no skin off my hide either way." I do my best to sound dismissive, but she perks up at this and smiles at me, before wordlessly turning to face town. She freezes upon seeing the residents up and about, and I sigh.
"Trixie, it's obvious that something about this town is bothering you. Maybe it's your history with this place, maybe it's the air, but just standing there won't solve it," I speak up, then add with a grin "Or get me that cigar."
This seems to snap her out of whatever she was in, and she nervously walks into town. Of course, I don't necessarily need a cigar, but we have a little extra and she has some demons she needs to face.
With a chuckle, I turn to Ochiivo, who gave me an incredulous look. "You're evil sometimes, Jo'Skari."
"I know, Ochiivo. I know."
