Raven Rock was… different. Tel Mithryn had been different too, but Raven Rock was a different kind of different. Tel Mithryn had been very fairy tale-esque, with large hollowed-out mushroom buildings and faint strings of lanterns… Raven Rock meanwhile was almost sci-fi, like something out of Star Wars or something, if Star Wars didn't have spaceships. The oddly-spaced streets were populated with guar and elves in strange outfits, flanked by hut-like buildings that seemed almost bug-like to Kyoko and Nagisa's sensibilities; and as Valtir explained, they were almost exactly that—buildings coated with repurposed crab shells.
How goddamn weird.
The only buildings that didn't follow that aesthetic were the brick huts with straw roofs lining the town's docks. Well, that and the giant stone bulwark at the south end keeping ash from flooding into the town. In the distance in the center of the bay, they could catch the sight of a large statue of a woman holding what seemed to be a star and a moon in either hand.
"Raven Rock was once an Imperial mining town a few centuries back," Valtir explained as they walked the streets, "The ebony mine here is still a major producer. But then Oblivion Crisis and Red Year happened, and the Empire suddenly had bigger problems to worry about. Since then House Redoran of Morrowind has taken over."
"… Oblivion Crisis?" Kyoko asked, lost.
"It's… a long story," the elf replied, "I'm sure the College will fill you in when you arrive. It's actually somewhat relevant to the situation at hand."
"… Woah." Nagisa was wide-eyed. Kyoko caught what she was mesmerized by, and her jaw dropped a bit too.
Ahead of them a pack of floating fleshy jellyfish-like creatures with blue glowing undersides were being guided down the street by a dark elf.
Valtir nodded, "Ah, netches. Graceful creatures, as long as you don't make them angry. The dunmer domesticate them and use them for leather and jelly production."
"… Is it better than scrib jelly?" Nagisa asked, making a face.
Valtir chuckled, "Not that kind of jelly. Netches are notorious for their paralyzing toxins. You don't want to eat anything they make."
The town was arranged around the bay, terraced as it went further inland. Its expansion was limited however, by the towering cliffs made up of vaguely hexagonal pillars. Something about them seemed familiar to Kyoko; she remembered something in a book her dad had owned about Scotland or Ireland or… somewhere.
"So what's Skyrim like?" asked Nagisa.
The elf rubbed his beard, "Where are we headed? Cold, very cold. Winterhold has snow year-round. Nothing like home, but there is an ethereal, primal beauty to it."
"Blue skies? Sun?" Kyoko asked, almost pleadingly.
Valtir gave a wry smile, "When it's not snowing."
Well, at least it wasn't ash. At this point Kyoko would take it, "So now what?"
"Now we book passage on a ship," Valtir directed them towards the docks, "I warn you though, we may be here a while. Raven Rock may be a busy port, but most of that is industrial, not personal transport."
"So then Mami comes over all concerned." Kyoko put on her best Mami impression, which was close enough to elicit a giggle from Nagisa, "'What am I going to do with you two? This is a serious situation blah blah blah'. But Sayaka's still just dangling like a foot off the ground with my spear nailing her cape to the wall." Kyoko paused, nearly snorting out the drink she was downing at the memory as she tried and failed to keep her composure, "She tries to tell Mami something, but it just comes out all garbled because of her cape choking her, 'Grhrghghrhghrghrh', like some sort of dying animal."
"Did… did you let her down?" Nagisa asked, laughing heartily at the story.
Kyoko shrugged, leaning back in her chair as she emptied her mug, "Eventually, once the wraiths were dead and she finally figured out she could detach the damn thing. She was pissed. Didn't talk to me for the rest of the day. Serves me right for saving her from that fall I guess."
"… She has regenerative abilities. And you hung her by the neck." Nagisa countered, still laughing.
"Eh, it's the thought that counts," Kyoko sighed, "Ah, good times."
As it turned out, the next boat to Winterhold wouldn't leave until morning, meaning that the girls and Valtir had had to check in to one of the local inns, the 'Retching Netch'. It was like the inverse of Neloth's tower; his had been bark-like and fungal, and up in the air, this was insectoid and underground aside from the small entryway. Neloth's workshop had been open and wide, this place was a bit more claustrophobic, made of small sectioned-off semi-rooms divided by arches that kept the place from caving in. Right now the two girls sat on opposite sides of a small table with a lantern between them. There were a handful of other patrons, most of them dark elves but also the first human the girls had seen other than themselves; a dark-skinned woman in her fifties who looked to be a miner. One of the dark elves was standing in the middle of the open area trying to do a flute rendition of a drinking song.
"Trying" being the operative word.
"Were was Homura during all this?" Nagisa asked.
Kyoko shrugged again, "She wasn't around yet. Homura just kind of showed up one day out of the blue as if she'd known us for years and just knowing things about us. It was kinda weird, but now I guess I know why."
A comfortable silence descended on them until Nagisa voiced a bit of tenseness she'd been struggling with, "… Hey, Kyoko? What are we going to do when we meet up with the others?" It had been one thing when they'd been struggling to get through one day after the next and the idea of meeting up with the others had been hypothetical at best. But now that it was frighteningly real and even close at hand, worries had begun to bubble up.
In truth, Kyoko had been struggling with this dilemma herself. The last they'd seen of Mami they'd been locked in mortal combat, and as for Sayaka well… "We'll figure it out when we get there. Don't worry too much, it'll be fine." she said, though she was privately doubtful of the second part of that. Sayaka was definitely one to hold a grudge, and Mami's sternness when she believed she was in the right wasn't that far behind.
"Do you think they'll forgive us?"
Kyoko bristled, then scoffed, "There's nothing to forgive. What would we apologize for? 'Sorry Sayaka, we pulled your ass out of a fire you lit, again. You're welcome'."
Nagisa gripped her mug, looking down at the table with regret, "After what Homura did to her…"
"Homura lost her goddamn mind," Kyoko replied crossly. She thought of Sayaka and how she'd looked when she'd last seen her—bound and helpless, and sickly looking. Anger bubbled up, "And if I ever see her again I'm going to punch some sense into her. But that doesn't mean we were wrong too. We weren't."
"… I betrayed the others…"
"No, you didn't. You saw an opportunity and made a choice to keep living. That's not betrayal, that's self-preservation." Kyoko grabbed Nagisa's hand, pressuring her to look the redhead in the eyes, "Listen to me. Don't ever apologize for wanting to live. Ever. Understand?"
Nagisa looked away, hesitating. But Kyoko squeezed harder, "If anyone ever has a problem with that, they're the asshole, not you." Nagisa finally nodded, and Kyoko let go, satisfied.
"We have a room reserved." Valtir said lowly, approaching the girls as he low-key looked over the room with caution, "We'll leave first thing in the morning. Come, it's late."
"… Worried about something?" Kyoko asked with a mixture of suspicion and concern. She knew someone watching their back for a knife when she saw it.
"As a member of the Order, I am always worried about a great many things," the elf told her, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kyoko frowned, "Yeah, no. I don't do this covert ops shit. You either tell us what's up or we walk. I can find any number of ships to stow away on."
The elf gave a sigh, "Shall we retire to our room, then?"
Kyoko blinked in surprise; had… had he just ignored her? She stood up angrily, "Oh no, you think you can just sidestep this conversation? That's not how this—" Valtir cleared his throat, clearly gesturing to the room they'd rented. Kyoko paused her tirade, confused, "What? What does… oh. Oh."
Oh.
Right, privacy. Kyoko's expression turned sheepish as she and Nagisa were led by the elf into the bedroom. He gestured to one of the two beds before shutting the door behind them and locking it. Magical energy generated at his fingertips as the girls sat down and then… and then the world seemed to fade away a bit. Color washed out, features became fuzzy, time slowed.
"What?!" Nagisa asked in alarm, grabbing Kyoko's arm as the redhead cast a glare at Valtir.
"A simple timestop spell," the elf reassured them as he walked over, "I can't hold it forever, but it will give us some space for now."
Kyoko relaxed slightly and looked over the washed-out reality. It was almost dreamlike, ethereal. This felt nothing like what Homura's powers inside her labyrinth had been like. She turned her attention back on their companion, "Okay, so spill. What's got you so worried?"
Valtir sighed again as he sat down on the other bed, "It's the same reason I came to you dressed like this," he gestured to his nondescript robes, "And why I didn't just create a portal to Winterhold."
"… You can make portals?" Nagisa asked excitedly, her eyes glimmering.
The elf nodded, "Yes, but doing so can be tracked by powerful mages. I'm trying to get you to Winterhold without arousing too much suspicion."
"… So who's after you?" Kyoko asked.
Valtir paused, thinking, "… What do you know about the Aldmeri Dominion?"
"Neloth mentioned them once," Nagisa answered, "He said they did… something to Morrowind. A civil war, I think?"
Valtir nodded, "They attempted to commit a coup using House Sadras as their puppet, yes. The other Great Houses paid the price when House Redoran came down on them. The Dominion has been a…" he considered his words as diplomatically as possible, "destabilizing influence on Tamrielic politics for the past few centuries. The Skyrim Civil War, the collapse of the Empire, the rising tensions in Iliac Bay; their goal has always been to forge a new Elven Hegemony over Tamriel, and to do that they've been doing their best to unseat everyone else."
Kyoko folded her arms as she leaned back, "And what does this have to do with you?"
"The Dominion rules over the home of my people, the Summerset Isles," he paused, "Or rather, I suppose the name is 'Alinor' now. Confusing, considering that's also the name of the capital. At any rate, when the Thalmor, the ruling body of the Dominion first took control of Summerset, our Order fled Tamriel, taking our home island and folding it into its own pocket plane. We did not agree with the Thalmor's motives and methods, and in return they classified us as a rogue faction."
"So they've been hunting you since."
Again the elf nodded, "They've stepped up their game as of late, and they have many powerful mages in their employ. They've been trying to track our movements, trying to find a way to our pocket realm. I fear they're closing in."
Nagisa frowned, "You think they're here?"
"I don't know," Valtir admitted, "Their agents could be anywhere. But more than that, I don't want them getting wind of you. I'm sure they've already a fair idea of what's happened—more than enough time has passed, and if they find out you and your friends are here, I can only imagine what they'd do to try and utilize you as an asset."
Kyoko's frown deepened as she looked down at her legs, digesting the context, "So… we're being hunted then."
"Possibly, yes. I certainly am."
"… Sounds like you're dangerous to be around," Kyoko said, "What's to stop us from just leaving you behind?"
"Nothing," he replied, "You can unlatch that door right now and walk right out; I won't stop you. I hope you don't, but I understand that you don't trust me. I wish I could offer assurances, but I cannot until we reach Winterhold."
The time stop spell ended, and reality slowly began to resume. Kyoko and Nagisa looked at one another. Kyoko wasn't sold; what if he was lying? What if he'd sought them out just to "utilize" them as he'd put it? What if he wasn't lying, but they fell into Dominion hands because of him? What if it was all a trap?
But Nagisa's expression was pleading. It was risky, she knew. But if there WAS a chance they could see the others again, then they really didn't have a choice in the matter, did they? Kyoko knew that; as much as she'd put up a bluff with Valtir, in the end it was only that: a bluff.
"Fine," the redhead relented with a grumble, even as Nagisa gave her a hug. She eyed the elf, "But there better be one hell of a payoff at the end of this. I want answers."
"And you'll get them," Valtir replied, relieved, "I promise."
Morning came quickly; far too quickly. Valtir had had his hands full trying to get the two girls up and on their feet after they'd spent two full days being awake. They operated almost like zombies until they'd gotten some food, gathering their scant belongings and following the elf out onto the main street of town.
In her hands Nagisa held a book on enchanting. She'd never seen it before, and frankly was at a loss as to how it had gotten into her bag.
"What's that?" Kyoko asked idly as they neared the harbor, seeing the younger girl flipping through the pages.
"Hmm?" Nagisa's eyes met Kyoko's before going back to the book in question, "A guide on enchantments."
"Oh, huh, neat," Kyoko said, "… Where'd you get it?"
"I, uh…" Nagisa trailed off as she remembered: she'd asked Neloth about enchanting. Had he… had he put this book in here without her knowing? It definitely looked like one of his tomes, "I think it's… Neloth's."
Kyoko's eyes widened as her face shifted into a wide grin, "You stole that from the old man? Hah!" she slapped Nagisa's shoulder in good humor, "There might be hope for you yet."
"… Yeah…" Nagisa said, unconvincingly. Kyoko paid her no mind however, as they approached the boat they'd be sailing on. It wasn't anything special; a simple wooden boat with a below-deck and one major junk sail. The most interesting part of the boat was the curved "tail" on the back end that looped back around towards the ship.
Nagisa paused as Valtir handed over payment to the dark elf woman who was the ship's captain, the implications becoming clear. He'd known. Neloth had known their whole plan and let it happen anyway.
Well, didn't that make her feel like a piece of shit after she'd burned down his guar pens?
"Last call!" the dunmer captain called out as she counted her money. Valtir guided the girls onto the ship, and both of them took one last long look at the town. Kyoko leaned backwards against the railing, while Nagisa sat down cross-legged and began to go over her new book. A few minutes later the ship loosed itself from the docks and exited the harbor. Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief as Solstheim began to get smaller and smaller in the distance. They were finally off that godforsaken island.
"Good riddance," she mumbled.
Nagisa looked up at her, "It wasn't that bad."
The redhead rolled her eyes, "Nah. Except for, y'know, the dragons, the asshole wizards, the ash storms, the asshole wizards, the weird bug things, the asshole wizards, the awful food, and did I mention the asshole wizards?!"
Nagisa coughed, nodding her head towards Valtir as the latter did a rather good job of pretending not to be listening.
Kyoko snorted and shrugged, partly out of spite and partly out of embarrassment, "… I know what I said," she said flatly, crossing her arms.
"Don't worry," Valtir said, breaking his silence even as he continued to look away from them towards the open ocean impassively, "I'm sure soon you'll learn to hate mainland Tamriel for all sorts of other reasons."
Kyoko glared at him, "Was that supposed to be a crack at me!?"
The elf gave her a brief smile before turning back against her. The redhead couldn't help but utter a short laugh as her expression softened.
"… Maybe you're not as bad as I thought."