The Shadow Land (An Elder Scrolls Story) [ON HOLD]

Chapter Twenty-two

Moon's point of view:

Gailen woke up in a terrible mood the next morning and had us all damn pissed, too. He was crankier than an old lady without her weekly jar of mead.
     I instructed him to take a long walk through the city, in hopes he would get lost and never return... at least until dusk, that was.

   Snake and Xavier followed me towards our alchemical journey. We had to walk deeper into the vast city to actually reach the, allegedly, best apothecary in Tamriel; we would see about that. It was a huge two-story modern-looking stone building. Engraved in gold was its name, Ragged Twigs, which separated the two levels of grey magnificence. The big iron door had silver and gold detailing that, upon having a closer look, resembled Daedric letters.
    We entered the place and Xavier gasped in awe. It was huge. I had to admit, it looked almost otherworldly, like a futuristic palace. Everything was white. Everything; the floors were made of marble, the stones had been oxidized with some chemical agents to change their color, the roof, as well... even the damn alchemy stations were the color of the Sun; Auri-El would be deeply proud. Most of the colors were in the white shelves that contained numerous amounts of vials and ingredients of every color imaginable. It also had a special shelf with enchanting stones and a small station; but this shop was known for alchemy, there was another that was well known for enchantments in Daggerfall.
     There were alchemy stations on every corner and, on the back, were the shelves that contained the vials and ingredients. There were silver chairs accompanied by white tables in the center, which were meant to be used for studying, as it was surrounded by a marble shelf containing hundreds of alchemical books. On the back, passing all that I've described thus far, was a huge marble shelf that extended towards the roof, that was now even further from us. Said roof was covered in seamless glass that let the natural light in, creating a stunning temple-like scenery. The shelf contained thousands of vials that were for sale, and a few ingredients on the bottom. In front, was a marble counter with a glass top. Behind it was a beautiful young maiden with translucent skin and magnificent height. She welcomed us with a warm smile. She looked almost ethereal as the sunlight caressed her skin. She was very stunning.
     Her hair was silver... not grey, but silver, the color of Nordic steel; it was straight and of shoulder length... it was decorated with some white leaves. I could see her ears peaking through her hair; as she saw me looking, she pulled up a black hood that hid half of her head. Her facial features were soft and very delicate, much like mine. Her eyes were a powdery greyish silver color; very striking and big. Her lips were soft and delicately rosy. Her cheeks bore a hint of pink, since she seemed embarrassed when I noticed her pointed ears. In her forehead, she had what seemed like a sorcerer's diadem, but it was very intricate. She also had a very strange looking amulet. She had a black hooded cape, much like mine, except hers was plain, covered less, and reached her knees. Under it, she bore a light grey dress with no detailing.
     I noticed we were all left very awed by her appearance, which was much more beautiful than the alchemy laboratory. I was the first to speak up, since my companions were too busy gawking at the maiden and her rare beauty.

     "Greetings, young lady," I began. The others broke contact and began to take in their surroundings. "Is it possible for us to use your alchemy stations and a few of your ingredients? We will pay, of course."

     "Yes, of course," she smiled. Her voice was surprisingly sultry, it bore an air of wiseness that could attempt to compete with my own. "Welcome to the Ragged Twigs. Lady Maggie isn't here today, for she is feeling ill, but I will try my best to help. I am Leila."   
     "Hello, Leila. Does Lady Maggie need anything?" I knew for a fact that this person was old, for she was one of the best alchemists of the century.
     "She's upstairs resting. But I have to check on her periodically. Actually, I'll go now; I'll be back in a few minutes. Use anything you wish; the shop is at your disposal. Lady...?"
     "No, not lady. My name is Moon."
     "Moon; right, then. I will be back in a few minutes. I must feed Lady Maggie. I hope we have everything you need."
     And, with that, she left and went towards the stairs at the other side of the room. When she passed me, I noticed how tall she was... over two feet taller than me. I looked like a child.
     "Wow," said Xavier with a mischievous grin. "Tall, but damn she's something else. Beautiful."
     "Yeah, she is," I said with a small smile while lifting my gaze towards Snake who looked upset.
      "Alchemy," Snake muttered with a frown as she rolled her eyes. One day, her eyes would pop out of their sockets. She went towards the furthest station and began to brew. We stared at her for awhile. She was silent, lost in thought; sad.
     "Well," said Xavier as he turned to me with a blank face. Odd. "I hope you have a few minutes to run me by some lessons."
      "I'll have you know, Xavier," I answered seriously. "My lessons are exclusively for the Savior of the Shadowlands. Now, go grab a book a study on your own. You're a big boy, I believe you know how to read, do you not?"
     "Thanks for your never-ending sarcasm, princess. It was not called for. Whatever. I'll just brew healing potions. Maybe a few stamina... not sure. How much will we be here?"
     "Until supper, at least for me. You may leave when you get hungry. Although, we had a pretty filling breakfast, if I say so myself. You may leave when you finish your work and you're free. We leave tomorrow."
      "Uuu, where are we going?"
     I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I began to approach the biggest alchemy station and Xavier followed.
     "Skyrim," I replied as I began sorting out the vials and ingredients on the table.
      The steps stopped abruptly. After a few seconds, they resumed with a slower pace.
     "Alright, finally. I'll hit the books, now."
     I nodded and began brewing a massive amount of potions and poisons.