Ignem Tristitia (An Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Prequel) [ON HOLD]

Chapter Eighteen - Fork in the Road

"Oh my gods!" I cheered, plunging onto the ground.

The thin beach sand was pearly white; compacted loosely across the beach. The air smelled like the fresh sea salt. The ocean to the side was a beautiful sparkling turquoise. The waves rushed against the shore moderately fast. Fast enough to splash, but not enough to get us wet from about ten feet away. Up the hill to the left was the start of a thick green forest. The cave we came through was built into a rocky slope at the base of the forest. The trees stretched unmeasurable heights, cloaking the forest below in gentle darkness.

Everyone cheered and yelled in happiness. We were finally out of those cursed tunnels.

"It's so good to be outside," Veezare chuckled happily, picking up a pile of sand and letting it slip through his scaled fingers.

"How long were we in there?" Star said, standing up from the ground. "A day?"

"We'll, Jo'what's-his-name sent us there about, um," Veezare thought, looking up at the bright blue sky. "It was about two nights ago."

"So two days?" Kharjo asked.

"And a few hours," Veezare added.

"We didn't even sleep!" I exclaimed. "Is that even possible?"

"Yes," Star said. "But it's exhausting."

"Obviously," I said quietly.

"Well, this little beach party is fun and all, but we need to find the others," Veezare said. "Then we can sleep."

"Let's follow these," I said, pointing to something that looked like tracks.

"Those look like elven boot prints," Kharjo said.

"Elven indeed," Veezare said. "C'mon, we have enough reasons to believe it's Brelas."

"You're right," Star said.

The footprints were long and thin, about a half-inch deep. They were roughly stamped into the ground, slowly fading with each step. We followed them as best we could until the footprints had disappeared. I looked up, as I had been staring at the ground the entire time. We had walked across the beach, uphill to the east, and into the forest.

I looked around, breathing in the humid air of the jungle. The sharp buzz of insects crowded into my ears, the pure deep green color of the subtropical greenery stole my eyes. The wet smell of fruit thickly entered my nose. A mix of tall palm trees and thick oak trees filled the land. Proud ferns grew up from the ground, bathed in a swirly color fusion of red and green. This forest was beautiful.

"It's kinda hot," Veezare said, wiping his brow with the side of his wrist.

"This isn't Skyrim," Star said. "It's going to be hot."

"I hate all of these damn ferns and weeds in the way", Veezare said angrily, readying his sword to chop down the plant life.

"Stop!" Star yelled, putting her hand up.

Veezare stopped mid-slice, raising an eyebrow. "What? What is it?"

"Remember the Green Pact?" Star pointed out. "No harming the forest? That thing?"

"I thought deal was only for bosmer?" Veezare said in confusion.

"Well, there's a bosmer with us," Star suggested. "Maybe he'd get into trouble if we damaged anything."

Veezare stood motionless, then stood straight and sighed angrily. "Why Y'ffre? Why?"

He continued to walk, pushing the thick plants out of the way.