#this kwama is saying hello and waving to you

[uesp]

[ansu-gurleht]

Ku-vastei woke at dawn to begin meandering vaguely towards the place the Imperials had ordered her, Balmora. While intentionally taking the wrong path north of Pelagiad, she stumbled upon an old Dunmer woman on the road. She was looking at the hills alongside the path, occasionally referring to a book, and shaking her head.

Ku-vastei gripped her spear tightly as she approached. The woman looked up from the book with a start. “Oh! Hello!” Her voice was wrinkled with age. “Are you a pilgrim too?”

“Excuse me?” Ku looked at herself for the answer. It’s true she could have been mistaken for a wandering peasant, with brown robes concealing the maille beneath. “No, I’m...” How much could she say truthfully? Her reason for being released into Vvardenfell seemed to be rather sensitive - even Ku wasn’t sure why yet.

“Oh, just a traveler?” The woman pointed at Ku’s spear. “Perhaps an adventurer?”

Ku sighed in relief and nodded. “Yes. Adventurer.”

“Well, you seem rather capable! Could you help an old woman out? My name is Nevrasa Dralor. I’m trying to find the Fields of Kummu, but I think I’ve gotten myself lost. Surely you know this area better than I do.” She beckoned Ku over with a wave of her hand, which Ku cautiously accepted. 

She pointed at a crudely drawn map stuck between the pages of a copy of The Pilgrim’s Path. “The book says it’s near the water, and that there is a farm nearby for weary pilgrims to rest. Will you take me?”

Ku shook her head. “I’m not a tour guide. I don’t know where this place is. And I have better things to do.”

“Please?” Nevrasa took one of Ku’s hands in both of hers. “I can promise you reward if I’m delivered safely. How does one hundred and fifty septims sound?”

Ku tore her hand back, and leaned on her spear, looking at the ground. She was starting fresh here, and did need the money...

“Fine. I’ll take you.”

“Thank you so much, dear!” Ku stiffened as Nevrasa wrapped her in a tight hug. “If we’re to be travelling together, what should I call you?”

This was another question Ku was unsure of. To the census officer she had given the name she was known by when she led a massive slave revolt in the Arnesian War: Ku-vastei, bringer of change. She had gone by many names in the past, each reflecting different times in her life. Ku-vastei had suited her well during the war. She figured perhaps it could suit her well again.

But she was still unsure the nature of her business in Vvardenfell. So as she began to head south into the Ascadian Isles, she told the old mer to just call her “Ku.”

“I suppose that’s one of those Argonian names, hm?” The two began walking south into the Ascadian Isles. Ku only responded with an annoyed grunt, but Nevrasa didn’t seem to notice. This was going to be a long day. - - - - -

Indeed it was. Neither of them quite knew where they were going or how to get there. The map was useless, as was the vague direction of “by the water somewhere.” 

Everything in the Isles was by the water. Rivers and lakes criss-crossed and dotted the landscape of innocent hills still just too tall to see over. There were never enough bridges to cross the water. Ku wouldn’t have minded a quick swim, but Nevrasa probably preferred to keep dry.

The direction about the nearby farm wasn’t of much help, either. This region could be mistaken for Dres territory with its plentiful plantations. Ku tried her best to avoid them. She wasn’t sure she could contain her rage if she saw her people under the yoke of those Dunmer slavers, and after her time in prison, armed only with a pitiful iron-tipped spear, she was certainly in no shape to enact that rage.

The constant backtracking, giving plantations wide berths, and circling shores due to lack of crossings all contributed to the excessive length of the day. But the old mer kept stopping every five steps to admire a scrib or pick comberries. 

The latter didn’t bother Ku as much, as it gave her time to contemplate the local flora as well. She puzzled over golden and blue flowers, tasted the bitter comberries, and gathered marshmerrow stalks, the one thing she knew what to do with. 

During one of what seemed like hundreds of stops, Nevrasa caught Ku mashing marshmerrow into a poultice with the rudimentary mortar and pestle she’d bought in Seyda Neen. “Oh, a healer, are you?” Suddenly she was breathing over Ku’s shoulder, causing her to jump and slap Nevrasa in the face with her tail. Nevrasa didn’t seem to mind.

“I, no,” Ku stuttered, bending over to pick up her dropped pestle. “I’m interested in alchemy, I mean. This is just something I learned as a child.”

“Oh, that won’t do,” Nevrasa said, handing Ku the pestle she’d already retrieved. “One moment.” She crossed the road towards a corkbulb tree and peeled off a piece of its bark. She returned, took the alchemical apparatus from Ku’s claws, and began to mash the ingredients together. The way her old hands worked the pestle reminded Ku of her naheesh, when she taught her about the healing properties of marshmerrow and saltrice.

Nevrasa stuck a finger in the paste and licked it. “Ah, yes. Makes my feet feel better already! Do you have some paper?” Ku tore a piece from her blank new journal and Nevrasa wrapped the poultice in it. “The corkbulb amplifies the marshmerrow, you see? If you eat the paste instead of slathering it on the wounds, it heals better.”

Ku accepted the small packet of restorative paste and put it and her mortar and pestle back in her pack. She stood there, looking at Nevrasa, unsure what to say.

“Thank you will do,” Nevrasa said, seemingly reading Ku’s mind. She shook her head and sighed. “Kids these days.”

“I’m 48,” Ku sputtered. 

“I am much, much older than you.” Nevrasa did not elaborate. The two continued on. 

- - - - -

As the sun continued its arc across the sky, the two still seemed nowhere near their destination. Aside from the occasional scrib Nevrasa insisted on stopping to woo over, as well as kwama foragers, rats, and mudcrabs which Ku easily dispatched, they had not seen any other living thing on the roads.

But when they were (what Ku guessed to be) in the south-western part of the Ascadian Isles, they saw a Dunmer man, armed and armored in bonemold, waiting for them ahead. Ku kept Nevrasa behind her and cautiously approached, gripping her spear tightly.

“Why, hello friends! It is I, Nels Llendo, here to offer you an opportunity you won’t believe!” He stepped closer towards Ku, his hands on his hips, one on the handle of his sheathed sword.

Ku tightened her grip on her spear with one hand, the other arm making sure Nevrasa stayed behind her. “Nels Llendo?”

“Ah, so you’ve heard of me! It’s good to see my fame precedes me. Well, here is an offer you simply cannot refuse: how about I let you and your beautiful friend here pass safely down this road, for the low low cost of 50 drakes?”

Ku put both hands back on her spear and pointed the tip at Nels, making him back up. “No.”

“No? Surely you misunderstand, friend.” Nels drew his sword, crossing it against the end of Ku’s spear. “You must give me 50 drakes if you wish to stay alive on this road.” 

“I said, no.” She batted away his sword and stood her ground.

“So be it, n’wah!” Nels suddenly lunged towards Ku-vastei, who barely had time to retreat. In the process she bumped into Nevrasa, who she heard fall on her ass with a “Hey!” behind her.

Ku tried to hold her ground against him, staying light on her feet and keeping him at a distance until an opportunity arose to strike. But Nels was fast and voracious, leaping into close quarters almost faster than she could react. Nevrasa kept her distance behind Ku-vastei, occasionally shouting encouragement.

Neither party had made a successful blow upon the other after several minutes. Then Nels made another sudden advance, but this time past Ku, towards Nevrasa. Nevrasa shrieked, but Ku reacted as quickly as she could. She quickly jumped sideways, tackling Nels, who made a quick slash towards her as he fell.

The blow connected, and the fire Ku felt wasn’t just the pain of sliced flesh. The sword was enchanted. She felt the heat, but also the dampness of blood - somehow the fire burned but didn’t cauterize wounds. Nice trick.

Nels let go of the sword as his back hit the loosely-paved road. Nevrasa quickly stepped in and grabbed it before Nels could rearm himself. Just before collapsing on top of him, Ku plunged the tip of her spear into Nels’ throat.

Her eyes were swimming in the pain as she felt all the warmth in her body concentrate into the conflagration in her thigh. She hissed as she felt her body rolled over. Her mouth opened reflexively as a hand tickled under her chin, and then was filled with the sickly sweet flavor of marshmerrow. She was losing consciousness, but was somehow aware enough to know to swallow.

Just before her mind faded to black, she felt warmth return to her body, and the fire in her thigh evaporate. She opened her eyes and saw Nevrasa kneeling over her, looking at Ku’s leg. Slowly Ku sat up and looked through the cut fabric of her robe herself. The flesh and red scales had closed up, leaving only a slightly charred scar. 

Nevrasa helped Ku stand. “Dear,” she said, “you need some greaves.”

“Yes,” Ku agreed. She looked down at Nels’ corpse. His bonemold cuirass looked sturdier than her chainmail, and he had matching greaves, as well. She took both from him, as well as the sword to sell later.

They walked only a minute further when Nevrasa gasped. She tapped Ku on the shoulder and pointed at the vista revealed between two hills: The towering foreign quarter canton of Vivec, the descending sun illuminating it like a halo.

- - - - -

The day was fading into a mosaic of reds and oranges. They were finally on the right track, they thought. They stood at the crest of a hill overlooking a vast lake. Nevrasa studied alternately the topography of the opposite shore and the crude map in her book. 

Finally, she exclaimed, “There! You see the little farmhouse?” She grabbed Ku’s shoulder and pointed with her other hand, dropping her book. “That must be Alof’s! That means that the shrine should be...” Her outstretched finger slowly glided to the left. “...There!”

“Finally,” Ku sighed. She surveyed the coastline of the lake for a bridge, but found nothing. She grunted and shook her head. “No, I refuse to walk all the way around this. I’ll swim.” She opened her pack and dug through it for a moment, and produced a small vial. “Drink this.”

“What is it?” Nevrasa peered into the green-blue liquid inside. 

“Old Black Marsh recipe for drywalkers. Let’s you walk on water like it was ground. Keeps your feet dry, too.”

“Wonderful!” Nevrasa opened the vial and downed it in one go, dropping the vial afterwards. 

Ku reached to grab it but heard it shatter on the ground. “Those aren’t cheap, you know,” she hissed, but Nevrasa was already making her way down the hill to the water. Ku sighed and followed her.

Ku walked into the water and found it delightfully cool after a long day under the sun. She swam just under the surface next to where Nevrasa strode the waves. They almost reached the shore before the potion ran out. Nevrasa suddenly sank to the bank, the ends of her skirt getting soaked.

“You need a calcinator,” she grumbled as she wrung out the water from her skirt and emptied her shoes of it. “Makes them last longer.”

“Sorry,” Ku said, quickly shaking herself dry. 

They climbed the slope up to the road and found the shrine. “Excellent!” Nevrasa exclaimed. “You-”

She was cut off by a fearsome roar. Another quickly followed, closer this time. They turned around and saw two kagouti bounding towards them from the other side of the road.

Ku’s face wrinkled in fear. She grabbed Nevrasa and pushed her behind, then gripping her spear in tepid determination. She had seen the ferocity of kagouti firsthand when she was younger. Then, she could have handled them. But after the decades languishing in prison, and the exhaustion of the day seeping into her bones, she knew there was no chance she could take a kagouti, especially not two.

“I’ll handle this.” Nevrasa pushed Ku-vastei aside and stepped forward to face the charging kagouti. Ku tried to pull Nevrasa back by her clothes, but her claws couldn’t find purchase on the fabric at all, like it was made of air.

Nevrasa held out a hand towards the kagouti, who were so close now Ku could smell their last meal on their breath. Suddenly the beasts were enveloped in blue flame, scorching the skin from their bones until they collapsed, screaming in pain and steaming from the heat. They kicked and squealed for a moment before falling still and silent.

Then, Nevrasa turned towards a bewildered Ku, holding in one hand two pale blue stones. Her face was different, her eyes black and swimming with stars. The palette of dusk hung on her skin as the sun set.

“I cannot give you my Star, but I can give you these.” She handed the stones to Ku-vastei. She inspected them, seeing the faint light swimming within them. 

“...Soul gems?” She had only seen them as illustrations in books before, but these were undeniably vessels for trapped spirits. The kagoutis’, she imagined.

“Petty imitations, but yes.” Nevrasa placed a hand on Ku’s shoulder and stared intently with her celestial eyes into Ku’s, searching.

“Yes. Yes, I think you’ll do. Welcome home, my champion.”

Before Ku could even think what to ask, Nevrasa evaporated into hundreds of blue sparks, and disappeared entirely.

- - - - -

When Ku arrived at Caius Cosades’ house in Balmora later that night, she spoke sparsely. Her Imperial contact and new boss let her sleep in his bed, but she barely slept. Her dreams were filled with prophecy.