Post by DarkNova50 on Jul 7, 2008 2:47:39 GMT
Chapter 1
“But that’s almost twice what it was the last time...” Karina pointed out with a tone of defeat and disappointment in her voice, her dark, forest green eyes falling to the floor. Her finances were stretched to their limit as they were; how could she afford to pay what he was asking?
“I don’t know what to tell ya, sweetcheeks,” the Dunmer chuckled in response, shrugging slightly. The expensive silks that made up his shirt and pants shimmered softly in the poorly lit basement, reflecting a few small, errant flames that flickered idly in the corners. “This stuff is hard to make, and with the Legion cracking down on smuggling...” The Elf’s features broke out in a sardonic grin. “I need a little something extra for my troubles, understand?”
Karina looked meekly to the side, brushing matted strands of long, blonde hair from her face as she ran her other hand anxiously up and down her arm. She couldn’t afford to walk away empty handed; she needed it. It helped her...helped her forget.
“Well, I’m sure I could always line up another buyer, if you’re not interested,” the Dunmer explained calmly, shrugging as his thin red eyes turned away from her. “The market never goes bad for stuff like this. Don’t you-“
“No!” Karina shrieked desperately, the young Imperial’s pale, malnourished features lined in sheer horror as she latched onto the shoulders of the Dunmer. “Please! I...” She released the Elf as he slowly turned back towards her, a single, intrigued eyebrow cocked higher than the other. “I...I can pay, I just need a few days to get the rest of the money,” she explained, pulling away. “Just...just give it to me, please...”
The Dunmer smiled cruelly, walking slowly towards Karina. “Well, seeing as you’ve always been such a good customer in the past, I suppose I can put a small extension on your payment. Say, two days?” His grin grew as he abruptly reached out, grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling her close with one hand, while slowly running the other down her tall, slender frame. “So long as we can agree on some form of...interest?” he asked slyly as his hand ran across her hip, his face mere centimetres from hers.
Timidly, Karina’s gaze met the small gap of floor that separated the two, and she nodded slightly. “A-alright...” she replied hesitantly, her sense of need overriding her better judgement and common sense. “Now, please...”
As quickly as he had grabbed hold of her, the Dunmer released Karina, and turned to one of the many black silhouettes hidden in the darkness of the basement. “Bring her the stuff,” he muttered quietly, and the shadowed figure moved towards them, a small object visible in one of its hands. Her eyes wide, and her limbs trembling with anticipation, Karina watched intently as a large, burly Orc stepped forward with a small leather bag in hand, face set with grim determination as he eyed down the comparatively tiny human.
Almost like a feral animal, Karina reached out for the bag, lusting after what was within it, only to have her arm grabbed by the Dunmer once more. “Ah ah, sweetcheeks. Payment, first,” he demanded, clearly amused by the entire spectacle. With her free arm she grabbed the bag of gold she’d prepared for the transaction, over half of what she’d allotted for the week, and gave it willingly to the Elf. Weighing it in his hand, the Dunmer nodded to the Orc, who promptly delivered his own bag to the awaiting Imperial.
Without even inspecting the contents of the package, Karina made a mad dash for one of the corners in the basement, hand brushing past her worn out blue shirt as she reached frantically into her suede jacket for her skooma pipe. She set the bag down on a small table in front of her, retrieving one of the small bottles from within, and with lightning precision that only years of practice could allow, poured some of the crystalline substance into the end of the pipe. She quickly grabbed one of the small candles from one of the other ‘patrons’ nearby, and held it beneath the pipe, wrapping her lips around the other end.
Within seconds, the almost intolerable craving that had been building up throughout Karina’s entire body began to subside, muscles relaxing as the dozens of unpleasant sensations that had been eating away at her since her last fix died off, one by one. Warm, fragrant smoke filled her mouth and lungs as she gleefully inhaled, erasing every other petty, meaningless concern. The same sloppy, contented smile that marked the faces of those around her quickly washed over her own, as she slumped against the table in front of her.
In the background, the Dunmer watched Karina indulge herself as he laughed to himself, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now now, don’t smoke it all at once!” he chuckled loudly, shaking his head.
____________________________
Rich amber light washed across the sky of eastern Cyrodiil, illuminating the clouds in its radiance as the sun began its slow descent into the horizon. For nearly an hour, Karina had been trekking through the unforgiving and unpopulated region east of Bravil, pushing further and further into the wilderness. The euphoric effects of the skooma she had smoked in the city earlier were beginning to wear off, and she was eager to get home and ready another dose of the potent narcotic. Normally, she wouldn’t use the precious substance so recklessly, instead choosing to ration it until she could afford to buy more. But on nights like tonight...she used a great deal more than usual.
Finally, she reached the end of her journey; just ahead of her, in a small clearing in the foliage, sat a solitary, quaint looking cabin, its outer walls worn with age. As she approached the small structure, the weight of reality began to once again press down upon her, and Karina’s heart sank, depression washing over her. There would be nobody inside those walls to greet her, to comfort her in her misery. She was alone, as far removed from ‘civilized’ people as a person could be.
But maybe that was what she deserved...where she belonged.
She unlocked the front door to the house, and quietly stepped inside, glancing about the small home. Little more than the basic necessities were present within; a simple bed, a cupboard to store what little food she could afford, and a rickety nightstand in which she kept her other change of clothes, even more ragged than her threadbare blue shirt and sloppily patched black pants. Besides not being able to afford such things, Karina felt that placing anything nicer within the cabin would lure the bandits and thieves that often prowled the general area. Not that they ventured anywhere near there; in the five years since she’d found the abandoned house, criminals had been driven away from the area, kept at bay by rumours of a ferocious beast that patrolled the area.
Karina placed the few bits of food she’d procured during the day in her cupboard; some smoked meats, a few vegetables that wouldn’t spoil before she had a chance to use them. Devoid of any separating walls, she walked to the other side of the cabin, unlocking her nightstand before placing her bottles of skooma within, save the already opened one. Over the years she’d learned that taking a hefty dose of the drug before it happened helped keep her mind fuzzy and muddled, unfocused. And with the sun now sinking quickly into the horizon, she had precious little time left.
Quickly, she removed her clothing and laid it haphazardly upon her bed, revealing the effeminate, attractive figure beneath, although she was considerably leaner than what was considered healthy. Grabbing her skooma pipe, she poured what remained of the open bottle in, and used an incredibly weak fire spell to heat the apparatus, the fragrant smoke once again billowing into her. She savoured every second of the experience, knowing that any moment such pleasure would be denied to her.
And indeed it was. Just as the last bit of skooma residue was used up and inhaled, Karina dropped the pipe to the ground, her entire body seizing in pain. Along her spine and limbs, muscles swelled and rippled uncontrollably, threatening to burst forth from the skin that contained them. Patches of dark, black fur began to erupt across her entire body, and her breasts seemed to grow flat as her entire chest swelled with growing muscle tissue.
With the last of her willpower ebbing away, Karina managed to look out one of the cabin’s small, dirt smeared windows, at the rising full moon outside, before letting out a long, blood curdling howl.
______________________
______________________
DarkNova50: The werewolf thing is more than a gimmick, really! I actually plan on incorporating it into the story as a literary device! Honest! You'll see in the next chapter!
Oh yeah, and if you feel so inclined, you know I love hearing what you guys think of my writing. C'mon now, don't be shy...
“But that’s almost twice what it was the last time...” Karina pointed out with a tone of defeat and disappointment in her voice, her dark, forest green eyes falling to the floor. Her finances were stretched to their limit as they were; how could she afford to pay what he was asking?
“I don’t know what to tell ya, sweetcheeks,” the Dunmer chuckled in response, shrugging slightly. The expensive silks that made up his shirt and pants shimmered softly in the poorly lit basement, reflecting a few small, errant flames that flickered idly in the corners. “This stuff is hard to make, and with the Legion cracking down on smuggling...” The Elf’s features broke out in a sardonic grin. “I need a little something extra for my troubles, understand?”
Karina looked meekly to the side, brushing matted strands of long, blonde hair from her face as she ran her other hand anxiously up and down her arm. She couldn’t afford to walk away empty handed; she needed it. It helped her...helped her forget.
“Well, I’m sure I could always line up another buyer, if you’re not interested,” the Dunmer explained calmly, shrugging as his thin red eyes turned away from her. “The market never goes bad for stuff like this. Don’t you-“
“No!” Karina shrieked desperately, the young Imperial’s pale, malnourished features lined in sheer horror as she latched onto the shoulders of the Dunmer. “Please! I...” She released the Elf as he slowly turned back towards her, a single, intrigued eyebrow cocked higher than the other. “I...I can pay, I just need a few days to get the rest of the money,” she explained, pulling away. “Just...just give it to me, please...”
The Dunmer smiled cruelly, walking slowly towards Karina. “Well, seeing as you’ve always been such a good customer in the past, I suppose I can put a small extension on your payment. Say, two days?” His grin grew as he abruptly reached out, grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling her close with one hand, while slowly running the other down her tall, slender frame. “So long as we can agree on some form of...interest?” he asked slyly as his hand ran across her hip, his face mere centimetres from hers.
Timidly, Karina’s gaze met the small gap of floor that separated the two, and she nodded slightly. “A-alright...” she replied hesitantly, her sense of need overriding her better judgement and common sense. “Now, please...”
As quickly as he had grabbed hold of her, the Dunmer released Karina, and turned to one of the many black silhouettes hidden in the darkness of the basement. “Bring her the stuff,” he muttered quietly, and the shadowed figure moved towards them, a small object visible in one of its hands. Her eyes wide, and her limbs trembling with anticipation, Karina watched intently as a large, burly Orc stepped forward with a small leather bag in hand, face set with grim determination as he eyed down the comparatively tiny human.
Almost like a feral animal, Karina reached out for the bag, lusting after what was within it, only to have her arm grabbed by the Dunmer once more. “Ah ah, sweetcheeks. Payment, first,” he demanded, clearly amused by the entire spectacle. With her free arm she grabbed the bag of gold she’d prepared for the transaction, over half of what she’d allotted for the week, and gave it willingly to the Elf. Weighing it in his hand, the Dunmer nodded to the Orc, who promptly delivered his own bag to the awaiting Imperial.
Without even inspecting the contents of the package, Karina made a mad dash for one of the corners in the basement, hand brushing past her worn out blue shirt as she reached frantically into her suede jacket for her skooma pipe. She set the bag down on a small table in front of her, retrieving one of the small bottles from within, and with lightning precision that only years of practice could allow, poured some of the crystalline substance into the end of the pipe. She quickly grabbed one of the small candles from one of the other ‘patrons’ nearby, and held it beneath the pipe, wrapping her lips around the other end.
Within seconds, the almost intolerable craving that had been building up throughout Karina’s entire body began to subside, muscles relaxing as the dozens of unpleasant sensations that had been eating away at her since her last fix died off, one by one. Warm, fragrant smoke filled her mouth and lungs as she gleefully inhaled, erasing every other petty, meaningless concern. The same sloppy, contented smile that marked the faces of those around her quickly washed over her own, as she slumped against the table in front of her.
In the background, the Dunmer watched Karina indulge herself as he laughed to himself, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now now, don’t smoke it all at once!” he chuckled loudly, shaking his head.
____________________________
Rich amber light washed across the sky of eastern Cyrodiil, illuminating the clouds in its radiance as the sun began its slow descent into the horizon. For nearly an hour, Karina had been trekking through the unforgiving and unpopulated region east of Bravil, pushing further and further into the wilderness. The euphoric effects of the skooma she had smoked in the city earlier were beginning to wear off, and she was eager to get home and ready another dose of the potent narcotic. Normally, she wouldn’t use the precious substance so recklessly, instead choosing to ration it until she could afford to buy more. But on nights like tonight...she used a great deal more than usual.
Finally, she reached the end of her journey; just ahead of her, in a small clearing in the foliage, sat a solitary, quaint looking cabin, its outer walls worn with age. As she approached the small structure, the weight of reality began to once again press down upon her, and Karina’s heart sank, depression washing over her. There would be nobody inside those walls to greet her, to comfort her in her misery. She was alone, as far removed from ‘civilized’ people as a person could be.
But maybe that was what she deserved...where she belonged.
She unlocked the front door to the house, and quietly stepped inside, glancing about the small home. Little more than the basic necessities were present within; a simple bed, a cupboard to store what little food she could afford, and a rickety nightstand in which she kept her other change of clothes, even more ragged than her threadbare blue shirt and sloppily patched black pants. Besides not being able to afford such things, Karina felt that placing anything nicer within the cabin would lure the bandits and thieves that often prowled the general area. Not that they ventured anywhere near there; in the five years since she’d found the abandoned house, criminals had been driven away from the area, kept at bay by rumours of a ferocious beast that patrolled the area.
Karina placed the few bits of food she’d procured during the day in her cupboard; some smoked meats, a few vegetables that wouldn’t spoil before she had a chance to use them. Devoid of any separating walls, she walked to the other side of the cabin, unlocking her nightstand before placing her bottles of skooma within, save the already opened one. Over the years she’d learned that taking a hefty dose of the drug before it happened helped keep her mind fuzzy and muddled, unfocused. And with the sun now sinking quickly into the horizon, she had precious little time left.
Quickly, she removed her clothing and laid it haphazardly upon her bed, revealing the effeminate, attractive figure beneath, although she was considerably leaner than what was considered healthy. Grabbing her skooma pipe, she poured what remained of the open bottle in, and used an incredibly weak fire spell to heat the apparatus, the fragrant smoke once again billowing into her. She savoured every second of the experience, knowing that any moment such pleasure would be denied to her.
And indeed it was. Just as the last bit of skooma residue was used up and inhaled, Karina dropped the pipe to the ground, her entire body seizing in pain. Along her spine and limbs, muscles swelled and rippled uncontrollably, threatening to burst forth from the skin that contained them. Patches of dark, black fur began to erupt across her entire body, and her breasts seemed to grow flat as her entire chest swelled with growing muscle tissue.
With the last of her willpower ebbing away, Karina managed to look out one of the cabin’s small, dirt smeared windows, at the rising full moon outside, before letting out a long, blood curdling howl.
______________________
______________________
DarkNova50: The werewolf thing is more than a gimmick, really! I actually plan on incorporating it into the story as a literary device! Honest! You'll see in the next chapter!
Oh yeah, and if you feel so inclined, you know I love hearing what you guys think of my writing. C'mon now, don't be shy...