JoS/Kanna/21st Journal - Strange Bedfellows

Sun's Dawn, 14th, 3E 428

Life's been busy recently but in all the wrong ways, and now's the first time in weeks I've been able to just sit down and relax.

I've been patrolling the roads for the Legion on the west coast, occasionally stopping travelers to ask them about their business. It was an around-the-clock kinda gig where I didn't get to spend a whole lot of time in the places I visited, and had it not been for the guys in my unit, I would've died from boredom after just one week of doing that shit.

We were quite a motley crew despite everyone working for the Legion, with a Nord, an Argonian, and a Wood Elf sharing the men's tent with me, and a young Breton chick sharing the other tent with our boss, an Orc veteran who's been serving the Legion for over forty years. It started as strictly business for all of us, but having shared daily pints of Matze in every stinking tavern from Gnisis to Ebonheart, we all became pretty close.

Jeelus-Lai, the Argonian, was probably the best of the bunch. Born in the village of Chasecreek in northern Argonia, he was taken from home when he was but a little hatchling and was raised in the bondage of slavery in some Dren plantation just south of Almalexia. It's sadly a story not that uncommon for an Argonian living in southern Morrowind, but the thing that makes him different is that he managed to escape his servitude, thanks to the help of the Twin Lamps. Now, he's devoted his life to helping other slaves in the very same organization. Being part of the Legion, while noble in his eyes, is merely a job and a way to make money, or so he says. I've also told him my story privately, and since we're similar in many ways, we have a mutual understanding and respect for one another. The fact that he has a great sense of humor also helps.

As for Liliana, the young Breton, the kid's like twelve or something, I'm not actually sure, and she's supposedly a noble too, considering both her parents are part of the Order of the Lily. They're a very typical knightly order in High Rock, devoted to their patron goddess Dibella, but I don't know much beyond that. All I know is that she came to Morrowind with a group of missionaries and is heavily involved with the Imperial Cult. Being a Knight-Initiate, she can handle heavy armor and a sword really well, but she mostly acted as our healer. The kid's definitely better at Restoration magic than my sister is. Not as cute, though, but cute enough for me to have a crush on that flat-chested little brunette. Wish that little shorty had eyes for me because I'd love to see if Dibella's worshippers are as great lovers as the rumors say, but I'm afraid to ask.

Anyway, when we made it to Fort Hawkmoth in Ebonheart a couple of days ago, we were tasked with infiltrating a recently discovered Sixth House base just an hour's walk to the north, a major hotspot for illegal smuggling to the mainland. Conducting our attack late in the evening, we actually caught a small group of "Dreamers" loading several large wooden crates onto a ship and took them out quickly.

When we inspected the crates, we found them full of creepy red statues, each one being about the size of a standard glass bottle, and they were all filled to the brim with volcanic ash. We weren't sure what to make of all this, but we decided it was for the best to set the ship and its contents on fire and let the strange statues sink to the shallow sea floor.

The rest of the mission, which happened inside a seaside cave called Assemanu, didn't go too well.

I didn't mention Jeelus-Lai and Liliana for nothing; we're the only three who made it out alive. One-third of our unit got wiped out in an unfortunate ambush while our boss died fighting the enemy leader. He was another one of those nasty half-man, half-tentacle creatures, the likes of which I saw in the other hideout with Aliya and my sister. Luckily, I didn't have to witness anyone get raped by that thing this time. Jeelus-Lai and I managed to take him down in the end, with Liliana also doing a superb job despite having the least field experience out of us all. Although she says she's fine, she was visibly shaken following our raid, having witnessed the loss of life for the first time on the battlefield. Jeelus-Lai got badly wounded, but says he has suffered worse, so he'll be fine. Me? I contracted blight for the third time. Luckily, it wasn't corprus, so I knew I could be cured. Still, we had to visit the temple in Balmora as fast as possible to get it sorted out before I would turn into a monster.

After explaining the situation to the master of the Temple, Feldrelo, she suggested I might've actually gotten the blight from those ash statues we found on the ship. The Sixth House uses them to spread their influence to the mainland, by spreading the disease. This supposedly allows Dagoth Ur - "The Sharmat", as she called him - and his priests to reach more and more people and brainwash them into his cause, using dark dreams to speak to his victims in their sleep. I guess there's a reason why they call his followers "Dreamers", "Sleepers", and whatnot. She called it a "Soul Sickness" meant to test the faith of mortals, especially Dunmer, with those who are easily swayed and those who possess low willpower being the most likely victims. Still, as Dagoth Ur grows more powerful, it will become difficult for even the most devout and faithful to resist his curse.

That reminds me, Aliya has complained about seeing strange dreams a lot too, meaning she's being targeted by Dagoth Ur's curse like many of the Dunmer who live here. Curiously, the dark dreams don't tend to reach outlanders as often, which is probably why Kanna and I have been left untargeted, but I guess that has nothing to do with us being more powerful than our average Dunmer. Rather, we're seen as slaves to be subjugated and a pest to be eradicated.

On that note, she thanked us profusely for killing the "Priest", the leader of that particular cave, and said that killing him should've helped free some people from the Sharmat's curse. While we accepted the thanks and were happy to help, it also saddens us to know that some of those men and women we had to kill could've been saved from their own curse, and woken up from their dark dreams.

Anyway, glad that's over with. I'm still feeling under the weather, so I'll spend at least a few days relaxing at home.

I've got to say it feels so lonely and quiet without Kanna and Aliya here. I don't think they've been home at all while I was away, as the house looks exactly as it did when I last visited a week or so ago. It's been quite a while since they left for the east coast, which makes me wonder, what's up with them? Sure hope everything's okay with those two, wherever they could be. Wish I could at least hear something from them, even if just to confirm they're safe and sound. Like, I know those two are more capable than their appearance leads one to believe, but since the Legion has a bounty on Kanna in Cyrodiil, and the Tribunal Temple has an arrest warrant on Aliya, I can't help but worry a little.

This is probably a long shot since I'm not sure where to start looking, but could I go look for them now that I'm on leave from active duty? Maybe I'll get permission if I ask for one.

For now, I'll get some rest to see if I can fully heal from this stinky ash-flu…

Sun's Dawn, 15th, 3E 428

My request for administrative leave has been granted, but Radd Hard-Heart, my commanding officer here in Balmora, reminded me not to "desert my post", as he put it. While the Legion, the Temple, and the Great Houses - mostly Redoran - are doing a fine job at combatting the growing Sixth House threat, I'm still needed for duty.

Fine, I was probably never going to find those two anyway, not when they could be anywhere on this cursed island. Hell, they could even be visiting the mainland for gods-know-what! It's just so annoying that I can't leave, all because of my higher-ups holding my past over my head and blackmailing me into doing everything they tell me. It's days like these that make me feel like joining the Legion was a big, fat mistake.

Wait, maybe I could ask to be stationed on the east coast? Wolverine Hall is the only Imperial fortress there, but if there's one place on that side of Vvardenfell where I could come across those girls, or at least hear rumors of them, it would be that place. Then again, maybe I should just give it up and have faith. I would've heard from at least one of them if something terrible had happened, so perhaps their silence is a good sign.

Whatever happens, I feel I should do something during these days off. Maybe I'll give my sword a few practice swings, see if the local guilds have work to offer, catch up with those two who survived the assault with me to see what they're up to, or maybe I'll see if I can find a sexy chick to bed in the local Cornerclub.

Maybe I'll do all that.

Sun's Dawn, 19th, 3E 428

It had been a while since I last stepped inside the Fighters Guild, but Eydis, the local steward, was happy to see me all the same. I asked her for any and all kinds of jobs I could do locally, and she has given me several.

My first task involved killing some egg poachers. Boring shit, if I'm being perfectly honest, but stealing food from Kwama mines is a pretty serious crime, so it was an important job. There's enough poverty and hunger amongst the lower class as it is, and the locals don't need the eggs falling into the wrong hands. I got paid pretty handsomely.

The other job I took was rather menial and should've been reserved for a beginner, but at least I got something out of it. A local lass named Drarayne had trouble with some cave rats and needed an exterminator. For some reason, these rats felt more powerful than the others I've had to stomp out during my travels all over Tamriel - probably due to having access to abundant food in Drarayne's storage - but I'll be damned before I let a filthy rodent get the better of me. I got rid of them all in less than a minute.

I wouldn't even write about a mission like this were it not for the fact that Drarayne was an absolute loon! For starters, she seems to be collecting pillows. Can you believe it? What kind of commentary am I even supposed to provide here? Fucking pillows, I swear. Secondly, she was into me, which I don't blame her for, but she was strangely open about it and suspiciously focused on my race. "Big, burly humans just do it better", are the exact words she used, if my memory serves me right. The local Dunmer men would've ripped her a new one for insulting their masculinity and suggesting such a thing. Me? I was just happy to rip through her ass! That crazy bitch loved anal, and although I'm not exactly in her age bracket since she's in her thirties, she was good-looking. She was damn loud and talkative too, going on and on about how she just loves young human cock, about how it had been such a long time since she had bred with a stud as young as myself, and expressed her desire to be ravaged by a "brute" like myself. It's like he was fetishizing me for being a human - and a teenager too, I guess - but I'm not offended or anything. I don't mind at all. Besides, I AM a sexy brute! Made sure to reach around her waist to give her grey clit some love too. Man, what a wild bitch. It'd been a while since I last got laid, so even though I only used her back door as she requested, I came like buckets.

Now, I'm home and feeling strangely regretful. They say you shouldn't put your dick in crazy, but that's exactly what I did. At least I'm confident in knowing this affair isn't gonna lead to a kid.

Not sure how to end this entry, so I'll just say that Eydis promised me more work tomorrow. In a way, I hope it's more menial tasks, as easy money is always welcome.

Sun's Dawn, 20th, 3E 428

Today, Eydis sent me to acquire some sort of code book from a woman named Sottilde at the South Wall Cornerclub, which was great since I was planning to meet up with Jeelus-Lai for a drink there anyway. While I was meant to get the book by "any means necessary", this was supposed to be just a simple request that didn't involve fighting or killing. Didn't go quite as planned.

I was stepping into the Thieves Guild territory, but even though I'm not a member myself, I've had prior positive dealings with them, so I'm both recognized and trusted. After asking around for my target Sottilde for a while, I was led to the bar downstairs, the place where all the fun, drinking, and hook-ups happen. Upstairs is simply an eatery, or so I've understood.

My target's full name was Glass-Eye Sottilde, as apparent by the scar that ran across her face and the fact that she had only one functioning eye, and she was sitting alone at a table. She was a gorgeous Nordic brunette, young but definitely older than me, and she wasn't afraid to show her stunning hourglass figure. Her tits were so big I could hardly believe her button-up tunic could contain them, but then again, she had it partially open and unbuckled since it was clearly impossible to close the shirt completely. She smiled when I approached her, but it was quite clear she wasn't looking for company. Regardless, work is work, so I offered her a glass of Colovian brandy. It was all I needed to sit down with her.

She got super friendly when I mentioned the code book, which made me think that maybe she and Eydis had some kind of a deal. Still, she was also suspiciously evasive about the subject. She just swirled her glass around, not once breaking eye contact, and put on a seductive, even sexually suggestive smile while I took a sip from my own glass. The last thing I remember before passing out was hearing her say: "Good night." She must've laced my glass of brandy with some kind of poison while I wasn't looking, and enchanted by her beauty, I never even saw it coming. Looking back, I think she might've put an illusion spell on me, but none of that matters anymore.

All that matters is that when I came to, the bitch had stripped me naked and helplessly tied me to some bed's four corners by my limbs. She wasn't alone either, as Habasi was there too. She's a Khajiit I remember very well, for she's the local ringleader for the Thieves Guild in Balmora. I asked her, "What the fuck is this", but she just replied by telling me to shut my mouth and only speak when spoken to.

Meanwhile, Sottilde, the crazy bitch, sat on the bed and stroked my skin with the tip of her malachite dagger while still smiling that same seductive smile and chuckling with a low tone. I knew I was in deep shit, and I didn't even know why. As soon as her dagger reached my pubes, she stopped, and grabbed my dick with her free hand, acting like she was about to cut it off! Then, with a sickly-sweet voice, she just asked: "Who sent you?"

"Eydis! From the Fighters Guild!" I shouted, feeling like I couldn't answer fast enough.

That sadistic little bitch licked her lips, and even though she clearly knew who I was talking about, she wasn't satisfied with my answer. "Eydis who-now? I don't know anyone who goes by the name "from the Fighters Guild"", she said, skillfully running her finger horizontally right underneath my exposed glans.

"Fire-Eye! Her name is Eydis Fire-Eye!"

Suddenly, she grabbed my cock even harder. "Oh? That Fire-Eye? Eydis "rides Camonna Tong's cock" Fire-Eye? Eydis "licks the cheese off Orvas Dren's cock" Fire-Eye?"

I must admit, I was confused because that was my local boss in the Fighters Guild she was talking about, not some sick criminal thug the likes of which Camonna Tong employs, but by the gods, those two women looked serious. Habasi looked especially furious, and I almost could hear her hiss at me, although I could also see a hint of disappointment in her eyes. Sottilde, though, was clearly enjoying herself, and she didn't like my silence one bit.

"Oh, do speak", she said, inching the blade's edge closer to my member. "Or do I have to make you scream?"

I didn't even know what to say, so I just shouted: "That's her!" It was a rapid-fire discussion from there.

"Do you even know why she wants the code book?"

"She talked about a client, and - "

"That client's name is Orvas Dren", she said, raising her voice and immediately sounding more imposing.

"I didn't know! I swear!"

"Be clear, little man. You do know who I'm talking about?"

"I know! But I didn't know she was working with him! How could I have!?" At that point, I turned toward Habasi, who was just listening to the discussion from the sidelines. She still looked so pissed, but she was willing to listen. "Habasi, you know I'm telling you the truth! I'm no friend of Camonna Tong! Please, you've got to believe me!"

The silence lasted only for five seconds until Sottilde started rubbing and stroking my cock. Without breaking eye contact with me, she asked: "May I have your permission to neuter this dog, boss?"

"It may have been nothing but a pawn on Dren's chess board", Habasi said, trying to keep calm, "but it speaks the truth. Khajiit knows it can be trusted."

That was a relief for me, but Sottilde still didn't look too happy. She stared me down, full of suspicion, and I felt like I had to say something to calm her down and appeal to her senses. I told her about working with the Guild before against Camonna Tong, together with the Twin Lamps. It seemed to make her face soften, but I wasn't done. I also told her about my sister and how they tortured her, and asked her if she seriously thought I could forgive those bandits for that? For hurting the only family I have? She quieted down completely, but she looked more furious than ever. Not at me this time, but at Camonna Tong. Her anger toward them was palpable.

Still, it appears to be true. Eydis is working for Camonna Tong. This isn't a case of the Fighters Guild simply working against the Thieves Guild because the latter are considered criminals, but rather a business deal steeped in personal greed. Camonna Tong's blood money reaches far and wide into corrupt pockets, and if Habasi and Sottilde are to be believed, there's no institution more rotten than the Fighters Guild in all of Morrowind. "And it's not just Eydis", Sottilde said. "It's the entire fucking leadership."

The code book itself was an encrypted document listing Skooma deliveries to various Camonna Tong hideouts across Vvardenfell, acquired by an insider named Guldrise Dralor, whom the Thieves Guild had working inside that bandit clan as a double agent. As for why Sottilde got caught with the code book in her possession? Well, that's the same insider's fault. Sottilde's also part of the Guild's counter-intelligence operation against Camonna Tong, and when the unfortunate fool came to deliver the document to her a couple of nights ago, the Tong's thugs followed. Although Guldrise got caught and captured, Sottilde luckily made it out, but she's still far from the clear. She's afraid of being kidnapped and enslaved - "Just like ten years ago", she said, while clutching her scar - but not so afraid that she would stop herself from getting revenge against the bandits who robbed her of her innocent childhood.

That kind of makes me understand why she initially saw me as a threat. She really must've seen me as a bad guy, just like those people who enslaved her when she was a kid. She didn't outright say it, but she did sort of admit to being wrong about me and to being emotional and afraid. Not sure if I can even blame her. This was a simple misunderstanding on her part.

Habasi, in her seemingly limitless genius, had luckily already decoded the code book, so there was no harm in handing it over to Eydis anymore. She knew about most of the Tong hideouts listed in the book, for the map Elone had secured from the Dren Plantation several months ago already had revealed them all, but it also showed an additional one. With only codewords ILL, MIR, and ELDER as clues, Habasi suspected there could be a hideout somewhere in Ald'ruhn, which translates to "Elder Home" in Tamrielic.

"So take the book to Dren's little whore", Habasi said and nodded at Sottilde, instructing her to cut loose the ties holding me down. "Khajiit was planning on handing it over to the authorities so we can steal the trade route for ourselves… but that's dangerous business. Instead, you, Redguard, will be "the authority" and help the Guild. So it will work for us again, yes? Come back tomorrow. It should help us find who or what "ILL MIR" is."

Sottilde also had a request of her own. "Avenge Guldrise for me. She was my best friend, and it pains me to think what she must be going through right now. So make their deaths painful and bloody, big guy." Then, her angry scowl turned into a smirk. "I will personally reward you for every single piece of scum you eradicate from the face of this island", she added and blew me an air kiss.

Then, I left, luckily with my dick still attached. And I didn't even get to share that drink with Jeelus-Lai. Worst bar night ever!

Luckily, it doesn't seem like Eydis has any suspicions about me knowing about her dirty little secret, and seems to trust me blindly. All she did was thank me for a job well done and paid me for my troubles, promising even more work tomorrow. I'm not sure if I should even take any more jobs from her, but I guess I must, just to make sure she doesn't get suspicious of me in the future either.

Still, it's so hard to believe she could be working for Camonna Tong, but I don't believe those two women were lying to me either. I guess time will tell what the truth is and help me decide where my allegiances lie. For now, I'll trust my gut and work with the Thieves Guild because I know for sure that THEY aren't in cahoots with Camonna Tong. Hopefully, Habasi will shed some light tomorrow on how I can help them.

Sun's Dawn, 21st, 3E 428

The courier brought me a letter from my sister today! Those two are fine!

They are both apologetic about being unable to visit home and wrote about needing a bit more time before they can return. Aliya's working hard trying to fulfill the prophecy, and while most of the work is already behind them as far as uniting the Ashlanders and gaining the House Telvanni's support goes, Kanna feels like she can't leave her new best friend's side until the job's done. Still, they'll return to Balmora the first chance they get. It should only be a matter of days and weeks rather than months, which is a relief. Most of all, I feel at ease knowing they're safe.

Anyway, I feared Eydis could give me another dirty job, and I was unfortunately proven correct. There's supposedly been a string of thefts and kidnappings happening in the Caldera ebony mines north of here, and Eydis says the Telvanni are responsible, which I could tell was bullshit from the get-go. Still, I couldn't let Eydis know I knew she was full of it, so I left after "accepting" the job.

Sure enough, after I talked about the job with Habasi, she confirmed that the Telvanni aren't involved. Supposedly, the people responsible for the crimes are with the Thieves Guild, although she insists the accusations of kidnappings are foul libel. "It's just a simple ebony smuggling operation", she said. As for why Eydis would lie to me about this? Habasi can't say for sure, but it's not difficult to piece two and two together. Camonna Tong wants a piece of this tasty, lucrative ebony cake, and what better way to accomplish this than to hire someone to kill the enemy operatives.

Habasi says I should probably check in with the guys in Caldera, but instead of killing them, I should just warn them, and hand them a letter from her explaining the situation. Since Eydis trusts me, she should also believe me when I tell her the thieves lie dead.

Since I'm traveling north, I'll be heading straight to Ald'ruhn, and to my surprise, I won't be going alone. Surprisingly, my newest friend Jeelus-Lai is cozy with the Guild, and since he was present at the bar and saw me talking with Habasi about business, he got really curious about what I was up to, saying he'd never pass an opportunity to be a thorn on Camonna Tong's side.

That's all for tomorrow. Got to stock up on a few essential travel supplies before we leave.

Sun's Dawn, 22nd, 3E 428

When Jeelus-Lai came to pick me up early in the morning, he wasn't alone. Liliana was with him, and supposedly, after he told her that he had important business to attend to and didn't have time to spend with her, she got either jealous or suspicious. Or both, probably. She's always come across as goody-two-shoes who's very strict with rules and super concerned with our duty as officers of Imperial law, so we felt a little hesitant to tell her what's really going on. Surprisingly, though, when we admitted that we were working with the Thieves Guild against Camonna Tong and going on a mission to Ald'ruhn, she got fired up. She demanded to go with us and said she wasn't taking no for an answer. So I guess the band's back together! I certainly won't say no to having Dibella's sexy little Knight-Initiate keeping us company.

On the road, we came across a traveling Khajiit who was headed in the same direction as us, and he tagged along with us for several miles. He introduced himself as M'aiq, and oh boy, was he the best! The guy had stories for ages and all the charisma in the world to tell them in an engaging manner! Can't speak for the authenticity of the stories, though, as the tales he told were really tall. Like, he talked about meeting a talking Mudcrab the other day, but that's just bull! He also said that there are dragons everywhere, but they're flying so high we can't see them, while the ones closer to the ground are just invisible. Similarly, after hearing we were headed for Ald'ruhn, he told us stories about giant emperor crabs as big as castles living peacefully somewhere far away in the oceans.

This kinda got us talking about treasures and ruins, or more specifically, sunken treasures. M'aiq mentioned a sunken Daedric shrine somewhere off the shores of swampy Bitter Coast, but before I could even call bullshit on that, Jeelus-Lai said he's heard something about that as well. I wonder if there's some truth to it? M'aid could tell us where this long-lost shrine was, but I don't know about actually going there. I mean, we could, since there could be treasure to be left looted, but it also could end up being just a massive waste of time…

After that, we went our separate ways.

Then, in a little cave by the Caldera crater, where the ebony mine was located, we found the ringleader of the smuggling operation, Alveleg. After explaining who we were, we gave him the letter from Habasi and explained how the Fighters Guild and the Camonna Tong were after their lives, probably looking to secure the smuggling route for themselves. Although frustrated, Alveleg was understanding and supposed it's in their best interest to cease operations for a while. "Aengoth won't be happy", he said, "but this isn't a fight worth risking our lives over."

All's end that ends well. Now we're gonna spend a night at the local inn, Shenk's Shovel. Hopefully, the journey tomorrow will be as safe as it was today.

Sun's Dawn, 23rd, 3E 428

Since we left Caldera early in the morning, we also managed to reach Ald'ruhn relatively early, which was great. This isn't exactly a small town, you know, and since we only had the words "ILL" and "MIR" as our clues, we really had the work cut out for ourselves for the remainder of the day.

To be a little bit more efficient, we decided to split up. Jeelus-Lai thought it'd be best to meet up and interview Aengoth, the local ringleader, while Liliana and I headed for the market district near the Ald Skar's entrance. (That's the huge-ass crab building this town is famous for, in case you didn't know.) Our thinking was that the local Dunmer could give us the best clues regarding the meaning of these words.

Liliana volunteered to stay outside to interview the street vendors, while I started by visiting the local bookstore and a popular pawnshop. The former was a pompous tight-ass who wasn't willing to disclose the names of his clientele, as he said it, while the latter said he might know something, but his information wasn't free. I guess that was his way of saying he needed help with something, but since I had a feeling it was more trouble than it was worth, I decided to keep on looking elsewhere. However, nobody could tell me anything useful. Besides, the locals seemed wary and suspicious of me.

By this time, Jeelus-Lai was already done, and he even had a clue. Aengoth had told him that there is an Altmer living here in town who goes by the name Ilmiril, a strangely guarded fellow living at the edge of the town, just south of the temple, who he thought could be our guy. It was admittedly a long shot, but still worth a check. All we had to do was notify Liliana that we had a target, and then we could be on our way to see what this man was all about.

However, we couldn't find her anywhere. It's like she had just disappeared, which isn't like her at all. She's not even the kind of girl who likes to be left alone, so we just knew something had to be wrong. We kept looking and even asking around for a little while, and luckily, a local blacksmith selling his wares outside his workshop had noticed a young Breton being accosted by a pair of dodgy-looking thugs before being escorted to an alleyway leading to the temple.

Hearing that, I just knew I had fucked up letting her wander around on her own. Damn it, I wanted to punch myself! Jeelus-Lai said that we shouldn't jump to conclusions quite just yet, but I just couldn't shake off this ugly feeling I had in my stomach, especially since Ilmiril lives near the temple too. Since we had no better clues about her whereabouts, we decided to hurry up and head there.

We knew Ilmiril was home, but he wasn't answering, which was an immediate red flag for me. I wanted to bash the door open so bad, but Jeelus-Lai insisted on picking the lock, saying a lock that easy shouldn't even take a minute for him to open.

As soon as we got in, Ilmiril threatened to call the guards and get us thrown into jail for our gross invasion of his privacy, especially after making it clear he didn't wish to be disturbed. He even feigned outrage after Jeelus-Lai told him that he was with the Thieves Guild and knew about Camonna Tong's Skooma smuggling operations, but after I drew my sword and threatened to take his life if he didn't tell us where Liliana was, his tune changed. Suddenly, he begged me to spare his life, insisted on wanting nothing more to do with this, and even led us to a secret door inside his closet, which was connected to an underground smuggling tunnel. Jeelus-Lai took it upon himself to rough the bastard up by kicking him in the gut and tying him up to prevent him from escaping, probably in fear of him slipping out and possibly even getting back up, which I commend him for. After that, we finally stormed the tunnel.

It became apparent very soon that Liliana was indeed down there, as evidenced by her screaming for mercy and help. Those motherfuckers had her pinned down and clapped in chains on top of a bed, and they were violently interrogating her, asking questions like "Who sent you" and "Who are you working for". They were shouting at her, threatening her, and cutting and ripping through her clothes and armor, all while she just cried and screamed, begging for them to let her go, saying she had already told them the truth, and saying she was sorry. They evidently hadn't raped her yet, but her face was bloodied and bruised, and even her bare chest was bleeding from the cuts they had inflicted on her.

There were only three of them, so luckily, we faced no trouble cutting them all down. I could've taken those talentless thugs on by myself, but still, thank fuck Jeelus-Lai was there with me, and thank fuck we got here as soon as we did. I can't even bear the thought of what those heartless bastards would've done to her if we didn't.

Liliana was understandably still upset and hysterical, but she was also thankful beyond words for being saved before those men could violate her, or worse. Even though I apologized deeply for not being by her side when she needed me the most, she only blamed herself for being naïve enough to trust those guys and for getting tricked into going with them.

Still, regardless of what happened, all that matters is that she's safe and sound.

On that note, we notified the Redoran Oathmen outside just minutes after saving Liliana, explaining everything to them. Well, everything except the part where we're actually in cahoots with the Thieves Guild. They searched the area, interviewed Liliana about what those men tried to do to her, and even got a confession out of Ilmiril, who was surprisingly okay with going to jail, as opposed to getting murked like those fuckers in the tunnel. They also found evidence of both slave and drug trafficking having taken place there, with four full boxes of Skooma hidden in the cave, all connected to Camonna Tong. There's zero chance they're going to be able to continue operations there, and as long as Ilmiril is willing to cooperate with the Redoran, they may even be able to identify and track down some of the other gangsters who've operated there and hopefully get retribution for their victims.

Safe to say, everything ended up going our way in the end, and our actions didn't go unrewarded by House Redoran either. Some important-looking guy named Vonden Mano even thanked us personally for weeding out scum from their city and paid us all a thousand Septims each. Our work was done.

Since Liliana was still hurt and in tears, we thought it'd be best to stay put for the night, which is why we'll rest until tomorrow morning here in Ald'ruhn, specifically at the "Rat in the Pot". Despite its strange name, it's a VERY nice inn, much nicer than any other I've been in a long time. I should probably try talking to Liliana soon to make sure she's okay and all, but she insists on wanting to be alone.

Maybe we'll talk tomorrow morning, then.

Sun's Dawn, 25th, 3E 428

As soon as we got past Caldera, the weather turned rainy and foul, but hey, at least Liliana's in much better spirits now! She's still obviously shaken over everything, and I doubt she'll get over what almost happened to her any time soon, but she's at least been able to talk and smile around Jeelus-Lai and me, which is fantastic.

Even though it was already way past our usual bedtime when we made it back to Balmora, Jeelus-Lai and I decided to report back to Habasi immediately instead of waiting for the morning. She wasn't too thrilled to hear that the situation had escalated to violence, but that's not to say she was criticizing us. After all, the violence was instigated by the enemy, and we simply did what we had to. Besides, since we did manage to successfully root out Camonna Tong's influence from Ald'ruhn, she's thrilled with the results. We got paid for a job well done - some of which we offered to Liliana for tagging along with us - and then waved each other goodbye before heading separate ways.

I don't know about the other two, but I was feeling tired, wet, and cold, and I couldn't wait to lie down. My legs were wobbly and begging for a rest, but unfortunately, they were going to have to wait a little bit longer because I had some unexpected company waiting for me at home.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that busty blonde babe, Sottilde, inside my house, leaning against my bedroom door, grinning from ear to ear. I wasn't angry at her, but damn it, the locks I bought for this house were supposed to be the best available in town! Guess fucking not, or maybe Sottilde is just that good of a burglar! However, the thing this sexy thief was after wasn't my wealth, but rather, my company, and she wasn't taking no for an answer.

Without so much as greeting me, she ripped open her button-up blouse and pinned me against a wall with her hands on my wrists and her exposed breasts on my wet shirt. Before I could even ask her what she was planning, she locked her lips with mine and ate me out. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to grab her or push her away, not like it would've mattered anyway. Any time I tried to move around or move my hands, she stopped me, asserting control over me, and yet, she was also so loving, so passionate, and positively all over me. She was insatiable.

Between her seemingly endless kisses, she mentioned hearing about my accomplishments through the grapevine, and reminded me of the promise she had made me: a promise to reward me for every single piece of scum I eradicate from the face of this island. Sex was her way of rewarding me, although honestly, she was so aggressive it felt like she was only rewarding herself at my expense. She even said it herself. She had been fantasizing about my fourteen-year-old cock ever since she had me tied up on the bed last time around, and now, she was gonna eat me up.

Oh, hell no, I thought! Not to say I don't like it when girls act sexually assertive, but I had had it with her pushing me around!

I broke free of her grasp, only to grope her ass and pull her even closer as I pushed myself off the wall, which only seemed to embolden her. She moaned and mumbled with lust, hands feeling up and inspecting my muscles underneath my shirt, and she was all for me touching her skin directly as well. It's like we were battling to see which one of us could completely undress the other one first, but neither of us wanted to stop kissing. Getting rid of her blouse was easy enough for me, and I didn't have much difficulty with her tight-fit pants either, but since she couldn't pull my shirt over my head, she ended up having to rip it up to expose my chest. It honestly surprised me, but I didn't even mind getting one of my shirts ruined. Feeling her massive, milky udders against my bare chest made it all worth it in the end.

At the same time, she got past my belt - skilfully, with just one hand - and dug into my underwear to find my rock-hard cock. She touched and rubbed me gently, chuckling lustfully as she sized me up, and then, out of nowhere, she pulled herself out of my grasp and pushed me away. I lost my footing in surprise, but thankfully, the landing was soft. I hadn't even noticed it earlier, but she had rearranged some of the furniture in the room, and turned one of my fireplace armchairs around for me to lie on. Now, with my pants down, it was easy for her to take advantage of me.

After getting out of her panties, her only remaining piece of clothing besides her luxurious, silky kneesocks, she climbed on top of me and pushed her mature slit down on my shaft. Just as aggressively as before, she pushed my back into the armchair, smothered me with her large breasts, and stuck her tongue out to kiss me again, all while rubbing my cock up and down with her vulva. Since my hands were free, I groped, rubbed, and smacked her ass, pulling her closer and egging her on to just take it. She had driven me so wild with desire I couldn't think of anything else but fucking her, and she couldn't hold herself back for long either. She finally lifted herself up and took hold of my cock to aim it up, and prepared to gobble me up.

With hands on my shoulders, pushing me against the chair, she leaned back and came down on me hard. The way her snug, warm softness enveloped me almost all the way to my balls was spine-tinglingly good, but little could compare to the sight of absolute joy blasted all over her face. She bit her lower lip to stifle her moans, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head from the pleasure as she pushed her hips up to ride me, and she was so damn good with how she was moving too. She mixed in some forward motion as well when she pushed her belly closer to mine, and the speed was just right. Like, as good as it feels to go wild and hard, taking it slow and sensual can make your dick feel incredible.

I leaned back and let her dictate the pace for now, but since my hands were free, I didn't let the opportunity to touch her go to waste. As assertive and dominating as she was as she pushed me down, she let me touch her a lot, basically anywhere I wanted. Most of all, I couldn't resist the urge to grab her big bouncy tits as she rode me, and she was all for it, smiling and giggling gently as I groped her.

Little by little, the rhythm was getting faster, and she was getting even more forceful. Noisier too. She still didn't talk much - mostly just sighed about how long and thick I was - but she just couldn't keep her mouth shut as she moaned and gasped, evidently approaching her climax. It's like she was trying to hold me down while she made herself cum at my expense, pushing her hips down on me harder and faster, with loud moans to match. I resigned to it, leaned back further, and caressed her backside, all while holding back my own moans. It was unusual for me, as I don't tend to moan a lot during sex, but she was just that fucking good.

Listening to her and watching her, groping her breasts even harder, I continued to feast my eyes, observing as she was getting closer and closer to orgasm. Her heightened pleasure was mirrored everywhere, from her voice to her facial expressions, and I swear, watching girls lose themselves completely and drown in ecstasy never gets old. I could pinpoint the exact moment she came just by looking at her eyes alone, and even though she was doing all the heavy lifting, I felt nothing but pride in making her feel that good. I wanted to do even more.

Since I wasn't too far out of cumming either, I planted my feet and grabbed her by her hips to help myself at her expense, and that if anything made her go wild. She fell toward me, pushed her chest into me, and held onto me tight, nails gently clawing my back. She stuck her tongue out and kissed me again, still shivering from head to toe with pleasure, and somehow, she still managed to ride me just as fast as before. I could thrust a little from this awkward sitting position from underneath me, but it still only felt like I was helping her and not the other way around. Despite this, I came very quickly, and gave her a creampie for the ages. I swear, even though it felt like I didn't have any control over the situation, it was incredible from the start to the messy finish.

She still wouldn't let go of me or let me go soft, though. It was clear she was still up for more - a lot more - and for that, we headed for my bedroom.

As soon as I got her on my bed, that horny dog got on her fours. Evidently, she didn't care too much about being on top of me anymore, and I was all for it. Still rock-hard, I gave it to her from behind and went to town on her.

I wanted to edge it out as much as I could, so I didn't go fast, but since I could put all the oomph I wanted behind my thrusts, I went hard. I wanted to feel her ass smack against my skin with every thrust, and she loved it. She even helped me, pushing against me hard, doing a near-perfect job of keeping up with my rhythm. She got more talkative too, begging to be bred like a bitch in heat. Couldn't go a moment without complimenting my dick, and how much she loved it. I made sure to also treat her ears with some well-deserved praise for being such an incredible fuck, and I didn't even have to embellish a single word I said.

I was about to make her cum again, and she wanted me to go into her harder, faster, and deeper. What kind of a man would I have been if I had not given it to her? I showed her exactly what I was made of, and based on how I was making her moan, it's safe to say she loved it just as much as she loved being in control, if not even more! I made her cum hard, but I wasn't slowing down until I had reached my climax. Edging it out wasn't an option anymore.

I came so hard, losing all rhyme and reason as she took my breath away one last time. I couldn't pull away, I had no strength left, and I could barely even keep my eyes open as I continued pushing deep into her, but eventually, I just had to let go. Above everything else, I felt more satisfied than I had in a very long time, and I could tell she felt the same.

We both collapsed to the sheets, sweaty and tired, with her resting on top of me. I, for sure, fell asleep first, and let me just tell you, I slept for like twelve hours. It had been a long day - and a long trip in general - and she had just absolutely sucked the life out of me. Even still, she was waiting for me when I woke up, ready to cuddle and thank me for an amazing night. Man, it felt good to wake up with a bitch that sexy on my bed…

Besides thanking me, she made sure to remind me of her promise to me once again. "I told you, didn't I? I will reward you for each piece of scum you eradicate from this island. Last night was the reward for the guy you got arrested, but I still owe you three more dates, don't I? So we'll be doing this again, hopefully sooner rather than later…"

Something tells me she won't come knocking the next time around either, and will prefer to keep doing this on her terms, but I don't mind. As long as we do this again, I will gladly let her take me whenever and wherever she wants. Now, though, she's long gone. Dressed up and left almost as soon as I woke up. Could've at least made me breakfast before leaving! Just kidding.

Still, like I said, it's been a tiring couple of days, so I'll probably have a day off today and catch up with my new friends later in the evening. I wonder what's next for me?

First Seed, 1st, 3E 428

My administrative leave has been extended, but sadly, Kanna and Aliya still aren't home to fill the lone and boring hours. Luckily for me, Jeelus-Lai said he wanted to fill that void and took me on a little quest. He reminded me of what that crazy-ass Khajiit had told us on the road and said we should go look for that sunken shrine. I was still highly skeptical of the whole story, but since I had nothing better to do and wanted to shoot the shit with my only close male friend on this island, I packed up and joined him on this little field trip.

We invited Liliana too, but she didn't want to come, which is kind of a pity. Didn't even specify why. Having her join us on the swim would've been awesome, as I sure would've loved to see what she looks like underneath all those modest clothes and her expensive steel plate…

After arriving in the evening, I equipped a special amulet that allowed me to breathe underwater, and went for a dip off the swampy western coast of Vvardenfell, right where M'aiq had told us where the sunken shrine would be… and we fucking found it! It was right there, on the damn spot! Got us so damn excited, as we thought we were about to make a lot of money fishing for ancient pearls, trinkets, and maybe even Daedric weapons!

While Jeelus-Lai unearthed some cheap treasure like coins and gemstones, I found something very different, a statue of Boethiah, the Daedric Prince to whom this shrine was dedicated hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. And she spoke to me. No, I'm not kidding. She said she had long lamented the destruction of her only shrine in Vvardenfell, and more importantly, lamented how her name had all but disappeared from the lips of this island's residents. However, she also said I could help.

Decapitated and sunken, her glorious statue was destined to be forgotten, but with the help of us mortals, a new statue could be built on the shore in the old one's place. She even had a man in mind, an artist who could "shape rock", supposedly to be found somewhere in Caldera. Oh, and of course, she promised me a reward.

Now, we're back home, and I've got to say that rebuilding a shrine is a strange request from a Daedric Prince, especially from one whose sphere of influence includes deceit, treason, and treachery. Still, if there's a reward to be had for a task this easy, why not? It's not like I will be carving the statue myself, so I might as well help her out a little with this. I wonder if convincing this artist to go along with this as well is going to be easy? Boethiah herself mentioned him, so hopefully, the answer is yes.

Didn't find as much treasure as we wanted in the end, but between Jeelus-Lai and I, we made about five hundred drakes in total. Not as fruitful as picking up a quest from one of the Guilds would've been, but hey, at least I have something to do tomorrow as well! This time, I'll probably be traveling alone.

First Seed, 3rd, 3E 428

So, I found the sculptor, an Orc called Duma gro-Lag, and while he's thrilled to build the new shrine, he's not exactly equipped to do the task. That's to say, he's broke as shit and needs his paycheck paid upfront. Understandable, as artists need to get paid for their work too. Two thousand drakes is a pretty salty price, but not as bad as I feared it could be. Maybe the reward from Boethiah will be worth the cost? It's a reward from a Daedric Prince, so it must be, right?

Anyway, while he'll be working, all I have to do is wait. Just like I'm still waiting for those two girls to come home. Should I start to get worried already? I'm really starting to miss their faces…

• 22nd Journal - Catching Up (By Kanna)