World: Oblivion (Yes, again)

Status: Just started, this is the only chapter

Why I wrote it: I really wanted to include a trans-racial relationship between beast races in one of my fanfics. I've been working on racial diversity in all my stories (yes, even fictional races), and this was the main one with an Argonian protagonist. 

Link: None

Summary: Shahvee, or "Swims-in-Shadows" as the dry-skins called her, just lost her brother to the Blackwood Company's dangerous methods, only to flee in grief to the other side of the Province. There, she gets pulled into a heated and passionate romance to try and forget her woes. However, there's a catch- she must be part of a group of assassins called "The Sirens" to be near her lover.

Chapter 1:

I sighed, gazing into my pewter cup of ale somberly. What was I to do with my life now? I had left the Black Marsh in search of a meaning for my life, and instead had found hate and sadness.

"Can I get you anything else?" I looked up to see Maenlorn looking at me, obviously concerned.

"No, thank you." I sighed. I'd been sitting here in the Flowing Bowl for almost two days, drowning my sorrows in drink and renting one of the beds upstairs. I tipped back the rest of my beverage and wiped my mouth before standing up. I apparently did so a bit too suddenly, as the world spun, and I staggered back. I was never much of a drinker, other than the past couple days, and so it didn't take much for me to get buzzed. A strong Argonian Bloodwine would get me to pass out almost instantly, as I had experienced once at home.

My stomach lurched as I steadied myself against the counter, resisting Maelorn's attempt to help me. "No, I'm fine." I insisted. I closed my eyes, waiting for the room to stop swimming, and sighed. What was I doing here?

I had come here to join my brother, J'Ram-Ei in his adventures. Although we were siblings, we had been almost nothing alike. He likened himself to be a great warrior, wearing armor of steel and big, heavy weapons. I much preferred the way of stealth, and enjoyed light, tight-fitting armor and small blades. So, it had seemed apparent that when he had wished to go away from our homeland to join a group of mercenaries, it was something that appealed much more to him than to me. But, as the older hatchling, I felt like it was my responsibility to keep him safe.

And I had failed.

They had called him "He-Who-Crushes-Bones" because of his strength, a name which I despised. We had already been named by our parents. But, it seemed that humans can't pronounce even the simplest Saxhleel names, and so I also received one. I had become "Swims in Shadows", a nod to my stealth. I would always prefer my Black Marsh name, however.

They were called the "Blackwood Company". Many other Argonians had been in the company, and so we had thought that it would be a good way to familiarize ourselves with Imperial culture while also being surrounded my people of our homeland. However, these were not People of the Root. They were evil, greedy and reckless, and had gotten my dear brother killed.

He was given "Hist Sap" to help him fight better, but I knew something was wrong as soon as it was administered. Hist sap is meant to connect my people to their homeland and the Hist, but the tree it had been extracted from was sick and depressed. Instead of giving my brother the holy visions one normally receives, he went mad and slaughtered an entire village of people, not stopping until he was slain by the city guards. Soon after, the Fighter's Guild had gotten involved and put the poor tree out of its misery, but the damage had been done. My brother was gone, and nothing would change that.

I wanted to go home, but I couldn't. I couldn't face my parents after what had happened. Did they know? Had they seen his spirit return to the Hist, ready to be reborn? Could they sense the agony I felt surrounding his death?

No, I could never come back. Not after failing them like this. So, I had wandered Cyrodiil, eventually winding up in Anvil, as far away from my home as I could possibly imagine. But, I tried not to think too much about it. As my mother had always said, "There is no past or future tense in Jel because we prefer to stay in the present. Do not dwell on the past, dear Shahvee, but look at what goes on around you right now." How I missed her. Her name was also Shahvee, as had been her mother her. I mourned for my brother, for, because of my preference in mates, he was the only one who could produce and heir to continue the tradition and name his daughter Shahvee.

"Why the long face, dear?" I heard a voice behind me, smooth as silk. I turned around to see a beautiful khajiit woman in a revealing dress. Her fur was a light amber, with highlights of reddish-auburn. She wore a crimson lace dress with gold trim, whose front showed an ample amount of cleavage. My scales stood on end and my tail lifted slightly behind me as I drank in the sight.

"You look lonely." She purred, and all negative thoughts were wiped from my mind.

Stop it! I scolded myself. You're drunk! You don't know what you're doing...

But the voice in my head slowly faded away as the woman's tail snaked behind me, curling itself around mine as she pulled herself closer to me. I could feel her fur against my tail, brushing against my scales in a dizzying way.

"What's a beautiful gal like you doing here all by yourself?" She asked, her amber eyes glinting at me. I looked away, embarrassed. What was this cat doing to me?

"Nothing." I mumbled, looking away. She hooked a claw under my chin and forced me to look at her, although my eyes fell a bit below her face.

"Well, if your night is free, why don't you come back with me? We could have a lot of fun, you and I." I shuddered at the implication of her words. I closed my eyes and leaned in slowly, my heart throbbing with desire as my nose filled with her sweet smell. I felt her wet nose brush against mine, and her hot breath on my cheek, and I was a goner.

We burst into the house like a couple of giggling teenagers. My hands explored her body as her claws dug deep into the small of my back, but I didn't feel any pain. I was blind with drunken passion, with only my feet and hands to guide the way, but somehow we made it to a wall. I pressed her against it and myself against her, licking her fiercely (lacking lips, I couldn't exactly 'kiss'). Her rough tongue scraped against my pointed teeth, and I let out a soft moan.

"Ahem." I jumped, releasing the khajiit to stare at another woman, whose presence in the room I had failed to notice due to the circumstances.

The khajiit walked over and grabbed me by the waist, pulling me closer to her so the sides of our hips bumped.

"I found another one, Faustina. I feisty one at that!" I looked suspiciously at this new woman, a pretty Imperial with her dark hair pulled back to frame her face. I pulled away from my companion, and let my racing heart calm down, the heat of the moment gone.

"Who are you? What is this?" I felt down at my side for my steel dagger, just in case they decided to attack. The Imperial, Faustina, laughed when she saw this and waved her hand dismissively.

"No need for that, we aren't going to hurt you. I have a... business proposition."

I narrowed my eyes. This sounded sketchy, at best.

"I've put together a, well... a gang. We make money by luring fools out to the middle of nowhere and robbing them blind."

I looked her up and down, trying to gauge if she was being serious or not. I decided to take the bait. "Who are your targets?"

"Our targets?" She laughed, a dark curl bouncing by her ear. "Weak willed men who are easily fooled into believing they will have their way with us." She let out a sharp, shrill cackle. "Men are so gullible!"

She then looked me dead in the eye in all seriousness. "So, you in?"

I licked my lips. Being surrounded by gorgeous women while making money? Didn't sound too bad...

"If I were to agree, what does it entail?" I didn't want to get involved in something that was over my head.

"Alright, here's how it works. We case The Flowing Bowl for a likely subject. Namely, we look for a married guy who drinks a lot. Then we'll send you in there where you charm the man and get him to come out to some location we pick to rob him." Faustina put her hands on her hips, smiling.

"Why married men?" I asked. Would I really be able to seduce men into following me? They weren't exactly my area of expertise, if you get my meaning.

"Because they're so embarrassed, they won't report us! That's the genius of it all!" The khajiit laughed, and I felt a twinge inside of me at the sound of her voice. The passion of the night was still pulling at my heart.

"When he gets there, we make him take off all of his clothes, which is very easy by the way. While they're helpless, that's when we spring the trap."

"Don't they try to fight back?" If my experience with men had taught me anything, it was that they didn't go down without a fight.

"Not when they're buck nude. So far, we haven't had to draw one drop of blood."

I nodded. "But how... far do you have to go?" I asked sheepily. I didn't need men's hands all over me, no matter what the pay.

"You show a little skin, just a tease. No one touches you." I took a breath of relief.

"So, what do you say? Will you join the Sirens?" She looked at me expectantly, already knowing my answer.

I shrugged. "Sure, why not?"