A Bedtime Story About the Lizard-Men

“You want a story? How about a tale regarding your great grandfather? He was a mighty warrior—”

“I want to hear a story about the Argonians.”

“The Slaves? Why do you want to hear about the slaves?”

“Because you never tell me stories about the slaves.”

“Okay, fine. Once upon a time there were a couple of smart Dunmer who went venturing in a nasty marsh. There they found tribes upon tribes of ugly scaly men. So the smart Dunmer took the lizard people and turned them into slaves. The end.”

“That was not a story, papa!”

“Of course it is. Now listen here, honey. I don’t like your interest in the Argonians, not one bit! Now please go to sleep.”

“But-”

“No buts! Now goodnight, little one.”

He leaves and the little girl begins to cry. The housekeeper enters the bedroom slowly, and sits on the bed.

“Oh hatchling, what is the matter?”

“My father wont tell me a story!”

“What kind of story?”

“About your people.”

“Ah. Well, he probably wouldn’t tell it right anyway. He’s not a Argonian, he he he.”

“Ha ha. Will you tell me the story?”

“Of course, hatchling, if it makes you happy.”

“No one truly knows why it happened. But it did. My people’s story began with the Hist, and it will end with them as well.”

“Hist?”

“Our trees, oh our trees! But not just any kind of tree. The Hist are as just a part of us as we are a part of them. But I must say no more, little hatchling, because I can no longer go and see them.”

“At first there was the Meeting, where the Un-Constant met the Constant and formed the Egg. The Constant fell in love with the Egg and she laid many more Lesser Eggs. But the Un-Constant wanted the Egg for itself, so it slew the Egg and the Lesser Eggs, and the became Shell fragments. The Constant and the Un-Constant grappled with another until they both redrew from anger and grief, and never returned.”

“This sounds familiar, housekeeper. Like the Anuad.”

“Of course it does, little hatchling, for all the stories are true.”

“One of the Shell fragments bore my land and the Hist, who watched the essence of the Constant and the Unconstant become the Egg-Layers, who began to Name and Un-Name themselves, and they recorded this information because it was important.”

“They remember ALL of the names? Didn’t that take a long time?”

“No, silly. Why would it?”

“…because it would.”

“Oh, be quiet little hatchling.”

“You didn’t answer my question!”

“I said shush! Then there was the Striking, and all of the Shell fragments became joined together within a new Egg. The Hist watched some of the Egg-Layers become parts of the Egg, while some lost their ability to Lay and became Egg-Spirits, and walked on the Egg.”

“The Ehlnofey.”

“Maybe, hatchling.”

“What do you mean, ‘maybe’? They were the Ehlnofey!”

“Who is telling this tale, hatchling?”

“Fine, I’ll shut up.”

“Thank you. These became the Egg-Spirits. Some of these believed they were still Egg-Layers, and became the Mer, like you are. The others knew they were no longer Layers, and became what you call the Men. And the Hist were curious about the Men and the Mer, and wanted to learn what they knew. So they made us.”

“‘Made’ you?”

“Yes, they made us. So we could see the world through eyes which they could not. And we went and we met the Men and the Mer, and the Hist were very happy and so were we. For we were the Guardians of the Marsh, and of our trees, and that is all that truly matters to us. But then your people came, little hatchling, and you bound us in chains and brought my people to your ashlands.”

“And made you our slaves.”

“Yes you did.”

“I’m sorry, housekeeper.”

“You are too young to be sorry for anything, little hatchling. And besides, nothing ever stays the same forever.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

“My papa would disagree.”

“Oh, hatchling. Many of your people would disagree. But this is not how things are meant to be. There are people who are already changing this, and I will you show you how to meet them, in the times to come.”

“Yawns. Goodnight, housekeeper.”

“Goodnight, little hatchling.”