Nerevar In Utero (Prologue: Under Moon and Star)

The stars scattered their magic across the sky, shining brightly in Oblivion above the Imperial City. Whirring insects and the lapping of water against the docks filled the night's gentle stillness. Laying atop the meager hovel that he and Dar'jiir shared on the waterfront, Navos Ilando let his mind wander among the lights. Though Navos was born under the Lover, he never seemed to have much luck in that area. Not much luck in anything really.

Again he saw her red eyes, full of fear, full of tears, and finally full of nothing; her blood trickling onto his hands over his knife. He pushed the image out of his head again. Would it have been so bad if she hadn't been a Dunmer like him, around his young age, only with more wealth and a good family name? He didn't know, didn't care to know. It wasn't the first time he killed for questionable reasons. It wouldn't be the last.

Every death bothered him, though he wouldn't admit that to Dar'jiir. Again, he tried to stop worrying over it. 'This is just how my life is,' he thought to himself. 'A few lives for a few meals.' He spotted the Serpent and noted its proximity to his sign. That couldn't be good. The twin moon corpses hung gleaming overhead, Jode full and Jone a long curve of light and shadow. He had heard, though he wasn't sure if he believed it, that people from Nirn had traveled up there in strange ships. He wanted a ship like that.

He heard the door open below him. He knew it was Dar'jiir, possibly already high on moon sugar. Dar'jiir was an older Khajiit, a mane of thick gray fur crowding out the fine auburn coat he surely had in his youth. His ears were small, making his head appear huge in comparison. The other Khajiit in the waterfront never stopped reminding him of this. Maybe that was why he always looked somewhat irritated, or perhaps it was merely the two dark stripes that streaked across his brow and around his eyes.

"What are you doing up there?" said Dar'jiir.

"Nothing. Thinking. Thinking about nothing."

"Sounds boring. Come, Dar'jiir has the sugar. Surely the moons will bring blessings for our troubles."

"Maybe later. Tell me another story about Elsweyr."

"Bah. Not tonight. We've been through enough tonight."

"That's why I need you to tell me a story."

Dar'jiir growled. "Alright, let this one think. Ah. Have you heard the one about A'basha the skooma addict?"

"No, sounds interesting."

"Well then, where to begin..."