This secluded spot within the heartland of Tamriel seemed to end irregularly fast, the last fading rays of light now gone.
Locals yet toiled at their daily tasks while the shade around them set in. Thanks to the local ruins that were believed to be of Ayelid origin, the jaded workers could continue their work with a pale dull light that emanated from the foundations of stone around them.
It seemed that today idle hands had prevailed and the necessities of each individual's job had forced them to labor through the night. The underlying malaise was a result of gossip of yet another brutal death in a town nearby that spread like wildfire, known within the hour of murder. This unfortunately was not a new occurrence, as the land around them seemed to bare an ill omen for anything living.
It was this night however in particular that seemed to be different, the usual shade that set seemed to be heavier, and a certain metallic taste lingered in the air not unlike that of blood.
What was worrisome the most however is at the crest of dusk, a mass of hooded figures appeared on the outskirts of town. Now normally people pass through consistently on nights such as this, and there have been much stranger beings to go through, yet there were oddities that were too numerous.
This culminated in the strangers entering the town, seeking a man and their refusal to leave until he was otherwise found.
"Who speaks for your group?"
"That would be me."
The captain of the town guard regarded the woman, it seemed she was the frailest of the group of five. Their cloaks made it hard for him to discern the travellers figure and face, yet in his peripheral the captain saw what seemed to be a warping of space around one of the strangers. He dared a glance at him and immediately regretted it, sensing a deep void surrounding this man who resembled a shambling corpse.
He caught a glimpse of strange markings on the man's hands and returned his gaze to the frail women.
"It would seem the man you seek, Adrian, has not yet returned from his excursion as his domicile remains empty. You are welcome to stay in the inn till his return in the morning"
The man with the markings ignored his words and turned his back and walked away, the rest of the cohort quickly following suit. As they walked off towards the border of the town, the shade enveloping them, the captain breathed a sigh of relief. There were too limited resources and manpower to deal with any sort of troublemakers and this particular group seemed to invite danger to his doorstep.
It was not until Adrian arrived that morning that the captain would realize the horrors that were to come.
"We heed the call for you, Adrian"
A host of bodies seemed to materialize behind Adrian, it was dawn and the majority of people had finally gone to sleep just as he arrived at his residence. A frail woman seemed to be addressing him from the cloaked members, her voice shrill with a profound sense of anticipation
"We know. We KNOW what you are. Brother."
Adrian felt a beckoning to a particular man in the group, one with strange, almost ritualistic markings on his hands. Before he even had a chance to say anything, the man stepped forward and opened his mouth to speak. An instant spark seized Adrian and compelled him to kneel to the man
"It seems your legacy finally becomes entwined with our own, it is only destined that this was to occur."
The man spoke in a deep drone, as if every word was excruciating to say, the physical act of moving his tongue and the vibration of his vocal cords a taxing endeavor, yet dark and timeless was the tone and Adrian noticed that the strangers around him were also on their knees.
"The dread father calls for your actions, to usher in a new era. One where we take our rightful places as purveyors and savants of the act of killing and not as mere sell swords of murder for coin, or deluded zealots of ritualistic assassinations."
The man now revealed his form and extended his arm, the inter dispersed marks of a black hand matching the contour of his own hand, and seizing Adrian's head.
"I BRAND YOU MURDERER, ADRIAN SANIES, ALL SHALL KNOW OF YOUR DEEDS."
The ritual seemed to exhaust all those that bared witness to it, yet it was over as soon as it began. The captain of the guard saw the performance and stood with a daze, not knowing what to make of what he just saw.
"Rise Adrian, our task begins immediately, starting with this town."
A/N : This was my idea of a short story with some peppering of little details. Let me know if you liked it and ill write out more chapters! Thanks for reading.