Brotherhood Rising

(previously titled 'Darkness Rising')

Prologue

The Bee and Barb was swarming with milk, honey, and gold as a Nord drifter from Windhelm was making his way south to Cyrodill.

He was tall, rather rough looking, as if a war had claimed his innocence. A large curved scar dawned the right side of his face from the top of his head all the way down to the chin. Blood still dripped from it, indicating it's freshness. This Nord's armor, which was forged steel, had battle scars and was very Octavian. The gauntlets gleamed like the silver they were made of and had a look of calm, as if the trouble that this person had escaped didn't matter, as if it wouldn't affect them at all. His boots clanked against the wood, his legs as well as the scabbard on his side, which held his blade, moved militantly side to side. This person's eyes were that of a wolf coming close to prey as he approached the bar, but when he took his seat at the nearest empty barstool, his eyes turned into a watchful deer.

Keerava was cleaning up a tankard. Talen-Jei, who had been keeping busy with sweeping the floor of dust, dirt, and grime, watched this stranger with a keen eye ever since he walked in, noticing a look in his eye. It appears that my old friend needs a bit of help, Talen thought to himself, he looks as if he's running from a past that is in constant or persistent pursuit. Talen just kept sweeping.

"Here for a room or something to drink?" Keerava asked him.

The Nord looked at her. "I need help, if you can offer that, I would be forever in your service."

"I'm sorry," Keerava said looking nervously at the man's scar, "but I think you better go."

The Nord nodded with a sigh, pulled out ten septims for the trouble and began to walk out. Talen watched him leave, noticing that his steps, which were confident walking in were now less so, as if he were literally stepping in desperation.

The Argonian walked over to him. "Someone causing you grief?" Talen asked.

"Someone wants me dead if that's what you're asking." The Nord answered.

"I noticed a scar on your face there," Talen said, "want me to take care of that?" He paused, "Sig'drytcia."

Sig'drytcia, or Syd as he liked to be called, turned towards the lizard bartender. "Why as I live and breathe, Talen old friend, it's been such a long time!" He cried with enthusiasm. Talen smiled, stopped his work, leaned the broom up against the wall and embraced him like a brother.

"Syd, it's been many years," Talen let go of the embrace, "how are you these days?"

"Not well I'm afraid," Syd replied truthfully, "an old friend has come back to haunt me Talen, I think this time he wants to kill me. I need your help."

"Talen no," Keerava shouted from across the room, for she was listening in too. "we can't jeopardize our business."

"This isn't about business Keerava, it's about Syd-Jai."

Keerava looked at her fiancée, a bit puzzled, "What are you talking about, Syd-Jai, who is that?"

"I am Syd-Jai," Syd replied, "that's a story for another time." He looked at Talen, "Is there a place where we can talk in private?"

Talen nodded and lead his friend to a vacant upstairs room.

The room was small, a bed to the right, a nightstand along the back wall, a rug in the middle, a small chair at the foot of the bed. To be honest, how anyone could sleep in what was basically a closet is a miracle to believe but it was done somehow. Talen and Syd walked in. Syd took the bed, and Talen closed the door behind him before he took the chair.

"Is he following you?" Talen asked.

Syd nodded, "Yes, he's been following me for the past few weeks now. He seems to be darker, more mysterious than before, as if he had been to Oblivion himself."

"That doesn't sound good," Talen replied, "did he give you that scar?"

"Yes he did, he told me these exact words: 'I can smell your fear Syd, and it's glorious.'"

Talen nodded, taking everything in, "Have you alerted the city guard?"

Syd rolled his eyes, "Those idiots are just about as useless as a iron blade. They won't help me, no one will, no one except you. He's going to come here, soon, perhaps he's already downstairs. Just keep him at bay will you? I need to get him off my trail so I can make it to Cyrodill."

Talen nodded, "Of course, you know I'd do anything for you." He stood up and stretched, "Mind if I borrow your blade, I might need it."

Syd nodded as he removed his scabbard and blade, sitting it safely beside the bed and then began to situate himself on the bed and fall asleep. "Go ahead," he said, "you have my permission to kill him."

Talen picked up Syd's blade and scabbard, he removed the blade and noticed how the cross guard was still finely polished, the grip was well used, and the point still lethally sharpened, as if he had just gotten it off the blacksmith's forge. "I see you've had this repaired." Talen said.

Syd yawned, "I had it sharpened while I was ahead of this bastard in Stone's Shore. Be careful with it Talen."

Talen nodded and walked out of the room carefully with it, placing the sword at his side. "Syd," Talen said before he shut the door, "What is it Talen?" Syd asked.

"Thanks for stopping by."

"You're the only one I could turn to," Syd said, "it's not like I had another choice."

Talen laughed as he shut the door.

Honestly, I don't want to kill him. Talen thought as he made his way back downstairs. Just knock some sense into his skull. Make him realize he's on the wrong end of knife. The Argonian entered the bar again, noticing that the person who was after Syd was sitting at the bar.

He was a Khajiit. His tail was black with black accents as well. His fur, from his tail all the way to his face, was fine and crisp, like a nice pillow almost. Steel-plated armor that was a bit dinged from encounter after encounter and war after war was proudly worn by him, as well as his steel-plated boots which were muddy, bloody, and almost falling at the seams but at the moment, this Khajiit didn't have enough money to fix anything even if he wanted to. On his side was a steel mace, which was covered with fresh wolf blood. A common covering of weapons that Talen particularly noticed alongside the Nord body fluid.

Civil wars tend to make you have certain keen abilities that you never really possessed before, and for Talen-Jei, it was noticing every last detail, especially the difference between blood types. Casually, as if he were just doing his standard routine of checking on customers, Talen walked over to the counter.

"Greetings," Keerava said to the cat, "may I get you something?"

The Khajiit nodded, "One glass of Black Briar Mead." He placed the required septims on the counter. One of the gold pieces spun around in a counterclockwise motion like a dreidel would. Forever spinning until gravity took over, the coin facing on the side of the Emperor's face. Titus Mead II.

"I thought Khajiit were banned in the cities." Talen said.

The Khajiit smiled and laughed a bit, "Fuck you Talen, you bitchy little bigot." He turned towards the lizard, "That's all you are, a bitchy little bigot with your tail up your ass."

Talen smiled, "And you're nothing but a hypocrite." He leaned into Kharjo's face. "A hypocrite with apparently nothing better to do than to insult and piss into the hands of decent people. You used to be my friend Kharjo, what the hell happened?"

The Khajiit nodded remembering his past with the bartender, "It died when I was thrown into prison."

"Which you learned nothing from." Talen replied.

Kharjo smiled, "You'd be surprised Talen-Jei, very surprised indeed of the things one can learn in a confined space such as a jail cell. Perhaps you consider living in one for a few years and then come back to me and talk about hypocrisy asshole."

"Here you go." Keerava said, placing his order on the counter. The cat saw the cup, nodded in thanks, and drank it down quickly.

"By the way," Kharjo said as soon as he slammed the tankard down on the counter, "the guards are dead."

"I figured as much." Talen replied, "As if they were good for the city anyway."

"Now you're beginning to see things my way." The Khajiit replied with a grin. "Where is he?"

"Where is whom?" Talen asked.

"Don't play with me Talen," the cat said standing up, "I like you, I consider you a friend."

"I don't." Talen quickly said.

"Nonetheless," the Khajiit replied, "I do, I don't want to kill you, especially in front of your customers or your fiancée so I'll ask again, where is he?"

"Syd is dead. I disposed of him for you Kharjo." Talen said.

"You," Kharjo replied, "are a terrible liar, now I won't ask nicely again, where is he!" He shouted, pulling out a small knife to Talen's throat. The Argonian looked into Kharjo's eyes, seeing the fear, the unwillingness to go through with it, whatever flame he possessed was gone, and Kharjo knew that Talen knew.

"You don't have to do this anymore." Talen said as Kharjo very slowly pressed the blade into his neck. "You don't have to kill me, or Syd, or anyone else, the damage is done. The world is yours, now leave the rest of us alone."

"You're wrong, I haven't even begun to end my crusade." Kharjo said, still trying to spark some sort of hatred.

"Crusade? Listen to yourself Kharjo! You're talking crazy." Talen sighed, "I'm sorry to what happened to your family and friends, I really am, but did you really have to kill an entire family out of revenge? Think of all the lives you destroyed? The communities that will forever be changed because you decided that your family, your friends, needed to be avenged. Do you understand how selfish revenge is?"

"I do," Kharjo said, "but frankly, I don't care." He removed the blade from Talen's neck and moved back a bit, "I noticed you have his sword, do you plan to use it?"

"No I don't," Talen answered. "But I'm not afraid to use it if that's what you're thinking." He drew it and got into position.

Kharjo smiled, "Your posture is terrible." He said, pulling out his mace and shield, "I thought I taught you better." He charged, steel clashed with steel. Kharjo raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Impressive, but not impressive enough." He raised his mace, about to bash Talen's head in when Talen met the mace once again with his sword.

"Kharjo," the Argonian said, "you can stop now."

"I will," Kharjo replied, "once Syd's head is on a pike!"

Talen quickly moved to his left towards the far door and tables. Kharjo followed him and advanced. Talen countered by swiftly jumping on a table. He turned towards the cat who stumbled slightly and positioned his sword in attack position as in fencing. Talen jumped from the table.

"Kharjo," Talen said, as he began to do a light balestra motion, "it's not worth it. Don't do this." Talen quickly lunged towards the cat who dodged him. Kharjo countered with a appel, stamping his foot three consecutive times before he attacked Talen, who was still dazed from the lunge, for he didn't do those very often and was a bit dizzy as he basically lay up against the far door. Luckily, the lizard managed to roll out of the way when Kharjo threw his mace into the door. Talen caught his breath, for he was admittedly scared.

Kharjo deviously laughed to himself as he slowly walked towards Talen in a very militant stare. The cat grabbed the lizard's throat and lifted him off the ground.

Keerava stood there at the bar, completely stupefied and the other customers were too drunk out of their heads to notice anything going on.

"Talen-Jei, the harbor of Syd-Jai, his Nordic family accepted brother. How cute." Kharjo said.

"He's family to me." Talen said with difficulty has Kharjo began to squeeze his throat. "Kharjo, you're a good person, don't do this."

Kharjo nodded with a smile, "I won't kill you Talen." Footsteps came down the stairs. Syd had heard the commotion and decided to see what was going on. "But I will force you to watch your brother bleed." Kharjo, without looking, held his mace in his free hand and threw it. The steel mace impacted Syd's neck, creating a large display of blood, gore, and vengeance. Syd's body fell down the stairs, going over every single one. Thump, thump, thump, thump.

"You son of a bitch!" Talen screamed. Kharjo nodded and let the Argonian go.

"For your trouble." The cat said, pulling out a rather unusual large sack of gold and began to walk out. Two million seven hundred thousand eighty one septims. The exact price for his bounties in every single hold for the rest of his life. All Talen had to do was pay Jarl Laila and tell her that it was Kharjo's bounty. She would then tell the other Jarl's and then Jarl Elisif of Solitude would tell the Emperor who would then pardon Kharjo for life. The perfect plan for a thief.

Talen sighed and threw the bag on the ground, loud enough for Kharjo to hear. The cat turned around and saw the gold on the floor. Kharjo sighed, "I was afraid of that." He said, and exited the main door without another word.

Standing outside of The Bee and Barb, Astrid smiled at her pawn who walked out with a bloody mace. "You did rather well," Astrid said, dressing in a disguise of normal clothes, boots, and hat. Kharjo walked across the bridge, saying nothing, stopping halfway across, turning to her rather disrespectfully and hissed insultingly. "You forced me to kill my best friend, now release my family before you end up in the river."

Astrid laughed as he walked to meet him, "I believe the deal was, you kill everyone involved in our little problem."

"Yes," Kharjo said, "I did that, and the deal that I struck with you Astrid is I kill everyone on the list and you let my family and friends go."

"I did say that didn't I?" Astrid said pulling out her Blade of Woes and forcing Kharjo to turn his back towards the water. "The thing about deals and assassins is, I don't necessarily follow through with them once they are no longer in my favor."

Astrid got real close and personal. "Are Khajiit known swimmers?" She asked. Kharjo shook his head.

"Oh," Astrid said with a pity smile, "I guess I learn something new every day then." She stabbed Kharjo in the neck, right in the stemohyoid muscle in the middle of the neck. Kharjo immediately collapsed and struggled to breathe. He coughed and watched Astrid walk out of the city, and knowing that he was about to pass out said quickly, "I'm coming for you, you sick whore."

Astrid, who was still in earshot, smiled and laughed to herself. I expect you to you sick bastard.

So beginsthe story...