Gatherers of the Night
Chap 1
Xanderis sat on the Leyawiin guard tower gazing into the blinking void. The lights of the city and its populace gathered under him like fireflies over a forest lake. He squinted towards the castle, mentally preparing himself for the task at hand. As a brisk wind blew in across the calm city, he leapt from his perch into the night. As he flew down, through the darkness, he recalled the origins of his organization and its intent on Nirn.
The Gathering of Shadows is an organization dedicated to secrecy, stealth, and purging the Tamriel of its corrupting elements. They have existed for many generations, silencing the wicked, destroying the immoral, and maintaining equilibrium in the world. When souls reach a level of corruption that threatens the balance contained in Tamriel, the Gathering arrives to purge it from the fabric of Nirn.
I was sent as the recon party for our mission to capture the Countess of Leyawiin. My task was to "remove" the perimeter guards so our strike team could capture the countess. As I silently crept up the walls of castle Leyawiin, I renewed my detect life spell, mindful to watch for magical alarms. I noticed the guards were finishing their conversation, and moving towards my intended insertion point. As they approached my position the Dark Elf declared, "I am going back to the guard tower, serrah, check the wall, then come back and I'll break open another bottle." The taller one slurred, "Alright, Hiccup! I'll do that, then I will win back my septims, Hiccup!" The tall one began his hike around the wall, and continued towards my entry point.
As he staggered towards me, I overheard the taller one mutter, "Dam Grey Prince, taking a dive so Dragonheart could win. Hiccup! Hrrumph! Hiccup! Must've been that dam Orum gang. Hiccup!"
As he stumbled closer, I slowly crept up the wall towards him. As I passed over a jutting stone,
My katana's sheath scraped the stone, the screech permeating the still night.
The Nord guard bumbled closer, mumbling "Shouldn't have had that Telivani Ale, dam Dark Elf!"
I moved faster up the wall, intent on silencing this interloper. As he neared the edge, I moved up and unsheathed my dagger, waiting for the moment to strike. Just as he was about to gaze over on my precarious perch, he hiccupped, and assured himself that it was only rats in the shadows. I always thought that fortune favored the bold, but what a stroke of luck! As he turned around, I leapt over the edge and grabbed his face, stabbing the dagger into the base of his neck. His life essence splashed across my leather armor, covering face and neck in droplets of blood. I pulled an arm back to shield my face and used the other to drag his corpse over the battlements. His limp body scratched the stone with a screech, warning the forest of his arrival. I glanced around and then flung his body to the canopy below. I snuck over the ramparts, silently moving towards his accomplice. I opened the door to the tower and snuck inside. The Dunmer sat in a chair, leaning against the wall, reading a copy of the Black Horse Courier. Ha ha! What a foolish and inept guard! I moved towards him, swinging my sword with righteous vengeance. As his severed head sailed across the room I recalled my oath to the Gathering.
We purge the world of the wicked and the corrupt, to protect the innocent and restore balance to Tamriel.
Typically, I abhorred the killing of the innocent, but, in pursuit of the wicked, I knew the righteous would return to the house of the Gods and their souls would be forgiven. I moved the body to a bed and strode through the next door. As I snuck along the second, tranquil terrace, I stopped to check for other guards. As I glanced around the deceptively silent battlements, I was amazed at the lack of illumination on these guard towers. As I clenched my fist, I decided that these sentries will be "rewarded" for their incompetence! I again checked the battlements for signs of life, before sending our "signal" up into the stratosphere.
Seracon, Aranarth, Varona and Dark-Seeker broke from their hiding place in hills and sprinted towards the Castle.
"Hhhh, why does Xanderis have to showboat on every mission?" breathed Seracon. "Why does the Crow caw when no one is around hear," dictated Aranarth.
"To assert his dominance to himself and reinforce his psyche" replied Varona.
"Silence! Focus on our assignment or perish in a hail of arrows" squawked Dark-Seeker. As they scrambled up the wall, Dark-Seeker scurried ahead to reach the apex of the battlements, followed by Seracon, then Varona, then Aranarth.
I reached out and grabbed Dark-Seeker's claws and lifted him over the edge, "Thank you Xanderis, but next time be quicker with your work."
"Yes Serrah," leered Xanderis.
"Reply to me with that tone, elf, and I'll cut off your ears"
"Yes Sir," I replied, beaten.
"Help the others, Vanquisher," ordered Dark-Seeker.
As the others reached our position, I glanced around the castle, wary of shadows in the dark. I nodded to Dark-Seeker, and he began the briefing.
"We musssst break the seal on her window, then we musssst enter the chamber and silence and parylze the detail. Seracon, you must wrap her over your shoulders, and we will then, return to base. Xanderisssss, you will keep watch."
As the others moved to break the magical seal on the countess' I regretted that Dark-Seeker was too duty bound, too focused on success, to enjoy my careful execution of our "problems". I regretted that my skills of death and assassination were relegated to insertion and assistance in large operations, not my own missions. I only wish, I would receive my own assignment. What I wouldn't give to plan, then "execute" my own operation, one worthy of my lengthily service to Talos.
A squeak of a hinge pulled me from my reverie, and focused my attention at the mission at hand. I scanned the courtyard for the source of the disturbance. A drunken cook slurred his speech as he dragged an empty barrel across the soaked ground.
"Thhhh, Dam Countesssthsss! Why in the hell, Heh! Heh! Heh!" the cook giggled uncontrollably for a few seconds, before composing herself. "Why in the hell does she throw, Hiccup! Why does she throw these huge parties, that I have to, Hiccup! Have to clean up after." She continued to slur. "This is Ridiculous! Yeeeah, Ridiculous! I oughta tell her that, that witch." The cook shouted to the starry night.
I debated whether to end the life of this intoxicated castle hand, but decided enough innocent blood had been spilt, and left her to her inebriated wanderings. A magical crack erupted as the ward on the countesses' chambers broke, along with the window.
Our team moved through the window, firing magika at the startled members of the royal chambers. Dark-Seeker unleashed a fire ball at the guards flowing into the countess's chambers. They flew back into the hall; the fireball searing their flesh and blinding their eyes. Seracon let fly a volley of 2 shruikens(Ninja Star) at the remaining guards, striking them in the neck and sending them to the cold stone below. In the confusion, Varona moved to subdue the startled count with a paralyze spell. As she neared the Count and readied her spell, the Count drew his sword. She moved to draw her silver short sword, while reaching out with her spell hand. But the Count was faster, grabbing her hand, twising her arm behind her and striking her with the hilt. As she fell to the icy floor, Aranarth launched a damage fatigue spell at the distracted count. As he collapsed onto his bed, wearied by the elf's power, Dark Seeker grabbed the terrified countess and moved to the window. As he reached the gilded entrance, alarms began to ring out throughout the castle.
"Take the countesssss," commanded Dark-Seeker. Seracon moved in, sweeping the countess over his shoulders and making his way for the exit.
Aranarth retrieved the unconscious Varona and moved to follow Seracon. Dark-Seeker drew his katana and moved to dispatch the next wave of gaurds. As Aranarth reached the window he shouted, "Do you need assistance sir?"
"No Eviscerator, evacuate with Varona and the team, I will distract the guards," hollered Dark-Seeker.
Seracon exited the window first, and I moved to help Seracon with his labor. As I hurled the countess over my shoulder, Seracon muttered "weighs as much as a dremora, Sheesh!."
[As the guards entered the room, Dark-Seeker continued to move towards the ornate fissure in the stone wall. The guards began to encircle Dark-Seeker as he neared the window.
"Caught in the act and no gold to pay your fine, eh? Well then, its off to jail with ya!" shouted the captain of the Leyawiin guard.
"I won't pay for the crimes of the wicked, you servant of that corrupt Count," roared Dark Seeker, pointing at the unconscious Count.
"Then pay with your blood," spat the Captain.
The first guard attacked sword high over his head, preparing to cleave the assassin in two. Dark-Seeker blocked the attack with a sideways thrust, and deflected the blow to the right. His blade slid along the length of the guards saber, emanating a metallic screech. As the guards sword move to his left, Dark-Seekers spun his blade around to face the chest of his attacker, and thrust in. His blade easily separated the rings of the guard's chain mail and slicing into his abdomen. The blade impales him from tip to hilt as Dark-Seeker moves toward his slain foe.
"May Talos show mercy on your soul," whispers Dark-Seeker as he twists his blade in the gut of the guard. He then removes his blade from its grisly sheath, spraying the tapestries with blood. As he reaches the center of the guards circle, he readies his blade for a new assault.
The next guard unleashes a sideways power attack, aiming to cleave off Dark-Seeker's head. Dark-Seeker blocks this blow, reflects it towards the ceiling and smacks his assailants face with his hilt. As that guards staggers backward, blood rushing from his ruptured nose, Dark-Seeker sends a roundhouse kick at the chest of his next attacker, sending him into the arms of his comrades. He dodges to the left of a fourth guard's right hook and twirls to his left. He swings his blade and severs that guard's right leg, launching the disabled sentinel into the air. Dark-Seeker moves his blade to ready position, and strides towards the window. The remaining guards move to destroy Dark-Seeker, for his treachery to the county. But, before they can engage him, he unleashes a endan (smoke bomb). The resulting flash blinds the guards and fills the room with noxious fumes. He exited the room, and resealed the window, trapping the sentinels in the poisoned room.]
While this onslaught unfolded, Aranarth had climbed up the stone, and I again had relieved him of his load, and set Varona on the ramparts next to the Countess.
"Aranarth, where is Dark-Seeker?" I asked, unsure if I wanted to hear the fate of our illustrious leader.
"He is dispatching guards so we may move our cargo, Xanderis." Aranarth sternly replied. "Seracon, secure our escape."
Seracon readied his bow and fired, sending our line to a large southern oak. We slung Varona on Aranarth's shoulders and let him sail down into the void. As Seracon prepared to leave our impending doom, he muttered, "If Dark-Seeker doesn't make it, I claim his black steed, Carantar, that thing is like a Skyrim fog! Fast as thunder, light as a feather, a great beast of the night."
"Well," I retorted, "don't count out that crazy spiked headed lizard yet, he is quite good with that blade." And with that, Dark-Seeker climbed up to our position, as Seracon readied his rope.
"Fire the line, we have 2 minutes before the guards undo that window and capture us." bellowed Dark-Seeker, panting heavily.
"We are already ready to go sir," impassively states Seracon.
"Go Then!" I yelled, kicking him off into the night.
We each hurled down the escape line, as alarms continued to blare, and smoke rose from the royal chambers. Guards ran to their posts, searching the night for their terrifying assassins.
We reached the ground and moved into the forest, smugly assured of success in our righteous mission.