My first fanfic published ever, might be bad idk yikes. Just wrote it for fun. Beginning chapters were made over 2 years ago while newer ones more like a couple months ago. All characters are mine but not The Elder Scrolls. Enjoy!
My eyes slowly crept open and faced a slightly illuminated old wooden room. Through the open window across the room I could feel a breeze that softly maneuvered under my sheets and cooled me as I slept peacefully. Or at least I did, until a strange noise woke me up at this late hour, and made my heart start racing . With a more awakened glance at the window I could see it was still dark outside but moonlight brightly flowed in and I remembered that tonight was a full moon. Now that I felt safer with the light on my side, I decidedly positioned myself in a seating position while rubbing my groggy eyes. I squint at the room but cursed in my head for the cloudiness that shrouded my vision. I rubbed them again and blinked before looking around the room with refreshed eyesight. First I looked to the left corner of the long room towards the dark corner and saw nothing then shifted quickly to the right as I took a deep breath. Nothing but a dresser, a chair, and the spotlight against the wall from the incoming moonlight. But there was a huge tall figure blocking the middle of the spotlight. And that's when I gasped as my eyes focused on a silhouette cloaked in black standing at the foot of my bed, staring at me with shining white pupils.
I scrambled back against the wall and harshly banged my head as well with a not so pleasant, and not to mention blatant, thud. Great, before this stranger kills me, I'm going to die of embarrassment. At least I had my integrity intact as I was one to wear clothes to sleep no matter the situation. I could only look on at this strange creature or thing as it stood there. This is what had awoken me, the floors creaking broke me from unconsciousness and I was thankful for being a light sleeper. But why would I be thanking myself, I was still defenseless. It would have been better if I was asleep when I'm murdered. Now I could only watch as the hooded figure took a step towards me around my bed, no sign of a weapon though. Maybe it was into torture? Please, anything but torture...
The figure only took another step before it stopped to stare. The hood that concealed the face was low enough to cast a shadow on the face, nothing was visible now, even the sparkling gleam from the eyes disappeared. Then it did something strange, it lifted its head to reveal an oval face with a sly, thin smile. The nose was long and pointed as well as the chin. But I moved my sight elsewhere, to the eyes that couldn't keep me from looking anywhere else. They stared intently and with a deep purpose that expressed an engrossed mind studying its victim. I just couldn't find a way to get away, only stare back expressionless. And by the looks, this "it" was a she with well arched, thinned eyebrows that added to that overpowering and interested stare that made me feel surprisingly welcome with her smile, and she was invading my room. It was hard to tell much from her though, like her race, as she was mostly a silhouette against the moonlight that outlined her with blue.
"I'm glad you've awoken by yourself. I didn't want to have to shake you awake. Quite embarrassing when i have to to get the heavy sleepers up," she spoke first, and I'm glad she did or we'd be sitting in silence as I was still shocked at her sudden intrusion. Her smile widened more, adding to a secret friendly side of my intruders mysterious character. And her voice, not elegant like a nobles but not as plain as a commoner's. Why was she saying this to me? Should I say something? But before I could speak, she continued.
"Now I see, silence is more your quality, which is more than perfectly normal for the job I'm suggesting." She put a finger to her cheek and looked thoughtful for a moment as I gazed on confused. "No, maybe you are frightened why there's a strange lady in your room talking as if we were conversing in the streets. It's just that now that we're alone, we have a private place to talk about my special proposal. So don't be frightened truly, I'm here only on friendly terms." Her smile maintained as she spoke but it's those focused eyes that intrigued me more about her speech, so I released my tensed muscles, dropped my arms, and loosened my death grip on the sheet I used to cover myself. As if a measly sheet of cloth would protect me against steel or magic.
I couldn't help myself, so I answered feebly, " Just as if we were on the streets. No sly tricks?"
She reassured my question. "As if we're on the streets, no tricks." She leaned back against the adjacent wall and crossed her arms. The floorboard creaked under her weight, as did the wall. It was then that I pondered how this lady could have entered my room. A mysterious person adorned in all black has access to roam about an inn suspiciously whilst the innkeeper is downstairs across from the door. There is no way my new potential employer would ever be let in considering the "vaguely" evil clothes she wears. Another question brought to mind is how she entered through the locked door, unless she picked it, but I would've heard the click. Well, I looked back to the stranger after studying my room for a few seconds, now would be the time to ask.
"How did u get in?" I quizzically asked. She smiled some more and quietly chuckled, but anything quiet in this room was more loud in the silence.
"I have my ways," she replied mischievously yet her eyes, once again glimmering white from the contact of the moonlight, flickered to the window I left open yesterday to bring fresh air in. That's it, this is the last time I leave a window open. I've learned my lesson.
The lady, seemingly short on time, didn't get into conversing like in the streets but more straight to the point. "I'm here because of my job opening as I have said, and it requires the utmost secrecy. Can you keep a rather dangerous secret?" Her eyebrow cocked and her head leaned in slightly for an answer. I gave a curt nod and whispered yes.
"Good. My job lies in the field of... sneaking, and cunning, and killing." My eyebrows furrowed and I hardly noticed my lips parted in confusion and shock at her words. Her mischievous smile returned.
"Oh child, don't act like you haven't been naughty this last week." More confusion on my part. "Don't tell me you've forgotten about your incident with your parents? It's only been two days." I sharply took in air and held my breath. How did she know about that? I suddenly underestimated how dangerous, mysterious, and watchful this person was. My looks seemed to amuse her because she chuckled once more.
"Who are you?" My voice slightly quivered. "Just tell me how you know about that."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I know more about you and I haven't said a thing about me. I am Amaeri Justinia, you should practice with me. Its quite a mouthful. Uh-Mery Juh-stin-EAh." She pronounced her name, expecting me to join in yet I still knew nothing and I could tell she noticed the distress on my face. " and I, sweet child, am affiliated with the Dark Brotherhood as a Speaker for the Black Hand."
That was it. I got myself into a mess that will get me into more mess. I've really done it this time.
"And you, Avis Matier, are being asked to join our close family as a reward for your excellent skill of "ridding of the living" as my clever Brother would put it." This Amaeri was being awfully nice, for a murderer. " This is why this opening into our family isn't being given to just anyone, but a well organized killer, such as yourself. And not just anyone isnoticed by the Night Mother herself."
I raise a brow, Night Mother?
"Now tell me, are you interested in our offering."
The Dark Brotherhood... Wants me? All because of what happened, what I did so cruelly? Is that what they did every day for their amusement and as a living? I felt myself shiver as a gust of cool wind rushed into the room. I would sneak around like a thief taking not treasure but innocent people's lives in the dark of night just like now. But no, this is what I was waiting for for my whole life. Something more fun than doing odd jobs on the side for septims. No more being used by others to only be tossed aside. I felt anger pulse through me of my recent past and what was said and done to me, the times where I wished I could repay the people who have treated me wrong. So I continued.
"What must I do?" Her resting and expecting face rose her lips into a smile at my words.
"Good, no one can run from a fulfilling life of working in our trade. Now our jobs are called contracts, and the first one assigned to you is to kill a man named Claudius. He's residing in his lovely home next to a lovely pond far east from this inn on a lot called The Fishing Manor. You may dispose of him in any way you please but the killing must be done by no other than you. Am I clear?"
I never asked questions, and just like I had been raised I would do as I'm told and obey as expected. Damn them, damn those rotting corpses for everything.
"Yes, I'll get rid of him."
"And whose him?"
"Claudius."
"Good. It's always important to obey exactly as the contract bids, so there is no slip ups. For now this job doesn't matter if it looks like a murder or an accident, do as you wish." But even as I was commanded these orders, I was still free in a way. No rules for how I did anything, as long as I completed it. I smiled back an equally pleased grin. I understood what to do and nothing could stop me now from having a bit of fun.
She stood up from leaning on the wall and walked to me. I shifted more to face her but in honesty my heart was racing and I wanted to back away, but kept calm. She pulled a dagger from her robes and flipped it so she was grasping it carefully by the tip of the blade, the handle faced towards me. I flinched back at her sudden quick move but noticed she was offering the dagger to me. I took the handle graciously and held it flat with both hands in my lap. I studied the beautifully crafted handle with a carving of a skull on the pommel. The hilt was plain and the cross-guard curved downward intricately with the flat side facing the blade. Then I noticed how shiny and new this blade seemed, but Amaeri explained.
"This is the Blade of Sorrow, cutting deep and sure for the most accurate of assassins, which I feel that you are. It is taken from the previous assassins who wielded this great weapon once, but now they are slain, and I pass it down to the new initiates to keep the tradition." She backs away and walks towards the window but she stops just short of it. "When you kill Claudius, sleep in a location hidden from curious eyes. I do hope we shall see each other again, I see promise in you." She raised her hand and casted a chameleon spell so she was invisible, then she was gone like the wind.
I looked back at the dagger, studying it once more. I received a beautiful dagger as a gift for taking up her offer. Was I expected to kill with this blade only? It was a decent sized, smooth blade and nearly as long as my forearm, good for plunging into the head and pulling out fast. This weapon would do perfectly for killing, and it was light to carry as well. Grabbing the hilt, I hid it beneath my pillow and laid down once more to rest, but I found myself alert and heart aching from adrenaline now, ready to pack up and jump out the window myself. But I was still tired inside. Sore from my day long ride from my home far from here.
I decided to pull the covers up and warm myself into a cozy slumber, no matter how much I rejected sleep. Eventually my muscles weakened and my body responded to sleep, I couldn't force my eyes to open even if I wanted to. My first contract would wait for tomorrow, and that's when I will kill this Claudius, and I wouldn't disappoint. Not Amaeri nor the Dark Brotherhood.
I decided to make the Blade of Sorrow as if each sanctuary had their own blade. Cheydinhal having the Blade of Woe as we all know.