AN:

Hello everyone! First up... You all have my sincerest apologies for the uhh... half-year wait for this! . My major complication is that I fell out of the fandom for a bit, as well as losing access to Oblivion itself... However as of 2 days ago I aquired the game again, and I'm now firmly obsessed by it as before!

Right.. So, here you have it. The all new revised edition of A Kiss Before Dying I am so much more happy with the way these chapters have been written, and I also hope that my skills as a writer have improved from last year. This chapter and part of the next were written a while ago, but I doubt my writing style has changed quite that much, nor do I care to re-write again ahaha. For those loyal ones who still follow this, I hope you enjoy the revised version. Looking forward to finally getting this written. )

Enjoy

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Drunken laughter filled the dimly lit inn, as a pair of hazel eyes stared lazily into a flickering oil lamp.
"I can sell you the lot for five silver,"
The owner of the eyes yawned widely and flicked his gaze to the side to meet that of a grinning khajit.
"Going cheap tonight aren't you? Guards onto you or something?"
The khajit looked afronted, "I'm just doing you a favour Dalamar,"
Dalamar rolled his eyes towards the ceiling before grinning, "Whatever... Your loss," Reaching into the tattered leather shoulder pack beside him, the youth pulled out five silver coins and deposited them onto the wooden table infront of him. With a satisfied smirk the khajit handed over a small wrapped parcel, and scooped up the coins.
"I appreciate... Hey!"
Dalamar, glanced up at the khajit with a raised eyebrow. The boy's deft fingers were already undoing the straps holding the package together. The khajit frowned and glanced quickly around the room.
"Couldn't you wait until you're somewhere less public!?"
The youth snorted and shook his head, his black hair swaying with the movement.
"No."
"And why not?" The khajit hissed.
Dalamar shrugged, "I need it now," he stated. With that he finished undoing the ties that held the bundle together and rolled it out on the table.
"You're too careless, Bosmer," The khajit snarled under his breath.
Dalamar ignored him and picked up the first vial in the package. He pulled the stopper from it and in one fluid movement downed the contents. The khajit glared at him and eyed a nearby table of off-duty guards warily. The young bosmer ignored him, savouring the effects that were starting to take ahold of him. Every nerve in his body seemed heightened, like liquid power was running through his veins leaving his vision sharp and his senses alert. Dalamar grinned, this high that the drug skooma gave him was what he lived for, this power... He could do anything!

Peering out from beneath his lashes, Dalamar examined the khajit opposite him. The khajit's ears were pinned back and his eyes narrowed. Dalamar twisted in his seat and glanced behind him.
"... Shit,"
A few tables away, an off-duty guard was gesturing to his partner them whilst glaring at them suspiciously. The khajit turned towards him,
"I told you not to be so fucking careless! I'm off!" Standing abruptly the khajit turned towards the exit and hurried out. Dalamar stood and made to follow him, but froze as he felt a hand clench around his arm.

Turning, Dalamar looked up into the face of the guardsman who'd been staring at him.
"And where do you think you're going in such a hurry lad?"
Dalamar tried to wrench his arm out of the guard's grip but was no much for the larger man's superior strength. Heart beating wildly he settled for glaring defiantly at the armour clad Imperial.

With his other hand, the guard grasped Dalamar's chin and gazed disdainfully into the Bosmer's eyes. Frowning the guardsman turned to his partner,
"Looks like we got ourselves another Skooma addict... Gods he just reeks of the stuff."
The other man, leered at Dalamar before snorting in amusement.
"What's it gonna be kid? You gonna come quietly with us?"
The guard laughed menacingly. "You can always put up a fight... I could certainly use the entertainment!"
Dalamar glared at them, and once more atttempted to free himself of the man's grip. Silently he swore at himself, why couldn't he have just waited til he was outside to take the damn drug?

A sudden blow to the back of his head sent him sprawling across the floor. Dalamar sat up clutching the back of his skull, his vision spinning. Next thing he knew, he was face to face with one of the guards. The large imperial was holding him up by his hair, and his feet were dangling almost a foot off the floor.

Dalamar bit his lip with the pain and with slight trepidition, opened an eye to look at the half drunk guardsman. The man opened his mouth to speak, and Dalamar could clearly smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Not so cocky now, are we?" the guard sneered mockingly.

Dalamar closed his eyes anticipating the guard to hit him, and opened them in suprise when he felt himself placed back on the ground. The guard latched his hand onto Dalamar's upper arm hard enough to bruise, and smirked.
"I think I few weeks in the cells should be enough to cure you of your attitude kid,"
The guards started to drag the Bosmer towards the exit.

Dalamar sighed inwardly, he'd hoped it wouldn't come to this. He braced his heels on the wooden floorboards, and glared as threatningly as he could manage.
"No."
The simple syllable stopped the guard in his tracks. He turned and surveyed Dalamar out of one eye.
"What... Did you say?"

Dalamar swallowed nervously. "I said I'm not coming with you."
The guard as well as his partner turned to face Dalamar fully.
"Is that so?" The Imperial said softly. Lightly fingering the mace at his side, he stepped towards the Bosmer. "Well elf, if that's the case then I guess..."

He never finished his sentence, for at that moment Dalamar slammed his hands against the guards chest, intending to use a simple fire spell.

He wasn't prepared for the column of flame that engulfed the guard and stumbled backwards against the wall staring at the flames disbelievingly. The guard's companion stood on the other side of the flaming mess, mouth hanging open wide.

Dalamar watched, eyes wide as the flames dispersed and saw a charred mass of flesh and muscle fall forwards, landing at his feet with a dull thump. Time seemed to stand still for a moment as both Dalamar and the guard stared in disbelief at what once was an officer of the city watch.

Dalamar's mind was a blur, he didn't notice the flames slowly starting to lick up the sides of the wooden building. He didn't hear a woman's scream cut through the night. He didn't hear the sound of a man calling the watch outside. He didn't stop to think, just ran. And ran.

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