A/N: aw, it looks like nobody knows. It's Aerius, my Listener from Vicarious Revenge. He's gonna scare the crap out of Aryvis X3
To hooded mage: this should be long enough for you, I hope.
To nightlight6: don't worry, something's gonna happen pretty soon ;)
...
"The Arch-Mage sends his regards," Raminus found himself saying for the sixth time that day. He was in the Leyawiin Guild, spreading the news of Aryvis' party (he refused to claim it as his own), and hoping to find a portion of frost salts here. Aryvis had specifically asked for them, and it bothered Raminus that he didn't know why. But he had asked the Dunmer at least three times and only gotten the answer of, "It's a surprise."
So, frustrated and utterly clueless, Raminus went hopping all over Cyrodiil to spread the news of this party that Aryvis wanted to have to badly. He still didn't get the point of it, but he did it just because he asked, and at least half of the entire guild was going to be holed up in their house. He hoped, for their sake, that Aryvis was getting food.
Thankfully, Alves Uvenim showed him where the single portion of Frost Salts was, and since he already had two from his previous trip to the University, he was free to go back to Frostcrag Spire. Which he did with haste, because there were books to be read in there.
...
Not everybody knew this, but Aryvis was actually a pretty good cook. Think about it; if you're a decent alchemist, then you should be able to cook, right? Well, he'd been practicing alchemy since the age of twelve.
So, with a bag full of ingredients and the like from the feed bag, he went to the University and teleported up to Frostcrag Spire to create a feast worthy of the Mages' Guild.
...
In four hours the two of them had the entire place ready.
It was actually quite amazing, if Raminus did say so himself. There were tables over the eight frozen circles in the first corridor, covered in delicious-looking food that was the fruit of Aryvis' labors. The imps had come up from the Vault to perform as waiters, fluttering above their heads with little trays made of ice. The Arch-Mage had dimmed the windows, somehow, so the purple glow of the portals and the yellow glow of the candles made the room feel even more magical. Raminus, at this point, was just plain impressed.
"I didn't know you could cook," he complemented, putting all the books he had hidden away in the living chambers back on their shelves.
Aryvis was taking the frost salts up to the big 'cabinet'. "No one did."
"Would you please tell me what those are for now?" Raminus asked, walking up the ramp behind him. "It's driving me insane."
"So impatient," he smiled, putting the salts down on the altar. A short, esoteric phrase fell fluidly from his lips and a frost atronach appeared on the large circle of ice before them.
"By the Nine!" Raminus shouted and he flew down the ramp, up to the Atronach for closer inspection. "So that's what it does?"
"No, I just learned how to summon atronachs for no reason," Aryvis answered sarcastically, crossing his arms with a sly smile. When Raminus finally backed off of the frozen giant Aryvis instructed it to greet the mages to Frostcrag Spire.
The sound of it opening its mouth made Raminus wince, and Aryvis' elven ears screamed bloody murder, but after it flexed a few times the ice stopped groaning and they could actually relax. Its voice had the bass of an Orc's or Nord's, but the accent was clearly of elven descent. "Welcome... To Frostcrag Spire."
Aryvis nodded and went to prepare other parts of the room when he noticed he huge footsteps tagging his own. "You don't have to follow me around."
The atronach looked as confused as a block of ice could look. "Stay?"
"No, I..." Aryvis sighed. "Yes. Stay."
At those words it actually looked sort of dejected, or something, so he called some of the imps over and told them to play with him. At least they would all be out of the way for a little while.
After the final touches were made, Raminus and Aryvis sat in the library with a bottle of Tamika's. The silence was nice, the books they were reading were good, and th-
Aryvis' ears picked up the soft hum of a portal. Raminus noticed how he looked up from his book and looked a question at the Arch-Mage.
"They're here."
"Ah," the Master-Wizard stood, put his book away, and downed the last few sips of wine. "Let's welcome our guests, then."
In half an hour, the altar room was full of people. The imps fluttered about with trays heavy with cups of wine and orderves. Those who rathered not be served by them came to the front corridor to pick at it themselves. Aryvis and Aurelinwae locked eyes through the crowd and she approached him, producing a wooden box.
"Welcome to Frostcrag Spire, Arch-Mage," she smiled, and he opened the box of Magetallow candles.
"Excellent, now I won't have to buy them from you," he laughed. She smiled back, then walked off to chase down an imp carrying sweetrolls.
Aryvis scanned the crowd, a content smile on his face, until he saw a familiar face and the smile, along with color, drained out of it. Jimsyn inclined his head, a wordless "Come here."
Talos save me, Aryvis thought as he made his way through the crowd toward the Redguard. "What do you want, Jimsyn?" he asked quietly.
"To make sure you follow through," he responded, a sharp gleam to his eye. "I brought someone special to see you."
Aryvis' brows drew together, and he followed Jimsyn's brown gaze to an Imperial on the other side of the room, dressed in a dark shirt and wide black pants. His black hair was pulled back into a loose horsetail, and his arms were crossed over his chest. The red eyes that stared back at him sent a shiver down his spine.
Aryvis turned back to Jimsyn. "Who is he?"
"I am the Listener," Aryvis squeaked and spun around as the Imperial appeared behind him, backing up against the wall beside Jimsyn. "It's nice to meet you, Arch-Mage. Your home is quite marvelous, I must say."
"Th-thank you," the Arch-Mage mumbled quietly.
"Now," the Imperial went on, "I have heard about your advancement to Arch-Mage, and admire your work in ridding Cyrodiil of necromancers. However, I am the head of the Dark Brotherhood, and if you hesitate to accomplish anything you've agreed to, I will not hesitate to dispose of you. Welcome to Frostcrag Spire."
With that, he turned and disappeared among the crowd of mages, leaving Aryvis in a slight state of PTSD. He leaned against the wall with wide eyes, his body trembling a little, and Jimsyn chuckled.
"Aerius can be a bit intimidating, you see," he bumped himself off the wall and disappeared into the crowd as well.
...
Raminus was just finishing a talk with some old colleagues when he noticed Aryvis snaking through the crowd, a smiling Dunmer girl trailing behind him. He'd seen that sort of thing before, at graduation parties from when he was an Associate, and it looked like a one-night stand. He didn't seem like the sort of person who would...
All his doubts died violently when he saw their faces. Being almost the same deep shade of blue, they blushed the exact same color. He imagined that they were borne of anticipation, and retreated to the nonexistent dark corner that had become familiar to him. There was no chance for him now.
...
"Fadali..."
"Yes, Arch-Mage?"
Aryvis squeezed his eyes shut, steeling himself. "I'm glad we could get away from the party."
Fadali giggled, snuggling up to Aryvis' warm chest. He took in a deep breath.
"But no one escapes Sithis." Quickly, before he could regret it, he pinched her nose and clapped a hand over her mouth. She squealed and struggled, but neither could be heard by the guests down in the altar room. Before too long her red eyes dimmed and her body stilled. Aryvis listened hard for her pulse, but it had fallen silent.
His reaction to this was delayed; he was used to killing, just not anyone innocent. But when the gravity of the situation hit him he jumped out of the bed, tripping over the chest beside it, struggling to breathe because his chest felt tight. He grabbed his robe from where it was carelessly tossed to the floor and wrapped it around himself, chuckling humorlessly because he'd taken them from Mannimarco. He thought it was perfect for the occasion.
...
Aerius felt eerie cold settle upon him, and he knew why. After a knowing look at Jimsyn, the Redguard left to pay the Arch-Mage and dispose of the body.
When Jimsyn reached the living quarters of Frostcrag Spire he found the Arch-Mage curled up in the corner, eyes wide and unseeing, crying his little heart out. It was pitiful. But, being the heartless bastard he was, he just laughed and tossed the sack of 2000 Septims in his general direction. "Well done, Arch-Mage... Perhaps we will see each other again?"
He didn't know if it was in response or not, but Aryvis pulled his hood far over his head, shielding his eyes. Jimsyn picked up Fadali's body and went out the door with a smile.
...
It was at least two hours before Raminus made his way into the living quarters. At first he didn't notice Aryvis curled in the corner, cloaked with Mannimarco's robes, his shoulders hunched and quivering as he held his knees to his chest.
"All of the mages are gone, the altar room's full of scrolls and..." he frowned, his eyes resting on the trembling form of the Arch-Mage. "Aryvis?"
Aryvis looked up at him, eyes far more red than usual.
Raminus approached him carefully, concern drawing lines in his face. "Aryvis, what's wrong? Where's Fadali?"
"She's gone..." Aryvis' voice was hollow as he spoke into his knees.
He took the shaking Dunmer into his arms, asking quietly, "What happened?"
"Can't tell..." his voice cracked and he resigned to letting himself be held, Raminus becoming the only thing warm in what felt so cold all of a sudden.
They fell asleep there, on the floor, Aryvis curled into Raminus like an impotent child sleeping with the mighty wizard of his dreams.
...
A/N: I love the last part XD