Cearbhail:

It's been a long time since I've upgraded this, but... I have reasons. First off, I wanted to focus on Changing Fates (get a few chapters out) Then... Chronicles of Commonwealth came into play. Ruins and Dwarves Online might be popping up soon, and... then A Certain Mythical Ballista became something I really wanted to work on.

So... just to clear the air. This is the second story. To the person who wanted me to write a fanfiction of Hircine and some other person... I'm still going to do that. It will be the fourth story. This second one is a continuation of the first one. It never felt complete... and this will help complete it. It takes place during Adventures of Lydia... right after Ruby and Maleek go to Riften to kill Maven Black-Briar. Like... immediately after.

So, without any more waiting... here's The Wooden Mask Pt 2

=^^= Enjoy...

[Karliah] 4e 205, 25th Morningstar

"Such a waste." Mjoll stated from beside me.

I could only shake my head at the sight of the death surrounding us. Today was the 25th… we should be doing the Old Life Festival tonight. A grand festival full of drinking, partying, giving presents to everyone we meet, and in general just having a jolly time. That wasn't what today was like though. I mean sure… we started having a grand time, but then… Ruby and Maleek decided to come crash the party. I still remember the carnage we faced just an hour ago.

…

I was down in the guild, choosing from the various pilfered goods, I mean… sorting through the various curiosities we've obtained while out on acquisition parties. I wanted the perfect gift to give to Veselle. She didn't need to know where it came from, just that it was the best (and preferably the most expensive) thing in the guild. I had it sorted between a beautiful Redguard assassin lotus dancer dress, which was adorned with many real jewels, sown with the brightest red silk with green sleeves of a rich jade coloring adorned with jades in the ends of the sleeves; and a vase. I was leaning towards the dress, even though I doubt Veselle could fill the dress's necessary cup size (she's still too young). I might hold onto the dress until she turns at least two years older. But… I couldn't just give her a vase, could I? What use could she have for a vase? Who needs a vase? Something to put flowers in, I guess, but other than that… water? We have buckets and jugs for that. I honestly never thought about what vases are even good for. Decoration mostly, I think.

I shrugged at the whole thought, turning away from the dress and the vase. I saw a really nice wand made in the swamps of Black Marsh. The wand was made from a famous Altmer artisan mage who specialized in custom-made wands and staves. The wand itself was probably just as valuable as the dress was, but when it came down to it… did I want to bring an artifact of magick into Veselle's home and put it in her hands? As far as I've known the girl, her father warned me against letting her do anything involving magicka. If anything were to spark her destructive nature… it could cost us a lot of damage in Riften. I wanted to avoid that at all costs. No telling what would happen to this town if Veselle were suddenly aware of her magicka. From what Neloth seems to think, she has enough raw power to destroy the whole town with just a bad thought. I don't think the town could survive one afternoon with that much raw power coming from her…

…

If I even believed that was possible, today would be the worst day for Veselle to magickally develop. All these dead bodies, not to mention the towering Daedric Maven Black-Briar destroying half of our town would most likely stir inside Veselle a vessel for her Destructive magicka. I've seen mages rage before. I've seen their auras of pure unadulterated power emanate from their bodies whenever they freak out. If Veselle had any power in her… seeing these dead bodies might spark some sort of explosion from her. And not only would she become a threat to the town… but the witch she's hiding from would be able to pick up on her energy signature and trace it back to us, maybe.

I wanted nothing more than to be with my family and friends right now… deciding which Old Festival food group to partake in whether it be turkey, ham, or even the fruitiest of fruitcakes. Instead, I'm cleaning up the various remains of the Aldmeri Dominion agents that somehow snuck into our town. Mjoll and a few guardsmen are helping me clean up the streets of the vile interlopers. I can only guess these Dominion agents were some of Maven's personal bodyguards, which would mean that the 'most powerful' woman in Riften was in league with the Aldmeri Dominion. The thought wasn't too hard to get behind. The 'most powerful' woman in Skyrim would sell herself to the biggest powerhouse government in the world.

I kind have wished Maleek or Ruby would have told us their plans before attempting this assassination. I would have liked setting up traps for any and all incidents that would have led to things like this. Not to mention… the destruction this town faced because of their actions. Maleek… the Argonian assassin blew up our only working forge (with the exclusion of the one down in the ratway). Maven Black-Briar turned into a towering Daedra Prince and began smashing our buildings, only to be set on fire, and destroy our lakeside town. Our meadery and our fishery were completely destroyed. Now we have no fresh fish to shop for, and no fresh ale to drink this evening. It's perhaps the worst Old Life Festival we could ever hope to have.

"Stupid heroes." I said over to Mjoll. "Just walk in here and do whatever they wish… and then they just leave without ever saying a word." They didn't even bring us a cake for Old Life Festival. It's a custom.

Mjoll chuckled to herself. "Reminds me of us… when we were younger."

"Before we had a child to care for." I tacked on. Of course, I was referring to my younger sister, Veselle. The little brainwashed girl that my father ditched in Riften to protect her from some evil witch. I was here in town keeping an eye on her for him, with the help of Mjoll and a man by the name Brand-Shei. However, Brand-Shei was currently locked up in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

I bent down, grabbing on of the dead Dominion agents that was spared the fate of incineration by the weird… dragon/snake… cat thing that appeared out of nowhere. This agent had a nice set of black robes with rich golden seams embroiled along the edges. One of their high-ranking officials? I didn't often see robes this fancy. I could sell this for a high price… or I could give it to one of my Altmer thief friends, give them a way into the Embassy in the north. Hopefully they could slip right in and just… learn a thing or two about or local friendly Dominion rulers.

As I started undressing the Thalmor, I heard the crunch of a note. A note? Valuable intelligence, perhaps? I reached into the jacket, pulling out an unsealed envelope. I opened the note up, reading it.

Under Orders of Councilor Fiirnar the Fourth, presiding Overseer of Dragon Lore,

You are to search for any signs of the Dragon Priests Masks, and bring them to Labyrinthian. There are eight in total, plus a wooden mask thought to be obscured in the northern frozen fields. The wooden mask is the key to the whole operation, but it would seem that an earlier agent has already acquired it for the Synod. Mind you, these reports were from 196; and any further reports of this Synod agent have been lost. The last known locale for this Synod agent was Labyrinthian; we believe he may still be there, if not a corpse. If what we believe is true, then you are to report to Labyrinthian as soon as you are able, or dispatch a few soldiers to the locale. The Synod are not to be allowed to own these artifacts; the future of the Dominion is in your hands. Reacquire the wooden mask at all costs. Execute the Synod agent if he is still alive. When the Synod learn of the mask's existence and the fall of their researcher… they will come in bigger numbers to reclaim any research done on the dragon masks.

We already have several other agents working on acquiring known dragon masks throughout Skyrim, you are to focus on obtaining the wooden one, and then focus on learning of the other masks that have remained hidden to us. When you acquire all eight… send a message to Overseer Fiirnar the 4th. He will Send to your location and proceed to tell you the next step in our operation.

Councilor Huniir.

…

So, the Dominion was interested in dragon masks. And they were looking for a wooden mask as well. There was only one wooden mask I could think of that could have any connection to the dragon masks. It would be the same wooden mask Mjoll and I teamed up to collect. And the last time anyone checked, that mask was located at the derelict ruin: Labyrinthian.

"Mjoll…" I called over to her. "Want to go on an adventure?"

She glanced up at me. "I want to get out of the city clean-up as much as you do, Karliah, but we have to be here in case the Dominion feels like attacking again."

I shook my head, showing her the note in my hand. "I think we have something more important to handle right now." I stood up, walking over to her.

Mjoll dropped the guy she was dragging off to the cart that would lead to the bonfire. She closed the distance to me, taking the note from me. She scanned the note quickly, her curious face turning even more confused as she read it. "Wait, wait…" She shook her head. "Labyrinthian?"

I nodded. "Yes. The Dominion thinks the mask ended up at Labyrinthian. And that means…"

Mjoll looked down at the note. "Neville. We might find out what happened to him."

That was something we've always wanted to know. We've never seen him since he left. "So… feel like going on an adventure?"

Mjoll nodded. "Yes. Allow me to go pack some previsions, give the guards their assignments, and make sure we're defended against a counter-attack."

"And I'll go check in on Veselle. I hope she'll be ok with us gone." The poor girl has been through so much with her fake father being put in prison. I'm not sure she would be fine with both Mjoll and me just leaving without a second thought. I had to make sure she understood why I was leaving.

Mjoll and I parted ways. I walked back to the wooden house Veselle lived in, right next to the river. As I walked up, I could see a small scene… one I must have missed earlier. There was a pool of blood right outside her door, a couple arrows sitting right in front of the door. A bloody handprint was crusted over the door handle. Oh no… Veselle.

I rushed through the door, slamming it open. The door had been locked, but when it comes to my expertise on lock-picking… there is no such thing as a locked door. There was another pool of blood behind the door, as well as a small stream of blood pooling from the interior side of the door. "Veselle!" I screamed. There was no way she could be alive; losing that much blood… and she wasn't a healer. She couldn't just close wounds like that, not with the training I gave her. I taught her how to survive… not perform healing miracles.

I saw where some bloody footprints led away towards the kitchen, but it wasn't like what I would expect to see. The footprints weren't erratically spaced like she was running, falling, or even limping. It was like she calmly walked away. That had me curious. "Veselle?" I called again, welcomed by only silence. In the distance, I could hear running water. So… she decided to die off in the shower? It's what I'd do.

I followed the bloody footprints, which grew less and less bloody with each step. They ended in the kitchen, where I saw a fresh glass of orange juice, an apple core, and an empty bowl of what looked like cereal. That and a giant bloody chair. So… a wounded, bleeding Veselle decided to collapse at the door, stand up, and… eat some breakfast… before running into the shower to die? I can't imagine how I'm going to explain this to Neloth.

I made my way over to the bathroom, the sound of the shower growing even louder until it suddenly cut off. Cut off? I heard footsteps on the other side of the door, and I was so dumbfounded, I knocked on the door. "Veselle?"

The door opened up and out came walking Veselle, wrapped up in a towel with another towel wrapped around her hair. She glanced up at me with wide eyes. "Oh… hi, Karly. What's up?"

What's up? All that blood and she's asking 'what's up?' "Is it that time of month?" I gestured to all the blood around the house.

Veselle's face turned darker as it blushed over. She pushed me a bit, screaming, "Shut up! And no! You won't believe it but… I kind of… was shot by archers."

I nodded. "Well, if it weren't for the bloody arrows, pools of blood, or dead Dominion archers outside your house… I would have never guessed. What I don't understand is how… you're not dead." I checked her arms for any holes or signs of battle damage. Her skin was as smooth as ever. She even looked healthier than usual. After all the training I've put her through… there should be a scar right here on this arm, but it was completely healed.

Veselle shrugged a bit. "Um…" She went back to drying off her body with a third towel she had. "I kind of… summoned a giant Aedric dragon…"

Oh, so that dragon was from Veselle. If she managed to summon that thing, that would mean that she's been skipping on her 'special' more like 'magicka-blocking' drinks that were a part of her daily meals. "You summoned a dragon?"

She nodded. "I was hit by an arrow. And… this voice called to me. Told me to make a contract with him. He would save my life. I… I didn't want to die. So… I called him. And he came. He killed the Dominion people, healed my wounds… and then I ran inside when those two people fought Maven." Those two people? Ruby and Maleek? Had to be.

I grabbed the girl, hugging her close to me. "I'm just glad you're safe. I thought for certain I would be gathering your body off the ground like the other dead people outside." I had no idea when I first met her just how much this little sister would end up meaning to me. Almost made me want to seek out Brelyna and talk to her. Last time I saw her, I was taking back the Thieves Guild from Mercer.

I heard Veselle squeak at the mention of me picking up her dead body. "Dying's not fun."

The hug lasted another few seconds before I heard a knock at the door. Since the door was open, that meant someone was already inside the house. I heard the light footsteps behind us, just loud enough for me to hear. "Pantu… you're not silent enough." I chastised the young Khajiit as he walked into the living room.

Pantu was my apprentice. He was the one I wanted to secede me.

Pantu nodded a welcome to me. "Mjoll says you're going on a quest."

I nodded. "I am."

"You are?" Veselle almost screamed. "But!" She looked around the house frantically. "Things are weird right now!"

I looked down at the frightened girl, grabbing her by her arms to keep her calm. "Veselle, I have found a clue that might lead me to an old friend of mine. Neville."

She stopped fidgeting long enough to look up at me. "So… you're leaving to find your friend?"

I nodded. "Or what happened to him. I should only be gone a week or so."

She nodded. "Yeah… ok."

"And Pantu's going to watch over you." I said reassuringly.

"I am?" He asked.

"He is?" She almost echoed back.

I nodded. "Yes. So, Pantu, keep an eye on my sister. And Veselle, don't give Pantu any trouble."

Pantu crossed his arms. "So… my orders are just to watch your sister? Anything else?"

I shook my head, but then I thought of something. Veselle was using magicka again. We had to contain that. "Yeah, make sure she drinks her garlic shake."

Veselle's face scrunched up. "Really? I mean… I already drank it today."

I crossed my arms. "Veselle, I know you're lying." If you did drink it… you'd be dead. On second thought… why am I making her drink this thing again? Oh yeah… Neloth says she might end up blowing up the town with her emotional magicka if she doesn't drink it. Or the witch he's looking for might find her. I needed answers. "Pantu, go get Veselle some lunch." I glanced at him. He caught my meaning.

He grabbed Veselle by the hand and started pulling her out. "I know a great fish market down the street. I serve the best fish and chips."

"But…" She started to say as she was dragged out the living room.

As soon as the two of them were out of the room, I turned my attention to the crystal ball sitting in the living room. Time to have a chat with daddy dearest. I picked up the crystal ball, taking it into the bathroom with me. At least I knew I would have some amount of privacy in here. I dialed in his frequency, waiting for a few seconds. He eventually appeared on the screen, looking as nonchalant as ever.

"Karliah? We're not scheduled for a monthly status update for at least six more days." He replied dryly, and he wonders why I hate him so much.

"It's important. Veselle's not been drinking her garlic shakes."

His eyebrows shot up, but his face remained neutral. "Oh?"

I nodded. "Oh." I confirmed. "We were attacked today by the Dominion. They shot her with arrows… and she summoned some kind of… blue and gold long dragon creature. It was weird."

He nodded. "An Aedric Vermeister. I'm quite aware of their existence." He started stroking his short beard, thinking. "But… to summon such a creature by herself… that would mean her magicka is much too powerful to be contained by a small garlic concoction. Soon enough, she'll start getting the attention of much stronger beings… vampires, werewolves… anything that feeds on magicka or strong souls. She isn't safe in Riften anymore."

"Then you can come pick her up." It shouldn't be too hard.

He shook his head. "Things in Raven Rock are not stable. Ever since I dropped her off, the witch has done whatever she can to deliberately annoy me. With the increasing ash spawn attacks… I'm afraid I cannot just walk away. You should bring her down."

I had to shake my head. "I'm actually about to leave on a quest. An old friend of mine has been missing for a long time, and… I just learned that the Dominion knows of his location."

"And if they know… chances are time is not on his side." Neloth continued to pull at his beard. "I understand. Time is of the essence. Take great care, daughter. If I can, I will see about having Veselle travel to me with some sort of guide. I guess she can travel here with Brand-Shei."

"He's in prison." I reminded Neloth.

Neloth groaned, rubbing his eyes. "I will figure this out. You get packed to leave. Out of curiosity… the Dominion may be made up of high elves… but they are smart. Why are they targeting your friend?"

"He was studying dragon masks… and they want the dragon mask he has." I told Neloth about my adventure with the man, and the time-traveling wooden mask we acquired. He took the whole tale without interrupting me once, which I enjoyed. Every time I told it to Veselle, there was at least one interjection. As I got through the tale, I told him about the note I collected off the dead Thalmor.

Neloth sat there, brushing his beard with his long fingers while he listened. When I was done, he only bobbed his head. "Interesting. I suggest you hurry; the dragon masks… are powerful tools, in my experience. The Dominion is more than likely seeking magickal weapons they can use against the dragons there in Skyrim. It is the only thing I can think of that would give them an edge in their conquest of the land. I will see to Veselle's travel plans. You need not worry. Goodbye." Just like that, his image was gone.

I quickly went to packing up whatever I could; potions, enchanted weapons and clothes, special rations. I had a small pack set to go by the time Mjoll was standing by the door. She had her pack slung across her shoulder, nodding at me to join her. "Shall we depart?"

I nodded. "Let's go. Did you acquire any horses for us?"

She nodded again. "Being captain of the guard comes with its own perks."

"So does being the guild master of the Thieves Guild." I replied. "Labyrinthian…" I tried to think about what I knew about that place. It was an old Nordic ruin that Shalidor built to test archmages or something like that. I guess it would be a good place for Neville to study a magickal mask. I would just have to find out. "Let's go see if Neville remember us."

She nodded. "I must admit… I'm a little worried about what we'll find."

"But nonetheless… we will find something, and this time… we're not leaving until we've found out what happened to him." We've looked for him before, but we've never found any clue at all. This was the first indication we've received about his whereabouts. I just hope we find him. He's in trouble now… and he's going to need our help.

"We will find him." Mjoll reassured me. "We have to."

Cearbhail:

So, Karliah and Mjoll are on their way to find their old friend and see if he's still alive. Anyone want to pitch in some ideas? Because I have a shell of a story assembled (I forgot most of it before I got here).