Chapter Six: House of Horrors (Sundas, 26th of Hearthfire)
Sundas was a quiet day in Markarth. It was the only day of the week when the market and mine were closed, and most folk stayed close to home, enjoying their families and some hard-fought leisure time. It was no different for Glenys who had spent a lazy morning with Vorstag. They hadn't even pulled themselves out of bed until nearly noon.
It was a beautiful day, one of those days in early autumn that still held the sun's warmth, but the breeze in the air hinted at the cooler weather to come. Glenys had decided to take a walk and enjoy the weather, allowing her newly acquired pup, Finn, to stretch his legs while she wandered the unusually empty streets.
She wasn't far from home when a man in blue robes approached her.
"Excuse me, but do you know anything about this house?" he asked.
Glenys shook her head. "I'm still relatively new to the city," she replied, "but from what I know, it's abandoned. Has been for some time."
"You've never seen anyone enter or leave?" he asked.
"No," she answered with another shake of her head.
"Damn," the man muttered. "Seems no one in this city has."
Glenys knew she was probably, once again, poking her nose where it shouldn't belong, but she couldn't resist her curiosity. "Why are you asking?"
"My name is Tyranus. I'm with the Vigil of Stendarr," the man explained. "We believe this house might have been used for Daedra worship. Evil rites and so forth."
"I've never seen anything unusual around the house to hint at such a thing," Glenys stated, staring up at the guilded door with curiosity, "but I will keep my eye out. How fascinating that something like that could be going on with no one the wiser."
The man frowned and nodded his agreement. "I was actually just about to head inside. It would be good to have someone watch my back if you're interested."
Glenys knew she should say no. She was well aware she should not get herself mixed up in another mess, especially one that possibly involved Daedra. She'd been lucky to get herself out of the last mess in one piece. And she was also well aware if whatever was going on in this house didn't kill her, Vorstag or her sisters probably would as soon as they'd discovered what she volunteered to do . . . but Glenys had read so much about the Daedra and their worship. The opportunity to see it firsthand? That was not something she was willing to pass up.
"I'm Glenys," she informed him.
He shook her hand and unlocked the door. "Stay close and keep your eyes open. Daedra are powerful creatures and tricksters. You never know what you'll find."
Glenys told Finn to stay outside the door and followed the man inside.
The interior of the house was in disarray and covered in dust, but it didn't look entirely abandoned. Tyranus noticed this as well.
"Fresh food," he stated as he glanced over the contents of a bookshelf. "No wood rot on the furniture. Someone's been here . . . recently. Yet no one has ever seen anyone enter or leave. . ."
"Perhaps they do so under the cover of night," Glenys suggested. She ran a long, thin finger through a layer of dust on the mantle and wrinkled her nose at it.
Suddenly, a large thump could be heard in the next room, and the two hurried toward the sound. Glenys followed the Vigilant down a set of stairs where they reached a locked door.
Tyranus began pounding on it. "Come out!" he yelled. "We know you're here!" He turned toward Glenys. "See if you can get that other door opened."
The elf nodded and made her way toward the other door. The moment her hand touched the doorknob, furniture began to fly around them. Glenys ducked, barely avoiding a flying chair, and watched in shocked fascination as other household objects catapulted across the room and against the wall.
"Stendarr's Mercy!" Tyranus yelled, obviously frightened. "This isn't an ordinary Daedra. We have to get help."
He immediately made toward the front door, and Glenys followed. The door was now locked, and the elf's heart sank as she realized she probably should have fought her curiosity a little bit harder this time.
A deep voice echoed in her head. "Weak. He's weak. You're strong. Crush him."
Glenys shook her head and tried the door again.
"No. Kill him. Crush his bones. Tear at his flesh. You will kill. You will kill, or you will die!"
Glenys glanced at the Vigilant and realized he was shaking his head, his hands clasped over his ears. "Get out of my head, Daedra!" He turned toward Glenys. "The Daedra has us. I'm sorry, but it's you or me." He pulled his sword as the elf looked on with wide eyes, and she dove behind the table when he attempted to strike her.
"Well fuck," she muttered. Her eyes landed on the iron poker beside the fireplace, and she grasped it, deciding it was the closest thing to a weapon she would find.
In his frenzy, Tyranus had crossed the room but was facing away from the elf, and she took the opportunity to use all of her strength to drive the poker through the man's back. He fell to the floor, and she stood frozen, gazing at the blood on her hands and the dead body before her.
"Yes. Your reward is waiting for you, mortal. Further down."
Glenys shook her head. "Fuck you," she spat.
The furniture had ceased flying, and the door was unlocked. She ran outside and didn't stop until she was within her house and in Vorstag's arms.
Her lover held her, confused and concerned, as she sobbed into his chest. "I killed him. I killed him, Vorstag. I didn't have a choice. I killed him."
Author's Note: That's the last part of this installment of Glenys' story. Steffen will be up next.