AN: It's after 12:33 AM, I have work at 8:00 am and have finished two days at a convention in cosplay. SO TIRED, but I managed to rush out on this chapter in within a few hours.

AND still thank you for all your reviews. Mercer will pay I assure you, it just might get a bit complicated getting there...

Chapter 28
Spiritual Value.

We waited for the lass to return back with any news at all of Mercers return.

I was relatively calm and active, but slightly anxious. I'd learned of what Mercer had done, what he had truly done, and I felt betrayed and wrought for what I was once worth to the man.

The pit in my gut was as strong as ever and I tried to figure out...why?

But all the blocking out made more sense. If anything, Mercer had been much more secretive after Gallus' demise according to ol' Delvin. He'd never be one to talk about his personal life. You'd have to gain the trust and friendship between another member of the Guild and over time you earn their respect. To know another, you must be willing to prove yourself to the sanctity of the Guild itself. You must make yourself willing to develop yourself into your chosen profession.

Some of these people had thrown away their lives for unjust pursuits. We cannot deny them if they wish to join our line of work. But you have to learn the differences, to define you properly as a Thief, rather than a common bandit.

People here aren't afraid to be themselves. They aren't fake and all have had their share of pain in the day. We're not here to judge if something influenced them to take our line of work or they were born with gift. They do the job well and they do it clean. We require nothing else.

Normally we don't care much for another's well being. Mercer never did. You can pay for your head elsewhere. Silly as the focus was on Petra right now, but there had never been a sense of togetherness before this.

Aye, sounds all warm and fuzzy and I can tell you no one would like it told that way. But the Guild itself has taken her in and made her one of us. Later, there was no real doubt about her abilities.

There are heroes and villains in these types of stories. And in what grey area defines us as both a hero to the people you serve, or the villain in the ways of the people you constantly betray.

So, aye, none of us are true heroes and may not accomplish such tripe at any given time. Petra can and it somewhat fits.

Someone like her is let into the Guild, a rabble of people on the brink of extinction. Then incomes the bony, thin Nord and eventually the Guild spruces up.

This is just what I'm thinking has happened because I've read those stories before. Someone like Maramal would call it, a person with spiritual value. What ever that means, but I think he meant is that we might not define something the way we expect it to be. Because they can be anything. But their natures and their strengths are from the divines as well...just guessing that of course. I uh, don't know if it's actually true.

But Petra's spirit rose the Thieves Guild near back to it's glory days. It's just fascinating about someone getting things back together simply by doing their job, while the rest of us just struggled.

But the rest of us are just side characters. We may give the order because it's our job to do so. But the hard yards and work are done by these individuals. You may not hear all of the story, but you know, it'd been the little victories, ones not often told. Not glorified or put into great detail.

This is more about efficiency of our members as well. Everyone would need to stand for one another. Especially for Petra. She simply won't spare the details because you know the results from here are, nearly guaranteed to be near perfect. That's what she's been doing this entire time. Then her spirit breaks.

It's not that that Guild isn't capable of caring, it's just caring that burden of emotional attachment can sometimes be overwhelming. I know that all too well...it's just that...uh...okay...

It's getting harder to avoid speaking about it. Yes, I've been lying this entire time. I've been visiting the Temple of Mara in secret for a while. Shocked? I am. They say some people have more of an ability to just be themselves because they were destined for greatness and there's few born like that. They believe that a being like the Dragonborn isn't designed by fate itself to solve the problem of Alduin and all that, but to let others draw breath once again by being there and actually doing things other people would be afraid to do. What compels her to do so? I know she's helped people. Mjoll, the lingering lass whom detests, had an issue with dwemer ruins previously. Almost died for the sounds of it. Petra goes right out and helps her, goes to the ruin and gives Mjoll her weapon back. It's amazing when you hear that about a Thief? Her spirit somehow attracts those in dire need and is actually attracted to those in need. Her Spiritual Value, well, is quite high.

So I think I may see why she bares the burden she does. She naturally finds trouble and goes full tilt to help solve it. And if she fails, it brings her great sadness that she could do nothing about it. So her fears with the dragons and Mercer are all brought under great failures. The Temple helped me understand that. Such a failure could have been catastrophic and should never have occurred.

But what can you do when you never wanted the abilities in the first place? I know Petra would want to get through this as much as she possibly can. And I want to help her. We all do. Maybe she was better off having a life elsewhere but if all this is just part of her wanting to help, it's just...

I love the lass...I do, but she needlessly puts herself in harms way and it drives her to misery anyway. The way she fights a dragon is nothing like a Thief but of a warrior. I'm yet to comprehend that. The Temple could translate that as her spirit awakening for it's true purpose, but her fear misguiding her.

She screams because it's painful for her to even approach the dragon yet she's oddly pulled towards it and her fear turns into hate and outright fights. She's normally the one to avoid confrontation altogether and is the lone wolf among the pack. But she changes. She's no longer what she was and becames something...more.

The fire in her burns brightly and you weren't seeing Petra at all. It's like the fury of the Dragon inside is pushing her to dominate herself. But what triggers her to change?

I don't know and it hurts myself to think about it. And I worry about her in the depths of Mercers house and I can't help it. I dare not show those feelings to everyone else. I've always been good at that. But I haven't had those pulls like Petra has...what ever its doing to her it's just destroying her in the inside.

A conflict of two spirits.

Which one is more value?

There's a smash of a door nearby. Hurried footsteps approach me in the middle of Cistern.

"Brynjolf, he's heading to Irkngthand, something about the Eyes of the Falmer." Petra announced.

She stood up straighter than usual, sounding hurried and weary. But there was something in her eyes that was telling me something but she sure wasn't.

But the Eyes of the Falmer, that sounded...

"The Eyes of the Falmer, that was Gallus' little pet project!" I announced, making the connection.

She stood there looking at me, as if awaiting orders. Karliah came by, having heard my conversation.

"You have his location now?" Karliah asked.

I nodded. "Aye. Irkingthand. We should here there immediately. Petra, stay with the Guild, Karliah and I will need to talk."

Petra shook her head. I'd received the biggest glare that I'd ever seen.

"No. I will stay here. I want that bastards head on a pike and set on fire if it's the last thing I do!"

Her voice sounded so dark and tinged with anger. I often had trouble seeing which side of her was speaking.

"Very well, but if anything happens to you..." I muttered, then realised now was not the right time...especially with Karliah there. But Petra just rolled her eyes at me.

"I'll be fine Brynjolf, I'm more worried about you guys."

I rose an eyebrow. There's that cocksureness I'd come to appreciate.

"Fine then. Karliah?"

The Dunmer nodded.

"Now is time to decide Mercer's fate, and that falls to you Brynjolf."

Aye it did. Second-in-command is still second-in-command and this moment I was still the defacto.

"Mercer killed Gallus and he tried to kill the both of you. He betrayed the Guild. He needs to die."

I'd realised what I said sent shivers down my spine. My order to kill Mercer was on just terms and left heavily on me as number two to decide. I'd become the figurehead I never wanted to be.

"Good. Because we'll need to meet on equal footing with him. I want to take you two somewhere first before we head out to Mercer. Trust me on this and I assure you we all will have a chance."

Karliah explained.

I nodded. I turned to Petra, waiting for her response.

"Alright, where do we need to go?"

Thank Mara there is one Petra.