Hello and first I would like to apologize for my almost three month absence.
I had a terrible writers block thanks to some bad things happening in my family, but I was able to find the time to do something for you guys and gals.

I want to thank all the new people who have faved and followed the story, and of course to all those that have been following it since before.
So thanks for sticking around for this long and for all those reviews and pm's; I hope you keep enjoying the story and please bear with me while I keep writing.

I leave you now with this slightly longer chapter; I hope you enjoy.

Caveat Lector! (Beware reader).
This chapter contains a little bit of not overly graphic torture. I tried to keep it mild, but it did turned out a little darker a chapter (Hopefully not bad).

Remember to drop a review, or just your thoughts, hahaha; they make my day :)
Also have a nice weekend.

Review Replies:

Brennan: Thank you for your kind words! An exceptional writer!? Wow; thanks. Here's hoping to live to that expectation :P
I hope I can keep you enthralled :D


Brelyna and I looked down on the fort from our concealed position, behind some dead bushes on the side of the mountain Morvunskar had been built on.
Rain fell from the heavens above and hammered the earth below, while lightning ripped the skies apart; the ensuing thunder, roaring with the ferocity of ten dragons… this was both good and bad for us.
Good, because we could move a little more quickly since the rain and thunder concealed the snapping of twigs and branches under our feet as we moved; bad, because the dunmer and I were soaked and feeling the bite of the northern winds…

"So far, I think there're only mages in that fort; everyone is wearing black robes and I can feel the magika radiating from that place…" Brelyna whispered in my ear.
"Can you tell what kind of spells those mages can use?" I asked, wondering what we might be walking into.

Brelyna took a few steps forward; "I sense elementals… a lot of elemental magic and some dark magic; not blood magic… but definitely Daedric in origin; conjurers probably." The dunmer said.
I spared a glance to where she was crouched; the dunmer had her eyes shut and her hands pointing towards the fort.
That little trick could come in handy… I thought with a little resentment; after all, I was a foolish mage at my best.I sighed softly.
Still; knowing what spells your foes could use before you actually fought them, was an unparalleled advantage. Especially for those who can't use magic.

"This won't be easy; in any frontal fight we'll be at a disadvantage." I began and was interrupted by Brelyna's chuckle before I could finish.
"Is that another way of saying we die if we fight head on?" the dark elf said smiling nervously.
"Well… if you want to put it that way… yeah; that's about right." I answered with a chuckle.
Our current situation wasn't funny at all; but a good laugh or a joke before something serious could do wonders from time to time; well, that, or make you seem crazy, depending on what company you kept around at the time.

We spent some time in silence; looking at the fort without moving.
I was trying to find the best way to approach the fort. The front gate would be suicide, attempting to climb the walls could work, if and only if, no mage saw us and decided to bring the entire wall down on us… there were some broken sections of the wall, hastily reinforced with wooden pikes… that could also work if we managed to sneak inside and keep out of sight; perhaps I could even kill some of the sentinels from a distance with my bow.
At this thought, I remembered that I only had some ten iron tipped arrows… after all, we arrived at Windhelm like refugees with few septims on our pockets; and what gold we had, we used for supplies; which weren't much either.
If anything good came from Ulfric, was that the innkeeper didn't charged us on account of me for being an "honored guest".
A guest maybe… but honored? Not even if Ysgramor himself had decided to leave Sovngarde and introduce Brelyna and I to the Jarl.

The thought made me crack a smile.
The smile disappeared when I focused my eyes once more and saw my friend giving me a strange look. The smile was replaced momentarily with a light blush. I had shamelessly wandered out of the here and now, despite the unsafe place we were at.
"What are you smiling at?" Brelyna questioned with a shy smile.
It was until that moment, that I realized I had wondered in thought while looking at the dunmer's back… more pointedly at her ass.

I tried to reply, but my answer came out as incoherent babble...
The dunmer smiled mischievously and asked something that made me blush even more.
"So… do you like what you see?"
I took a deep breath to calm myself and keep myself from becoming too distracted by the images now forming in my head… granted they weren't unpleasant, but this was hardly the time to harbor such thoughts.

"Let's keep focused… we could die if we slip." Was all I managed to say, as I moved several steps forward, so the dunmer would be behind me and I wouldn't have to see her face… or other things.
My father would always say "abstention before a battle; no thoughts must distract you before you enter combat!" Granted, I was a little too young to understand when he first said so… later in life I understood fully what he meant.

We moved in silence until we reached the tree line. As we held our position I felt my heart sink.
Apparently this mages weren't overconfident; before us now laid an empty expanse of scorched earth… any movement towards the walls would be spotted by the mages on top of said walls.
Even the rain wouldn't cover our approach fully, since there was still enough daylight to see around the fort; especially from the top of the walls.

"Well, this complicates things." Brelyna said as she too realized that any attempt to reach the walls would be met by some deadly spells flung our way.
"We should probably wait until it's darker." I replied.

"I… I… I'm frr… freezing…" Brelyna stuttered in a low voice, from where she was sitting under a few branches of a dead tree that did nothing to stem the raging storm that had come with the night.

"Are y… you su… sure we ca… can't make a small f… fire?" The dunmer asked for the tenth time.
I wouldn't have liked anything more than a raging fire to dry my clothes and warm my body. But making a bonfire would mean giving away our position to the mages at the fort.
We had been sitting under a large dead tree waiting for nightfall for at least four hours… during this time, the only thing that had happened during the entire time, was that the rain had become stronger.
"No. We have been suffering and freezing here just to wait for the sun to go down; we're not giving away our location after all that!" I deadpanned. Brelyna seemed taken slightly aback by my reaction but she understood the logic behind it.

I felt bad for her… I was a half nord and that gave me some resistance to the cold; but even with this small advantage, my body felt numb… the rain had only worsened the feeling.
But if I was feeling so, I couldn't imagine how the dunmer must have been feeling.
She couldn't even use her fire cloak spell to dry her robes and warm herself, since doing so would be like lightning a beacon for our enemies.
And the thought of giving her my pelt cloak crossed my mind; and I would have done so if the thing wasn't already completely soaked.

We spent probably half an hour more, trembling and thinking of dry and warm places; but finally, after what had felt like an eternity of suffering, the darkness was thick enough, that we could get close to the walls without alerting every sentinel. The sound of the falling rain would also cover our approach rather well.
The only thing we had to worry about was to avoid moving when lightning ripped through the sky.

"Let's get close; it's time." I whispered to my friend as I began to move and felt the protest and stiffness of my limbs.
Brelyna didn't answer, but I saw her moving behind me; albeit with slow and clumsy steps. I smirked at the sight… if someone was to see us right now, we would probably look like overgrown ducks.
Focus damn it! I scolded myself and kept walking towards the wall.

When we reached the wall, Brelyna noticed something that made my blood freeze even more than it already was.
"Laniüs… there're no fires on the outside."
Mages! Of course! The illusion school… they can use spells to see in the night as clearly as if it was daytime! I'm an idiot…
As if on cue, raised voices reached our ears and small orbs of light formed atop the wall.
The black robes of the mages made it difficult to distinguish them from the night sky; only their silhouettes were somewhat visible.
Suddenly some of the orbs floating on the wall flew away and landed a few feet away from us.

Brelyna thought quickly and without a word she yanked me over and we flattened ourselves against the wall.
"Lucio! Can you see anything?" A woman's voice was heard above the rain and the other voices from her comrades.
The man "Lucio" answered; "no Centurion! Maybe it was only a wild boar."
"Good. Return to your posts; keep your eyes open." The woman commanded with a stern voice; a voice from someone who was experienced at commanding others.

"Lucio… that name… Imperial mages?" Brelyna whispered without moving a bit.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath… this would be much more difficult than anticipated.
It explained why there was a wide clear field in front of the walls… trained and disciplined mages.
"No… it's worse; much worse." I replied looking at Brelyna's eyes.

She tilted her head in confusion; her face asking her unvoiced question.
"Not just imperial mages… Legion deserters." I said.
Brelyna's eyes widened in realization… "Legion battlemages."
All I could do was nod; a feeling of emptiness growing in my belly as I remembered the prowess of the small battle mage cohort my mother lead.
We were walking a dangerous path…

We moved slowly towards one of the collapsed sections of the wall; the activity in the fort had increased since our almost fail attempt at reaching the base of the walls.
The mages were now pacing back and forth atop the wall; searching for something that could be stalking them from the outside.

With hand signals I told Brelyna to climb on my shoulders and try to climb over the wall; I would have preferred to go up myself… but I don't think that Brelyna's slender frame would have supported my weight.
"Once you get up there stay close to the floor and help me get up; don't stand up or they'll see you." I whispered to the dunmer as she climbed by back.
She looked down for a quick second and nodded.

Soundlessly she began to climb; holding to whatever nooks and crannies her hands and feet could find.

I watched wearily from below; praying to whatever Aedra would listen to keep Brelyna safe.
Relief washed down on me once she leapt the over what rubble remained of the wall's merlons.
Suddenly, a bright light ripped open the black sky, and for a brief moment the night became day… then the rumbling sound deafened the world.

For a few moments no other sound was heard; the very earth seemed silent.
My ears already accustomed to the sound of falling rain.

I left out a relived sigh and closed my eyes; only to feel my body jolt a moment later; my eyes wide open…
"Someone climbed the wall! Sound the alarm!" A male voice shouted somewhere nearby.
Brelyna whipped her head towards the direction of the voice, and then she looked down at me… I couldn't see her face, but I could clearly feel her fear.
The feelings only grew when the female voice from before spoke again.

"Stop the intruder!" The Centurion commanded with a stern voice. At her command, like compelled my imperial whips, I heard people running.
Brelyna then did something unexpected; she turned around and ran towards the keep.
I would have shouted her to stop, to turn around and jump back down… but if I did so, I would give away my position; and then both of us would be in serious danger.

Lightning bolts flew in the direction my friend had run; an endless hail of spells striking stone and chipping away at it.
"He's inside the keep! Jumped inside through the window!" a male voice informed. At his words the Centurion was quick to form a plan and command her men into action.

"Caius! Keep all your men on alert out here. You two with me! I'll send some reinforcements out here when I can. Make sure no one else slips through!"
Brelyna was now inside the keep… I had to move fast; get inside before the reinforcements came out, and before the dunmer was captured.
At this thought, I felt a feeling of dread and panic falling over me… I remembered the torture room back in Helgen… I can't fail; I won't fail!

Getting my sorry ass up to the wall was an adventure and a half; still, I managed to do so without raising an alarm.
However I was not fast enough and the reinforcements came out of the keep before I could get inside.
I cursed under my breath as the mages came out and I noticed that some of them were wearing Imperial lorica segmentatas… standard heavy armor; with this flimsy weapons and arrows I'll have to aim for the exposed flesh or try and get very close to use my dagger and slit their throats. How I hate fighting mages… I thought bitterly and taking a deep breath to calm myself.

The arrival of the reinforcements drew the attention of most of the sentinels around the courtyard; I noticed this, and in those few precious seconds, I decided to make a run for it and luckily enough, I was able to enter the keep trough the same window Brelyna had jumped inside.
As my feet touched the stone floor, I could hear the commotion coming from the lower levels of Morvunskar.
I could hear spells being casted and the ensuing explosions made the floor and walls shake.
Some muffled screams reached my ears from time to time.

I began walking down some stairs while crouched; I was trying to follow the sounds of spells, screams and curses that echoed through the deserted halls; although with each step I took, I felt compelled to turn back.
I had seen imperial battle mages in action… during the assault on Bruma, the first wave of Thalmor spellswords was burnt to a crisp by the first volley of my mother's cohort of battlemages.
To know that these men and women probably could do the same thing was enough to send shivers down my spine.
Still, the only thing that kept me moving forward was Brelyna; I could not leave her behind. Not after everything we have gone through.

I turned a corner and ended face to face with a young looking girl wearing a black robe.
Her eyes shot open when she saw me; her shoulders tensing, her arms moving back while a small blue light began to form on her hands.
Without a sound, I lunged forward; the iron dagger firmly clasped in my right hand.
For a second time the woman's eyes shot open, as in one single, yet fast movement, I tackled her to the ground, covering her mouth with my left hand and resting the blade against her exposed neck.

As soon as she felt the cold blade against her skin, her struggles ceased.
She gave me a terrified look; and for a moment I felt like letting her go… with the same speed I had taken her down, the thought of letting her live came and left almost like a lovers whisper.
If I were to rescue Brelyna I would need to move fast and quietly… leaving someone alive behind me would only hinder me in the end.

I looked down.
Her cheeks were a little flushed, but her skin had turned pale; her breathing was forced and ragged now that her chest and belly were pinned under my weight.
The fear on her eyes was evident… blue eyes wide open at whatever was to come next.
Her lips twitched as if she was trying to say something, but her voice didn't come to her aid.

As she lay there on the cold stone, her hood dropped down, revealing bright blonde hair.
I moved my body slightly back without removing the blade from her neck; the threat it posed keeping her docile under me.
I took in her body; she was thin… no matter how much she tried she could never hope to throw me aside.
I felt a pang of guilt as I looked at her face once more. A young mage legionnaire, probably just following her commander blindly; not knowing what she had become; a bandit... no worse than that; she'd become a deserter.

The punishment for deserters was harsh in the Imperial Legion; first, the traitor would be stripped down, then they would be tied to a post where they would be whipped by their centurion; ten or twenty lashes depending on what she had done as a deserter and the humor of the centurion.
Then they would be beheaded.
If the treason had been during battle and by more than one cohort of the entire legion, the legate could order decimation… every tenth man or woman would be whipped till death by his or her companions; the same men and women that had trained together, eaten together, marched, fought and slept together.
This was the greatest dishonor a legion could suffer; and one of the worst ways to leave this world behind.

I was sure these men and women were deserters… a few of them still wore their armors, but most were using simple black robes.
It would be unlikely that these men were still under the command of the empire; being so close to Windhelm and so far deep into Stormcloak territory, meant they might have been planning to join the rebellion…

Besides… battlemage cohorts would never be used as scouts or as a frontline force.
They were used as ranged support for the legion… even my mother's cohort wasn't meant to be in Bruma during the assault; they had gone inside to buy some supplies.

I still wasn't sure I wanted to take part in this petty war… one side was racist, with a man who wanted nothing but personal gain… still I didn't felt the same when I first met Ulfric back in Helgen.
The other side of the coin had tried to kill me and had bowed down to the Thalmor… perhaps remaining neutral was the best choice I could make.

A soft moan took me out of my thoughts; the girl under me locked her eyes with mine.
She opened her mouth to say something… but my hand moved almost by its own.
No words came out from her throat; only a low gurgling sound followed by thick red liquid.
I felt sad and clumsy as I stood up; I kept my eyes on the slender body until her chest rose no more.
It is done… I can't allow myself to be soft right now. Brelyna depends on me.
The rumbling and explosions had stopped by now.
I spared one last look to the body behind me and kept moving slowly down another set of stairs.

I kept to the shadows in a corner when a group of five mages, three wearing robes and two wearing heavy armor, passed by me.
I held my breath and stood still in the shadows; praying that they were not currently under a spell of night sight.
Luckily they just walked by; their bodies seemed relaxed, they were walking calmly.
They have caught her… or worse. I thought feeling bile rise up my throat.
I must move faster.

As soon as the mages turned a corner I moved as fast and as silently as I could towards the direction they had come from.
I went deeper down and ended in a hallway with some doors to the side.
I slowly opened one of the doors and found a figure resting on a bed. I moved closely and saw a male nord with his eyes closed.
A quick movement from my arms and hands; a hand to the mouth, the dagger to the neck and the man kept on sleeping.
I wondered if he had even roused form his sleep or if he had just lain down… I stopped wondering and walked towards the door; but before I could reach it, the door swung open and in walked a dunmer clad in a green robe.

We stared at each other for just a second; then at the same time we raised our arms.
The dunmer pulled his arm back; a small fire appearing between his fingers, I reeled my arm back, holding the iron dagger by the blade.
It was a blessing that whatever spell the dunmer wished to use had to be charged; he held his arm back while he concentrated on his magicka.
I shot my arm forward releasing the blade with a slight twist of my wrist.

The dunmer realized the inevitable as the dagger flew towards his neck; just after I had released the dagger I lunged forward with the intent of silencing the dunmer as fast as possible.
The dagger found its mark, imbuing itself hilt deep in the soft area under the dunmer's right cheek.
A loud gasp echoed through the hallway; the dunmer's concentration failed and his hands moved towards the weapon on his neck. His spell now dispelled.
The mage grabbed the handle of the dagger as he took some steps back; my left hand moved to his mouth covering any sound that he might try to make; the force behind my charge crashing both of us against the back wall; while my right hand pushed both his hands and the dagger across his neck, opening a deep wound from where blood began to pour out.

It wasn't long until the dunmer's breathing stopped; my hands now dripping red.
I yanked the dagger out without effort and pulled the body inside the room.
I closed the door and looked down to the pool of blood and dragging marks the body had left behind.
The metallic smell of blood filled my nostrils. This made me aware of the warmness in my hands… they were coated in red.

I had no more time to dabble in these thoughts as footsteps sounded coming my way.
I walked fast but quietly and entered one of the other rooms in the hallway; I opened the door and found myself in a very small room with a few brooms and buckets inside.
I closed the door and flattened myself against the wall the door opened towards.
If someone opened the door, they wouldn't be able to open it completely since the space behind the door was too small for me.

I stayed still as the mages passed by; from the sound of the footsteps I suspected there would be three people more or less.
Two voices reached my ears; and after a few moments I realized there were only two mages outside.
The clanking sound made it clear that one of them was wearing armor.
Difficult but not impossible to take them down… I must take down the one in armor first; then I can interrogate the other to find Brelyna instead of blindly wandering this fort. I thought; quickly devising a plan to survive.
I only hoped no more mages would come and interfere.

I took a deep breath and waited until I heard the footsteps passing right outside the door.
A loud gasp froze me in place.
"Blood!" I heard someone say… I cursed under my breath but now I didn't have a choice; I had to act.
In one swift and strong movement I opened the door to avoid a long and chirping lament that would surely come if I proceeded slowly.
The gambit paid off and for a few precious moments neither one of the mages turned around.
When the armored man did though, I jabbed the dagger in the imperial's right eye socket, before I pulled it out and sliced his throat horizontally. The gurgling sound was somewhat muffled; and for that, I was grateful.

The second robed mage, a female imperial from her looks, jumped back but was unable to do anything else, since I quickly covered her mouth with a bloody hand and stabbed the dagger in her right shoulder.
No scream came out from her, but the pained face she did made my insides churn and my arms feel numb; my movements sloppy.

"P… ple… please; don't kill me!" the woman stammered out through my fingers with wide eyes and ragged breath.
She was about to say something else but I cut whatever she wanted to say by closing my on her neck.
"Don't." I warned with a low and cold voice. She stopped struggling almost immediately; her body went limp.
"Where is the dark elf that ran inside before me?" I asked; then added; "if you try anything other than answer in a low voice you'll feel pain as you've never experienced before…" I left that threat hanging in the air and saw the woman gulp with some difficulty, then nod slowly.

I opened my hand and allowed air to flow back to her lungs; she coughed almost silently and after catching her breath she answered.
"I took her to the dungeon for interrogation." The imperial woman said.
I felt a shiver going up and down my spine and I remembered the torture room in Helgen.

"Where is the dungeon and how do I get there?" I asked pressing my hand slightly against the mage's neck.
"Please don't kill me, I didn't hurt your friend!" she replied with a fearful voice. But suddenly her face changed; she was now smiling… "At least not too much…"
My muscles tensed at her words, but I couldn't let my feelings get the better of me.
I would have killed the sadistic woman there and then; but I still needed to find out where was my friend being held; and for that I needed her alive.

"That's not what I asked." I deadpanned closing my fingers even more around her neck. Then I repeated my question.
The mage was now trembling; the smile had disappeared as fast as it had come, but she remained quiet.
A piercing scream came from somewhere nearby… a terrifying sound full of anguish and pain.

I grew desperate as a second scream echoed throughout the hallway.
"Where is she! Answer now!" I said louder but not quite yelling; I was still outnumbered and outmatched. I didn't need to be found just yet.
I saw the dagger's grip still coming out from the mages shoulder… the thought of twisting the blade to make her speak crossed my mind; I decided against it… I didn't condone torture as a means of getting information.
Besides, there's enough torture coming from the damn Thalmor and their Justicars… I thought bitterly.

"Your friend won't last long; there are many of us and only one of you… you can't save her." The woman spat back and her knee shot up to my groin.
I felt paralyzed; a burning pain rising up to my throat as I gasped for air.

"Intruder! Sound the alarm!" The woman yelled and before I could get up, from the far end of the hallway, a group of armored soldiers ran towards us.
The clanking of the armor echoing around me; the woman knelt down beside me and spoke in a voice soft as a purr.
"I told you; I said that you, wouldn't be able to save her didn't I?" She then caressed my cheek before choking me.
She casted a spell and my body went limp.
"You two will be a good distraction for my master; He's sure to have some use for you and your friend." She said smiling wickedly.
My vision blurred as she kept on choking me…

"So you're finally awake…" a female voice said from somewhere in the darkness.
I groaned in reply since I was gagged; I also noticed my hands had been bound together.
I tried to stand up and found that my feet were also bound when I ended up in the ground once again.
I heard people laugh; then, my blood froze as a piercing scream filled the room I was at.
I assumed Brelyna and I were in the same room.
I struggled with my bonds to no avail; I couldn't free myself.

Suddenly light came back to the world when someone lifted the blindfold I had been wearing.
That's when I saw Brelyna; she was strapped to one of the torture machines I had seen in Helgen; a rake I think it was called.
Ropes were tied around her arms and legs; a man was gripping a crank; that when turned, tensed the ropes of the device pulling painfully at the arms and legs of whoever was strapped to the machine.

Brelyna's face was one of pain; tears ran down her cheeks…
"So…" a female voice said on my right side; I turned my head and saw the woman that had captured me walked into view; "… maybe you'll be more talkative than your friend here has been so far."
I growled in response; narrowing my eyes towards the woman… but something felt odd about her.
She had said that she served someone… so who does she serve? And even more, why was I gagged?
Brelyna wasn't gagged and there is no way that these bastards could know that I could use the Thu'um…

"So? Will you yield and comply?" The imperial woman asked smiling deviously.
"Or should I continue breaking your friend?" She made a movement with her wrist and the man cranked the device once more, eliciting a cry of pain from Brelyna.
I groaned loudly and squirmed; there were few sounds I could make while gagged…

The woman gave the same signal again and the cries stopped.
"I really hope that was a yes; if you try anything other than answer in a low voice you'll feel pain as you've never experienced before…" She purred next to my ear the same words I had said to her; the same threat.
"… or perhaps it will be your friend over there the one that experiences pain while I make you watch." She added almost as an afterthought making me shiver as I looked at Brelyna.
Her eyes grew wide at the last words of the mage.

"But you have killed some of my men; just like your friend over there…" The imperial said mockingly; "… I can't let you two go unpunished now can I?" The woman said in a cheery tone.
Before I could react Brelyna's cries filled the room as the ropes tensed once more.
I tried to stand up; but a hit in the back put an end to my attempt.
Then, I was yanked to my feet and my arms were quickly pinned against the wall behind me by two armored figures.
Since my arms were bound, there was no way to defend myself.

Once more, a paralyzing spell made short work of any struggle attempts from my part.
"Ohh, let me take care of that…" the woman said as she reached behind my head and removed the gag. "… My Lord won't be pleased if he can't hear you."
I was dragged to a second rake in the same room, and soon my voice joined Brelyna's in what must have sounded as a Daedric chorus…
The cranking continued until everything turned black, and no more sounds were ripped from our throats…

I opened my eyes; I was once again bound and gagged… the only difference now, was that Brelyna was sitting next to me bound in a similar manner.
I looked at her; despite what we had endured, she still had a look of determination on her face; she was still willing to fight. I took comfort in her eyes and steeled myself for whatever was to come next.

"Finally you are awake; I was thinking that perhaps I had to play a little more with you; but it seems it won't be necessary anymore." The smiling imperial woman said.
Suddenly, her hands moved behind my head and pulled off the gag.
I wanted to shout; to send her crashing against the opposite wall and hearing the snap of bones… but I was bound and so was my friend; and both of us were unarmed… fighting now would be of no use in the end.
"So; did you enjoy the treatment I gave you yesterday? Did you feel pleasure from it?"
The robed woman asked gleefully.

"You are insane! You tortured us harlot! I'd make you pay for what you did!" I replied with anger.
The woman chuckled and smiled. "You would get along so well with my master." The mage sighed softly as she closed her eyes; she seems lost in thought.

"Well, now that you two are finally willing to talk, let me make something clear." The woman said glancing at both of us. "You will answer whatever I ask, if my master commands you to do something, you will obey; am I clear?" The centurion asked grinning.
"I understand…" I replied looking her in the eye; "… just don't hurt her anymore; I'll answer whatever questions you have."
"Good… such a noble soul… my master will want to see you now." She answered and ordered the other mages to take both Brelyna and I somewhere else.

We walked to a lower level; we passed through what must have been a small sanctuary or chapel to one of the divines; maybe for Dibella since there was still, a barely recognizable statue but no shrine.
We kept walking until we reached a large chamber with large broken columns.
What really caught my attention was the strange light at the top of some stairs in the far side of the room.
I was no mage but even I felt something wrong just by looking at the floating orb.

"There's a strong Daedric presence here… that's a portal to a Plane of Oblivion…" a voice whispered next to me.
I looked to the side and saw Brelyna walking next to me. I quickly took a step back and pulled the dunmer towards me, so that she was now walking in front of me.
At least in this position I could try and defend her from the front while hopefully no one would be able to do anything to her from the back.

"My Lord, here are the two mortals that entered the keep." The imperial said as she dropped to her knees.
Before her, now stood a not so tall man garbed in a black robe; his face covered by a shroud of darkness casted by his hood.
The unexpected thing to hear was his voice once he spoke; he sounded drunk to say the least.
"My frieeeend! I've awaited your arrival! You've brought me soooooo much amusement… I haven't felt like this in at least a hundred years!"
The man slurred and stumbled forward.
He used a broken column to support himself; there he clung for a few seconds before he turned around and grabbed a bottle of mead from a small table that was hidden behind the column.
He took a long swig before laughing madly.

Brelyna took a few steps back at the man's antics; had she backed up a little more, she and I would have become just one body.
Still it wasn't as if I could blame her… the man seemed insane; it would have been mad not to feel frightened by him. But even then… there was something about him, something familiar I couldn't quite place.

"Do we know each other?" I finally asked. My question drew a look from the madman; not one of anger but rather one of mocking hurt.
"Reeeeaallyy… ye dastarb not remember me?" the man slurred again.
"After all the fun me 'n eye… no wait… that didn't came out right… ohh but I'm sure s-s-s-something can come out of here!" The man said laughing manically once more before drinking what was left on the bottle in his hand.

Finally the realization hit me.
"Sam? Sam Guevenne?" I asked.
"Ohh so ye finally remembered me! I cn'ot believe ye would've forgotten me so quickly; not after all our adventures, and the pranks we did…" Sam said slurring and drinking a second bottle of mead he had taken out of nowhere.

"You're… you're drunk." I said… at first I meant to say so as a question; but as I spoke it was obvious he was drunk.
"Now, who ye be callin' drunk mortal? I'm ash sober as a newborn baby…" Sam said sending a hiccup in our direction before walking close to me and jabbing his finger on my chest.
"… the only difference, is that I'm not as innocent as one." Sam managed to say before cackling.

"What's wrong with him? And who is he and how do you know him?" The dunmer whispered in my ear with a worried look.
Somehow, Sam managed to hear her, even though he had stumbled away a few steps.
"Nothin' be wrong with me lass! I'm nothin' wrong… ohh who am I fooling? Of course I'm drunk, but drunk is the best way to be, don't ye think so frrriendss?" Sam said before lounging forward and trapping both Brelyna and I in a hug; a hug too strong for someone of his frame…

"I'd still say that you two 'ave too many clothes on you… but I fer one won't force you to anything; but if ye ask nicely…"
"Just who on Oblivion are you?" Brelyna suddenly yelled taking a step forward.
"Ohh my dear lass… the irony…" Sam said closing the distance between him and Brelyna with a wild grin.
The dunmer jumped back to the side, only to find herself between Sam and a column.
Sam then pushed his body against hers, trapping her completely; his face was so close to Brelyna's that their noses were almost touching.

I took a step forward, but was quickly pulled back. I turned my head expecting to see one of the armored legionnaires; but instead, what I saw, was a sight I had never seen before.
A tall red figure stood behind me; at first I thought it an orc with red skin… then I realized that there were no orcs with red skin; and that the only time they did, was when they were covered in the blood of their enemies.
Then I noticed the horns protruding from his head; the eyes seemed to glitter like rubies.
I looked around and saw that most of those who I had thought legionnaires were the same as the thing now holding me in place.
Only a handful of mages actually remained, including the imperial woman that had captured me. She was now smiling broadly…

As if on cue I heard a yelp from Brelyna; I turned around and saw that Sam had turned into one of these things; the noticeable differences, were that unlike the other red creatures, he wore a full suit of black armor, engraved with glowing red symbols.
I recognized the symbols as Daedric in origin, thanks to the classes of conjuration back in Winterhold.
Master Phinis Gestor; the College's scholar conjurer had tried teaching me some very basic spells; needless to say I had failed in all of them.

By the engravings I assumed that Sam was wearing a set of Daedric armor; it looked intimidating and hard to pierce.
Brelyna looked so small next to Sam, whereas before, Sam was only slightly taller than the dunmer; he now stood taller than any men or mer.
"You know Laniüs? Your friend is very good looking… I wouldn't mind if I could know her better; way better…" Sam said as he buried his face on Brelyna's neck making her squirm.
I also noticed that the drunken tone in his voice had suddenly gone.

"As to answer whom in Oblivion am I?" Sam said extending his arms outwards and taking a few steps back from the dunmer.
"I am Sanguine! Daedric Prince of debauchery, lust, sin, sloth, gluttony, greed, temptation, humiliation, and any of the other dark desires of men."
Sanguine… Sam-Guevenne… The name did sound similar I though.
"You tortured us…" Brelyna said from where she stood; she had not moved since Sanguine had pinned her against the rock.

"But of course! Pain and pleasure often walk hand in hand. Why? You disapprove? Does this feel weird or wrong to you?" Sanguine smiled wickedly and chuckled.
"If only I told you about some of my most memorable adventures… like that one time I had a mortal cast a spell that made everyone's clothes disappear during a grand party in Leyawiin… I just planned it as a joke, but when I saw that Countess naked… ohh my; it was such a fun night. Full of movement and pleasure."
A Sanguine said this; he seemed to be lost; his mind probably relieving whatever things had happened during and after the party.

"But why do it? Why torture us? You aren't the Prince of Domination." Brelyna replied moving slowly towards me.
"You mean Molag? Ohh no little elf…had I been Molag Bal, things would have gone very, very different.
For starters you'd have no clothes on you, and he'd already had his way with you… they don't name him the King of Rape just for his looks you know? So by now you'd be halfway turning into a pureblood vampire if you had survived the ordeal, which very few ever do, or you'd be already dead.
As for why do it? Well… don't ask me why, pleasure is but a game; and it has no rules."
Sanguine said smiling wickedly.

I was at a loss; I didn't know what to say, what to do.
Brelyna and I were now at the mercy and whim of a Daedric Prince… what could we do?
"You can't do anything really…" Sanguine suddenly said and I was taken aback; he could read my thoughts?
"Yes of course I can; what do you think I am? A simple drunk mortal?" Sanguine said chuckling.
"I have been observing you since we departed at the temple in Markarth; you've kept me entertained trying to figure out what you did; but I must say that your friend Lydia was even more amusing. She had to clean most of your mess while you travelled with this slim and curvy elf." Sanguine managed to say before having a fit of laugh.

Brelyna turned her head towards me; her cheeks were a darker shade of gray and it looked as if she was fighting a smirk from creeping to her lips.
I guess it's not an everyday thing when a Daedric Prince compliments your body and looks. I thought.
After this, my attention turned to the other thing Sanguine had said.
"What do you mean by Lydia entertaining you by cleaning my mess?" I asked with some worry.
Sanguine probably noticed this judging by the answer I was given.
"Ohh, don't you worry your little head; I didn't touch her in any way, though I will say I wouldn't mind if I did…" The Daedric Prince said smiling gleefully; then added;
"You sure know how to pick your women Laniüs! Always those who can fight and are good looking." He finished making my face feel hot.

"You know? The only reason I didn't have you two…" the Daedra said pointing at me and Brelyna; "…become passionate lovebirds during your time together, was because of Lydia; that woman you feel so strongly about." Sanguine added looking at me.
"And that, only because you were such excellent company for a drunk adventure, and both of you pleasured me with your actions; I have to say she was so distraught when she found your great sword near Rorikstead… and even more when she thought you dead… I almost wanted to comfort her right there on the spot." Sanguine said sighing at the memory.
"And you're very lucky… she found a note about the wedding ring, but she never read it. I guess she is very honorable; although it would be so interesting to see her reaction were she to read the note." He added as an afterthought.

My face must have shown my worries; because the Daedric prince smiled to me.
"Don't worry my friend; if she does find the letter, it won't be because of me.
Although you two aren't bound by marriage still; so you should not feel guilty about spreading bastards around Skyrim; even if you were married you shouldn't worry about such a trivial thing you know? Lust is a blessing.
So, if you want to have a tumble with your little elf friend, you have my blessing Laniüs." The Daedra added with a wink, making both Brelyna and I blush and look at each other awkwardly.

"I've had so much fun with you that I feel compelled to give something in return." Sanguine began saying.
"I think proper rewards should be given… Laniüs, for your excellent companionship and the pranks we pulled together, I give you the right to call upon me once, to aid you in whatever it is you need. I will also teach you a spell to have some of my servants bring you the most succulent and strong beverages you want; especially Cyrodilic Brandy... that is the drink my followers offer me.

For you my dear, for eliciting those exquisite pained screams, my servants tore from you, and considering you are a mage; I gift upon you an artifact of mine, the Sanguine Rose; to summon one of my servants to aid you in your time of need.
Be that in combat or in the bed; they are quite good at pleasing their masters I'll have you know." Sanguine said with a grin, making Brelyna's face turn from gray to near black with embarrassment.
"I would never… do such a thing!" Brelyna replied flushing madly.

"Ohh I'm sure you'll find a place and a time to test it out." Sanguine said waving dismissively in her direction.
"I can assure you that once you try it, he will leave you begging for more." The Daedric Prince added as an afterthought.
A staff, with the top of a rose and adorned by thorns, appeared from nowhere, and floated a few inches in front of the dunmer. She reached for it slowly, almost with fear; but in the end she took the staff.
"Now you are free to go." Sanguine said turning his back toward us and taking a swig of a large bottle he had taken out of nowhere.

Brelyna tugged at my chainmail urging me to leave this place; we were about to walk away when Sanguine spoke once more.
"Wait! I am pleased with another one but she is not here…" The Daedric Prince said turning around to face us.
"Do you mean…?" I began but was cut off by the Daedra.

"Yes; your Housecarl, Lydia… I can sense what she desires the most, so perhaps I can make that happen; but not in the way she might imagine it of course." Sanguine said fixing his gaze on me.
"Ohh! I can't believe I could forget… today is a very special day! Today requires a celebration!" The Daedra said suddenly clapping his hands.
"What do you mean?" Brelyna asked taking a step back after jumping slightly.
"Today is my summoning day! Sixteenth of Sun's Dawn. You two must come with me, you can't miss this party for nothing in the world." Sanguine said excitedly.
Brelyna and I looked at each other with worry… Sanguine's hospitality hadn't been exactly good; so going with him anywhere was simply a bad idea.

"If you come with me, I promise I shall return both of you to the place it all started; I will leave you back at the Bannered Mare in Whiterun." Sanguine added with what I supposed was an attempt at a charming smile.
I have to admit that his offer was really tempting; if we were to go back on our own; we could go back to Windhelm and hire a carriage; but I don't think it would be a good idea to go back to that city after offending its Jarl.
And if we were to simply walk all the way to Whiterun, we would need to cross trough Stormcloak territory and the journey would take us at least two weeks if the climate was favorable. Plus we would be exposed to Skyrim's wilderness and more importantly, dragons.

"We do not have the supplies to go all the way to Whiterun; and we shouldn't go back to Windhelm after what happened there; and there are no settlements nearby enough to resupply at." Brelyna commented in a hushed tone.
Which was useless since He was able to read our thoughts… I reminded myself.
"Indeed." Sanguine said on cue before taking a long swig of the large bottle.
This made Brelyna turn to look at him with wide eyes… she probably thought he had heard her.

"I guess we don't really have a choice…" I said out loud.
Brelyna nodded and sighed deeply.
Sanguine smiled pleased and motion us to follow him. He began walking towards the floating orb at the top of the stairs; all his minions following behind.
"Master are we going back to the Misty Grove?" The imperial woman asked smiling broadly.
"Yes we are. This will be a night to remember!" Sanguine said loudly making his followers laugh with him as he walked up the steps.
Brelyna and I following suit…
As we walked up the stairs, I couldn't shake the strange feeling growing in the pit of my stomach.
A night to remember… those words made a shiver crawl up and down my spine.
Las time someone said that, I ended up in the other side of Skyrim, with a really bad headache and no idea how I had done so.
Not to mention all the things that happened to me afterwards…


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A Peace Unexpected by Crisium
There's No Place Like Home by TheGoldenMole

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