-Outskirts of Mournhold-
Zirasha leans against the small building throwing her knife in between her hands. "The Dunmer who insulted you when we came in is named Gidevul Ralhrimo of house Indoril," she says to Viperish Night. "Good thing he was a typical Dunmer who only saw you as a lizard and could not be bothered to look closer to see you are a wanted criminal." Zirasha finishes playing with her knife and sheaths it. "You're on your own with this."
Viperish Night studies Zirasha tilting his head in curiosity. "I would think you would like these assassins." he hisses.
"Uh..." Zirasha shrugs. "I refused a job offer from them. Do they hold grudges? Rather not find out. Besides, I want to steal things and drop some bodies why I am here. The Dunmer are almost as high and mighty as the Altmer." she shrugs and turns to go. "Have fun with all the body parts and murderous assassins," she calls back, and soon she is out of view.
Viperish Night turns to the abandoned building and pauses. He is finally finding his answers, but not only do those answers shake him to his core, but they spawn even more questions. He hisses and stalks into the building closing the door behind him.
He had come out of the darkness itself and Viperish Night rises to face him, the mysterious figure is cloaked in a black hooded robe and face cast in shadow. The silence seems to last forever, and Viperish Night tilts his head in puzzlement at the speaker's silence. "I must have done this correctly, for you came to me." he hisses.
The hooded figure raises his head, his eyes staring into Viperish Night's. "You are not unknown to the Void. You commit murder without hesitation, so why do you summon us, when you so easily murder on your own?"
Viperish Night stalks closer to the speaker and raises a pouch of gold. "Because I want a specific assassin to kill someone," he says. "And I wish to watch, and I wish to speak to the assassin when the job is done. You do requests, don't you?" The speaker holds out his hand and Viperish Night drops the pouch of gold into it. "I want Gidevul Ralhrimo killed. He travels outside Mournhold each afternoon to an abandoned farm." Viperish Night says. "And...It is the shadowscale Stalks-In-Darkness I want to murder him."
The speaker suddenly whirls and vanishes into the dark once more. Viperish Night stares after him. That...was not the reaction he expected. The name he uttered...it seemed to unsettle the speaker. What could unsettle an assassin? He would have to travel to the farmhouse tomorrow and see if anything happened. He had paid for a murder after all.
-Mournhold Mages Guild-
Theodyn stares up at the ceiling in the small quarters he shared with Rufico. Rufico had fallen asleep but sleep eluded Theodyn. The events of the past few days weighed heavy on his mind. His guild attacked and two mages he had studied with, dead. Just like that. And the carnage at the ruins, even with the bodies removed the blood splatters painted a dark picture. It was evil that they somehow had to stand up against. But how could they be expected to do that? All four of them had their talents, yes. But nothing like the necromancer had. Theodyn finally falls into a troubled sleep.
A scream shatters the night's silence sometime later. Theodyn bolts right up in his bed in time to see Rufico leap from his bed and run out of the room. Theodyn dashes after Rufico, pausing when he notices everyone else has been jolted awake. "I'll check on him," Theodyn says as he heads downstairs.
Theodyn enters the kitchen to see Rufico sitting at the small table with his head in his hands, his body wracked with tremors. Theodyn quietly makes berry tea and sets a cup before Rufico. "My mom always made this for me when I woke up in the middle of the night after my sister died," he says quietly.
"Damn it, I woke everyone up," Rufico says, cupping the hot mug in his hands.
"I think we might have many nights like this," Theodyn says. "We just started and already..." he trails off. There is no need to speak of the horror they have already seen.
Rufico is silent for a few long moments before he sips the tea. "For me, the horror started years ago." Rufico hoarsely says. "All because I followed him. Following him shattered my world view. Shattered everything I thought I knew." he glances up at Theodyn and shakes his head as Theodyn starts to speak. "No, don't speak, please. Or I'll never get this out. And I think I need to before I can deal with this necromancer we hunt." Rufico's eyes fall back into his cup of tea, darkness covering them. "When the cultists took over the Imperial city my family was moved to a different section of the city for our safety. My father was in the Imperial Legion, and he remained so even after the occupation started. He said it was to keep us safe, I and my Mother that is. But he changed after it started. I was confused and afraid, and so one day, I in all my thirteen-year-old idiotically, followed him." Rufico falls silent, drinking some tea as he struggles to continue.
"Sometimes I wish I never followed him that day. But then I would have never known the truth. I'm still not sure which one would have been worse." Rufico looks up, his haunted eyes locking onto Theodyn's. "I followed the Zero Legion. I saw my father remove innocent civilians from their homes in chains and give them to the Daedra. I saw him and a group of other legion soldiers beat a man and laugh about it." Rufico closes his eyes and lowers his head, trying to control the shaking that is running through him. "I ran home and told my mother. And she slapped me, told me he was doing it to protect us. It was just a damn lie she told herself so she could remain blind. I ran to my room, and that night I packed a bag and ran away. Stupid, I know but...my world had broke, Theodyn. My father had been my hero, this great Imperial soldier. And it was all a lie." Rufico takes a deep breath and opens his eyes, filled with unshed tears. "The city was in utter chaos, I managed to escape notice...until I didn't. And then the only way to avoid capture was to dive into the Imperial sewers. " Rufico grips the mug tighter. "That is where my nightmares come from. The veil between Nirn and Coldharber was weakest in those sewers, though I only found this out later. At the time all I knew is down in those sewers monsters and nightmares lurked. Things no one should ever see, much less a thirteen-year-old kid." Rufico gulps down the rest of the tea. "That is why I have such lousy luck as a thief. I used up all my luck escaping that place. There is no way I should have been able to." Rufico falls silent.
Theodyn's face is pale as he tries to imagine what it would have been like. To be lost and alone with nightmares around every corner and so little hope of finding a way out. "Softly-Speckled-Crab was right." he finally says, putting one hand over Rufico's. "You do belong with us. This is why you escaped. And you should not have to be alone anymore."
"Theodyn," Rufico says as he claps Theodyn's hand before rising. "Thanks." he looks at a loss for words and finally just shrugs. "Let's try to get some sleep."
-Mournhold-
Rufico and Theodyn walked the streets of Mournhold the next day. They had learned of the attack on Wayrest the previous day, how Viperish Night had summoned Daedra into the streets of Wayrest, possibly stolen things inside the mage guild, and murdered yet another mage. This and the utter lack of leads on Viperish Night, the mysterious dark scale, and the Vestige's whereabouts had gotten to everyone. So Razum-dar had called for a day off to allow the group to do whatever they wanted. Iveryni chose to bury herself in books at the Mage Guild, Softly-Speckled-Crab managed to get the kitchen staff to teach her how to make bread and that left Rufico and Theodyn. They decided to go for a walk.
Rufico glances at Theodyn. "Not one word about last night," he says. "I don't want to talk about it more than that." Theodyn nods and the two wander Mournhold. "Mmm gold." Rufico suddenly says as he approaches a jewelry stand filled with glittering gold and a variety of luminous gemstones. Theodyn gives him a look at Rufico just shrugs. "Habits die hard. I'm just looking today." he goes back to glancing at the jewelry under the careful eye of the jewelry seller.
Theodyn sighs and looks around. There had not been much time to take in the sights of Deshaan and it still amazes him to be so far from home. There are so many Dunmer, and many other races, and look even an Altmer! She talks with a mage in robes before wandering off deeper into the city. The mage starts walking outside the city. Theodyn slowly frowns. The mage has a tail. He tugs on Rufico's sleeve and Rufico looks up. "Argonian mage," he whispers.
Rufico looks at where he's putting. "There is no way that's Viperish Night," he says. "He would not be in the middle of Mournhold wandering around like that."
Theodyn's eyes grow darker as he remembers the attack on his guild. "Just as he would never be in Daggerfall or Wayrest?" Theodyn says angrily.
Rufico startles at Theodyn's tone. "Finally got angry instead of sad," Rufico says. "Fine, let's follow him. I doubt he IS our Argonian. Your gonna owe me if he's not." As Theodyn moves past him Rufico places a hand on his shoulder. "No. You will follow me, do what I do. I know how to trail him without him noticing. Rufico moves to the side of a building and Theodyn follows quietly behind.
Rufico leads Theodyn to a towering field of grass and he gets down on his stomach, his face just outside the grass. Theodyn follows his example. "Where is he?" Theodyn whispers.
"Our Argonian is up by the small grove of trees," Rufico says. "He's just sitting there watching the farm. You know he could just be a mage out for a walk."
"He's not one of the Mournhold's mages." Theodyn insists. "I know all of them by now."
"Well, no one's dying, and the dead are not rising," Rufico says. "And I can't get a good enough look at his face with that hood up or from this distance. So we wait. And then we go back after and Razum-dar kills us for this idiocy."
Theodyn lowers his eyes. "This is stupid. I just..."
"So angry it blinded you," Rufico says. "Anger makes us do stupid things. I ran away during a Daedric invasion." Rufico then falls silent. "Someone else is coming."
Viperish Night sits cross-legged under the trees. It is the very best place to hide, but suddenly he wishes to hide somewhere else. The trees remind him too much of his travels through Daggerfall. How he thought they set him at ease. Now they made his scales crawl. His claws dig into the dirt and it's only the sound of footsteps that distracts him, his head snapping up. Gidevul Ralhrimo is walking down the path to the farmhouse.
"It's a Dunmer," Theodyn says puzzled. "He's not here to kill a lone Dunmer is he?"
"Not our Argonian then," Rufico says. "If either of them sees us, we are going to look very very stupid."
Theodyn sighs. "Sorry, I guess we should go then? If we head out and back around neither should see us." Theodyn starts to rise but Rufico abruptly pulls him down.
"Something feels wrong." Rufico hisses. "It's too quiet." Rufico falls silent and Theodyn settles back in as quietly as possible.
The birds have stopped singing. Viperish Night's eyes narrow as a black-robed figure comes out from the shadow of the farmhouse. One moment their hand is empty, the next filled with a blade darker than the darkest night. One quick stab and Gidevul Ralhrimo falls. Viperish Night rises and moves to the assassin, who as per Viperish Night's request is waiting for him. But when he gets closer he's halted by the whisper of cloth, a blade at his neck. Viperish Night slowly hisses. His eyes look at the assassin behind him then to the one who took down Gidevul Ralhrimo. "You are not who I wanted," he says. Neither of these are Argonians. Neither are Stalks-In-Darkness. The ground starts to shake and the undead rise, and Argonian and Khajiit skeletons surround them. The knife presses down on his throat. "Do not even think of it, necromancer." a female voice hisses.
Clouds roll over the sun casting the land in shadow as a portal of darkness opens and the speaker walks out to stand before Viperish Night. "I am Speaker Malkeyranis," he says. "How do you know the name Stalks-In-Darkness?"
"From my nightmares." Viperish Night says. "I need to find him."
"Why?" Speaker Malkeyranis demands.
"So I can kill him after I have my answers." Viperish Night hisses.
Speaker Malkeyranis raises his hand and the assassin behind him lowers her knife from his neck. "Silence," he says softly. "But in this case, our Night Mother has given leave to give you more than that, depending on your answer to the question I just asked you. You seem to want those. So place your skeletons away before we are all noticed."
The skeletons sink back into the ground and Viperish Night stalks closer to Speaker Malkeyranis. "This is not the result I expected." he hisses.
"Silence." Speaker Malkeyranis says again. "Listen." when he sees he has Viperish Night's full attention he speaks. "Stalks-In-Darkness was given a contract. He was one of our most loyal brother's and it should have been a simple matter. But he never completed it, nor did he return. Our Hand sent our Silencer after him, and she too failed to return. I was bid by the Night Mother to her side. She was nearly dead, barely clinging to life on the southern border of Deshaan. Her final words before the Void welcomed her home was, Stalks-In-Darkness is no longer our brother." Speaker Malkeyranis falls to silence for a few moments before speaking again. "Betrayal is met with death. But the Night Mother stayed our hands. Said it would cost us everything if we went after him. And so the chase ended." Speaker Malkeyranis moves as close to Viperish Night as he can. "If you can silence him, necromancer, it would please the Dark Brotherhood. And that is the only reason you will live today."
More answers that only caused more questions. "How long ago was this?" Viperish Night asks.
"Well over four years ago." Speaker Malkeyranis says before he turns and walks through the shadows vanishing. The rest of the Brotherhood members vanish just as quickly.
Viperish Night stands for a few long moments. So Stalks-In-Darkness was a former member of the Brotherhood, who for reasons unknown betrayed them and vanished. Viperish Night frowns and then turns and heads back into town.
Rufico and Theodyn stay in the grass until everyone has left. "We should not have seen that," Rufico says with a tremor in his voice as he rises.
"No, you should not have."
Rufico spins around and trips falling into the grass. Theodyn scrambles up and backs away. Speaker Malkeyranis is standing before them. "Do you think you went unnoticed?" he says.
"Been nice knowing you," Rufico says to Theodyn. "This was a really stupid idea. I'm going to haunt your ghost."
Theodyn closes his eyes. And then when nothing happens he slowly opens them. Speaker Malkeyranis is still there, staring at them. "There is a reason you will not be sent to the void for this." Speaker Malkeyranis says before turning and vanishing into the dark.
Theodyn stares before slowly rising, shaking. "Did he just do that to teach us a lesson?" Theodyn says.
"Or he just likes to scare people," Rufico mutters. "Let's get back to Razum-Dar. Who, as I remind you, is going to kill us. I'm blaming you for all of this." he turns and starts walking to town, Theodyn right behind him.
"We learned a lot." Theodyn insists. "I could hear some of it anyway."
"And we almost died," Rufico says. "I thought I used all my luck up in the Imperial Sewers. Must have been your luck that paid for this."
The two are nearly back in town when the sound of paw-steps cause Theodyn to look around. A dog is following them. Theodyn looks at it curiously and then stops tugging on Rufico's sleeve. "What now, are we going to follow a Daedric Prince next?" Rufico says as he turns around. "Oh it's a dog... why are its eyes glowing like that? And...why...Theodyn...I can see bones. We need to run now." Rufico grabs Theodyn's arm and they race to town.
The dog howls a spine-chilling howl at them before charging. The two race toward a building but an Altmer leaps from it onto Rufico, sending him tumbling to the ground. Theodyn turns. A flash of black and Theodyn is slammed against the building's wall. He looks up to see icy crystal eyes staring at him.
"I caught the little rat," Zirasha says as she hauls Rufico up. "Damn Imperial. I thought I slit his throat back in Sentinel!" Rufico struggles in her grip but stills as she presses a knife against his throat. "Want me to finish the job?"
"Wait." Viperish Night says, his eyes moving to Rufico briefly before turning to Theodyn. "Why did you follow me?" he says and leans in closer. "Do you want to die that badly? I can set you free. I may even let you decide how." Theodyn shakes and turns his head away shutting his eyes. Viperish Night lightly drags his claws over Theodyn's neck. "Should I have Zirasha kill your friend first then? You can go last if your that scared."
Theodyn turns his head back to Viperish Night and opens his eyes. "Don't you dare," he says angrily.
"Answer then." Viperish Night says.
Theodyn's eyes dart to Rufico then back to Viperish Night. He could lie, would that work? He cannot tell him the truth. He would kill them both. The fear is like liquid ice filling his veins though. He was so stupid to follow him. To drag Rufico in it. There is no way out and Theodyn blinks back tears and suddenly bursts out a question. "Did you kill her? Everyone says it was the Bloodthorn, but you knew her. And your... you're a necromancer. Did you kill my sister Seriana?"
Viperish Night's hands slam the wall to either side of Theodyn and he leans in even closer studying Theodyn. Those eyes, that face. Viperish Night pushes back his hood with his right hand and then runs the back of his claws down Theodyn's face. He looks so much like her. Seriana...she had shown him such kindness. Tried to save him. So very stupid of her to get anywhere near him. His eyes blink rapidly. "No, but it was my fault. My former mentor murdered her." he finally says. "Because she saw me practice necromancy, and he would not have any witnesses to that." Theodyn's eyes fill with shock and horror. "I did not know he did it. I thought the Bloodthorn killed her too until I found out the truth. One of the many reasons I'm going to kill him." Viperish Night slowly smiles. "You should like that. Your Sister's murderer bleeding and dying."
Theodyn's eyes fill with tears and it's all he can do to keep them at bay. This was the truth of his sister's death? "NO!" he says. "She would not want that! Not even if someone killed her!"
"Oh, I know." Viperish Night says. "She asked me not to when I called on her spirit. Back then I was willing to promise that." he leans in to whisper in Theodyn's ear. "Now, now I have no mercy left."
Theodyn gazes into Viperish Night's eyes when all he wants to do is to look away. What Rufico said to him in the ruins comes back to him. "You are not going to stop are you?" he says quietly. "Why? Why do you want to do this?"
"The living are mad." Viperish Night says. "Your sister died because of their madness. So many others have too. I wish to silence it. No more pain, no more suffering, no more betrayal." he lowers his arms and steps back. "Since you are Seriana's brother, I will let you live, this time. But..." his eyes narrow. "You know too much. You foolishly seem to hunt me. Next time, I will kill you." he turns to Zirasha. "Kill the Imperial or don't," he says. "Make it quick." Theodyn's eyes widen and he tries to move to Rufico, but Viperish Night grabs his arms.
Zirasha kicks out Rufico's legs from underneath him and when he falls to the ground she pounces on him the knife hoving inches above his throat. Her eyes stare into his. "Imperial." she snarls as she starts to drive the knife down, but what she sees in Rufico's eyes stops her. "You hate Imperials too, don't you?" she asks him.
Rufico looks up at her. "Maybe I do, a little," he says quietly. "That does not mean I want to kill them!"
Zirasha laughs and leaps up. "You get to live this time too, Imperial. Just for that hatred in your eyes." she turns to Viperish Night. "If they do hunt us, there might be others. We should find someplace else to play."
Viperish Night releases Theodyn. Memories swirl and he knows where they must go. There were two people Viperish Night had met in Daggerfall that claimed to know something about him he did not. One was dead, but the other...may very well still be alive in Bangkorai. Viperish Night opens a portal and he and Zirasha vanish into it.
Theodyn stares at the spot the portal was until Rufico tugs on his arm. "We have to get back to the others, Theodyn," Rufico says gently. "We can't stay in Mournhold any longer. They could come back looking for us. All of us."
Theodyn swallows and turns to Rufico. "I don't know how to deal with this," he says raggedly.
"One foot ahead of the other," Rufico says. "But we need to get back to the others to tell them about this and find someplace else to set up camp."
Theodyn nods and the two race back to the mage's guild.
-Mournhold Mage's Guild-
Theodyn and Rufico run into the mage guild. Softly-Speckled-Crab is munching on bread eyes bright. Iveryni is deep into a book and Razum-dar is taking a catnap in a chair. "We need to go, now!" Rufico yells. "Also it's all Theodyn's fault." he gives Theodyn a shaky grin.
Razum-dar bolts right up the chair crashing to the ground, Softly-Speckled-Crab nearly drops her bread and Iveryni places the book down and gives the two an incredulous look. Razum-dar pads over, his eyes growing serious as he sees how shaken up they are. "What is going on?"
Theodyn swallows still shaking. "It's my fault. I saw an Argonian in a hood and convinced Rufico to follow him with me. It was him, it was Viperish Night. He left but..." Theodyn looks down. "He knows we are hunting him now. It's my fault, I am so stupid."
Rufico places a hand on Theodyn's shoulder. "Might have done the same thing if I was you," he says.
Razum-dar turns to a shocked Iveryni and Softly-Speckled-Crab. "Gather all our things and papers," he says to them and the two dash off as Razum-dar turns back to the boys. "Razum-dar is glad your not dead, but how are you not dead?"
"Because of what I asked," Theodyn says. "I...asked him if he killed my sister."
"Oh, dear," Razum-dar says.
"It's why he did not...kill us," Theodyn says. "He said his former mentor killed my sister and he would not kill me for her."
"This time" Rufico adds. "Let's not forget that part."
Iveryni and Softly-Speckled-Crab run down with the bags and Razum-dar turns and walks to the back of the guild. "You can fill this one in later, it's time to change bases." Razum-dar pauses for a moment thinking. "We will travel to Elden root. Razum-dar will feel better when he's in his home territory. Until we figure our next course of action."
The group departs for Elden Root via a mage portal.
