Descent Into Madness
She was floated through an endless black abyss. There was nothing but darkness in every which direction. Was she floating upright? On her side? Upside down? She knew not. It was oddly peaceful. Her eyes remained closed, yet she could see everything. She seen her own body. Felt her heart thudding in her own chest. She was there, but she was also over here. But where was "here"?
It was maddening, but she did not question it. It felt.. so right.
"You sleep rather soundly for a murderer."
And a hand - an invisible hand that reached out to caress her cheek. It was gloved and smelt of old leather with a dull, barely recognizable copper scent - blood. But that hand; oh, that hand. If she could control herself in this state, she would have reached out for that hand to hold it firmly onto her cheek to keep it from floating away from her. To keep that comforting palm on her skin to continue the peaceful caresses.
But, again, she could not control herself, and the hand left soon after and she was without the bliss of what little contentment she had. But just as she thought about how lonely it was without that deep voice, another voice resonated through her body - a voice that was even more comforting than the first one. A voice that belonged to a woman. It was musical, but frightening. It was soothing, but deadly. It was delightful. It was that same voice that had came to her in many dreams.
"My child."
Annabella awoke with a gasp, her eyes shooting open as if she'd previously been dragged through the mud and beaten ten times over with a stick. Her head was pounding and her vision was incredibly blurry in that darkened, damp room that sent chills up her spin.
She tried to piece together the events that happened. The last thing she remembered was getting into that wagon with that crazy little jester. The Breton groaned inwardly at the thought that he was the one that sent her to this sinister place. Or, at least she assumed it was sinister. Annabella sat up, surprised by the softness under her form. It was clearly a bed, nice and cozy. Surely he hadn't meant her true harm if he rewarded her with some cushion.
The conjurer closed her eyes and concentrated, a hand darting out to mumble a vague incantation before a bright ball of candlelight hovered around her form, making the darkened area a bit more alive.
It was a quaint little bedroom. Typical for anyone who fancied finer things in life such as a pile of golden gems stacked on the nightstand, the velvety bedspread she sat upon, and the beautifully painted tapestries adorning the wall.
This was a room well-used. The Breton furrowed her brows as she stood up. While it had the aura of a nobles room, the obvious cave walls stood out like a sore thumb. Who in their right mind would live in a dank, dark, and cold cave? She wrinkled her nose before beaming at the satchel by the nightstand. Cicero must not have meant no ill-will, for he left all her belongings in tact. Grinning like a fool, she pulled out an ebony dagger and clutched it firmly against her chest before turning her attention towards the door.
Mustering up her courage, she flung her satchel over her shoulder and made way for the exit, extinguishing the ball of light once she noticed a flicker of a candle in the distance. The Breton peered out of the room, only to be met with - you guessed it - more caves. She groaned inwardly as she took in the room. It was big and looked like it got a lot of use, the candles flickering along the walls to make it seem more cheerful than she had doubts it was.
She gripped tightly at the dagger as she took notice of the stairs leading upward. No doubt that was her destination, if luck proved to be on her side. Swallowing hard, she snuck as quietly as possible towards the stairs, all thoughts focused on getting to safety.
"Ah, so you're finally awake," A cheerful, childish voice came from the corner behind her. Annabella quickly whipped her head around to be met with a little girl, no older than ten it seemed, with a sardonic grin on her face. "Welcome to the family, dearest sister. So nice to have another Breton in these halls."
"A-wait, why are y- I mean," Annabella stuttered, alarmed at the little girl staring directly at the fumbling Breton. She let out a cheerful laugh.
"I know this must be terribly confusing to you," She remarked, stepping closer to gently tug the dagger out of her shaking hands. It didn't take much effort on the little girls part, for the conjurers mind was in so many different places right now. "Please let us explain to you before you make any hasty decisions."
Annabella knew she had royally messed up by allowing her fear and shock get the better of her, but she supposed she could always summon one of her Daedra to attack if the occasion called for it. She stood up straight, self-consciously smoothing out the wrinkles on her worn-out tunic before looking at the little girl.
"Who are you, child?" She questioned, her voice filled with curiosity. "Where are your parents?"
"My parents?" The little girl widened her eyes before a sorrowful look crossed her face. "Why, my parents were murdered by the Dark Brothe-"
"Enough, Babette," Came a sultry voice from the doorway. A dunmer woman who appeared to be about the same age as the Breton came casually strolling in the room, an amused expression on her face. "This initiate is a special case, remember. She doesn't know why she's even here."
Babette scowled up at the dunmer woman, but her expression soon softened. "Ah, you're right, Gabriella. Perhaps I should practice on someone who might be my next meal."
"You're a cannibal?" Annabella thought out loud, her brows furrowing together. "Surely other meat will sustain you, little girl."
"A what?" Gabriella snickered as Babette took to laughing so hard she had to hold onto her stomach, her childlike eyes twinkling in delight and amusement.
"Oh, that is rich, indeed," The Dunmer spoke, alerting an all too familiar face to come bounding into the room with a most cheerful expression.
"Dear, Anna!" Cicero exclaimed, rushing towards her at full strength with arms wide open. Annabella froze for a moment, shocked at the audacity, before quickly moving out of the way, the jester colliding with a nearby chair instead.
"Cicero, be nice to out newest sister," Babette chided as she wagged a finger in disapproval. "We haven't explained anything to her, yet."
"Explained what?" The Breton questioned as she glanced back and forth between each person as they began to bicker, Cicero pointing accusingly at the child while Gabriella tried shoving Cicero away from the small girl.
"Enough," Came a booming voice from the doorway. A Redguard male stood in place, blocking out the light of the nearest candle. He had a look of disapproval on his face as he glanced at the bickering group and then back towards the confused Breton.
"Cicero started it all, Nazir." Gabriella insisted as she barred her teeth menacingly at the curious jester.
"I don't care who started it," He admitted, his eyes hovering at the childish display from the jester. "I'm sure the new recruit got an amazing first impression." After a moments silence, he cleared his throat. "Babette here, is a vampire child. Over two-hundred years old, so don't let her appearance fool you. Gabriella is a highly skilled assassin, same as me. We won't hesitate to kill you if you use that dagger on anyone of us. And Cicero," He mused, glancing at the jester. "Cicero, I don't think I need to explain."
"Wait," The Breton glanced around at the room at each individual person, her former fear melting away allowing her to be a bit more confident and forward. "So you're not going to kill me?"
"Heavens, no child," Gabriella shook her head as fluffed up the back of her midnight, black mane. "We are to recruit you. Not murder you. Granted this matter of recruitment is quite unheard of, but it is what it is."
"Recruit for what, exactly?" Annabella narrowed her eyes as she glanced between Gabriella and Nazir, Cicero and Babette taking to chatting off to the side seemingly unaware of the conversation taking place.
"Cicero boldly brought you in when he came here. He's from Cyrodiil, you see. Came a long way to deliver our unholy matron to us."
"Who?"
"The Night Mother," He stated. "Anyway, he believes you're the true and last Listener."
"Night Mother.. Listener.. Assassins.. you're-"
"The Dark Brotherhood, dear sister." Gabriella smirked and placed an gloved hand around her shoulder causing the Breton to stiffen out. "But don't fret. We only have the best intentions. You're to be a member of our family. Astrid and her rowdy husband will be here shortly. Best you get to know them first before dabbling into the political aspects of the Listener."
"I think it's all horse shit, to be frank." Nazir spoke as he rubbed at his temples. "But to each their own. Have you killed before, girl?" Cicero gave the Redguard a firm glare to which he ignored.
"Well, I... n-not exactly. I've only-"
"Who was it?" Gabriella purred into her ear. "You can't fool us. All murderers are in denial at some point."
Annabella sighed as she thought about whether or not she should tell them. Finally, she caved in and told them everything. The college incident, the horrible shopkeeper, and the woman whom Annabella had admitted that she may have been a tiny bit jealous of. By the time Annabella had finished, they were all gathered around as if they were children anxiously waiting to hear the next bit of story their teacher would share with them; Cicero and Babette smiling and wiggling next to one another in anticipation.
"Festus will definitely like you, as well. He's somewhat of a mage, himself." Nazir remarked, but faltered. "However, he isn't the best. Just.. don't be in the same room when he practices the arts of destruction. Unless you want your eyebrows singed off."
Babette and Gabriella laughed fondly at the story. Annabella was quite taken back by the boldness of these people and how, instead of fearing her or putting her down for her wrong doings, they praised her. Found it entertaining.
"Where is Festus?" She inquired as she snuck a glance into the open doorway. She was incredibly curious about a fellow magic user.
"Oh, him and Veezara are on a mission together," Babette spoke, gently urging the taller Breton to hold her hand. "They'll be back soon. For now, come with me. I'll show you to your room."
The other members bid her goodbye, save for Cicero who seemed to be focusing on writing something in a journal of sorts. Annabella was amazed at the strength the tiny girl had, but she was a vampire, so it wasn't exactly unusual. She stared at the surroundings in awe. They may have been in a cave, but the inside was remarkably cozy. Babette led her into a room that housed a giant spider alongside an even smaller room with a solid stone coffin laying in the center.
"Don't worry about Lis. She's Gabriella's pet. Soft spot for spiders, that one. I don't mind either way, but I much prefer skeevers with their pink, wet noses and curiosity. Unfortunately the last one I brought home was eaten by Arnbjorn in one of his feeding frenzies."
"Who's that?"
"Arnbjorn? He's Astrid's husband. A member of our family, as well. Don't worry," She paused as she crossed the threshold into the next room. "He might be rough around the edges, but he'll warm up to you. Same as Astrid."
"You have me very curious about this Astrid." She remarked as she was led into a room filled with beds. Unfortunately, it seemed to lack a proper bed for herself.
"Astrid is good to us. She's our leader. Many of us would die for her if she commanded it."
"Isn't the Night Mother supposed to be the leader of the Dark Brotherhood? It's what I faintly remember reading about."
"Used to be. But that was a horribly long time ago. Everything changes. Rulers are no exception." Babette continued, frowning as she noticed the lack of beds. "Oh, shoot. We seem to be full."
"It's alright," She smiled softly at the vampire. "I'm sure I can find something suitable."
"Nonsense," She grabbed hold of her hand again and once more dragged her into a winding corridor. Annabella wrinkled her nose at the smell of mold as they neared a room at the far end of the hall. "It's not much, but it'll have to do unless you want to share a room with Cicero."
"With Cicero?" She bite her lower lip as she looked around the room. A spacious, single bed lay in the corner with a few stray nightstands thrown about. A chair perched itself in the opposite corner, though it proved to be quite useless as it was missing a leg. It could have been worse. "I'll pass."
"Thought so," She remarked, a playful smile on her face as quirked a head in her direction. "I'll come back soon to fill you in on the details. For now, get comfortable. Tomorrow we can head into the city and buy you some more suitable furnishings and some decorations, if you wish."
"That would be lovely," She nodded as she looked at the cobwebs and termite infested wooden furnishings. "Before you leave, I have a small question."
Babette turned around and raised her brows. "Yes?"
"What if I don't want to join? I've already seen everything and could expose you if I had it in my heart."
The evilest little smirk crossed the child features as she glared at Annabella with a hunger in her eyes. "I'd eat you."
"O-oh."
"I'm kidding," She burst out laughing, her red eyes gleaming in delight. "I'm a highly skilled alchemist and I've many ingredients at my disposal. I know several memory altering recipes I've been itching to try out. Or, of course, I could just wipe away your memory with my powers."
"Powers?" Annabella tilted her head, curiosity peaking.
"Vampiric powers," She shot back, the smile never leaving her innocent looking gaze. "Did you forget already?"
"Maybe," The Breton shrugged her shoulders slightly and laughed. "You're truly a gem, Babette. You'll need to tell me more about yourself, later."
"All in due, time. All in due time."
Babette closed the door shut firmly behind her. Annabella was positively overcome with emotions. Was this a suitable line of work for her? No doubt, she'd been struggling with coin for awhile and it seemed to be an excellent opportunity to fill up her bags with a little more weight than she'd been used to recently. She wasn't a stranger to taking lives, but would she be able to do this daily?
Though the family didn't appear too horribly stable, was she truly stable herself? She shook her head to rid herself of all the thoughts. Annabella sat on the bed, surprised that it was more comfy than it looked. She cringed only slightly when she seen a bug run across the pillow, immediately yanking it off the bed and throwing it against the wall. Pathetic display, but the creepy crawlies gave her chills.
The interior of the room wasn't too bad. It lacked decorations and such and the only source of light was the dimly lit candle on the nightstand. The Breton muttered an incantation and soon after, a bright luminescent ball struck the wall above the bed. With the ball shedding light on her surroundings, she took note of a large, black book on the floor beneath her feet.
Curiosity got the better of her as she reached down to pick it up. The Breton began to scan through the pages of the book titled, The Five Tenants before losing interest and tossing it onto the nightstand.
"You should read that, you know."
Annabella let out a surprised gasp as she realized she wasn't alone, her green hues meeting the gaze of a tall, masculine figure standing in the far corner of the tiny room. He had a smirk on his face and a sinister glare in her direction. He was donned in pure black robes with a hood, dark strands of hair sneaking out from beneath the fabric.
Regaining her composure, she straightened her back up and raised a brow in his direction. "What are you doing here? And who are you? Arnbjorn?"
"Arnbjorn, tsk." He sneered and looked off to the side, a look of contempt dotting across his face. "I'm not. Apparently I'm the Dark Brotherhoods pet. I seem to be stuck in this mortal world, only to be assigned their personal, undead helper."
"Wait," She paused. "You don't look dead."
"And you don't look like the Listener, but here we are." He extended a hand out towards her. "The name is Lachance. Lucien Lachance."
Annabella tentatively reached out for a handshake, his hand feeling all too familiar almost as if she'd felt it somewhere before. Was it the man from her dreams? Surely not. No. It couldn't be. She quickly pulled her outstretched arm back and wrapped them around her form. "Why are you here? You don't seem to have a lot of fondness towards the brotherhood."
"Why, indeed. Perhaps you'll see in due time."
"Why are you being so cryptic?" She remarked in a dull tone. "You come in my room and talk to me and you don't seem all too eager to explain yourself."
"Don't be so dramatic," He clicked his tongue and looked off to the side. "There are an exceptional few I don't mind. Gabriella, for instance. Now that's a proper member of the brotherhood. Babette, while she may be a straying a bit from the tenants, has a good enough head on her shoulders. She knew a brother of mine. Spoke a lot about their favorite blood types."
"Vampire?"
"Yes. Unfortunately, he too has passed away. Over two-hundred years ago." He paused as he looked at the woman. "But I'm sure you'll meet him soon enough."
"What do you mean?"
Lucien ignored her question and held his hand out in front of her face. She was taken back and thought he was originally trying to be rude, but relaxed when he spoke. "What do you see?"
"A hand?" She answered softly, shifting a bit at the unique smell radiating from him. He smelt of leather and a barely recognizable scent of blood. Odd for a ghost to have so much life to it. He wasn't even spectral, which fascinated her even more. She could see through him, but only if she squinted.
"Not just a hand." He responded. "This signifies the five tenants, one all members of the Brotherhood must abide by." He shifted slightly at her confused look.
"What do you mean? It's just a hand."
"It's metaphorical," He responded dully. He shoved the book back into her hands forcefully. "Just read the book. It can explain it more than I. Besides, I hear the dread father himself calling for me."
"The dread father?"
"Sithis, my dear girl. Sithis." His voice was so incredibly deep. It sent shivers through her spine as he spoke of the dread father.
"Will you speak to me more later? I'd like to learn more." She felt her cheeks flush as she realized she had opened up a door that she couldn't shut anytime soon. Her damnable curiosity.
Lucien didn't speak, only nodding his head once in response before bursting into black smoke and disappearing. Annabella groaned at the day she'd had and felt fatigue overtake her form. Apparently that jester had a really hard hit, for the amount of sleep she'd already had was enormous. She couldn't wait to question him when she woke. Nonetheless, perhaps this sleep was a good thing in the long run. However, like most times, she dreaded what came once she closed her eyes.