The Legend of Ilfirin Belthil
It was a dark and stormy night in Hla Oad. The wind had picked up notably and was scaring the children. The local fisherman hurried to pull their boats on shore to keep them from being dragged out to sea, or even worse, crashing into their homes. Inside one home, the Resan family huddled next to each other and told stories to calm the children. Little did they know, that a horrible story was about to be made that night.
Just outside of Hla Oad, a group of bandits saw the storm as a possible cloak to help hide them during their raid upon the small village. The leader, Grondon, a tall brutish Nord gathered 8 of his men for the raid. Grondon was well known by the villagers as a fearsome man took no pity on even children. Grondon fitted his favorite steel armor, picked up his daedric longsword, and headed off to Hla Oad to plunder the already poor people.
The Resan family were enjoying their storytelling and nearly forgot about the storm, that is, until they heard the bloody cry of a woman outside. The husband got up and told his son and daughter to stay with their mother while he checked to see what was going on outside. As he opened the door, a thud was heard as the head of an arrow appeared from the back of his head; the man died instantly. The boy looked in horror to see his father's blood trailing towards him. His tears were cut short as his mother picked the two children and hid them under a loose floor board. The boy and the girl waited as heavy metal footsteps came closer and closer. Suddenly a blade shot through the floor next to the boy. He looked in shock as he realized how close he was to being killed. He soon realized that blood was dripping down the blade, his mother was surely dead. Suddenly, the floorboard was ripped off the floor and the two children were plucked from beneath the floor and were held in the air like fish. Grondon laughed and said in a cold tone "These two are just the right age for slavery, right men!?" The other men laughed and one stepped forward "I want the little girl boss, I got me some plans for her." Grondon laughed "Nah, she be more use to use as a slave!" The bandits walked out of the house with the two children tied up. The boy looked around and saw the corpses of friends and loved ones around the area. One fisherman, that had given him a fish for dinner had his throat slit before his very eyes. Grondon laughed and grabbed the top of the boys head and made him watch "Be rememberin what ye be seein here boy, if you disobey me, I'll kill you the same way." The boy had tears running down his face by now. One of the bandits picked up the little girl "Can I play with the little girl boss? I promise I won't leave a mark." Grondon grinned "Go right ahead." It was then, that a streak of white light shot from a nearby tree and slammed into the bandit's back and pinned him against the building. The bandits looked by the tree to see an archer covered in a dark black cloak with a bow trained on them. The archer drew back an arrow and it emitted a dull white glow "Let the children go and surrender now." One of the bandits laughed "You shot him in the back, I'll be ready for any shot from you N'wah!" The bandit dashed towards the archer only to have an arrow in his throat. The bandit choked on his own blood as he fell to the muddy ground. The other bandits drew their weapons and were ready for a fight. The archer didn't move, he drew back another arrow and said again "Let the children go and surrender now." The wind blew back the hood of his cloak, showing a portion of his face, his eyes burned like a bright blue flame and burned even brighter as he continued "I will NOT repeat myself again." The six remaining bandits lost their moral as one of them yelled, "He's a demon I tell you!" The bandits began to run way, but all were silenced by the archer's arrows. Grondon leaned against the door and looked in shock as the archer drew back the arrow that was to kill him "No, it can't be, your dead!" The archer let his arrow fly like a bolt of lightning, landing between the man's eyes. The boy, now holding his sister, looked towards the archer and then to the dead bandits. The archer put away his bow and walked towards them "I'm sorry I didn't get her sooner." The archer helped the two children up "I know a nice woman in Balmora that can take good care of you until things get straitened out." The boy nodded and followed the man to Balmora. The archer took them to a home in Balmora and knocked on the door. An old Dunmer woman opened the door and her eyes shot wide open "Could it be?" The archer cut her words short "I need you to take care of these two children, everyone in Hla Oad was killed except for them. The woman placed a hand on her chest "Even their parents?" The archer nodded "Only these two survived." The woman took the children in, but he left, off into the rain. The archer rested on a near by tree "That slaughter, and those children...it was just like...back then."
The Legend of Belthil (part 2)
The archer remembered the day that his family was killed. It was cold rainy night outside of Dagon Fel. A boy sat next to his sister and his parents telling stories to pass the time. That night was filled with laughter and joy. Suddenly, the door was kicked in and a male dark elf walked in with an evil grin. He wore a red robe and had shoulder length red hair with a red beard; he was obviously a wizard. He grinned and pointed towards the father "I told you, I wanted 50 drakes by the end of the week." The elf's eyes narrowed as he laughed "It's time to pay the piper." The boy's father stepped forward and sheltered his wife and children "Please forgive me, I could only collect 40 drakes." The wizard glared and evil eye at the man "When I say 50 drakes, I mean 50 drakes and no less." The wizard lifted his hands towards the man and said without any emotion "Now die." Suddenly, a ball of fire shot from his hands and slammed into the father's chest, causing his entire body to burn like a touch. He screamed in pain and suddenly fell silent as his body hit the floor. The little girl hugged her brother as they looked at their dead father. The wizard laughed "I've been thinking about building my tower on this very spot."
The wife's eyes opened wide, for she knew what he was going to do. She quickly grabbed her children and picked them up "Please, spare my children, I beg you!" The wizard laughed and aimed his hands towards her "I can't have any witnesses." The woman quickly threw her children out the window behind her as her body ignited into flames. The boy looked up to the window to see his mother's burning corpse slide back inside the window. The boy's little sister was devastated by now and was in tears. The boy quickly ran away while pulling his sister by her arm. They ran as fast as they could through the rain. As he ran, he felt his sister's hand jerked from his grasp. The boy turned around to see the wizard holding the squirming girl "Hmm...I could use a servant to take care of my tower when it's built." The wizard grinned at the boy "You...I have no use for." With that, he shot a ball of fire, striking the boys shoulder and knocking him down. His head struck a rock and everything went black.
The boy awoke in a dark room; the ground was like water, but he could walk on it. He stood up and looked into the endless abyss "Hello" he noticed how their was no echo. Slowly, some water ahead of him rose up like a spike. The water slowly took the form of a woman "I am Azura my child, I am here to help you." The boy looked around "Where am I?" Azura smiled warmly "Just a place I made for this encounter. What is your name?" The boy answered "My name is Ilfirin Belthil." Azura walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder "It's nice to meet you Ilfirin, I've brought you here because I need your help." Ilfirin tilted his head "What could I possibly do?" Azura laughed "It is not what you can do now, it's what you can do later." She lowered herself down on one knee and looked eye to eye with Ilfirin "I will take you to the city of Vivec, to a faithful follower who will take care of you." Ilfirin's eyes widened "That City is so far away." Azura nodded "I know it is, but if you stay here, that wizard will surely kill you. Your destiny requires you to stay alive." Azura stood up and stepped 3 steps back "Everything will turn black and you will find yourself in the St. Olms canton in Vivec. When you are there, look for a man by the name of Proceus Maltus, and imperial who has shown to be very faithful to me. He will be expecting you." Ilfirin wanted to ask why she came to him, but was cut off by a deep darkness and as she said, he found himself in the St. Olms canton.
Opon arriving in the canton, Ilfirin began asking around for Proceus Maltus like Azura asked him to. He soon learned that he was in a manor in the St. Olms canton. He was told it was once said to be haunted, but it was really occupied by a Hlaalu noble who liked keeping his location a secret. As he walked inside, he saw an old looking imperial with a band of white hair that covered only the sides and back of his head. The old man turned towards him "Hmm...a young Dunmer boy, you must be Ilfirin." Ilfirin nodded sheepishly as he surveyed the area. The old man smiled warmly "Don't be afraid lad, this is my home, and I'll be looking after you." Ilfirin was still nervous as he looked around the room. The old man picked up cup and handed it to him "Here, drink this, it will help calm your nerves." Ilfirin sipped the liquid and found it was not water, but sujamma." Ilfirin looked up to him and smiled slightly as he continued to drink. The old man nodded "Well, as you probably know, my name is Proceus Maltus, you can call me Proceus." Ilfirin smilled and finished the cup of sujamma. Proceus laughed "Well, looks like you could use another cup!"
10 years went by, and the two began so see one another as family. Ilfirin had grown up sense his parents were killed. He was now 16 years old and was becoming good friends with the locals in Vivec. Ilfirin had enjoyed looking at all the weapons, armors, and other trinkets that Proceus had collected. One day, Ilfirin was looking at all the weapons when Proceus walked up beside him "Ah yes, many fine weapons here." Ilfirin looked up and Proceus to see a happy, yet sad look "I've collected many of these weapons in my younger days." Ilfirin tilted his head "Uncle Proceus, why do you look sad, as well as happy?" Proceus smilled warmly and placed a hand on Ilfirin's shoulder "Well, I can't explore like I use to when my body was still young and strong." Proceus flexed his arm and then began moving his fingers around "My body is getting old and my joints are shot fairly bad." Ilfirin looked towards the weapons on Proceus' display "You must have been a great adventurer years ago." Ilfirin picked up a Daedric Battleaxe "Where did you get this one?" Proceus grinned "Ah, I remember that axe." Proceus placed his hands on his hips and stood tall "I got that one from the dead hands of a Dremora, strong one too." Ilfirin smiled as he saw Proceus pretending he was in the fight again "I was looking around some Daedric Ruins when, all of a sudden, this Dremora came out of nowhere." Proceus continued "I drew my Ebony Longsword and blocked his attack! Then, he attacked me, but I was too quick for him and I slashed his face!" Proceus picked up an iron longsword and held it in front of him "He was dazed by the attack to his face, so I took advantage and ran my sword right through his heart." Proceus leaped forward and thrust his sword, but his old joints stopped him and he lurched forward. Ilfirin leaped forward and helped steady him "Are you okay Uncle Proceus?" Proceus nodded "Just old age getting to me." Proceus set the sword down "I think it's about time you learned how to fight with a weapon." Ilfirin placed a finger on his chest "Me, fight with a sword?" Proceus laughed "I know you've wanted to use a weapon before. I've seen you countless time at the arena to see the fights." Ilfirin blushed "Well, I like weapons, but I'd probably hurt myself with one." Proceus smiled "As long as someone teaches you, you'll do fine." Proceus looked towards the wall of weapons "Pick any weapon you like. If you feel drawn to a weapon, then perhaps you should go with it." Ilfirin looked upon the wall and noticed the steel katana "Can I use that one?" Proceus nodded "Sure, it's a weapon too. Elegant and powerful at the same time." Ilfirin held the sword and pretended to shop at an enemy "How was that?" Perceus nodded "Not too bad for someone who's never used a katana before." Perceus picked up another steel katana and stood beside Ilfirin "You must not just chop, but also slice with it, that is one of the basics to using a katana." Proceus showed Ilfirin with a slowed down attack "When the sword hits the enemy, you must push down and pull towards you. If you do that correctly and get really go at it, you could cut of a person's arm in one slice!" Ilfirin held his katana up and looked at it with great interest "I want to fight with a katana." Proceus patted Ilfirin on the back "I've still got a few years left to teach you."
Ilfirin was a quick learner. He quickly became skilled with using a katana and even participated in friendly competitions in the arena. His skill with his katana made his name well known in Vivec. He was known as a strong and skilled young man and was just as kind. Proceus was very proud of him, he taught him everything he knew, and yet, Ilfirin became even a better swordsman than he was in his younger days.
Ilfirin was now 22 years old, he walked into the house he had come into as a child and saw Proceus sitting at the table eating "Look Uncle Proceus, I won at the arena again!" Proceus laughed proudly "That's the third time you've won my boy, you make an old man proud." Proceus pointed towards a plate of Scrib Jelly, Scrib Jerky, some Hacklo leaves, and some Sujamma "Come over here and have some dinner with me." Ilfirin walked over to the table to eat when a scream was heard outside. Ilfirin turned and ran to the door to see what had happened. Proceus stood up and leaned on his cane "Ilfirin, stop, the Ordinators will take care of any problems!" Ilfirin opened the door and saw a group of men in black leather standing above a Redguard woman. They were brotherhood assassins. Ilfirin picked up his steel sword and ran out the door. Proceus walked as fast as his old joints could take him to the door.
The redguard woman lay on the ground by another manor. One of the assasssins unshethed his daedric tanto "Your one of the leaders of the abolitionists are you not?" The woman looked at the blade, knowing that it would end her life. The assassin held it in a thrusting position "You have a bounty on your head by Mr. Lethran, time to die." Before he could kill her, a voice interrupted him "Let the woman go!" The assassin looked behind him to see Ilfirin with his katana ready to fight "I don't like petty assassins who bully unarmed people!" The assassin laughed coldly through his leather mask "Looks like I'll have to kill you too." The assassin rushed towards Ilfirin in an attempt to kill him. Ilfirin saw the attack coming and stepped to the left and extended his right leg enough to trip the assassin. Another of the assassins rushed forward to attack. Ilfirin leaped forward to meet the assassin and thrust his katana into the man's throat. The first attacker looked up to see one of his fellow assassin fall, gurgling on his own blood "Kill him!" The third assassin slowly circled Ilfirin as the first assassin did the same. The first assassin chuckled "Well, we'll have to kill you first I see. We can't let our group be dishonored by having a novice fighter like you be known to have killed one of our members." The third assassin got a little closer "Well kill you and throw your worthless corpse to the Mudcrabs!" With that, the first assassin lunged at Ilfirin, but jumped back before he could be hit "You're a fool!" The woman's muffled voice could be heard. Ilfirin saw that he was tricked and the third assassin held his blade to the woman's throat "Drop your sword and I won't kill her." Ilfirin laughed "If you don't' kill her, you don't' get paid." Ilfirin tightened his grip on his katana "You'll kill and then me." The first assassin readied for his attack when an arrow shot past his head and into the third assassin's left eye. Ilfirin looked in amazement to see Proceus holding his daedric bow and a ebony arrow "I won't let you hurt anyone today assassin!" Proceus yelled, feeling some of his youthfulness return to him in the heat of battle. Ilfirin smiled, it had been a while sense Uncle Proceus seemed so energetic. His joy was quickly snuffed out when the remaining assassin threw a silver dagger into Proceus' throat. Proceus removed the dagger and attempted to hold the wound shut. Ilfirin's eyes widened at the sight of another loved one killed before his eyes "You !" Ilfirin leaped forwards and buried his katana in the assassin's skull. The assassin corpse fell to the ground.
Ilfirin quickly rushed to Proceus and shook him "Uncle Proceus, are you okay?" Proceus groaned "No, I'm afraid not my boy." Ilfirin saw blood trickling through his fingers that held the wound "The dagger severed my jugular vain...I'll be dead soon." Ilfirin becan to tear "We'll get a healer, he'll save you!" Proceus smiled "The healer will not get here fast enough Ilfirin, it was just my time." Tears tripped off of Ilfirin's chin "Please, hold on." Proceus smiIed and placed a hand on Ilfirin's cheek "I'm proud of you boy, live a good live and...be happy." Proceus' eyes shut and his hands fell limp on the ground. Ilfirin held Proceus' head and remembered the days when he began his first lessons with Proceus. His grief was soon replaced by anger and the need for revenge. Ifirin looked towards the woman and asked her, still holding his sword "Who is this Lethran guy and where is he!" The woman stood up "H-He's a plantation owner in the new Dren Plantation. He's second in command at the plantation and is in charge of all slave matters." Ilfirin slung his blade, slinging most of the blood off of it before putting it back in it's scabbard "So you're one of the head abolitionists and he wanted to kill you to keep his slaves in check correct?" The woman nodded "Yes, that's what I believe is going on here." Ilfirin walked way and left the canton and headed north, to the New Dren Plantation.
The Legend of Ilfirin Belthil (Part 3)
Ilfirin arrived around the early morning at the New Dren Plantation. He walked inside to find a large plantation. Multiple fields of crops and a dozen of Khajiit and Argonian slaves working while under the watchful eyes of slavers. Ilfirin cringed at the sight of a male khajiit with dozens of scars on his back. The fur was all but gone, leaving streaks of scarred flesh for all to see. A nord dressed in full bonemold armor walked up to meet him "Greetings stranger and welcome to New Dren Plantation." Ilfirin nodded "Nice to meet you, I am Ilfirin Belthil." The Norn nodded in return "And I am Rogan,what brings you here Ilfirin?" Ilfirin smiled "Could I speak to the head of slave matters?" Rogan pointed to a manor behind him "That is where Ireth Indalas is right now. Shall I escort you there?" Ilfirin waved his hand "No, that isn't necessary, thank you Rogan." Rogan nodded and walked towards a Khajiit and kicked it over "I wanted those weeds picked 5 minutes ago slave!"
Ilfirin opened the manor door and walked inside. The house was dimly lit and was decorated with fine dishes and silverware. He walked up some stairs to his left and found a Dunmer writing on some papers on his desk. Ilfirin knocked on the railing by the steps to let the man know he had a guest. The Dunmer turned and smiled "Ah, a guest, come in." Ilfirin walked in and shook the man's hand "Nice to meet you Ireth Indalas, I am Ilfirin Belthil." Ireth grinned "A pleasure, what brings you to my fine plantation Ilfirin, do you need to buy some slaves?" Ilfirin shook his head "No, I was just wanting to ask you about a Redguard woman in the St. Olms canton. She was attacked last night." Ireth's smile disappeared "What about her?" Ilfirin continued "Well, she was attacked and outnumbered. When she was attacked, my...uncle was killed." Ireth shook his head "Sad to hear that, but I have nothing to do with those assassins." Ilfirin leaned forward in his chair "Well, I was told you hired them to kill the woman because she's an abolitionist and has been a thorn in your backside." Ireth stood up in his chair and pointed to the stairs "I will not be slandered in my own manor, now get out!" Ilfirin stood up and walked to the stairs "Oh, before I go, take a look at this." Ilfirin held out a writ for the woman's assassination, it was signed by Ireth Indalas. Ireth's eyes widened "Where did you get that?" Ilfirin rolled up the writ and placed it back in his pocket "I took it off one of the assassins after I killed them." Ireth glanced to his saber next to his bed across the room. Ilfirin placed a hand on the railing by the stairs "You know, only the Morag Tong are allowed to execute writs, and they were not Morag Tong members." Ireth took a step towards the bed "I didn't hire them, someone must have signed my name to frame me." Ilfirin took a step towards him "I think the Ordinators will sort out what is truth and what is false." Ireth took another step towards the bed "I wouldn't hire any assassins." Ilfirin placed a hand on the hilt of his sword "I suggest staying where you are before trying to grab your saber Ireth." Ireth froze in place, he knew he couldn't outrun him.
Suddenly, the door downstairs flew open and footsteps rushed towards the stairs. Ireth lunged for his saber as Ilfirin ran towards the stairs. An orc guard threw an axe at Ilfirin, narrowly missing his shoulder. Ilfirin cast a firestorm spell at the orc, Covering the Orc in flames. The orc patted the flames off and rushed up the stairs with a spear aimed at his target. Ilfirin leaped down the stairs, knocking the spear away from him with his scabbard and thrusting his blade through the orc's throat. The orc gurgled and fell down the stairs. Rogan drew his Daedric Longsword and rushed up the stairs. Ireth dashed to Ilfirin in an attempt to kill him. Ilfirin dodged his attack and struck him in the jaw with his elbow. He then dodged just in time to avoid Rogan's attack. Ilfirin rolled down the stairs and took up a stance and waited for Rogan. Rogan held his sword horizontally, next to his head "I knew you were trouble when I saw you!" He then dashed towards Ilfirin and came down with a slash. Ilfirin blocked the attack, but Rogan pushed and slammed him into the wall behind him. Rogan laughed "Ha, I'll run you through." Ilfirin looked around for a weakspot and then jabbed his thumb into Rogan's left armpit; Rogan cringed and stepped back. Ilfirin struck Rogan's helm, leaving a crack in it. Rogan laughed "Looks like we got ourselves a fight!" He dashed forward striking Ilfirin's blade away and landed a fist on Ilfirin's face. Rogan laughed as Ilfirin hit the wall and slid down. The blow stunned Ilfirin long enough for Rogan to charge. Ilfirin looked up to see Rogan's blade thrusting towards him. Ilfirin rolled and tripped him, causing Rogan to slam head- first into the wall. Rogan shook his head and swung his blade at Ilfirin in an attempt to chop his head off. Ilfirin leaped from a crouched position and thrust his sword through Rogan's stomach. Rogan dropped his sword and stepped back, pulling out the sword. He looked down at the pierced armor and the blood soaking his pants "Ha...looks like...you win." Ilfirin stood up and picked up Rogan's blade. Rogan reached behind his back and pulled out a dagger. He dashed towards Ilfirin, but was stopped by Ilfirin's blade, which went through his mouth and out the back of his skull. Rogan's body twitched and fell limp on the floor. Ilfirin dashed up the stairs and found the unconscious Ireth on the ground. He tied him up and put him in a large woven basket "I don't want anyone seeing me carry you out of here." He placed the lid on the basket "I don't want any more trouble." He picked up the basket and secretly carried Ireth out of the manor.
Later in the evening, Ilfirin arrived at the front of the Foreign Quarter. He spotted a nearby ordinator and motioned him to come to him. The ordinator stopped in front of him "What do you want citizen?" Ilfirin opened the basket "This man is responsible for the assassination attempt and the assassin's murder of Proceus Maltus." He then handed the ordinator the writ Ireth made "The assassins were not Morag Tong." The Ordinator nodded "The Ordinators will take it from here." Ilfirin smiled and returned to his home in the St. Olms canton.
The Legend of Ilfirin Belthil (Part 4)
Ilfirin arrived in his home, now, so empty inside. Ilfirin looked around, remembering the days Proceus trained him. He slumped down in a chair and thrust the tip of his new Daedric Longsword, which he got from Rogan, into the ground. Ilfirin thought to himself "If only I acted faster." A knock came from the door and slightly startled Ilfirin. He opened the door to find the abolitionist Redguard woman in front of him. Ilfirin was pushed inside and the woman shut the door "We must speak quickly." Ilfirin gave her a confused look "What is going on here?" The woman answered "My name is Selvia Magia and you are in danger." Ilfirin responded "What do you mean 'In Danger'?" Selvia grabbed his arm "Ireth was only the middleman Ilfirin, his superiors have sent assassins after you." Ilfirin placed his hand on his sword's hilt "Are they coming now?" Selvia nodded "Yes they are, they should be arriving on the mainland in only a few days. She released his arm "Collect what things you need and come with me." Ilfirin shook his head "Where are we going?" Selvia answered "To a secret place, we must hurry." Ilfirin nodded and equipped his iron armor, took some food in a bag, and left. Outside, the woman gave Ilfirin a scroll "This is a divine intervention scroll, use it to get to the Ebonheart." They both used the scrolls and they found themselves in ebonheart.
Selvia looked around and motioned Ilfirin to follow here. The walked through Ebonheart, larger than it was during the last days of Vivec, it had expanded largely. Ebonheart looked more like a giant dock than a fort by the edge of the water. Soon, they arrived at the docks. She pulled him towards a boat and they got in. The boatman asked, "Where do you wish to go?" Selvia answered "Same place we went to last time." The boatman nodded and they floated away from Ebonheart. Ilfirin whispered to Selvia "Where are we going?" Selvia smiled "To the Holamayan Monastery." Ilfirin laughed "Everyone knows that place doesn't exist anymore." Selvia shook her head "No, about 100 years after the fall of Dagoth Ur, Morrowind was attacked by a large number of outlander Nords. The Nords threatened the monastery. Then, the Nerervarine came and killed many of the Nords. They say that the Nerervarine destroyed the Monastery, but he really made it invisible." Selvia continued "Not only is it invisible, but it also floats like the Ministry of Truth." Ilfirin nodded "Okay, if we can't see it, how do we get inside?" Selvia answered with a grin "Well, like the monastery back during the persecution of the decedent priests, you can only enter it during the dawn or dusk." Ilfirin nodded "I take it that the abolitionist headquarters is there." Selvia nodded "Yes, the decedent priests were never fond of slavery and welcomed us in. The priests are more like abolitionists now than the priests they were in those days." The boatman turned to them "We should be there shortly."
They soon arrived at the location of the monastery. Selvia lead Ilfirin up the hillside "See these crumbled rocks under our feet?" Ilfirin nodded "Yes, I see them." Selvia continued "These were stairs that lead up to the monastery. The Nerervarine walked up these stairs like we are some 900 years ago. They reached the top and Ilfirin looked around "Well...it's almost dusk now." Selvia nodded "Were just in time, it should appear soon."
A few minutes passed and Selvia pointed up "Look, it's appearing." Ilfirin looked up and saw a ghostly like mass above them. It soon grew more solid and as it did, rocks flew from all directions around them to the monastery. Ilfirin looked around as pebbles were pulled out from underneath his feet and rushed upwards. Selvia grabbed him "Try not to fall Ilfirin" she laughed as he regained his balance. The rocks were forming into a spiral staircase. Ilfirin looked in amazement as the stairs formed and the rocks froze in place. Selvia began walking up the stairs "Come on, it's safe." Ilfirin followed her up the stairs and into the Monastery.
(Chapter 5 - Prepare for the Worst)
In the tower, Tel Naga, in Sandrith Mora, an Imperial man sat at a table. He was eating his dinner as a male Dunmer kneeled before him "Sir, we did not find this Ilfirin Belthil in St. Olms or anywhere in Vivec." The Imperial paused, holding a spoonful of Hacklo Salad "Hmm, it appears that he was warned." The Imperial continued to eat, continuing to speak after chewing "I believe that Redguard woman has taken him to a safe-house somewhere." The Dunmer, wearing the suit of the dark brotherhood, looked up "Perhaps, the abolitionist's base?" The Imperial nodded "Precisely." The assassin smiled under his mask "Do you wish for us to seek out Belthil?" The Imperial sipped his Cyrodilic Brandy and smiled "Yes, find out if anyone has seen him and find out where he is." He took a bite of his salad and continued "When you find him, find a way in and kill him." He continued to eat his salad as the assassin asked "What should we do find him, but cannot reach him?" The imperial sighed "If so, report back to me." The assassin nodded "Of course." He stood up and bowed before the Imperial "I shall take my leave." He jumped down the tunnel leading to the exit as the Imperial sipped his brandy "This Ilfirin Belthil shall pay for interfering with my plans."
(Back at the Holamayan Monestary)
Ilfirin looked around to see two men dressed in brown robes. One of them was a male Dunmer, the other was a female Altmer. They acted cautiously around him, but relaxed upon seeing Selvia. The dunmer walked up to Ilfirin "Greetings, are you a friend of Selvia?" Ilfirin nodded "I saved her life and now she his saving mine." The dunmer nodded "Thank you for saving Selvia. We care dearly about her." Selvia patted the dunmer on his shoulder "It's nice to see you again Darvam." The Altmer stepped forward "A friend of Selvia's is a friend of ours. You may stay as long as you wish." Ilfirin nodded "Thank you."
Selvia grabbed Ilfirin's wrist "Come on, I want to introduce you to Neesha." Ilfirin stumbled behind her "Who is she?" Selvia opened a door on the eastern side of the room "She is a Khajiit and the head of all abolitionists in Vvardenfell." Selvia stepped through the door and looked around "Neesha, are you here?" A pure emitted from behind a privacy screen that was used for changing cloths "Is that you Selvia?" Selvia replied "Yes, I'm back." She then pulled Ilfirin beside her "I have also brought a new friend, Ilfirin Belthil, he saved my life a few days ago." Neesha walked out from behind the screen, adjusting the sleeve on her shirt "Ah, it is nice to meet you Ilfirin." She purred "If you are friend of Selvia, then you are friend of Neesha." Ilfirin smiled "It's a pleasure to meet you Neesha." Neesha purred, then looked to Selvia "Selvia, why do you bring our new friend here?" Selvia sighed "Well, it's a long story."
Selvia told her of the events that had transpired over the few days. Neesha was happy that they were safe, but worried about the assassins. Neesha rubbed her hands together "These assassins are very skilled in killing. Neesha fears that assassins will track you here." Selvia shook her head "There is no way they could have followed us." Selvia assured her "We took the boat here and talked to no one." Neesha growled "Dark Brotherhood are skilled in tracking prey." She sighed "Neesha is sure they will find you...and us." Ilfirin jumped into the discussion "Is there no defenses here?" Neesha shook her head "Neesha has few guards here." Ilfirin looked to Selvia "Perhaps we could ask Nethyn Valno for help." He then looked to Neesha "He is the head of the fighter's guild in Sandrith Mora." Neesha purred "Yes, Neesha has heard of this Nethyn Valno before. Neesha has heard about him secretly helping slaves before." Selvia turned to Ilfirin "So, Nethyn will help us?" Ilfirin nodded "Yes, he was an old friend of my uncle Proceus. He will help us for sure." Neesha growled "Yes, then there is still hope. Ilfirin will go get help from Nethyn?" He replied "Yes, as soon as possible." Neesha stood up and opened a chest by her bed "Here, take this ring." She dropped the ring in his hand "It will hide you from prying eyes as long as you wear it." Ilfirin observed the ring she gave him. It glowed slightly from the enchantment. Neesha continued "It is called Mephala's Concealment. It was originally used to aid Morag Tong assassins to sneaking up on competing assassins, such as Dark Brotherhood assassins." Ilfirin smiled "I'll return this to you when I return." Neesha shook her head "No, Neesha gave this ring to Ilfirin, Neesha does not want it back." Neesha purred "Neesha no longer fights, Neesha does not need the ring anymore." Ilfirin placed it in his hip pocket "Thank you." Neesha pointed towards the door "The entrance will be sealed soon, you must hurry."
(Back in the St. Olms Canton)
A Dark Brotherhood assassin held a dagger to a male bosmer's throat. The bosmer was pressed against a wall in a corner of the manor area of the St. Olms Canton. The assassin chuckled "Scream if you want, it will not save you. Only information can save you now." The bosmer cringed "I'll tell you anything, please, don't kill me." The assassin placed his face directly in front of the bosmer's face "Where is Ilfirin Belthil and/or Selvia Magia?" The bosmer groaned "I don't know, I swear." The assassin nicked the bosmer's throat "I'm losing my patients wood elf" he said emotionless. The bosmer quickly responded "I saw them with Divine Intervention Scrolls, they used them." The assassin laughed and threw the bosmer to the ground "If you tell anyone about this encounter, the Dark Brotherhood will kill you, your family, your friends, and even your pets." With that, he walked away. The bosmer placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating against his ribs.
The assassin stood outside and pulled out a divine intervention scroll. He used it and then appeared near the Imperial Cult in Ebonheart. He then looked around to find no one around. He removed his mask and places some common garments on to blend in with the residents. He though of where his quarry could have gone. He decided to check the docks for leads. He soon arrived at the docks and asked a Female Breton about Ilfirin and Selvia, but she knew nothing. Nobody in the docks knew. He then noticed a boatman turning potential customers away, which caught his eye. He walked up to the boatman and asked him about Selvia. The boatman said he didn't know her, but he could tell he was lying. The assassin held out a carved ebony dart "Do you see this?" The boatman's eyes widened as the assassin continued "The Dark Brotherhood are expert marksmen with any projectile weapons. This dart is laced with a very strong and fast-acting poison. If you are hit with it, you will die within a few seconds." The boatman stepped back "I don't know what you want, but the guards will arrest you." The assassin laughed "I know that you know where Selvia Magia and Ilfirin Belthil are. The boatman cringed "I'll never show you where they are." The assassin laughed "So be it." With that, the assassin threw the dart directly into the man's throat. He fell down into the boat and the assassin jumped in and began rowing away. He smiled at the fact that no one noticed the murder. The assassin looked down at the dying man as he twitched "I'll just dump your carcass by some mudcrabs." The assassin noticed a piece of paper attached under the boatman's seat. He pulled it out and saw a map of Vvardenfell. It showed a map with a line that stretched from Ebonheart to a small island south of Sandrith Mora. Where the line ended, an X was marked on the island. The assassin chuckled "All too easy." The boatman reached for the map, but everything was going dark and his body felt very heavy. He closed his eyes as his heart ceased to beat.
(South of Sandrith Mora)
Ilfirin Belthil swam hard towards Sandrith Mora as fast as he could. He finally arrived on the coast of Sandrith Mora and looked at the ring on his hand "I guess I should keep wearing this until I find Nethyn." He then dashed up the hillside and reached the old Imperial Fort. He ran across the stone bridge and made his way towards the fighters guild. Upon reaching the guild, he looked around to see a few other guild members and Nethyn standing around talking. Ilfirin removed the ring and walked up to the Dunmer, Nethyn. He looked at Ilfirin and lifted an eyebrow "Who might you be?" Ilfirin introduced himself "My name is Ilfirin Belthil. My uncle Proceus Maltus told me you were a friend of his." Nethyn smiled "Your Proceus' nephew?" He tilded his head a bit "How are you related?" Ilfirin shook his head "We are not related, he just took me in at a young age after my parents died." Nethyn grinned "That sounds like him." He then looked towards Ilfirin "What can I do for you?" Ilfirin sighed "Well, I rescued a woman who was being attacked by the Dark Brotherhood. During the attack, they killed Proceus." Nethyn sighed "I'm sorry to hear that." Ilfirin continued "I found out who sent them and brought him to justice. I later found out that he was only the middleman and they have a writ out for me now." Nethyn gritted his teeth "Damnable Dark Brotherhood!" The other guild members looked towards them as they continued. Ilfirin continued "I have been taken in by the abolitionist and we fear they have learned of the location of the base. We need your help to protect us." Nethyn sighed "Well, I never do this, but sense you're a close friend of Proceus and you're an enemy of the Dark Brotherhood, I'll help you." Ilfirin smiled and nodded "Thank you so much." Nethyn look towards a bearded Nord "Rogan, accompany Ilfirin." He then looked towards another Nord "Hassour, accompany Ilfirin too." Nethyn patted Ilfirin on his left shoulder "Kill 'em all." Ilfirin nodded and left with the two fighters and headed back to the monestary.
(Holamayan Monestary)
Neesha and the priests assembled in the dining area for a meeting. The priests looked around as Neesha cleared her throat "Neesha has grave news. Neesha fears that Dark Brotherhood has learned of us." The priests looked around at one another and began to panic. One of the priests stood up "Are you sure Neesha?" Neesha nodded "Neesha is not sure, but Neesha feels it is best to prepare for the worst." Selvia stood up "We should prepare for an attack. Our new friend, Ilfirin Belthil, is bringing back help from the fighters guild." The priests nodded and began to relax. Neesha sighed "If they do find us, and they do find a way in, we may still be outnumbered." Neesha pointed towards a door to her left We must go and equip ourselves with the best equipment we have." Selvia nodded "Let's get ready for battle gentlemen." Neesha picked up a glass cuirass, a glass helm, and an ebony spear "Hurry, the doors will be opening in only an hour." The priests hurried and gathered scrolls, weapons, armor, and potions for the possible fight.
(Several Minutes Later, outside of the Monestary)
Ilfirin and the two Nord Warriors stood outside of the monestery. The nords looked up to see nothing. The bearded Nord growled "I see no monestary Dunmer!" Ilfirin reassured him "Give it time, it only opens at dusk and dawn." The other nord looked at the setting sun "The sun is setting, I see no-" The bearded Nord stepped back into the other nord "I don't believe my eyes!" The monestery slowly appeared and the rocks around them shot up towards it and formed the spiral staircase formed before them. Ilfirin pointed up "Lets hurry." The three hurried up the stairs and knocked on the door. The door was opened by a priest, who was armed with a silver staff "It's okay, it is Belthil and the fighters from the Sandrith Mora!" The other priests stepped forward and sighed in relief. Ilfirin looked around and saw Selvia run towards him "Your back!" Selvia grabbed his shoulders "Did you see any assassins on your way back here?" Ilfirin shook his head "No, I saw no one." Hassour interrupted "I did hear footsteps on our way here, though I figured they were just nixhounds." Selvia looked out the monestary door and surveyed the surroundings. She sighed as she found nothing in the area.
Suddenly, an arrow struck the door. The bearded Nord, Rogan, grabbed her arm and pulled her back "Get away from the door!" Rogan held his steel towershield to protect himself as he closed the door. Neesha ran in, wearing her glass cuirass, helm, and ebony spear "Ready your spells!" The priests focused at the door as numerous footsteps cam towards the door. Ilfirin pulled out his Daedric Longsword and stood ready for the attack. The footsteps stopped outside the door, leaving the area completely silent. The silence lasted for what seemed like hours as the priests began to panic. Hassour held his Nordic Silver Axe up "What is taking them?" Suddenly, the door was blasted open, sending rock out on everyone. The Dark Brotherhood assassins leaped in for the attack. Selvia drew back her bow and began shooting. Two assassins fell at the entrance, but one rushed by and buried his dagger an a priests heart. A nearby priest cast a fireball at the assassin, covering him in flames. Neesha leaped forward and thrust her spear into the flaming assassin. She then threw the burning body at the assassins making their way inside. Rogan charged in with his Nordic Silver Mace, he let out a roar as he smashing an assassin's skull into his chest cavity. An arrow struck Rogan's back, but it didn't pierce through the armor. Rogan laughed and smashed his mace into the attacker's chest. Hassour leaped into the entrance and began chopping at the assassins as though they were trees. Hassour fell back though, for an arrow struck his shoulder. Two priests pulled him back as a third cast a ball of frost at them, freezing two of the assassins. Ilfirin looked around to see that only one of them had died. He then turned back to the door to see a dozen assassins break through the entrance. An assassin drew out a dagger and charged him. He saw the assassin and swung at the assassin, striking the dagger from the assassin's hand. The assassin look at his empty hand as Ilfirin's blade returned to sever his head.
Neesha charged forward and slashed an assassin's throat. She was then tackled by another assassin, which took her to the ground. She struggled to keep the assassin's blade from her throat, but it inched closer every second. Then, an axe swung and severed the assassin's body from the waist. Neesha looked up to see Hassour nod at her and continue off to the fight. Ilfirin leaped forward and severed an assassin's arm. He turned to see that only 4 priests were left. He then saw Rogan kill the last assassin. Ilfirin sighed and looked to the door to see one last assassin standing in the doorway. The assassin laughed "So, you are Ilfirin Belthil correct?" Ilfirin nodded, holding his bloodied sword out ready for a fight. The assassin chuckled "You fight pretty well, but I want to test your skills without...interference." He then looked towards the two nords and Neesha. Ilfirin gritted his teeth "Who are you!?" The assassin stared at him and sighed "In time, but for now, I must report to my customer." With that, the assassin disappeared into the night. Hassour groaned as he removed the arrow from his shoulder "Damn assassins." Neesha patted Ilfirin on the shoulder "You help us well Ilfirin, Neesha is proud to call you friend." Ilfirin smiled as Neesha continued "Our base's location has been revealed, this location is no longer safe."
(Chapter 6)
(Back in Tel Naga in Sandrith Mora)
The Imperial sat in his chair, smoking with a wooden pipe. He smoked his pipe while reading a book about the Daedra Gods. He sat there, calm and apparently unaware that the Dark Brotherhood assassin, the very one that left from the monastery, was approaching him. The assassin crouched behind the imperial and smiled. His smile was quickly wiped away when the imperial spoke "What word do you have of your quary assassin?" The assassin was puzzled at how the Imperial knew he was there. He came in without making a single sound. The assassin stuffed his questions away "Both Ilfirin Belthil and Selvia Magia were hiding at the Holamayan Monestary." The Imperial exhaled a cloud of smoke "...I see, Holamayan Monestary was believed to have been destroyed hundreds of years ago." The Imperial smiled "Interesting." The assassin quickly added "Not only that, the Monastery is also the secret headquarters of the abolitionists in Vvardenfel." The Imperial leaned back in his chair, stroking his short brown beard "So, did you slaughter the inhabitants of the Monastery?" The assassin paused, which made the Imperial slam his book shut "You didn't kill them!" The assassin cringed "Only Neesha, Selvia, Ilfirin, and 4 priests survived. There were also two warriors there as well." This mad the Imperial turn his head towards the assassin "Did you say, warriors?" The assassin replied "Yes, I believe I have seen them before around here." The assassin continued "They were both nords, one had a Nordic Silver Axe and the other had a Nordic Silver Mace. One of them had a beard while the other did not." The Imperial chuckled "It appears that our Nethyn Valno has been interfering with my plans." The assassin stood up from his knelled position "What shall I do to him?" The Imperial puffed on his pipe as he contemplated his decision "He may be of use to us, keep an eye on him, keep in contact with him." The Imperial reopened his book and flipped through the pages as he continued "He will probably be in contact with Ilfirin again soon, keep tabs on him when he does. He may unknowingly lead us to the new abolitionist base." The assassin nodded "I will not fail you again." The Imperial replied coldly "See that you don't, Rauko, for if you fail again...I may take out a writ on YOU." Rouko cringed and backed away "I shall take my leave...Delmus Altus."
(Somewhere northeast of Lake Nabia)
Neesha was leading Ilfirin and Selvia through Molag Amur. Ilfirin looked down the hill they were crossing from to see a pool of bubbling lava. He then turned to Neesha "So, we are heading towards Sulipund?" Neesha purred "Yes, Neesha has friends there. They will help us and give us beds to sleep on." Ilfirin looked down the path ahead of them to see a wooden door, fashioned much like that of old ancestral tombs. Neesha pointed towards the door "We are here." Selvia groaned "Finally, I'm getting blisters on my feet." Ilfirin laughed "What else do you expect?" Selvia turned towards him and lifted an eye brow as he continued "Those shoes are made for looks, not walking." Selvia turned away "These shoes are very expensive and I was not going to leave them behind." Neesha opened the door and waved for them to approach "Come on, Neesha must meet her old friends. You can continue arguing inside."
As they entered, a woodelf in full chitin armor approached them. He greeted them and then turned to Neesha "...Neesha, is that you?" Neesha purred "Yes, Neesha has come to see her old friends." The woodelf laughed and hugged her "It's great to see you again Neesha, how long has it been, 2...3 years?" Neesha nodded "Yes, Neesha believes it has been 3 years sense Neesha left." The woodelf then turned to Selvia "Please forgive my rudeness, my name is Aegil Draman." He took her right hand and kissed the back of her hand "Always a pleasure to have a beautiful lady like yourself around." Selvia blushed "Your too kind." Ilfirin laughed "My name is Ilfirin Belthil, it's a pleasure to meet you Aegil." Ilfirin nudged Selvia with his elbow. She smiled "Oh, yes, my name is Selvia Magia." Aegil nodded "We have several spare beds Selvia, take any that you wish." Aegil then began to walk away "I must tell the others that Neesha has arrived."
Neesha laughed "Appears that Aegil hasn't changed a bit." Selvia then asked "Is he always that polite?" She chuckled and replied "Well, he isn't bad mannered, but he is always like that around women." Neesha purred "Aegil was well known to be quite the lecher back then." Ilfirin patted Selvia's shoulder "Watch yourself when you change cloths there Selvia." She blushed and pushed him away "I'll keep an eye out for him, and you." They continued through the hallway and then entered a room with tables and plenty of food. Candles were lit and the sent of fresh baked bread filled the room.
It was a dark and stormy night in Hla Oad. The wind had picked up notably and was scaring the children. The local fisherman hurried to pull their boats on shore to keep them from being dragged out to sea, or even worse, crashing into their homes. Inside one home, the Resan family huddled next to each other and told stories to calm the children. Little did they know, that a horrible story was about to be made that night.
Just outside of Hla Oad, a group of bandits saw the storm as a possible cloak to help hide them during their raid upon the small village. The leader, Grondon, a tall brutish Nord gathered 8 of his men for the raid. Grondon was well known by the villagers as a fearsome man took no pity on even children. Grondon fitted his favorite steel armor, picked up his daedric longsword, and headed off to Hla Oad to plunder the already poor people.
The Resan family were enjoying their storytelling and nearly forgot about the storm, that is, until they heard the bloody cry of a woman outside. The husband got up and told his son and daughter to stay with their mother while he checked to see what was going on outside. As he opened the door, a thud was heard as the head of an arrow appeared from the back of his head; the man died instantly. The boy looked in horror to see his father's blood trailing towards him. His tears were cut short as his mother picked the two children and hid them under a loose floor board. The boy and the girl waited as heavy metal footsteps came closer and closer. Suddenly a blade shot through the floor next to the boy. He looked in shock as he realized how close he was to being killed. He soon realized that blood was dripping down the blade, his mother was surely dead. Suddenly, the floorboard was ripped off the floor and the two children were plucked from beneath the floor and were held in the air like fish. Grondon laughed and said in a cold tone "These two are just the right age for slavery, right men!?" The other men laughed and one stepped forward "I want the little girl boss, I got me some plans for her." Grondon laughed "Nah, she be more use to use as a slave!" The bandits walked out of the house with the two children tied up. The boy looked around and saw the corpses of friends and loved ones around the area. One fisherman, that had given him a fish for dinner had his throat slit before his very eyes. Grondon laughed and grabbed the top of the boys head and made him watch "Be rememberin what ye be seein here boy, if you disobey me, I'll kill you the same way." The boy had tears running down his face by now. One of the bandits picked up the little girl "Can I play with the little girl boss? I promise I won't leave a mark." Grondon grinned "Go right ahead." It was then, that a streak of white light shot from a nearby tree and slammed into the bandit's back and pinned him against the building. The bandits looked by the tree to see an archer covered in a dark black cloak with a bow trained on them. The archer drew back an arrow and it emitted a dull white glow "Let the children go and surrender now." One of the bandits laughed "You shot him in the back, I'll be ready for any shot from you N'wah!" The bandit dashed towards the archer only to have an arrow in his throat. The bandit choked on his own blood as he fell to the muddy ground. The other bandits drew their weapons and were ready for a fight. The archer didn't move, he drew back another arrow and said again "Let the children go and surrender now." The wind blew back the hood of his cloak, showing a portion of his face, his eyes burned like a bright blue flame and burned even brighter as he continued "I will NOT repeat myself again." The six remaining bandits lost their moral as one of them yelled, "He's a demon I tell you!" The bandits began to run way, but all were silenced by the archer's arrows. Grondon leaned against the door and looked in shock as the archer drew back the arrow that was to kill him "No, it can't be, your dead!" The archer let his arrow fly like a bolt of lightning, landing between the man's eyes. The boy, now holding his sister, looked towards the archer and then to the dead bandits. The archer put away his bow and walked towards them "I'm sorry I didn't get her sooner." The archer helped the two children up "I know a nice woman in Balmora that can take good care of you until things get straitened out." The boy nodded and followed the man to Balmora. The archer took them to a home in Balmora and knocked on the door. An old Dunmer woman opened the door and her eyes shot wide open "Could it be?" The archer cut her words short "I need you to take care of these two children, everyone in Hla Oad was killed except for them. The woman placed a hand on her chest "Even their parents?" The archer nodded "Only these two survived." The woman took the children in, but he left, off into the rain. The archer rested on a near by tree "That slaughter, and those children...it was just like...back then."
The Legend of Belthil (part 2)
The archer remembered the day that his family was killed. It was cold rainy night outside of Dagon Fel. A boy sat next to his sister and his parents telling stories to pass the time. That night was filled with laughter and joy. Suddenly, the door was kicked in and a male dark elf walked in with an evil grin. He wore a red robe and had shoulder length red hair with a red beard; he was obviously a wizard. He grinned and pointed towards the father "I told you, I wanted 50 drakes by the end of the week." The elf's eyes narrowed as he laughed "It's time to pay the piper." The boy's father stepped forward and sheltered his wife and children "Please forgive me, I could only collect 40 drakes." The wizard glared and evil eye at the man "When I say 50 drakes, I mean 50 drakes and no less." The wizard lifted his hands towards the man and said without any emotion "Now die." Suddenly, a ball of fire shot from his hands and slammed into the father's chest, causing his entire body to burn like a touch. He screamed in pain and suddenly fell silent as his body hit the floor. The little girl hugged her brother as they looked at their dead father. The wizard laughed "I've been thinking about building my tower on this very spot."
The wife's eyes opened wide, for she knew what he was going to do. She quickly grabbed her children and picked them up "Please, spare my children, I beg you!" The wizard laughed and aimed his hands towards her "I can't have any witnesses." The woman quickly threw her children out the window behind her as her body ignited into flames. The boy looked up to the window to see his mother's burning corpse slide back inside the window. The boy's little sister was devastated by now and was in tears. The boy quickly ran away while pulling his sister by her arm. They ran as fast as they could through the rain. As he ran, he felt his sister's hand jerked from his grasp. The boy turned around to see the wizard holding the squirming girl "Hmm...I could use a servant to take care of my tower when it's built." The wizard grinned at the boy "You...I have no use for." With that, he shot a ball of fire, striking the boys shoulder and knocking him down. His head struck a rock and everything went black.
The boy awoke in a dark room; the ground was like water, but he could walk on it. He stood up and looked into the endless abyss "Hello" he noticed how their was no echo. Slowly, some water ahead of him rose up like a spike. The water slowly took the form of a woman "I am Azura my child, I am here to help you." The boy looked around "Where am I?" Azura smiled warmly "Just a place I made for this encounter. What is your name?" The boy answered "My name is Ilfirin Belthil." Azura walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder "It's nice to meet you Ilfirin, I've brought you here because I need your help." Ilfirin tilted his head "What could I possibly do?" Azura laughed "It is not what you can do now, it's what you can do later." She lowered herself down on one knee and looked eye to eye with Ilfirin "I will take you to the city of Vivec, to a faithful follower who will take care of you." Ilfirin's eyes widened "That City is so far away." Azura nodded "I know it is, but if you stay here, that wizard will surely kill you. Your destiny requires you to stay alive." Azura stood up and stepped 3 steps back "Everything will turn black and you will find yourself in the St. Olms canton in Vivec. When you are there, look for a man by the name of Proceus Maltus, and imperial who has shown to be very faithful to me. He will be expecting you." Ilfirin wanted to ask why she came to him, but was cut off by a deep darkness and as she said, he found himself in the St. Olms canton.
Opon arriving in the canton, Ilfirin began asking around for Proceus Maltus like Azura asked him to. He soon learned that he was in a manor in the St. Olms canton. He was told it was once said to be haunted, but it was really occupied by a Hlaalu noble who liked keeping his location a secret. As he walked inside, he saw an old looking imperial with a band of white hair that covered only the sides and back of his head. The old man turned towards him "Hmm...a young Dunmer boy, you must be Ilfirin." Ilfirin nodded sheepishly as he surveyed the area. The old man smiled warmly "Don't be afraid lad, this is my home, and I'll be looking after you." Ilfirin was still nervous as he looked around the room. The old man picked up cup and handed it to him "Here, drink this, it will help calm your nerves." Ilfirin sipped the liquid and found it was not water, but sujamma." Ilfirin looked up to him and smiled slightly as he continued to drink. The old man nodded "Well, as you probably know, my name is Proceus Maltus, you can call me Proceus." Ilfirin smilled and finished the cup of sujamma. Proceus laughed "Well, looks like you could use another cup!"
10 years went by, and the two began so see one another as family. Ilfirin had grown up sense his parents were killed. He was now 16 years old and was becoming good friends with the locals in Vivec. Ilfirin had enjoyed looking at all the weapons, armors, and other trinkets that Proceus had collected. One day, Ilfirin was looking at all the weapons when Proceus walked up beside him "Ah yes, many fine weapons here." Ilfirin looked up and Proceus to see a happy, yet sad look "I've collected many of these weapons in my younger days." Ilfirin tilted his head "Uncle Proceus, why do you look sad, as well as happy?" Proceus smilled warmly and placed a hand on Ilfirin's shoulder "Well, I can't explore like I use to when my body was still young and strong." Proceus flexed his arm and then began moving his fingers around "My body is getting old and my joints are shot fairly bad." Ilfirin looked towards the weapons on Proceus' display "You must have been a great adventurer years ago." Ilfirin picked up a Daedric Battleaxe "Where did you get this one?" Proceus grinned "Ah, I remember that axe." Proceus placed his hands on his hips and stood tall "I got that one from the dead hands of a Dremora, strong one too." Ilfirin smiled as he saw Proceus pretending he was in the fight again "I was looking around some Daedric Ruins when, all of a sudden, this Dremora came out of nowhere." Proceus continued "I drew my Ebony Longsword and blocked his attack! Then, he attacked me, but I was too quick for him and I slashed his face!" Proceus picked up an iron longsword and held it in front of him "He was dazed by the attack to his face, so I took advantage and ran my sword right through his heart." Proceus leaped forward and thrust his sword, but his old joints stopped him and he lurched forward. Ilfirin leaped forward and helped steady him "Are you okay Uncle Proceus?" Proceus nodded "Just old age getting to me." Proceus set the sword down "I think it's about time you learned how to fight with a weapon." Ilfirin placed a finger on his chest "Me, fight with a sword?" Proceus laughed "I know you've wanted to use a weapon before. I've seen you countless time at the arena to see the fights." Ilfirin blushed "Well, I like weapons, but I'd probably hurt myself with one." Proceus smiled "As long as someone teaches you, you'll do fine." Proceus looked towards the wall of weapons "Pick any weapon you like. If you feel drawn to a weapon, then perhaps you should go with it." Ilfirin looked upon the wall and noticed the steel katana "Can I use that one?" Proceus nodded "Sure, it's a weapon too. Elegant and powerful at the same time." Ilfirin held the sword and pretended to shop at an enemy "How was that?" Perceus nodded "Not too bad for someone who's never used a katana before." Perceus picked up another steel katana and stood beside Ilfirin "You must not just chop, but also slice with it, that is one of the basics to using a katana." Proceus showed Ilfirin with a slowed down attack "When the sword hits the enemy, you must push down and pull towards you. If you do that correctly and get really go at it, you could cut of a person's arm in one slice!" Ilfirin held his katana up and looked at it with great interest "I want to fight with a katana." Proceus patted Ilfirin on the back "I've still got a few years left to teach you."
Ilfirin was a quick learner. He quickly became skilled with using a katana and even participated in friendly competitions in the arena. His skill with his katana made his name well known in Vivec. He was known as a strong and skilled young man and was just as kind. Proceus was very proud of him, he taught him everything he knew, and yet, Ilfirin became even a better swordsman than he was in his younger days.
Ilfirin was now 22 years old, he walked into the house he had come into as a child and saw Proceus sitting at the table eating "Look Uncle Proceus, I won at the arena again!" Proceus laughed proudly "That's the third time you've won my boy, you make an old man proud." Proceus pointed towards a plate of Scrib Jelly, Scrib Jerky, some Hacklo leaves, and some Sujamma "Come over here and have some dinner with me." Ilfirin walked over to the table to eat when a scream was heard outside. Ilfirin turned and ran to the door to see what had happened. Proceus stood up and leaned on his cane "Ilfirin, stop, the Ordinators will take care of any problems!" Ilfirin opened the door and saw a group of men in black leather standing above a Redguard woman. They were brotherhood assassins. Ilfirin picked up his steel sword and ran out the door. Proceus walked as fast as his old joints could take him to the door.
The redguard woman lay on the ground by another manor. One of the assasssins unshethed his daedric tanto "Your one of the leaders of the abolitionists are you not?" The woman looked at the blade, knowing that it would end her life. The assassin held it in a thrusting position "You have a bounty on your head by Mr. Lethran, time to die." Before he could kill her, a voice interrupted him "Let the woman go!" The assassin looked behind him to see Ilfirin with his katana ready to fight "I don't like petty assassins who bully unarmed people!" The assassin laughed coldly through his leather mask "Looks like I'll have to kill you too." The assassin rushed towards Ilfirin in an attempt to kill him. Ilfirin saw the attack coming and stepped to the left and extended his right leg enough to trip the assassin. Another of the assassins rushed forward to attack. Ilfirin leaped forward to meet the assassin and thrust his katana into the man's throat. The first attacker looked up to see one of his fellow assassin fall, gurgling on his own blood "Kill him!" The third assassin slowly circled Ilfirin as the first assassin did the same. The first assassin chuckled "Well, we'll have to kill you first I see. We can't let our group be dishonored by having a novice fighter like you be known to have killed one of our members." The third assassin got a little closer "Well kill you and throw your worthless corpse to the Mudcrabs!" With that, the first assassin lunged at Ilfirin, but jumped back before he could be hit "You're a fool!" The woman's muffled voice could be heard. Ilfirin saw that he was tricked and the third assassin held his blade to the woman's throat "Drop your sword and I won't kill her." Ilfirin laughed "If you don't' kill her, you don't' get paid." Ilfirin tightened his grip on his katana "You'll kill and then me." The first assassin readied for his attack when an arrow shot past his head and into the third assassin's left eye. Ilfirin looked in amazement to see Proceus holding his daedric bow and a ebony arrow "I won't let you hurt anyone today assassin!" Proceus yelled, feeling some of his youthfulness return to him in the heat of battle. Ilfirin smiled, it had been a while sense Uncle Proceus seemed so energetic. His joy was quickly snuffed out when the remaining assassin threw a silver dagger into Proceus' throat. Proceus removed the dagger and attempted to hold the wound shut. Ilfirin's eyes widened at the sight of another loved one killed before his eyes "You !" Ilfirin leaped forwards and buried his katana in the assassin's skull. The assassin corpse fell to the ground.
Ilfirin quickly rushed to Proceus and shook him "Uncle Proceus, are you okay?" Proceus groaned "No, I'm afraid not my boy." Ilfirin saw blood trickling through his fingers that held the wound "The dagger severed my jugular vain...I'll be dead soon." Ilfirin becan to tear "We'll get a healer, he'll save you!" Proceus smiled "The healer will not get here fast enough Ilfirin, it was just my time." Tears tripped off of Ilfirin's chin "Please, hold on." Proceus smiIed and placed a hand on Ilfirin's cheek "I'm proud of you boy, live a good live and...be happy." Proceus' eyes shut and his hands fell limp on the ground. Ilfirin held Proceus' head and remembered the days when he began his first lessons with Proceus. His grief was soon replaced by anger and the need for revenge. Ifirin looked towards the woman and asked her, still holding his sword "Who is this Lethran guy and where is he!" The woman stood up "H-He's a plantation owner in the new Dren Plantation. He's second in command at the plantation and is in charge of all slave matters." Ilfirin slung his blade, slinging most of the blood off of it before putting it back in it's scabbard "So you're one of the head abolitionists and he wanted to kill you to keep his slaves in check correct?" The woman nodded "Yes, that's what I believe is going on here." Ilfirin walked way and left the canton and headed north, to the New Dren Plantation.
The Legend of Ilfirin Belthil (Part 3)
Ilfirin arrived around the early morning at the New Dren Plantation. He walked inside to find a large plantation. Multiple fields of crops and a dozen of Khajiit and Argonian slaves working while under the watchful eyes of slavers. Ilfirin cringed at the sight of a male khajiit with dozens of scars on his back. The fur was all but gone, leaving streaks of scarred flesh for all to see. A nord dressed in full bonemold armor walked up to meet him "Greetings stranger and welcome to New Dren Plantation." Ilfirin nodded "Nice to meet you, I am Ilfirin Belthil." The Norn nodded in return "And I am Rogan,what brings you here Ilfirin?" Ilfirin smiled "Could I speak to the head of slave matters?" Rogan pointed to a manor behind him "That is where Ireth Indalas is right now. Shall I escort you there?" Ilfirin waved his hand "No, that isn't necessary, thank you Rogan." Rogan nodded and walked towards a Khajiit and kicked it over "I wanted those weeds picked 5 minutes ago slave!"
Ilfirin opened the manor door and walked inside. The house was dimly lit and was decorated with fine dishes and silverware. He walked up some stairs to his left and found a Dunmer writing on some papers on his desk. Ilfirin knocked on the railing by the steps to let the man know he had a guest. The Dunmer turned and smiled "Ah, a guest, come in." Ilfirin walked in and shook the man's hand "Nice to meet you Ireth Indalas, I am Ilfirin Belthil." Ireth grinned "A pleasure, what brings you to my fine plantation Ilfirin, do you need to buy some slaves?" Ilfirin shook his head "No, I was just wanting to ask you about a Redguard woman in the St. Olms canton. She was attacked last night." Ireth's smile disappeared "What about her?" Ilfirin continued "Well, she was attacked and outnumbered. When she was attacked, my...uncle was killed." Ireth shook his head "Sad to hear that, but I have nothing to do with those assassins." Ilfirin leaned forward in his chair "Well, I was told you hired them to kill the woman because she's an abolitionist and has been a thorn in your backside." Ireth stood up in his chair and pointed to the stairs "I will not be slandered in my own manor, now get out!" Ilfirin stood up and walked to the stairs "Oh, before I go, take a look at this." Ilfirin held out a writ for the woman's assassination, it was signed by Ireth Indalas. Ireth's eyes widened "Where did you get that?" Ilfirin rolled up the writ and placed it back in his pocket "I took it off one of the assassins after I killed them." Ireth glanced to his saber next to his bed across the room. Ilfirin placed a hand on the railing by the stairs "You know, only the Morag Tong are allowed to execute writs, and they were not Morag Tong members." Ireth took a step towards the bed "I didn't hire them, someone must have signed my name to frame me." Ilfirin took a step towards him "I think the Ordinators will sort out what is truth and what is false." Ireth took another step towards the bed "I wouldn't hire any assassins." Ilfirin placed a hand on the hilt of his sword "I suggest staying where you are before trying to grab your saber Ireth." Ireth froze in place, he knew he couldn't outrun him.
Suddenly, the door downstairs flew open and footsteps rushed towards the stairs. Ireth lunged for his saber as Ilfirin ran towards the stairs. An orc guard threw an axe at Ilfirin, narrowly missing his shoulder. Ilfirin cast a firestorm spell at the orc, Covering the Orc in flames. The orc patted the flames off and rushed up the stairs with a spear aimed at his target. Ilfirin leaped down the stairs, knocking the spear away from him with his scabbard and thrusting his blade through the orc's throat. The orc gurgled and fell down the stairs. Rogan drew his Daedric Longsword and rushed up the stairs. Ireth dashed to Ilfirin in an attempt to kill him. Ilfirin dodged his attack and struck him in the jaw with his elbow. He then dodged just in time to avoid Rogan's attack. Ilfirin rolled down the stairs and took up a stance and waited for Rogan. Rogan held his sword horizontally, next to his head "I knew you were trouble when I saw you!" He then dashed towards Ilfirin and came down with a slash. Ilfirin blocked the attack, but Rogan pushed and slammed him into the wall behind him. Rogan laughed "Ha, I'll run you through." Ilfirin looked around for a weakspot and then jabbed his thumb into Rogan's left armpit; Rogan cringed and stepped back. Ilfirin struck Rogan's helm, leaving a crack in it. Rogan laughed "Looks like we got ourselves a fight!" He dashed forward striking Ilfirin's blade away and landed a fist on Ilfirin's face. Rogan laughed as Ilfirin hit the wall and slid down. The blow stunned Ilfirin long enough for Rogan to charge. Ilfirin looked up to see Rogan's blade thrusting towards him. Ilfirin rolled and tripped him, causing Rogan to slam head- first into the wall. Rogan shook his head and swung his blade at Ilfirin in an attempt to chop his head off. Ilfirin leaped from a crouched position and thrust his sword through Rogan's stomach. Rogan dropped his sword and stepped back, pulling out the sword. He looked down at the pierced armor and the blood soaking his pants "Ha...looks like...you win." Ilfirin stood up and picked up Rogan's blade. Rogan reached behind his back and pulled out a dagger. He dashed towards Ilfirin, but was stopped by Ilfirin's blade, which went through his mouth and out the back of his skull. Rogan's body twitched and fell limp on the floor. Ilfirin dashed up the stairs and found the unconscious Ireth on the ground. He tied him up and put him in a large woven basket "I don't want anyone seeing me carry you out of here." He placed the lid on the basket "I don't want any more trouble." He picked up the basket and secretly carried Ireth out of the manor.
Later in the evening, Ilfirin arrived at the front of the Foreign Quarter. He spotted a nearby ordinator and motioned him to come to him. The ordinator stopped in front of him "What do you want citizen?" Ilfirin opened the basket "This man is responsible for the assassination attempt and the assassin's murder of Proceus Maltus." He then handed the ordinator the writ Ireth made "The assassins were not Morag Tong." The Ordinator nodded "The Ordinators will take it from here." Ilfirin smiled and returned to his home in the St. Olms canton.
The Legend of Ilfirin Belthil (Part 4)
Ilfirin arrived in his home, now, so empty inside. Ilfirin looked around, remembering the days Proceus trained him. He slumped down in a chair and thrust the tip of his new Daedric Longsword, which he got from Rogan, into the ground. Ilfirin thought to himself "If only I acted faster." A knock came from the door and slightly startled Ilfirin. He opened the door to find the abolitionist Redguard woman in front of him. Ilfirin was pushed inside and the woman shut the door "We must speak quickly." Ilfirin gave her a confused look "What is going on here?" The woman answered "My name is Selvia Magia and you are in danger." Ilfirin responded "What do you mean 'In Danger'?" Selvia grabbed his arm "Ireth was only the middleman Ilfirin, his superiors have sent assassins after you." Ilfirin placed his hand on his sword's hilt "Are they coming now?" Selvia nodded "Yes they are, they should be arriving on the mainland in only a few days. She released his arm "Collect what things you need and come with me." Ilfirin shook his head "Where are we going?" Selvia answered "To a secret place, we must hurry." Ilfirin nodded and equipped his iron armor, took some food in a bag, and left. Outside, the woman gave Ilfirin a scroll "This is a divine intervention scroll, use it to get to the Ebonheart." They both used the scrolls and they found themselves in ebonheart.
Selvia looked around and motioned Ilfirin to follow here. The walked through Ebonheart, larger than it was during the last days of Vivec, it had expanded largely. Ebonheart looked more like a giant dock than a fort by the edge of the water. Soon, they arrived at the docks. She pulled him towards a boat and they got in. The boatman asked, "Where do you wish to go?" Selvia answered "Same place we went to last time." The boatman nodded and they floated away from Ebonheart. Ilfirin whispered to Selvia "Where are we going?" Selvia smiled "To the Holamayan Monastery." Ilfirin laughed "Everyone knows that place doesn't exist anymore." Selvia shook her head "No, about 100 years after the fall of Dagoth Ur, Morrowind was attacked by a large number of outlander Nords. The Nords threatened the monastery. Then, the Nerervarine came and killed many of the Nords. They say that the Nerervarine destroyed the Monastery, but he really made it invisible." Selvia continued "Not only is it invisible, but it also floats like the Ministry of Truth." Ilfirin nodded "Okay, if we can't see it, how do we get inside?" Selvia answered with a grin "Well, like the monastery back during the persecution of the decedent priests, you can only enter it during the dawn or dusk." Ilfirin nodded "I take it that the abolitionist headquarters is there." Selvia nodded "Yes, the decedent priests were never fond of slavery and welcomed us in. The priests are more like abolitionists now than the priests they were in those days." The boatman turned to them "We should be there shortly."
They soon arrived at the location of the monastery. Selvia lead Ilfirin up the hillside "See these crumbled rocks under our feet?" Ilfirin nodded "Yes, I see them." Selvia continued "These were stairs that lead up to the monastery. The Nerervarine walked up these stairs like we are some 900 years ago. They reached the top and Ilfirin looked around "Well...it's almost dusk now." Selvia nodded "Were just in time, it should appear soon."
A few minutes passed and Selvia pointed up "Look, it's appearing." Ilfirin looked up and saw a ghostly like mass above them. It soon grew more solid and as it did, rocks flew from all directions around them to the monastery. Ilfirin looked around as pebbles were pulled out from underneath his feet and rushed upwards. Selvia grabbed him "Try not to fall Ilfirin" she laughed as he regained his balance. The rocks were forming into a spiral staircase. Ilfirin looked in amazement as the stairs formed and the rocks froze in place. Selvia began walking up the stairs "Come on, it's safe." Ilfirin followed her up the stairs and into the Monastery.
(Chapter 5 - Prepare for the Worst)
In the tower, Tel Naga, in Sandrith Mora, an Imperial man sat at a table. He was eating his dinner as a male Dunmer kneeled before him "Sir, we did not find this Ilfirin Belthil in St. Olms or anywhere in Vivec." The Imperial paused, holding a spoonful of Hacklo Salad "Hmm, it appears that he was warned." The Imperial continued to eat, continuing to speak after chewing "I believe that Redguard woman has taken him to a safe-house somewhere." The Dunmer, wearing the suit of the dark brotherhood, looked up "Perhaps, the abolitionist's base?" The Imperial nodded "Precisely." The assassin smiled under his mask "Do you wish for us to seek out Belthil?" The Imperial sipped his Cyrodilic Brandy and smiled "Yes, find out if anyone has seen him and find out where he is." He took a bite of his salad and continued "When you find him, find a way in and kill him." He continued to eat his salad as the assassin asked "What should we do find him, but cannot reach him?" The imperial sighed "If so, report back to me." The assassin nodded "Of course." He stood up and bowed before the Imperial "I shall take my leave." He jumped down the tunnel leading to the exit as the Imperial sipped his brandy "This Ilfirin Belthil shall pay for interfering with my plans."
(Back at the Holamayan Monestary)
Ilfirin looked around to see two men dressed in brown robes. One of them was a male Dunmer, the other was a female Altmer. They acted cautiously around him, but relaxed upon seeing Selvia. The dunmer walked up to Ilfirin "Greetings, are you a friend of Selvia?" Ilfirin nodded "I saved her life and now she his saving mine." The dunmer nodded "Thank you for saving Selvia. We care dearly about her." Selvia patted the dunmer on his shoulder "It's nice to see you again Darvam." The Altmer stepped forward "A friend of Selvia's is a friend of ours. You may stay as long as you wish." Ilfirin nodded "Thank you."
Selvia grabbed Ilfirin's wrist "Come on, I want to introduce you to Neesha." Ilfirin stumbled behind her "Who is she?" Selvia opened a door on the eastern side of the room "She is a Khajiit and the head of all abolitionists in Vvardenfell." Selvia stepped through the door and looked around "Neesha, are you here?" A pure emitted from behind a privacy screen that was used for changing cloths "Is that you Selvia?" Selvia replied "Yes, I'm back." She then pulled Ilfirin beside her "I have also brought a new friend, Ilfirin Belthil, he saved my life a few days ago." Neesha walked out from behind the screen, adjusting the sleeve on her shirt "Ah, it is nice to meet you Ilfirin." She purred "If you are friend of Selvia, then you are friend of Neesha." Ilfirin smiled "It's a pleasure to meet you Neesha." Neesha purred, then looked to Selvia "Selvia, why do you bring our new friend here?" Selvia sighed "Well, it's a long story."
Selvia told her of the events that had transpired over the few days. Neesha was happy that they were safe, but worried about the assassins. Neesha rubbed her hands together "These assassins are very skilled in killing. Neesha fears that assassins will track you here." Selvia shook her head "There is no way they could have followed us." Selvia assured her "We took the boat here and talked to no one." Neesha growled "Dark Brotherhood are skilled in tracking prey." She sighed "Neesha is sure they will find you...and us." Ilfirin jumped into the discussion "Is there no defenses here?" Neesha shook her head "Neesha has few guards here." Ilfirin looked to Selvia "Perhaps we could ask Nethyn Valno for help." He then looked to Neesha "He is the head of the fighter's guild in Sandrith Mora." Neesha purred "Yes, Neesha has heard of this Nethyn Valno before. Neesha has heard about him secretly helping slaves before." Selvia turned to Ilfirin "So, Nethyn will help us?" Ilfirin nodded "Yes, he was an old friend of my uncle Proceus. He will help us for sure." Neesha growled "Yes, then there is still hope. Ilfirin will go get help from Nethyn?" He replied "Yes, as soon as possible." Neesha stood up and opened a chest by her bed "Here, take this ring." She dropped the ring in his hand "It will hide you from prying eyes as long as you wear it." Ilfirin observed the ring she gave him. It glowed slightly from the enchantment. Neesha continued "It is called Mephala's Concealment. It was originally used to aid Morag Tong assassins to sneaking up on competing assassins, such as Dark Brotherhood assassins." Ilfirin smiled "I'll return this to you when I return." Neesha shook her head "No, Neesha gave this ring to Ilfirin, Neesha does not want it back." Neesha purred "Neesha no longer fights, Neesha does not need the ring anymore." Ilfirin placed it in his hip pocket "Thank you." Neesha pointed towards the door "The entrance will be sealed soon, you must hurry."
(Back in the St. Olms Canton)
A Dark Brotherhood assassin held a dagger to a male bosmer's throat. The bosmer was pressed against a wall in a corner of the manor area of the St. Olms Canton. The assassin chuckled "Scream if you want, it will not save you. Only information can save you now." The bosmer cringed "I'll tell you anything, please, don't kill me." The assassin placed his face directly in front of the bosmer's face "Where is Ilfirin Belthil and/or Selvia Magia?" The bosmer groaned "I don't know, I swear." The assassin nicked the bosmer's throat "I'm losing my patients wood elf" he said emotionless. The bosmer quickly responded "I saw them with Divine Intervention Scrolls, they used them." The assassin laughed and threw the bosmer to the ground "If you tell anyone about this encounter, the Dark Brotherhood will kill you, your family, your friends, and even your pets." With that, he walked away. The bosmer placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating against his ribs.
The assassin stood outside and pulled out a divine intervention scroll. He used it and then appeared near the Imperial Cult in Ebonheart. He then looked around to find no one around. He removed his mask and places some common garments on to blend in with the residents. He though of where his quarry could have gone. He decided to check the docks for leads. He soon arrived at the docks and asked a Female Breton about Ilfirin and Selvia, but she knew nothing. Nobody in the docks knew. He then noticed a boatman turning potential customers away, which caught his eye. He walked up to the boatman and asked him about Selvia. The boatman said he didn't know her, but he could tell he was lying. The assassin held out a carved ebony dart "Do you see this?" The boatman's eyes widened as the assassin continued "The Dark Brotherhood are expert marksmen with any projectile weapons. This dart is laced with a very strong and fast-acting poison. If you are hit with it, you will die within a few seconds." The boatman stepped back "I don't know what you want, but the guards will arrest you." The assassin laughed "I know that you know where Selvia Magia and Ilfirin Belthil are. The boatman cringed "I'll never show you where they are." The assassin laughed "So be it." With that, the assassin threw the dart directly into the man's throat. He fell down into the boat and the assassin jumped in and began rowing away. He smiled at the fact that no one noticed the murder. The assassin looked down at the dying man as he twitched "I'll just dump your carcass by some mudcrabs." The assassin noticed a piece of paper attached under the boatman's seat. He pulled it out and saw a map of Vvardenfell. It showed a map with a line that stretched from Ebonheart to a small island south of Sandrith Mora. Where the line ended, an X was marked on the island. The assassin chuckled "All too easy." The boatman reached for the map, but everything was going dark and his body felt very heavy. He closed his eyes as his heart ceased to beat.
(South of Sandrith Mora)
Ilfirin Belthil swam hard towards Sandrith Mora as fast as he could. He finally arrived on the coast of Sandrith Mora and looked at the ring on his hand "I guess I should keep wearing this until I find Nethyn." He then dashed up the hillside and reached the old Imperial Fort. He ran across the stone bridge and made his way towards the fighters guild. Upon reaching the guild, he looked around to see a few other guild members and Nethyn standing around talking. Ilfirin removed the ring and walked up to the Dunmer, Nethyn. He looked at Ilfirin and lifted an eyebrow "Who might you be?" Ilfirin introduced himself "My name is Ilfirin Belthil. My uncle Proceus Maltus told me you were a friend of his." Nethyn smiled "Your Proceus' nephew?" He tilded his head a bit "How are you related?" Ilfirin shook his head "We are not related, he just took me in at a young age after my parents died." Nethyn grinned "That sounds like him." He then looked towards Ilfirin "What can I do for you?" Ilfirin sighed "Well, I rescued a woman who was being attacked by the Dark Brotherhood. During the attack, they killed Proceus." Nethyn sighed "I'm sorry to hear that." Ilfirin continued "I found out who sent them and brought him to justice. I later found out that he was only the middleman and they have a writ out for me now." Nethyn gritted his teeth "Damnable Dark Brotherhood!" The other guild members looked towards them as they continued. Ilfirin continued "I have been taken in by the abolitionist and we fear they have learned of the location of the base. We need your help to protect us." Nethyn sighed "Well, I never do this, but sense you're a close friend of Proceus and you're an enemy of the Dark Brotherhood, I'll help you." Ilfirin smiled and nodded "Thank you so much." Nethyn look towards a bearded Nord "Rogan, accompany Ilfirin." He then looked towards another Nord "Hassour, accompany Ilfirin too." Nethyn patted Ilfirin on his left shoulder "Kill 'em all." Ilfirin nodded and left with the two fighters and headed back to the monestary.
(Holamayan Monestary)
Neesha and the priests assembled in the dining area for a meeting. The priests looked around as Neesha cleared her throat "Neesha has grave news. Neesha fears that Dark Brotherhood has learned of us." The priests looked around at one another and began to panic. One of the priests stood up "Are you sure Neesha?" Neesha nodded "Neesha is not sure, but Neesha feels it is best to prepare for the worst." Selvia stood up "We should prepare for an attack. Our new friend, Ilfirin Belthil, is bringing back help from the fighters guild." The priests nodded and began to relax. Neesha sighed "If they do find us, and they do find a way in, we may still be outnumbered." Neesha pointed towards a door to her left We must go and equip ourselves with the best equipment we have." Selvia nodded "Let's get ready for battle gentlemen." Neesha picked up a glass cuirass, a glass helm, and an ebony spear "Hurry, the doors will be opening in only an hour." The priests hurried and gathered scrolls, weapons, armor, and potions for the possible fight.
(Several Minutes Later, outside of the Monestary)
Ilfirin and the two Nord Warriors stood outside of the monestery. The nords looked up to see nothing. The bearded Nord growled "I see no monestary Dunmer!" Ilfirin reassured him "Give it time, it only opens at dusk and dawn." The other nord looked at the setting sun "The sun is setting, I see no-" The bearded Nord stepped back into the other nord "I don't believe my eyes!" The monestery slowly appeared and the rocks around them shot up towards it and formed the spiral staircase formed before them. Ilfirin pointed up "Lets hurry." The three hurried up the stairs and knocked on the door. The door was opened by a priest, who was armed with a silver staff "It's okay, it is Belthil and the fighters from the Sandrith Mora!" The other priests stepped forward and sighed in relief. Ilfirin looked around and saw Selvia run towards him "Your back!" Selvia grabbed his shoulders "Did you see any assassins on your way back here?" Ilfirin shook his head "No, I saw no one." Hassour interrupted "I did hear footsteps on our way here, though I figured they were just nixhounds." Selvia looked out the monestary door and surveyed the surroundings. She sighed as she found nothing in the area.
Suddenly, an arrow struck the door. The bearded Nord, Rogan, grabbed her arm and pulled her back "Get away from the door!" Rogan held his steel towershield to protect himself as he closed the door. Neesha ran in, wearing her glass cuirass, helm, and ebony spear "Ready your spells!" The priests focused at the door as numerous footsteps cam towards the door. Ilfirin pulled out his Daedric Longsword and stood ready for the attack. The footsteps stopped outside the door, leaving the area completely silent. The silence lasted for what seemed like hours as the priests began to panic. Hassour held his Nordic Silver Axe up "What is taking them?" Suddenly, the door was blasted open, sending rock out on everyone. The Dark Brotherhood assassins leaped in for the attack. Selvia drew back her bow and began shooting. Two assassins fell at the entrance, but one rushed by and buried his dagger an a priests heart. A nearby priest cast a fireball at the assassin, covering him in flames. Neesha leaped forward and thrust her spear into the flaming assassin. She then threw the burning body at the assassins making their way inside. Rogan charged in with his Nordic Silver Mace, he let out a roar as he smashing an assassin's skull into his chest cavity. An arrow struck Rogan's back, but it didn't pierce through the armor. Rogan laughed and smashed his mace into the attacker's chest. Hassour leaped into the entrance and began chopping at the assassins as though they were trees. Hassour fell back though, for an arrow struck his shoulder. Two priests pulled him back as a third cast a ball of frost at them, freezing two of the assassins. Ilfirin looked around to see that only one of them had died. He then turned back to the door to see a dozen assassins break through the entrance. An assassin drew out a dagger and charged him. He saw the assassin and swung at the assassin, striking the dagger from the assassin's hand. The assassin look at his empty hand as Ilfirin's blade returned to sever his head.
Neesha charged forward and slashed an assassin's throat. She was then tackled by another assassin, which took her to the ground. She struggled to keep the assassin's blade from her throat, but it inched closer every second. Then, an axe swung and severed the assassin's body from the waist. Neesha looked up to see Hassour nod at her and continue off to the fight. Ilfirin leaped forward and severed an assassin's arm. He turned to see that only 4 priests were left. He then saw Rogan kill the last assassin. Ilfirin sighed and looked to the door to see one last assassin standing in the doorway. The assassin laughed "So, you are Ilfirin Belthil correct?" Ilfirin nodded, holding his bloodied sword out ready for a fight. The assassin chuckled "You fight pretty well, but I want to test your skills without...interference." He then looked towards the two nords and Neesha. Ilfirin gritted his teeth "Who are you!?" The assassin stared at him and sighed "In time, but for now, I must report to my customer." With that, the assassin disappeared into the night. Hassour groaned as he removed the arrow from his shoulder "Damn assassins." Neesha patted Ilfirin on the shoulder "You help us well Ilfirin, Neesha is proud to call you friend." Ilfirin smiled as Neesha continued "Our base's location has been revealed, this location is no longer safe."
(Chapter 6)
(Back in Tel Naga in Sandrith Mora)
The Imperial sat in his chair, smoking with a wooden pipe. He smoked his pipe while reading a book about the Daedra Gods. He sat there, calm and apparently unaware that the Dark Brotherhood assassin, the very one that left from the monastery, was approaching him. The assassin crouched behind the imperial and smiled. His smile was quickly wiped away when the imperial spoke "What word do you have of your quary assassin?" The assassin was puzzled at how the Imperial knew he was there. He came in without making a single sound. The assassin stuffed his questions away "Both Ilfirin Belthil and Selvia Magia were hiding at the Holamayan Monestary." The Imperial exhaled a cloud of smoke "...I see, Holamayan Monestary was believed to have been destroyed hundreds of years ago." The Imperial smiled "Interesting." The assassin quickly added "Not only that, the Monastery is also the secret headquarters of the abolitionists in Vvardenfel." The Imperial leaned back in his chair, stroking his short brown beard "So, did you slaughter the inhabitants of the Monastery?" The assassin paused, which made the Imperial slam his book shut "You didn't kill them!" The assassin cringed "Only Neesha, Selvia, Ilfirin, and 4 priests survived. There were also two warriors there as well." This mad the Imperial turn his head towards the assassin "Did you say, warriors?" The assassin replied "Yes, I believe I have seen them before around here." The assassin continued "They were both nords, one had a Nordic Silver Axe and the other had a Nordic Silver Mace. One of them had a beard while the other did not." The Imperial chuckled "It appears that our Nethyn Valno has been interfering with my plans." The assassin stood up from his knelled position "What shall I do to him?" The Imperial puffed on his pipe as he contemplated his decision "He may be of use to us, keep an eye on him, keep in contact with him." The Imperial reopened his book and flipped through the pages as he continued "He will probably be in contact with Ilfirin again soon, keep tabs on him when he does. He may unknowingly lead us to the new abolitionist base." The assassin nodded "I will not fail you again." The Imperial replied coldly "See that you don't, Rauko, for if you fail again...I may take out a writ on YOU." Rouko cringed and backed away "I shall take my leave...Delmus Altus."
(Somewhere northeast of Lake Nabia)
Neesha was leading Ilfirin and Selvia through Molag Amur. Ilfirin looked down the hill they were crossing from to see a pool of bubbling lava. He then turned to Neesha "So, we are heading towards Sulipund?" Neesha purred "Yes, Neesha has friends there. They will help us and give us beds to sleep on." Ilfirin looked down the path ahead of them to see a wooden door, fashioned much like that of old ancestral tombs. Neesha pointed towards the door "We are here." Selvia groaned "Finally, I'm getting blisters on my feet." Ilfirin laughed "What else do you expect?" Selvia turned towards him and lifted an eye brow as he continued "Those shoes are made for looks, not walking." Selvia turned away "These shoes are very expensive and I was not going to leave them behind." Neesha opened the door and waved for them to approach "Come on, Neesha must meet her old friends. You can continue arguing inside."
As they entered, a woodelf in full chitin armor approached them. He greeted them and then turned to Neesha "...Neesha, is that you?" Neesha purred "Yes, Neesha has come to see her old friends." The woodelf laughed and hugged her "It's great to see you again Neesha, how long has it been, 2...3 years?" Neesha nodded "Yes, Neesha believes it has been 3 years sense Neesha left." The woodelf then turned to Selvia "Please forgive my rudeness, my name is Aegil Draman." He took her right hand and kissed the back of her hand "Always a pleasure to have a beautiful lady like yourself around." Selvia blushed "Your too kind." Ilfirin laughed "My name is Ilfirin Belthil, it's a pleasure to meet you Aegil." Ilfirin nudged Selvia with his elbow. She smiled "Oh, yes, my name is Selvia Magia." Aegil nodded "We have several spare beds Selvia, take any that you wish." Aegil then began to walk away "I must tell the others that Neesha has arrived."
Neesha laughed "Appears that Aegil hasn't changed a bit." Selvia then asked "Is he always that polite?" She chuckled and replied "Well, he isn't bad mannered, but he is always like that around women." Neesha purred "Aegil was well known to be quite the lecher back then." Ilfirin patted Selvia's shoulder "Watch yourself when you change cloths there Selvia." She blushed and pushed him away "I'll keep an eye out for him, and you." They continued through the hallway and then entered a room with tables and plenty of food. Candles were lit and the sent of fresh baked bread filled the room.