The stench of death stuck to the walls of Echo Cave. Bodies lay fresh on the ground, their corpses likely still warm as Kieran stood there to catch his breathe. Multiple necromancers coming at him at once was something he did expect, but Gods, not like that. Kiara trotted up behind Kieran, equally out of breath, but excited.

"Big boss battle is coming up! Are you excited?" she asked, almost trembling with excitement to kick some ass. Kieran chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"You're too excited about this."

"And you aren't? Didn't this dude have a, like, face-off with your brother?"

"Yeah, and my brother sent him straight to Oblivion with practically a flick of his wrist," Kieran exaggerated dramatically. Kiara laughed at him and playfully punched his shoulder. She looked around, trying to spot the next tunnel they needed to go through. She quickly found one and rushed forward, ready for yet another battle. Kieran begrudgingly followed. He did enjoy the strange Bosmer's company but was just annoyed by the whole situation. That god damned "King of Worms"- or whatever the bastard called himself- just wouldn't let up on his quest to corrupt, would he? Kieran followed Kiara into the next room, looking around for her as she suddenly disappeared from his sight. Not even his senses could track where she was- the awful odors around him clogged up his nose. When he got to Mannimarco, he swore to himself he'd punch the man for being such an annoyance on top of everything else. That thought really made Kieran wonder what his true priorities were sometimes.

"Kieran!"

Kieran's ears perked up as soon as he heard Kiara's scream. He ran toward the sounds, grumbling to himself. He ran into a large room with various skeletons raised. Kieran looked over to see Kiara being held by two of them. Next to her, Mannimarco stood in all his-

"Wait. What happened to you?" Kieran asked. The man wore no shoes, raggedy robes, and it looked like he hadn't taken a bath in a few years. Kieran snorted, a full-blown soon following. He shook his head, highly amused at the sight of the obviously deteriorated lich king that once threatened all of Tamriel. Hell, even now he had other people do most of his work for him. Luckily for Kiara and Kieran, they had gotten the Necromancer's Amulet as well as the Bloodworm Helm or else they might have been done for. Mannimarco scowled.

"What's so funny to you, Desentor?"

"You," Kieran said through a laugh, "You and your taste in clothing have vastly degraded since the last I or my brother have seen you. Kiara, this man actually had taste in the Second Era."

"Silence!" Mannimarco shouted, feeling very offended by the insults against his style. Kieran noticed the skeletons moving closer to all of them just as Mannimarco's hand commanded them. Kieran summoned a fire circle around them, the skeletons walking directly into the fire and dying. Kiara held back a laugh, for fear the man next to her would do something. Mannimarco threw some spells at Kieran, initiating battle with him. As he was distracted, Kiara kicked on of the skeleton's legs, knocking it down into pieces. She threw the other one at Mannimarco, which knocked him down.

"Wow, he's frail," she commented, making both her and Kieran laugh. Kieran looked down at the collapsed man, wondering if the hit killed him or caused him to be unconscious. Either way, Kieran picked him up and sat him in the awful chair the man probably called a throne. With the help of Kiara, they tied him up and waited for him to awaken. Kieran was expecting more of a battle, but this would have to do he guessed. Damn, that struck jealousy into his chest. Emmerran got the battle, why didn't he? After about an hour of waiting, the man didn't move. Kieran took a sword one of the skeletons had and drove it into his chest, trying to make sure he was actually dead. The body suddenly turned to dust upon meeting the sword.

"What the hell?" Kieran asked. A disembodied chuckle echoed throughout the chamber.

"Quite disappointed in my vessel being so weak, but did you truly think you'd kill me? Fool, I'll always be here. And, you'll never find me again until you're at the end of my staff. Your skull would be such a precious decoration for it, Kieran Desentor. Maybe I should find your brother's remains and add his, too… Reunited at last," the voice said before cackling in laughter. Kieran growled and spun around to look for wherever the voice came from. If he laid one finger on his brother's grave-

"Ah, but I must bid you both farewell. I have big plans for this realm to attend to," the voice finished before a cold breeze from nowhere rushed past them. Kieran grunted in anger and threw the sword down.

"Well shit…" Kiara said, "And we didn't even get to use the gem Traven basically died for…"

"I'm going to kill that bastard eventually," Kieran said through grit teeth, "No one, and I mean no one talks about my brother that way."

Kiara shifted in her shoes uncomfortably. She spoke up, "Let's get back so we can get some rest? At least everyone in the cave is gone- dead or not. You'll get your battle, I'm sure of it!"

Kieran sighed and looked at Kiara. He nodded, slightly defeated.

"Alright. Let's get going."