Chapter 12: The Eye Is Always Watching

"So, after your meeting with the Greybeards and Scarlai's invitation into the Dark Brotherhood, what happened next?"

"That's a good question, Torygg. Quite a few things happened. Lydia and I retired to the inn for the night after we met up with the Greybeards. Meanwhile, Stryger discovered more about that mysterious orb he found in Saarthal, while running into some unexpected events before leaving the college. Also, Errick and Akira's first meeting wasn't the best introduction for either of them."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say the truth was hard to swallow for the both of them."

It was already sunset when Stryger and Brelyna returned to the main hall of the college. Just as he had predicted, the teachers had moved the Eye of Magnus to the college for study. Tolfdir himself was examining it with careful eyes, which made the Altmer curious of what the old man was thinking of.

"Mission accomplished, Tolfdir. I have that damn book we needed." Stryger spoke with a cheery sarcastic tone. "Only had to kill a few crazy mages to get to it."

"Well, you sound happy about that." Tolfdir mumbled.

"Just cleaning up the world from crazy magic-wielders and everything."

"Hmm. In any case, I have already made quite a few discoveries over our new class project. This orb is made of a material that has never been recorded, and it might just be the key to unraveling the mysteries of Aetherius."

"Are you certain that's even possible?"

"As sure as the sun sets to the west."

Stryger smiled and examined the orb. Clearly it was of a strange origin, but if it truly was a key to unraveling the mysteries of Aetherius, it could make his mark on the history of Nirn. But there was something dangerous about the artifact as well. It gave that draugr a sort of invulnerability to attacks both physical and magical. And the Psijic Order gave him a warning about it, too.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a snake's voice.

"You there, Altmer." Ancaro's voice barked. "You are to come with me to settle a matter involving a visitor asking of you."

Stryger turned around. "And just why should I go anywhere with you, Thalmor?" His voice was filled with hate as he spoke the last word.

Ancaro crossed his arms. "I am not in a position to argue, student. And I am here as a guest of the Thalmor Embassy. You will treat your betters with more respect."

"I don't have to give you anything. Your organization has no hold on me, and it never will."

Tolfdir grabbed his shoulder. "Stryger, perhaps it's best if you follow Ancaro and talk to this visitor he speaks of. Put aside whatever grudge you have against the Thalmor for a minute and do as you're told."

Stryger turned to face Tolfdir, but finally decided to do what he said. "Fine. Here's the book. Brelyna, stay with Tolfdir and see if you can help him out with his studies. I'll be back shortly."

*Five minutes earlier

J'zargo was removing his pants as Ormund walked by his room. The Nord accidentally looked towards J'zargo for one second before closing his eyes shut and turning away in disgust.

"Ehh, do you not wear undergarments or something, J'zargo?"

"J'zargo finds them distracting for my tastes."

"Right. So why in Oblivion are you airing things out in front of me?"

"You just happened to walk by. J'zargo thought the dorms here were empty."

"Well I came back to grab that book I needed to return. Next thing I know, I get a literal interpretation of Kahjiit anatomy I never needed to see."

"Saw anything you like?" J'zargo joked.

"No. In fact, I am going to shave you if I catch you like this again."

"J'zargo does not care for your threats. Now get out so J'zargo can have fun with his lady friend."

"What lady friend? It isn't Brelyna, is it?"

"No one on campus, and that is all you're getting from J'zargo."

"Fine. I'm walking out of here and I'm going to find a spell or potion to get that image out of my head." Ormund walked away and out of the dorms, making J'zargo smile as he pulled out a conjuration spell. In an instant, he summoned a flame atronach, who turned to face him.

"J'zargo has summoned you for the same reason as I did last time."

The flame atronach crossed her arms.

"Of course J'zargo isn't going to make you do this all the time. But tonight, I am in the need for some company. Besides, you'll get enjoyment out of it, too, you know."

The atronach seemed to sigh before reaching behind her back. The clasp of molten rock across her chest came undone and fell onto the floor.*

As Stryger climbed the steps to the Arch-Mage's quarters, his thoughts were focused on the Thalmor. Ever since they destroyed his village when he was eighteen, he had no reason to trust them at all. They had burned down his house with his mother trapped inside, killed his father and had done Julianos knows what to his brother. Many of his friends had also been killed, and from that day forth, he swore he would never forgive the Thalmor for what they did. And if Ancaro discovered his strange gift while he was here-

Ancaro turned around halfway up the stairs and Grabbed Stryger's robes, slamming him into the wall.

"You should not be so defiant towards your own kind, Altmer." Ancaro whispered angrily, looking straight into Stryger's yellow eyes.

"I am not one of your kind, Thalmor." Stryger retorted, gaining Ancaro's arm resting on his throat.

"I could easily snap your neck for such defiance. I could flail you alive, burn you at the stake, or have your head removed from your shoulders. Were it not for the fact this visitor asked for you, I would do all of these things at once so that this college knows not to defy the Thalmor."

"No matter what threat you give me, I will never submit to you or any others of your kind. I hold no sympathy for the Thalmor, and they shall receive no forgiveness for their sins. And that is the end of it."

Ancaro eyed Stryger at these words before releasing him. "You should be more careful with your words, child. They betray you even more than you know." Ancaro continued walking up the steps as Stryger rubbed his neck, glaring at the Thalmor. Stryger was already planning how he was going to take out Ancaro whenever he got the chance. His favorite idea was creating a fire tornado that spun straight through the Thalmor guest, incinerating his entire upper body and leaving nothing but leg stumps.

When Stryger had finally reached the Arch-Mage's chambers, he was taken aback by the guest Ancaro had mentioned. It was, in fact, the member of the Psijic Order that had contacted him. He walked towards him to speak, but suddenly he felt a strange magic wash over him. It was then he realized he was being sent back into that strange vision state. The room began to glow that ethereal blue tint that it had last time, and Stryger watched as the Psijic Order's representative stepped forward.

"Hello again, mage. The situation is becoming more urgent with the Eye of Magnus at your college. In fact, it has become urgent enough for us to meet face-to-face."

"Is it really that urgent?"

"Yes. We have already determined the Eye will cause catastrophe soon, but what and how it will happen is something we have yet to determine. It may be because of its power that we cannot figure out what it intends to do. But we know where you should start to stop this approaching catastrophe."

"All right. What should I do?"

"Speak to the residents here about the Augur of Durlain. We do not know its exact location, but we have determined it is somewhere on the campus grounds, and that someone here knows about it."

"All right. I'll do what I can to find the Augur."

As soon as Stryger finished his sentence, the connection to the vision was broken, and Ancaro spoke again.

"All right, what is it that you want?"

The Psijic Order's representative looked at Ancaro confusingly. "I am sorry. I think there's been some kind of mistake. I need to leave."

"You're not going anywhere until you tell us what you wanted."

"I'm sorry. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"What?" Ancaro looked shocked at his words, as if he actually was fooled by the wise mage in front of him.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I shall escort myself out. Good night to you all." And just like that, he walked down the stairs to the exit.

"I swear, I am going to find out what that man was hiding." Ancaro muttered to himself as he exited the Arch-Mage's quarters.

Stryger looked at Savos Aren, who looked confused over what had happened. "What just happened? A member of the Psijic Order was right there before my eyes, and once you show up he decides to leave all of a sudden."

Stryger smiled. "He wanted a more private conversation. He did it back at Saarthal before I found the Eye of Magnus."

"Well, what did he say?"

"The orb is dangerous. He said if we don't find a way to contain it, a great catastrophe will happen. He also mentioned something about the Augur of Durlain. Do you know anything about it?"

Savos seemed to sigh at this. "The Augur is something no one should deal with. Talk to Tolfdir about it. I get a headache whenever he mentions it to the other students."

Stryger nodded and left for the main hall again, granting the Arch-Mage some peace and quiet. As he shut the door to the stairway, he saw Tolfdir and Brelyna conversing next to the Eye of Magnus. For some odd reason, Brelyna looked very lovely with the light the orb and the torches cast on her. Stryger felt drawn to her in some way, and he couldn't help but enjoy this attraction. But he was willing to take things slow with her if it meant she would feel attracted to him eventually as well.

Tolfdir seemed to stop as Stryger joined them back in the room. "So, what was your meeting all about?"

"An old friend popped up with a clue towards our little project here. He says it's dangerous and will cause some kind of trouble soon if we're not careful. He also mentioned something about the Augur of Durlain. Savos said you know more about it."

Tolfdir chuckled. "Indeed I do. I'm really the only one that ever visits him down in the Midden. There's a tragic tale about him, but it's mostly a myth. If you're going down to see him, be careful. There are a few undead skeletons wandering the halls."

"I plan on visiting him in the morning. I've had enough excitement for one day, and I feel like returning to my room for some food and rest for the night. You and the other teachers will keep an eye on the orb, right?"

"Of course. Good night, Stryger."

Stryger waved his hand and headed for the door outside, smiling when he realized Brelyna followed. "So, feel like following me everywhere now?"

"I'm kind of tired, too. I figured we could converse a bit more before falling asleep, if that's all right with you."

Stryger smiled. "Definitely." He walked with her through the snowy courtyard, enjoying the northern lights that danced in the night sky. It was something that he could enjoy in Skyrim; watching the colorful lines of green dance across the sky in a poetic echo of divine beauty. "The sky's beautiful, isn't it?"

Brelyna looked up. "It certainly is."

"But you're twice as beautiful." Stryger spoke, too late to stop himself.

Brelyna faced Stryger and turned away, blushing at his words. "That's kind of you to say, but I'm not really that beautiful. If you were to see what I looked like without a hood on, you might change your mind instantly."

"Why? You don't like your hair?"

"Kind of. Plus, my features aren't really considered attractive by most other races. You and J'zargo are really the only ones to comment on my features, but he's only trying to get laid. But you... I'm not sure what you want from me."

"Well, the getting laid plan sounds great and all..." Stryger joked.

Brelyna responded by slapping his arm playfully. "Bastard."

"Truthfully, though, I do want to be with you. I just don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do."

"You've only known me for about two days. Are you sure you actually want to be with me?"

"I'm sure. But like I said, I'd rather wait until you feel like we're ready to take this to the next level."

Brelyna smiled. "Well, I'm glad to see you at least give me the option to do so. Not like J'zargo."

As Brelyna finished that sentence, Stryger had opened the door to the dorms only to hear some kind of muffled yell. He dared to walk inside and try to listen better, but he began to regret that dare as he realized he was hearing a feline purring and howling.

"Is that-" Stryger started.

"That sick bastard!" Brelyna whispered harshly. "What in Oblivion is he doing?!"

"I don't know, but I think we should put a stop to this."

Stryger took one step forward before J'zargo let out one last ear-piercing howl. A few seconds later, a giant fireball flew out of J'zargo's room, impacting with the light well in the center of the tower.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Stryger yelled in surprise.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Brelyna followed.

"Ah, son of a bitch." J'zargo could be heard complaining. "J'zargo is sorry for the other roommates walking in and scaring you, Prudence." A slap could be heard echoing across the hall, and J'zargo yelped. "J'zargo will take care of the intruders." A few seconds later, the feline mage walked out with a pillow held between his legs. He looked at Stryger and Brelyna with a look of annoyance. "Get out of here, smoothskins."

Brelyna crossed her arms. "I knew you were a sick bastard, but this is just too much!"

"J'zargo does not care for your opinions on who J'zargo can sleep with."

"Yes, but a fire atronach?!" Stryger chimed in. "What kind of mage uses conjuration powers like that?!"

"J'zargo does this while he is in heat. There are no female mages here who would offer what J'zargo needs, and Prudence has an attachment to me both in battle and in the bed. She prefers battle overall, however. Now get out. We are not finished yet, and Prudence does not wish to be disturbed." J'zargo walked back towards his room, and the other two mages turned back towards the door to the courtyard.

"So," Stryger began. "Wanna go to the inn and buy enough alcohol to get that image out of our heads?"

"By the Divines, yes!" Brelyna replied, heading out the door immediately with Stryger in tow.

While Stryger and Brelyna headed off to the inn in Winterhold, Zacharius and Lydia had already made it to the inn in Ivarstead. Lydia sat herself at a table while Zacharius walked over to the bar keep, paying for a room and two warm meals. As soon as he was finished, Zacharius had dropped his pack and cloak in their room for the night, joining Lydia at the table.

"The owner's making some venison stew for us and the other guests. He'll have two bowls ready for us in a few minutes."

"Good. I'm starving." Lydia joked.

"And you're probably cold, too, after our trip down the mountain."

"You did carry me down using that Whirlwind Sprint shout of yours. Of course I'd feel cold."

Zacharius chuckled. "Admit it, though, you enjoyed it."

"Of course, I did. It's not every day the Dragonborn gives you a ride down the mountain on his back."

As if the bard nearby had been listening in on their conversation, he began to play a familiar tune on his lute at his spot near the fire.

'Our hero, our hero claims a Warrior's heart

I tell you, I tell you the Dragonborn comes

With a voice wielding power of the ancient Nord art

Believe, believe the Dragonborn comes

It's an end to the evil of all Skyrim's foes

Beware, beware the Dragonborn comes

For the darkness has passed and the legend gets grows

You'll know, you'll know the Dragonborn's come.'

Zacharius turned to face the bard as the few other people inside the inn clapped along to his performance. The bard himself seemed to bow towards Zacharius, and he couldn't help but humor the entertainer by taking a septim out of his pocket and flinging it over to him. The bard caught it in a dramatic fashion and bowed.

"Is that what you wanted to avoid in Whiterun?" Lydia joked.

Zacharius turned back around to face her, grinning. "Whiterun is a big place. I can handle the people of Ivarstead since it's a bit smaller."

As he finished that statement, the bar keep came over with two bowls in his hands and set them down on the table. "Here you go, two hot bowls of venison stew."

"Thank you." Zacharius nodded as he reached for a spoon. Lydia nodded as well and grabbed her own spoon as well, scooping up some venison, broth, and vegetables and brought it to her mouth.

"Would you like anything to drink?"

"Two warm meads will be fine." Zacharius answered. As the bartender walked away to grab them their mugs, Zacharius faced Lydia again. "Truth be told, I'm not big on drinking. It dulls the senses and it has been rumored to lower intelligence ratings. I'll have a drink every now and then, but I prefer other liquids to drink overall."

"So why a warm mead tonight?" Lydia asked, scooping up another spoonful of stew.

"Well, I figured tonight was cause for celebration. I mean, we did reach the Greybeards unscathed and such. Otherwise, I thought it might be a good idea since we didn't do any celebrating last night."

"For?"

"For being partnered up. I mean, it's only been a day since the Jarl assigned you as my housecarl, so I figured a drink to celebrate was in order."

"Well, I guess that's appropriate. I mean, what's a Nord without his mead?" Lydia smiled. Zacharius smirked and chuckled in response, and Lydia became curious. "What?"

"Your smile. It reminds me of those days back when I was a teenager in Cyrodiil. All of the women that walked the streets of the Imperial City smiled like that."

"You must have been very popular with the ladies, then."

"That's my brother Treyvar you're referring to. Nearly every virgin in Cyrodiil wanted to be with him, while Xaverius and I stood back. Xaverius had a girlfriend named Carlotta, and I normally just stayed alone."

Lydia tilted her head. "Why?"

"I just wasn't looking for a relationship then. I spent more time studying and training under my father and his friends, although I never joined the Legion. My father was very accepting of my decision, since he thought I'd be better off adventuring like my ancestor, Caleb Secus. I actually traveled to many of the ruins and forts he had explored with my brothers whenever we could. We didn't find much, but sometimes a few bandits had taken refuge within, and some of them had valuables we either kept or gave back to the poor."

"Sounds quite adventurous, indeed. How close were you to your brothers?"

"We were thick as thieves. They could beat me in a fair fight when it came to wrestling, but I was the champion swordsman in the family. I was also a skilled archer, but as I said last night, Treyvar was quite adept in all forms of magic. Xaverius was both the youngest and the largest of us, and he favored a battleaxe overall. Personality-wise, Treyvar's the practical joker while Xaverius is the gentle giant, until you piss him off."

"Sounds like quite the family. What about your parents?"

"Like I said last night, my father was a Legion Commander to the bone. He despises the Thalmor behind close doors and respects the Empire for what it had once been. He taught me that fighting for even a distant memory is better than fighting for a false cause, and he hopes that one day someone will bring the Thalmor down for their treachery. My mother is a shrewd but charismatic diplomat. She's been on the council for twenty-five years; technically my whole life. I've learned much about diplomacy from her, and she taught me that everyone can be persuaded by hearing the right words."

"Your parents sound like great people. Mine were only farmers."

Zacharius took a sip from his mug. "Farmers are normally good people. They help feed whole populations during the lean times, and they have kind hearts and heavy burdens."

"That doesn't sound at all like Nazeem."

"Who?"

"He's a resident of Whiterun. He's greedy, rich, and a pain in the ass. Even his wife can't put up with his bullshit."

Zacharius laughed. "She should knock some sense into him like any good wife."

"I think she will soon." Lydia laughed.

The bartender back over to the bar. "Everything okay over here?"

Zacharius faced him. "Everything is great, thanks."

"Good to hear. Uh, if I might ask, are you the one the Greybeards summoned? The Dragonborn?"

"Actually, I am. Why do you ask?"

"Well, if you're the Dragonborn, that means you slay evils and such, right? Have you ever fought ghosts before?"

"Occasionally. Why?"

"Well, the crypt right across from us has been making weird sounds recently. All of the locals believe it's haunted. Another man went in a while ago against our wishes and never returned. Do you think you might be willing to investigate it for us?"

Zacharius faced Lydia, who only shrugged. He rubbed his chin before facing the barkeep again. "I can investigate it immediately if you wish."

"I wouldn't want you to go out when it's dark."

"That's what a candlelight spell is for. Let me just get my helmet and some of my items that I may need." He stood up from his chair and headed to his room, grabbing his helmet and satchel from his bag. Then he pulled out a few potions of health, magicka, and stamina, and placed them in the satchel. He walked back over to his table when he felt ready to go. "You wanna come, Lydia?"

She looked up as she finished her mug. "I actually have a choice?"

"Yeah. You can stay or you can come along."

"I think I'll sit this one out tonight, thanks."

"Suit yourself. Watch over the rest of our stuff, okay? And don't get drunk."

"I got it, I got it. But we're having another pint when you get back."

"All right." Zacharius nodded as he headed back outside, ready to delve into a mysterious tomb again for the second time in two days.

Back in Whiterun, Errick himself had downed his sixth bottle of mead as he let the day pass into night, constantly planning on how he was going to clear out a skeever den without the use of his special blade, the Thief's Way. Other than the fact that it would cause questions from Isobel if he pulled it out, the blade itself was like a time bomb on his life whenever he used it. Aside from that, the snake on it scared the shit out of him every time. Why Mallus decided leaving a nest of Skeevers for the Thieves Guild to clear out was beyond him.

Eventually, he just decided he would break into Warmaiden's, 'borrow' two steel swords to use, and 'return' them when he was finished. After that thought came to mind, he decided breaking in now would be the best course of action. Since Isobel was one to like following him, he figured he might as well check to see if she was awake and wanted to come along (or perhaps if she wanted a tumble since Brynjolf was banging Ysolda). That thought made him chuckle. Ysolda reminded him a lot like so many other women he had robbed of more than just their virginity.

Then he remembered how actions like that ended up robbing them of more than that and valuables.

Immediately pushing those depressing thoughts aside (and cursing the one obviously responsible for reminding him of such thoughts) he walked up the stairs to Isobel's room. Her door had been left open a crack and he opened it a little bit to peak inside.

Brynjolf was standing over Isobel's sleeping form.

Errick closed the door a bit more, wanting not to be seen as he continued to watch the middle-aged man hover over his minx of a partner. Brynjolf just stood there, looking at her as she tried to sleep. Isobel herself was tossing and turning, like she was experiencing a bad dream. Errick considered tapping into her mind to figure out what she was dreaming of, but decided against it, seeing as he could likely wake her up from intruding.

After what felt like a while, Brynjolf finally started to walk towards the door, and Errick slid between two people, leaning against a wall as they conversed about their daily lives. Brynjolf walked out of Isobel's room and shut the door, oblivious to Errick blending with the crowd. Once Errick saw Brynjolf descend the stairs and leave the Bannered Made he stepped back out, walking back towards Isobel's room. He quickly took another peep inside to see Isobel had stopped tossing and turning, instead sleeping rather peacefully. He chuckled quietly and closed the door, deciding to let her sleep while he pulled off a quick heist for tomorrow.

While this was happening, Akira was finding the door to the mysterious under forge. The rock door was easily camoflauged during the day, but it looked as if it had been left open a crack for her to find. Her iron gauntlets gripped the door and pulled it open, finding the room inside was lit with candles. Skjor was waiting with a werewolf who was no doubt Aela, and he began to speak once Akira closed the door.

"That little circle ceremony we did earlier today was just window dressing." Skjor spoke. "Only true Companions get the offer to become a werewolf. No doubt you recognize Aela. She's agreed to offer you her blood to grant you our blessing. Kodlak sees it as a curse, but we see it as a blessing. And we want to offer that blessing to you."

"I am rather curious about what it's like to be a werewolf." Akira shrugged. "Ah, to hell with it. Let's get this ceremony moving."

Skjor nodded and slit Aela's wrist, letting her blood flow into a small bowl on the centerpiece of the room. Akira approached it and looked at the blood. Her stomach churned at the sight but her courage was built up, and she removed her gloves to pool some of the blood within her hands. After taking a quick breath she gulped down Aela's blood.

Power seemed to seep into her before she felt pain through her entire body.

She landed on her hands as she felt her bones shifting within her. A black mist was enveloping her and she felt like her armor had disappeared, leaving her completely naked. Hair started to grow over her arms and her hands grew larger right before her eyes, and she felt the same thing happen to her legs and feet. Her face seemed to extend as sharp lupine fangs started forming in her mouth, and eventually, she thought she had been swept into darkness.

Errick had walked out of the Bannered Mare by that time, and was glad that none of the guards were currently patrolling. His immediate thought was that his quick heist would be a piece of cake, unless they were all near Warmaiden's, in which case he'd have to improvise. That hasn't stopped him in the past, of course. Whiterun security was perhaps more terrible than security in the Imperial City.

A howl made him stop moving.

Going against his better judgment, Errick turned around to see a large black werewolf standing atop the pathway to the Cloud District. It stared at him with piercing eyes and Errick gulped at the sight of the creature as it slowly descended towards him.

"Nice doggy." Errick spoke nervously. "Good doggy." He reached into his coat and grabbed a ball from one of his pockets. "Want a squeaky ball?" He squeezed the ball and it made a high-pitched noise.

The werewolf swung at him for that.

"Shit." Errick mumbled as he continued to step back up to the well. He looked around frantically for any guard that could interrupt the werewolf but found that nobody was patrolling the district. "Really? There just had to be no guards tonight? What the shit?!"

The werewolf growled and immediately tried swinging at him again, but Errick quickly rolled out of the way and immediately began running around Whiterun in the attempt to lose the werewolf. He ran over to Warmaiden's and grabbed onto the hanging sign near the door, using it to propel himself in the air as he flipped backwards onto the roof of the entrance. The werewolf ran past him before stopping and turning around to face him again. He just simply danced on the roof because he was-

The werewolf jumped onto the roof and forced him to stumble off, narrowly missing another strike from the enraged beast. He fell down and immediately got on his feet to run.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit." He mumbled as her ran up the hill trying to escape his pursuer. The werewolf was very persistent, however, and Errick was eventually cornered. He rubbed his hands along the wall before turning and facing the werewolf.

[He snapped his fingers and-]

The werewolf growled at him, showing white fangs as Errick looked confusingly. He thought he had paused time, but the werewolf was growling.

"What the shit?!" He yelled as the werewolf stepped closer.

[He snapped his fingers and-]

The werewolf started getting closer.

[He snapped his fingers and-]

The werewolf was getting closer.

[He snapped his fingers and-]

The werewolf was still getting closer.

[He snapped his fingers and-

"Hey, Jackass!" BlueSpartan107 yelled. "Stop pausing the story! It's at a good point!"

"You bastard!" Errick yelled. "You planned this, didn't you?!"

"Duh. You think I wouldn't throw in some Errick Entius action?"

"This isn't action. This is torture!"

"No, the torture scene doesn't happen until the next book, but it's only torture if you consider it torture."

"You are such a bastard, you know that?"

"So are you."

"Yes, by necessity. You are a bastard by choice, throwing in your evil subplots and plans for world domination with the mole men."

"I think you've got that line mixed up with the other Errick."

"What other Errick?!"

"Nothing you need to worry about. You won't be able to touch that story, anyways. Now get on with the scene!"

"You don't honestly expect me to fight this werewolf, do you?"

"I expect you to do what you're supposed to do!"]

Errick couldn't continue arguing as time snapped back to life, bringing Errick to realize the werewolf was now in his face. It's breath hit his neck and he shivered, finally coming up with a plan to scare away (if not kill the werewolf outright) the werewolf. He reached into his pocket and grabbed a small silver bomb, bringing it up to his chest as the werewolf snarled. Its mouth opened up just enough for Errick to execute his plan, and in an instant he threw the bomb into the beast's mouth, dodging the werewolf's swing before he was torn apart.

The bomb exploded in the werewolf's mouth, making it choke out clouds of dust.

Errick smiled as he noticed the werewolf's reaction to the silver, watching it thrash around and choke as its throat began to swell, suddenly, however, the werewolf vomited onto the ground, throwing up much of the silver that attempted to kill it. Upon doing that, it immediately leaped into the air and climbed the wall up, disappearing into the night.

"If only I had thought of that before. Then I wouldn't have been running all across Whiterun!" Errick shouted as he swung his arms in the air.

"Mr. Entius." A familiar voice spoke, making Errick turn around and look down at a little girl.

"Lucy?" Errick asked. "Where'd you come from?"

"The Temple of Arkay. I was visiting the dead with the priests. I got a bit scared after a while, though, so I came out and saw you standing here talking to yourself."

"Why didn't you head to Riften like I said you should have?"

Lucy rubbed her arm. "I got lost."

Errick sighed. "There are signs that point the way, you know."

"I know, but I still managed to get lost. A masked stranger in animal skins led me to Whiterun, and I've been here for at least two days."

"Lucy, you should know better than to trust strangers."

"He said he was a hunter, going after some bad people and that he was one of the good guys. He helped me get here, so that means he was a good guy. Like you, Mr. Entius."

Errick chuckled. "Only when it comes to innocent children. I've done other things that you shouldn't know about that a lot of people don't consider good."

"But you saved me. That means you're a good guy, right?"

"Sure, Lucy." Errick smiled, remembering that moment where he had saved her from her burning house. It did cost him a jewelry box that looked like it had something special in it, but saving Lucy was worth enough of the trouble.

Errick watched from a distance as he saw five bandits with torches approach a house near the road. He had been following them discreetly since crossing the border, hoping they would lead him to their base of operations so he could steal some of their supplies and halt their operations. But they just happen to lead him to some random house that it looks like they are about to attack. Just as that thought crosses his mind, one of the bandits throws a torch at the roof, lighting it on fire. The others follow suite along the building before busting the door down and brandishing their weapons.

Errick immediately broke into a sprint, tying a piece of cloth around his mouth to prevent possible smoke inhalation. He reached the house within a few seconds, turning within the doorway to see the bandits fighting against a man with a great sword. A little girl was running up the stairs with her mother before one bandit swung his sword at the mother's neck, cutting her head clean off her shoulders. The little girl still ran up the stairs even after that split a second moment occurred, but the man stopped fighting as he saw his wife's head roll across the floor, only to have his own head crushed in by a warhammer.

Errick immediately slipped in and grabbed the first bandit that was near him, pulling his sword arm behind his back before forcing the blade straight through him. Three of his friends turned to face him while the fourth one started walking up the stairs, probably going after the girl. With that thought on his mind, he pushed the body of the first bandit off of the iron sword he once wielded, letting him fall to the floor as Errick walked up to the next bandit with the warhammer. The bandit swung his warhammer for Errick's head, but the master thief was quick, dodging the hammer before slicing at his opponent's leg. As he fell onto his knee, another bandit swung a mace at Errick that he easily blocked, sliding the dangerous weapon away before he spun his body and sliced open the necks of the two that tried to kill him. The last bandit downstairs lifted his battleaxe in an attempt to end the thief, but Errick dodged again before hitting this man in the leg as well. As his opponent fell to the ground Errick stabbed him in the chest, ending his life.

With the first four bandits out of the way, Errick ran up the stairs to see the fifth bandit attempting to lift the girl up in the air by her throat, no doubt planning on choking her to death rather than giving her a quick death. Errick quickly ran up to the man and put his sword to the man's throat, slicing it open at just the right angle. His blood slowly fell down his neck as he gasped, and he dropped the little girl as he fell to the floor dead.

Errick tossed the iron sword to the floor and looked for a way out of the burning building. His eye, however, caught a large black jewelry box that could have valuables. Giving into his thieving ways, he headed for the jewelry box, only to be stopped in his tracks as a burning beam fell with part of the roof in between him and his prize. He cursed whatever Daedric Prince was screwing with him and looked back at the girl. She was still crying over what had happened and there was a window that would be large enough for him to jump through. He took one look back at the trapped jewelry box, but somehow he knew he had already made up his mind.

"Fuck my kind heart when it comes to children in distress." He mumbled as he ran towards the girl and scooped her up in his arms, holding her close as he slammed his feet straight through the window. The glass shattered and he flew in the air, using his boots to slow them down enough to simply walk away from the house as it burnt to the ground.

The little girl in his arms continued to cry in his arms before he set her down, crouching so that he was facing her.

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe now." Errick assured her. "The bad guys are dead and you're alive."

"But my parents-" She continued to cry, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"Hey, it's okay. I lost my parents, too. I was half your age, though, but I know what you're going through right now." He patted her on the shoulder before she jumped and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Errick was caught off guard but he wrapped his arms around her after a few seconds, letting her cry in his shoulder. He quickly pulled the piece of cloth away from his mouth so he could talk to her face-to-face. "My name's Errick. Errick Entius. what's yours?"

The little girl pulled her face off his shoulder, looking into his brown-hazel eyes. "My name's Lucy."

After the house had stopped burning, Errick found the jewelry box still intact, but the lock had been fused together. That meant he would have to find another way to open it, but his work with the Thieves Guild came first. Pushing those thoughts aside as he looked back at Lucy, he smiled.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"I normally just sleep on a bench near that huge tree."

"Why not in the Temple of Kynareth or Arkay? You'd think the religious folk would be willing to offer shelter."

"The Kynareth people are too busy healing people, and the Arkay temple scares me sometimes."

"You know, I rented a room at the Bannered Mare. You wanna sleep in a bed there?"

Lucy shook her head. "I got nervous by the crowds."

Errick sighed. "You really shouldn't sleep out here all by yourself, you know."

"I don't. There's another homeless girl and a homeless man that sleep near me. That way I'm not afraid."

"Do you want me to sleep out here with you?"

Lucy smiled. "I'd like that, Mr. Entius."

And now your black heart's getting a little brighter. Errick thought. Smooth move, wise guy. Errick held her hand as she led him over to the tree in the town square. It looked like it was dying and Errick considered it an eyesore, but Lucy didn't seem to mind as she rested on the trunk. Errick begrudgingly sat beside her, and she rested her head on his shoulder like a pillow.

"Mr. Entius?"

"What is it, Lucy?"

"Back when you saved me, you said you lost your parents, too. How did they die?"

Errick was silent for a moment before clearing his throat. "Well, my dad died before I was born, and I'm not going to say how because that will give you nightmares. My mother... She was sick. I couldn't help her get better." A tear slipped from Errick's eye, and Lucy seemed to notice as a tear fell from her eye as well.

"I miss my mom."

"I miss mine, too. But I'm old enough now that I don't need one. But you... You need a parent while you're still growing. I did fine without my mom, but I don't know if you would fare just as well."

Lucy was silent for a second before talking again. "Would you be my new dad?"

Errick chuckled nervously. "I'm not certain I could do that. I tend to travel quite a bit, and I don't think I could make a good dad. Plus, I have certain habits that may not go hand-in-hand with raising a child."

"What kind of habits?"

"I'll tell you when you're older. It isn't something little girls need to know."

"Okay."

There was silence between them for a bit before Errick spoke again. "Did you know I saw a werewolf before I ran into you again?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was big and black and scary-looking."

"Were you scared?"

"Yeah, but I scared the werewolf off."

"How?"

"I gave it something that gave it a hard time to swallow. It ended up vomiting from the result."

"Eww, gross."

"That's what I thought, too." Errick laughed. They continued with small talk until the two of them fell asleep under the Gildergleem and the moons of Nirn.

"So, did Lucy become Errick's daughter, or did she find another home to live in?"

"Errick eventually adopted her, Ronan. It was some time after we defeated Alduin. Lucy was able to bring out a more caring side to Errick that he hid from everyone. I never understood why, but perhaps Errick hid a kind heart underneath his personality. But I think it's important to note real quick that the hunter that brought Lucy to Whiterun actually played a role in the story as well, although it was more behind the scenes of history. To this day, I'm still not entirely certain how he fit into the story, but he did help us at certain moments of our adventures."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Miss me, bitches?!

It's good to say that with the temporary hiatus I am placing on my Mass Effect story, I will be focusing all efforts on Skyrim and Assassin's Creed to hammer out as much as possible. Now, posting might be a bit trickier, as my roommates moved out with the TV and Wifi. So that means I have to use the Student WiFi at school, which is not half bad. I'm also supposed to be getting new roommates soon, so hopefully they'll have the things I require to map out my Skyrim Timeline.

Now, as for the character Lucy, she's one of the few characters Errick Entius's creator, MassFieldBlood, has created for this story (there will be one more that I can think of at the top of my head, while two others will appear in the Dawnguard story, Dawn of the Dragonborn). The hunter that I created for this story is an original character that will also have a possible role in Zombarbment's major fiction novel he wishes to write. I won't discuss the details about his story because they're really his to discuss about, but know that his original story does overlap a bit with some of my fiction.

Shoutouts to the usual reviewers, and thank you for your patience.

P.S. That J'zargo scene? Trust me, there are those people out there.