Chapter 21: Labyrinthian
"What kind of danger did Stryger face in the Labrynthian?" Torygg asked. "I'm assuming that since the Staff of Magnus was inside so was a guardian that defended it."
"You are correct, Torygg. A great evil guarded the Staff from those who had trespassed before. Stryger and his friends would have been overpowered had they not worked together to defeat their foe. This was the moment Stryger knew that he had something special: colleagues that would stand beside him in the face of peril. They even fought alongside each other during our business with the Dawnguard, but I'm certain Stryger will want to tell you about that when he arrives."
The sun set upon the Labyrinthian as the day was brought to a close. The winter's wind blew furiously upon the ancient stone temples that made up the Labyrinthian. A couple of Frost Trolls began eating away at the poor rabbit who just so happened to stumble into their territory. The sound of ripping and gnawing could not be heard over the wind.
What could be heard was a thunderous crash.
The trolls looked up to see a beam of green light shining from the top of the staircase to the Labyrinthian. Confused and enraged by the anomaly that interrupted their meal the two trolls ran up the stairs to investigate, hoping to tear apart the interlopers for their interruption.
As they reached the top of the stairs a large fireball flung right at them, knocking them off the steps while burning from the magic that was cast upon them.
"Bullseye." Stryger smiled as he lowered his spell and looked at his companions. "You guys ready for this?"
J'zargo hissed. "J'zargo thought Winterhold was cold, but this place is much colder. I am very ready to go inside."
Onmund smiled. "This is why most Nords say Skyrim belongs to them. We can stand the cold just fine."
"Since Skyrim is your home, Onmund, do you know anything about this place?" Stryger asked.
"Nothing good, I'm afraid. Obviously it's an old Nordic crypt so we can expect draugr, but there are legends around this place involving the Dragon Priests of old. And with the return of the dragons that people have been mentioning I can't help but wonder if we're walking into something very serious."
"Wait, dragons are returning?"
"Yeah. We actually saw one pass right over the College yesterday after you left. It didn't incite an attack but it did look like it was scouting."
Stryger sighed. "I really hope that the dragons aren't going to target Winterhold. There's already enough problems with the hold not liking magic and the anomalies that we just put down."
"Well if a dragon attacks the College will be ready. Speaking of which, I'm ready."
"Good." Stryger reached into his satchel and found Savos's amulet, pulling it out. "Mirabelle said I need to wear this for some odd reason. Savos apparently wanted to make sure I got it for coming here. It's strange, but..."
"But?" Brelyna asked.
"I think Savos knew that the Staff was here this whole time." Stryger took the fragmented amulet from around his neck, replacing it with the one Savos had provided. "Let's get inside. Once we start seeing draugr we'll pull out J'zargo's special scrolls and see what they can do. Use soul trap or soul-capturing bound weapons to fill up any empty soul gems you may be carrying. The gems could come in handy if we run into trouble."
"Why do we need filled soul gems?" Onmund asked.
"There's something you and J'zargo don't know about me. I have a rare gift in that I can use souls to heal grave injuries on any person. If whatever we're going to face in there gravely hurts us I can heal you with the soul gems so long as you're still alive."
J'zargo sneezed. "J'zargo has not heard of such a thing."
"It's a very rare gift. Even I don't know everything about it. But I have learned how to use my gift and I've become an expert at it. So long as I remain standing none of us will die from our injuries."
"I hope so." Onmund nodded. "So how about we get inside where the cat here can keep his fur dry."
"Agreed." Stryger nodded, walking up to the door. He pushed open the ancient doors and heard the creaking of hinges. These doors had not seen use for some time, but from the sounds of it they had been used more recently than Stryger first believed. He was about to enter when he felt something behind him; something that wasn't his friends. Stryger turned to see six apparitions in front of him.
"Come on, we're finally here!" The voice of Savos spoke as Strgyer recognized the former Arch-Mage. "Let's not waste any more time!"
"Are we truly sure this is a good idea?" A female argonian asked.
"We'll be back at the College before anyone notices we're gone." A Redguard woman answered.
"You would care about that, since you're the Arch-Mage's favorite!" A Bosmer retorted.
"Don't forget." Savos spoke. "This whole idea was Atmah's to begin with."
"Let's just get inside, see what's in there." A Nord said, sounding bored of the conversation his colleagues were having. After that, the apparations disappeared.
Everyone looked stunned.
"What was that?" Brelyna asked. "Did everyone else see that?"
"J'zargo knows he saw that."
"Looks like I was right." Stryger walked towards his friends. "Savos did know about Labyrinthian."
"Maybe he also knew he would need to prepare you for when you came here for the staff." Onmund noted.
Stryger grabbed the amulet that hung around his neck. "Could be. Let's get inside. Hopefully we can figure out what we're dealing with if there are going to be more of these apparitions appearing."
While Stryger was entering the Labyrinthian with his friends, Akira and Farkas had walked back to Jorvaskr. Their bodies were aching from their battle but all they needed was some rest. Akira had tried to convince Farkas to visit the healers at the temple but he refused, saying that he didn't need any healing and only needed to rest. Akira would have argued but Farkas mentioned that she could also go to the healers to help her due to her carrying all of her gear on her back. Her stubbornness also made her refuse to go.
The doors to Jorvaskr opened and the sound of song was heard within the dining hall. Their fellow companions were singing songs about their conquests from times ago, and they silenced when they saw the two tired warriors step inside. Naturally Vilkas came up to his brother to see what had happened.
"Troll's blood, Farkas. Why are you stumbling as you walk?"
"Akira and I fought a dragon just outside of the main gate." Farkas spoke proudly.
"A dragon? That's the second time the new blood has been around when a dragon appears."
Akira tossed the bones of her fallen foe onto the table. "Another dragon did attack, and I not only killed it but I absorbed it's soul."
The halls of Jorvaskr went extremely quiet at her words. Akira saw this as an opportunity to speak about the fight, and so she walked up to the others at the table. "As I returned to Whiterun from the wilds I ran into Farkas at the gate. A minute later we heard the roar of the dragon, approaching the hold in search for someone to kill. Farkas and I charged the beast, raising our weapons high as we kept the dragon grounded. With its wings clipped it could not run, so it resorted to fighting with tooth and tail. When Farkas was thrown into the stables I shouted in the dragon's own tongue, sending fire at the fierce beast's maw. I took that opportunity to jump onto the dragon's head, jumping up and swinging my axe down triumphantly to fell the beast. And as Farkas approached me once more the dragon caught fire, and it's soul was transferred to me."
The room seemed to get even quieter as she finished her story. Only the crackling of the fire could be heard before Kodlak appeared from out of the shadows.
"So, you are a Dragonborn?" The old man asked.
Akira nodded. "It would appear so. There was already evidence to suggest that I was when I managed to shout a word of power, but when I absorbed the dragon's soul I could feel it's energy giving me knowledge of the dragons. I now know I can learn new shouts and that my destiny lies with that of a Nord who we discovered to also be Dragonborn the first time a dragon appeared near Whiterun. I will use my newfound abilities to bring honor to the Companions, Kodlak."
"So you may, young cub. May I speak with you downstairs in my room?"
"Of course."
Kodlak nodded. "The rest of you may continue your celebrating." Kodlak went back down the stairs to the living quarters as the song and dance continued. Akira brought herself to walk down the stairs to follow Kodlak to his room, dropping her pack off next to the doors to the bedrooms. As she entered the room Akira saw Kodlak drinking Mead from a mug. "Have a seat."
"So what's on your mind, Kodlak?"
"It seems that you have been busy as of late."
"I've been working to bring honor to the Companions."
"Spare me the pleasant talk. I know about your recent transformation, and that you have been hunting down the Silver Hand."
Akira made no notion to deny her actions, simply nodding.
"I know that you and Aela grieve for the loss of Skjor. We all do. But I fear that the bloodshed may have gone too far, and I fear the coming retaliation upon the Companions. But that is not why I asked you here."
Akira leaned forward. "Then why have you asked me here?"
"Tell me, how much do you know about the Companions and those with the beast blood?"
"I know that Skjor believed it to be a gift, while you see it as a curse."
"And what do you think of this?"
"It is a gift and a curse. You gain more strength but share mind and body with a spirit of a wolf. And while I'm okay being a werewolf right now I would at least want a chance to be human again one day."
"Spoken well. Yes, there is some truth to it being both a gift and a curse. Our lycanthropy is much more recent within the history of the Companions. Many generations ago, a coven of Glenmoril Witches promised members of the Companions the attributes of a wolf to increase their strength. But we had been deceived. When they died their souls were brought to Hiricine's hunting grounds. While some people like Aela find this to be a good place to go after death, I dream of Sovngarde to be among Ysgramor and Talos. Therefore I have studied for years to find a way to reverse my lycanthropy."
"And have you found a way?"
"I believe I have. The same Witches that cursed their magic upon the Companions still exist today. It is from their magic that the cure can be made. Therefore, I have chosen you to be the one to retrieve their heads."
Akira raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"To free the wolf spirit within me I require the heads of the Glenmoril Witches. Their heads will still possess the magic needed to free me of my wolf and let my spirit ascend with my ancestors in Sovngarde."
"And you want me to go alone on this?"
"Yes. No shield-sibling shall follow you on this. I am entrusting you to do this yourself. And given your unique talents you may be more than a match for the Witches."
Akira rubbed her shoulders. They were still tense from walking back to Whiterun with all of her gear and she knew she was still tired. "If that is what you request, then I will head out first thing in the morning. My muscles ache for rest and I do not want to strain myself."
"Of course. Rest tonight and face the witches when you are at full strength."
"Before I depart for a bed, may I ask some questions?"
"Ask, and you shall receive."
"Besides Aela's anger towards the Silver Hand she seemed to break down when she saw Skjor murdered. I didn't understand why she did. Do you have any clue why?"
"Aela and her wolf shared a special connection to Skjor. As I'm sure you know, the wolves that bind with us share similarities to ourselves. Aela has experienced loss twice now. The first was a Companion who disappeared some time after taking of the beast blood. After that had happened she and Skjor shared their connection. Now that Skjor's dead Aela and her wolf were having trouble processing everything. You did well in saving her, even though it lead to her wanting revenge."
"What about that missing Companion? What's the story behind that?"
"He was a warrior and a hunter, much like Aela. When he joined they would hunt together, bringing many of their kills back to the hall. After he became a werewolf he disappeared on a mission to Markarth, and he hasn't returned since."
"That's unusual. Normally Companions always stay with the Companions rather than disappearing."
"Your mentor Askar did the same thing, if you don't recall. He left the Companions when I was your age. Had he stayed he might have easily been Harbinger instead of me, but he chose another path."
"He never mentioned why he left, at least not to me. But whatever his reasons for leaving he thought I was ready to be a Companion. Perhaps I will know why he left one day."
"If you do not mind, I wish to know about Askar a bit more. How has he been since I last saw him?"
"He's turned into a great leader. Despite his age he's still in peak shape, charging in with his men as we went after larger threats across Tamriel. He was kind, smart, and charismatic among his men. Every single one of us would be willing to die for him, and he was willing to do the same. When he allowed me to join, however, he treated me as if I was his daughter. After all, he saved me from bandits when my own parents were slaughtered. I guess I saw him as a father figure to take the role of my parents. I owe him my life."
"Did he have children of his own?"
"None that I knew of. If he had children they were not among his band of mercenaries. Askar never talked about having children. In fact, none of those serving with him had thoughts of raising families."
"Did you also not seek to start a family?"
"No. As much as I miss my parents they had me at a very young age. We lived much in poverty and I did not want to follow in my parents' footsteps. I want to make a name for myself and find someone that is compatible with me. Then I would consider raising a family. What about you? Have you ever considered raising a family?"
"A long time ago, yes, but now my time for having a family is long passed. The Companions are my family."
"I guess that makes sense." Akira looked down. "I'm glad that I have a family with the companions."
"Any of the Companions that hold your favor?"
Akira looked at Kodlak. "What do you mean?"
"Any particular Companion catching your eye?" Kodlak smiled in his friendly manner.
Akira was confused on what the Harbinger was implying, but suddenly her eyes shot wide open. "What? No! No, I haven't caught the eye of anyone in the Companions."
Kodlak laughed. "Why so defensive? You are aware that I can sense the thoughts of your wolf. Her connection to Farkas and his wolf is apparent on me."
"My wolf has nothing to do with anything involving Farkas and I. We're just... Friends."
"Maybe so, but the thoughts of Athala betray what she wants you two to be."
Akira scowled. Damn it, Athala. Now's not the time to think of mating season.
What? Athala answered in her head. Fenris and I have a connection. Of course we'd want you and Farkas to get together.
That's not up for discussion right now.
Kodlak laughed again. "It seems that you and your wolf have been getting along rather well. Perhaps you two will work together well into the future."
Akira looked back at Kodlak. "Perhaps we will." She stood up. "If you'll excuse me, Kodlak. I think it is time for me to retire tonight. I shall head to the Glenmoril Coven tomorrow and deal with the witches."
"Good night, Akira. And good luck."
Akira nodded and turned towards the door, leaving Kodlak alone with his thoughts.
As this was happening, Stryger and his group were entering the first chamber of the ruins. A large gate was blocking the way but the switch was easy to spot. J'zargo stepped up and pulled the lever, opening the gate. The four of them stepped through the doorway to see many skeletons wandering around.
"Well now." Stryger whispered. "This should be a piece of cake."
As he said that, a large skeleton of a dragon came popping up from out of the ground.
"Me and my big mouth." Stryger cursed himself. He pulled out his fireball spells and started barraging the dragon. This caught the attention of the other skeletons, who immediately started retaliating with a hail of arrows. Everyone started splitting up, taking cover behind stairs while flinging spells at the animated bones. The spells of fire and lightning tore the skeletons apart, soon leaving the room quiet save for the clanging of bones.
J'zargo found himself sneezing again. "Curses." He swore. "J'zargo's nose is being annoyed by all of the dust in this ruin."
Onmund looked at him. "Do you need a handkerchief?"
"No. Just don't be surprised if I continue sneezing."
"Try holding it in if we aren't trying to give away our position."
Stryger chuckled. "All right, guys. This is only the first room. There's still plenty of undead between us and the staff. Let's get to it." He walked down the path towards the next door and caught sight of a stone tablet. Written on the stone tablet was something in the ancient Nordic tongue. Stryger, however, couldn't make out what it said. "Onmund, you know the language of the ancient Nords, right?"
"Aye." The mage answered.
"Can you translate this?"
Onmund stepped up and looked at the tablet. "It says 'Hail All - Brave City Bromjunaar. Forever These Walls Shall Stand. May Enemies See Her Majesty. May All Quake To Behold Her.'"
Suddenly as Onmund finished reading the tablet more ghosts of the past appeared. Intent on finding out what happened to them Stryger stepped forward to hear their tale.
"We barely made it out alive and you want us to go back in?!" The Nord protested.
"What was that thing, anyway?" The Argonian asked.
"It's too late." The Redguard called Atmah spoke. "There isn't enough of him left to go back in after."
"Gods, what have we done?" The Argonian cried.
"We don't need to go back. We have to move forward." Savos plead. "We can still do this!"
"Savos is right." Atmah spoke. "We can make it. Just stay alert." After she finished her sentence the ghosts disappeared.
Stryger rubbed his chin. "Sounds like whatever was going on with Savos and his gang they thought they could handle what lied ahead, even after losing one of their friends."
"Horrible." Brelyna spoke.
"Right. Let's see if we can learn from their mistakes when the next vision pops up. Wouldn't want to end up like them." Stryger headed for the next door and opened it. Inside was a small Hall leading to a frozen doorway. He stepped inside only to see an ethereal glow hit him, draining him of magicka.
"Wo meyz wah dii vul junaar?"
Stryger shook his head, feeling pain hit brain. By the Eight, what was going on? "That language... It sounded familiar. Why can't I remember where I heard it?"
Brelyna stepped up to Stryger, placing her arm on his shoulder. "Stryger, are you all right?"
The pain in Stryger's head subsided and he felt his magicka regenerate within him. "I'm fine now. I don't know what happened." He stood himself up and brought out his fire spell, shooting it at the ice door. A spirit walked out of the door ready to fight. Stryger was quick, however, and fired his spell at the spirit, killing it as it's remains became ash.
"What a weird door." Brelyna spoke as she stepped forward, seeing the door open.
Stryger went ahead and stepped through, seeing the open chasm that was further within. He stepped even further before another wave of ethereal energy hit him, draining him again of magicka.
"Nivahriin muz fent siiv nid aaz het." The voice spoke again, irritating Stryger as his headache returned.
"Stryger?!" Brelyna questioned as J'zargo and Onmund caught up behind them.
Stryger groaned, trying to stand himself up again. "That damn voice is draining me of my magicka! And it's giving me a damn headache."
"Voice?" J'zargo asked. "J'zargo has not heard a voice."
"Lucky J'zargo, then." Stryger mocked. He shook his head as the pain finally subsided. "Watch my back. Whatever we're dealing with seems to have made me a target or something." He stepped forward to see a path they had to descend. There were a few draugr patrolling the path. Stryger crouched down and summoned a bow into his hands, pulling back an arrow and firing upon the closest one. He smiled with delight as it made the sound of a captured soul, feeling the warmth of a soul gem being filled within his satchel.
"Nice shot." J'zargo spoke. "Now my turn." He pulled out his own bow and hit another draugr, absorbing it's soul with his summoned arrow. "Looks clear."
"Good. Let's get down there. Quietly." Stryger crawled down the pathway with his friends behind him, being careful as to not make a sound. At the end of the path was another doorway that led them to a room with a skeleton sitting in a chair next to an enchanting table. Stryger stood up and examined the place, finding a spell book and a black soul gem.
"Hmm." J'zargo hummed as he approached. "Black soul gems are considerably rare, and also considered to be dangerous. They can trap people into the gems, making their energies into anything their captors choose. It is a dangerous magical item."
"But one that serves a purpose." Stryger spoke, stuffing it into his satchel. "I'll hold onto it. Maybe we can use it to trap Ancano's soul after we kill him."
"Those are dark thoughts, but they aren't J'zargo's. Do what you wish." J'zargo headed for the next door while Stryger flipped through the spell book. When he was finished he put it in his satchel, planning on lending it to his friends. He turned to see Brelyna and Onmund had scavenged some ingredients from the alchemy lab and stored them in their own satchels.
"All set?" Brelyna asked.
"Yeah." Stryger nodded. "Let's keep moving." They headed back out to the path taking the walkway down to the next door that the ethereal energies kept coming from. Just as Strgyer remembered that another blast of ethereal energy hit him, draining him of magicka for the third time.
"You do not answer... Must I use this guttural language of yours?"
"Son of a bitch." Stryger swore as he grasped his head. "You fucking bastard! Stay out of my head!"
J'zargo laughed. "I think our friend here is losing it."
"Play nice, J'zargo." Onmund retorted. "Obviously something in these ruins is causing him distress. Let's just keep moving and watch out for the being that's messing with his mind."
Stryger let go of his head, looking back up to the door near them. "Come on." Stryger spoke, marching towards the next door. A few more draugr were present, causing Stryger to pull out a bound sword. The draugr caught sight of the trespasser and ran towards him. Stryger returned their aggression by swinging his sword, letting his friends fire bolts of lightning at the ones who weren't near Stryger. The weakened foes were easily chopped down by Stryger, transferring their souls into the soul gems he carried. Soon the room was clear for them to continue.
"Yeah!" Brelyna cheered. "We kicked their asses!"
J'zargo looked at her. "More like your boyfriend kicked their asses."
Onmund nudged J'zargo while smirking. "Hey, at least Stryger has a bigger chance of being her boyfriend than you, pussy cat."
"Again," J'zargo started before sneezing. "J'zargo is not a pussy."
"I know." Onmund smiled.
"Obviously you don't if you keep calling me such."
"It's just a joke. You're a khajiit and all that so you're kind of a cat?"
J'zargo seemed to sneer at his companion.
Stryger cleared his throat. "Anyways, onto the important things. Like saving the world." He continued down the path to a small hallway to a door. The floor was partially flooded, ending off near the top of Stryger's boots. Stryger reached out for the door before another wave of ethereal energy hit him.
"Have you returned, Aren? My old friend?"
Stryger cried out as he heard the voice speak of Savos. When the energy stopped he felt his magician return and his headache subside. "What in Oblivion is going on here?!"
"What is it?" Brelyna asked.
"The voice... The one that keeps draining my magicka... It asked me if I was Savos. He referred to him as his old friend. I'm having trouble piecing this together."
"Savos was here years ago. Maybe the guardian of this tomb knew he escaped and has been waiting for his return."
"Too bad Savos is dead, then. It's up to us. We can finish what he started." Stryger turned back to the doors and pushed them open, ready to move on to confront the voice that spoke to him.
Meanwhile in Riften Errick had managed to skin fifteen salmon he had managed to catch and began frying them in a pan while Vekel the Man prepared a stew. Errick made sure to prepare them all accordingly, and he caught enough for all of the members he knew about. Vekel watched the thief as he prepared the salmon with the professional skill of a chef.
"Hey, Fancy hands?" Vekel spoke, trying to get Errick's attention.
"Hmm?" Errick asked, turning to face the bartender.
"Where did you learn to cook like a fancy chef?"
"Orsimer, of all places. I spent two whole months as a servant boy to some count and worked with the chef. I learned so much about cooking in so little time I took over his job about two days before I robbed the count of all of his valuables. It was the first day my suit here was heavily enchanted to have all pockets. Now all that treasure is in my treasure room back in Cyrodiil."
"Well, if you know how to cook maybe you can actually cook dinner for a change."
"Hey, if I'm available and you want something fancy made for dinner just ask. I'm sure I'll never be too busy to make a good meal."
"Good. Then maybe I can start cleaning this damn place up a bit. By the way, we received a barrel full of Mead the other day from an anonymous source. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
"Who? Me?" Errick smiled hysterically. "Nah, I can't imagine I know anything about that."
Vekel scoffed. "You're definitely not like the other thieves here, Fancy Hands."
"And you're the only man I know that would call me fancy hands." Errick joked. "Every other person that called me that was a woman."
"I don't think I need to know why."
"Smart move." Errick smiled as he continued to cook the fish. Over the next few minutes Errick cooked the rest of the fish in silence, placing the fried fish into a small black pot to be dished out for the members of the guild. Once the final salmon steaks had finished cooking Errick picked up the skillet and brought it away from the fire to take care of the grease, dumping it into a bucket. "All right, ladies and gents. Salmon steaks and stew for dinner!"
The members of the guild that were in the Ragged Flagon immediately headed to the counter to dish up their plates and bowls. Once Delvin had grabbed his steaks he immediately cut into it, wondering just how it would taste. As he brought the salmon to his mouth he blew on it to cool it off. Then he caught onto the salmon with his mouth, chewing it intently. Suddenly his eyes shot up.
"By the Gods!" The senior guild member shouted. "This is the best damn salmon I've ever tasted."
"You're welcome!" Errick shouted as he headed into the Cistern. He found a seat near the beds and sat himself down, placing his food on the table. The junior members of the guild saw that he had dinner and made their way to the Ragged Flagon to grab themselves a bite to eat. For a minute all Errick could hear was the sound of running water in the Cistern and his own musings of eating something that he prepared. And he was happy he had learned all of those skills or else he would have likely had to eat a ton of crappy food while staying down here in the Ratway.
It was from this realization that he started to see how much he was missing Cryodiil.
Sure, Riften had its charms but the Thieves were in a very shitty place. Literally. Never mind the troubles with the guild that Delvin likes to call a curse but the fact that they live in the sewers just says a lot about their scenario. In Cyrodiil the Thieves Guild still lived in poor conditions but at least they had a few forward bases to converge in, especially during the war. Errick knew they were able to meet up in warehouses and the shacks of the Waterfront because his mother told him of that while they lived there. But all the Thieves Guild had was the Ragged Flagon and the Cistern. They didn't have any additional help from outside sources; no warehouses, no safe havens, and barely any additional fences. Hopefully, however, Errick could change that and help the guild thrive again.
"Hey." Isobel's voice caught Errick off guard. He looked up to see her surrounded by some of the other members of the guild. "Mind if we sit with you."
"Sure." Errick agreed. "I've got nothing better to do so you guys can gather round."
Isobel sat in the chair across from Errick while her fellow guild members sat on the beds. They all are their food and were blown away by Errick's cooking. "Holy shit, Errick." Isobel spoke. "I didn't know you could cook so well!"
"When you're a lone thief like I had been for most of my life you tend to pick up a few tricks when planning out heists. I learned how to cook like a master when I staked out a count's place in Orsimer. I'm also a talented horse trainer, Baker, blacksmith, enchanter, alchemist, swordsman, and had I never wanted to pick up thievery I might have made a good escort in some places. Of course Issy here might have been better at it given her reputation for bedding those she was looking to steal from."
The thief known as Vipir snorted at his comment, earning a chuckle from Isobel. "Yeah, when it comes to our exploits Errick has always been a gentleman about the women he's bedded." Isobel smiled before looking at Vipir. "Unlike other people here, of course."
"It takes one to know one, Issy." Vipir chuckled. "Of course, now that I've said that I don't really know much about you, Errick. We've only gotten tidbits of information from Isobel."
"Well too bad you can't read minds like I can, Vipir the Fleet." Errick smiled.
Vipir looked confused. "You can't really read minds, can you?"
Isobel chuckled. "I don't know if you really want to find out."
"Issy, we both know Vipir wants to find out." Errick patted her on the head, gaining a scowl from the Breton. "All right, Vipir. Think of a number between one and twenty."
Vipir seemed to tense up as he closed his eyes, visualizing a number in his head. "Okay. Go for it."
Errick looked into Vipir's mind before he smiled. "You're not thinking of a number. You're thinking of how you'll make a fool out of me by thinking about sex."
Vipir opened his eyes in shock. The Bosmer named Nuruin looked at his fellow thief with distaste. "Really, Fleet? You're thinking about sex during dinner?"
Errick looked at the Bosmer. "Why are you criticizing him when you're thinking about opening a brothel?"
The Bosmer then became embarrassed, causing Isobel to laugh hysterically. "I told you guys you wouldn't want to know the answer."
Nuruin turned to face Errick. "How in Oblivion can you do that?"
"Do you wanna know how I read minds?"
Visit and Nuruin nodded.
"Do you really wanna know?"
Vipir and Nuruin looked at each other for a split second before turning to face Errick. They nodded again.
"Okay. You see I can read your minds through your tells. Your tells can tell me everything I need to know about you. That's what can make you a master thief." Errick turned to Nuruin. "Except for you. I just read your diary."
"It's a journal." Nuruin corrected.
"Same thing." Errick smiled. "And don't worry. I'm good at keeping secrets."
Isobel scoffed. "You are pretty secretive, Errick. I mean, not once have you given me a specific story about your past. Just some tidbits here and there."
"Well that's easy. You know how I can keep secrets? My whole past is a secret! That's how I can keep it best!"
"Are you ever going to reveal your whole past to us?"
"Let me just check my crystal ball." Errick pulled out a crystal ball from his jacket. "Hmm. The signs point to ask again later."
"When should we ask again later?"
"Umm, in about a few more chapters."
"What?" The other thieves ask.
"Nothing." Errick said quickly, putting his crystal ball back.
"Hey!" Mercer shouted from his side of the cistern. "Would you in Oblivion shut up?! Some of us are actually trying to do some fucking work around here!"
Errick turned to face Mercer. "Perfectly understandable, but I have one question." Errick stood up and walked towards Mercer. "How do you expect me to get into Oblivion so I can shut up?"
Mercer looked up from his paperwork. "Excuse me?"
"Well you did say 'in Oblivion' would you shut up? How do you expect me to get into Oblivion?"
"You're a smart-ass, Errick. You can figure it out."
Errick remained quiet for a second. "Now I don't get that one."
"What's not to get?"
"Well, I'm smart, but I'm pretty sure my ass doesn't have any brains."
Mercer stood up. "Did any of your previous employers have to deal with all of the bullshit you're giving me?"
Errick grinned. "No, but I feel like I should try to impress so I'm doing double the work."
Mercer's face contorted into a look of anger while Errick's grin grew wider. "You play a very dangerous game, Mr. Entius."
"Oh I'm so sorry, Mercer. I didn't realize that was the situation. Let me get out my playing cards." Errick reached into his jacket but Mercer grabbed his arm. "Oh, I get it. Checkers. I should have thought of that one." Errick's grin began to grow even wider as the other residents of the cistern appeared.
"You're testing my patience, boy."
"Well my teacher said I was always good at tests. Good thing I brought my lucky quill."
"Every word you speak is making me regret hiring you on. You keep this up and I'm going to kill you."
"Come on, old man. Do you really think those brittle bones can keep up with-a me?" Errick continued to grin. Mercer was about to shout before Brynjolf appeared, breaking up the fight.
"That's enough!" Brynjolf commanded. "Errick, I know Mercer is hard to work with but you really shouldn't be pissing him off. He's got a lot to focus on."
"But I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was just asking him a simple question. He's the one who got mad over it."
"Errick, you're antagonizing him! You've already caused trouble for us yesterday. Right now we need to focus on finding out who's been trying to shut down the guild. There shouldn't be any hostility between us right now."
Errick was about to retort but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Errick," Isobel spoke, her calm spell affecting him. "I think it's time to relax. Mercer may be a jackass but right now Brynjolf has a point. We need to focus on figuring things out."
Mercer crossed his arms. "The imp and I finally agree."
Errick looks around and shrugs. "I was going to say if this is so important why not have some more people looking into this than Mercer? I mean this guy has focused on this thing for so long he's an even tighter ass than he was before."
Mercer scoffed but Brynjolf seemed to agree. "That's a good point. Mercer, take a break and eat something. Errick can help look through the records for you."
"Makes sen- wait, what?" Errick asked. "I didn't say volunteer me!"
"Yeah, but you're a pretty smart guy. I'm sure you can figure this all out for us." Brynjolf smiled, putting his hand on Errick's shoulder.
Errick sighed. "Fine. Let me prove how smart I am. Again." Errick walked over to the desk and began looking through the papers, sifting through the papers while scanning them diligently. After a few seconds he seemed to have deciphered what they needed to know. "Eureka!" Errick lifted a piece into the air, bringing it over to the senior members. "Done!"
Brynjolf took the paper and read the signature on the older letter. "Gulum-Ei?"
"Yeah. I just compared the signatures. It was kind of obvious if you think about it."
"Hmm." Mercer hummed, pissed off that he couldn't figure it out himself. "Gulum-Ei is a slippery bastard, and last I heard he was working for the East Empire Company. He's in Solitude right now. I guess it's your lucky day, thief. You will go and apprehend him. Find out who his employer is, and kill him."
"Kill?" Errick asked. "If I remember correctly, wouldn't killing him make us more like that... What's it called? The Black Palm?"
"That's the Dark Brotherhood. And Gulum-Ei has proven himself to be a traitor. Ending his life won't do us any harm. I expect you to do what I ask." Mercer walked away from them towards the Ragged Flagon, and Brynjolf turned to face Errick.
"Gulum-Ei is actually a coward. You'll be able to get what you want after a show of force. If you think he's worth sparing, then don't kill him."
"Don't worry. I don't kill people unless I have to. And if he's a coward he's definitely not worth it." Errick smiled. "Also, may I bring Isobel and Thrynn with me to Solitude?"
Brynjolf cocked his eyebrow. "Why those two specifically?"
"Well if that bothers you I could leave Isobel here to continue bothering you." Errick grinned.
"Every time that grin of yours shows up something strange is going on in that head of yours. What are up to?"
"Nothing. Just doing my job."
Brynjolf shrugged. "If they don't have a problem with it, you can take them."
"Good. We'll head out tomorrow morning, once we know everything is all set up." Errick nodded before heading off to talk to Isobel about their plan.
Back in Labyrinthian, Stryger and the gang were fighting more skeletons and draugr within the next chamber, casting ice spikes to slow down the guardians of the tomb within the smaller spaces of the chamber. Stryger knew that if he used his more powerful fire spells he would likely also hit his friends if the enemy got too close, so he suggested they use ice over fire to slow the enemies down and finish them off. And it brilliantly worked. The draugr and skeleton were defeated quickly without them having to go near the undead. Stryger smiled until he felt the same pain return; his magicka draining as the presence spoke to him once more.
"Do you seek to finish that which you could not?"
The pain subsides faster this time, but Stryger was still gritting his teeth. This strange voice that kept speaking to him was causing him great distress, and he knew he wouldn't be able to handle it anymore if the presence didn't back down and stopped trying to take away his magicka. "Damn it." He cursed.
Brelyna placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"It's that damned voice again. It keeps giving me a fucking headache." Stryger grunted. "This is getting out of hand. You three might need to do most of the work if this damn voice keeps trying to stop me from using my magic."
J'zargo sneezed again. "J'zargo didn't realize how much his nose hates the dust in these places. But J'zargo can definitely fight whatever is ahead of us."
"Then take point for a little bit. I need to try and clear my head."
"Very well." J'zargo went on ahead down the path followed by Ormund, leaving Stryger and Brelyna behind in the chamber. Stryger stood up straight and looked at Brelyna, who still seemed concerned for Stryger's strange fits of pain.
"What?" He asked.
"That voice you keep talking about. It really causes you pain?"
"Yes. The voice is likely ancient. And the power it commands... I've never felt this kind of power before." He went silent for a moment. "Is it a bad thing to say that I am scared?"
"No." Brelyna answered. "Everyone is scared of something. But this is something we can face together. We can win against whoever or whatever is causing you this pain." She brought her hand up to his face. "Just try to hold on."
Stryger felt her fingers brush up against his face. And for a moment he felt peace.
"Troll!" Onmund's voice could be heard shouting from the corridor behind him. Stryger turned around quickly towards the voice and ran, reaching the doorway to see Onmund and J'zargo facing off against a troll. J'zargo was running towards the troll with a bound sword while Onmund stood back, casting firebolts at the creature. Stryger saw as J'zargo was knocked back, crashing into a wall. Stryger took this as an opportunity and powered up a fireball spell, tossing it at the troll. The resulting explosion knocked the beast into the air, searing it's flesh as the flames burned around it. In that instant it was dead.
"J'zargo, are you hurt?" Stryger asked as he ran up to the khajiit.
J'zargo attempted to stand, finding himself unable to as his legs began to collapse. "J'zargo got hit pretty good. Ouch."
"Hold on." Stryger pulled out his healing hands spell. "I'll try to help you up." He began casting the magic around the injured mage, eventually giving J'zargo his ability to walk without pain again. When the khajiit stood up he waved off the other mage.
"J'zargo does not need your help anymore. He thanks you for the assistance, however."
Stryger patted the mage's arm, showing his understanding of the khajiit's words. "Perhaps it's best we keep our distance when it comes to trolls. Come on." Stryger waved for his companions to follow down the next hallway, but stopped when he felt his magic draining once more.
"You only face failure once more..." The voice interrupted, disturbing Stryger more and more as he felt his magicka returning.
"Shut up, you damned evil creature!" Stryger yelled, hearing only silence in return as the pain faded away. Stryger noticed the silence from his companions as he turned around. "What?"
Onmund cleared his throat. "I think this place is starting to get to you."
Stryger was about to complain but sighed instead. "I don't doubt it. We'd better hurry. If I stay in this place a moment too long I swear I'm gonna lose it." He turned forward and began running towards a gate down a number of stairs. His companions followed until they noticed a skeleton getting ready to attack the oblivious Stryger.
"I've got this one!" Onmund yelled as he launched a fireball at the approaching skeleton, preventing it from charging at Stryger as he approached the switch. Stryger reached for the lever that would release the gate, hearing the voice return in his mind as his magicka faded once more.
"You... You are not Aren, are you? Has he sent you in his place?"
Stryger pulled the lever, bringing the gate down for them to continue. This time he felt no pain, as if the one draining him of his power was curious of this stranger approaching him. Stryger took this chance to continue running forward, attempting to ignore any threats that approached. His friends were right behind him as they cast more spells at incoming threats, taking out a whispmother that almost impaled Stryger as he approached. Stryger didn't care about those in his way, only about the voice. There was nothing else on his mind but the threatening voice that wanted to consume him. And once he reached another doorway the voice returned.
"Did he warn you that your own power would be your undoing? That it would only serve to strengthen me?"
Stryger stopped for a moment, now realizing that the pain was gone. He slowed his breathing and let his friends catch up to him, confused as to why he continued to run. In front of them was a door on fire, and likely behind it was another ghost. Brelyna stepped forward and fired an ice storm at the fire, putting it out and summoning the spectre that guarded it.
"We've got this one, Stryger." Brelyna began to cast more magic at the shade that approached. J'zargo and Onmund followed suite and began casting fire and lightning at it. Their combined magics proved too much for the ghost, and it fell to the floor as an ectoplasmic mess. The three mages smiled at their victory, turning around to face Stryger to see if he was all right. When it was revealed he was they continued onward, set on defeating this evil and finding the Staff of Magnus.
"Come on." Savos's voice returned through a room blocked by a metal gate. "We can't stop now. We have to keep moving!"
Stryger opened the gate this vision was taking place in, looking at the image of the journey Savos had lived through before. He was only with a couple of his friends now, meaning that the rest of them must have died before this.
"Where's Elvali?" Atmah asked. "She was right behind me."
"Dead." Hofnar spoke. "Something grabbed her from behind. Gone before I could do anything."
"You're right. This is all my fault. Should we turn around, head back?"
"I don't think going back is a good idea."
"Going back would be the end of us all." Savos insisted. "We keep pushing forward, and we'll make it. We will!"
"Come on." Atmah agreed. "You can make it. Let's go."
The magic in Stryger's body was drained once again as he heard the voice coerce him to continue.
"Come. Face your end."
Stryger finally decided he had enough, and ran forward, bounding a sword to his hand as he swung through the undead blocking his way. He was no longer going to stand having this voice annoy him and drain him of his magicka anymore. He needed to get to the end where the voice was. Not just for his own sake, but for the sake of Tamriel. If he failed, then the world was in danger.
Stryger refused to fail.
Meanwhile at the ruins of Raldbthar, Scarlai looked at the opposition ahead of him. There were two guards at the front gate, but he had the cover of darkness to protect him from getting spotted. Taking his chance he grabbed his bow from his back and pulled an arrow from his quiver. While his hunting bow was weaker compared to many other bows, Scarlai had two centuries of experience to help him find the right place to aim. He pulled the bowstring back as far as he could, releasing the steel arrow straight at the face of one of the bandits. He was met with the satisfying crunch of the arrow piercing through the guard's skull, killing him instantly.
The other guard turned around In time to face the same fate.
With the outside opposition cleared Scarlai stood up and walked up to the door. The Dwarven doors opened quietly for him as he stepped out of the cold. Inside was another man sleeping on a sleeping mat. The pipes of the ancient Dwarven mechanism spouted fire through the exhaust ports, mostly blocking the way forward. Scarlai frowned before sending a large bolt of lightning at the sleeping guard. The bolt killed him instantly, making the fire Scarlai's only opposition. The bottom port stopped spewing fire temporarily, giving the assassin ample time to roll under the flames.
"The Dwemer have let their ruins go." Scarlai joked for a moment before walking down the hall. At the end of the hall was a large room. There was a campfire in the middle, occupied by Scarlai's target and two more guards. The target, Alain DuFont, was a dark-skinned Breton with brown hair and nice clothing. The hammer known as Aegisbane was fastened to his back. Scarlai knew of the weapon because he had seen it back when Torbjorn Shatter-Shield was still a young man heading to fight in the Great War. Alain looked towards Scarlai, merely smirking at the mer in the black robes.
"So," Alain spoke. "Muiri has sent you to collect my head, has she? I knew she would try eventually. She made a mistake sending a monk of all people, though."
Scarlai chuckled. "You underestimate me greatly, Alain DuFont, for I am not a monk." Scarlai reached for the cloth that tied his black robes together, pulling it loose and opening the robes up to reveal the Shrouded armor underneath. He discarded the robes soon after. "As you can see, I am a member of the Dark Brotherhood."
Alain was unphased by this. "The Dark Brotherhood is no more, and you can't scare me."
"You should have plenty of reason to be scared."
Alain scoffed. "Kill him." He commanded his guards, turning away as an insult to Scarlai. The two guards drew their weapons and approached the assassin, ready to start swinging. Scarlai raised his hands slowly, looking as if he were to surrender. But before the guards knew it Scarlai had brought his hands down to grasp his Ebony swords, pulling them out of their sheaths and slicing through their throats. Alain turned around to see his henchmen dead and sighed.
"Must I do everything myself?" Alain rolled his eyes as he reached for Aegisbane. The Breton charged forward with the hammer raised, ready to strike at the assassin. Scarlai stared at him with dead eyes as the mail collided with his head, making a loud snapping sound as his neck was forced back. Alain smiled but dropped it as he saw the assassin bring his head back up completely normal. With the amount of force he put into his swing it should have killed the man, but he remained standing without even a bruise to show for it.
Scarlai continued to look at Alain with dead eyes.
"What are you?!" Alain yelled in horror, stumbling back at the sight of the Dunmer.
Scarlai stepped forward slowly as Alain continued to move back. Soon the assassin had his target's back against the wall. Scared for his life Alain took another swing at the assassin, hoping that this next blow would kill him. Scarlai merely moved away from the hammer, bringing his ebony sword straight into Alain's gut. The sound of metal piercing flesh was all Scarlai could hear, followed by the clanging of the hammer on the ground. Alain's death throes echoed in his ears soon after, and Scarlai removed his sword from his target. As Alain's body dropped to the floor Scarlai guided him down onto his back. When Alain was secured he absorbed the blood that covered the sword before sliding it back in its sheath.
Then he reached his hand towards the wound.
As his fingers touched the flowing blood he found himself inside the Maelstrom; a plane of existence where all blood mages can go to view memories of those they absorbed the blood of. Alain's nearly lifeless body lay upon the ground still, but now he was moving his head around, confused over what was happening. All the dying man could see were glowing red hallways, along with the man who took his life.
"What is this?" Alain asked.
"This is the Maelstrom. It is a plane of existence only blood mages like myself, and those I kill, can ever see."
"Blood mage?" Alain asked. "So you are a vampire?"
"Not exactly. Our abilities have been theorized to be vampiric in nature, but we do not fear the sun or turn into creatures like the ancient Vampire Lords. A vampire cannot enter the Maelstrom, either, for they are not like us."
"Are you immortal, though? I swear, I smashed your face in with the gods-damned hammer."
"In a manner of speaking, yes. There is only one way to kill my kind, and seeing as how I am the last it shows how much the civilizations of Tamriel have forgotten about us. You were largely under-prepared using that warhammer. Breaking bones won't do the trick, and seeing as how you are dying I can share the secret with you." Scarlai brought Alain's hand to his chest.
Alain's eyebrows raised, and he found himself laughing. "I was vastly unprepared. Now Muiri will get what she wants. She did send you, no?"
"She did, and I hold no judgement towards your actions. But if you wish to confess your sins, I will listen to your final vigil."
Alain laughed again. "An assassin asking me to confess my sins? Notice the irony of the situation. Your sin is ever-present here. Do you really believe the Gods will look upon you favorably? How many lives have you taken, huh? How many sins have you committed?"
"More than you can ever possibly imagine. But Azura and Talos guide me, and they know of my sins. Eventually, they will forgive me for what I have done."
"And this is why the Gods make no sense. Why have sins be the defining reason to judge us if we can just pray them away only to commit them again? Do you not find this odd? Why would the Gods let us do such a thing if they will only judge us in the end?" Alain choked. "No, I will not relinquish my sins for the likes of you, and certainly not for the Divines. In the end, I died as I was. I am not ashamed of that. The question you should ask yourself is are you ashamed of what you have done?"
Scarlai looked down, before looking back at Alain. "No, I am not. And that is why the Gods will smile upon me during the final judgement, because even if my actions seem cruel they needed to happen in order for me to grow. That is all they will ever be to me." Scarlai brought his hand up to Alain's eyes, closing them shut as he began to chant a T'scaesi funeral rite. "Let your soul rest in the void as we bring your mortal body's end to a close."
Scarlai brought his fingers away from the wound, draining Alain's wound of blood as he brought his hand away. Scarlai could feel his power growing stronger as he felt the liquid absorb into his body. He was about to stand up when he noticed a bulge within Alain's coat pocket. Reaching inwards he discovered a journal of sorts. It was bound in black with an imprint marking the Black Hand. Curiosity overcame Scarlai as he opened the journal. His curiosity was met with information, as on the inside of the journal it had a name written in blood:
Evan Secus.
Evan Secus. Scarlai wondered. Perhaps the archives for the Dark Brotherhood could give me insight?
Having his curiosity sated for the moment he placed the journal in his satchel and departed for the door, recovering his black robes and tying them around to hide the shrouded armor underneath.
Meanwhile Stryger was walking away from the charred corpse of a draugr he had fought. As soon as he had entered through the next door he had spotted a draugr deathlord sitting in a throne near another large wall inscripted with a strange language. Taking little time to react he threw a large fireball in the draugr's direction, sending the undead back to their grave. Now Stryger approached the wall with the odd language, hearing the sounds of drums constantly beating in his head. One word in particular glowed with light, and soon after another wave of magic flew into him. This time he wasn't drained of magic but he could feel magic rushing within him, along with the feeling that time was actually slowing down.
"Tiid!"
Stryger looked around, feeling as if time had slowed down. Onmund approached him, confused at his friend's strange reaction.
"You okay?" He asked.
Stryger tried to shake his head in an attempt to clear it, relaxing when time seemed to flow normally. "I don't know what happened. For a moment time seemed to move very slowly. I think it might have something to do with this wall." Stryger looked back at it, and the others joined suite.
Onmund rubbed his chin. "I think this is the language of the dragons."
"The what?"
"In the very oldest tales, it is said that dragons enslaved mankind long before the First Era. Some humans worshipped them as Gods, and there are still those today who say the dragons are the children of Akatosh. If the guardian of this tomb worshipped dragons, then we might have a situation on our hands."
J'zargo sneered. "How hard could an undead worshipper of dragons be?"
"Dragon Priests have been theorized to wield powerful magics and can speak the words of the dragons themselves. Nowadays there are a few who practice learning how to use the Dragon Tongue, but none are as powerful as the Dragonborn; men and mer of legend blessed with the Dragon Blood. The whole Septim bloodline possessed this power, and historians still talk about Martin Septim's transformation into the form of Akatosh himself during the Oblivion Crisis."
Stryger hummed. "I saw the statue of Akatosh that was in the Temple of the One. It's almost hard to believe the stories of Martin Septim's sacrifice. Still, I could feel the power within the statue silently stirring, so maybe there is some truth to the tale."
"Yeah." Brelyna sighed. "But what about you, Stryger? Why do you think this wall did something to you?"
"Because I also felt the magic within the wall. It might have given me knowledge."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure." Stryger sighed. "I can think on this later. Right now we have to get the Staff of Magnus." Stryger walked away from the wall and continued on, his friends following soon after. Eventually they made it to a large chamber with a waterfall. There were a couple of bridges and a few of the undead. Two of the corpses looked to be Savos's former colleagues from when he had last visited Labyrinthian.
And then there was the Dragon Priest.
This abomination was adorned in withered, scaley robes that flowed like that of a wraith ready to haunt the cursed ships Stryger had explored in his adventures decades ago. It's decayed hands clutched onto a staff with a small sphere floating in between three metal prongs. Stryger deduced that this was the Staff of Magnus, and that the Guardian was going to attempt to use it against them. The last noticeable thing about the Guardian was its mask. It was a silver carved mask that glowed blue. Stryger managed to theorize that the mask likely gave the Dragon Priest an increase to his magical regeneration.
Stryger pulled out J'zargo's experimental scroll. "I think now's a good time to use this scroll of yours, J'zargo."
J'zargo nodded. "I couldn't agree more." The mages used their scrolls, casting a fire cloak around them. Stryger then bound a sword to his right hand, reaching into his satchel with his left for something special. When he found his hand had met with what he was looking for he pulled it out, revealing a long staff that he had acquired when he found the Eye of Magnus.
Brelyna looked at him confused. "How did you fit that staff info the satchel?"
"Magic, of course." Stryger simply replied. "How else?"
Brelyna shrugged as she turned to face the legion of undead in front of her. Onmund exhaled as he prepared himself, readying his lightning spells. J'zargo summoned his flame atronach, smiling sharply at his part-time lover. Brelyna in turned summoned her own flame atronach, getting a glance from J'zargo. Stryger boldly looked at their opponents and smiled darkly, ready to face the ancient for with vigor.
The Dragon Priest roared as the mages charged forward.
"So how did they win?" Ronan asked. "The Dragon Priest had been absorbing Stryger's magicka. There was no way they could battle it with magic."
"Stryger and his friends managed it. They killed the possessed mages and J'zargo's spell ended up being an edge. Every draugr that approached got burned and exploded, also hurting them in the process. But they persevered until Stryger struck down Morokei."
"Morokei?"
"Aye. The Dragon Priest was named Morokei, and he was the Keeper of the Staff of Magnus."
"So did they head back to the College after they defeated him?"
"Not immediately. After their victory they had to rest and recover. Almost all of us did. Only Scarlai, Errick, and Isobel didn't immediately get some sleep that night."
"Why not?" Torygg asked.
"Well, let's just say that while Scarlai was visiting Windhelm once more, Errick and Isobel were getting to know each other just a little better."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know I kind of copped out there with the end but the chapter was getting too long, and my tablet had sort of crashed yesterday and I didn't want to deal with all the bullshit again. Next chapter's gonna be a calmer one, with (almost) everyone relaxing after the trouble they went through in these past few chapters. Also a quick warning for Chase (and/or anyone else who isn't interested in romance in general) there will be actual sex in the next chapter. You've been warned.