Chapter 24: Eyes Gazing at Stars
"That morning was a very eventful one for Stryger and I." Zacharius sipped on his mug, embracing the warm mead that filled his body. "I had to do all of the travelings on foot to Kynesgrove, while all he had to do was cast a spell back to Winterhold. However, at the time his threat was more of a priority than Alduin, who was only bringing back the dead in preparation for his own apocalypse."
"How was it that Alduin was able to bring back the dead?" Ronan asked.
"How else? He used a shout that could resurrect the Dragons. They are timeless creatures that do not work in the same manner as us mortals. And since no one had absorbed the Dragons' souls when they were buried, all Alduin had to do was utter three words into his shout."
"Are you and your comrades able to do this?" Torygg asked. "Can you bring back the dead?"
"No. The bodies of mortals do not work like the bodies of dragons. We cannot resurrect the dead. Not even Stryger has that power. He can only save those on the edge of death, and even then something strange happens to those that nearly died."
"Did one of you guys experience Stryger's gift first-hand, then?"
"Perhaps we did, Torygg. You'll know as the story goes on."
Stryger sighed in relief when he and the others landed in the town of Winterhold. Everything was calm in the residence save for the giant barrier that surrounded the College. Stryger was wise not to attempt to teleport straight to the College. If they had, it would have likely resulted in the four of them being smashed into piles of bloody meat. He chuckled to himself before pulling out the Staff of Magnus.
"Here's the plan: I use the staff to free the barrier. As soon as we get into the Hall of Attainment, you guys need to aim at Ancaro with lightning magic. I'll use the staff on the eye and hopefully will weaken his power."
"What happens then?" Brelyna asked.
"We kill him. If he makes any attempt to regain control of the eye, he's only going to destroy Winterhold; maybe even the world. We can't let that happen."
"What will happen to the eye afterward?" J'zargo asked. "An artifact like that is powerful, indeed. Perhaps it could make us all even more powerful mages."
"It's too risky, J'zargo. There are plenty of other ways for us to increase our power, but given the current state of the College, keeping the Eye here with us will only bring more trouble. There are plenty of other secrets in Skyrim that we could use to increase our power. We can always look for more artifacts after we save the world, okay."
J'zargo sighed. "Very well. J'zargo is ready."
"So am I." Brelyna nodded.
"Ready." Onmund agreed.
"Good. Let's go." Stryger ran for the College with haste, being careful not to fall off of the broken steps. As he approached the barrier, Tolfdir and the other teachers turned to face their students. Stryger could see that the teachers were exhausted; likely because they had been up all night trying to keep the College from falling apart. Tolfdir seemed a bit offput when Stryger approached wearing the mask of Morekei, but his unease wore off immediately once he laid his eyes on the Staff of Magnus.
"Is that the staff? You found it?!"
"We did. It was at Labyrinthian. Now we can finish this."
"Good. Mirabelle tried to get back into the College last night, but then the barrier grew. I don't think she made it."
Stryger looked down for a moment. "We'll finish this. Savos and Mirabelle's deaths won't be in vain." He brought the Staff of Magnus up to the barrier, focusing his emotion into the staff. As the magic flowed from the staff the barrier in front of them faded, opening the path to the College. He took only a moment to admire his handiwork before rushing in towards the College. Another barrier stood before the wizards, but another cast of the staff and that barrier was gone.
"This staff is very powerful, indeed," J'zargo spoke as they entered the College.
The inside of the College was glowing brightly as Ancano kept working his own magic on the Eye of Magnus. Stryger and the others approached cautiously, hoping to catch the Thalmor off guard. Ancano, however, knew all too well of their approach.
"I see you survived the hit." The Thalmor stated coyly. "I knew you were going to be trouble the moment you arrived at the College."
"Shame on you, then," Stryger remarked in the same smug tone. Brelyna and the others snuck around Stryger so that they had Ancano's back facing them. "It's over, Ancano. You've lost."
"No. I have already won." The smile on Ancano's face was genuine as the Eye slowly began to start opening up, moving many mechanical parts around as magic energy flowed around the room. Stryger began to cast with the Staff of Magnus on the Eye, and the parts closed up. Ancano's smile faded as he saw what had happened.
"Now!" Stryger yelled, signaling the others to strike. As soon as Ancano realized what was happening, three bolts of electricity hit his back. The Thalmor let out a terrified gasp as he tried to hold his composure, but the lightning wasn't giving him any freedom. In a last-ditch effort, Ancano pulled out a paralysis spell, flinging it behind him. Suddenly, one bolt of lightning stopped, and Onmund dropped to the floor. Another stopped as J'zargo also dropped down, held by another paralysis spell. By the time Brelyna noticed this, Ancano turned around to face her.
"The game's up, dear." Ancano smiled wickedly as he pulled out a fire spell. The fire came to take the shape of a ball, and he threw it at her without hesitation. Brelyna stopped casting and threw up a barrier, stopping the flames from burning her. With his newfound freedom, however, Ancano was able to focus his eyes on the Eye of Magnus once more.
"Oh, no you don't!" Stryger yelled as he sucked in a breath, focusing on the chill that the words brought to him when he first experienced them. "IIZ!" His breath turned to ice as it flew to Ancano, trapping the man into a binding cocoon of frostbiting magic. The man shivered as he fell to the ground, stunned and confused by his sudden binding.
"What? What is this magic?" Ancano inquired.
"That is the work of Dragonspeak." Stryger stepped over to Ancano, setting his boot atop the ice shell. "It's a word that has encased you in ice. I told you that you lost. Now, why don't you surrender like a good little dog before I have to make this moment your last."
Ancano simply began to laugh maniacally, unamused by the smug Altmer that had trapped him. "Do you really think that this is truly over? It's not going to be. The Thalmor already have a letter being delivered to the embassy about your abilities. Even if I die today, the Thalmor won't stop until they have you in their clutches. And if they send the Inquisitor after you, you won't be able to stop him."
Stryger was about to comment when the ice that surrounded Ancano suddenly shattered. Stryger was taken aback by the cracking of the ice, giving Ancano the time needed to push the younger Altmer off of him. Now the laughter that Ancano had been releasing got louder as he summoned more lightning from his hands, forcing the Eye to open once more. Stryger and his friends stood up from their stupors, ready to face off against Ancano again.
"Did you really think that you could defeat me?! With the power of the Eye, I am invincible!" Ancano's laughter increased as Brelyna and the other apprentices unleashed more lightning upon him, not affecting him in the least.
"Close the eye, Stryger!" Tolfdir yelled, running in to assist them. "I'll do what I can from there to stop him from using its power."
Stryger pointed the staff out to the Eye once more, using its magic to close the machination again. Ancano resisted the pull, but Tolfdir put a stop to it by using his own lightning against the Eye, keeping it shut once more.
"You fools!" Ancano yelled. "Don't you see what you're doing? The Thalmor will win! It's inevitable! You cannot delay it forever!"
"We can sure try!" Stryger yelled as he charged forward, summoning a sword from the planes of Oblivion. Ancano turned to face the charging mage and focused all of his energy on a powerful bolt of lightning, hurtling it at the rebellious Altmer. "TIID!" In an instant, time had slowed down in front of Stryger's eyes. The bolt of lightning that was so close to him slowed down considerably; enough for Stryger to dodge out of the way from taking it head-on. As the time effect faded, Stryger felt a tingling sensation on his side, indicating that he hadn't dodged the entire bolt, but enough to avoid serious damage.
Ancano was taken aback by this. "More of that damn Dragonspeak?!" He prepped another lightning bolt to hit Stryger, hoping to take him out at close range.
"This is for all of the trouble you've caused us!" Stryger yelled, bringing the sword straight to Anacano's chest. Brelyna saw as a long purple blade burst out of Ancano's back, spilling out blood from the gaping wound the spectral weapon had created. Stryger's face was still covered by the mask of Morokei, but Brelyna imagined that Stryger's face was contorted into a face of rage. Ancano's head fell to rest onto Stryger's shoulder as he gasped for breath, knowing full well that the blade had sliced his heart. It was only a short time before he would be dead, but there was something he had to say to the mer that killed him.
"Stryger Myron," Ancano spoke weakly. "I have one thing to say to you before I depart." He grabbed his killer's head and brought his ear closer to hear his words. Brelyna and the others stepped forth to see what all of the fuss was about, but by the time they had hovered over the two elves the older one had passed on, his soul flowing into Stryger's bag for the black soul gem that laid empty. Stryger let the body of the Thalmor fall to the floor, thudding with a loud "plop". Stryger just stood there silent, not giving off how he felt about what was said.
"Stryger?" Brelyna asked. "Are you okay?"
Stryger looked at Brelyna, finally letting out a sigh. "I'm good."
"That was an excellent execution of a ward, Brelyna." Tolfdir chuckled. "I guess my lesson about safety really came through today."
"Don't let it get to your head, teach." Brelyna chuckled.
"Now we just have to find a way to dispel the Eye, but I have no idea how to do that."
Stryger turned to face the Eye of Magnus. "I don't think we'll need to worry." The others turned towards the Eye to see members of the Psijic Order surrounding the Eye. Quaranir, the representative that had been in contact with him, approached them.
"Now what's going on?" Tolfdir asked. "Psijics? Here now? What in Talos' name..."
"We knew you would succeed." The Psijic assured. "Your victory here justifies our belief in you. You have proven yourself worthy to guide the College of Winterhold."
"What's going to happen with the Eye?" Stryger asked.
"The Eye has grown unstable. It cannot remain here, or else it may destroy this College and this world. It must be secured. Ancano's actions prove that the world is not yet ready for such a thing. We shall safeguard it... for now. You now have the opportunity to maintain your College, and carry on with your lives. You have our gratitude, Arch-Mage." As the Psijic finished speaking, he and his comrades disappeared, along with the Eye of Magnus.
"Well, good luck to you guys," Stryger spoke to himself.
Tolfdir seemed to jump in excitement. "You've done it! The College is safe again, thanks to your work. I knew you had it in you. I daresay the Psijics are right. There's no one more deserving to be Arch-Mage, in my opinion." Tolfdir pulled out the robes once used by Savos, handing them to Stryger. "Here, consider these yours. And the Arch-Mage's quarters as well. I shall be here for advice, should you need me."
All of the other members at the College gathered around Stryger, going to congratulate him on defeating Ancano and stopping a whole calamity. Cheers and laughter filled the room as the tired mages attempted to celebrate their victory. Stryger took off the mask of Morokei and smiled.
"Well, as my first order as Arch-Mage, I say we all take the day off. Let's just get into bed and take the whole day off. We can continue doing College things tomorrow. Right now, we just need a break."
The entire College sighed in relief upon hearing that.
*Out on the mountains west of Winterhold, The Stranger looked out towards the College. "About time that he finished that task." He turned back towards the statue of Azura, one of the Daedric Princes and one of the three members of the Tribunal. The presence of the Daedric Prince could be felt all around as The Stranger walked up to the top, hoping to commune with Azura. Atop at the altar was a Dunmer woman in black robes; likely an emissary that was meant to watch over the statue. The Stranger could sense from her that she was a seer; capable of having visions about the future and the possible events that can play out. He wasn't exactly sure, but he could sense that these abilities came from her connection to Azura. "I wish to commune with Azura."
"For what purpose, stranger?" The emissary asked.
"I am aware that she has lost something precious to her. I'm here to offer my services."*
Akira yawned as she continued through the forest of Falkreath, determined to acquire the heads of the Glenmoril Witches. She had decided she would take all of their heads in case she or any of the other members of the Circle ever decided to cure themselves of their lycanthropy. Aside from that reasoning, she also felt that ending all of their lives would make up for the generations of Harbingers that have suffered for the mistake of choosing the beast blood. It was her duty to bring about justice for any crime towards others. After all, when she lost her family her mentor Askar came to her rescue and brought about justice.
Even though the monster got away in the end.
"Akira," Athala spoke in her mind. "You should not pay any mind to the past. Your duty to Kodlak and the Companions must come first."
"I know." Akira's words brought no comfort to the wolf inside that shared her pain. "It's just that every time I think of injustice, my mind always comes back to Roderick, even when I tried so hard to forget." A scowl came across her face. "And by the way, why try to make me remember that bastard if you're just gonna tell me to forget?"
"Focus on the now. Those witches aren't going to decapitate themselves."
Akira sighed at the voice of her wolf spirit brushing off her question. It was already frustrating that all her work spent trying to bury her anger towards her family's killer was ruined, so why would Athala bitch about her thinking about him when she's the one who brought back those bottled up emotions? "Still, I can't help but remember all of that whenever I think of justice or avenging someone, now."
"Yet your infuriation with him can cloud your thoughts."
"Would it be fair to say that you do the same thing when it comes to Mundus?"
Athala did not seem to have a retort to that.
"Exactly. So don't go complaining to me when I start thinking about the man I will never forgive."
Athala sighed in her mind as Akira found herself near the entrance to the Glemoril Caverns. The smells coming from the dark cavern indicated there were five witches, a few spiders, and a rat. "If we had lighter armor and a bow, I could probably stalk our prey and take them out silently."
"You? But you're a wolf. You wouldn't need those things."
"I've picked up human skills from others I have been bound to over the years. If you gave me control and we had those items, I could dispose of all of the witches before they could react."
"Sorry, but I haven't taken the time to learn archery."
"Perhaps you should, some time. It's always best to have some flexibility in combat. All you specialize in is close quarters combat."
"Maybe I could learn some long-range fire spells, now that my magical talents have manifested."
"That would still be too noisy. A hunter should not notify to his prey that they are being hunted. Silence is key, which makes the bow a perfect hunter's tool."
"Well, I've never been taught to be a hunter. I'm a warrior. I don't sneak around and take an opponent out stealthily."
"You should try it out at some point. You wouldn't believe how effective that is."
Akira huffed before entering the cave, intent on slaughtering the witches and freeing Kodlak from his curse.
Further away from the cave, Scarlai had found himself getting closer to the sanctuary. The morning light was finally beginning to peak out of the trees of Falkreath, signifying the time of day to be around 9 am. Scarlai himself hadn't slept for a few days due to the use of his blood powers, but he still felt it would be good to rest. If he stayed at the sanctuary for even a few hours, he could accomplish many things. He could swap tales of magic to the old mage Festus, train with the Shadowscale Veezara to aid him in learning ways of counteracting a dual-wielder's dance, aid in Babette's poison-making, or perhaps just see what exactly it was that seemed to attract Gabriella towards him. In truth, Scarlai did not believe that her interest in him came from the fact that he was Dunmer. There was a darkness in her eyes that he could sense, one that was almost... similar to another's he's seen twice before. He hoped that wasn't the case, though. Any woman he meets with that darkness in her eyes ends up dying.
Scarlai's footsteps stopped above the sanctuary. Immediately, he crouched down to avoid detection and made as little sound as possible. He wasn't sure what yet, but something had gone off in his mind that there was someone at the door to the sanctuary. Slowly, he peered to see that there was indeed someone standing at the door to the sanctuary. From his vantage point, he could tell that the intruder was a traveler by the cloak and backpack he wore, and the black sword on his hip indicated he may have been wealthy at one point. His clothes were simple and not as extravagant as the other items Scarlai had examined. Finally, the trespasser was flipping through what appeared to be a journal, looking for something that Scarlai couldn't make out yet.
Making a split decision, Scarlai jumped down and pulled out one of his silver knives, ready for combat.
The intruder quickly looked up and pulled a knife out of nowhere, throwing it at the pouncing assassin. Scarlai noticed this and threw his free hand up to stop the blade. The knife went through his hand and stopped at the guard. There was a brief moment of pain before Scarlai swung his other hand and threw the knife. The trespasser jumped back to avoid the knife and readied his sword. Once Scarlai was on the ground he rose up and looked at his opponent. The black sword he saw was designed to be one of the Royal Guard's signature black blades, given only to the Emperor's most trusted guardsman of the Imperial City. This set Scarlai on high alert.
"Sorry, trespasser." Scarlai smiled as he removed the bloody knife from his hand. "This sanctuary is off-limits." He threw the knife back at his opponent. The trespasser raised his blade to parry it away, but the force at which Scarlai threw the knife was so strong that it skidded by, embedding itself into the trespasser's shoulder. The trespasser let out a cry of pain as Scarlai charged forward, having picked up his silver knife from the ground in front of him. A second later, Scarlai had pinned the man to the ground, placing his knife on the man's neck and gripping the dagger that had embedded itself into the trespasser's flesh. "Now, before you die, I expect you to tell me what it was you were doing here."
Suddenly, it felt like Scarlai's hand was on fire.
"Wait a moment." Scarlai looked down and saw that his hand had been covered in the blood of the trespasser. The absorption process was stalled as the blood began to glow at Scarlai's touch. The trespasser began screaming in pain as the process that only Scarlai could recognize began. His entire body began to burn up and turn red, and the blood on Scarlai's hand was so bright he had to avert his eyes. A few seconds later, the light faded away, and the pained screams of the trespasser became slight moans. The blood on Scarlai's hands began to finally absorb inside of him. From the encounter, Scarlai learned everything about this man, from his childhood to the very reason he was here. And he could feel that this man's blood held within a deeper power.
"KRII!"
Suddenly, Scarlai had a better understanding of the word that had been planted into his mind from the sanctuary. It was the word of a dragon's shout, one that was meant to weaken a victim until they were killed. However, he knew that even though he understood the word and now had the blood of a Dragonborn within him, he still couldn't unlock it as of yet. Scarlai raised himself off of the trespasser, pulling the blade from the man's shoulder. "It seems fate is supremely kind to you, Andrew Secus."
The man pulled himself up and removed his hood. The short cropped hair and facial features marked him as an Imperial, and his eyes were filled with confusion. "What have you done to me? How do you know my name?!"
"I have accidentally awoken your dark gift, Andrew. You are what one of simple mind would call a blood mage. In short, you can utilize both your blood and the blood of your enemies into attacks and can absorb other's blood to extend your life. You are only one of two who currently exist today."
"One of two?" Andrew asked. "So I assume that you are the other blood mage?"
"I am." Scarlai sighed. "I apologize for attacking you. After seeing your sword I assumed that you were a member of the Imperial City guard on some hunt for a dangerous criminal. I did not expect that you would have killed one and claimed his sword as your own."
"How is it that you know these things about me?"
"I absorbed your blood and can see your memories as a result. I know everything there is to know about you, including how you were a former member of the now destroyed Anvil branch of the Dark Brotherhood."
Andrew growled at the mentioning of his former home's destruction.
"We can talk in detail later. For now, you want to get into the sanctuary and discuss joining up with this branch, yes?" Scarlai held out his hand to help the younger assassin back on his feet. Scarlai approached the door, hearing the door whisper the code phrase. "Silence, my brother." The door opened for him and Scarlai motioned Andrew to go first. Andrew nodded and stepped inside, followed closely behind by Scarlai. "The good news is that the members of this sanctuary still operate rather effectively, although I'm sure that you being a member of another brotherhood may have your own opinion on whether or not the group is surviving." Scarlai expected to see Astrid was not at her table, however, a conversation ahead prompted Scarlai to move forward. This time, Andrew stayed behind him in case the other members suspected him of being an invader.
"Buth the Night Mother is mother to all!" An unfamiliar voice yelled. "It is her voice we follow! Her will! Would you dare risk disobedience? And surely... punishment."
"Keep talking, little man, and we'll see who gets 'punished.'" The annoyed voice of Arnbjorn responded.
"Oh, be quiet you great lumbering lapdog." Festus snapped. "The man has had a long journey. You can at least be civil." Festus turned to the jester with a darkness inside of him and slightly bowed. "Mister Cicero, I for one am delighted you and the Night Mother has arrived. Your presence here signifies a welcome return to tradition."
"Oh, what a kind and wise wizard you are." Cicero giggled. "Sure to earn our Lady's Favor."
Astrid stepped forward. "You and the Night Mother are of course welcome here, Cicero. And you will be afforded the respect deserving of your position as Keeper. Understood... husband?"
Arnbjorn grumbled.
Cicero continued to jump for joy. "Oh, yes yes yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"But make no mistake." Astrid's voice suddenly turned serious, and Scarlai suspected she was asserting her dominance. "I am the leader of this Sanctuary. My word is law. Are we clear on that point?"
"Oh yes, mistress." Cicero's cheerful personality seemed to drop for a moment at this news. "Perfectly! You're the boss."
Andrew stepped to stand beside Scarlai. "That box has the Night Mother's coffin? I'm glad. Apparently, the members of the Anvil branch lost track of it when Bravil was sacked."
Astrid turned towards the entrance to see Scarlai and Andrew, but her look was filled with caution. "Scarlai, who is this you have brought into the Sanctuary?"
"Andrew Secus of the Anvil branch of the Dark Brotherhood," Scarlai replied, walking towards her with Andrew behind her. "He has come for shelter. The whole Sanctuary was destroyed over a year ago. He was the sole survivor."
"I spent that year trying to find one of the other surviving branches. Eventually, I came across news of your Sanctuary still being active in Skyrim."
"I see." Astrid continued to scan Andrew, trying to sense any lie he might have told. "Do you have proof?"
Andrew reached into his travel pack and pulled out a book with the black hand marked on the cover. "The names of all of the members of the Anvil branch. You'll find mine near the end of the book."
Astrid quickly flipped through to the end and found Andrew's name. Along the lines, names of previous contacts were also present. "You were lucky to have preserved this book, Andrew. I had some contacts back in the Anvil branch. I was unsure of what had happened to them, but if you are the sole survivor of that branch, then that answers any questions I could have." She handed the book back to Andrew, who returned it to his pack. "I guess we'll have to prepare two extra rooms for our new guests now. But first, I need to know how the mission went, Scarlai."
"The mission went as planned." The Dunmer replied. "Muiri's contract was completed to the letter. She was rather happy with our services."
"Excellent. I have received another mission for you to complete. The details are enclosed in this letter." Astrid held out a rather fancy parchment to Scarlai. "It seems this one is a Khajiit merchant who has had a run-in with a renegade assassin. He's in Falkreath right now and is expecting a representative of the Dark Brotherhood to eliminate his target. Additionally, he's asking for you to bring his corpse as proof."
"Any other details?"
"He's paid the Brotherhood up front and is asking for us to send a Dunmer. That left you and Gabriella. Gabriella, however, said I should entrust it to you."
"Why?"
"Who knows. She said something about this being a mission with your name written all over it. I couldn't get a straight answer out of her."
"I see." Scarlai took the letter and turned around to head out, stopping briefly. "If I may, I would like Andrew to come with me on this mission."
"Why? We could easily give him another mission or have him stay here for the time."
"There are some things I need to discuss with him; things important to the guild's survival and of his past."
"Fine. But this better not lead to any trouble for our guild. From here on out, I'm putting Andrew in your care. He is your responsibility."
"Understood." Scarlai bowed and walked back towards the entrance. Andrew bowed and followed the older assassin. Astrid merely let out a sharp exhale at the situation.
Things here are getting weirder and weirder. She thought as she turned around to deal with the jester and the Night Mother's coffin.
Back with the group of thieves, Thrynn was leading Errick and Isobel along the path to Solitude. Errick and Isobel were talking amongst themselves about some of the best heists they had performed over their careers. Every now and then, Thrynn had caught a part of their story that he became invested in, such as when Errick managed to rig a trap to launch a bunch of silverware towards anyone who entered the vault he was stealing from in the Imperial City. However, even when Isobel brought up more hilarious tales from her youth, Thrynn had to keep his eyes and ears open for trouble. Travel on the roads could be difficult thanks to the civil war and bandits all around. Fortunately, he knew that his time spent with the bandits would come in handy. Errick knew it, too, so he had to make sure that he kept close attention to every detail along this trip.
"So, what would you say was your best mission, Errick?" Isobel asked, grinning from ear to ear. "Was it one with all of the strings attached, with beautiful women and scores of treasure?"
Errick bellowed a laugh. "Actually, the last mission I performed in Cyrodiil was probably my best AND worst mission rolled into one."
"Really? Do tell."
"I won't go into super-specifics, but the reason it was the best is that of the haul I pulled in. I got something super valuable that no one else could have done. I've heard of rumors, however, that your guild had performed the same feat once. Of course, I have no way to confirm that since they were only rumors."
"What'd you steal, Errick? I know enough about our guild that I could probably confirm whether or not we stole the same thing."
"Something precious to the Empire, that's for certain. But if you think I'm just gonna tell you what I stole out in broad daylight like this, well, you obviously don't know me well enough. It's so valuable that if people knew I still had it, I'd be a target for the rest of my life."
"That only makes finding out more tempting." Isobel leaned in closer to Errick. "Come on, just whisper it into my ear. I promise I won't tell anyone else."
Errick leaned away from her. "I think I know you well enough to know that either a) you won't be able to keep your mouth shut or b) you'll try and steal it from me and fail miserably. I think I'll take my chances."
"You're no fun." Isobel huffed, pulling back. "So, what made it the worst mission?"
"Two things: The first is that my escape was the most ungraceful thing I could have ever done. I got trapped in the sewers and had to swim through everyone's filth to escape. It took me a week to get the smell out of my clothes, let alone my skin. It was disgusting!"
Isobel burst out in laughter. "I can't believe you're complaining!"
"Hey, I do my best to make myself as presentable as possible! Besides, do you know what kind of diseases you could get from people's shit? A shit-ton of them! Disgusting!"
Isobel couldn't stop her laughter. Errick merely sighed and looked forward. "Thrynn, have you seen anything yet?"
"Nothing suspicious so far, although it'd be easier to hear if Issy could stop laughing for two seconds."
Isobel quieted down and caught her breath. "Seriously, Errick, sometimes you seem like a real pansy."
"Watch it, minx," Errick growled.
"So what was the second thing that made your best mission the worst?"
Errick was silent for a moment. Isobel and Thrynn looked at their companion, noticing his expression was blank. A moment later, he finally sighed and found the drive to speak of it.
"The second reason it was the worst is that my partner got captured."
Isobel's playful grin dropped; her look replaced with a concerned expression. "Errick, what happened?"
"At the very last minute, our luck dropped. We were about to make our escape when the Thalmor intervened. They captured her, and I had no choice but to run."
"Why?"
"Because I was outnumbered twenty to one. I know it sounds cowardly, but every scenario I came up with to get both of us out of there resulted in failure. One plan was to use my bombs, but all of them increased the risk of us getting hurt. Another was to cause a distraction, but the Thalmor could just use magic to stop us in our tracks. And they were all well-armed and armored. Even if I were to use a sword against them, they would have likely cut us down where we stood. There was only one option: flee."
Thrynn finally joined into the conversation. "So what happened to your partner?"
"At best case: They imprisoned her, and didn't let that bastard the Thalmor Inquisitor touch her."
"Thalmor Inquisitor?"
"A fancy elf who has been rumored to brutally torture his prisoners. What's worse, it's been said that he rapes the women."
Thrynn looked to see Isobel repulsed. Her hands clenched tightly to the reins of the horse she stole.
"Even if she wasn't placed under his charge, it's possible she's been tortured in order to extract information, assuming she kept herself tongue-tied. If they did that, they likely surgically removed all of her fingers, toes, arms, and legs before putting them back together." Errick looked over to Isobel. "Don't take this the wrong way, Isobel, but I have a bad feeling that if you get captured by the Thalmor, you'll either be a the mercy of those surgeons or the Inquisitor himself. Promise me you won't go through that shit."
"I'll kill the bastards before they even have a chance," Isobel growled, her voice filled with determination.
"You have the fire, but I don't think you have the skill yet."
"I think you underestimate me, Errick."
"Not at all. I'm merely offering to give you some more training, some time. It might increase your odds of surviving against them."
Isobel cocked her head. "What kind of training?"
"You're good with a dagger and with acrobatics, no doubt about that, but how good are you with a sword?"
"Does it matter? A blade is a blade. All you need to do is stick it into someone's gut."
"Such a simple method. Do you know how many ways the Thalmor have been trained to dispatch thieves like you? Fifty-four. Do you know how many methods they have against a thief like me? Seventeen. My odds are better. If you let me train you, I can teach you more techniques on how to handle the Thalmor should we ever encounter them."
Isobel scowled at her senior, but Thrynn cleared his throat. "Not to interrupt, but I hear hoofs behind us. Perhaps we should get off the road?"
Errick turned his ear to hear behind them. "Several horses and a carriage are on their way here. We should take cover for the moment."
Thrynn took to the hill, leading Errick and Isobel to take shelter behind some rocks. The horses were neighing like crazy over their predicament, with Daisy complaining the most. Isobel reached into her bag and held out an apple, offering it to the horse.
"Shh," Isobel spoke quietly. "Just have this and be quiet for a moment."
Errick himself held out a carrot to Frost, who chomped on it in silence. "Good boy, Frost. Now just stay quiet for a minute, okay?" The master thief went over to the vantage point with Thrynn, looking out for the approaching group.
His heart sank for a moment when he saw who it was that was approaching.
A full company of Thalmor soldiers was walking north, escorting several horses and a royal carriage. The carriage came to an immediate stop, prompting the guard to stop and look around. The door to the fancy carriage opened, revealing a slender old Imperial figure. Errick recognized him from his time spent at fancy Imperial parties. The name escaped him, but the outfit and face reminded him he was a rich merchant with ties to the Empire's leadership. A Thalmor followed him, and Errick's brow became glistened with sweat. Isobel crawled next to Errick, noticing his sudden fear.
"Errick, what's going on?" Isobel whispered.
"That Thalmor there: that's the Inquisitor."
"What?" Isobel looked at the Altmer in the fancy robes. The Inquisitor was a menacing sight, even as far away as he was in comparison to the three thieves. "How can you tell?"
"The posture, the attitude, that look of annoyance at being chosen to escort some old noble to the Embassy? It's clear to me it's him. Besides, he's the one who captured my partner."
Isobel let out a slight gasp. "What should we do?"
Errick wiped the sweat off of his brow. "Thrynn, take Isobel and Frost to a nearby cave we can hide out at. I'm going down there for some quick reconnaissance. I'll meet you there as soon as I'm finished."
"What?" Isobel protested. "No way! You said it yourself, that guy's trouble. You need back-up."
"And the guild needs to find and talk to Gulum-Ei. It's too risky to have more than one of us go down there. Besides, if the Inquisitor catches you, there's no doubt in my mind what he'll do to you."
"Yeah, but-"
"But nothing. I know that you have a history of sleeping with lots of kinds of people, but the Inquisitor is not someone you'd want near you, Issy. If you go down there with me, I know that it will only result in pandemonium. And if you get captured- it doesn't matter if the Grey Fox is at your back, the Inquisitor destroyed many of the Thalmor's enemies. In fact, there was once a Dark Brotherhood sanctuary in Anvil. The Inquisitor and a few others went and brought it all down. As far as I know, only one of the assassins survived. I lost track of him when I left for Skyrim. Now the Dark Brotherhood is all but rumors and conjecture. If you go down there and get captured, then you won't only die, but so will the Grey Fox and the entire Cyrodiil Thieves Guild in their bid for vengeance. You don't want that."
"Yeah, but I also don't want you to go chasing after your own death."
"Come on, Issy. You do know who you're talking to, right?" Errick smiled. "I'm a very lucky bastard. It's your luck I'm worried about. So please, just go with Thrynn and wait for me to return."
Isobel looked like she was ready to protest, but Thrynn placed a hand on her shoulder. Instead, she sighed. "Fine, but you better promise you'll come back to us, you bastard."
Errick's smile grew wider. "I promise I'll come back to you guys. And a promise I make to the guild is a promise I keep."
Thrynn nodded and began pulling Isobel back. Isobel shook his hand off her shoulder and nodded to Errick, her look of concern still present. Errick dropped his smile and nodded to his fellow guildmates, looking at them as they silently retreated. Thrynn took a hold of Frost's reins, leading him and the horse he rented to follow him.
"We're meeting at the outskirts of Shor's Stone. Be there before nightfall." Thrynn commanded. "Good luck, Errick."
"Same to you too. I'll be there sooner than you think."
Thrynn and Isobel took off silently, leaving the gentleman thief all on his own. Errick merely sighed and cracked his knuckles. It's for the best that Isobel stays as far away from the Inquisitor. The original Isobel wasn't too lucky to avoid capture, but I sure as Oblivion won't let anything happen to this one. I'll train her to be better than that one. Errick sighed. Still, I am glad that the original is at least getting better than she was before. I wonder just how her story will truly end.
"All right, Errick," Errick spoke to himself. "Let's see if we can get some intel, and perhaps slow the troops down so that we can get to Solitude without incident."
Over at the outskirts of Windhelm, Zacharius felt a chill run down his spine as he and Lydia approached Kynesgrove. Their mysterious guide turned to face them as the wind howled.
"Something wrong, Dragonborn?"
Zacharius shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. I just have this odd feeling that someone I know is doing something dangerous. It's unimportant. Let's be on our way."
The guide merely nodded and continued on her way, leading the two Nords to the path up to Kynesgrove. A woman began running down from the path, sporting a look of pure terror.
"No!" She pleaded. "You don't want to go up there! A dragon! It's attacking!"
"Perfect." Zacharius smiled. "That's exactly why we're here. Go on and run back to Windhelm. We've got this."
"I don't think you do! Run while you can!" The scared woman ran past Zacharius, who was ready to go up and face this dragon.
"It sounds like this is the place, all right." Lydia cracked.
"There's no time to waste. Let's get up there and be prepared to face off against this dragon." Zacharius broke into a sprint as he followed the path up the hill past Kynesgrove. Lydia and the mysterious guide sighed before following the excited Nord.
"Your friend certainly is excited for all of this." The guide spoke.
"No kidding. The way he talks, he thinks it's truly his destiny to stop these dragons."
"I hope for all of our sakes he's right, then."
Lydia nodded before looking out to see that Zacharius had stopped his own quickened pace, slowing down near the burial mound. The wind seemed to be blowing even more than it had been down the hill. Zacharius looked up, prompting the others to look up. As soon as Lydia's eyes saw the creature in the sky, her heart began to sink. A large, black dragon was flapping his wings, speaking in the dragon tongue to the burial mound.
"Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse!" (Sahloknir, I bind your dragon spirit for eternity!) The black dragon spoke in its own tongue. "Slen Tiid Vo!"
A moment later, and an ear-piercing shout emanated from the dragon's mouth. The force of the shout hit the mound, and the ground began to shake.
"Looks like we know who's bringing the dragons back," Zacharius spoke, his words almost sounding like a joke to the innkeeper who was testing him.
The rumbling finally stopped as the mound exploded, sending dirt and rock all around. A skeleton of a massive dragon stepped out of it, roaring as if it were alive. Then the skeleton started to burn around, bringing forth flesh and scales. The effect was similar to when Zacharius absorbed the souls of other dragons.
"Alduin, thuri!" (Alduin, my lord!) The resurrected dragon spoke. "Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?" (Has the time come to revive our ancient realm?)
"Geh, Sahloknir, kaali mir." (Yes, Sahloknir, my Champion.) The black dragon looked towards the ground, where Zacharius and his companions stood. "Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid dov do hi." (So, you are Dragonborn? I see none of the dragonkind in you.)
"Zu'u Dovahkiin, Aan Bron Se Slen, Aan Dovan Se Sos" (I am Dragonborn, a Nord of Flesh, a Dragon of Blood.) Zacharius proclaimed in the Dragon's tongue.
The black dragon seemed to smile for a moment before the smile became a look of malice. "Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah." The black dragon then began to take off. 'Sahloknir, krii daar joorre!" (Sahloknir, kill these mortals!)
The dragon known as Sahloknir began to flap his own wings, preparing for an attack. Zacharius conjured some frost into his hands, preparing to shoot forth an ice spike against his opponent. Lydia and the innkeeper pulled out their bows and began pelting the dragon with arrows. As soon as the arrows made their mark, Zacharius let out his ice spike, stabbing the dragon's wing. Sahloknir roared in pain before coming to land in front of Zacharius.
"Switch to close range!" Zacharius shouted, pulling the Orcish greatsword from his back. Lydia quickly strapped her bow back and pulled out the curved blade Zacharius had given her. "I'll take the front, you guys take the wings."
"Right!" Lydia shouted, running towards the left wing. Sahloknir attempted to turn and use his tail on the approaching Nord, but a quick strike from Zacharius turned the dragon's attention back to the Dragonborn. Zacharius continued his barrage of quick slashes as Lydia jumped up, stabbing the blade into the wing and pushing it down until it was impaled into the ground. The innkeeper ran and did the same thing, impaling the dragon's other wing and keeping it grounded.
"The beast's wings are secure!"
"Time to finish this!" Zacharius shouted as he brought his sword down upon the dragon's head.
The sound of his blade being caught in teeth, however, signified that the dragon has caught Zacharius's sword in its mouth.
Zacharius released the blade and stepped back, watching as the dragon threw his sword away. "Yol Toor Shul!" The dragon shouted as flames escaped its mouth. Thinking fast Zacharius threw up a ward, repelling the flame from hitting him. As the flames subsided, the ward broke, leaving Zacharius vulnerable. Sohlaknir attempted to struggle out of the hold the other mortals had him in, but in doing so he lost track of what Zacharius was doing.
"FUS RO!" Zacharius shouted, sending out an unrelenting force to distract Sohlaknir. As the shout left his mouth Zacharius ran back towards his discarded blade, picking it up and charging back at the dragon. When Sohlaknir came to on what was happening, Zacharius had already brought the sword down into his skull. One final death cry and Sohlaknir lay defeated.
"Glad that's over." The innkeeper spoke before noticing the dragon's rapid decay. "Wait, what's happening?"
The dragon's corpse burst into flames, sending its soul into Zacharius. When the first soul had been absorbed, Zacharius could feel his nerves light up as the power was unlocked within him. Now, however, the effect of the soul being absorbed into his body did not bother him at all. Zacharius smiled as the corpse became nothing more than its skeleton, and he turned to face the innkeeper who had wanted to find him.
"Proof enough for you?"
"She must have believed you after that display." Ronan nodded.
"Indeed." Zacharius agreed.
"But there's something from Scarlai's notes that I'm not sure I understand. Is this Andrew Secus man supposed to be your cousin or something? I thought you were descended from Caleb Secus."
"I am. He is descended from Evan Secus; Caleb's twin brother, who's had his descendants been a part of the Dark Brotherhood for the last two centuries."
"So does the ability to be a blood mage come from the Secus bloodline?"
"No, it turns out it came from his mother's bloodline."
"Well, what about his Dragon blood? Where did that come from?"
"It wasn't from Caleb's parents if that's what you're wondering. The only Secus to ever be considered a hero was Caleb, but he wasn't the only Secus blessed with the blood of Akatosh. Both Caleb's and Evan's descendants all possessed the Dragon blood, but it was Andrew's and my generation that truly unlocked the potential. Andrew's part in our story is not as flashy as the others. In fact, he did not participate in Alduin's defeat. But Andrew's actions would have huge ramifications on how the world is today."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: WTF? It's been how many months? 9? 10? maybe 12?
Okay, I did say that these chapters would be coming out pretty slowly in comparison to how much effort I put in before, but this was just ridiculous. I guess focusing on other projects outside of fanfiction can really take up a lot of time. Anyways, I suddenly had the energy to make an effort into finishing this chapter and now here it is. I hope those who continue reading it have enjoyed the content posted so far. And even though I have no idea when I will actually release the next chapter, you can expect Zacharius to get answers from Delphine, expect Errick to get some good stuff from the Inquisitor's carriage, and you can expect it to be more of a Scarlai/Andrew-centric chapter, focusing on the building relationship between master and student, as well as a look into Scarlai's tragic past. I don't think anything related to Stryger will pop up at all, and maybe nothing from Akira, either, unless I decide to write either the fight between her and the Glenmoril Witches or the attack on Jorvaskr. Don't hold your breath that it will be out soon, but look forward to it regardless.
Also, in case you guys need a reminder, Errick does break the fourth wall and that's why he has that thought dialogue about the other Isobel. Remember, she's just a character I borrowed from SpiritofJazz, who has her own specific canon that shares a few of my own characters for parts of her story (namely Akira, Inquisitor, and Zacharius.) He knows everything that happens to her in that story, and if you can't figure it out he obviously plans on trying to keep her out of harm's way from characters like Mercer Fray and the Inquisitor; both of whom have hurt Isobel in A Tale of a Nightingale (though the Inquisitor just captured her. She only had to suffer torture from the one guy at the Thalmor Embassy. Expect Errick to put a sword through that guy for her at some point.) Anyways, until next time, guys!