She perched atop the grand dome, scanning the horizon with keen eyes.
Karliah knew about the perfect vantage point. She was right above the entrance to Irkngthand, with her pack full of healing supplies ready. She could just scale the dome down if Bishop and Aeyrin had to retreat and at least she was hidden this way. She had been taking rests continuously – a half hour of rest, then an hour and a half of alertness. She couldn't doze off for a long time. This way, if she was resting when they came out, they wouldn't have to wait long for help, even if she missed their arrival.
Not only that, but she had the perfect view of the actual 'exit'. The strange mechanized elevating platform that Mercer's notes had described. She could see it clearly from her vantage point. If they came out that way, it wouldn't escape her notice either.
They had been there for over a day.
She knew that going through a place like this took a long time and she was nothing if not patient. But… she worried. The stakes were high. Everything depended on this plan going off without a hitch. She couldn't allow Mercer to take hold of the Eyes. And… Bishop and Aeyrin were good agents. And perhaps even friends. Losing them would be tragic. Not to mention losing a very promising potential Nightingale.
But they were used to this, weren't they? They went exploring ancient ruins on a regular basis. She knew that Dwemer cities were extremely dangerous, but they had done this before. They knew how to maneuver the situation.
And luck was on their side. She was sure of it. It was on her side after all.
She let out a calming sigh and looked over the horizon again. It was really quite beautiful here. She didn't get to the snowy regions too often, not unless she was visiting Enthir. Though the cold had been getting to her. She almost even missed the ash and heat of Morrowind at times.
But that place had never been kind to her. The only good thing that came out of there was her taking the first step to getting to know her Mistress.
Everything else was lost there, beneath the ash.
She would make sure not to lose anything else here. Not after everything she had already lost.
Suddenly something caught her eye.
The exit! That structure with the platform under it, something was happening. It looked like the bars closing it off were opening.
She knew that it was only possible to do from the inside.
That was them! They got out! Thank the Mistress!
She stood up on the dome and peered into the distance. A figure clad in all black emerged from the structure and began rushing away instantly.
Bishop? But where was Aeyrin? Did something happen?
Karliah got a bad feeling in her gut instantly, but then she concentrated on the figure a bit more.
That wasn't Bishop!
But who…?
Oh! Mother of Shadows! No!
…
The water was up to Aeyrin's chin now and rising steadily.
They had no idea what to do. There was no exit out of this place. They were trapped. Mercer had escaped and there was no egress for them.
When the water got past her mouth, Aeyrin tried to swim up, but suddenly she realized that she couldn't.
She was too heavy! Her armor and pack were weighing her down so much, she was stuck to the ground no matter what. Her eyes went wide in panic and Bishop instantly noticed. She could try to drop her armor and things, but she was still going to drown when the water reached the ceiling!
She blinked away the water sloshing under her eyes and she craned her neck to let her nose breathe when she noticed Bishop hurriedly taking down one of his gloves under the water. What was he doing?
In a few seconds, he slipped a ring from his finger and roughly, or as roughly as it was possible under water at least, he yanked her hand to himself and ripped her chained glove from it. He slipped the ring on her finger then and suddenly the pressure on her throat and nose eased considerably.
The waterbreathing ring!
When she could still see him, she saw Bishop point under water towards the statue of the Snow Elf.
Right. She could climb it. He himself managed to swim. His pack must have been heavy too, but as long as he could keep himself on the surface, he wasn't dropping it apparently. Maybe that was a good idea. They didn't know what they could possibly need to make their escape.
If they even could.
Aeyrin's head submerged into the water almost fully now, but she got the message. She began to slowly walk across the platform, towards the statue. She could kind of climb it, probably, at least to get to the ceiling. She wasn't sure if she was nimble enough underwater to get out of her equipment anyway.
It took her so long to reach the statue and the water was so high by now. She desperately tried to get a hold of that thing under water, grabbing onto anything that was convenient. At least the Falmer's pose was not upright. She could kind of walk on its arms and get herself up. She looked around under water sometimes to locate the black smudge swimming around, but she knew that it wouldn't be long until the water reached the ceiling.
Gods, what were they going to do?
She just… at least she wanted to say goodbye if this was their end.
Divines, what was she thinking?! They couldn't allow this! It couldn't end like this!
She managed to make her way onto the statue's shoulder and her head reemerged from the water. When she blinked away the droplets, she noticed that Bishop was only a few strokes away from her and he quickly swam towards her. He grabbed a hold of the Falmer's eye socket with one hand and leaned closer to her.
"Sweetness," his voice was filled with palpable desperate fear that made chill run through her spine. His breaths were labored from the strained swimming and probably swallowing a lot of water. It was so high now. It wouldn't take long. They were practically below the ceiling.
"Bishop, we have to…" she tried to desperately think of something. But what? What could they possibly do?
"I love you," Bishop almost whispered before he leaned in and captured her lips in a breathless kiss.
Please don't say that.
It sounded like a goodbye. They couldn't let it end like this. They had to do something. She felt the water on her chin and only a moment later it submerged their locked lips. Bishop released her and tried to hoist himself up to the surface again, but it looked like he didn't have much strength left to do that.
No!
She instantly grabbed his free hand under water, the one without a glove, and she quickly tried to maneuver the ring back on his finger. She could barely see now with the water everywhere, but she noticed him shaking his head at her in desperation.
Right, as if she would let him drown himself.
She finally got a good grip and slipped the ring on his finger. The pressure returned instantly and she tried to hold her breath for as long as she could.
She could feel her hair float around her now. They were fully submerged. There wasn't an inch of space left anywhere. This was it. Bishop was still holding onto her hand firmly as she started to panic involuntarily from the lack of breath.
Everything was starting to go dark, but a second later, she felt the pressure stop again. She hadn't even noticed Bishop slipping the ring on her finger again.
Gods, how long could they do this? They couldn't keep this up!
Stupid fucking Dwemer! Stupid 'irrigation chamber'! What were they even doing? Collapsing the ceiling whenever they needed some water? How daft was that?!
Well… that probably wasn't the case. That would just be idiotic. There were pipes everywhere. Those probably carried the water. Pipes in Dwemer ruins were usually for steam, but this room was likely different.
Oh!
The pipes!
If they carried the water they surely led to the river and there had to be tunnels leading outside along them, right? How else would the Dwemer have put those pipes in there in the first place if there weren't tunnels around them that could fit a person? And the seams of those pipes all had these protrusions. They could use them to hold onto against the strong current that would surely be there. If she had the ring, she could use her Shout to get from one protrusion to another.
It was… a plan? Sort of? She wasn't sure if she had the strength to do any of that, but they needed to try. They would not die here.
She quickly slipped the ring on Bishop's finger again to give him some air and she tried to look around the room for the nearest pipe.
There was one behind the statue. It was close to the cavernous wall and it wasn't very steep. They could hold themselves up on it. They just needed to get there.
She quickly gestured at Bishop and began to point at the pipe as vigorously as the water allowed her. She couldn't see him properly, but she was pretty sure that he was confused. So instead, she leveraged herself on the statue's shoulder and reached out towards the pipe desperately. She couldn't reach, but hopefully Bishop would get the message.
She felt the current shift around her suddenly as Bishop sprung to action and, with all the strength he had left, he swam towards the pipe as fast as he could.
He reached it, just as Aeyrin was starting to run out of breath. He steadily sat himself astride the protruding pipe and reached towards her. Their hands clasped each other and as everything was getting darker, Aeyrin propelled herself from the statue and towards Bishop. He held her in his hand desperately and she almost thought that her weight would sink her too fast, but as she felt herself submerging deeper, she suddenly felt metal against her hand.
The pipe.
Bishop seemed reluctant to let her go, but she needed both her hands now and she yanked herself from his grip roughly. She quickly hugged the pipe from below, holding herself to it with waning strength, but soon she felt hands under her armpits, helping her sit up.
She was no longer able to recognize any sensations, she just grappled at the pipe, trying to turn herself around. It felt like it was too late, her lungs burned intensely, but a second later, the feel of the metal was gone from her bare hand. She thought that she fell, but then the pressure stopped again.
The ring.
Her breathing was labored and she coughed and heaved, although none of it was very audible to her under the water.
But they made it! They were both sitting astride the pipe and they promptly began shimmying along it towards the cavernous wall.
They had to exchange the ring a few times during that, but Bishop finally reached the wall. There wasn't anything immediately visible, but some looser rocks were obviously blocking the passage – likely to prevent the current from going anywhere but the pipe. He began to instantly claw at the loose rocks around the pipe, uncovering the small passage.
This was going to work!
They were getting out of this place alive, no matter what.
…
Karliah ran as fast as her feet could carry her through the snow.
She had that filthy s'wit in her sights now. So close. He would not get away. Shooting him would not be nearly as satisfying as this. She needed to see his face. She needed to see the light leaving his eyes. She needed to see him consumed by the Mistress's embrace.
Her feet were muffled, but her labored breaths must have been giving her away. Yet Mercer didn't turn around for a second, never looked back. That was him alright. Careless, only focused on his greed. It would be his undoing.
She picked up the pace again and rushed forth. She almost had him. Within her reach. Now!
It happened so fast. A sharp pain shot through her abdomen as Mercer suddenly turned around. She didn't even realize what happened.
"Hello, whore," his self-pleased sneer was right in front of her eyes as heat spread through her body. A blade in her gut.
She felt dizziness take over, but she clenched her hand around her shortsword firmly. Mistress's gift. It wouldn't fail her.
She tried to stab him, but Mercer was faster. His free hand gripped her wrist painfully and he twisted. Hard. A loud gasp escaped her lips as his own dagger slid from her flesh and the grip on her sword loosened. It fell silently into the deep snow.
And so did she. Or did he shove her? She couldn't tell anymore.
"I've been waiting so long for this," he smirked at her victoriously.
She needed to act. The snow around her was already stained in blood. She needed to stop this now. She would not be left to his mercy. She still had tricks up her sleeve. Always have a way out.
"You will… not… get away… with this," she huffed in effort hatefully.
"What do you mean? I'm just doing what you want me to. I'm giving you what you always wanted," he grinned, but his eyes penetrated her with untold hatred. "Your eternal servitude, slut. Isn't this what it's all about? While they all think you're here as their savior from tyranny, you're only leading them into Oblivion. But it's all yours, whore. It always should have been your own damnation."
That pathetic scum! He never understood! He always pretended. He never knew what this was about.
Karliah's hand went to her belt quickly. She knew that he was just posturing before he would end her. But he wouldn't get to. Not today.
Her hand shifted and she felt a sting in her hip. The poison would act soon. He would not get to win.
"You… you never understood," she spat hatefully as dizziness began to overwhelm her. "You never… never understood… the higher purpose."
"'Higher purpose'? Don't fucking make me laugh!" he scoffed at her. "You're damning them for eternity. But no more. You have ruined Gallus's eternity, but that was the last one."
"You think… it such a punishment," she huffed as the world was starting to get blurry. "It awaits you too."
"That's where you're wrong," he sneered.
What? What did he mean? He swore an oath to Nocturnal! His death was hers.
"Your death, the Eyes, it's all coming together. My Guild will be free of your zealotry. And so will I," he spat at her.
That was impossible. Her death would not undo his oath. That stuck up fool.
"You think you decimated my network, whore? Luckily, I still have friends. One of them told me about an interesting group of people. Ever heard of the College of Sapiarchs? Altmer. Brilliant mages, apparently. Brightest minds in Tamriel. They boast about their research in souls and how they can manipulate their links. Apparently they do a lot of work with the Harmonious Masters. You know, very devoted Stendarrites. And now the mages claim to be able to sever bonds to your precious Daedra. Isn't that nice? I think these Eyes will buy me a nice trip south, to Lillandril maybe? A nice vacation. Good for the soul, I hear," he chuckled maliciously.
She could barely see him anymore and his words were muffled under the ringing in her ears, but she heard it. Was… was that possible? That wasn't possible, was it? No mage, not even an Altmer, would ever be able to surpass her Mistress's power, right?
This was… insanity. It was impossible. He could never succeed!
But… but if he did… if he was telling the truth… that would mean…
Lady Luck would never forgive her for losing him.
She would never let her meet her beloved Gallus again.
This couldn't happen!
She let out a labored gasp as her world was beginning to fade. The poison was already working, slowing her heart to barely keep her alive. But it would prevent her from bleeding out.
She would stop him. No matter what. There was no biding her time anymore. She needed to stop this insanity and send him to Nocturnal's realm now!
"Say hello to your Mistress for me, you brain-washed, traitorous cunt. I will never see either of you again."
She felt stinging pain across her throat, but she barely even registered it now as the world was slowly fading from her.
Her people knew where she was. They would find her if nobody else did.
Mercer would not get to escape his oath.
He would not get to take Gallus away from her again.
…
"WULD!"
The Shout propelled them against the stream again, right towards the next protrusion at the pipe's seam.
Once Bishop cleared their passage, the new stream had almost thrown them off the pipe, but they managed to withstand it. There were a lot of things they could have done to make themselves more secure. Like getting a rope from one of their packs and tying themselves together and to the pipe. But they didn't really have time for something elaborate. The ring gave each of them only a minute or two before they had to give it to the other again. There was no time to spare for anything. Exhaustion was claiming them fast.
But the progress had been quick with Aeyrin's Shouts. Once she got the ring, she propelled them forward with Bishop hanging tightly to her waist. Then, when she got a hold of the pipe, she gave Bishop the ring for a while and the whole process continued. There were some traces of more rocks lodged against the pipe – preventative measures to block the water in the passage, clearly, but they had all either crumbled through time, or they fell apart after the explosion. Their path was clear, but that only meant that they had to deal with the current flowing through the tunnel.
But it was much easier now.
Much easier when they could see the light in the distance.
"WULD!"
Another part of the pipe cleared. They could no longer sit upon it, the passage was too narrow for that, but they held onto it for dear life.
Almost there. They could make it.
"WULD!"
They reached the next part, but when Aeyrin tried to grab Bishop's hand to give him the ring, he quickly yanked his hand away from her. It took her a while to notice. There was so much light now.
Bishop didn't wait, he almost used her as a stepping stone as he shifted oddly against her body and propelled himself upwards, in part off the pipe but also in part off her back. Well, it wasn't as if she minded. Did they really make it?
She felt something grab her by the hair right then and she quickly realized herself. Bishop probably didn't mean to try to pull her up by her hair, but he just grabbed whatever he could. She quickly reached out to grab onto his arm with her hand and lodged her feet against the pipe.
Bishop yanked her up just as she bounced herself off the pipe and suddenly she felt so heavy as her body left the water. There was freezing air on her face, but she didn't care at all. She had never been so happy to be freezing.
She didn't even register the strange movements and struggling that she went through until she found herself in deep snow, but on firm ground. Well… hopefully it was firm. If it crumbled under them and threw them back into that chamber, she would be really mad.
She took a few deep breaths before she could finally hear the world around her.
Bishop was coughing and heaving wildly next to her and she promptly gave him a few firm slaps on the back. He coughed out some water before he slumped down into the snow limply with heavy breaths.
"Fuck… fuck… fuck…" he spoke after each breath. They were dead. They were fucking dead! How the fuck did they actually get out? He still couldn't believe it.
A second later he felt Aeyrin's form press into his flank firmly. Or as firmly as she could in her exhaustion.
"Bishop," she almost let out a breathless chuckle of disbelief. He tried to chuckle in return, but his lungs still burned like the Void and it only made him cough.
He felt her uncharacteristically cold lips on his temple when he calmed his breathing down a bit. They were both still huffing in exertion, but they were alive and breathing. That was enough.
"I love you too," she snickered tiredly. She didn't get to say it before, even though he knew. And he instantly chuckled at her in response. This time without the strained coughing.
"Princess… you… you are fucking… brilliant," he shifted to his side and pressed her tightly to himself. This whole insane plan, he had no idea how she thought about it at that moment, but it saved their lives. He was so sure that they were dead.
They stayed like that for a while, holding each other in a desperate and relieved embrace while they still tried to calm their breaths.
After a long time, they finally disentangled and sat up in the snow. They were both soaked to the bone, even Bishop felt cold. And their packs were drenched. It was kind of a miracle that they got to keep them at all though. They were still holding on to their things while they had hope and while they thought they could still use something from them if worse came to worst. But those would have been the first things to go. Bishop even managed to keep their gloves tucked in his belt by some fucking miracle. It was probably just most of the content of their packs that was ruined.
"I. Fucking. Hate. Water," Bishop huffed. First that fucking ship in a storm and now this?! Fuck water!
Aeyrin chuckled again and leaned on his shoulder tiredly. She was so cold. But it never felt better.
Bishop's vision was still a little hazy and he rubbed his eyes firmly with his gloved hand. He blinked after that and he tried to scope their surroundings. They were likely close to the lift, that only made sense.
But something else caught his attention. A black smudge in the snow on the other bank.
"What is that?" he pointed to that thing before he rubbed his eyes again.
"I don't know… I don't see…"
His vision cleared a bit more after the last attempt and suddenly he recognized the shape better. It was a person. Lying in the snow. And the lithe frame, as well as what had happened in the ruins with Mercer, got him thinking that it could only be one person.
"Karliah?"