Here we go...
The first sound she hears upon entering the chamber is a horrible scraping sound, followed the by quiet swing of the door closing behind them. A silent gasp leaves her lips as she sees what lies in front of her. A great stone statue, bigger than anything she's ever seen. A snow elf. Her eyes find the source of the scraping and gasps again when she finds Mercer standing on the statue's nose, prying an enormous diamond from its eye.
"He hasn't seen us yet," she whispers to Bryn.
He nods, pointing to the ledge upon which they're standing. "Climb down that ledge and see if you can—"
But Mercer finally pries the gem loose and turns, facing them directly. "When will you learn that you can't get the drop on me?" he sneers.
Suddenly, the cavern rumbles, the ledge beneath Iris crumbling beneath her feet.
"Iris!" Brynjolf watches in horror as the ledge breaks into pieces, and she plummets down into the pit along with the stone fragments.
She lands hard on her already injured side, curling into a fetal position, gasping. Panting, she forces herself to her knees, clutching her side. Two boots plant themselves on the statue's book, and her eyes travel upward to meet his.
"When Brynjolf brought you before me, I could feel a sudden shift in the wind," Mercer sneers. "And at that moment, I knew it would end with one of us at the end of a blade."
She struggles to her feet, clutching her sword with white knuckles. "Give me the fucking Key, Mercer."
But the former Guildmaster just chuckles. "What's Karliah been filling your head with? Tales of thieves with honor? Oaths rift with falsehoods and broken promises? Nocturnal doesn't care about you, the Key, or anything having to do with the Guild," he spits.
Iris straightens up, her back erect, flames ready to burst from her hand. "This isn't about Nocturnal. This is personal."
He laughs. "Revenge? You've been around the Guild long enough to find that doesn't ever work out." He shifts, moving his sword to his other hand. "My actions and your actions have always been one in the same. Both of us lie, cheat, and steal to further our own end."
She shakes her head vigorously. "The difference is I still have honor."
He huffs. "It's clear you'll never see the Skeleton Key as I do. As an instrument of limitless wealth. Instead, you've chosen to fall over your own foolish code." His grey eyes flit to Brynjolf, who managed to climb down the ledge to join Iris in the pit. "And your own mentor."
"If anyone falls, Mercer, it will be you," she spits.
But he only smirks. "I don't think so." He turns to Brynjolf. "I'm disappointed in you, Brynjolf. I thought you of all people would understand my actions. But it seems you've taken a fall of you own, as well. Falling for your own protege?" He laughs cruelly. "It was worth coming back to the Guild one more time to tell you she was dead. Of course, I knew if she hadn't died from my initial strike, the poison would have gotten her soon enough."
"I'm still here. The poison is out of my system." Iris readies her sword, tasting the violence moments away.
"Not for long," Mercer sneers.
"Do your worst."
"Then, the die is cast, and once again my blade will taste Nightingale blood!" Mercer raises his sword, but hesitates, looking to Brynjolf. "Or maybe…Brynjolf's will."
Before either of them can react, a burst of red magic shoots from Mercer's hand, striking Brynjolf in the chest.
"No!" she yells, running to his doubled over figure.
He straightens up, and a flash of relief bursts through her heart.
But then he reaches for his daggers.
She barely has time to jump backward when he swings at her. Her eyes widen in horror as Mercer laughs from his seat on the statue's book.
"I don't know what's happening!" Brynjolf's face contorts in fear as his daggers continue to slash out at her.
"Bryn, you have to fight it! He's controlling you!" She ducks, his blade slicing the air where her head once was. Hating herself, she raises her sword, using it to parry his blows.
"I'm trying!"
Mercer laughs lowly. "This is a much better way to watch you go. Killed by your own lover."
Iris cries out as Brynjolf slices his blades across her arm, spilling blood onto the ancient stones. She gasps, clutching her arm while dodging his endless strikes.
"I'm so sorry, Iris. I can't—I can't stop it." His green eyes fill with tears, unable to do anything but watch as he attacks the woman he is certain he loves.
She brings her sword up, catching his daggers just in time. "You have to try harder," she urges him, her voice rough. "I can't keep this up. You're too strong, and I—I don't want to hurt you."
She cries out again when his blade catches the side of her face, a long slash appearing on her cheek.
"Iris—Iris, you have to. I can't—" The tears in his eyes spill over, as her back finally meets the wall, no where to go.
"Ah, I love watching true love crumble to bits before my eyes."
"You bastard! Stop this!" Iris screams at Mercer, her eyes widening in terror as Bryn corners her into a wall. She brings her sword up, protecting her neck against his blades, straining with all her might against the pressure on her sword. She can't keep this up. She can't do it. It's over. And even though she's terrified and quite possibly about to die, she meets Bryn's eyes evenly, nodding softly. "Bryn. It's okay."
"Iris, no—"
"Promise me you won't blame yourself."
"Iris, please—"
"Bryn—"
He shakes his head frantically. "You can't, Iris. I can't lose you again, not by my own hands. And the prophecy—"
And suddenly, the end doesn't seem so near. Her eyes widen, her jaw drops. By the Nine, she's stupid. She nearly forgot. She's the Dragonborn.
"Gods, I hope this works," she mutters before delving into her Dragon soul. "Kaan drem ov!"
Brynjolf stumbles backward as Kyne's green glow surrounds him, breaking Mercer's spell. He sinks to his knees, and Iris moves to rush to his side. But she only takes three steps before she's stopped.
"I don't think so!" Mercer's arm somehow finds its way around her throat, jerking her away from him, his blasted Dwarven sword poised and ready, aiming at her heart.
"No!" Brynjolf stumbles, trying to recover from Iris's Shout.
"You spoiled my fun, you stupid bitch," Mercer growls in her ear.
"Get off me!"
"I always knew there was something off about you."
"Mercer!" Bryn finally recovers, standing in front of the two, his daggers ready.
"Here's how it's going to go now. Unless you stand aside and surrender your weapons, I'm going to slip my blade into her heart. And this time she won't survive," Mercer spits.
Iris opens her mouth to protest, but the ex-Guildmaster's arm tightens around her throat, cutting off her air supply. Her hands scratch at his arm, straining to escape his grasp.
"Let her go, Mercer!"
But Mercer traces the tip of his sword from her heart to her abdomen. "I've always wanted to watch the poison do its work. I hear it kills quite slowly." He loosens his grip around her neck, seemingly unsatisfied that she can't quip back.
"You can't kill me," Iris's raspy voice informs him. "Unless you want to spend eternity as Alduin's slave."
"Oh?" The tip of his sword returns to its place poised at her heart. "And why's that?"
"Because…" She knows how to get out of this. After all… "I'm the fucking Dragonborn. Feim!" she Shouts, becoming ethereal and easily escaping Mercer's grasp. He starts toward her, but she Shouts again, "Fus ro dah!" Before his back can collide with the statue, she delves once more into her depleting energy and Shouts, "Iiz slen nus!" Mercer's body freezes into a block of ice, only his head free.
"What is this?"
Iris is satisfied to finally see fear in his eyes.
"How does it feel?" she taunts him, smirking evilly. "To know you're going to die but you can't do anything about it?"
Mercer struggles to no avail. "This is ridiculous—"
She approaches him, her features twisted in anger. "Now you can feel how I felt. You can only watch as I come forward to stab you with your own damned sword. Except you won't survive." She melts the ice enough for her to pry the Dwarven sword from his hand.
"Yours will come soon enough, Iris," he spits her name. "Do you honestly think the Guild will be okay with you keeping the secret of the Nightingales from them? Do you think they'll be okay when they find out you've been fucking Brynjolf on the side?" Mercer laughs. "You won't last long. You'll join me soon enough."
Iris pauses, considering his words. "Well, then…" Her eyes flit back up to his, hers burning with vengeance. "I'll see you in Oblivion." With a scream tearing her throat and shaking the ground, she swings the sword with all her might. The blade connects with the former Guildmaster's throat, smoothly slicing through the flesh. The head tumbles onto the ground, splashing in the standing water as the ice holding his body melts. Iris falls to her knees as the body drops to the ground, the sword falling from her fingers with a clatter as she pants heavily, blinking back tears.
"Iris—"
She rummages in Mercer's pockets, finding the Skeleton Key and dropping it in her pocket. "Here." She hands one of the Eyes to Bryn before standing.
"Iris—"
She looks up to the crumbling cavern ceiling. "We need to get out of here."
He moves toward her, gently trying to wipe the steady trickle of blood from her cut cheek. "Are you alright?"
She knocks his hand away. "I'm fine. We—" But her words are interrupted as a chunk of the ceiling plummets to the ground, the entire cavern rumbling.
"Damn, this place is coming down!" Bryn shouts.
Iris watches in horror as the pipes burst, sending torrents of water streaming into the cavern. She dashes after Brynjolf to the door, her hands twitching as he presses his hands against the door.
"Something must have fallen on the other side of the door!" he tells her. "It isn't moving!"
"What?!" She shoves him aside, delving into the last of her Dragon power. "Mul!" she Shouts. Her body glows as she takes on the strength Word of the Dragon Aspect Thu'um, pushing her shoulder against the door. But it still doesn't budge. She tries ramming her shoulder into it, over and over and over and over—until Brynjolf's hands find her waist, pulling her away.
"It's no use, love."
Iris's wild eyes dart around the cavern, steadily filling with water. "There has to be another way out." Ignoring his call, she jumps off the ledge into the deepening water and swims to the statue, feeling the walls.
Another roaring rings throughout the ruin, causing more pipes to burst, filling the cavern with water more quickly than before.
She curses loudly, her small figure beginning to tremble in fear. "I can't find—I can't find another way—" She turns around, tears on her cheeks, as Brynjolf joins her on the statue's shoulder.
"I don't…I don't think there is another way," he tells her, cupping her cheek.
She shakes her head. "There has to be. We can't be trapped here—we can't die here—"
"We may not have a choice, Iris." His eyes are soft as they gaze into hers.
Her lip trembles, fully comprehending his words. "But—" Her breathing quickens as she clings to Bryn's hand on her face. "Gods, Bryn." She meets his eyes fully, both pairs flooded with despair and fear. "We're really going to die, aren't we?"
His thumb wipes a tear from her bloody cheek. "It looks like it, lass."
She lets out a shuddering sob, nodding frantically. "Okay. Okay."
He draws her into his arms; she buries her face in his shoulder, crying softly.
"At least—" His voice is thick with tears. "At least, we'll die together."
She nods against him, pulling back. "Yes. Yes, we will." She gently touches his face. "I might as well say it now, then, right?"
"What are you—"
She places a finger on his lips. "I love you." Her face cracks into a sad smile, making a sound between a laugh and a sob. "There. I said it. I don't want you to die without knowing."
"Iris—" He takes a deep breath, his voice trembling. "I love you, too, lass."
The water creeps up to his waist as he takes her face in his hands, their lips meeting for one last time. He's never seen this side of Iris, utterly terrified, aching with desperation, hungrily crushing her lips against his. Her hand grabs the sides of his face, pulling him closer. He can taste her tears as they strain to make their last moments together mean something. His hands tangle in her hair as the water continues to rise.
They are forced to part when the water reaches Iris's chest.
Gasping, she points up. "Up there."
The two climb on top of the statue's head, only a few feet from the ceiling. They cower together, holding each other.
"Gods, I'm so scared," Bryn whispers, his arms wrapped around his Iris.
"Don't be," her shaky voice tells him, squeezing his hand. "I'm here with you."
The water rises to her shoulders, the blood from her arm staining the water with a crimson shadow.
"Just don't fight it," she says, her voice rising in pitch with hysteria. "It'll make it worse."
He nods frantically, holding her.
She looks up at him, her violet eyes shining as the water takes their feet out from under them, their hands pressed against the cavern ceiling, only a foot left of oxygen.
"I love you," she sobs.
"And I love you," he weeps back.
And the water steals the thieves' oxygen, reaching up to the ceiling, the two lovers clinging onto one another as they sink beneath the murky waters.
Iris never takes her eyes off her true love, not even when she runs out of breath, bubbles spewing from her mouth as her lungs force out the used air. His hand finds her cheek as her mouth opens to take in a lungful of death. The face she grew to love grows blurry before her eyes as she finally inhales, her lungs burning as water floods them. She chokes, her body convulsing in desperation, her organs flooding with water. Bubbles churn the murky water as she catches one last glimpse of his face…before closing her eyes and finally, after all her brushes with it, giving into Death.
The End
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BAHAHAHA just kidding. I couldn't help myself! Whatever will happen next? ;)
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