I'm really sorry I haven't uploaded in a while guys - I've really been just so busy... but I can't disappoint my favourite readers right? I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It's a good one I think, I really liked writing this one.
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PantherHardraag - It is isn't it? Well, it's five years later, so Tenebraeus is seventeen, I don't know if we could really call him grown up though... enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Ten
I walked up to Mercer's desk and waited for him to notice me. It took a full minute until he finally spoke, although he will still looking down at his business ledger.
"Did Gulum-Ei give up any information on our buyer?" I nodded, although it seemed pointless, as he didn't look up at me.
"He said Goldenglow Estate was purchased by Karliah."
He immediately, took a step backwards, as if the news had hit him so hard it had sent him stumbling backwards. His tight, narrow slits of eyes were now as wide as the coins he craved.
"No... it can't be! I haven't heard that name in decade... This is grave news indeed. She's someone I hoped never to cross paths with again." He slumped back against the shelves behind him, a hand creeping up along his pale face and rubbing his forehead.
"Gulum-Ei also told me she was a murderer." Mercer nodded, and turned away from me, facing the bookshelf.
"Karliah destroyed everything this guild stood for." He muttered. He carefully looked back to me, and said in a quivering voice. "She murdered my predecessor in cold blood and betrayed the guild. After we found out what she had done we spent months trying to track her down but she just vanished."
"Why has she returned?"
"Karliah and I were like partners. I went with her on every heist. We watched each other's backs!" He kicked a foot into the desk, sending all the piles of coins tumbling across the cracked surface; I flinched back from the sudden sound, as did the others who had gathered at the increasing anger of Mercer. "I know her techniques, her skills. If she kills me, there'll be no one left that can possible catch her! If only we knew where she was..." I paused, unsure of whether I would have my head detached for speaking. Uncertainly, I opened my mouth, and spoke a few seconds later in a shivering voice.
"Gulum-Ei told me she said 'where the end began'."
Mercer looked up at me - his hair was dripped down in front of his wild silver eyes, and the corners of his mouth were pulled up as if they were played by the strings of a puppeteer. The smile was not one that was caused by something funny; there was a unsaid by unanimous feeling that Mercer's smile bode ill for us all.
"There's only one place that could be." He murmured. "The place she murdered Gallus... a ruin called Snow Veil Sanctum. We have to go out there before she disappears again."
"'We'?"
"Yes, I'm going with you and together we're going to kill her. Here's your payment for Solitude." He threw me a hefty purse - probably choosing amongst the collection of them at random. "Prepare yourself and meet me at Snow Veil Sanctum, we can't let her slip through our fingers!" He went to walk past me, an eager silver glint in his eyes. I grabbed a hand onto his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
"Why do you want me to come?" He grabbed my shoulder, an inane grin of malice carved on his face.
"We all have our part to play boy." And with that, he exited the Cistern, leaving me standing beside the desk of coins.
I dismounted the horse and landed into ankle-deep snow. It crunched upon impact, sending a shiver up my spine and into my trembling skull. I pulled a leg out of the heavy sheets of snow and began making my way towards him.
"Mercer?" I called over the blazes of the wind, wrapping my numbed fingers under my armpits in an attempt to keep them warm. I made out his silhouette amongst the rage of the blizzard. He was stood like a statue - jutted against the whirlwind of snow. His dark like leather was tarnished with numerous white speckles, which had also been entangled into his mess of greying brown hair.
I eventually reached him, standing right beside him, shivering and shaking madly, but he still stood still, looking at the iron doors at the front stone mound that had grown out of the ground in front of us.
"Good. You're finally here." He murmured - but still he did not look at me. I got the distinct impression he was talking to himself, or someone else. His eyes still had the inane glint splashing around his iris. He turned towards me. "I've scouted the ruins and I'm certain Karliah is still inside."
"You saw her?" he looked at me as if the suggestion was unfathomable to have happened.
"No. I found her horse." I glanced around for the horse, but didn't find one. Nothing. I began to grow alarmed - had she escaped already? "Don't worry," Mercer said, at my apparent anxiousness, "I've taken care of it." He jerked his head over his shoulder to a larger lump of snow beside the mound. "She won't be using it to escape." He smiled, a smug and self-satisfied smirk working its way across his face, revealing insanity at its peak. I began to feel sick at the bottom of my stomach, feeling as if I should retch against one of the many ruined pillars cascaded in snow. "Let's get moving. I want to catch her inside while she's distracted." He said, the smile wiped from his face as fast as the snowflakes descending upon us. He walked up to the iron doors, which were already unlocked, and opened one, closing it behind me as I stepped inside. He appeared behind me as I glanced back to him for instruction. "Take the lead."
The inside of the tomb was not warm, but it did not hold the same harsh winter as the outside did, which was a relief for me. I made my way down the stairs, cautiously looking out for a ghoul or a vampire running out - I remembered the bed time stories my mother used to tell me - tales of courageous adventurers who would prove their honour and save a damsel in distress with charm and finesse-
I immediately felt a hand at the back of my tunic, flinging my backwards from my next step, as Mercer pointed to where my next foot would've landed: a brass plate that was raised above the rest of the floors. His eyes swept between two small arrow heads that were protruding ever so slightly out of the walls. He grabbed the front of my tunic and brought me close to his face, teeth bared and eyes flaming as he growled lowly. "Make certain you keep your eyes open. Karliah is as sharp as a blade." He shoved me back with his hand, sending me back into the wall. "The last thing I need is you blundering into a trap and warning her that we're here." He proceeded to move past me, until we came to an intersection of long narrow tunnels - I felt like a rat in a maze. Ironic, given how we came from the Ratway.
Mercer slowly began to take sniffs of the air. "Karliah is here." He said in between the sniffs. "What does she expect to find..." he caught glance of me following him and widened his eyes, as if he had only just remembered that I was there. I found myself feeling very scared, as the golden gleaming hilt of his sword looked a little too friendly. "Let's go." He said, leading me down one of the many networks of tunnels. "I went her head on my mantle." He snarled, his voice soaked in anticipation. I couldn't help but slow my footsteps behind him. I would have stopped following him completely, but I was positive that I wouldn't get back to Riften alive if I left him now - he'd probably see it as a betrayal.
After walking down the tunnel for what felt like half a mile, we came to a wide walkway, the end of which held a thick iron wall, with three insignia carved onto three rings, the centre of all three held a grove for some kind of claw.
"Ah, it's one of the infamous Nordic puzzle doors." Mercer grinned. "How quaint."
"A puzzle door?" I asked, bemused. I'd heard of doors with certain lock mechanisms, but never puzzles. This didn't intrigue me - I was too preoccupied with Mercer's uncertain temperance to be intrigued with puzzles. I guess being a thief took more luxuries than I thought it did.
"It's self explanatory." He said, his eyes fixed on the puzzle door. "Without the matching claw they're normally impossible to open." He rubbed the stubble on his chin. "And since I'm certain Karliah already did away with it, we're on our own." I sighed.
"So what, we came all this way for nothing?"
"No, we didn't." He smirked - he had an idea once more. Mercer Frey was, without a doubt, the man with a plan. "This is where you play your part boy."
"My part?"
"Your magic." He said. "Use it." I scoffed.
"You can't be serious." His face remained the same. "I don't think I can make fire hot enough to smelt down a wall!"
"I'm not asking you to smelt it."
"What would you have me do then?"
"Tear it down." I outright laughed.
"You're insane." I shook my head. "I can't do that! I can barely conjure a flame now, and you want me to do something like that?"
"Five years ago, we both stood on the gates of Riften and you made the entire city tremble. That's no small feat boy. There's something about you! Something different to other mages. Ever since then, all that training, all that pain and effort and endurance has been preparing you for now. It's time for you to play your part boy." I swallowed, too afraid of what would happen to question him. His eyes began to burn brightly with his unstable glee.
I took a few breaths and then extended my hands, one close to my chest, and the other towards the door. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I tried to imagine myself grasping the door, extending energy from my palms, which almost felt like trying to throw boulders a few yards. I heard the iron begin to creak. I felt sense gliding around the door, searching for a weak component for me to grab onto and pull or push. I searched and searched and searched, creaking the iron constantly and patrolling within the metal to find a rusted element. Finally, I felt it dislodge, vibrating my senses like a spider's web. I immediately clutched onto the door with my energy and began to try to twist the rings on the front, feeling the stones crunch against each other until finally I opened my eyes, my energy still and all vibrations silent and unmoving. I took a deep breath and then tried to simulate my energy grasping the door with my hands and brought the door down into the ground. Mercer let out a cry of joy, still inane and sadistic.
I slumped against the wall, my face steeped in sweat. I tried to wipe under my nose, but it wasn't sweat - I had a worth of thick crimson blood coating my fingertips. I pulled my hand across the blood, wiping it off of my face. I began to walk into the next room behind the puzzle door - a grand stone hall with pillars and stairs that educated me on the building quality of Nords.
I took another step, but stopped. One second later, I was looking down at the sudden intrusion in my chest. The black arrow had ebony raven feathers scruffily jabbed into the shaft, which my blood now began to coat. I fell down to my knees, my vision blurring into an iridescent scope. I saw the legs of Mercer step over me and move towards the stairs. I tried to call out for help, but I couldn't say anything - I couldn't breathe. I began to gasp and grab for my throat, but it was no good. I was alive, but I felt like I was dying. Mercer didn't pay me a glance - he just stood there, his back to me! What was wrong with him? Why wasn't he helping me?
"Do you honestly believe your arrow will reach me before my blade finds your heart?"
I looked up to see Mercer was not talking to me - he was facing a silhouetted figure, clad in ragged black leathers and linens. She had an arrow notched in her bow and Mercer's golden blade was drawn, pointed directly at her chest.
"Give me a reason to try." She hissed. I heard Mercer laugh once more. The two began to circle each other, daring the other to make a move.
"You're a clever girl Karliah." Mercer chuckled. "Buying Goldenglow Estate and funding Honningbrew Meadery was inspired."
"To ensure an enemy's defeat, you must first undermine his allies." Her bow was aimed at his stomach. "It was the first lesson Gallus taught us."
"You always were a quick study." Mercer let out a low, drawling chuckle.
"Not quick enough!" She snapped back at him, the arrow pulled back further. "Otherwise Gallus would still be alive..." She rumbled.
"Gallus had his wealth and he had you!" Mercer barked at her. "All he had to do was look the other way!"
"Did you forget the Oath we took as Nightingales?" She was full of fire and ferociousness - enough to match Mercer's insanity. "Did you expect him to simply ignore your methods?"
"Enough of this mindless banter!" He began to advance on her. "Come, Karliah; it's time for you and Gallus to be reunited!"
I dropped my head back onto the floor, groaning in pain. I tried to keep my heavy eyelids open, and forced myself to watch what was happening - I had to do something! I had to use my magic to help!
Within the few seconds I had looked back to the pair, only Mercer was standing there, a small dagger drawn as well as his sword.
"I'm no fool, Mercer. Crossing blades with you would be a death sentence. But I can promise you, the next time we meet, it will be your undoing." Her voice was laced in hate and anger as footsteps echoed throughout the sanctum, and then she was gone.
Mercer turned back to me, and began to walk, his sword scraping against the floor. His hair was once more dangling in front of his wild, animalistic eyes.
"How interesting. It appears Gallus' history has repeated itself." He stopped a little bit away from me, the sword still touching the stone slabs on the floor. "Karliah has provided me with the means to be rid of you, and this ancient tomb becomes your final resting place. But do you know what intrigues me the most?" He whispered, then knelt down and leant in to quietly inform me. "The fact that this was all possible because of you." He let out a titter - a demonic and taunting second of a chuckle before he spoke again. "And you played your part beautifully." He stood back up, his sword no longer touching the ground. "Farewell boy. I'll be certain to give Brynjolf your regards." His eyes began to shine once more, and as I dropped my head back on the floor, trying to swallow gasps of breath, I looked him dead straight in the eyes. If I was to die, he would remember my death - he would remember how I looked him straight in the eyes.
The sword plunged deep into my stomach, twisting into my body. The pain was excruciating, but I could not voice it - I couldn't speak. I contorted my face, unable to move my body or fight back, just shut my eyelids fiercely. Finally, the blade was removed, and I slumped my head back onto the floor, gasping and panting. My vision blurred until I was seeing double - no - triple. Footsteps echoed into a string of unending walks and the howling blizzard outside rained into my ears. I was going to die now. At least I would see my father again - tell him I love him. I had never said it while I was with him - it just never seemed to cross my mind. I felt ashamed because of that. And I could see my mother again. I hadn't seen her in years. I missed her - so so much. At least now I could have my family again. I hoped so anyway.
I hoped that Brynjolf would be okay - that he wouldn't fall to the treacherous thief, nor would Vex.
I hoped that wherever he was, Titus was alive and healthy too.
But somehow, even more than anything else - more than hoping I would see my parents when I died, I really didn't want to die. I really, really hoped I wouldn't die.
Cliffhangers galore!
I really hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter - it's such a climactic reveal, I wanted to do it justice. Review once again on what you think about:
- How I'm adapting the quest into the story
- How I'm doing on the character development
What you would like to see more of
Thanks guys! I'll catch you next time... unless Tenebraeus dies! ;)
