Disclaimer: I do not own anything having to do with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Written by Holly Mitchell (Zhar The Mad)
Co-written by Bruce Mitchell
Chapter 2: A Meeting With Destiny
Reign had been traveling for days with no rest, food, or water. She was wholly famished. She found her way into a city called Skingrad. She stepped into an inn "Pardon me, sir? How much is it for a room?"
He looked down and saw the petite looking girl that was covered in dirt "60 gold pieces a night."
She reached in the small sack she'd been carrying and pulled out 11 gold pieces. She looked at them disappointedly.
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow said "No gold, no bed." He pointed toward the exit "Sleeping outside is free. Beat it."
Reign shouldered the small bag and wiped moister for her eyes. It was dark outside, only the guards were out at this late of night. Guards and those who were up to no good. She drew a heavy sigh "I guess I have no other choice." she spoke aloud to herself and pulled a lock pick from her sack. She crept to the nearest house and inserted the lock pick into the keyhole.
The tumbler fell open easily, as if it hadn't been locked at all. She quietly crept inside, slowly maneuvering around the room so she wouldn't alert anyone. "This could bad. This could be very bad. I could easily end up right back in jail where I started-" she stubbornly shook her head "Okay, okay," she exhaled deeply "I can do this. It will be easy." She drew her dagger as she entered the master bedroom. Her heartbeat was in her throat, she felt it thump even harder as she peered over the bed at the sleeping owner. She held her breath as she raised the dagger above her head, closing her eyes. She drove the dagger down as swiftly as she could and jerked it sharply up, drove the dagger down again, and again, and again. She opened her eyes, heat rushed to her head as she stared at the bloody mess that was formally a human being. But the madness was over now and she could finally breathe again. It was then that she felt the presence of someone watching her. Was someone really there? Or was it just merely paranoia? Either way, she knew she had to shake the feeling. Nothing could be done about her misdeed now.
She found her way into the kitchen, and helped herself to some fruit and bread. She'd been so hungry she had forgotten to clean the blood from her hands. "Oh well," she spoke aloud "it shouldn't hurt me. I guess that man was wrong about me being a 'vampire'-ooh, wine." she picked up a bottle that read "Tamika's West Wield Wine".
After an hour, she finished the entire bottle. She stared at it, her reflection stared back. She thought about the Dark Elf man, Valen, from the Imperial Prison. 'What am I?' she thought to herself 'I don't look anything like any of the citizens here.' the glow of her crimson eyes lifelessly stared back, "Urgh, damn, what's it matter?!" She threw the bottle against a nearby shelf. It shattered into a million pieces. She stood swiftly to her feet, and almost lost her balance.
Reign pushed the former owner off his bed, a wet 'thud' sound followed. She removed her clothing and prison cuffs and decided she might as well rummage through the closet just in case someone found her there and she had to make a run for it.
By the time she found a collard shirt, she was too tired to slip it over her head. She carelessly dropped it on the bed and crawled onto it, sinking her head into the soft pillow. The bed was wet; it had been soaking up the dead man's blood for so long. She didn't care; the bed was still comfortable to her. She closed her eyes and reached for the covers, however she drifted to sleep before she was able to find them. Her dreams drifted aimlessly and meaninglessly for what felt like an eternity. Until her dreams took a wrong turn.
She felt like she was suffocating, the unknown presence she felt when she was awake had returned in her dreams. No, she wasn't dreaming, someone was in the room with her. She had to wake up. 'Wake up!' her eyes flung open. A man hooded in a dark robe stood staring at her from the foot of the bed. She frantically regressed to the headboard.
"Don't be alarmed." he said calmly.
"Alarmed?!" she spat "A more appropriate word would be fucking mortified!" she covered herself best she could with a pillow.
"You sleep rather soundly for a murderer." He changed the subject "That's good. You'll need a clear conscience for what I'm about to propose."
Reign raised an eyebrow "Are you trying to blackmail me? Who are you?"
"On the contrary. I wish for you to join us." he said, wearing a dark grin "And I am Lucien Lechance, speaker of the Dark Brotherhood. Follower of Sithis and servant of our unholy matron the Night Mother."
"Wait, wait, you're going to fast, I just woke up… What is this Dark…Sithis…hood?"
Lucien cleared his throat "the Dark Brotherhood is a guild of assassin. We regularly take contracts from those who pray to the Night Mother, their darkest wishes. Wishes of death."
"Night Mother?" Reign tried to run her fingers through hair, but it was too matted and sticky from the coagulated blood.
"As I said, she is our unholy Matron." He started losing his patience.
"So basically I'd can get paid to kill people?"
"Yes."
"That easy?"
Lucien exhaled deeply. He threw a black dagger on the bed "It sounds like you're interested. Good. I want you to use this in an initiative errand. If you choose to accept, then we shall meet again."
"What do I do with it?" she picked up the dagger.
"You shall take the Blade of Woe and strike down a man named Rufio. He has been staying at the Inn Of Ill Omen."
"How do I know you aren't setting me up?"
"You'll either believe me or you will not. I can't convince you otherwise. If you truly wish to be a servant of Sithis, you will do this errand." he turned to leave.
"Stop! I'm not done with you yet!" she lept toward him, dagger in hand. "I said wai-"
He restrained her by the wrists, forcing her down into the bed. "Listen to me, child, I'll only say this once: I refuse to be threatened. I should kill you here." he wrapped his hand around her throat.
Reign writhed underneath him, trying to find a way out of the man's death-grip.
"Stop struggling." he commanded "I don't want to hurt you."
She stopped moving "Why?" she breathlessly heaved.
"You have much to offer as far as talent to the Dark Brotherhood. You'd be useful to us. Furthermore, how else do you think you will eat and sleep?"
She tugged on the hand that gripped her neck.
He let go "What is your name?"
She pushed her hands against Lucien's chest "Reign."
Lucien stood up "Well, Reign, I hope if we meet again it will end differently."
Then he was gone.
She curled up into a blanket 'If I kill people for them, they'll feed, shelter, and pay me?' she inspected the blade the man gave her 'Hm, Lucien, huh?'
Reign laid back down, running her slender fingers across her neck, tracing the path of where Lucien's strong hands had been. Her eyes drifted shut recalling the day's events. It had tested her very will to survive. But she made it through. That was enough for her. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, she was close to the Weynon Priory. This is the most important thing right now. Uriel entrusted her with this task, with the very future of Tamriel. She had to concentrate on completing it, before it was too late.
Once morning came, she cleaned herself up and fashioned clothing from piles of folded cloth. It wasn't much, but it covered enough of her body, at least.