Hello again!

Sorry for the delay, school just started up again. I'm in high school now! Anyways, I may not be able to keep up my daily post standard, so just warning you to expect longer delays in updates. I will try to update at least twice a week, but I can't make any promises. Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying my story, and special thanks to Vine Sliver for sticking with my story from the beginning!

And now, we return to our feature presentation...

Soul swimmer woke in a dank, dark cell, her arms tied behind her back through the slits in the chair she was sitting in, she tried to move her legs, but found that they were tied together as well. For a moment, she panicked, but quickly regained her composure when she realized that her captors had not taken her equipment. "Okay, Soul-Swimmer, you can do this," she thought to herself, trying to reach Death's kiss, confident it was still in the scabbard on her belt. Sure enough, she felt its ornate hilt, but as she grasped the handle, it slipped out of its scabbard and clattered to the floor. "Sithis!" she cursed, spitting the word as though it had a vile taste to it. She gasped as she heard a malicious chuckle from the shadows. A tall, seemingly golden Argonian strode out from the shadows. As his long, forked tongue flicked out of his mouth, however, she realized that this was no Argonian, and her heart nearly stopped in terror: He was an Akavir of the snakelike breed that had nearly conquered Cyrodiil centuries ago, an extremely lithe and agile race that did not know of shields. He smiled, evil dripping from his sadistic grin.

"You know," he hissed as he walked behind Soul-Swimmer, his long tongue flicking past her face, "you should not use the name of the Dark Father Ssssithisss sso lightly." Soul-Swimmer's heart pounded in her chest as she felt his breath on her cheek, reeking with the scent of blood.

"Hist, the serpent Akaviri are vampiric!" she thought to herself, terrified. The Avavir laughed, his laugh a cold, harsh sound akin to rasping metal, an awful, hateful sound.

"Don't worry, I don't share the sentiments your friend Rhiihaaj does!" he chided. Soul-Swimmer's eyes widened as she felt his clawed fingers tapping across the back of her neck, releasing a small cry of pain as they punctured her soft, blue skin. "You fear me, don't you?" he asked, his words more of a statement than a question. "Good, you should fear me. You're bait for our friend Amori!" At this, the cruel Akavir plunged his claws into her back, the two inch natural blades easily piercing her armor, and raked them down across her back, forming long gashes in her flesh. She screamed in agony, tears of pain welling in her eyes as she felt her blood trickling down her back, and worse, felt the Akavir's tongue slither in and out of the wounds, lapping her warm blood into the hungry mouth of its owner.

"Your plan won't work," she said through clenched teeth. "Amori left; he's probably long gone by now!" The Akavir smiled.

"Au contraire, mon frued!" he said, his voice dripping with cruelty. "You ssee, I know our dear Delchkahn well, and I know that he regards your ssafety as his own responsibility. You ssee, I am Kazaka, and I trained under Amori for the passt few monthss. I know him well, and he will come, as soon as he gets our message." After saying this, Kazaka sank his teeth into Soul-Swimmer's exposed neck, drinking deeply of her blood. She gasped, and her world went black. The last thing she heard were the words "Make ssure she doesn't die. We need her."

Kazaka wiped the blood from his serpentine lips, allowing it to drip down his hands and off of his long, sinister claws. He scowled at the Murderer standing guard at the cell door. The guard was an Orc, big and stupid. "Make ssure she doesn't die," he hissed in contempt. "We will need her." He strode down the halls of the dark, underground Cheydinhall Sanctuary. The complex had greatly expanded since Amori had left the guild, and it was now an immense maze of tunnels and catacombs, mostly patrolled by Orcish and Nordic guards, mostly Brothers and Sisters too clumsy or stupid to perform actual assassinations. He scowled in disgust as he passed the guards. How he longed to sink his teeth into the necks of the depressingly high number of stupid or clumsy guild members. "It'sss sso hard to find decent help these days," he whispered under his breath, cursing at the Brotherhood's misfortune in finding decent assassins these days. He skulked through the cavernous tunnels, a grim expression spread across his serpentine face. "I hope that sscum Rhiihaaj has returned. I'll need the wench he's traveling with to further my plans."

Sehiiri was excited, standing next to Rhiihaaj. Just a few hours ago, they had killed the rest of the mercenaries Rhiihaaj had hired, and he had told her that she was to become a Sister in the Dark Brotherhood. She knew that the Brotherhood would restrict the freedom she had as a bandit; she didn't care. Although her relationship with Rhiihaaj had started driven by animalistic desires, over the past few days she had become quite smitten with the romantic cat, and he felt likewise towards her. She clung to his arm giddily, feeling almost like she had when she had received her first mace for her birthday. Rhiihaaj smiled and rolled his eyes, tilting them down to gaze at the beautiful, golden-furred Khajiit clinging to his arm. They stood and waited in front of the Sanctuary door. Sehiiri began to grow impatient. "Rhiihaaj," she complained, "when are they going to open the door?" Rhiihaaj chuckled.

"Be patient, my love," he chided. "Be patient. We will hear the Doorman soon enough." Almost ironically, a low, raspy voice sounded from the other side of the ornate door as Rhiihaaj said this.

"What is the color of night?" it asked, it's voice ominous and filled with deathly intent. Sehiiri's heartbeat quickened in her chest as she heard the chilling voice. Rhiihaaj smiled calmly.

"Sanguine, my Brother," he answered, the scarred flesh beneath his eye twitching as he recited the phrase he had learned four months ago for what must have been the thousandth time. Those four months seemed so long ago to him now. He had changed a great deal. His mind snapped back into the present as he heard a deep sigh, and the door slid open.

"Rhiihaaj," Sehiiri said, struggling to retain her composure, "I'm… nervous." Rhiihaaj chuckled softly as they walked through the door.

"What's wrong, my little Savanna Rose?" he taunted, using his cute name for Sehiiri. "Can't admit to being a little scared?" Sehiiri frowned, and Rhiihaaj winced as her claws dug into his arm.

"I'm not scared!" she hissed. "Just… just a little… nervous, that's all." Rhiihaaj laughed again.

"Then don't show it!" he hissed into her ear, his light tone changing to a worried one. "These aren't exactly the nicest people! You show even a single sign of weakness, and they will use it to your detriment!" Sehiiri nodded, releasing her tight grip on her lover's arm and holding herself tall as they strode into the Sanctuary. The black walls loomed ominously about them, and torches hung from the ceiling, suspended in steel lanterns that looked more than a little sharp. A lone figure awaited them in the center of the large room, clad in black, with its face seeming to glow. Rhiihaaj straightened his back even more, and tried to look as presentable as possible.

"Who's he?" asked Sehiiri. "Should I know?"

"He is the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Kazaka, our leader. He is an Akavir, a golden-scaled serpent." Sehiiri gasped in shock. She had heard the stories of the Akaviri invasions, but she had never thought she would actually meet an Akavir!

"Rhiihaaj," the figure hissed, a small grin twitching on his lips. "Who's this that you have brought into our Ssanctuary?"

"This is Sehiiri, my lord Listener," Rhihaaj replied calmly. "She was a member of the band of mercenaries I hired, and she helped me to execute the others as well as to capture the target."

"Very good, very good," Kazaka replied, his smile barely hiding his extremely sadistic nature. "Rhiihaaj; you have been a very good sservent to me, but you have broken one of the Tenetss." Rhiihaaj frowned; he couldn't remember breaking a Tenet.

"Forgive me, my lord, but you must be mistaken," Rhiihaaj replied, concerned. "I have done nothing to anger our Lord and Father Sithis."

"Oh, but you have!" Kazaka said gleefully, enjoying the worry he was bringing to Rhiihaaj. "Jusst two months ago, you attacked a family member; Ssoul-Sswimmer!"

Rhiihaaj's face paled beneath his fur. "B-but she is a traitor!" he stammered, realizing that he had indeed broken a Tenet. "I have served Sithis loyally and faithfully!" Kazaka smiled.

"True, true," he said, his voice dripping with sadistic glee, "but when you attacked her, Ssoul-Sswimmer was a family member, and the five Tenetss demand your death!" Rhihaaj's eyes widened as he saw the other Brothers and Sisters come out of hiding. He turned to Sehiiri.

"Go, RUN!" he shouted before he was struck to the back of the head and fell to the floor unconscious. Sehiiri screamed and ran, ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Just as the Sanctuary Door was closing, she slipped underneath it and was free.

"I have to find Amori!" she thought, panicking. "He's the only one who could possibly defeat the Brotherhood!"

Delchkahn Amori stood in front of a gravestone, a glass of wine in one hand, a polished, black dagger in the other. He gazed down at the grave, ready for what he was about to do. "To us, my love," he said calmly. He raised the glass, and drank the contents in a swift, long drink. He savored the taste of the expensive wine on his tongue, letting it linger in his mouth before swallowing it. It wasn't the worst taste to have in your mouth before you died. He lifted the dagger up to his face, holding it at a couple feet away from him, staring at its gleaming, black blade. The weapon's name was Mehrunes Razor, the legendary dagger that could kill with a single prick. Amori had only used it three times before, and each time, he had felt as though a little bit of himself had been consumed by the weapon's evil. "Ocheeva," he said, ready for what he was about to do, "tonight, I join you, my love." He raised the Razor to his chest, and was about to plunge it into his heart when he heard the sound of someone running behind him. He stopped, and turned to see a young Khajiit woman running towards him. Her fur was a light gold, and she wore a revealing, tight-fitting leather cuirass, a pair of leather greaves, and a mace and short-sword on a black belt. Delchkahn lowered the blade, staring at the distressed girl, her fur matted down by the rain. "Can I help you?" he asked bluntly and uncaringly. The woman came to a stop as she reached him, bent over, panting.

"It's… it's the Brotherhood!" she gasped between deep breaths. "They… they have Rhiihaaj!" Delchkahn Amori's eyes widened in rage as he heard the name. The woman looked up at him. "I am Sehiiri, and—Sir? Are you alright?" Delchkahn responded by grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off the ground. She kicked and grabbed at his hand, but had no success in loosening his grip as he crushed her windpipe between his fingers.

"You expect me to help HIM?" he asked incredulously. "You expect me to help that womanizing murderer!?" Sehiiri gasped as he slammed her against the wall, trying to force words through her crushed throat.

"Brotherhood… has Soul-Swimmer… know where she… is!" she gasped, putting precious air into those words as her windpipe began to bleed, blood trickling onto her lips. Amori stepped back, dropping Sehiiri to the ground. She gasped for air, coughing up the blood that had begun to collect in her windpipe. "We caught Soul-Swimmer and turned her in to the Brotherhood as we were ordered, and killed the rest of our band as we were instructed. I know where she's being held, please, please help Rhiihaaj! He's all I have left!" she pleaded at Amori's feet. For a moment, Amori looked shocked, but then he turned away to face the gravestone, looking at the rose he had planted there what seemed like an eternity ago.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you," he said coldly. "I'm busy."

"With what!?" Sehiiri cried, tears streaming down her face. "What could you be too busy with to save a life!?"

"The answer's simple: I'm busy dying." Sehiiri stared at Amori in shock, staring into his eyes, for the first time seeing just how broken the poor man was.

"What happened to you?" she whispered, frightened by the sorrow she saw in his soul.

"Four months ago, I was given a contract by Lucien Lachance: Kill all of the Family Members in the Cheydinhall sanctuary. At the time, I was in love with Ocheeva. I am still in love with her. She was a member of the Sanctuary. I killed all the other members while she slept, hoping to take her and hide her in the forest until the Brotherhood's inner turmoil had blown over. I didn't know she woke up. I sensed someone behind me, and turned around, sword leading. It was Ocheeva." Sehiiri gasped. "I killed he one I loved, and now, I am finally going to be with her again." Amori sadly turned his head toward the ground, drawing Mehrunes Razor from his belt. Sehiiri stood, and slapped him across the face.

"You coward!" she screamed, enraged at Amori's hopelessness. "You're so caught up in your own tragedy to see that there are people who need you! Fine, don't go for Rhiihaaj! Go for Soul-Swimmer! She needs you!" Delchkahn winced, and tears began to spill from his eyes.

"I… I can't. She reminds me too much of Ocheeva. I can never forgive myself for her death. She can never forgive me." Sehiiri's hard expression softened.

"I can't begin to understand what it's like to kill a loved one, but I have lost them before, and I know this: if they were ever truly worthy of your love, they wouldn't want you to throw away your life after they're gone." Sehiiri placed a hand on the side of Delchkahn's face. "You've mourned enough for Ocheeva; you even commissioned a lovely gravesite for her," she said, glancing at the ornate gravestone, "and planted a rose at the site of her grave. You've grieved for four long months; it's time to let go. Ocheeva is dead, there's nothing more you can do for her. But Soul-Swimmer is still alive, and if you don't act now, she will be tortured, and then killed in a terrible fashion." Sehiiri took a deep breath, remembering all the people she herself had lost: her parents, her brother, her mentor, and her best friend. "The dead are gone; all we can do for them is make sure that they are never forgotten. You've done that for Ocheeva, now it's time to focus on those who still draw breath." Amori looked up, tears in his eyes, but he was smiling.

"Thank you Sehiiri," he said, smiling as though a great burden had just been lifted from his shoulders. He had finally come to terms with Ocheeva's death; what was done was done, and all he could do now was learn from the past. His expression changed to one of adventure, and Sehiiri knew that Delchkahn Amori, Hero of Kvatch, Deadra-Slayer, and former Listener of the Dark Brotherhood was back. "Now let's give the 'Brotherhood' hell!"

Ooh! It looks like Amori's going to kick some serious behind! After four months of grieving, he has finally come to terms with Ocheeva's death, and now it's time for some payback that set up the circumstances leading to her death!

What will happen next? Only time can tell...

The winds of time blow on, shifting the sands of reality into ever-changing patterns.

-Baeowulf