Chapter 4
Blood of the Malevolent Cohort
The next morning I had awakened full of energy. I went to find Ocheeva to get another contract. She ended up finding me, she seemed on edge.
"It seems the Black Hand is in need of your services. Here's is a letter for you." Ocheeva gave me the sealed letter.
"Thank you." I looked at the letter; I wondered what I was needed to do? I walked off to read the letter alone.
Eliminator,
You have served the Dark Brotherhood well in the short time you have been with us. Indeed, the rate of your advancement has been rather remarkable. Now the Black Hand itself is in need of your abilities.
You must proceed with all haste to my private refuge in the ruins of Fort Farragut, located in the forest northeast of the Cheydinhal Sanctuary. When you arrive, we will discuss the nature of your special assignment.
I cannot stress to you enough the importance of your swift arrival at Fort Farragut. There are unseen powers working to unravel the very fabric of the Dark Brotherhood. The Black Hand is counting on you to prevent this disaster.
Do not share the contents of this message with anyone at the Cheydinhal Sanctuary, including Ocheeva, and make no mention of your journey to Fort Farragut! Also, be warned - my refuge within Fort Farragut is guarded by denizens who will attack any interloper on sight. Get through these rotting sentinels and you will surely have earned the right to visit my private sanctum.
Lucien Lachance
I was happy that Lucien was in need of me, but at the same time, something was strange about this. Why didn't he just choose Ocheeva or any of the other more experienced members? I folded the letter and put it away into my pocket. I went to the living quarters and gathered my things. I set off to find this Fort, I didn't exactly feel like walking all the way there so I stole another horse, my last one got confiscated from me. I was much more careful in taking a horse. I scared one horse to make it run off and while everyone's attention was on the runaway horse I took a black horse from the stable and quickly made off with it. I wasn't detected by anyone so I kept going on my was to Lucien.
I realized stealing a horse was rather unnecessary, the fort was a 15 minute walk, and even so I quickly went to the entrance. I opened the double doors and walked into the darkness. I lit my torch and looked into this cave like structure. I tried to open the barred door but it was no use, I'd have to activate it somehow. I looked around the room for some sort of switch but to my luck, I couldn't find one.
"How does he expect me to meet him if I can't even open the door?" I was frustrated by this. I tried to look around again but my torch gave out and I was now searching in the dark… I wonder if I just call for him? Would he come?
I doubted it but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try.
"HEY! I found your place but the door won't open!" I waited for some sort of response but all that came was a few rats. Lovely… I walked out of the door after a few moments disappointed.
Maybe there's another entrance? I smiled to myself and left the room to the outside. I looked around within the walls of the fortress and the outside. The sun was starting to disappear behind some grey clouds, thunder could be heard in the distance.
After about an hour of searching I came across a hollowed out tree. I went to investigate and found a trap door. It surprised me how obvious it was, it wasn't even a little hidden. I suppose it's not something you see unless you're looking for it.
I opened it but when I turned behind me to grab my bag a troll had attacked, I let out a scream and fell into the entrance. Luckily the bag was tangled on my foot and didn't quite fit through the entrance. This gave me some time to grab onto the ladder.
The troll was reaching for me in a frenzy after the bag had squeezed through due to my weight. I was dangling halfway down from the ground, I was a good distance but that troll could attract attention. I conjured up a fire spell towards the troll. The troll cried out in pain and ran away. It wasn't the best of ideas but it made him go away. I climbed down the rest of the way and softly landed on my feet. I looked up at a very surprised Lucien.
"How did you find this entrance?" He questioned.
"I couldn't open the other entrance, the door was kind of locked into place and I couldn't find a switch, so I decided to see if I could find another entrance. And I did." I answered simply.
Lucien came over to me. I felt dizzy as he approached slowly, I also felt something warm and wet on my shoulder.
"Never the less, I've been waiting for you, assassin. I am well aware of your accomplishments within the Dark Brotherhood. That is why I have sent for you."
"I see." I suppose I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up.
"I'm afraid there is a... Situation. The time has come to test both your skill and your loyalty to Sithis. The Black Hand has learned that the Dark Brotherhood has been infiltrated. By whom, and for what purpose, we do not yet know. What we do know is that there is some link between the traitor and the Cheydinhal Sanctuary. The traitor has tainted that place beyond repair. It was learned that the traitor has been active for quite some time, since before you joined the Brotherhood. That absolves you of any suspicion."
"That's lovely…" I figured where he was going with this and I wasn't very happy about it. "But if that place has been tainted by the traitor and you're the one who runs it, that just means either you're the irresponsible one or the traitor IS you." Suddenly I didn't feel very safe anymore.
His eyes looked at me with a dark anger "I am no traitor."
"So you're just irresponsible… That makes me feel so much safer in your hands…" At least if he was the traitor it would mean everything was planned and okay. If he isn't... Well that means things could go wrong very easily. I don't like this.
"Yes I admit I have been a bit irresponsible. That is where I ask you to do this, we'll see where your loyalties lie as you will see where mine are." He didn't seem to see that I was careless about whether he was the traitor or not. How sad…
I gave a small frown; I really shouldn't get any of my hopes up. "My loyalties lie with you." I looked into his eyes sincerely. He gave a small smile and continued to explain from where I had interrupted him.
"You have been selected by the Black Hand to perform the ancient rite known as Purification. Everyone inside the Sanctuary must die! You must break one of the Tenets you have sworn to uphold. I know this is an unexpected turn of events, but drastic measures must be taken. Ocheeva, Vicente Valtieri, Antoinetta Marie, Gogron gro-Bolmog, Telaendril, M'raaj-Dar andTeinaava. All of these family members must die! From this point forward, you are no longer bound by the Five Tenets! Sithis will forgive any murder, any theft, so long as you serve the Black Hand! When the rite of Purification has been completed, return to me here at Fort Farragut, and we will discuss your future. Now, take these special gifts. They will help you greatly." He gave me a small satchel. "One is a poisoned apple. The other, a unique scroll of summoning. Good luck... Silencer."
I looked down putting my hand over my shoulder, only to stain it with my own crimson blood. I suppose the troll had given me a clean cut when it first attacked, I hadn't felt a thing. I looked more closely at the crimson stain on my hand remembering the promise I had made with Roselia.
"There's three kinds of people; people who want more, people who don't know what they want, and people who don't want anything because they have what they want. Those who want more will usually go to any extent to get what they want, even murder."
"But sometimes it's necessary."
"Not really, there's always another way, you just need to take the time to look for the alternative, even just a moment could be all you need to find another way."
"Rosey you're such a tree hugger." I playfully stuck my tongue out at her.
"Promise me, if it ever came to it. You'll pick the alternative." Her eyes were full of sorrow. The pain behind those words opened my eyes. She didn't want me to end up like her father. I solemnly looked at her and smiled.
"I promise."
"I'm sorry Roselia..." I quietly muttered to myself. I looked up at my patron.
"My real name's Ilazki." With that I set off to fulfill my mission. Today would be the last time I ever call myself Roselia, I was a disgrace to even such a tainted name itself.
I made my way back to the sanctuary; I would show no mercy to anyone... Or at least try not to, we were all the best of friends, after this, I'd give them a proper burial. Today I would have to say my everlasting farewell.
I entered the Sanctuary through the well. I found Gogron and greeted him kindly.
"I brought something for you" I said with a smile. He smiled back and I gave him the poisoned apple.
"Why thank you. I was actually just on my way to get myself a bite to eat." He bit into the apple.
"I got it especially for you." I gave him a small malicious smile. I started to walk away and looked back as he started to cough and wheeze.
"Farewell my friend." I said solemnly. He looked up at me before falling to to his knees. One reckless battle had been avoided.
I went on to find another and found Antoinetta, I did not greet her. I simply took her life silently. I slit her throat with the Blade of Woe and as blood fell to the ground I purged the blade into her upper region of her back. She didn't die as easily as my previous. She fought back strongly, she had purged her silver dagger into my thigh. I thrusted my blade into her left shoulder and after a few more attacks she collapsed into my arms weak.
"Looks like Lucien only saw betrayal in you." I never really like Antoinetta, she claimed to like me but I knew she truly hated me. I wasn't sure why she did but that's what I had over heard her say to Teinaava one day. At least M'raaj was honest about his hatred towards me. Antoinetta finally suffocated to death from her own blood. Then Telaendril walked into the room, leaving me no time to explain she attacked me.
"Traitor!" She snarled. She charged at me with a short sword, she got my forearm as I pushed her away and used a fire spell. I then attacked her with full force. She made it very difficult but with a bit of strategy, she left a beautiful corpse.
Three of her ribs were protruding from a wound in her abdomen. The peach-white flesh that was once perfect now was marred with eternal wounds and bruises now. I looked back at Antoinetta's corpse and took her silver dagger before leaving.
I left their lifeless bodies in the training room. I was beginning to grow weak from my new found wounds. I made my way to Vincete's room with a clove of garlic. I found him asleep. I smiled and grabbed his cup from the table and put three cloves of garlic into the cup and pressed the cloves into the cup with the hilt of my new silver dagger.
With the same dagger I make an incision into my wrist and let the crimson fluid fall into the cup slowly. After about half the cup, I applied pressure to my wrist to stop the bleeding. Then wrapped a piece of cloth around the wound and continue forward and wake up Vincete. He opened his eyes wearily and smiled at me warmly.
"I thought I'd thank you for everything you've done for me with a cup of my own blood." I gave him a small smile.
He took the cup carefully and smiled back at me. He began to drink it feverishly and in doing so he swallowed the crushed cloves of garlic as well. He dropped the cup, his eyes showed pain. He looked at me as I drew the silver dagger and pierced it into the flesh upon his neck.
I had poisoned the blade itself with garlic. I had remembered him complain when Antoinetta would use garlic in her experimental dishes. He was allergic to it.
I twisted the blade further into his flesh and pierced him again in his heart.
"I'm sorry..." I took the blade out and left his corpse.
I made my way around the corner and ran into M'raaj.
"Ah, there you are! Look... I've been thinking, and... Well... I guess I just want to say I'm sorry for the way I've treated you in the past. I mean, look at you! The things you've accomplished! You've obviously proven yourself a valuable member of this Sanctuary." He was sincere. He also seemed to notice my wounds but said nothing about them.
I smiled sadly, "It's okay, really."
"So let's start over, shall we? I know from now on, you and I are going to be great friends! Now, is there something you'd like to buy or sell?" He showed me everything he had, I had bought all the spells he had to offer that I found useful. He also gave me a free spell, as a token of our new found friendship, funny how it was a spell of silence.
I looked up at him with a smile. "I really do wish that things could have gone another way." I spoke to him full of sorrow before silencing him and slitting his throat. I watched sorrowfully as he fell to his knees choking on his own blood.
"I'll see you in the next life my friend. May Sithis keep you safe there." I stabbed him in his chest to end his misery and left Antoinetta's dagger.
I made my way to Ocheeva's room. It was getting harder to see. I saw Ocheeva she immediate got up to come to my aid. I pulled out my Blade of Woe and stabbed her abdomen. She writhed as I twisted the blade and attacked with another blow. I just kept piercing the blade into her multiple times until she lay lifeless. I stood up. I could no longer tell if the blood was mine or hers. I made my way to the main hall where Teinaava was. He noticed I was hurt and quickly came to my aid. I stared at him and started to tear, blurring my vision more.
"Roselia? What happened to you?" His tone told me all the worry in his voice.
"I'm sorry... I hope you can forgive me for this. It was an order, I have no other choice." With that I purge the blade into his chest. More tears came out and mixed with the blood on my face. I made Teinaava's death the quickest I could. I stabbed him over his heart, I would have just cut off his head but in this state I could barely even keep my eyes open. I fell to my knees after killing him, all my strength I had was leaving me. I conjured up a healing spell that I had gotten from M'raaj, it help a little bit but not by much.
I made my way out of the city towards Fort Farragut. I tried my best not to stagger. I didn't want to attract attention to myself. The rain that poured washed off most of the blood, which helped, rain meant everyone was inside or hiding away to keep dry. With the help of my horse the journey wasn't as hard as it could have been.
I arrived at sunset. I crawled into the hollow tree and into the trap door. As I descended I slipped off the ladder. I hadn't noticed the wound on my wrist had reopened itself. As fast as the fall was it slow, as the world had stopped. I closed my eyes.
"A single word was always just enough to sharply stab right through your skin." Roselia looked over at me, her emerald eyes peered into my crimson ones.
"I can't help it" I looked away ashamed of myself.
She touched my cheek and made me look back at her. "That just means you have a kind soul, never let anyone tell you otherwise, you are greater than anyone who tries to put you down. They see the shine in your eyes and try to taint it with their foul visions." She smiled at me.
"Rosey your so smart, how can a little eight year old know so much." I looked at her curious.
She shrugged. "I suppose I've experienced the cruelties of life much too early." She looked away.
I felt arms wrapped around me, I looked up, I could barely make out Lucien's features.
"The purification is complete..." Everything had gone black after that.
I was surrounded by a serene field of grass. There was not a cloud in the baby blue sky. I closed my eyes, breathing in the crisp air that surrounded me. As I opened them I noticed an apple tree just up ahead with someone there. I smiled and ran over to the tree happily. It was Lucien. He stood reading a book, as I approached him he looked up at me and gave a small smile. He wore a vibrant blue shirt embroidered with a golden braided hem, cuffs of the shirt had a small silver design on them. Along with some matching blue pants. His long jet black hair flowed downwards flawlessly.
Suddenly when I try to speak with him a blade stabs through me, I look down at myself. I look back up at a mirror which stood where Lucien once was. I could see the crimson fluid drain itself from the wound in my chest. I turn around to see who my attacker is. As I turned the wounds faded away into butterflies. There I saw a mangled corpse hanging upside down before me. It was hardly recognizable. I examine it closely and see that it is Lucien's corpse. I collapse out of shock and fear as it looks up at me. There was no life in his eyes, but his mangled hands reached for me.
My eyes opened and I was greeted with darkness all around.