Like Rats
Later that night, we were traversing through the catacombs beneath the city… Or at least trying to. There were so many twists and turns, we nearly got lost. Or maybe we were. "I think we're walking in circles." I said as we made yet another turn. "I could've sworn that's the same blood-stained column we've passed twice before." Lydia looked at the column I was pointing at and looked back at the instructions Brynjolf left for us at the tavern.
"Damn that cowardly, lying thief." She muttered. "His handwriting is almost illegible and yet we're lost down here." We kept walking and took another turn. Suddenly, we heard voices up ahead. We turned the corner to find a whole group of men dressed in rags and armed to the teeth. "I will kill that thief." Lydia said, strangely calm, as we unsheathed our weapons.
Later on we came upon some area lit with man made walkways and lighting all around. "I guess that's them." I offered and proceeded to sheath my bloodied weapons. We walked towards the voices and found ourselves in a makeshift tavern. A poorly lit sign with the words 'Ragged Flagon' scribbled across. Standing next to the bar was our contact. Brynjolf looked up as we approached.
"Well, well." He smiled. "Color me impressed, lad. I wasn't certain I'd ever see you again!"
"Impressed?!" Lydia stepped forward, her hand ready at her sword hilt. "We nearly died on the way in! You have a funny way of showing your gratitude by having your thugs try and kill us!" Brynjolf took a step back, obviously not expecting Lydia's outburst. I, on the other hand, would have been surprised if she didn't have one.
"Well, you see," he nervously chuckled, "that was a matter of security. We don't want any authorities runnin' around these parts botherin' us honest business folk. They probably didn't even know who you were." Lydia glared and stepped back beside me, but kept her hand at her sword. I stepped forward and crossed my arms.
"Well?" I asked. "We came, just as you requested."
"Indeed you did." He smiled wryly. "Your work up in the square was very well done, if you'd like I've got some work-"
"I'm here for information and only that." I said immediately, stopping him from finishing and Lydia from throttling his neck. "The old man. Where is he?"
"Right." Bryjolf cleared his throat. 'I think I know your guy. He's hiding out in the Ratway Warrens." He gestured to a nearby tunnel. "Paying us good coin for nobody to know about it."
"You seem very quick to be giving up a paying customer." Lydia raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, well he won't be a paying customer for long." Brynjolf frowned. "Thalmor soldiers came by here a few moments ago and roughed up some of my men while I stepped away. A paying customer is not worth a life. They're searching for him now."
"What?!" Lydia was ready to end his life immediately at those words. "When were you going to tel us this?"
"I was hoping to spare your lives as well." Brynjolf said calmly. "Thalmor are a nasty bunch, and I was hoping to gain allies today, not lose them."
"Thank you." I said, turning towards the tunnel. "But we're not leaving without our man."
After many twists and turns, and a few dozen Thalmor, we ended up at a closed iron door. "Must be it." Lydia said. "This is the only door the Thalmor haven't gotten to yet." I went up and knocked. A metal panel slid back to reveal a pair of old, yet stern, eyes staring back at me.
"Go away!" He shouted.
"Esbern?" I asked. "Open the door. I'm a friend."
"What?" He responded, surprised. "No that's not me. I'm not Esbern. I don't know what you're talking about."
"Delphine said to remember the 30th of Frostfall." I tried. Esbern's face instantly changed.
"Ah, indeed, indeed. I do remember." He said softly. "Delphine really is alive then?" He peered outside to either direction of the two of us. "You'd better come in here and tell me how you found me and what you want." I grinned at Lydia and turned my attention back to the sound of locks turning and groaning through the door. "This will just take a moment." Esbern stammered. "This one always stick…" A loud clang could be heard as if something fairly heavy fell. "There we go." More twists and groans. "Only a couple more."
"At this rate, the dragons will overcome us tenfold." Lydia whispered to me.
"Why do I feel like his door would protect him from that?" I whispered back. Finally, Esbern opened the door and ushered us inside to talk in private. His hovel seemed more like the living quarters of an inn's more expensive room than one in a catacomb. "So Delphine keeps up the fight, after al these years." Esbern chuckled. "I thought she'd have realized it's hopeless by now. I tried to tell her, years ago…" Before I could ask about any of this Lydia cut me off.
"We have to go." She said. "The Thalmor are here and we need to get you out of here."
Yes, yes. So you've said." Esbern responded unenthusiastically. "But so what? The end is upon us. I may as well die here as anywhere else. I'm tired of running.
"What do you mean 'the end is upon us'?" I asked.
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" He snapped. "What more needs to happen for you all to wake up and see what's going on? Alduin has returned, just like the prophecy said! The Dragon from the dawn of time, who devours the souls of the dead! No one can escape his hunger, here or in the afterlife! Alduin will devour all things and the world will end. Nothing can stop him! I tried to tell them… They wouldn't listen." He grumbled. "Fools. It's all come true… All I could do is watch our doom approach.
"You're describing the literal end of the world?" An astonished Lydia asked.
"Oh yes." He answered grimly. "It's all been foretold. The end has begun. Alluding has returned. Only a Dragonborn can stop him. But no Dragonborn has been known for centuries. It seems that the Gods have grown tired of us. They've left us to our fate, as the plaything of Alduin the World-Eater." I smiled wide and felt Lydia's smile next to me. The gods had not forgotten us! We still had hope!
"All is not lost, Esbern!" I proclaimed. "I am a Dragonborn!" The old man looked so startled, he nearly had a heart attack.
"What?" He stammered. "You're… Can it really be true? Dragonborn?" He ran across the room regaining the hope he had lost for years, and gathered what few things he had. "We have not a moment to lose." He proclaimed. "We must go. Take me to Delphine at once. We have much to discuss."
Author's Note: Ok! That felt good to get out! And the mob's dispersing so I guess I'm safe for now. Don't know how I'm going to explain the burnt crucifix outside to my mother, but I'll figure a way around that. Maybe blame the dog. Anyway I hope that my schoolwork will lessen for the rest of the semester and that I will be able to get the next chapter up soon. Sky guard you.