Slinking about in the dark of a cramped house was not an easy feat to accomplish. Especially when a well tended fire blazed in the fire place. And the one whom you are trying to plant seeds of hatred, malice, and a hint of lust for revenge, was staring wide-eyed at the fire. No doubt he would know the one who taunted and jeered at him could be nothing less than flesh and blood. Aderyn had to portray cunning, stealth, and malevolence.
A draft from the rising storm outside stirred the fire as Aderyn snuck in, and he cringed at possibly ruining his plan from the get-go, but Melus took no notice of it. Melus just sat there with his back to the door, the warmth of the fire caressing his face, and held tightly in his hands a note. Aderyn peaked over Melus's shoulder at the note, being careful to make little to no noise. It read, before fading into obscurity:
My Dear, Sweet Melus,
I fear these are my last days here on Nirn. However, take heart, I go to a better place. Although, I fear you will feel fear and reject the idea. Verily, you will blame yourself, just as you had when our daughter had died from that invasion of minotaurs. Encouraged by love, you avenged her, but still blamed yourself. Forever remember how you overcame the grief. Always you persevered. Laughter helped. Laughter helped you fight to remember the good times. Everlasting love, as well. Now remember. I'm sorry…
Aderyn hissed threw his teeth. How could he go through with this? Fear and shame both entered his heart, creating a bitter struggle between right and wrong. But which was which? Was breaking a man out of his remorse just to free another soul considered good? But something in the letter caught his eye. A little encouragement sprang into thought as to how he should toy with Melus's mind.
"Who's there?" Melus voice inquired in the dark, a weary regret clinging to his every word. "Go away!" he shouted. He then whispered as tears formed in his eyes, "leave me alone to wallow in my own misery." He waved his hands and centered himself back in front of the dancing flames.
Eager to complete his mission before any further guilt tried to beguile him out of it, Aderyn set about putting his plan into motion.
"Melus," Aderyn hissed, altering his voice to try and match that of Bal's. It actually sounded pretty close considering. But to add effect, Aderyn cast several spells to enhance the sound of his voice in the room. To make it sound distant but internal.
Melus barely even lifted his head, but Aderyn knew he had the attention of the man by the wary look in his eyes. Melus lifted his hands to block his ears. Aderyn forced Melus's hands down by use of telekinesis, trying to get Melus into thinking he was being bewitched by the power of his voice. He spoke all the while as he did this.
"Melus… poor Melus. He has no where left to run, does he?"
"Who's there? What do you want from me?" Melus growled. His eyes became wider, and Aderyn toyed with the flames by manipulating the element. He formed figures dancing in them – figures of a man and a woman dancing. Melus watched, transfixed on the burning forms.
"What do you see?" asked Aderyn in a low voice, influencing Melus to see what he most desired. The flames danced and danced, and then stopped altogether, frozen in place.
"Vena…" whimpered Melus.
"Yes. Vena." Aderyn resumed the flames, but made the woman flee from the man she danced with and ran to another. "Why is it, do you think, she became ill? You were away and she was taken advantage of."
"Stop it!" cried Melus. He tried to close his eyes.
Aderyn intensified the heat of the flames and crept dangerously close to Melus's ear, and began to whisper and instigate scorn. "She left you because you were away. She left you because she was alone. You left her, Melus. You left and she could handle it no longer. She longed to be loved. You never gave that to her. You never could." The woman figure fell into the embrace of the other male figure, and Aderyn brought the face out clearly, using the ugly mug of none other than Bal himself. Aderyn made the face sneer and tightened the figures arms around the woman.
"No! Please, no!" screamed Melus. "She couldn't. She wouldn't. She loved me!" Melus began to pull at his hair, tears streamed down his cheeks. He was losing control. Aderyn really did feel bad for the man. But he had to continue.
"Yes, Melus," he said, "yes she could. She did. You left her all alone."
"No…"
Now came to put into play the perfect wording from the letter. "Recall back to the letter your wife wrote if you don't believe. Recite the first letter of ever sentence. It all ends with I'm sorry." Aderyn almost could have chuckled. This had all come too easy.
Melus hesitated, picking up the letter. He slowly began. "I – H – A – V – E…" Melus froze. "I have," he whispered and pressed past the lump in his throat. He gulped aloud. "F – A – L" Melus's hands began to shake.
"Finish, Melus. Finish and you will see."
"L – E –N" The beaten mad slouched back in his seat, tears flowing freely down his eyes.
"Yes," hissed Aderyn. The man was broken. "'I have fallen'. And she ends it so daintily with an 'I'm sorry'. Isn't that nice?"
"Shut up! Shut up!" Melus put his head back into his hands, pulling hard at his hair. "Leave me alone!" he screamed. "Leave me alone! No!"
Aderyn silently exited the house, the first part of his mission completed. Now just for the last part. Aderyn would place the mace at Vena's grave site. He knew Melus would visit her one last time. He saw the betrayal in his eyes. But all the while he felt as if something were out of place. He pushed the knot in his stomach away. It's just the mortal part of you, Aderyn. The flesh, conquer it.
Aderyn heard Melus screaming at the top of his lungs for the voice to go away. He'd apparently succeeded and more. He'd driven the man mad. The door slammed shut behind Melus and Aderyn figured he had only a few minutes now. Casting a chameleon spell, Aderyn followed Melus, and soon found himself standing beside Melus at Vena's grave site.
Melus knelt down, tears staining his cheeks red. The thunder over head clapped, booming and lighting up the whole area. And in that split second, Aderyn placed the mace down in front of Melus. Melus's eyes widened with fear and hate. And he glimpsed Aderyn's shimmering form in the flash of another lightning burst.
"You! You demon! Who are you!?" His hand clamped around the mace, a murderous gaze filling his wild eyes. Aderyn felt a tinge of fear pang in his stomach. He prayed to the Nine that Bal would keep his word. "You will die demon!" yelled Melus.
Aderyn yelled out, feeling a presence taking over his lips. He couldn't tell exactly what it was. Perhaps the Nine wanted Melus to know. But he found himself yelling, "The Nine will forgive you!"
The last thing Aderyn remembered feeling was nothing. He saw Melus swing, but no pain came. It was instant death. A blow to the head and Aderyn crumpled to the ground, laying motionless as the rain fell, drenching Aderyn and Melus. Melus, however, stood over his kill, panting. But he realized what he had done.
And he wept at the fact that he committed the one act he promised never to partake in.
