Chapter 13: Kill the Gatekeeper, Part 2

The sun peaked in the sky, sending rays of light upon the denizens of the Shivering Isles. A few rays pierced the windows of Jayred Ice-Vein's hut, the dust in the air sparkling like magic as the light cast itself upon dank, dirty wooden floorboards. It served to illuminate the home in a soft light, though still manifested as those intense beams upon the ground. The only other light source was the weak glow of the embers in the fireplace, the flame long dead to the chill of night.

It was in this dimness that Siena awoke, silently lifting herself with one arm into a leaning posture and looking through her hair at the surroundings. It was all a blur, but an organized blur, and she could make out the stairs and fireplace, and the dagger in her hand, but everything was fuzzy, like she was drinking. Where am I? She wondered, looking around and then searching the ground for her glasses. After putting them on, she registered where she was, and frowned. It wasn't a dream… She had been hoping fervently it was all a dream. But for naught, as she still awoke to her nightmare.

Siena further looked about the area, grimly picking up a collection of ivory shavings on the ground. She let them fall like sand through her fingers before reaching for her creation, picking it up. The shortsword was a child's production in quality, but it would have to do. She'd managed to make it marginally balanced and sharp, and that would have to be good enough. Reluctantly she rose and went to the table, sitting down with a sigh.

She ignored the food and mechanically began to wipe the neckerchief on the blade of the bone sword, her eyes distant. It had to be done. I can't allow myself any disadvantage. It has to die! I have to kill it! Have to…

Siena cried out in frustration, flinging the sword at the archery target Jayred hung on the wall by the stairs. The sword spun and stuck in the wood perfectly. Siena slammed her fists on the table, plates and food jumping, before sagging her head and breaking out in tears.

"I can't do it… I can't kill it…" She murmured hopelessly. "It's… It'll just kill me, like it did Jayred…"

"Then how are you supposed to get revenge, Siena?" A male voice broke in, and caused the Dunmeri maiden to blink, fall silent, and look up hastily. Sure enough, Belmyne was there, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed, smirking. "How are you supposed to bring us back to Tamriel and help us, if you've given up?"

Siena blinked again, staring at Belmyne. She didn't even register that he was dead, only that he was there. She stared at him teary-eyed for a while, contemplating his words and then sighing in defeat. Reprimanded, she stood up and walked to the target, pulling the sword out and polishing it with the tear-soaked neckerchief again as she moved to the table. Tears still came down her cheeks, but she bit her lip as she worked.

"You're right, Belmyne. I can't give up. Then that bastard would win." She muttered, setting down the sword and drawing arrows from the quiver on the table.

"Of course I'm right. When have I been wrong?" Belmyne asked, and Siena cracked a smile.

"Oh, I remember the time when-" She began, only to stop when she turned around and found Belmyne gone. Her lips quivered as tears welled in her eyes again, and she brought the neckerchief close to her chest. "Belmyne…" Her voice was a crackled whisper. "Thank you… For everything."

It was a belief firmly ingrained in her heart and mind from the days of her youth, a part of her culture and who she was. The ancestors of her people, the spirits of those loved ones dead and passed on, would always be there for her, to help her and guide her. And so it was with confidence Siena placed a furred boot upon the final step to the Gates of Madness, and slipped her bow off her shoulders. She felt in her heart that Belmyne's spirit was with her, to guide and protect her.

And of all the people in the world, she would never let her beloved down.

Smoothly she knocked the bone arrow, her consciousness so focused that her queasiness was ignored, her determination overriding her fears. Face set for battle, she leveled the bow, glaring through her lenses at the giant blubber of rotted flesh that was her foe, her fear, her obstacle. Through the special glass she could see it clearly, make out those unholy symbols that kept it alive, and grit her teeth in anger at the atrocity that it was before firing.

The arrow sailed forth and struck, hitting the Gatekeeper in the right shoulder. It stumbled as a harsh, grating cry of pain emitted from the mouth-less ogre, and its left hand reached up to grab at the arrow. The being shuddered as it ripped the arrow out, tossing it to the ground, and turned towards Siena.

The Hlaalu agent's eyes went wide, and that determination began to slip, her fears fighting back. It… failed… The fleshy horror lumbered forward, its sword arm swinging back sloppily as blood oozed from its shoulder. Siena braced herself, before launching to the side and rolling into a crouch as the massive cast iron blade slashed down, not a moment too soon. Holding her pose she drew another arrow swiftly and knocked, aiming the bow at an awkward slanted angle and firing.

This arrow didn't quite hit the mark, but still nicked the shoulder and stuck to the flabby skin, barely puncturing at the bad angle. The Gatekeeper let out another tormented wail, turning towards her and swinging with its fist. Siena leapt to dodge, but ended up directly in the swing-back of the backhand. The impact knocked the wind from her lungs and she felt magicka surge through her, before she was flung across the plaza to the ground.

Siena had certainly not expected the Gatekeeper to use magic, but it hadn't helped the Gatekeeper much. The dark glow of destructive energies sparked over her skin, only to be absorbed in pinprick flashes of light by her body. Silently thanking the gods for her birthsign, she picked herself up as the Gatekeeper lumbered towards her and reached back for an arrow.

But the quiver was empty; they'd fallen out when she was flung across the plaza, and were twigs strewn over the ground. Panicking, Siena dived, narrowly avoiding the sword chop as she rolled and grasped one of the arrows on the ground, knocking and pulling back. She didn't have time to fire, however, and that nuisance hand sought to slap her again, and she had to leap backwards, releasing the bowstring and holding the arrow to the bow with her left hand alone in order to catch herself and complete the flip, landing on her feet again. She hastily pulled back again and aimed, firing at the giant chest as the Gatekeeper righted itself.

The behemoth stumbled back, falling onto the large statue between the two stairs, before collecting itself and lumbering forward drunkenly. Its entire body was shuddering violently as it moved, trying to get to the woman that tormented it so. Siena stepped back, reaching for her shortsword; all the remaining arrows were on the ground near the Gatekeeper. She was running out of options fast.

Another step, and the Gatekeeper roared, throwing its sword arm into the air and seeking to divide the Dunmer in two equal halves. Siena gulped, tensed her legs and prepared for the worst.

An arrow whistled in the air, before a soft groan echoed from the monster. Siena took the chance offered in the moment of hesitance, and jumped at the Gatekeeper, slamming her sword into the rotted gut. As she impacted against her foe and the blade pierced, the giant tottered backwards, before crashing to the ground on its back and sending Siena rolling out of control to the ground near its head. She remained there, legs splayed out and arms flopped, catching her breath in a daze.

Siena brushed her hair behind her ears and pushed her glasses up her nose, looking through the grey lenses to see a man standing on the plaza, holding a bow in front of him. She was stunned into silence as the man stumbled to her, sitting himself on the ground.

"Jayred?"

"Congratulations. The Gatekeeper is slain." Jayred replied with a smile. He sounded like he was in pain, though, which made Siena worry. She looked over her shoulder to the Gatekeeper, as if to check it was indeed dead. When she looked back she got on her knees and moved towards Jayred.

"You're hurt."

"It's fine, it's fine." Jayred waved her off, looking at the Gatekeeper. "You did well; the honor of taking the keys from his corpse is yours." The Nord told her, changing the subject without hesitance. Siena bit her tongue, recoiling. She'd actually have to…

Jayred looks like he's near death. He can't do it. And the keys are the only way… but where are they? She wondered, slowly rising to her feet and stepping towards the corpse. She approached the head –nearly as large as she- and rested her hands hesitantly on the sandpapering flesh, looking at the face. She gasped and gagged at what she saw. In the well of its eye socket the flesh was bulging in the shape of a key. One of them was in there.

Why does it always have to be the WORST possible outcome? Siena snarled as she forced herself to draw Belmyne's dagger, and jabbed at the eye. Well, it could be worse actually… But this is hardly any better! The entire time she had her eyes shut as she cut out the flesh around the bulge, and tossed it aside. She opened them again to look at the result.

The key was there, sewn onto muscle loosely. Lower lip quivering and stomach about to flip, she wrapped her fingers under the key and against the flesh, and pulled. Blood sprayed out and speckled her body. Groaning in disgust she dropped the key, and moved to the other side of the head to repeat the process.

When she was finished, Siena was a gruesome polka dot painting of blood, and had two keys in her hands, flesh still dangling in small shreds from the thread that held it on the corpse. She'd left the bone sword purposely along with the bone arrows, unwilling to continue using them now their purpose was served. She was stopped as she was heading for one of the stairs by a male voice. It was a familiar bretonic voice, and the tone was sarcastic at first, then moderately disappointed.

"So, you've managed to kill the Gatekeeper. Pity."