Chapter 26 – Take It From Someone Who Knows
"They enslaved everything that Sithis had made and created realms of everlasting imperfection.
Thus are the Aedra the false gods, that is, illusion"
Quote – Book of Sithis
"I'm telling you Isran, it's a bad idea. Don't mess with this woman" The voice came, Tai groaned. Light dancing across his eyes. Isran's laughter came.
"One woman Sadean, not even a vampire. What damage can she do?"
"She took down a Giant" the Redguard, Sadean's voice came.
"Many warriors have done so" Isran defended his point. Tai felt his back, completely healed. The feeling was strange, not tender like Serana's but rough, compassion was lost in an experienced hand.
"Barehanded" Sadean finished, Tai saw the shadow pulling a hood down. There were three in this room.
"She is very dangerous Isran, I testify from personal experience. She is however, honorable, even in her insanity" Another male voice came. It belonged to a Dark Elf, clear, crisp and rasping. It was a voice Tai couldn't listen too for long, yet its timing was wise beyond its gruffness.
"Respectfully, Arch Mage Brand, we didn't ask for your opinion" Isran snapped. Tai felt the air spark.
"Then do not invite me and ask for aid when I offer advice to be ignored" Brand huffed, each word was a veiled threat. The air was charged, ready to snap at this Elf's word. Tai groaned, rising slightly to stare at the scene before his door.
Brand was a hollow faced man, unpleasantly so. His forehead was very strong, slightly over hanging his slit like, blood red eyes. His skin was quite deeply tinged with blue, a colder Dark elf. His large ears pointed outwards more than usual, his head was shaved yet his rose blond hair was growing back. A stripe of hair covered from his bottom lip to pointed chin. His hair didn't suit the colour of his body. For an elf, he rivalled the Nords for his bulk. Clearly he had pushed his body, his neck bulked from his humongous shoulders. The rest of him was lean, clad in the mages robes.
"You really want to try something here, Dark Elf?" Isran growled. Brand's eyes seemed to burn with fire as it surrounded his hands.
"You wish to declare war on the mages collage? You know we out skill your warriors, and Arada already knows everything that is happening" Brand replied, his ear tips seeming to flick. Tai grinned, Brand knew how to debate, and throw his power around. He was clearly both mentally and physically stronger than Isran. Sadean was the man Tai couldn't predict.
"Gentlemen, please" Sadean finally spoke up. Tai groaned, trying to earn their attention. Isran lowered his glare, Brand admired the silent defeat.
"I knew you were not stupid" he said respectfully and turned his eyes to Tai.
Tai felt challenged by Brand's eyes, his tight, almost clenched jaw. He could tell it was the bone structure, but Brand summoned hostility, respect, even a touch of fear within Tai, and everyone else. He felt threatened.
"Nice to see you're awake" Brand addressed Tai without using a name, it seemed Brand either didn't know it or didn't care.
"Why do I feel hostile to you, why did you heal me and not Serana?" Tai snapped slightly, Brand smiled, his teeth perfectly white and each sharpened by unnatural means into a harsh point. A mouth full of wolf teeth.
"Before coming here, I was involved with some… questionable cults. I guess their stench has just rubbed off on me. My name is Brand; may I have the honour of addressing you with yours?" Tai was taken aback by Brand's words.
"If you don't know my name I'll tell you, but if so use it" Tai still snapped. Brand smiled, cracking his neck with a slight head twitch.
"My thanks, Tai. I find it is manners to be permitted to use someone's name, their identity in this world. A view, that also earns hostilities. Strangely, not among women" Brand's voice croaked like the typical Dark Elf, he held an aura about him though that Tai had never experienced. A humble grace, yet a proud nature. Much like Gelebor.
"It does not help that peoples thoughts can easily become my own, she is very beautiful. And yes, she is alive as a vampire can be. A mutual friend decided to give her a scare, but brought you here alive. Just in time, a questionable figure has been poisoning you both, turning your bodies against each other. It is warming to see you still in love, and still respecting her shyness… Although, she is a savage behind it all isn't she?" Brand lost himself in his words; Tai blushed for the first time in a long stretch. Brand had seen his memories, or read Serana's perhaps. Either way, Brand knew far too much.
"Been so honest, I can see why people are hostile. You reveal too much… personal information"
"My apologies. I was not educated and raised by comforting means, I was raised as a slave" Brand hung his head for a moment.
"That is why I owe so much to your sister in law. She saved me from my cruel master, then gave me my freedom"
"When can I see Serana?" Tai sat up more, the candles burning by his bed hurt his eyes, more than the sunlight. Brand looked truly uncomfortable, still he was a brave elf.
"When she and your sister in law have finished pulling each other's hair in a fight, mainly over the unstable mind they share. I will never understand women"
"If you did, I would be worried for your health… Especially Serana and"
"Z! You have three seconds to explain to me what you did" Serana fumed, Z was sitting before her, in the circle room with a look of complete ease. Serana was furious. Z had gone too far, way too far.
"Played. A. Prank" Z shrugged, her face openly revealing how uninterested she was in Serana's fury.
"You said I died!" Serana shrieked, taking another furious stride, finger pointed at Z's nose. Z blinked calmly.
"You did. Still are dead"
"By the divines. I thought Tai was dead!" Serana's voice seemed to make the entire castle shake. Everyone froze, fearfully. Except Z, she just shrugged.
"It must be a nice surprise he's not. It's good for me; I don't want my little brother in law dead… Again"
Serana snarled, leaping forwards with her hands outstretched, Z seemed to stand still, somehow Serana tripped past her. Serana stared up over her shoulder in shock, rubbing her chin after its jarring connection with the stone floor. Her grunt echoed.
Serana got to her feet, hissing wildly at the still casually standing Z. Serana again pressed an attack, Z spun right, her left foot kicking Serana's behind playfully as she stumbled past. Serana couldn't believe it. Somehow Z was easily avoiding her with minimal effort, and she thought this was a game.
"Do you think I'm playing?" Serana roared, throwing her foot at Z's gut. Z groaned, catching the foot and holding it to her. She grinned at Serana then released it, taking a step back as Serana again lashed. This time Z was a ghost. Serana's kicks kept almost connecting, but just missing as Z simply side stepped each furious blow.
"No. I think you need to vent, you know. Have some girl time" Z stated simply, throwing a right jab at Serana, she slapped Z's hand aside. Z's wrist rolled faster than anything Serana had seen, suddenly she had Serana's wrist in a lock. Z simply jogged to the wall and leapt, she back flipped from the wall with a push. Serana's arm was spun unnaturally as her body fell. Z landed on her feet like a cat. Serana groaned loudly as she threw a punch. Z ducked it.
"You! I thought you betrayed me! Out of everyone! I though Tai was dead, and you wanted me gone for the bow!" Serana huffed, in perfect timing with her well thrown jabs. One connected with Z's chin. Z looked amused.
"Honey, I'm insane. I like scaring people. It's my curse, or maybe my gift… Depends on the day. But I am not a back stabber" Z replied in a strange voice. Honey was not a word Serana thought she would ever hear Z say.
"You stab people in the back for a living!" Serana kicked for Z's side. Z leapt, her legs flattening like boards as she avoided Serana's attack.
"That's very true" Z said after landing. She then grabbed Serana's ankle and pulled. Serana fell to her back with a loud yelp, Z's knee pinned on the side of her face.
"I kill for a living. It's what I was bred for, all I've known my entire life. But I would never betray someone" Z's eyes shone with seriousness, sincerity. The look made her seem timeless, like Serana. She was a very beautiful woman, in her imperfections she held a grace, in her silent yet outspoken confidence she made herself seem perfect.
"Unless the pay is good"
"You kicked me in the head!" Serana threw her knees up into Z's back. Z rolled forwards with a yell of shock, coming to a kneeling position. Her eyes turned over her shoulder, flaming with the sudden joy on her face.
"You needed to be asleep. I knew the usual methods wouldn't work on a vampire. I also knew that a Deadric Prince has been playing on Tai's nightmares, possibly on yours. I couldn't risk it, not after what I saw" Z stayed in her kneeling position, finger tips on the ground, hand splayed to give her a spidery look.
"Tai was nearly dead, you heartless" Serana continued to call Z several names, most never heard in any form of conversation. The room was silent, light seemed to vanish. Z rose to her feet slowly, her eyes almost black as she looked over her shoulder to Serana.
"You just crossed the line" Z didn't disguise the threat in her voice. Serana trembled, something between rage and fear. Z was not herself in this instant; the quiet yet somehow sisterly woman was replaced with a vessel. Serana charged.
Serana didn't know what hit her as a blinding pain hit her gut. She collapsed to her knees, holding her belly with a string of fluent curses. Warm, sticky liquid stuck to her hand, weaving between the cracks of her fingers.
Next she felt a blinding cold in the side of her head, Z's foot connected with force enough to break her neck. Serana fell to her side, curling up to hold her stomach. Then the blinding pain hit her tailbone, Z's foot again devastating against Serana's body.
"I never wanted to hurt you Serana, but I am an assassin. There is one rule, and you broke it. Never mistake me for unwilling, I am always willing to kill. I am easily provoked into a place you can't imagine. I am always the Listener… always" Z lectured in a cold voice as she stood over Serana. Blood trickled from Z's hand, dripping from her finger onto Serana's nose. It was Serana's blood. Z sighed, turning on heel as she walked away, leaving Serana in a mess she had never experienced.
Serana had been beaten worse; she had been insulted with more foul language than she dealt. She had been lectured for centuries. Something about how cold Z had been though crushed Serana's will. Everyone walked away, leaving Serana gasping on the ground as she remained curled in a ball. Z had just handed Serana a defeat she never knew existed. Z had just defeated Serana, with Serana.
"Z!" Tai demanded, approaching Z from behind. She froze, half concealed by shadows.
"A word of advice. Don't ever come up behind me with that tone, especially after I've finished" Z turned her eyes; they were dark still, storming. Tai swallowed nervously; even with his rage something about Z in this moment was indescribable. It completely overpowered him. A deathly peace, a great depression.
"How did you do it?" Tai demanded, in a more respectful tone. Z sighed, it was the first time he saw a truly different side to her.
"That's why I'm the Listener. Tai, don't ever ask me how I do that, you would be doomed even hearing me begin to put it into words. I just do it, that's my curse. That is the mark, I am the Listener. I destroy people, not defeat, destroy. Serana will be fine, I didn't go far. She may take a few days, a week, a year. She will recover. Go be with her, instead of pestering me"
"Z. I'm here to tell you off, not be told what to do" Tai spoke softly, he somehow couldn't attack her. Z smiled. There was something heart-crushingly sad about her manner.
"Tai. I'm going to give you some advice, I want you to listen, take notes even. Because you will never hear anything more honest than what I'm going to say"
Tai nodded.
"Alright"
"Grow up. You've started, but you're not there. Not yet. You will only have the opportunity twice, normally one passes you before you even notice, and the second is doomed to fail. You're blessed she is already dead"
"Z, what are you talking about?"
"I've found it twice, the first one died because I failed. It has haunted me, but he has been the step that led me to Farkas. I found both. Love, it's rare. Not the emotion of caring, everything seeming right. That happens several times. I mean perfect love, I can't even describe it. Serana and you are created for each other, I believe Mara, a goddess I put absolutely no stock in considering my allegiance to the Night Mother and Sithis, has taken lessons from you two" Z took a breath as Tai set his jaw.
"Why are you lecturing me?"
Z wasted no time, she took the stride forwards and with a closed fist she smacked Tai smartly upon the head. He yelped, holding where she had struck him. He pouted, confusion and anger all over his body language.
"You're stupid to think there is anything you can't face with her. Stop waiting around for everything to sit right with you, if everything sits just right then it's all wrong. There are faults. Get over them! They are never going to go away, no matter how hard you wish she never feeds again, never enjoys a kill. Whatever is holding you back, accept it and get on with her. You won't live forever, she will. Don't waste your time and leave her in pain when you lose your flexibility" Z crossed her arms.
"An assassin is giving me romance advice?" Tai mumbled. Z again rapped him on the head. Again he yelped, taken aback by Z's simple approach. As if he was a troublesome kid complaining about eating his vegetables.
"Tai. Get. Over. It. She's a mass murderer? Accept it, so are you. She wants to have a kid with a dragon? Accept it; there are worse things than scales. She's a lesbian, cut it off. She was going through a lesbian phase, stitch it back on and prey it works the same. The bottom line is you are an idiot not to be all over her, don't hold any of yourself back because the odds are one of you is going to die before you win this damn battle. Don't have regrets because you had doubts, you are screaming to accept her" Z took a step back, Tai's utterly shocked face was priceless.
"Lose your mind, be insane. If everything is sane, life isn't worth living. Take it from someone who knows" Z finished quietly, then somehow she seemed to vanish.
It was magic, Tai knew the trick, but Z made it so stylish. He sighed, dropping to his haunches as he thought about what Z had said. She had just knocked him senseless; his head was going to bruise. All he wanted to do was hug Z and thank her. Knowing what to do he rose to his feet and followed the halls. He had some catching up to do.