Chapter 2 Brought Together by Death
There was a heavy thump when the arrowhead dug itself into the battered practice dummy. Another zinging arrow soon followed the first one. Thanatos smiled when the arrow hit the head of the dummy.
"You're getting better."
Kai stared at Thanatos with a insulted look in his eyes. "Of course I am! You've been training me so hard my fingers are bleeding."
Thanatos smelled the air. "No, they aren't," he said with a confused look.
Kai looked down on his hands. "Okay, they aren't.. But they still hurt," he said and looked miserable.
"Oh, buhu," mumbled Thanatos with an amused smile.
"You don't have to be so spiteful."
"I'm not spiteful, I'm just.." Thanatos got up from his chair and walked over to Kai. ".. teasing you." He gently took Kai's hands and looked at them. They looked very tanned compared to Thanatos. "Oh, dear."
"What?" Kai looked flustered.
"I forgot to respond to Vicente's letter." Vicente again? Kai thought. Thanatos didn't notice the irritated expression on Kai's face.
"So my hands are fine?" he asked. Thanatos, suddenly aware that he was still holding Kai's hands, let go and returned to his chair.
"You're fine. Keep practicing." He bent down to his bag and took out some rolled up parchment and a quill.
"Seriously, you don't have to answer to every line that he writes," Kai said with a annoyed tone in his voice.
Thanatos looked up with a raised eyebrow. "The last thing he sent me was a 4 feet long
- I'm not joking - roll of parchment, in which he required a detailed elaboration of our rules regarding advancement within the black hand."
"Oh," said Kai, he had almost forgotten what kind of responsibility Thanatos had. "Then you should get on with it."
"Back at you." Thanatos started scribbling. He didn't need any ink since the quill he used was enchanted. A birthday gift from Vicente, apparently.
Kai sighed and went to pick up his arrows. Thanatos and Vicente's relationship had always bewildered him. He had asked Thanatos about it several times, but he newer got a clear answer. Vicente Valtieri was a vampire, so was Thanatos. Thanatos was the listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Vicente was a speaker. That was all he knew.
"You missed. Try to aim at the torso instead, it's easier." Thanatos amber-colored eyes followed him closely, despite the fact that he was still writing.
"Yes, I know that, thank you." Kai hated when he wasn't able to master weapons immediately, and he had a real problem with bows. He took another arrow out of his quiver and aimed for the head of the dummy. Unfortunately, it was another miss.
"You missed aga.." Kai cut him of before he had time to finish his sentence.
"Yeah, that happens sometimes!" When he realized he had been shouting he lowered his voice. "I'm only human, you know." Kai smiled, but Thanatos didn't. Instead he looked insulted.
"I can hear your heart beating, louder than the roar of a dragon. When you breath it sounds like you have a hurricane inside of you." Kai didn't know how to react. He hadn't expected Thanatos to get mad. "And, as if that isn't enough, your scent, or should I say the scent of your blood, makes my throat burn like it's on fire.." He had actually gotten so mad that Kai could see his fangs when he spoke. "So, yes! I know that you're human, trust me." He got up from the chair and squeezed the parchment and quill down into the bag.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." Thanatos was on his way out from the bloodworks. Kai hurried after him and grabbed his arm. "Don't go. I barely get to see you these days."
Thanatos looked hurt. "You're the one who is always busy. And besides, why are you always so irritable when you're with me?" When he was angry his eyes looked as if they were burning.
"No, you're the one who's always in Bravil or out on some killing spree with Valtieri!" Kai took a deep breath to calm down. "Sorry.. Guess I am kind of irritable when you're around."
"Kind of? You're worse than a imp!" Kai was just about to protest when Thanatos gave him a stern look. "And you know that I did not choose the dark brotherhood.."
Kai sighed, he had heard this a million times and it didn't make any sense. "You just ended up there. They have always taken care of you, and you don't want to be ungrateful. You feel like you owe them every second of your life and if Vicente asked you, you would probably lick his feet." Thanatos opened his mouth to object but Kai cut him of. "Oh, and then you usually say something like: you could never understand the bond he and I share."
"Well.. You can't." Thanatos looked hurt. "He made me what I am, and he saved my life. I don't understand how you can hate him so much when you haven't even met him."
Kai stood in silence for quite a while before answering. He tried to catch Thanatos eyes, who stared intensively into a stone wall. "Tell me," Kai said.
"About what?" One of the stone blocks seemed to be incredibly interesting.
"Your past."
"I don't remember it," mumbled Thanatos.
Kai felt confused. "What do you mean?" Sure, Thanatos was nearly 70 years old but he never forgot anything. And besides, he hasn't aged since since he was twenty.
"I don't remember."
Now Kai got even more confused. "What? Why?" he demanded.
Thanatos suddenly looked irritated. "How should I know?" Then he calmed down and said: "It's none of your business anyway." His voice sounded chilly.
Kai felt hurt. How could it not be his business? He had known Thanatos for years.
Thanatos looked at him and Kai and could probably see that he had gotten hurt, because he said: "Sorry, but it's my past. Why would you want to know such things?"
"Because you're my friend, and you know everything about me, and despite that, I know hardly anything about you."
Thanatos looked like he was trying to decide on whether he should tell Kai or not. When he finally started talking Kai was practically jumping up and down in excitement.
"When you put it like that.. But I don't remember anything from when I was human." Kai looked at Thanatos with a quizzical face.
"Nothing at all?"
Thanatos shook his head. "The first thing I remember is waking up and seeing Vicente's worried eyes." Kai frowned. Vicente again. "He found me laying in the middle of the Blue Road."
"Bet he tried to suck you dry," muttered Kai. Thanatos gave him a grim look.
"He thought I was dead, my head was crushed. But then.. he heard my heartbeat."
"And then he sucked you dry?"
"Stop it! He saved me."
"How? Nobody can heal a wound like that."
Thanatos sighed. "Why are you always so oblivious to the obvious? I thought you figured this out years ago."
"Figured out what?" he asked but then he remembered what Thanatos had said earlier. He made me what I am. He had used the word what, not who. Kai felt stupid, and he hated it. It was, as Thanatos had said, obvious. "I get it. He turned you into a vampire to save your life."
"Yes. Then he brought me to the sanctuary in Cheydinhal, and took care of me after I woke up."
"But he turned you into a vampire. You said it yourself that you hate having to hurt innocents. Wouldn't you be better of dead?" Kai regretted it the moment it came out of his mouth. Surprisingly Thanatos didn't seem to get angry. But there was something in his eyes that seemed to change.
"I probably would," he said and started walking up the stairs, towards the door. He opened the door but stopped in the doorway. "You should retire. In a few weeks all hell will break loose here."
Kai was taken by surprise by the sudden change of subject. "What do you mean?"
"I can't tell you. Just do as I say."
Kai frowned. "You're telling me to quit as the grand champion and leave my home, but you can't tell me why? Are you mad? Do you think I'm gonna move somewhere else and start working for the fighters guild or something? What's go.." Thanatos had rushed forward and put his hand over Kai's mouth.
"Don't shout like that, people can hear you."
Kai took a hold of Thanatos arm and jerked it away from his mouth. "Then tell me what's going to happen."
Thanatos sighed. "I can't! You'd run of and tell someone."
Kai tried to look hurt, but he just looked like a whiny kid. "You know I wouldn't do that." He sighed. "I not going to just drop everything because you said so."
"But.."
"No! Not until you tell me what's going to happen."
Thanatos looked desperate. "You have to leave! I can't protect you if you stay."
A sudden chill went down Kai's spine. "Have you been ordered to kill me?" Thanatos stared at him without saying a word. Kai gasped, like he couldn't get enough air. "Oh my god! NO! Who the hell wou.." Thanatos put his hand over Kai's mouth again.
"I told you not to shout!" Kai looked at Thanatos with eyes dilated with fear. "I haven't been ordered to kill you, so relax."
"Ou han't?" Thanatos took his hand away.
"No, I haven't." Kai sighed with relief. "But that doesn't mean that you don't have to leave," Thanatos added.
Kai looked even more confused. "Then why? I promise that I'll leave if you give me a proper reason."
Thanatos finally gave in. "I can't say anything here." Thanatos took Kai's hand and walked out of the bloodworks. It was still dark outside, but some of the citizens were already up and about. "Follow me." Thanatos said and let go of Kai.
As they walked Kai tried to catch a glimpse of Thanatos face, but he walked far in front of him. When the first lights of dawn came, Thanatos pulled his hood down over his eyes and turned into a dark alley. Kai looked around. They were in the market district.
"Hurry up!" He heard a sound that strongly resembled the noise that his sword made when he sharpened it with a grindstone. When he looked towards the place were he had heard Thanatos voice, he saw nothing. Suddenly a head popped out from the ground.
"Are you coming anytime soon?"
"The sewers?" Kai looked disgusted. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"What? Is the grand champion afraid to get a little dirt on his boots?" Thanatos frowned, obviously annoyed.
Kai sighed and followed Thanatos down into the hole. They left the entrance open.
It was surprisingly dark, and after walking only a few feet into the dark tunnel Kai could no longer see where he was going. He felt something brush against his arm and twitched.
"It's just me," said Thanatos with a low voice.
"Can we light a torch or something?" No answer. "Thanatos?" The sewage tunnel was completely silent, except for the soft sound of dripping water. If he hadn't been standing on the ground he probably wouldn't have known which side was up in the compact dark.
"Thanatos, this isn't funny. Where are you?" He felt a light touch on his left temple and suddenly the tunnel was lit up, but without any light source. Kai looked at Thanatos, who were standing at his side.
"What did you do?"
"It's just a simple spell. It allows you to see in the dark."
"Oh, okay." Kai looked around. Somehow everything seemed clearer than it normally would. "Are you going to tell me now?" Kai asked with a hopeful smile. He was quite curious now.
"Not yet, we have to go further down first." Thanatos said and started walking. Kai looked down into the stinking water. He could see his own reflection. If it hadn't been for his raiment of valor, people would have mistaken him for a simple farm boy. Ordinary brown hair and eyes. I'm nothing special, I just happen to be extremely lucky.
"It's not like anybody is listening. Oh well, possibly a rat or a mud crab, but I seriously doubt they're going to tell anyone."
"Just a little further," he pressed.
"You not gonna be happy until I've ruined my new shirt,will you?" Kai said and laughed. His laughter echoed against the walls.
"Take it of if you don't want it to get dirty."
"Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Thanatos was quite prudish, and Kai loved teasing him for it. Thanatos stopped in his tracks.
"No.. I mean.." He turned around and looked at Kai with a flustered face. "What?"
Kai grinned. "Calm down, I was just kidding."
"Don't do that." Thanatos tried to look irritated, but the relieve in his face was obvious. He started walking again and Kai followed him. He couldn't help but to think of Thanatos reaction. Kai had admitted to himself a long time ago that he loved Thanatos, although he never had the courage to say it out loud. The fact that Thanatos seemed so utterly appalled, only by hearing him mentioning it, didn't really strengthen Kai's confidence. Unlike Kai, Thanatos was perfect. His skin strongly resembled marble, pure white and flawless. Thanatos impeccable face was contrasted by his messy, black hair. Beautiful like a painting, and nothing like myself. While Kai was pondering over this they declined a considerable distance. They were now well below the sewage system, inside what looked like an old fortress or Aylied ruin.
"Where exactly are you taking me?" Kai asked and looked around. He was completely disorientated and there was now way that he could make it back on his own.
"You'll see. It's a place where we can talk without getting disrupted."
Kai shrugged. "Well, it isn't smelly so I guess I should be happy."
Thanatos looked back at him with with a raised eyebrow. "How do you think it smells with this nose?" he said and wiggled his nose somewhat like a rabbit.
Kai laughed. The tension in his shoulders was slowly disappearing. "Sorry, I can't imagine how it feels for you."
"Back at you," Thanatos said with a sad smile. Kai were just about to answer when they walked into a huge room with lines of pillars. The roof was covered in darkness, which was odd since he saw everything else in the room.
"It's to high up," mumbled Thanatos, who had followed Kai's gaze. "The spell won't reach that far."
"I have never heard about this."
"Of course you haven't, it's right below the Imperial Palace. No one knows about this because it's been the secret entrance to the Palace Basement ever since it was built. Only a handful of thieves know about it.. And sometimes.."
"..Assassins use it," Kai continued. "Who are you supposed to kill? I know it's a big shot, otherwise they would have sent somebody else. " Thanatos nodded.
"It seems that someone in the council wants to crowned as emperor, but the chancellor won't allow it."
"You're supposed to kill the High Chancellor? You can't do that! It'll start a war!"
Thanatos looked down into the floor. "It's bound to happen sooner or later anyway. Anvil and Kvatch is already gathering an army and they have joined ranks with Valenwood. Skingrad still hasn't chosen a side. Bruma has allied itself with Skyrim. The countess of Cheydinhal has fled to Morrowind, so I suppose that Cheydinhal will participate on Morrowinds side, although they might try to help the new emperor. Bravil doesn't have any army to speak of and Leyawiin is going to fight for the emperor.." Thanatos stopped to take a breath, he was speaking quickly. "But since the count only cares about wealth and power, he'll probably just invade Bravil and then switch side to Valenwood." Kai didn't know what to respond. Sure, he had witnessed all the signs of an upcoming civil war, but he didn't know that it was so close.
"What about the other provinces?"
"I think they're going to stay out of it." Thanatos looked very grave. "This is why you have to leave Cyrodiil."
"But.. I can't run from this. I'll probably be recruited into the Imperial Legion."
"No! That's the reason that I want you to leave. Go to Summerset Isle or High Rock, you will be safe there." Thanatos was starting to sound desperate. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Then don't kill the High Chancellor!" Thanatos looked up at Kai with amber-colored eyes that seemed to glow with anger.
"You promised me that you were going to leave!"
"I can't forsake my country! This is my home and I'm not going to leave it, not even if I have to die for it!"
The glow in Thanatos eyes faded and was replaced by something else. "Then I'll die with you." Kai was about to protest but was silenced. "You said I would be better of dead anyway, didn't you?"
"No, you can't do that.. Don't use my own words against me when you know I didn't mean it like that."
A mirthless smile was formed on his lips. "I'm going to kill the High Chancellor, start a civil war, and then I'm going to die protecting the grand champion of the arena. Sounds like quite a way to go, doesn't it?" Another chill ran down Kai's spine. There was something in Thanatos voice that scared him.
"Who says that I have to die if I fight? I'm very capable of protect myself in battle."
"As ignorant as ever, aren't you? You are famous, and because of that you're going to be targeted. If I wanted to make soldiers feel hopeless, I would target their heroes, and you are one of the heroes." Thanatos turned around and started walking back up again. "You might as well dig a hole."