Title: Vicissitudes
Author: BurningSilence
Rating: T (yes, I changed the rating, nothing M-rated…yet.)
Disclaimer: I think we all know the answer to this by now.
Summary: Just see the first chapter ^_^
Chapter VII: The Path of Dawn
It was already nearly noon when Felicienne arrived at Green Emperor Way four days later. She'd spent more time in Cheydinhal than she'd expected too. She felt a bit strange walking around a cemetery looking for some clue as to where a murdering, daedra-worshipping cult would hide itself in Cyrodiil. Although, she felt more disturbed by the fact whoever provided the directions to the Mehrunes Dagon shrine, (presumably it was Mankar Camoran), did so by 'desecrating' a grave of a member of the royal family.
But really, that seemed to be his way.
She shielded her eyes as the sun glinted off the top of White Gold Tower. She looked down at the shadow the massive tower cast, and on a hunch, followed it to where it stopped, right in front of the tomb of Prince Camarril. What she saw on the tombstone baffled her:
There was a glowing red map of Cyrodiil with a marker near the Valus Mountains. She pulled out her map and held it underneath the one on the tombstone. The indicator seemed to be placed north of Cheydinhal, and close to Lake Arrius; she supposed she'd just have to walk around in that general area until she found it.
She sighed, that sounded easier than she knew it was going to be. She also knew she might very well die doing this mission. But she needed to return the Amulet of Kings to Martin. That didn't stop her from being frightened, though.
These were the same people who were able to assassinate the Emperor and all of his heirs…except for Martin. And they found out about him even before Felicienne could get to him. She was a little afraid she wouldn't be able to pass herself off as an initiate. She made sure she made the correct mark on her map before she tucked it back into her satchel and prepared to leave the Imperial City via the Arboretum and Arcane University walkway. She'd walk to the Waterfront District and find her way to the Red Ring Road and, hopefully, would head towards Cheydinhal. She'd been there often enough, now; she shouldn't get lost. It'd be the trip through the woods that'd make the whole journey a bit dicey.
Sighing again, she ran her hand through her hair nervously, and adjusted her leather cuirass and trousers. She'd briefly entertained wearing her assassin's garb, but again, thought it might bring too much attention to her. Attention she didn't want; she'd have enough problems blending in with the Mythic Dawn. From what she understood, Mythic Dawn had no room in their 'hearts' for anyone else other than the Daedric Prince of Destruction; not even for Sithis. So her being a loyal servant of such an entity could potential pose a risk in her infiltration.
The trek was a long one, and it was well into night by the time she reached the approximate location marked on her map; unfortunately, she didn't see anything resembling a shrine. However, there was a cave near by Lake Arrius, which may be where they were located.
She began to make her way down the cavern into a large opening underground. She spotted a man in a red robe who, when he noticed her, came up to her and greeted, "Dawn is breaking."
Struggling for a minute, she remembered what Tar-Meena told her to say if she was greeted this way. Recovering, she answered, "Greet the new day."
When the man smiled, Felicienne let out a small sigh of relief. He made a welcoming gesture as he continued, "Though the hour is late, the Master still has use for willing hands. You may pass into the Shrine. Harrow will take you to the Master for you initiation into the service of Lord Dagon. Do not tarry. The time of Preparation is almost over. The time of Cleansing is near."
After the keeper opened up the door behind him, Felicienne made her way through with a feeling of foreboding. She had no idea what to expect after she crossed this threshold. As he continued walking, a Dark Elf was there to greet her before another door.
He introduced himself as Harrow, Warden of the Shrine of Dagon. He let he know that by following the Path of Dawn hidden in the Commentaries that were written by their 'master', Mankar Camoran, Felicienne had 'earned' herself a place among their chosen.
Harrow smiled, "You have arrived at an opportune time. You have the honour of being initiated into the Order by the Master himself."
Felicienne felt her palms begin to sweat and tried to rub them, inconspicuously, on her trousers.
"As a member of the Order of the Mythic Dawn, everything you need will be provided for you from the Master's bounty," he held out a crimson garment before he continued. "Give me your possessions and put on this initiate's robe."
"W-what?" Felicienne stuttered, her fear beginning to take a firmer root.
He placed a hand on her should in, she assumed he considered, a soothing manner and told her gently, "I understand it's not everyday you are given the opportunity to stand amongst and serve a greatness such as our Master and Lord, and that the experience may be a little overwhelming. So I ask again, give me all of your possessions and put this robe on."
It appeared that refusal was not an option here.
"Alright," she agreed, handing over her satchel, and her weapons. She thought about asking him to turn around as she disrobed, but had a feeling he wouldn't be very obliging. Her fingers shook as she undid the fastenings on her cuirass and breeches, she didn't like the idea of anyone watching her undress, least of all this man who'd demanded it of her.
When she was finished she handed him her clothing after slipping on the initiate's robes he'd given her.
"Very good," he smiled. "I will take you to the Shrine."
Harrow led her through a series of corridors, bypassing a few other members of the Mythic Dawn; some were people she recognized just in passing. Many of these people were folks who'd seemed…normal, she supposed, as she passed them in various towns and villages. And now they'd seen her face. After this, there would be no turning back; she'd be too widely recognized. There'd be very few places she'd be safe.
They finally approached the Shrine room, and there, in the middle of it, was Mankar Camoran. Felicienne was sure her jaw fell open in shock. She truly hadn't thought she'd see him here. And he was wearing the Amulet of Kings! Well, how was she supposed to get it now?
As she made her way down to the 'auditorium' she could hear what Camoran was saying more clearly: "Praise be to our Brothers and Sisters! Great shall their awards be in Paradise! Hear now the words of Lord Dagon.
"'When I walk the earth again, the Faithful among you shall receive your reward; to be set above all other Mortals forever. As for the rest, the weak shall be winnowed; the timid shall be cast down; the mighty shall tremble at my feet and pray for pardon.'
"So sayeth Lord Dagon. Praise be," Camoran concluded. Felicienne's heart sank as she saw Camoran open a portal and disappear through it, taking with him the Amulet of Kings. 'Praise be' echoed around the chamber as one of the attendants at the Shrine told her to step up after Camoran disappeared through the portal, presumably to his 'Paradise'. Felicienne made her way up the steps and noticed an Argonian priest who was unconscious on a stone slab. The attendant handed her a knife, and informed her that in order for her initiation to be complete, she'd need to kill the priest. The attendant handed the girl a silver dagger and looked at her expectantly.
She looked over at the priest on the altar and mumbled, "Nothing personal," and then she stabbed him. Since he wasn't awake, there was no struggle, and he died as peacefully as could be expected.
"Now your initiation into the Mythic Dawn is complete," the attendant grinned, clapping her on the back. Felicienne was barely paying attention; she was trying to figure out her next move. Mankar Camoran escaped with the Amulet of Kings, she was initiated into Mythic Dawn…she sighed. Today was clearly not going her way.
She noticed most of the people had cleared out of the room, and the few that were remaining were talking amongst themselves. While she was looking around, her eyes fell on the book that Camoran was reading out of; The Mysterium Xarxes. She could hardly believe he'd leave it behind…but maybe Martin could use it to find out how to get into Camoran's Paradise.
She took a deep breath, taking notice of Harrow and a couple others standing nearby, and made a dash for the book. As soon as she grabbed it, the statue of Dagon collapsed and alerted the others in the room of what she'd done.
"Unbeliever!" Harrow shouted, lunging at her. She tucked the large tome under her left arm and used her free hand to slash at him with the silver dagger they'd given her to kill the priest; she needed her things back, and he still had her pack.
After dodging several blows he'd tried to land on her with a conjured mace, she finally managed to sink her blade into his neck and bled him to death. She grabbed her pack, slung it over her should, and ran off; trying to dodge other members while stuffing Dagon's book into her bag. Unfortunately, when she'd been admitted to the shrine room they'd seal a gate behind her. She needed to find an alternative escape route, and fast.
Apparently, the commotion alerted everyone in the whole damn cave to something being amiss. Seeing no other way, and wanting to buy herself some time, she went invisible.
"She was here a second ago!" one of the acolytes yelled.
"What happened in here?" someone called out.
"An initiate stole the Sacred Book and killed Harrow when he tried to stop her!"
"Find her; don't let that treacherous whore escape! She must be made an example of!"
Not liking the way that sounded, Felicienne hurried towards what looked like another tunnel. Perhaps she could find her way out from there.
It was difficult, and exhausting, but Felicienne finally managed to escape the Mythic Dawn headquarters; with the Mysterium Xarxes and only had her invisibility spell wear off a few times. Although, those few times had been very inconvenient for her.
Fortunately she'd gotten away with minimal damage, and was now on her way to Cloud Ruler Temple. Though she hadn't been able to retrieve the Amulet of Kings, she hoped they could find a use for the consolation prize she brought back. The book practically hummed with power, tempting anyone within distance to try and harness the dark magick it possessed. She made sure to keep it as separated from her other things as she possibly could, given their enclosed space.
When she'd put some distance between herself and the caverns, she sat down to rest a bit. She could see the sun beginning to rise over the Valus Mountains. She looked around, trying to get a feel for where she was. Judging by her surroundings, she must've traveled farther north than she thought; she was out of the forest and close to, what looked like, the Jerall Mountains. It'd be tough, but perhaps she could make it to Cloud Ruler by evening. If not, she could always stay somewhere in Bruma.
Of course, as she came to this conclusion, it began to snow.
"Great," she muttered, huddling the robe tighter around herself. Then she sighed; she needed to change clothes. She couldn't very well run around dressed like one of the people who'd been responsible for the Emperor's death, now could she?
She found a secluded space and changed back into her leather cuirass and trousers, hoping at least her own body heat would keep her warm while she moved, and tried to make her way to The Silver Road.
It was around midnight when she trudged into the main hall of Cloud Ruler, and she was quite surprised to see Martin was still up, sitting at one of the tables reading a book. She'd decided against staying anywhere until she'd dropped that book off with Martin. She didn't like how it made her feel while she was carrying it. It made her feel…anxious. Twitchy and nervous, her fingers itching to crack it open and sate her curiosity for the knowledge it contained. Although she doubted she could read it; she hadn't studied in depth on daedric languages. Sure, she understood some things, but nothing that would aid in her translating something as extensive and complex as the Mysterium Xarxes.
She smiled weakly and called out softly, "Martin! You're up?" She didn't enjoy having to report her failure to retrieve the Amulet, but it needed to be done…unfortunately.
Martin lifted his head up from his book and smiled at her, "You're back. I told Jauffre not to worry." His face fell when he took in her subdued demeanor. "…I can see you have bad news. You didn't recover the Amulet, did you?"
She bit her lip and shuffled her feet a little, "No, but I have the Mysterium Xarxes…"
He stood up abruptly and slammed his hands on the table in front of him, "By the Nine! Such a thing is dangerous even to handle!" She jumped back and dropped her satchel, holding her hands up in a gesture of contrition. However, she winced when she heard several bottles break in her pack; those would probably be her moderately expensive healing potions. Martin closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "Forgive me. You were right to bring it, but you'd better give it to me. I know some ways to protect myself from its evil power."
She swallowed and hesitantly asked, "Can the Xarxes lead us to Camoran?"
He looked down and shook his head, "I don't know. Maybe. I suspect the secret of how to open a portal to Camoran's Paradise lies within these pages. I will need time, though. Tampering with dark secrets, even just reading them, can be very dangerous. I'll have to proceed carefully."
She grinned, feeling a bit more relaxed now, "And what do you know of the dark arts, Priest of Akatosh?"
He smiled slightly, "I haven't always been a priest, you know. In my youth, I followed a…different path. I put aside the dark arts when I became a priest. But the workings of fate may be seen in this, too." He looked off to a point past the dark haired girl and continued, "'The gods can turn anything good', or so I piously told those who came to me for advice. Perhaps I may come to believe it myself." He stepped towards the Breton and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I am sorry for reacting as I did when you told me you brought the Xarxes. It was more out of concern for you, than anything else."
Felicienne looked away, blushing, "You don't need to worry about me; I can take care of myself."
"We were all a bit worried about you; you're not exactly disliked around here."
She flashed another grin and winked at him, "I know; I'm wonderful."
"You may be, but don't let that go to your head," he chided teasingly. "You should get some sleep now."
"You should too, Mr. I'm-going-to-stay-up-all-night-reading," she taunted. "We can't have our Emperor passing out from lack of sleep, now can we?"
She was quickly becoming very fond of Cheydinhal, Martin had flat out told her to take some time for herself; it'd be awhile before he was able to get anything from Dagon's book, so she might as well enjoy the 'vacation'. She'd left the Temple yesterday and didn't even have to think twice about where she was going.
Although, at first she thought she'd be more attracted to Bruma (it was so very much like Jehanna) she found the city of Cheydinhal quite agreeable to her. Even if the fines left something to be desired; she'd heard several townsfolk complain about them, and the new Captain of the Guard, Ulrich Leland. Something would probably have to be done about him…
And if that wasn't interesting enough, Lucien Lachance was at the Sanctuary, again! When she asked Antoinetta about it, she'd told her it was a bit unusual; Lachance only visited two, maybe three times a month. To her knowledge, this was the fourth visit in the same month. Apparently, he was dealing with an unusual contract and had decided to stay for a couple days.
She got the feeling she was being watched. It made her uncomfortable. Antoinetta appeared to be the opposite; she was positively giddy. And an incorrigible suck-up. At least, Felicienne thought it was sucking up. Telaendril seemed to think it was something else. When it had come up when she was speaking to Gogron, he'd shrugged and just grumbled, "Women." He must've been having problems with Telaendril.
And Vicente rarely had anything to say about Antoinetta; Felicienne suspected it had to do with her cooking.
Whenever Teinaava saw how Antoinetta was acting around Lachance, he'd just say something along the lines of, "Disgraceful how she carries herself around him." And Ocheeva just shook her head.
Felicienne didn't see what was so 'disgraceful' about it; Antoinetta was just looking to be…indispensable. The younger girl felt that this was understandable, given the life her 'big sister' had hinted at having before coming to the Sanctuary. Even if it did get a little tiring listening to the blonde list the virtues of Lucien Lachance…everyday.
Which is what led Felicienne to her current position; face down at the small table in the living quarters.
"'Oh, dear sister! Did you know that Lucien became a Speaker of the Black Hand at twenty-five? Did you hear how Lucien handled himself when a contract when sour and he had to fend off ten Imperial Legion Soldiers?'" Felicienne mocked to herself, imitating Antoinetta's voice as best she could. "'Did you also hear how he fought off an army of trolls, exorcised the haunted ruins of Xitharn, and later, just for kicks, saved a puppy?'"
"Excuse me?" a deep voice questioned.
Her head jerked up, eyes wide with panic, "Speaker!" she gasped out. "How much of that did you hear?" she asked, her face felt like it was on fire.
"I came in somewhere between the Imperial Legion and the puppy-saving," he replied, arching an eyebrow.
"I'm so sorry, it's nothing personal, it's just that Antoinetta's been…I'm so sorry," she bemoaned, burying her face in her hands. 'I'm in so much trouble,' she thought miserably. To her surprise, he let out a chuckle and sat down next to her.
"I'm well aware of what Antoinetta Marie is saying. Teinaava has made sure of that," he informed the terrified girl. She looked up at him, blinking huge, blue eyes at him owlishly.
"So, I'm not in trouble?" she ventured, looking hopeful.
He smiled, "Of course not; I would just like to know something first."
"What is it?" she asked warily.
"I saved a puppy?"
"It was just the last thing I thought of," she muttered, still very embarrassed.
He chuckled again, and pulled back his hood, revealing shoulder-length dark brown hair that was gathered tightly at his nape into a neat ponytail. Nothing like the mess her hair allowed. She cocked her head slightly and furrowed her brows.
"Yes?" he queried.
"Oh, nothing. I've just never seen you with out your cowl before, I'm sorry if I'm staring," she flushed and looked at the table.
He gave her a secretive sort of smile; the kind of smile Felicienne wasn't sure she trusted, and he told her, "Well, it's alright, I suppose. I've seen you in far less clothing, and I'll admit I stared quite openly." Felicienne's eyes widened almost comically, trying to think back to anytime that what he was saying may have even been possible, when she noticed he seemed to be trying to hold back another laugh.
She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to control her blushing. "Oooh! You're teasing me!" she narrowed her eyes at him and huffed. "Hmph, I wish you wouldn't do that," she turned her head away from him, but peered at him from the corner of her eye. "According to everyone else, you've been here more times in the past month than you usually are any other time. Is something going on?" Then she looked own again, "Forgive me if it's not my place to ask, sir."
He folded his arms across his chest, regarding her seriously, "There is an…unnerving situation that is being looked into. I can't say much more on the matter; but if it helps, think of it as being under review. I am merely checking on everyone's progress."
She raised her eyebrow, "I thought that was two weeks ago. But have your secrets, I've no need for them."
"I hear from Vicente you'll be coming up for advancement very soon. There's a contract he's eager to give you. I suggest you talk to him as soon as possible," he stated, getting up to leave. He held his arm out for her to help herself up.
She looked at him for a second before responding, "Oh, you mean now, don't you? Sorry, I guess I'm a bit slow on the uptake today." She took a hold the proffered arm let herself be helped up from her chair. 'I could have done that myself, though,' she thought, a mite irritated. 'I better go pick up that contract from Vicente.' "Thank you," she murmured, excusing herself from the room.
As soon as they stepped out of the main living area, Antoinetta quickly stepped to the side in a vain attempt to conceal what she had been doing. Encountering the surprised expression of Felicienne, and the calculating expression of their Speaker, the blonde woman stumbled for something to say. "I-I was just coming here to grab something to eat. Um, I'll be getting to that now…" she mumbled as she ducked her head and stepped inside. When they were gone, she slumped down in a chair and sighed loudly. She hadn't been able to hear everything they said; the doorway was too far away from the table to allow that. She'd really only been able to hear Felicienne, since Lucien had been speaking in tones too low to carry very far. She'd heard enough to understand the general idea of their conversation.
It hadn't bothered her that the younger girl was going to be advanced soon. The girl worked hard, and had a flawless record so far; she would deserve the promotion. It was the way Lucien was speaking to her. It had almost seemed…flirtatious. Antoinetta didn't want to think about that. At least Felicienne didn't seem to notice; it looked as though she felt Lucien was merely making fun of her. That girl could be so oblivious sometimes…
"Looks like our Speaker's taken quite an interest in our little Felicienne, doesn't it?" Antoinetta jumped as Gogron's voice shocked her out of her day dream.
"I'm sorry, Gogron, I didn't hear you come in," she apologized.
He looked surprised and told her as much, "Well, you must have been deep in thought, to have not heard me come it. I've never been accused of being too sneaky."
Antoinetta laughed a bit, before sobering up and asking, "What did you mean by the Speaker taking an interest in Felicienne?"
"Oh, I overheard him talking to Vicente earlier. Remember that contract in Chorrol he went on earlier; the one where he had to kill that fellow's mother for that special contract? I heard him telling Vicente to hold that contract for her. Something about him having faith in her skills, and it being a good test to see if she should be advanced. What position is she up for anyway? Isn't it Eliminator? Personally, I thought she should've been advanced after infiltrating the Imperial Prison. That took talent!"
Antoinetta nodded dumbly; Lucien was saving special contracts for her?
"You aright? You look kind of sick, sister," Gogron asked, feeling a little concerned for the normally cheerful blonde.
She swallowed thickly, "I'm fine, just a bit of a headache.
"Ah, I've been waiting for you," Vicente smiled as Felicienne stepped into his chambers.
"I was told you had a contract for me?"
"Yes, this is a rather unique set of circumstances. Normally, we are called upon to take a life, but not this time. This contract requires us to stage the assassination of a marked man. Will you accept it?"
Felicienne nodded, curious as to what this contract would entail.
"As always, you fail to disappoint me," Vicente told her, pleasantly. "You need to travel to the city of Chorrol and break into the house of a Francois Motierre. Inside, you will find him waiting for you; do not kill him! You see, he owes a considerable sum to the wrong kind of people. So, they've sent and enforcer to kill him." He handed her a blade and continued, "Use this specially poisoned knife to stage Motierre's death, in the enforcer's presence. Motierre, himself, will provide more details. This is an unusual contract. Motierre had to make a special agreement with us before it was approved. I trust in your professionalism."
"May I ask, what was the special agreement that need to be worked out?" Felicienne asked, almost worried about the answer.
"Normally, we would have refused, no matter how much gold is involved. Sithis demands blood. However, Motierre offered his own mother in addition to a hefty sum of gold. Lucien already took care of that little detail a couple days ago."
She nodded, making a hum of agreement. Motierre's mother must have been a lovely woman for her own son to offer her up as a sort of 'collateral'. It looked as if her vacation was over, and she'd need to travel to Chorrol very shortly.
She sighed and headed back to the living quarters to pack some things she'd need.
A/N: I finished this chapter sooner than I thought I would. I'd like to make something clear; I'm not trying to portray Antoinetta in a bad light. I
love Antoinetta; I think she's a very dear character. She's just being shocked into behaving this way, I suppose. She's still fond of Felicienne, just a bit jealous. After all, she is in love with our favourite Speaker, isn't she?