There was a loud screech as the frost spider fell down to its death. The spiders had numbers in their favor, but in the end they all fell to the Dark Brotherhood.
KaNack lowered his raised hands that were still smoldering from the fireball he had cast. Nazir sheathed his scimitar, and the Spectral Assassin hurried over from a kill he had made from across the cavern.
"I hate spiders. You think you've killed them all, and they just seem to reappear," the Redguard grumbled. The three had traveled to Helgen after the abandoned shack, the old Falkreath sanctuary and Dragon's Bridge all came up empty of Penitus Oculatus. Not even the town of Dragon's Bridge, the original base of the officers, had been home to Maro or his agents.
"It has to be here," KaNack hissed. "If it is not related to the Dark Brotherhood, then it had to be connected to my road to becoming the Dovahkiin."
There was a crunch as the Argornian stepped on a frost spider's corpse as he continued forward in the underground passages. "It would have been a perfect place for Maro to make base. There are tunnels and hidden passages all over Helgen."
"Yeah, and full to the brim with frost spiders and skeevers," hissed Nazir. "How about I get to choose the next place we try?"
The mage ignored his brother's complaining and continued forwards through the dark passages not wanting to waste time. If there had been no sign of the Penitus Oculatus at this point, it was obvious that Helgen, too, was not the place where it all began. The leader of the Dark Brotherhood stopped with a sigh and turned to Lucien.
"How much longer do we have, Buddy?"
"There is a disturbance in the Void. The Night Mother still has the ability to contact this world, but I fear that in a few days it might be too late."
"We're running out of time. By Sithis, where else could Olava have meant?"
"If the Night Mother can talk," started Nazir as he caught up with the two, "then why doesn't SHE tell you where to find Cicero?" The Redguard rolled his eyes. "Oh, that's right. You're being tested. Isn't that what I overheard Babette telling you?"
The mage grumbled in his throat as he proceeded forward, following the small stream of water.
"Now here we are, tromping through swamps and dungeons, because you're failing your examination."
KaNack spun around with his lips curled back in a vicious snarl, revealing rows of small, sharp teeth. "If you want to leave! Just leave!" he screamed as he viciously pointed back the way they had come. "No one is forcing you to help, Nazir! Go! Go back home!"
The Redguard froze in place at the Listener's outburst. Tempers were flying high, and it was probably not best to frustrate the one who could shoot fire bolts. The mage stormed off, vanishing into a tunnel. The Spectral Assassin turned to Nazir with disappointment.
"It's not easy for him, you know," the ghost uttered. "The entire fate of the Dark Brotherhood is resting square on his shoulders. If you are going to do nothing but complain, it will be for the best if you return to the sanctuary."
"Listen," started Nazir. "I understand how important this is to find the Keeper. Running around Skyrim is not doing us any good though. I think what we need to do is start book hunting and see if we can dig up the Keeping Tomes. If we can get a new Keeper, then at least we'll still have the Night Mother."
Lucien's eyes widened in shock and then narrowed.
"I think you should be very grateful that the Listener did not hear you say that," the Spectral Assassin uttered darkly. "If you bring that idea up to him, don't expect to be welcomed back into the sanctuary."
Having said his piece, Lucien hurried ahead leaving a faint trail of blue mist behind him as he went to catch up with his caster. The spirit found the mage outside the mouth of the cave staring out at the land ahead. There were the faintest hints of sunrise off in the horizon. Dawn was upon them.
"My Listener?" the ghost remarked quietly as he joined the Argonian's side.
"This is my fault," the mage uttered quietly. "There was a reason why the Keeper is no longer meant to take on contracts. " The Argonian released a grunt of disgust with himself. "On multiple occasions I had kept him away from the Night Mother for close to a week. He should have been at Dawnstar tending to his duties, not helping me kill off bandits and targets. How could I have been so reckless?"
"You didn't force your will on the Keeper," Lucien answered gently. "He wanted to join you on your quests. For too long he had been refused the privilege of taking a life. The thrill of murder was just too exciting an offer for him to turn down." The ghost smiled as he folded his arms. "Cicero is stronger than you think. He'll be alright."
"And what of the Night Mother?"
This made the Spectral Assassin frown. "One could say that always taking the jester with you might not have been the right thing to do as a Listener. It was, however, the right thing to do as a friend."
Nazir appeared from the cave entrance and found his Listener speaking with the Spectral Assassin.
"KaNack."The Argonian turned around to Nazir with a rather frustrated look. "Is there anywhere else you can think of? Maybe we should try Ivarstead where I gave you your first contract."
"It's not Ivarstead," KaNack sighed. "I know it's not Winterhold where I began my work as a mage. I can't imagine it's in Black Marsh, where I was born." He held his face in his hands, feeling exhausted and disappointment. After years of trying to restore the Dark Brotherhood to its former glory, he was going to be the sole reason for its permanent destruction.
"Look," started Nazir trying to reassure the Listener. "We managed the Dark Brotherhood for years without the Night Mother. If we are too late, there is no reason for us to just disband. We'll still follow you."
"Nazir, at this point I really don't care whether you want to follow me or not. You can do what you wish with the Dark Brotherhood if I fail. It won't matter anymore." The sky was a crimson red as the sun rose to greet a new day. The mage looked up at it and narrowed his eyes. Another day had passed and a new one had begun. They had just lost more time. "Let's just return to Dawnstar, I am out of ideas."
"Perhaps the other brothers and sisters will have answers to the Keeper's whereabouts," Lucien suggested quietly.
KaNack simply nodded his head, and the three made their way back up the road that led to Helgen's entrance where the horses had been left. As they walked, the Argonian thought back to the day when he had been named the new leader of the Dark Brotherhood.
KaNack could not hold back a smirk as he made his way back up the stairs.
"You do realize that when you have this sanctuary returned to her former glory, he's going to know you got more than five thousand gold pieces," the ghost stated as he walked alongside the mage.
"I'll worry about that when the time comes. Did you see his face? He'd probably go off and kill Motierre if I hadn't done it myself."
The spirit only smiled as he thought back to the look of shock on the Elder Council member's face. The Listener had told the Breton it was his lucky day only to strike the man with a volt of chain lightning.
It was a kind deed done in respect for a man who had accepted his death quietly and willingly. KaNack made sure the Emperor's death was quick and painless. Not many were given that kind of privilege.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us," KaNack stated at he got to the top of the stairs. The Argonian leaped in surprise as the Night Mother's voice suddenly spoke in his head. He quickly approached and took a knee in front of the open coffin.
'It is done. Emperor Titus Mede the Second lies dead, and the Dark Brotherhood yet lives. But our work is just beginning. Hear my words.'
The Argonian listened carefully as the Night Mother told him to meet with a disturbed bard in Solitude to begin a new contract. After given his contract, the mage stood up and started out the door scowling.
"I hate bards. Why couldn't more contracts involve killing them?"
"I can feel deep loathing residing within you," Lucien remarked with a joyous malice in his voice. "What is it that the bards have done to unfortunately forge the Listener's scorn?"
"Ugh!" groaned KaNack. "There was a lute, and a drum, and some kind of poem." The mage shook his head furiously. "I don't wish to go into it." The Argonian placed his hand on the Black Door. "Let's just find out what this bard wants. Maybe if we are lucky, his contract will have a last request similar to the Emperor's."
Lucien laughed, thrilled with the mage's drive. The door was opened and the two stepped out into the bitter cold of Dawnstar.
"Okay, Solitude is west of here, right Buddy?"
Before the spirit could answer, a piercing yet familiar voice cried out.
"Listener!"
The Argonian looked up and saw Cicero come running from around the junction of rocks. The jester paused in front of him looking out of breath, but excited nonetheless. KaNack could not help but smile as he saw the Imperial.
The two had first met each other on the road in Whiterun. KaNack left Breezehome, after picking up some ingredients that were needed at the College of Winterhold. He had just begun his journey, when he came upon the stranded fool and his mother. Hearing the jester's pleas, he took pity on the man and agreed to help. It took some persuasion, but the Argonian managed to convince the paranoid farmer to fix Cicero's wagon.
Fate must have played some part in leading the mage to the welcoming arms of the Dark Brotherhood. It wasn't until after he had returned from Astrid's contract, that he was once again reunited with Cicero, much to the caster's delight. The Argonian loved to laugh, and the jester's personality quickly won him over. KaNack and Cicero would spend time together sharing stories and exchanging jokes.
Perhaps it was his dear friendship with Cicero that prevented the jester from outright killing him when he had been discovered in the Night Mother's coffin. That was fortunate, because then the fool would have killed the man he had been seeking for almost fifteen years. Becoming the Listener only strengthened the bond between the two.
The last time KaNack had seen the Fool of Hearts had been at the Dawnstar Sanctuary, just before the first attempt at the Emperor's assassination.
Despite his orders from Astrid, when the Argonian had finally caught up with the battered Imperial, he could not bring himself to end the fool's life. Part of him had assumed that he would not see the jester's grinning face again once he had left the sanctuary.
"Cicero!" KaNack exclaimed with a smile. He approached the Keeper with open arms. "It's good to see you again, old friend!"
The mage froze in his tracks when the jester suddenly pulled a deadly ebony blade from its sheath. The Argonian stared at it and then at Cicero in shock.
"Oh, yes! It is Cicero," he chuckled wickedly. "You were a fool to spare me! What, did you think I'd be grateful?!"
The Argonian held up his hands submissively as he took a few steps back. Lucien placed a hand on his dagger as well, preparing for whatever might come.
"Cicero, you don't have to worry about anyone hurting you anymore," KaNack said as he tried to calm the maddened fool. "As Listener, I have been placed as the new leader of the Dawnstar Sanctuary. You will be welcomed here."
"Cicero should be Listener, not you!" the jester snarled viciously. "Now you will die!"
A few sparks began to crackle from the mage's fingertips as he stared at the Imperial in disbelief. He had no desire to kill the man, but if Cicero planned to attack him, the mage was ready to fight back.
Cicero's expression of anger remained for a few moments, and then lifted to one of mirth. He laughed loudly and slapped at his knee before pointing at the Argonian.
"Gotcha! Oh, Listener, you should see the look on your face!"
The jester continued to laugh loudly, and the sparks stopped crackling from the mage's hands. He turned back to look at the Spectral Assassin to see if this was really happening. The spirit seemed just as confused as KaNack was. He then sighed in frustration, and released the grip on his dagger's hilt.
"There is no joke quite like one from the Fool of Hearts," the spirit said quietly. KaNack grunted as Cicero suddenly was by his side and wrapped an arm around the Argornian. The jester smiled as he pulled the mage close.
"Oh, Cicero has returned! Not to kill the kind Listener, but to serve until one of us dies horribly in service to our Mother!"
The jester stepped back and positioned his hands so that the fingers and thumbs formed the shape of a heart.
"Best friends forever!"
The Listener released a growl of frustration as he scowled at Cicero.
"Cicero," KaNack started. "You're unstable, dangerous and prone to sudden fits of violent rage." He folded his arms, and his tail swished from side to side in aggravation. "I had thought that sparing you would make you act more respectful and professional in a faction such at the Dark Brotherhood." Shaking his head, the mage sighed in disappointment. "I've obviously made a mistake. Leave, Cicero, you are not wanted here."
The jester's face dropped from merriment to that of disbelief. He held out his hands and made a sound as to plead his case, but then stopped. The Keeper sighed sadly, and turned around, walking back from once he came.
The Keeper paused when he heard quiet snickering. Cicero turned back around, and KaNack had a huge grin on his face. The Argonian let out a bark of a laugh and pointed at the Fool of Hearts.
"Gotcha," he sang lightly.
"Oh!" cried the Imperial as he stomped a foot on the ground. "What a cruel trick to play on poor Cicero! The Listener is wicked indeed!"
"Oh, shut up," KaNack laughed as he shook his head. "You started it."
"Cicero will end it too!" The jester approached the mage and extended his hand. "No more pranks where I threaten your life. Promise!"
The Argonian shook the fool's hand and then pulled him into an embrace, patting the man on his back.
"Welcome home, Brother."
Once the Listener broke off the hug, he stepped to the side extending an arm to the door.
"I'll make myself at home in the sanctuary. I'm sure Mother needs tending," Cicero muttered as he realized that he had a lot of work ahead of him.
The jester ran past the two towards the Black Door. KaNack sighed lightly, and looked to his Spectral Assassin. Lucien had his arms folded and was grinning as he nodded to the Listener.
"Don't think you telling me about the Dread Father's wishes makes you responsible for this. I knew going in that I wasn't going to kill him."
Lucien's smile only grew wider, and he shook his head with a sigh. The two started to leave, when they heard a voice call out to them.
"I know I am too busy now! Perhaps if you are free later, Listener. Let's kill someone!"
KaNack could only laugh as he waved off Cicero, making his way to Solitude. True that there was a lot of work to do, but as long as one had his friends with him; no burden would ever be faced alone.