KaNack rode Shadowmere at full speed as he led the Dark Brotherhood across the plains of Skyrim. The sound of trampling hooves was the only sound being made at the moment in the safe blanket of twilight. Along with KaNack and Nazir, the four Brotherhood initiates joined them as they rode their horses towards Volunruud.
Kaie, a Breton who was slowly becoming accustomed to using her stealth to approach her prey. Dro'marash, a Khajiit that used his alchemy skills to create poisons for his contracts. His fur was as dark as the Void and red as blood. Vytalas, the Dark Elf who was on the road of becoming a master archer, his ebony bow always being the weapon of choice. Then there was the newest and youngest member Shaleez. A tawny colored Argonian, who just like the Listener, was becoming a master of the arcane arts.
They were still learning, but had proven themselves to become quite efficient at killing. The Listener had no idea how many men there would be hiding out in Volunruud. It could be five, it could be five hundred, either way he was prepared and had a backup plan if something went wrong.
"There it is!" Nazir announced as he pointed towards Volunruud. The mound that led to the underground Nordic tomb was about two quarters of a mile away, but it could still clearly be seen under the glow of the twin moons.
"Let's stop here. We don't want to give ourselves away," KaNack ordered as he made Shadowmere come to a halt. The six Dark Brotherhood members dismounted and started to make the trek towards the sepulcher.
Rather than his usual Dark Brotherhood mage robes, the Argonian had decided to pull out the robes of the Arch Mage. Along with the garb, he wore the mask of Nahkriin. He felt that his magic was going to need all the blessings it could get. In his satchel, he had stored a variety of potions as well an item that had been carefully wrapped in cloth. His spell Grand Healing would also be useful as it would heal everyone in his party in one single cast. Restoration magic was a vital component no matter how big or small an upcoming battle might be.
"You know the plan, we break in as quickly and quietly as possible," KaNack hissed. The others gathered close to him as they walked. "We don't want to make our presence known if we can help it."
"What about the kill?" Dro'marash snickered with glee. " Dro has been looking forward to poisoning some men."
"All in good time, Dro," KaNack sternly muttered. "First priority is to get the Keeper. Then we eliminate every last one of the Penitus Oculatus. There will be no one left to restore Maro's regime."
"Good. Good." The Khajiit chuckled, his whiskers twitching with anticipation.
"The strongest part of their armor is around the chest area," KaNack continued as they stalked towards the sepulcher. "Strong steel surrounds their vital organs and torso. There are weak points around the neck and shoulder area. If you have to aim, those are the spots you should be favoring."
"Steel is no match for ebony," snorted the Dark Elf. "I'll take a man down with one arrow to the heart."
It was true that ebony was much stronger than steel, but the Listener did not want to take any chances.
The Dark Brotherhood paused when they came within sixty yards of Volunruud. KaNack lowered to the ground and made a motion of his hand to Kaie to come forward.
"Scout ahead, see if there are guards outside the door," he whispered to the Breton. The girl nodded and swiftly made her way towards Volunruud.
Her feet seemed to make no sound even as they made contact with the icy ground below her. Keeping low, Kaie crawled towards the ridge of the tomb. As she peered down, she saw no sign of Maro or any of his Penitus Oculatus. She released a quiet whistle that alerted her brothers and sister that the path was clear.
The Argonian led his followers towards Volunruud and descended the curling staircase to the pit below. KaNack reached for one of the iron doors and pulled. The Nordic tomb had been secured to keep unwanted visitors out.
"Locked," the mage growled.
"Like that ever stopped us before," Nazir snorted as he playfully pushed KaNack to the side, and pulled out his lock picking tools. "Stand aside, kid. Let a professional handle this."
The Redguard quickly went to work on the iron doors, chuckling to himself. As he got older, it was less common for him to leave the Dawnstar Sanctuary to work. He had almost forgotten the thrill of breaking into a place where he was not welcomed. There was a click and then a satisfying clunking sound.
"Easy as pie," Nazir snickered. The Redguard opened the door and then froze when he saw a wire in front of him snap. He had been so satisfied unlocking the door that he had failed to inspect the area for traps prior to pushing forward. "Oh, this is gonna…"
The large log swung from above and smashed right into Nazir's chest. He went flying back and crashed into a heap at the end of the pit.
"Nazir!"
KaNack and the other initiates rushed to their companion's side. The Listener helped him sit up as the others watched in concern. Nazir groaned and grimaced in pain.
"I'm getting too old for this nonsense," he grumbled.
The Argonian sighed as he placed a hand on Nazir's chest and a golden glow shined from his fingers as he began to heal the Redguard's injuries.
"You're getting too old, period," KaNack remarked with a smirk.
"Uh, boys?" Kaie stated quietly as her eyes lifted to the top of the pit they were in. KaNack looked up from Nazir and saw that the top of the pit was now surrounded by Penitus Oculatus archers. Their bows were drawn and pointed directly at the small party of assassins.
"Drop all your weapons!" one of the archers commanded.
The Dark Elf's eyes narrowed and his hand slowly started to go for his quiver.
"Vy!" KaNack snapped, getting his brother's attention. "Don't."
Vytalas growled in frustration as he slipped off his quiver and placed his bow on the ground before him. The others followed suit, removing blades, swords and scrolls.
"You too, lizard!"
KaNack smiled from under the mask. He had hoped that the large robes could have kept it hidden, but apparently nothing escaped the eyes of Maro's men. The Listener slowly pulled out the three-faced staff from his robe and placed it tenderly on the ground.
"You boys are no fun," he sighed.
"What kind of a staff is that?" another archer questioned. "I've seen hundreds of them, but never one like that!"
"An old friend gave it to me," the mage answered simply. "If you ever meet him, be sure to call him 'Anne Marie'."
"Right then," the archer barked. "Which of you is the leader of the Dark Brotherhood?"
KaNack stepped back from the others so that he was in the center of the pit.
"Right! You go on inside! Alone! The Commander has been waiting a long time to meet you!"
"I'm sure he has," the Argonian growled.
"KaNack, you can't be serious!" Shaleez cried. "They're going to kill you as soon as you step foot in there! You can't go alone."
"Quiet, you!" barked the archer.
"I'll be fine," the Listener said to his Argonian sister. "Trust me." He then looked up at the sky, past the archers. No one could see it, but a wicked grin formed on the mage's face. "All of you, listen to me. No matter what happens, no matter what you hear. Stay low and stay still. Promise me!"
"You're making our job so much easier," laughed the archer. "Thank you for cooperating."
"You're quite welcome," the mage chuckled darkly. KaNack then turned around and entered the Nordic tomb, avoiding the large log that was still swaying after being sprung. He stepped down the stairwell and entered the main chamber. It had been changed since he had last been there. The cavern was much larger and there were tunnels that led in all sorts of directions.
He did not have much time to admire them though, he was much more interested in the army of Penitus Oculatus that filled the room and had their weapons drawn. At the front of the agents was Maro. His arms were crossed, and he was none too pleased to see the Listener.
"I had hoped we would be able to find you. Instead it seems you found us," the Commander stated bitterly.
"Sorry for taking so long," KaNack apologized with a bow. "We tried to get here sooner, we really did."
"You're all comedians, aren't you?"
"Only the good ones."
"I have waited years for this moment," Maro growled as he took a step closer. "Do you have any idea what you've caused by killing the Emperor?"
"Regicide?" KaNack answered simply.
Commander Maro froze in place, shocked by the straightforward response of the Dark Brotherhood's leader.
"Oh," he uttered darkly. "You're as bad as that jester of yours."
"About him…"
"No! I have been waiting too long to say this to you! You WILL listen to me!"
KaNack calmly extended an arm to him.
"Please," he insisted with a sneer.
"The Penitus Oculatus were the Emperor's guards. We were respected! Admired! When someone saw one of us, we were greeted as heroes!" The Commander's eyes narrowed. "Then you and your 'family'," he spat out the word like venom, "got involved. You destroyed a wedding that would help create peace between the Imperials and Stormcloaks, murdered the leader of all of Tamriel…" Maro's body trembled and look at KaNack coldly, "and you took my son from me."
"Regimes come and go with the tide," KaNack snapped at the Commander. "Get over it!"
"Get over it?" Maro whispered viciously. "Get over it?! You ruined us!" he screamed at the Argonian. "With the Emperor dead the Penitus Oculatus were seen as nothing but failures! The Dark Brotherhood that could barely stand on its legs, killed the Emperor right under his guards' very noses!"
Maro's rage grew as he continued, "I had to return to his loved ones with his body! The Penitus Oculatus were a disgrace! I was stripped of my title! We were cast out of the royal family's lives! No one would give us work! No one would even so much as look at us! You took our titles, our reputations and our very lives from us!"
"They took your title?" KaNack asked in surprise.
"Yes."
"Then technically you aren't a commander anymore."
Maro took a step back at the blunt gall of the Dark Brotherhood leader. The Imperial's lips thinned and he pointed a shaky finger at the mage.
"Take off your mask."
"Pardon?"
"Take it off! I want to see the face of the man who ruined my life!"
KaNack sighed and slowly reached up and pulled Nahkriin from his face and stared at Maro defiantly. The Commander took another step back in shock.
"You? But, you were the one who posed as the Gourmet! You were killed!"
"No, you just decided to leave and assumed I was killed," KaNack growled. "You were so confident! So satisfied with yourself that you didn't find it necessary to see if I would fall or not."
KaNack started towards Maro, but when the soldiers lifted their weapons, the mage decided it would be better to stand his ground.
"Look, Maro," the Argonian started. "I killed your family and you killed mine. Just as you had to respect and follow orders from you superior, so did I. It's nothing personal, it was just business."
"I'm making it personal," Maro replied viciously. "Now, your men are out there at the mercy of the Penitus Oculatus. You are here with no one to help you. You're alone, lizard," he hissed. "You were a fool to walk in here and believe you were going to be leaving alive! Who is going to save your sorry hide now?"
KaNack chuckled wickedly and bared his sharp teeth at Maro. The sinister look made the Commander slightly uneasy.
"Alone?" he snickered. "Yes, I did as I was told and came in here by myself." The mage's eyes grew wide and his face expressed both pure joy and malice. "However, Maro, when you've dealt with contracts as long as I have…"The Imperial's eyes widened when he saw that both of the Argonian's hands were emanating a blue light, "you learn to find loopholes everywhere."
KaNack cast both lights to the ground and from them sprouted a flame atronach and a huge frost atronach.
"Brock," hissed KaNack as he glanced at the frost atronach. "April," he whispered to the flaming one. The mage pointed at the soldiers. "Kill them all."
The soldiers had little time to spread out as the flame atronach shot ball after ball of fire in their direction. The larger atronach charged forward, knocking agents left and right as it swung its massive arms.
KaNack placed his mask back on and spun around as a group of agents rushed at him with their swords drawn.
"FUS RO DAH!"
The Penitius Oculatus were sent flying backwards, and they collapsed into a tangled mess a good distance away. The mage flew past the other soldiers easily as they were frantically trying to fight off the vicious atronachs. KaNack hurried through the tunnels, but knew that he was being followed. His conjurations couldn't hold the attention of every man in that chamber.
Charging through a pair of iron doors, the mage turned around and sucked in another breath.
" IISS SLEN NUS!"
The door was sealed shut by a large shard of solid ice. Loud pounding and angry cries were heard on the other side. He knew it would not keep forever. What he had to do next would sacrifice one of his atronachs, but at this point he was running out of options.
The Argonian concentrated and then in a flash of swirling mist, the Spectral Assassin appeared before him. Lucien could tell by where they were and by the angry shouts behind the door that he and his Listener had gotten themselves into quite the bind.
"What did you do?" Lucien asked. The last he had heard, the plan had been to sneak into Volunruud quietly and unnoticed.
"Things did not exactly go as expected," KaNack explained as he gestured towards the frozen door that was starting to crack. "Nazir and the others were forced to stay outside. We have to go with Plan B now."
The Argonian pulled the piece of wrapped cloth out of his satchel and handed it to the spirit.
"We're going to have to split up. Here take this; you know what to do with it!"
There were only two other available exits. One was a manmade tunnel to another part of Volunruud, and the other was the unlocked gate behind them that led to Elder's Cairn. The mage pointed to the large gated door.
"You go ahead to Elder's Cairn. It looked like most of Maro's men were out there waiting for me. You shouldn't run into much trouble." KaNack started to back away towards the tunnel. "I'm going to lead the Penitus Oculatus this way so you won't be followed. If you find Cicero, try and get him out of here as quickly as you can."
"What if you find him?"
"I'll worry about that later!" KaNack hissed. The two jumped as a large chunk of ice broke from the iron doors and crashed to the floor. Lucien stared at it and then at the Listener in concern. "I'll be fine. Go!"
The Spectral Assassin nodded and started for the large gate.
"Sithis be with you…Lucien."
The spirit froze in place, and slowly turned back to face the mage. It had been the first time that the Listener had ever called him by his true name.
"And you as well," he answered quietly. The ghost then rushed past the gates towards Elder's Cairn. KaNack stayed close to the tunnel and waited patiently as more and more ice broke off from the door. Finally, it crashed open and the mage saw one of the enraged Imperials enter.
"YOL TOOR SHUL!"
The agents dropped to the floor as a large burst of fire flew at them from the Argonian's mouth. KaNack then rushed into the tunnel ready to lead them as far from his spirit companion as possible.
Salvarus appeared from the back, stepping over the fallen soldiers as he stared at the tunnel ahead of him.
"I don't believe it," he hissed. "The Dark Brotherhood leader is the Dragonborn!"
Lucien ran through the dark passages, avoiding pressure traps and keeping an eye out for any danger that might be lurking in the shadows. The spirit snarled and leaned backwards as he avoided the swinging blade of a Penitus Oculatus agent that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Lucien then lunged forward, plunging his spectral blade deep into the throat of the agent.
The Listener had been true to his word. He did not hear any sounds that might have indicated that he was being pursued. Part of him worried about the Listener. He did not see how many soldiers he was taking on by himself, but from what he could hear it was more than the normal lot. At least more than he should have been facing solo.
Further the spirit traveled, delving into the haunting and dank heart of Volunruud. In a chilling way, Lucien felt almost at home here. It was dark, eerie, just the way he liked it. The Spectral Assassin paused as heard a voice up ahead. Flattening himself against the cave walls, he quietly snaked his way towards an opening and looked around the corner.
It was a single Penitus Oculatus agent. Young, very young, but a soldier nonetheless. The Imperial was leaning against an old draugr sarcophagus that was still unopened. Lucien was confused as the boy was reading aloud from a small book. What kind of soldier reads when the whole base was under attack?
The spirit didn't care about trivial matters such as these. All that mattered was that it was a Penitus Oculatus agent, and he had to die. Lucien pulled the blade from his sheath and then charged forward with murder in his eyes.
"Another thrall for the Void!" he cried as he charged towards his victim. The agent saw him, dropped the book and pulled out his sword as well. Just by the way he held his weapon, Lucien could tell the lad had no clue whatsoever of how to handle the blade. His dagger in a tight grip, Lucien's hand swung past his shoulder as he prepared to slash his dagger forward at his prey.
"Who was that? There's someone else here!"
The voice made Lucien stumble and the blade lost its momentum. Instead of killing the agent, the attack only left a deep scratch on the boy's steel chest plate. The Penitus Oculatus rushed around to the other side of the coffin as he stared out at Lucien terrified. Lucien looked all over trying to figure out where the phantom voice came from.
"What are you?!" the boy screamed.
"Finn? Who is it? Who's there?"
The voice came from the coffin. After hearing it a second time, Lucien recognized it and whom it belonged to.
"A VERY angry ghost!" the soldier answered to the trapped jester.
"Oh! Spooky!" Cicero laughed. "Is his name Lucien by any chance?"
"He didn't say!" Finn answered his voice dripping with both fear and sarcasm.
The Spectral Assassin still held his blade out threateningly toward Finn as he slowly stepped closer to the crypt.
"It's Lucien, Cicero," the ghost answered. "Are you alright?"
"Cicero is quite hungry, but Kind Finn here has been keeping me company!"
"I'll kill him and then get you out of there," Lucien hissed as he started towards the young soldier.
"No! No! Lucien, hold your blade!" the jester cried. The spirit paused and stared at the coffin in confusion. "Two are needed! Two! Cicero has more than a foot in the grave, and he needs at least four feet to get out again!"
"You can't be serious," Lucien hissed as he glared at Finn with venom in his eyes. "He's one of them! A Penitus Oculatus! Because of him, you are in that horrid place!"
"If Lucien kills Finn then Cicero dies too! Poor Cicero will be stuck here and starve to death! Promise Cicero!" the Keeper cried. "Promise Cicero that the specter will NOT kill Finn!"
Finn kept himself flat against the back of the cave wall. He wanted to run, but there was no way he could move without provoking an attack from the enraged spirit before him. To make matters worse, his life was on the line between a murderous ghost and an insane jester.
"I can't do that!" Lucian snarled as he pounded the hilt of his dagger on the stony lid of the coffin. "His soul is doomed for the Void!"
"Promise Cicero!" the fool repeated angrily. "If Lucien asks nicely, Finn can help him free poor Cicero!"
The Spectral Assassin growled darkly and glowered at the young soldier.
"It's the only way!" the jester insisted.
The spirit released a sigh of frustration and moved closer to Finn, holding his blade out threateningly.
"Listen carefully, boy, because I won't repeat myself. I swear to you that you will not fall by my hand if you assist me in getting the Keeper out of that sarcophagus." Lucien then lunged forward and his blade was to Finn's throat. "However, if you try anything. If you so much as even think about reaching for a weapon, I will personally see to it that your death is a painful and lingering one." The spirit's eyes narrowed. "Do not think I am bluffing, I have had centuries of practice."
Finn could only nod his head, petrified of the violent phantom before him. Lucien sheathed his blade and then made his way to one end of the coffin.
"The two of us will have to work on opposite sides," the ghost muttered. "When I give the command, you put all your strength into pushing your end forward. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," Finn answered quietly as he placed his hands on the cold stone lid.
"His name is not 'Sir'," Cicero quipped. "It's Lucien, but he's also been known to answer to 'Buddy'!" the jester laughed.
"We don't have time for jokes!" Lucien snarled. "The Listener is being taken to the Penitus Oculatus' sword as we speak! The family was forced to keep out of Volunruud and he's by himself! If we don't get you out of here soon, the Listener will be killed!"
Hearing this made the jester lose all mirth and a wave of fury rushed through his frail body.
"The Penitus Oculatus will NOT kill the Listener!" Cicero snarled. "Mother and I have waited too long to lose him! He will not fall so long as Cicero still draws breath!"
"That's what I want to hear!" Lucien turned back to the Imperial and saw that Finn was already in position. "On the count of three, push!"
Finn nodded and listened as the ghost slowly counted up. As soon as he heard the word 'three', the boy heaved with all his might. On the farm he had to pull heavy haystacks, retrieve large amounts of water from the well and manhandle the livestock. Manual labor was nothing new to the boy, and he released a straining growl as he pushed the heavy lid.
Lucien pushed as well. His pale hands in a death grip on the rough edges of the coffin lid. He growled and hissed with every heave of his body. He was a professional assassin, his strengths were in his dexterity and threshold for pain. He was not weak in life, but heavy lifting had not been part of his forte.
Loud scraping began to echo through the large chamber as the top of the coffin started to turn askew.
"Don't let up! We've almost got it!" Lucien growled out as he continued to strain. Finn did not falter for even a moment, his legs were braced on the solid stone floor as his muscles went to work forcing the lid to move.
Soon there was an opening large enough and Cicero's head popped out from the coffin not too unlike a child's toy. The ghost let go of the crypt and hurried to the jester's side to give him a quick look over.
Cicero had become thinner, even thinner than before, and his normal white skin was painted with faint bruises. Lucien pulled out his blade and grabbed the jester's wrists as he began to cut the binds from Cicero's hands.
Finn in the meantime had collapsed on top of the coffin and breathed heavily in exhaustion. Moving the lid had been no easy task and it took its toll on the young soldier. He looked over at the two Dark Brotherhood members and managed to smile. He could sense the camaraderie between the two, it was no different than what he had with some of his fellow Penitus Oculatus agents.
Lucien helped Cicero as the fool leaped out of the coffin and stumbled slightly, trying to get sensation back into his legs. He had been cooped up for a very long time and standing up was slightly difficult.
Once Cicero managed to keep himself balanced, the Spectral Assassin held out the wrapped cloth that the Listener had given to him.
"What's this? A present for Cicero?"
"You could say that," the spirit answered simply.
Finn watched as the jester slowly unwrapped the item. Cicero's eyes grew wide in delight as he held up a large, vicious looking ebony dagger.
"Why, hello again old friend," Cicero crooned as though he were speaking to a long lost lover. He ran his fingers gingerly across the blade and lustfully sighed before holding it to his cheek. "Have you missed Cicero? I've missed you. I have indeed."
Finn looked down on the floor and saw where he had dropped his father's riddle book. He snatched it up and quickly tried to leave through the back unnoticed.
"Kind Finn! Where are you going?"
The boy turned back around to Cicero, still gripping his book tightly. The jester smiled warmly and approached him with his arms opened.
"Lucien has promised not to kill Finn! I heard him! I did! You don't need to be afraid of him!"
Lucien could only grumble as he folded his arms and scowled at the soldier. As bitter as his feelings were towards the regime, deep down he knew he could not have gotten Cicero out without his help.
Finn smiled slightly as the Fool of Hearts stood before him. He had grown quite fond of the jester, and deep down he was kind of glad that he had chance of escaping.
"Cicero could never of made it this long without you, Kind Finn," the jester said as he sadly looked at the boy. "Finn kept me company. Healed me. Amused me at my darkest hour. Cicero has been blessed to have made your acquaintance!" The jester laughed and danced happily before the solider, making the boy laugh.
"Cicero will not forget Finn anytime soon, he won't!"
"I don't think I'll ever forget you either Cicero," Finn said softly as he held out his hand to the fool. "Good luck."
Cicero grinned as he took Finn's hand and shook it.
"Yes, Cicero is free now thanks to you. Cicero can proudly call Kind Finn his dear, dear friend."
The Fool of Hearts then frowned and leaned forward to whisper in Finn's ear. "That's what makes this so very hard."
Still gripping the Penitus Oculatus' hand, Cicero jerked him forward. Finn could only release a weak grunt as his eyes widened with shock. Cicero's ebony dagger easily broke through the steel plating that had already been damaged by the Spectral Assassin.
Pulling his hand free from the jester's grip, Finn grabbed hold of Cicero's arms to brace himself, and then rested his head on the fool's shoulder as he started to weakly slump to the floor. Cicero kept the blade plunged in, but with his free hand, he wrapped an arm around Finn. He held him close in a comforting embrace and shushed the boy trying to calm him.
"Cicero knows it hurts," he whispered in sympathy. "He knows all too well. It will pass though, Kind Finn. Where you are going there will be no more disease and no more pain. Surely Finn can hold on for a few more moments of pain for an eternity of none?"
The embrace tightened as the two were now on the floor together, the jester could feel his friend's grip on his arms weaken. Cicero kept his tight embrace with Finn until he felt the breathing stop and the heart went from a rapid beating, to a slow thump and then nothing.
The Jester removed the ebony dagger from his friend and wiped the blood off on the side of his boots. The fool looked to the side and spotted the small yellow book. He picked it up and stored it in the inner flap of his boot. With on final look at the dead farm boy, Cicero gave a silent farewell and rose from the floor to return to Lucien.
"I kept my promise, I didn't kill him," the Spectral Assassin muttered as he crossed his arms. "For a moment there though, I thought you were actually going to let him live."
"No loose ends," Cicero growled coldly.
The two then hurried back through the passage. The Listener was in danger, and there were still more of Maro's men to kill.