KaNack had led the mob of angry soldiers through the many passages of Volunruud. Every so often he would spin around to shoot a fire bolt down the tunnel, either killing an agent or forcing the group to duck. It had only been a matter of time before he managed to come full circle back to the main chamber.
He did not come across Cicero during the pursuit, which could only mean that Lucien would find the Fool of Hearts. That gave the mage enough drive to face the questionable odds. When he arrived in the chamber, the only atronach remaining was the large frost one that was standing about, nudging the dead corpses surrounding it. KaNack was a master conjurer, but could only have two spirits present at the same time. The Spectral Assassin currently was one and the atronach he lovingly named 'Brock' was the other.
The Argonian stood his ground and bolts of lightning shot from his fingers as the Penitus Oculatus flooded the chamber. There were still at least a dozen soldiers left that he could see.
"Brock!" he called out.
The atronach turned around and charged at the soldiers, a few well aimed arrows however made the atronach crumble into a pile of ash. The conjuration had simply taken too much damage during the fight. There was not enough time to conjure a new one, so KaNack was forced to face the brigade by his lonesome.
He kept his ward up with one hand as he shot fire bolts from the other. Swords and arrows struck the protective ward and came very close to contacting the mage behind it. This process continued for a while, and Kanack struggled to keep his ward up. Retaining the protective barrier was using up all of his magicka; it would only be a matter of time before it ran out, leaving him at the mercy of the deadly weapons. Clever being that he was, the Argonian still had one last trick up his sleeve. The mage sucked in a deep breath.
"FAAS RU MAAR!"
The Shout struck the agents and a few of the Penitus Oculatus cowered to the ground while others ran in terror for the tunnels. The mage took advantage of the soldiers' fear, and charged up one final strike. He released a barrage of fireballs into the men's direction, the flames contacting their targets. All the mage could see was silhouettes of flailing bodies and a raging blaze as the roar and crash of the fire drowned out the screams. He continued firing until he finally ran out of magicka.
The scene was a grizzly one. Charred bodies littered the ground before him. How fortunate that they were already in a tomb, no one needed to be buried. The Argonian panted and rested his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. The fight had not been an easy one, but he managed to survive somehow. All he had to do now was wait for his spirit to return with his friend. Then they could leave this wretched place and tend to the Night Mother before it was too late.
KaNack's head picked up as he heard a raging snarl, and gasped as he was charged from behind. The Argonian was smashed face first into the hard rocky cavern walls, knocking Nahkriin off. One the mage's arms was pinned behind his back painfully as his assailant grabbed at his damaged horn.
KaNack screamed in pain as the cracked horn was grappled, and blinding pain filled his head. He could not focus, he could barely even see so long as the horn was held.
Salvarus had kept to the back of the large group, and had seen the mage prepare for a Shout. Unlike the others, he managed to avoid the effects of the terrifying call. He gave the mage a few sharp knees to the kidneys before hurling him harshly to the ground.
The Penitus Oculatus drew his sword and approached KaNack menacingly as the Listener struggled to get to his feet, still suffering from his sensitive horn being attacked. Out of the corner of his eye, the Argonian saw Salvarus approach. He rarely ever used this particular strategy, since his main source of weaponry had been magic, but there was no time to charge up an attack.
KaNack's long slender tail came to life and swung into the agent, knocking Salvarus to the ground. The mage then pounced onto the soldier and place a hand in front of the Imperial's face.
"Now serve time in the Void," he growled menacingly as his hand began to glow and heat emanated from it. The Dark Brotherhood leader had been so focused on Salvarus that he had completely forgotten about the most important man of the brigade.
Sharp steel punctured through the fragile Arch Mage robes and into the shoulder as Maro drove his sword into the distracted Argonian. KaNack screamed in pain and released his hold on his intended victim. Salvarus struggled out from under the Listener and managed to get a safe distance away. Maro pulled his sword from KaNack and the Listener staggered forward as he swayed on his feet. The pain was horrible, a mage relies on his magic to protect himself and therefore was very vulnerable to melee attacks of any kind.
He panted and grasped at his shoulder as he stared at Maro furiously. What confused the Black Hand leader, however, was that it felt like all his magicka had been sucked from his body. The Commander chuckled wickedly as he held his sword up for the mage to see. There was a faint blue glow to the weapon, it had been enchanted.
"Your jester friend kept many secrets, but he made it abundantly clear that you were a mage," Maro sneered as he slowly approached the Argonian. "We came upon this little magicka absorbing sword during our travels. It's funny what some people leave lying around." He chuckled again. "Some may call it junk; I personally call it a treasure."
"Yeah, I've been hearing that a lot lately," KaNack grumbled. The Commander charged at KaNack with confidence as he gripped the sword's hilt tightly. The Listener was injured and his magicka was still too weak to do anything to attack, all he could do was defend himself the only way he knew how.
"ZUN!" the mage Shouted as soon as Maro got close enough. The enchanted sword flew from the Commander's hands, leaving him facing a furious mage with no weapon. KaNack had a split second to decide as his magicka had recharged. He had only enough to cast one spell. Attack the Commander, or heal himself. It was an easy choice.
The mage shot his hands forwards and lightning cracked into Maro's protective armor, sending the Imperial flying back, and tumbling onto the unforgiving stone ground.
The mage prepared himself for another attack when his body felt like it was on fire. He screamed and hugged his chest as he collapsed to the ground and writhed in pain. His temperature rose, he felt weak, his organs burned as though they were layered in acid. The pain was so great that all the Listener could do was wail in agony.
Maro released a loud sinister laugh as Salvarus helped him to his feet. The two approached the fallen mage, and Maro picked his sword back up at they got closer.
"Yes! Enchanted weapons are a grand tool to have! However, they are even more efficient if you coat them with poison first!"
The two Pentitus Ocularus agents approached the mage who was still in anguish and at their mercy. Tears of pain crawled down his cheeks as he fumbled frantically in his satchel for his potion of cure poison. As he pulled it out, Maro kicked it from his hands and then held his boot down hard on the Argonian's throat.
"I think you've done enough Shouting for a lifetime, don't you Dragonborn?" Salavrus snarled viciously as he stood next to his commander.
Maro leered down at the mage who was in insurmountable pain.
"Quite a rare ingredient, that," he remarked darkly. "There wasn't much of it at all. The alchemists had to dilute it so that I would be able to coat my blade. I can only imagine how long it's going to take to finally finish the job. You might be familiar with this particular poison. You did use it to kill the Emperor's double!"
Jarrin root, a rare but toxic plant. It had been known in small undiluted doses to kill a man within sixty seconds.
"This is so perfect that I can hardly stand it! The Dragonborn! The Imperial Army's greatest ally was nothing more than a cutthroat assassin! Tullius will never be able to live it down that he fought side by side with the man who killed our beloved Emperor! The General cast me out of Solitude in disgrace, but he'll have to be the one begging for forgiveness soon!"
KaNack grabbed Maro's leg, but was too weak to use his magic, and with his windpipes being crushed, he could not even Shout. The poison was working quickly; he did not know how much longer he could fight off death.
"The hero of Skyrim indeed," Maro scoffed as he glared down at the Listener. "Look at you! No magic! No Shouting! You're pathetic! It's amazing how weak you truly are!"
Maro's fists clenched as he scowled at of the dying Argonian, and he continued to taunt him.
"I look forward to marching those little friends of yours to Solitude where their heads will be promptly chopped off! With the Dark Brotherhood destroyed, the Penitus Oculatus will finally make amends for the loss of the Emperor! We will make a bright and glorious comeback!"
The Commander leaned down so that he was eye to eye with the mage.
"To think, you could have avoided all this if you had just left that lunatic to die. Tell me, Dragonborn. I wish to know. Why did you do it? Why did you risk your life and bring forth the destruction of the Dark Brotherhood for one stupid little jester?"
"No man left behind," KaNack managed to splutter out as he struggled to speak with the Imperial still keeping pressure on his windpipe.
His answer only made Maro laugh even harder.
"You fool! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! An assassin with a heart?! Now I've seen everything!"
The Argonian only glared up at Maro hatefully. He didn't have much time left.
"A black and red Argonian," the Imperial mused. "The colors of the Dark Brotherhood. It seems like such a shame to waste patterns like that." Maro held his sword out to KaNack. "Perhaps after your death, I'll have you skinned and turn your hide into decorative armor."
KaNack shut his eyes and groaned inwardly. So this was how it was going to end, after everything he had worked for? He only wished he could see his loving Brelyna one last time, one last goodbye to his heart and desire.
There was a sickening thunk sound and Maro's foot lifted from KaNack's throat. The Commander screamed in pain as he stumbled backwards and collapsed onto the ground. Salvarus turned and his eyes widened in shock. A spectral arrow was stuck into the knee of his leader, the very leg that had been used to hold the Argonian down.
Maro groaned and screamed in agony as he tenderly held his leg. Salvarus spun around to see but a cloaked spirit with a bow, and right next to him was the insane jester himself.
"Protect the Listener!" Lucien ordered as he replaced his bow with his dagger. "I'll handle this filth!"
"Of course!"
Lucien lunged at Salvarus, his eyes wide with fury. The Imperial held his sword up and blocked the attack. Again and again the Spectral Assassin struck at the agent, forcing him back into another tunnel.
Cicero fell to the ground as he stared at the Argonian with terror.
"Listener! Listener!"
The mage weakly pointed over at the small red potion bottle across the room. Maro had kicked it away, but fortunately the bottle was still intact.
"Cicero," he weakly groaned. "The potion!"
"Of course, Listener!"
The fool ran over to the bottle and snatched it up. He was in such a rush to get back to his dying brother that he dropped to his stomach, still holding the potion out to the mage. KaNack grabbed the elixir and drank its contents as fast as he could. He coughed loudly a few times, and then shut his eyes as his head lowered to the floor weakly.
"Listener?" Cicero asked as he moved closer to the Argonian, their noses almost touching. "KaNack?" he whimpered using his friend's name this time. The mage's eyes slowly opened and he weakly looked up into his jester's golden irises.
"Cicero? You're safe?"
"Yes, Listener! Cicero has come to rescue you!"
The two stared at each other in silence, then began to roar with laughter at how backwards everything had become. Cicero tittered and giggled as KaNack cackled and hooted.
"What in Oblivion is so funny?!" Maro barked as he struggled to try and remove the Spectral Assassin's arrow. "The two of you nearly died!"
The laughter died down to chuckling as KaNack sat up and looked over at the Commander, then back to his beloved fool.
"He just doesn't get it," sighed the mage.
"No, no he does not."
Salvarus growled as again and again the spirit came at him, slashing his blade left and right trying to make contact with the Imperial. Lucien tossed the blade into the air and caught it with his other hand, then swung forward to try and strike at an area the soldier was not defending.
As the dagger scraped along Salvarus' chest plate, sparks shot out from the armor. Unlike some of the other Penitus Oculatus armor that the soldiers had, both he and the Commander had upgraded theirs from steel to ebony. Why shouldn't the best have the best?
"Fall , damn you!" the Imperial snarled as he tried to hit the agile spirit with his sword. The Spectral Assassin easily dodged the slow swing of the sword and continued to slash at the man with his blade.
With another swipe from Lucien, Salvarus released a grunt of pain and staggered backwards. A small trickle of blood on his cheek alerted him that the ghost's blade had finally made contact.
Releasing a cry of fury, the ghost charged forward at the agent once again. This time, Salvarus sidestepped it and swung his blade making contact with the Spectral Assassin. The sword ripped through his torso and out again, pulling blue vapors out with it.
Lucien crashed to the floor and gradually managed to stagger to his feet, trying to recover from the attack. When he turned around he saw that the Imperial was gone. There were four tunnels going in different directions. Which one had the agent hidden himself in?
Lucien pulled out his bow and produced another spectral arrow. He slowly began to approach one of the tunnels, ready to release one into Salvarus as soon as he was spotted.
"I must say, you have more drive than any other spirit I've ever come across!" Salvarus' voice echoed through the chamber. Lucien spun around, still drawing his bow. There was no sign of the Penitus Oculatus agent.
"I'm not like any phantom you have experienced. They are weak!" Lucien scoffed. "You will not take me as easily as them."
"The Dark Brotherhood's pet ghoul! Yes, I've heard of you!"
Lucien's eyes narrowed in hatred as he continued to search for the wretched agent.
"You were taken quite easily!" Salvarus sneered, mocking the assassin. "You did not even draw a weapon before you fell! I shall send you back to Oblivion where you belong soon enough!"
"Try to strike me now if you dare," Lucien challenged, his voice dripping with menace. "See if you can best the spirit of the Dark Brotherhood." The Spectral Assassin peered behind another tunnel opening, but still found no sign of his prey.
"Come out and fight me coward! That weak boy who guarded our jester faced death with more bravery than you!"
"You do realize that you are doing nothing but delaying the inevitable," Salvarus' voice hissed through the chambers. Lucien's scowled as he entered a tunnel looking all around. The echo was so vibrant that he could not discern the voice's origin. There was nothing but stacked crypts, filled with draugr in the passage.
"What do you mean?" snarled Lucien.
"History is doomed to repeat itself! Do you not think that after all this your weak Argonian friend is going to want to risk his life again?"
Lucien's growled in frustration and the hand grasping his arrow began to tremble with anger. He was growing restless and wanted nothing more than to end the ranting of the insufferable Imperial.
"He's going to either betray you or abandon the Dark Brotherhood! It's happened in the past already! Astrid was willing to sacrifice the Listener, the highest ranking and most honorable member of the Dark Brotherhood, for her own selfish means!"
"You know nothing about him!" Lucien shouted as he spun around and shot an arrow. It landed right between the eyes of an already dead draugr. Lucien stared at it in shock and jumped when the Imperial's voice spoke up again.
"If HE doesn't betray the Dark Brotherhood, then the others will!" Salvarus shouted angrily. "Any man can be won over if enough gold is offered. One of your 'brothers' will gladly turn the rest of you in if the price is right!"
"Liar!" roared Lucien. He started running through the chambers, panting in aggravation as the Imperial was starting to get to him. Once a man gets into your head, you are bound to make a mistake that can cost you your life. The Spectral Assassin was desperate to find the agent and tried to not let Salvarus' venomous words stray him from focusing on the task at hand.
"It has happened! Look at the history books!" laughed the Penitus Oculatus agent. "The Commander and I spent hours researching that sick cult of yours! Centuries ago, a Speaker for the Black Hand betrayed the Brotherhood by sending an assassin after his own precious family members!"
Lucien suddenly came stumbling to a stop almost tripping over his own feet. He stared ahead in disbelief at what he had just heard. The soldier knew of the Dark Brotherhood's chilling past, and that alarmed the Spectral Assassin. Intentional or not, Salvarus had struck the spirit far too close to home. Lucien shuddered as the haunting memories of his past came forth, invading his mind like a parasite.
"Did I strike a nerve?" Salvarus hissed scornfully. "You know all about it then! Yes, he had almost succeeded in killing off every one of Sithis' loyal followers! Maro told me that his treachery was brought forth because of jealousy! He just could not stand that he was not the favored son of Sithis! So if he couldn't be the best, no one could!"
"You're wrong!" Lucien howled as he dropped his bow to the ground and started to back away, looking in all directions. He was getting confused, he couldn't figure out which way to go. "That's not what happened!"
"Of course it is! I cannot remember the poor wretch's name, but his story is quite famous! I admire that man! Killing the Dark Brotherhood from the inside out? What genius! I'd like to shake his hand for almost accomplishing that which we are aiming to do!"
"There was a betrayal! But it was not that man!" Lucien screamed and charged forward into the tunnels once more. He panted and his eyes frantically danced about. He needed to find the soldier. If nothing but to only cut out his lying tongue so that it would be silenced once and for all.
"Yes , there was betrayal!" the Imperial agreed. "In the end though, his surviving brothers and sisters found where the culprit was hiding." Salvarus chuckled darkly. "You seem to know this story! You can guess what happened next!"
Lucien finally collapsed to the ground and released shuddering breaths. His eyes were wide with terror as he thought back the worst moment of his life as a living man. The feeling of helplessness when those he had come to trust and love turned on him before he could prove his innocence.
"They all attacked at once! Bound him! Mutilated him! Some even fed from his flesh!"
The Spectral Assassin covered his ears, but there was no escaping the tormenting voice.
"Then they hung him like a hog for the slaughter as they continued to butcher their once dear friend! He must have suffered greatly before he finally died, but not before they stripped him of his clothes and his very dignity! It was retribution at its very best and very worst!"
Lucien released a quiet sob as he kept his head lowered to the ground. Tears dripped from his chin, but they vanished into small mists just moments before they hit the earth. He did not wish to think back to his final moments in life. Bellamont had gotten his revenge on the assassin, and the memories from that dark time would haunt the Spectral Assassin forever.
"I guess all traitors suffer for their betrayal in the end. His just happened to be more spectacular than most."
The spirit's upper lip suddenly curled up in a snarl and his eyes squeezed shut as anger began to build up within him.
"I…" he started quietly. "did not…" The Spectral Assassin then sprung to life as he leaped into the air with a spin, brandishing his sharp blade. "BETRAY MY FAMILY!"
Salvarus barely dodged the deadly dagger as is flew just inches away from his face. Screaming with rage, the Spectral Assassin swung his blade with all his might at the Imperial.
Tears of anger continued to flow from his eyes as the assassin attacked with an animal-like ferocity that had been fueled by hate and despair, brought forth from the soldier's painful history lesson.
Spark after spark shot from the chest plate and deep scratches began to form onto the agent's armor. Even ebony had its limits when it came to the wrath of Sithis.
Lucien had become flustered by his passion though, and Salvarus managed to slam his shoulder into the spirit knocking him back into the cave wall. Lucien froze, and flattened himself against the wall as the soldier's sword was held to his throat.
"You?" he asked in disbelief. "Are you serious? You were the infamous traitor to the Dark Brotherhood?" Salvarus laughed bitterly as he shook his head. "Disgraced in life and shamed in death! It's suiting that you ended up being those assassins' puppet. Sithis certainly knows how to reward treachery."
Lucien trembled in rage at the Penitus Oculatus agent's disrespect. "It doesn't matter if you speak the truth or not. All that matters is what the history books read, and they say you were a weak, jealous, traitor and that the Dark Brotherhood put you down like a mongrel!"
Salvarus grinned wickedly as he kept his sword to the spirit's throat. "Do answer me this question though. I am very curious, as the history books failed to mention it. What is the name of the infamous traitor to the Black Hand?"
"Mathieu Bellamont," Lucien spat out viciously.
"And is that your name?" he sneered.
"No…" the Spectral Assassin growled. The spirit's arms then shot up, pushing Salvarus' sword up and away from his throat. The spirit ducked behind the Imperial and wrapped an arm around the man's head, pulling it backwards. The other free hand gripped the hilt of the spectral blade tightly.
"I am Lucien LaChance!"
Salvarus' eyes widened in shock as he heard the named mentioned.
"YOU?!"
The dagger fell and plunged deep into the throat of Salvarus, and the ghost threw the Imperial to the ground. He watched, trembling with anger as the soldier's life slowly faded.
"You murdered my father," the soldier choked out as he tried holding a hand to his ruptured throat.
"Yes, I did," Lucien growled. "Now join him in the Void."
The agent released a gurgle before finally slumping to the ground. He was Sithis' thrall now.
Breathing heavily, Lucien collapsed to the ground and held his face in his hands. It was over, it was finally all over. He took a few minutes to recover and get his emotions in check. The Spectral Assassin had been exhausted both mentally and physically and did not want to return to the Listener while he still appeared weak. Wiping the last few tears from his eyes, he released an exhausted sigh. The ghost stood up and gradually began making his way back out through the tunnels.
Lucien emerged into the main chamber and was relieved to see the Listener and Cicero making small talk. Whatever had happened while he was busy with the soldier, the Argonian clearly had recovered from his brush with death.
Slowly the spirit made his way over to his brothers. KaNack stared cautiously at the Spectral Assassin and then spoke up with apprehension.
"What of the agent?" he asked.
"Dead," Lucien answered simply.
The spirit grunted as he, along with Cicero was pulled into a tight embrace by the mage.
"I could never have made it without you guys. Thank you for being there," the Argonian whispered as he pulled them tighter. Lucien smiled sadly and accepted the warm hold of the Listener. Eventually, the Dark Brotherhood leader released his grip and backed away to look at his two dearest friends.
"It's done. Cicero, we have to get you back to the sanctuary at once. The Night Mother is in dire need of your care."
"Of course!" Cicero replied in all seriousness. "Cicero is weak, but he's more than capable of tending to our Mother."
"You fool!" a voice snarled.
The three turned around and saw Maro on his feet. He had since removed the arrow from his kneecap, but was holding onto a tunnel opening to keep his balance. "You forgot that I still have men outside!" He smiled at them wickedly. "The moment they see you leaving, all of you were be killed by our archers!"
The Pentitus Oculatus Commander nodded his head. "You've still lost."
"I don't think so," KaNack growled. "See, I am usually fairly aware of my surroundings. Before entering Volunruud, I looked past the archers to see if there was an escape route for my lovely assassins." The Argonian then smiled at the Commander sinisterly. "In the distance, coming their way was a hungry Ancient dragon."
Maro's expression dropped and his eyes widened with horror.
"I instructed my family to be still and quiet while they were safety tucked away in the pit of this tomb's entrance. I doubt yours had the sense to try and remain calm around that beast. I would think by now that your precious men are roasting in the gullet of a dovah."
"No," hissed the Commander.
The Argonian nodded his head and snickered wickedly.
"That makes you…." KaNack started.
"The last…" Cicero continued.
"Penitus Oculatus," Lucien finished.
KaNack turned to Cicero and made a gesture towards the wounded Imperial. "Cicero, you may have the honor."
"Cicero has already killed a Penitus Oculatus," he sighed sadly. "He is too tired to swing his blade again." The jester looked at Maro with a playful twinkle in his eyes. "Cicero does have another idea of what to do with the last man! He does!" Cicero clapped his hands, proud with his thought process. "Cicero is inspired! A bed for the Commander! The last bed he will ever sleep in," he giggled evilly.
Maro's body tensed up as a slow realization began to hit him and he shook his head slowly. His eyes pleaded for mercy, but there was none to be had.
"You already know of it, Commander. Cicero thinks you will like it. It's dark, snug, and peacefully quiet."