Chapter 5: Family

Cheydinhal was nothing like the Imperial City. It seemed more crowded the second we stepped inside. The buildings were tall and dark, seeming to lean over the streets. People hurried from one place to the next, never offering a smile or hello when they made eye contact. Granted, most of those people were Orcs and they aren't exactly known for their social skills. Lucien skillfully wove through the crowded, narrow streets, never bumping into anyone. I tried to follow his footsteps, but still ended up bumping into the occasional person, earning me annoyed looks and sighs.

After what felt like forever, Lucien stopped and I nearly bumped into him. I looked up and frowned. We were in front of an abandoned house. The fence was falling apart, the windows were boarded up, and even the plants in the front yard were dead.

"Umm…why the creepy house?" He simply smiled and motioned for me to follow him. Huffing a little, I followed him to the front door where he promptly picked the lock and opened the door. We stepped inside and I stopped for a moment to let my eyes adjust to the sudden darkness. The little light shining through the holes in the boarded up windows offered enough to see by, but not much else. I could make out shapes of old furniture and boxes but that was about it. Lucien quietly led me to a door that led into a basement. The stairs creaked with every step I made, but Lucien was totally silent. Learning that trick would probably be a smart thing, I thought to myself.

In the basement, I noticed a creepy red light shining out of a large hole in the wall. Chills went down my spine and I looked around nervously. Lucien noticed, turning towards me.

"Don't worry Rivien. Nothing down here will hurt you. That I can promise." I simply nodded and slowly followed him through the hole and down the short hallway. We stopped at the source of the eerie red light: a large door. There was a skull painted on it, along with a black handprint. Lucien placed a hand on it and it spoke to him, making me flinch and nearly scream.

"What…is the color…of night…?" The breathless voice rang out in the darkness.

"Sanguine, my brother." His voice was confident, not the least bit shaky. Annoyed with myself, I straightened my spine and looked at the door.

"Welcome…home…" The door swung open and we stepped inside. I blinked a few times, trying to clear my vision after the strange red light. We were in a large, open chamber. Across the room I could see a large wooden door, along with two matching ones on the sides. There was a hole with a ladder in a corner, and a hallway in another. Candles were lit on tables and torches were placed in sconces on the wall, lighting the room but still leaving shadows around the edges. A few banners were hung around the room with the same black handprint that had been on the door painted onto them.

"Welcome to your new home Rivien." Lucien said quietly.

"This is the sanctuary? It's…different than what I expected." He laughed.

"I'm sorry that there aren't skulls lining the walls and bones crunching beneath your feet. We like things rather neat and tidy around here."

"That's not exactly what I meant." I grumbled, face flushed red. I'd been expecting skulls, not bones crunching when I walked. Quiet footsteps echoed through the room. An Argonian woman was walking over to us. She was in black leather armor of some kind that fit her like a second skin. There was a sword strapped to one hip and a dagger on the other. A matching set. There were jewels hanging off of her head spines, and her skin was a mottled green and red. She was smiling.

"So who have you brought to us Lucien?" Her voice was gravely, like most of her kind.

"Ocheeva, this is Rivien. She was who I was sent to the city to collect." The Argonian's eyes lit up.

"I see. It's nice to meet you Rivien."

"Likewise." I felt awkward here. Before I had been looking forward to getting to the sanctuary. A little nervous, but excited never the less. Now that I was here, I had no idea what to say or do. Lucien seemed to pick up on that.

"Ocheeva, would you mind helping her settle in? Show her around a bit, teach her the basics of living here. I have an errand to run and won't be back until the evening." That bastard. He had seemed like he understood how I was feeling, and now he was just going to run off and leave me here? I was standing close enough to elbow him in the ribs and I did so. He didn't even glance my way.

"Of course Lucien. She'll be safe with me. Go get your errands done. Come Rivien, I'll show you everything you need to know." With that, the traitor vanished, leaving me here alone with a group of assassins I'd never met before. Ocheeva seemed nice enough, but I had a feeling she could gut me like a fish before I'd taken a step. First, she took me through one set of the large wooden doors and into what appeared to be a training room. There were straw dummies and archery targets set up, along with weapons racks against the walls.

"Judging by how light you seem to be traveling, I'd say you don't have any weapons of your own. What do you fight with?"

"I don't know how to use anything, truth be told." I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I have a dagger that Lucien gave me, but that's it." If she was surprised, she didn't show it.

"Well, for now take a sword and a bow for yourself. We'll start teaching you the basics before we send you out on a mission. Don't need you getting yourself killed now do we?" The argonian smiled at me. I could tell she was trying to make me feel at ease. I smiled back and selected a steel sword and bow off the racks. Satisfied with my choices, she turned to lead me back into the main room. As we were leaving, another argonian stepped through the double doors.

"Ah Teinaava, there you are. I'd like you to meet our newest family member. Rivien, this is my brother Teinaava." These two had to be twins. They looked identical, except the colors of his skin were a bit brighter.

"Nice to meet you Rivien. As my sister said, I'm Teinaava. If you ever need anything, feel free to ask." He nodded at us, and continued on into the training room. A man of few words it seemed. I hadn't even had a chance to reply. Seeming satisfied, Ocheeva led me out of the training room and across the main area to the double doors across from the ones we'd just left. This time we walked down a hallway and into the living quarters. Beds lined one side of the room, chests at the foot of each one. The other half of the room was composed of a large table with cabinets lining the wall. There was a wine rack in one corner. Torches lined the walls, keeping the room well lit.

"This bed is yours dear. You can place your weapons in the chest at the foot of the bed. There should be a set of armor in there as well." She gestured to the bed closest to the door. I placed the items in the chest and picked up the armor.

"Will this fit? It looks a little large."

"Our armor is enchanted. Its size will adjust to yours. Go ahead and try it on if you'd like. I will be in my room. Go through the set of doors we didn't enter and you will find me." She silently walked out. Since the room seemed to be empty, I pulled off my clothes and pulled the armor on. Sure enough, the armor shrank to fit. I laced up the boots and pulled on the gloves, strapped my dagger to my belt, and was good to go. Surprisingly, the armor was super comfortable, the leather didn't make a sound when I moved. I tried walking across the room as quietly as I could, annoyed when I could still hear my own footsteps. The armor may be silent, but I sure wasn't'.

"Looks like you're having some trouble. Need some tips?" I spun around, heart flying. My eyes were wide. A Wood Elf was leaning against the entrance to the room, watching me. She was wearing the same armor I was, her pale skin stood out in the darkness, while her hair blended in. It was a little odd to say the least.

"Ah…I was just seeing if I could be silent is all. I need to practice." She nodded.

"Well, you're problem is the way you're stepping down. Step down with your toes first, not the entire foot. Take it slow, no need to rush. Controlled movements. Go on, give it a shot." I'd just gotten here and was already getting lessons. That was good I supposed. Following her advice, I stepped forward, putting my toes down first and slowly bring the rest of my foot to follow. I took another step, then another, thrilled when I heard nothing but my own breath.

"You're a fast learner. It takes most people a few tries to get even one silent step. I'm Telaendril. If you need any more tips, you need only ask."

"I'm Rivien. Thank you so much." I smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"You're that one then. Nice to meet you Rivien." She yawned and fell into one of the empty beds. I made my way up the hallway and back into the main chamber. The double doors that led to Ocheeva's room were open now and I made my way to them. I jumped when I heard a creaking sound. There was a skeleton in front of me. Its hollow eye sockets seemed to stare at me as it creaked, watching me. Then it kept walking around the room, oblivious to me once again. I shuddered, then stepped into the Argonian's room. It was decorated like the rest of the sanctuary. Banners hanging on the walls and torches lighting up everything.

"Glad to see you like the armor. Did you meet Telaendril?"

"I did. She even gave me some tips on my steps." Ocheeva nodded.

"She's an expert at getting into places silently, you'd do well to listen to her. Now, you're settled in and have met the members that are currently here. There are more but all of them are out on missions at the moment. Two of them should be back tomorrow though so you'll get to meet more of your new family soon. The other three won't be back for a while. Have you been to Cheydinhal before?" I shook my head.

"I've never left the Imperial City. I wasn't allowed."

"Then take the day to go explore. No use living in a city if you don't know the layout. Might be useful if you need to escape one day. Your training will start tomorrow, so enjoy your afternoon off. You won't get many." She smiled and ushered me out of the room. "Take the ladder in the corner. That's the easiest way in and out of the sanctuary." I nodded and walked over to it. It seemed sturdy enough, so I climbed up and out of a well to the side of the abandoned house. On the last rung, my foot slipped and I fell out of the well and onto the grass. Thankfully the well was hidden by shrubs, so hopefully nobody had seen my clumsy exit. Standing up and brushing myself off, I looked around, memorizing my surroundings so I'd remember where to go when I was finished exploring.

It was midday now, the sun was high in the sky. The first place I wanted to visit was the cathedral. It dominated the center of the city, spires shooting high into the sky. It was easy enough to get to. I only managed to get lost once, and that was because I took a side street that turned halfway down and opened up in a different district of the city. It was easy enough to backtrack though, and soon enough I was on the steps of the large building. Priests and worshipers alike were entering the cathedral. One dark elf was even polite enough to hold the door for me. I murmured thanks and made my way to the front of the large chamber.

It was beautiful inside. Stained glass windows depicting Arkay were placed around the room, with large chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling making them sparkle. Candles lined the alter and red carpet had been rolled down the path between the pews. A few worshipers prayed silently in the pews with priests speaking to others at the front of the room. I suddenly felt very uneasy, like I wasn't supposed to be here. One of the priests noticed me standing awkwardly at the back of the room and started walking over to me. He was an old man, most likely a Breton, with pale blue eyes and skin and very white hair. His robes were brown and old.

"Hello child. What brings you to the temple this fine day?" His voice was quiet and whispery, not unlike the voice in the basement of the abandoned house.

"I'm new to the city and was taking some time to explore a bit is all. I just wanted to stop by the chapel." He nodded.

"We get a lot of visitors here. Have you prayed at the alter today?" Feeling very awkward I simply shook my head and tried to back away. He grabbed my arm in a tight grip. "Come with me then. We will ask Arkay to bless you." Unable to protest, I let him lead me to the front of the chapel. He placed my hands on the shrine, and started to mumble a prayer. Suddenly, a voice spoke into my mind. I was unable to tell if it was male or female.

You do not belong here, creature of darkness. Leave my temple, and do not ask for my blessing again. I jumped. The old man had a look of confusion on his face.

"Arkay does not like you here." Fear flashed in his eyes. "You are not welcome here. You need to leave." I was starting to get curious glances. Quickly, I turned and started to walk down the center aisle to the exit. As I moved, each torch I passed was blown out, leaving the temple in darkness, except for the light shining through the stained glass. I heard gasps and cries as I fled the temple and shut the door behind me.

Once outside, I took a large breath to steady myself. I'd never been very religious, but getting denied by a god wasn't a good thing I was sure.

"Rivien?" The voice startled me out of my thoughts.

"Lucien? I thought you had errands to run." Lucien was standing at the base of the chapel steps, looking up at me. He had yet to change out of his traveling clothes.

"I did and I finished them. Why were you in the temple?"

"Ocheeva told me to explore a bit so I was…have you ever been kicked out of a temple before?" He blinked.

"You were kicked out? By who?" I sighed and walked down the steps. We began walking down the street.

"I was personally asked to leave by Arkay. At least I think it was Arkay. After I heard the voice, the priest I was talking to panicked and asked me to leave as well."

"Arkay. The god Arkay asked you to leave?"

"Yes Lucien. I've been in the temple in the Imperial City before and never had a god speak to me. I must be popular lately." I let out a shaky laugh. He was quiet. I could tell he was thinking about something.

"Well, try not to let it bother you. Come with me. If Ocheeva wants you to explore the city, then I will walk with you. It's no fun to explore alone."

"You don't have to. I'm sure you're busy."

"I already told you I finished my errands. I'm free for now. Let me enjoy the rare free moment I have today Rivien." He pouted at me. Actually pouted. I started laughing.

"Fine, fine. Show me around then." Turns out, Lucien was a very good tour guide. He showed me the best place to get my weapons repaired, the best places to shop. Showed me which places would rip me off and which ones would give me the best deal. He even took me down the back streets that were mostly residential, showing me the best places to hide if I ever needed to. We walked up to the castle, but it wasn't that interesting to me so we went back down into the city. Instead of walking through the crowded streets again, he led me to another part of town that was pretty much empty. There was a slow moving river running through this part of town, with large trees draping over the water, and covered bridges crossing the water. It was very pretty, and unexpected. I was really beginning to like this city.

"So, ready to head back? It's not far to the sanctuary from here." I nodded and followed him over one of the covered bridges, adding this spot to my mental list of places to go back to when I had the chance. By the time we got back to the Sanctuary the sun was starting to set. I climbed over the top of the well, about to climb back down.

"Watch your step. Don't need you falling again now do we?"

"Hey! How did you know about that?" There had been nobody around when I'd slipped, I was sure of it. He simply smiled.

"I know everything. Goodnight Rivien. I'll see you soon." And with that, he was gone. I made my way down the ladder, and back into the sanctuary for the night.

Hey everyone! This chapter was boring (to me at least), but it had to be done. Have to have characters and all that. Hopefully soon things will start to pick up :) Expect the next chapter up in 2-3 weeks. With the holidays coming up I'm going to be super busy.

Xoxo Eldest123323