For CommanderFett: there is a message for you at the bottom of this chapter- please read the whole chapter, then the message, before reviewing.
For HowAboutThisForAName (AKA HATFAN): This chapter is predominantly for you- as it is Phoenix's special chapter. Please enjoy how I make the little hellion seem a little more grown up.
Necessary Repairs
We returned to Winterhold immediately and I avoided the subject of my actions within the prison; I could not let anyone other than Svina, Phoenix, and Thuban know of my breakdown- of my fear. I didn't have any idea who that man was… but he stirred up old memories I had thought long buried. I currently sat in my room at the Winterhold Sanctuary, my mind lost in thought as I pondered the events of the day before. First the old woman- she at least seemed familiar- then the kidnapping and that deranged man… he had called me 'Mother's Favored Blood' and seemed to know me; which was impossible as far as I was concerned. I looked to the dagger case I kept Steelheart in when not in use, the man had also called me a 'broken soul, wielding a weapon from before her time'… which meant he had knowledge of Steelheart's origins as well as of me. The wheels of my mind turned over this information several times, either he had been spying on me or he had an informant within the Brotherhood. I couldn't fathom any of my Brothers or Sisters betraying me. I sighed and leaned back in my desk chair, my hands covering my face in frustration; as I drew my hands away, I could see they were shaking ever so slightly. I had to be strong, I could not let this unhinge me… my family needed me to be here, not some crying little bitch of a girl. I was about to stand up and head for the training hall to clear my head, when a loud crash and a shrill cry of rage erupted through the halls. I left my office in a haste, practically running to the main hall to find Phoenix angrily attempting to punch Nikita- whilst the elder man held his hand on Phoenix's head to keep him at bay. I examined the room with a glance for the cause of this altercation- and my eyes soon fell on a heap of metal that had once been Phoenix's Dwarven Spider companion.
"Nikita, Phoenix. What in the name of Sithis is going on?" I asked, though I had an idea- I wanted to be certain.
"This jackass totaled Gimli!"
"This runt's junk heap scared the hell out of Svina."
They said in unison, each giving their motives for their own actions. I could understand Svina being terrified to see a Dwemer automaton inside the Sanctuary; we had forgotten to tell her about this Sanctuaries unofficial 'mascot'. Though Nikita didn't need to trash the poor thing, I could see out of the corner of my eye… that Gimli would need serious repairs.
"Nikita, Gimli is a reprogrammed Automaton- of no danger to Svina in the slightest. I understand your concern, but it was unwarranted. Just go." I said calmly, not punishing Nikita for his actions this time; unlike before, they were not selfish.
"What?! You're gonna let him off easy?!" Phoenix fumed, his hawk-yellow eyes blazing with anger.
"Calm down, he was just protecting someone he cares for; besides, we can fix Gimli can't we?" I said optimistically, though looking at the pile of sparking metal… I had my doubts.
"I… don't know." Phoenix responded, the anger in his eyes quickly replaced by worry. I helped Phoenix to haul Gimli to the Alchemy lab- which was reachable through the nearby training hall- where he had set up a workbench for his tinkering and experiments. We carefully hoisted the automaton onto an empty table and Phoenix got to work examining the extent of the damage, while I back tracked to be certain no pieces had been dropped.
"So, can we fix him?" I asked as I returned maybe 20 minutes later- being very thorough in my search; knowing very well that Gimli meant a lot to our young alchemist, so his quick repair was a priority. Phoenix sighed as he pulled his red tinted goggles off his eyes and back to their customary spot on his head,
"Nikita really did a number on him. Each leg joint is bent the wrong way- I'll need all new struts- half of the gears on one whole side are bent to hell, and one leg has been torn off completely. Thankfully the Gyro Core wasn't damaged, if that had been so much as dented… there wouldn't be a chance in hell to fix him as he was; besides being the power source, all his programming- all Gimli was- is in this core." Phoenix explained, surprising me with how much he knew of Dwemer technology.
"So a trip to the nearest Dwemer ruin and Gimli will be right as rain?" I asked with a hopeful smile, receiving a half-hearted grin in return.
"If not, can I kick Nikita's ass?" Phoenix asked with an impish smirk.
"No… I will do it for you." I responded with a laugh as we turned to leave. As we returned to the main hall to leave, I was surprised to see Nikita standing in the middle of the room looking annoyed.
"Svina told me I had to… apologize." he grumbled as he noticed us.
"Yeah you BETTER apologize!" Phoenix snapped as I placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him moving; the last thing I needed was an escalated altercation between the two. We left the Sanctuary and headed into the town of Winterhold itself, "There's a surface ruin nearby, we can get the parts we need from there." Phoenix said with a hopeful smile, but I could tell he was still a little strung out.
The ruin was slightly south-east of Winterhold, high on the mountain and resembled a courtyard garden- an idyllic scene completed by the lightly falling snow. The steam slowly rising off the water pipes giving the area an almost ethereal look as we walked slowly under the great stone archways- our eyes locked on the apparently inactive Steam Centurion on the far end of the courtyard.
"It's still in its maintenance station, looks like it's turned off for repairs. Lucky for us, huh?" Phoenix grinned at me as he walked a little faster, seeing no dangers now that he was certain the Centurion would not awaken. I watched as the sixteen year old assassin darted about, examining the inactivated spiders and sphere guardians that littered the courtyard; by the looks of it, this place was at one time an open-air maintenance lab. I let Phoenix gather what he needed while I explored the courtyard, curiously making my way closer to the Centurion. I had never seen one up close before- never mind one that wasn't going to attack me any time soon. I marveled at the sheer size of the great machine, the Dwemer having designed it to be as tall as a mammoth- truly it was a fearsome sight with its weapon arms gleaming faintly in the snow-clouded sunlight. "Alright! Looks like I have enough parts, you ready to leave?" Phoenix asked as he poked his head out of the nearby small building.
"Shouldn't I be asking you?" I joked, knowing Phoenix was very likely to want to stay a little longer- that is if his best friend wasn't a pile of scrap right now.
"Nah, it wouldn't be the same without Gimli." he said with a sad smile, walking out of the building with a knapsack full of Dwemer scraps. As soon as I turned around and took a step forward I nearly jumped at the sound of a loud hiss behind me. "Aww damn… I musta tripped an activation system." Phoenix scowled as he dropped his knapsack and drew his crossbow. I turned on a dime, drawing my daggers- though I knew they would be of little use. All I could do was block as the Centurion stepped forward and swung its hammer arm in my direction, sending me backwards several feet. I had never fought a Steam Centurion myself, the last one I encountered had been lead off a cliff into a subterranean lake by one of my companions- while I had been across the chamber on a different ledge; no such luck this time though. I stood up from my fall and looked around quickly for any advantage I might find in the surrounding area- a cliff or something, anything to slow this automaton down; knowing very well it may look slow, but it could gain significant ground very quickly. Phoenix's bolts pinged off its armor like bug bites, not doing nearly enough damage with the few that found gaps in the plating. The Centurion veered away from me, seeing Phoenix as the greater threat- as he was actually accomplishing some amount of damage- and I rushed to intercept the downward swing of its axe arm. I must have looked pathetic, my tiny daggers locked with the Centurion's axe arm- doing what I could to hold it back as Phoenix stood dumbfounded behind me.
"Run, now!" I shouted to him through gritted teeth, the Centurion gaining leverage as I diverted my attention to the young assassin I was protecting. Phoenix hesitated, but obeyed my order as he picked up his knapsack and ran for home.
I was alone, and I was losing ground; my feet beginning to dig into the dirt beneath me and my arms felt weak from the strain of holding back the Centurion. Just when I thought I might be able to jump back and avoid the rest of the downward swing, the Centurion swung its hammer arm against my side- sending me flying into a stone pillar. I felt my head collide with the stone and could swear I heard a sickening crack, my vision blurring as I attempted to stand. I heard the loud ping of an arrow hitting metal, "I told you to run." I coughed out, finding breathing difficult at the moment. I didn't get a response, though I could swear I heard someone scoff as another arrow was fired. The Centurion's attention was diverted from me to another assailant- though I had a feeling it was not Phoenix. "Hadranius? Arren? Johnny?" I shouted, hoping to receive some kind of answer as the world continued to blur around me. "Kestrel?!" I shouted again, this time in frustration; naming off every archer in the Brotherhood. I heard no response, but I felt the Centurion fall to the ground with a reverberating thud; and I could sense someone approaching. "Who the hell are you?" I asked, my vision just barely beginning to clear as I attempted to draw my dagger- pain shooting up my left arm after I so much as moved a finger; it had no doubt broken when the Centurion had swung me aside the second time.
"Calm down Sister, you will worsen your injuries." said a calm male voice, his accent giving me the impression of a Wood Elf- with a hint of Cyrodiilic, so he was no 'Brother' I knew. I was not wearing my armor, yet this man was referring to me as 'Sister'. "You are a Delafont, correct? Few else could have that shade of red hair." he chuckled as he knelt beside me. I was cautious of this man, I had no idea who he was- hell I could barely see at the moment- yet he seemed to know me.
"Who are you?" I asked warily, scooting away from him with as little pain as possible. I heard him give a soft chuckle,
"Nox Silens- just Nox, if you would. I was a friend of Lucien and Miss Aly." he assured me, and I relaxed a little- this man knew my ancestors personally… supposedly, but only Lucien himself could prove it.
"Where are my things? I need to get back before Phoenix sends out a search party." I said with strain as I attempted to stand on my own again, crumpling in pain once again.
"Relax. I will find your pack and assist you home." Nox said simply, placing a hand on my shoulder before helping me to lean against the stone pillar. My vision continuing to clear as Nox stood to retrieve my pack from where I had apparently dropped it, handing it to me. Though as he did… something sounded off within the confines of the bag. I practically ripped the knapsack open- finding it difficult with one hand- and my heart sank when I pulled out the broken Steelheart. The blade of the steel dagger had snapped in half, and then it occurred to me that the Centurion must have stepped on it- as everything else in the bag looked very squashed.
"I am afraid Miss Aly would be distraught to see her dagger in this state." Nox sighed in disdain, further cementing the proof that Nox had indeed known Alyce Delafont- as her dagger had been sealed in the Alyeid tomb for 200 years. I looked to my savior with my vision now cleared and was surprised to see he nearly looked more like a Dunmer rather than a Bosmer- his skin dark and almost ashy in appearance, but not quite like that of an actual Dunmer.
"I think I know someone who can fix it… though, let's not tell Lucien about this." I said with a small pained chuckle at the thought of how the semi-corporeal spirit would react. Nox raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "Long story." I said with a sigh. Nox simply shook his head in silence and helped me to my feet, and in doing so I could see his Brotherhood armor from beneath the dark cloak he wore. Now that I thought of Lucien, perhaps Nox could tell him what had happened to Alyce Delafont after his death.
With the help of Nox, we made slow but easy progress back to the Sanctuary- Nox shaking his head in apparent disappointment at the lack of a proper Black Door as we finally arrived at the ruin.
"So, this is one of the ancient Sanctuaries? It is not unlike the one in Cheydinhal." Nox said quietly- seemingly to himself- disregarding my presence even though he was aiding my steps. We entered the main hall just in time to see Phoenix- sans Gimli- leading the family out of the training hall; most likely on their way out to rescue me from the Steam Centurion.
"ALYCE!" the young assassin shouted before nearly tackling me to the floor; I had to fight not to let out a hiss of pain as he unintentionally jostled my broken arm.
"Yet another recruit- wait… Nox? Nox Silens?" Said Hadranius as he approached, the elderly Dunmer getting a closer look at my companion.
"It has been too long, Hadranius. You fair well it seems." Nox said with a glimmer of a smile, the first sign of actual emotion I had seen from the Bosmer man besides distaste. I was surprised to see that our eldest member of the Brotherhood was familiar with Nox; perhaps I would not need Lucien's confirmation after all. Hadranius stepped closer and began to converse with his old friend as Svina stepped forward, noticing my injuries and taking the burden of aiding me from Nox.
"You really took a beating." Svina said with a sigh, and I looked down with a wince at my broken arm as she gently rolled up my sleeve- the skin blotchy and dark from the already violent bruise; I dreaded to think what my back and side might look like. The damage was less than it actually looked, a fracture rather than break, so I was saved the agony of Svina setting the bone; though the wrapping of a splint was still torment. With my arm treated and set in a sling, Svina examined the rest of my injuries- thankfully finding only more bruises and a few small cuts. I currently sat at the stone table in the entrance hall, Hadranius having lead Nox into the dining hall, laughing loudly like partners in crime, and the others having dispersed soon after my return. I stood and rolled my shoulder experimentally, with the fracture set in a split I endured only minor twinges of pain; it would be several weeks before my arm was fully healed, if I left the sanctuary between now and then I could not do so alone with the danger of the Imperium Ultis still lingering about.
I sighed and hoped I would heal quickly, but until then I still had much to do; like checking on Gimli's repairs. I took the right side hallway out of the main hall, traversing the short hallway into the training hall- Arren and Johnny having something of a contest as I entered; both of them taking turns blindfolded and attempting to hit a bulls-eye on the nearby targets. I made certain to steer clear and announce myself as I passed them, the only thing worse than a blindfolded archer is a drunken one- and I hoped neither of them was both. I had yet to examine the training hall since arriving here in Winterhold and was surprised to see that the Armory and Forge were part of an adjoining room attached to the training hall, Phoenix's lab being in a large room just off this joined space. As I passed the forge, I witnessed Meliadoul examining her workspace and busily readying the bellows; sparking the memory of Steelheart's now broken blade, which was another matter that I would need to attend to quickly. I shrugged off this worrisome 'to-do list' as I entered the lab, finding Phoenix darting about from scrap pile, to work bench, to the already half-repaired Automaton and back again.
"Making progress I see?" I said optimistically, Phoenix never slowing his stride as he nodded with a grin- his goggles falling down over his eyes every so often. "Need any help?" I asked, though one handed at the moment I was willing to assist. Phoenix stopped working for a moment, standing stark still beside his Dwarven Spider.
"You've already done more than I can ask. Hell, you got hurt for me." he said sadly before returning to his work with slightly less gusto.
"There is no shame in asking help of the willing. I got hurt by my own folly." I said reassuringly, stepping forward to stand beside Phoenix as he concentrated on assembling one of Gimli's legs.
"Then what's stopping you from talking about the prison?" he grumbled after a moment's pause, having been there at the prison himself and been brushed off soon after our departure. His words hurt, though I knew I had been cold to everyone who had asked to help me; I was being hypocritical, wishing to help more but not accepting help from anyone. I sighed, I knew I owed him an explanation of how the 'fierce Listener who brutally battles chaurus' could be flung aside like a little girl.
"That is… complicated." I mumbled, truthfully not wanting to tell the tale to anyone- but Phoenix looked up at me from his work with expecting eyes; the stubborn boy would not let the matter lie. "Let's finish the repairs and I will explain, I promise." I said with a weak smile, hoping Phoenix would give me time to think out how I would explain myself without telling him the whole story; he didn't need to share my nightmares.
Together we reassembled Gimli the Dwarven Spider, though now we sat on the floor of the lab with our backs to the cold stone wall as we waited for his systems to reset.
"So? What happened?" Phoenix asked after only seconds of waiting, wasting no time in reminding me of my promise of an explanation. I paused for only a moment as I leaned my head back against the stone,
"That man reminded me strongly of someone from many years ago- the memory of that man terrified me. Have you ever had a nightmare that constantly plagued you for nights on end- only to suddenly stop? You think it is behind you, never to pop up again, then you find a glimmer of happiness… and it returns. It was that hopeless terror that made me useless to you and Svina, and for that I am sorry. Had Thuban not been with you…" I explained, dancing around the whole story- keeping the extent of my tale to myself. Truly if the Dunmer mage had not been there, we would all likely have died.
"So you got a past, who doesn't? You just have to not let it get to you; you're stronger than that, I've seen it. Forget the jackass and move on, he doesn't deserve to be remembered. And as for the geezer, yeah sure he's packin' some serious spell power; but he ain't the Listener- he ain't you. So don't apologize, you just weren't at the top of your game is all." Phoenix said simply, his expression more serious than I had ever seen him before; the first time he actually LOOKED his age, much less acted it. I couldn't help but smile, normally I was the one cheering people up- telling them they were better than they thought themselves or stronger then they knew; it was heart-warming to see the more mature side of Phoenix.
"Thank you… truly, I just wish it was as easy as that. Some scars are difficult to just forget." I said with a sigh, and seconds later I was surprised to see Gimli jump up off the worktable and begin dancing in the middle of the floor- before he danced too fast and became tangled up in his own legs. Phoenix and I laughed as he stood to assist his automation friend,
"I get the feeling he's happy to be in once piece again?" I asked with a chuckle, Gimli raising one of his legs in what a presumed to be a cheerful wave; a positive answer to my question, I surmised.
Fett: So I couldn't figure out exactly which race you wanted Nox to be, so I went with Bosmer- sorry if that's not what you wanted. However, I did note that he is a dark and ashy colored Bosmer and that he could easily be mistaken for a Dunmer. Since the voices of Dunmer and Bosmer are different (Bosmer in Skyrim tend to have no accent at all, whereas Dunmer tend to sound Scottish in my opinion), I noted that he appears to have a Cyrodilic accent (sort of British sounding); which further states that he is from Cyrodiil- like we planned- rather than Valenwood or Morrowind.
Important Note for ALL: I am not likely to have internet access after today- it may be months or it could be years before you ever hear what happens next. However, please know that i WILL continue this story one day. my mind does not stop. i am always thinking of ideas. so please, bear with me and may you all walk in the shadow of Sithis. Also, if you have been keeping up with the current chapters- you may want to re-read them as they have been updated... and yes... the black door password goof-up HAS been fixed at last.
2020 UPDATE!
While technically not a story update, this is a quick something i felt i needed to add. minor things. First off, i never mentioned it before but in the very first review i got for this story someone mentioned how old Cicero actually is. Thanks for mentioning this, but i WAS NOT saying that he is Alyce's brother. Sorry people, he just reminds her of him. If the two ever DID meet they would likely be besties and Alyce would probably die from the ensuing migrane and the world would implode.
Secondly, the creator of Johhny Valen brought to my attention not too long ago that Johnny is in fact BiSexual. this slipped my mind originally, but until recently i had the excuse that there weren't any sexy men in the brotherhood. Well as of a few chapters ago that changed, but i have yet to have johnny hit on him- YET. granted, Johnny will likely wind up with an arrow in the face. The creator of said character and i both know there is only one man in existance that can get away with that... barely. and only because that man is best friends with his future wife that would make him sleep on the couch for that.
I had more, but forgot them so thats it. not likely to get online again for a while, i would post a new chapter if i could, but the computer i am using does not have a USB drive and the chapter is too long for copy and paste. Peace out.
~Roseria Sylvester