It was another dreary afternoon in Riften. The grey storm clouds piled up in the sky, waiting for the perfect moment to release the storm and ruin some poor travelers day. That traveler happened to be Aera, stumbling through the gates followed by Lynne who rushed up to support the Khajiit.
"Slow down there Aera; you weren't fully healed when we left Windhelm, and the dragon attack didn't help your shoulder." She said wiping a dripping curl from her eyes. Aera just shrugged her off.
"I'll slow down once I'm warm in a bed with a bottle of mead and out of this goddamn rain!" She said, her raised voice earning her a glance from the guards they passed. Lynne let the cat lead on as she stormed through town towards Mistveil Keep. Aera practically slammed the massive wood doors open on her way in. Maven looked up with a jolt, but her face was a mask of annoyance. "I don't supposed there is any way to keep you from breaking my Keep, is there?" She grumbled. "What is it?"
Aera stopped at the foot of the stairs and shook out her fur, sending a sprinkle of water over the nearby Lynne, who was wringing out her own hair onto the floor. Maven rolled her eyes and sighed.
"We found the Neocresis." Aera began. "Your suspicions were right; the Summerset Shadows are behind it. Their leader, an elf called Avicto, was the one in possession of it. We killed his men, but weren't able to retrieve the book."
Maven sat up, fuming. "Well why not?"
Aera bit her lip and paused, unsure of how to answer. "There were . . . complications." She finally said drawing her eyes up from the floor to meet Maven's scolding, amber ones; demanding a further answer. "He put a sort of spell on Lynne and I; immobilizing us. The only way for us to break from it was for Lynne to shoot me, after which I shot Avicto. I only saw him disappear through a portal before I blacked out." Aera explained. "Therefore I cannot say for sure if he is dead or dying somewhere."
Maven sighed and put her head in her hands, rubbing her temples with delicate fingers. "What do you plan to do about this predicament?" She asked.
"I knew Avicto's father. If he takes after Linwe at all, Avicto will want to finish the job; he wouldn't let me get away from a fight having seen what I did. I killed Linwe, and I will kill Avicto. They say elves bleed different from men, but bleed they do, and bleed they will." Aera said, blood boiling.
"Do whatever you must, but do it soon." Maven told her. "We don't want the Neocresis in enemy hands any longer than it needs to be."
Aera bowed quickly. "I will finish this," she said softly, before turning tail and leaving the Keep.
Lynne leaned back against the stone walls in front of the Chapel of Mara. It was late enough in the evening that the setting sun illuminated the wooden faces of the buildings and cast deep shadows where it could not reach. She was shrouded enough by one of these shadows that no one paid her any mind. She watched the citizens scurry about like an eagle watching a field for rats. One of the rats caught her eye; Drifa Honey-Hand was mulling around Madesi's stall. She greeted the lizard with a smile and began browsing the cases. After a moment, she pulled out a handful of coins which she handed to him and was handed back a gaudy, golden amulet with a large emerald adoring the centerpiece. She slipped the amulet into her pocket and walked away without a care.
Little did she know, that by the time she had crossed the courtyard, Lynne was hot on her tail. Once Drifa had entered the alley in front of her husband's store, Lynne slipped in close behind her, hand sliding into Drifa's pocket, feeling the amulets weight transfer to her own hand. She pulled her hand out and was sliding her prize into her own pocket when Drifa came to a halt causing Lynne to slam into the woman. The amulet slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground.
Drifa turned around, already apologizing, to face a stunned Lynne. Her eyes wandered to the amulet laying a few feet away, and Drifa's soon followed. There was a moment of comprehension on both parts before Lynne dove and snatched up the amulet as Drifa cried out, "Thief, thief!"
Lynne darted through the alley, turned the corner, and collided with a City Guard. Before she could escape, the hulking man grabbed her arm and pinned her hard against the wall, snatching the amulet from her hand. "Damn thieves," he muttered. "The situation is taken care of folks; go back to your business!" He said to the gathering crowd which promptly dispersed.
Lynne wriggled under his grasp, but the guard had her with one hand; he was too strong for her. "Shit," she whispered nervously. Lynne let herself be lead past Mistveil keep, where she had been a free woman only two weeks ago, and down through door after door to the cells. The guard threw her in one towards the end and closed the iron door with a clang. Lynne huffed and ran a hand through her hair. She paced her cell trying to come up with a way out when a voice from across the hall grabbed her attention. It was a voice like warm honey that drifted through her like a summer breeze and made her insides tingle. It held a delicate quality to it despite being the voice of a man. Lynne liked this voice. "Hello beautiful," it said to her. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."
Aera was sitting hunched over her desk near the edge of the Cistern, scribbling madly on a piece of parchment. She paused, and then crumpled up the paper with a groan, tossing it aside. She was startled to find the paper wad had actually hit something, which expressed its displeasure with a cry. Aera didn't even look up when Brynjolf approached her desk.
"Care to explain why you're tossing parchment about?" He asked her, placing the wad down next to her.
"I'm trying to figure out Avicto's next move." She answered. "The thing is, I know close to nothing about him." She crumpled up her current sheet of parchment and tossed it into the Cistern's pool with a splash. Brynjolf eyed her curiously before he spoke.
"Take a break lass!" he said. "You've hardly had a wink of sleep since you've come back. Go get a drink and some rest. You need it." He patted her shoulder with a smile before he turned and left. Aera watched him leave with ponderous eyes. She set down her quill, leaned back in her chair, and stretched. It was quite stuffy in the Cistern, even considering the giant well opening in the ceiling. Fancying herself a walk, Aera found her way outside and into the clear afternoon air. She took a deep breath and instantly regretted it; once the smell of fish, mold, and things she didn't even want to think about breeched her nostrils. She walked through the bustling crowd towards the Bee and Barb.
Maybe a good, strong drink will clear my head. She thought.
Inside was thick with bodies; the perfect environment for a thief. The more people around, the less likely someone is to pay any attention to the shady figure. Still, Aera slipped her hood up, made her way to the bar, and ordered one of Keerava's specialty drinks.
After she drank her fill, Aera slipped back outside, only slightly worse for wear. The setting sun blinded her, and she put up a hand to block it from view; but in her momentary disorientation, bumped into a body in front of her. She back away; muttering an apology to the old woman, who cursed her out in response, but moved away nonetheless. Aera noticed there was not just one lone body, but many; they formed half of a crowd towards the Pawned Prawn.
"The situation is taken care of folks; go back to your business!" A gruff voice shouted. The crowd began to scatter, but Aera lingered back, clinging to the wall of the tavern. She waited for a moment before realizing nothing was going to emerge from her side of the alley. Aera ran through and caught a flash of red disappearing underneath Mistveil keep.
Lynne! Her mind told her. The girl must have gotten arrested for who knows what. It was guild law, that if you got caught, it was your own problem to solve, but Lynne had saved her ass more than was due, so it was Aera's right to pay her back for that, at least, right?
The Khajiit groaned, but began her path to the jail.
Avicto collapsed on the hard ground, clutching his shoulder. The blood ran thick through his fingers and dripped onto the ground. He heard the portal snap shut behind him and the air became very hot and heavy. He looked down at the arrow; it was only a few inches from his heart. With a grunt of pain, he ripped the shaft from his shoulder and tossed it aside. The blood flew quicker now; but not for long once his magic took effect. After the wound had stitched itself back together, Avicto stood and looked around his Lord's realm. Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of forbidden knowledge, had been his patron deity for as long as he could remember. His father had introduced him to the Daedra, but he had discovered the Realm on his own.
Around him were towering pillars of blackened books which formed archways over the wrought-iron foot path and black sludge water underneath. Above him, the green clouded sky seemed to smother him, but he felt no fear; it was simply his Lord protecting him. "Hermaeus!" Avicto cried to it. "My Lord!"
Suddenly a black void opened up through the clouds, an eye blinked its way out followed by a mass of slithering tentacles. "Ahh, I see you have returned to me, mortal." The mass droned. "Are you struggling, ever still, to unravel the secrets of my book?"
Avicto knelt down. "No, my Lord," he began. "I simply came here for a moment of respite. Some Khajiit bitch and her companion were after the book." He growled. Mora seemed indifferent; though without any substantial form or face, it was hard to tell.
"Your troubles do not concern me. Should the Neocresis have been at any risk, I would have returned it here."
Avicto glanced over at where the discarded book lay from his tumble through the portal. He stood and retrieved it, checking it over for any damage. He could feel Mora's ghostly eye watching him. When Avicto touched the sigil on the center of the cover, the book pulsed with glowing energy that hummed through his veins. There was a bond there, whether with the tome or Hermaeus Mora himself, Avicto could not say. He turned. "I must take my leave now, my Lord." Avicto said, summoning the portal that would return him to Tamriel. Just as he was stepping through, Hermaeus' spoke again. "Farewell, mortal. Judgment day will soon be upon us. The end is coming. I am coming."
A/N: So I managed to shit out a chapter before winter break is over - yay! Its actually one of the longer ones, considering close to nothing exciting happened this chapter. Oh well. I tried, and it was all important.
The person who guesses who the voice that spoke to Lynne is gets a cookie. ;)
Also a HUGE thanks to TheoTheTheo for following me, and this story, as well as favouriting it too! Second follower; but hey all great things start small. :D
I seriously have pretty much nothing planned beyond a bit into the next chapter, so don't expect an update any time soon. Plus I start back in school in a few weeks so... yeah.