Chapter 12

Beras stared blankly at the wall, head hung limply over one shoulder. He was filthy, covered in dirt, sweat, and dried up blood. No thoughts were present in his mind, just emptiness and misery. It had been two days since he had first woken up, and since then he had received torture by the hour. Before now, he hadn't known that someone could possibly feel so much to break free other Blades went, they wouldn't risk trying to find him. That is, if they even knew he was alive. Inyen despised him so much, he knew it was pointless to think that she might let him go. He just hoped she would hurry up and kill him, and pleaded with the the gods that she wouldn't use him as a toy for her sadism any longer.

Suddenly, a noise caused Beras to look up at the door. It was the same clicking sound that he heard before, the one he assumed to be the sound of someone picking the lock. Moaning, he pleaded that it wasn't the restoration mage. If possible, he hated her as much as Inyen for keeping him alive.

He had already given up hope of being rescued or released. Seeing how horribly their last

Despite his prayers, it was her. She looked around suspiciously before making her way over to him. She held a lockpick in hand, proving his theory right. But why wasn't she simply using a key?

Flicking her hair out of her face, she inserted the pick into the keyhole on Beras' handcuffs. He furrowed his eyebrows as he realized what she was doing. In a few moments, he collapsed to the ground, his arms finally having been freed.

Looking back at the entrance to the prison, the elf softly asked, "Can you stand?" Her voice was light and smooth. Then she stared down at him. Her expression wasn't remotely malevolent, carrying more of a feel of concern than anything else.

Beras met her gaze, weakly tilting his head back to see her face. "I- I don't think so…" he groaned. "Where are you taking me?"

"To safety," she replied, grabbing him under the arm and pulling him up. "I'd dress you up in Thalmor robes, but you couldn't pass as an elf if your life depended on it." She tilted her head to the side in thought, before adding, "Which I guess it kind of does."

Beras stumbled, trying to regain his balance. It would appear that he was able to walk, but only when supported like he was. Shaking his head, he looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry," he said. "But I don't even know who you are. Are you… rescuing me?" None of this was making sense. Why would a member of the Thalmor free one of their own prisoners?

The woman started half dragging, half walking Beras towards the exit. "Yes, I'm breaking you out, but there will be time for explanations later." She shut the door behind them, and turned left. "This way," she said. "I hid what they took from you in a chest over this way."

The room was large and rectangular with a stone floor similar to that which was in the cell, only cleaner. Other cells were lined up along two of the walls, with doors to different rooms on each other side. In the center was a wooden table with two chairs where the jail guards would presumably sit.

"Wait," the mysterious elf said, slapping herself on the forehead. "Before we move on, I should heal you." She helped Beras sit down in one of the chairs, then took a step back. Her hands started glowing with the same golden light as before, and she placed them over his heart. They were warm to the touch, and that warmth spread throughout his entire being. In seconds, he felt completely renewed.

"Thanks," Beras said, stretching out his stiff joints. He was ready to finally get out of this hellhole of a prison.

The mage gestured for him to follow her and, obliging her request, he left the room. As she had promised, there was a small chest just outside the door. Opening it, she tossed Beras his robes. They were warm, and the feel of finally wearing cloth felt wonderful against his skin. His dagger was also given to him, which he slid into the pouch in his sleeve.

Then, she handed him his amulet. "This," she said. "Was difficult to get back. Did you know it's enchanted?"

Beras shook his head.

"Well, you can tell because sometimes it seems to glow. I'm sure you've noticed that." She looked at it curiously. "I don't know what it is that it does though."

Taking the amulet, Beras looked at it with a new light. Maybe it was actually useful somehow. He slipped it around his neck and tucked it under his robes to keep it safe.

"Alright," the woman said. "Here's the plan. On the floor above us, there's a flight of stairs that leads to another basement area like this one. Over there is trapdoor that opens to some sewers." She looked around again, making sure they were really alone. "I have some friends waiting down there for you. They'll take it from there."

Beras looked at her, confused. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

She sighed. "I told you now isn't the time for explanations. We need to focus on getting out of here. Unnoticed." She put so much emphasis on the last word that Beras couldn't help but take a step back. "It isn't going to be easy, and not meaning to offend you, you don't look like the sneaking type."

Beras looked down, embarrassed. "I- I can move kind of quietly, I guess… But if they look in our direction they'll see me for sure." He hated this. He was going to ruin everything and give them away. And then he'd be stuck in that torture chamber forever. He couldn't help but shake a little at this last thought.

"Don't worry," she replied. "It'll be more risky and you'll be on your own, but I can make some sort of a distraction. You can slip into the basement then." Then she tossed him a few lockpicks. "Know how to use these?" she asked.

Beras nodded, and tried to swallow his fear. He took a deep breath and braced himself for the events to come. He was going to need all of what little courage he possessed.

"This way," his elven rescuer whispered. The two of them climbed the stairs, trying not to make a sound. They were relatively successful, for the stairs weren't at all creaky. Upon reaching the top, they peeked around a corner and saw a group of three sitting around a table. Two high elves and a wood elf, all talking casually and drinking wine.

One of them laughed, slamming his goblet on the table. "I know, right? Inyen's gone mad!" He laughed again, leaning back against his chair.

"Honestly!" another responded. "It makes me regret capturing that Blades agent. Poor kid. I'd hate to see what she's done to him."

The third nodded in agreement, taking a swig from her glass. "I think it's about time one of us took her job. She had better retire soon, or she's going to completely lose it."

Beras looked at his accomplice questioningly. In turn, she nodded in the direction he needed to go: through another room, and down a passage. The staircase would be at the end.

Standing up, she strode into the room, a look of fury on her face. "And what exactly do you think you're all doing?!" She glared at each one of them in turn, and it was clear by their reactions that she had at least some degree of authority over them.

One of them, the elf that spoke first, stood up in a flurry. "N-nothing, Mithelye, honestly! We were on break, so we just-"

"Break?" inturrupted Mithelye, for that apparently was her name. "Break!? That's not what I've heard! The three of you were called for ten minutes ago, and here you are relaxing! This is the kind of behavior that will get you stuck on prison duty!" It was alarming to see how stern she could be.

As she lead them out of the room, Beras slipped around the corner as quietly as he could. His heart was racing. If he got caught, it was all over, his one chance of escape snuffed out. He peered into the second room, and his stomach lurched at what he saw. Inyen herself was sitting at desk, her head flat on its surface. She was asleep.

He couldn't breathe. It was as if someone had grabbed him by the neck. Swallowing, Beras ever so carefully took the first step into the room. His foot was silent, giving no cause for his enemy to awaken. He kept walking, slowly, so slowly across the room. He had made it to the stairs when his foot accidentally something. He had no idea what it was, but it was made of metal. He could tell this much by the loud clanging it made as it fell down the steps.

In less than a second, Inyen's eyes flared open. Upon seeing Beras, she let out a scream of fury and, like an animal, leaped over the desk. Beras yelped, narrowly dodgeing her outstreatched fingers, and ran down the stairs. The elf was inches behind him, snarling and snatching at his legs.

In moments, he found the trap door and sprinted towards it. Grabbing the handle, he pulled, but to no avail. It was locked. Of course it was locked. That was why he was given lockpicks.

The slight moment of hesitation after finding his exit was blocked was all Inyen needed to pin him to the ground. She was incredibly strong, her thin arms easily holding him motionless against the stone.

"I'm not done with you yet!" she screamed, drawing a dagger from her side. It was over. Beras braced himself for the endless pain that was to come.

Suddenly, the trapdoor flung open, and in a flash of light, Inyen was thrown across the room. Her head hit the wall, and Beras heard a crack as she was knocked unconscious.

A pair of hands wrapped under his arms and pulled him back, and in moments he was falling into the safe darkness of the sewers. He heard the sound of a lock closing, and instantly collapsed, fast asleep.