I do not own Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
It'll be a relief when I don't have to update this every week. It's not a big deal to post it, but updating it is a long process, especially since I have to go through each chapter and look for italicized moments.
It's a pain, and it'll be over soon. Within three weeks, I think.
The end of an era.
Reviewer Responses:
JD98: Yeah, I thought a lot of people would enjoy the ending of the last chapter, too. As a non-shipper myself, it was odd to write it, but I guess that's how J. K. Rowling felt when she wrote about the locket Horcrux trying to mess with Ron's mind.
Sorry. Harry Potter on the brain.
Guest: Thank you for the warm wishes, friend! The first week went okay, and by the time you're reading this, I will almost be done with my second week, so hopefully that went just as well. We'll have to see, won't we?
Chapter 16: It's Business
Brynjolf looked good behind the Guild Master's desk, Ziris thought, watching the redhead examine the plans Mercer had left behind one last time.
They'd been back in the cistern for about an hour after she'd finally finished crying on his shoulder (literally), and now they were trying to decide the best course of action. Ziris understood that they knew exactly what needed to be done already, but she had a feeling that Brynjolf was stalling on purpose. Perhaps he needed time to wrap his head around the idea that Mercer was going to die, just like she did, and was still struggling to do.
He glanced up at her, as though he'd forgotten she'd been standing there, and he let out a breath.
"Karliah asked me to make the final decision about Mercer's fate," he said quietly, "since I'm the second-in-command."
"Right," Ziris agreed. "It makes sense that the choice would fall to you."
"I just wanted to make sure that you…"
"Brynjolf, I shouldn't have a say," Ziris replied before he could finish. "He betrayed the Guild. He killed Gallus. He tried to kill me." She inhaled. "Despite our past, I know what needs to be done. He needs to die."
"If that's your final decision, then we'll have to be very careful." Karliah appeared beside her, and she fixed Brynjolf with a serious look. "Mercer is a Nightingale, an Agent of Nocturnal. He has powers that the two of you have only dreamed of."
"Then it's all true," Brynjolf said. "The stories that Gallus would tell me, about the Nightingales' allegiance to Nocturnal, and how she gave them gifts befitting a thief in return for their loyalty?"
"Yes," Karliah responded with a dip of her head, "which is why we need to prepare ourselves, and meet Mercer on equal footing."
Ziris frowned at her. "What do you mean?"
"Outside of Riften, beyond the Southeast Gate, there's a path cut up the mountainside," Karliah said. "At the end of the path, there is a clearing, and an old standing stone. I would like you both to meet me there by nightfall."
"Why?" Ziris asked, and Karliah turned to her.
"I'll explain it all when we're at the stone, I promise," the dark elf said. "You'll need to trust me."
Ziris didn't know how much she wanted to trust anyone, but nonetheless, she nodded, and Karliah left the cistern.
When she was gone, Ziris looked at Brynjolf, who was studying the plans again. "Are you all right?" she asked him, and he shook his head slightly, and smiled a bit.
"No," he admitted, "but someone needs to keep their head. Who better than the second-in-command?" He looked up, and met her gaze. "Ziris, I wanted to speak with you about the matter of succession."
"We can do that after we finish this," she said quickly, not wanting to hear what else he had to say. "The sun is going to start setting soon; we should get moving, since we don't know how far away this clearing actually is."
Brynjolf looked at her for a moment, and then he nodded. "Let me get my things together. I'll meet you on the surface."
Ziris dipped her head, and turned to do the same. She went across the cistern to where her bed was, and retrieved her knapsack, then opened the chest beside her bed. Inside it was the spare currais she had managed to barter off of Tonilia, and she slid into it, wincing as it pressed against the bandages on her chest.
"Need help with the buckles?"
She turned and found Thrynn standing behind her. Nodding, she moved closer to him, and let him buckle up the hard to reach ones on her shoulders. When they were latched, she turned to face him, smiling gratefully.
"Thank you."
"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" he asked her. "No one will blame you if you decide to stay behind. They know you're recently healed, if you've even healed."
Ziris nodded. "I know," she said, "but… this will be for me, more than anything. I need to see him again, and try to get an answer out of him." She didn't have the heart to say that she'd already tried to do that, and she'd only gotten more lies.
"If you're sure," Thrynn said, and then he hugged her, gently. "Just be careful, and don't almost die again."
Ziris laughed at that. "I'll do my best."
Thrynn let her go, and Ziris turned back to her packing.
When she had everything she'd need, she moved towards the ladder, and climbed up it, out through the secret entrance. She found Brynjolf waiting for her, like he said he would be, and he gestured with his head for her to follow him.
Together, they made their way out of the city and around to the path that Karliah had mentioned. They found it where she said it would be, and although it was fairly overgrown because of disuse, they were able to pick it out rather easily, and they followed it up the mountain.
The climb made Ziris breathe heavily, and she found herself leaning towards Brynjolf for support without thinking about it. He offered it to her without complaining, however, so she didn't move away from him. They made it up to the clearing that Karliah had described within a half hour, just as the sun completely disappeared behind the mountain range.
Karliah was already there, leaning against the tall standing stone that she'd said would be there, and she straightened up when she saw them.
They approached her, and she gestured to the standing stone. "This stone marks the headquarters of the Nightingales, cut into the mountainside by the first of our kind."
"Whoa, wait a minute," Brynjolf said, blinking. "I think I know what you're planning, Karliah, and I don't know how I feel about it."
"Please, I ask that the two of you follow me," Karliah said quietly. "I'll do my best to explain my thinking on the way."
She turned towards the stone, and disappeared into a barely perceivable hole in the mountainside. Ziris and Brynjolf exchanged a glance, and Ziris shrugged before going after the Dunmer.
Within the hole, she found a wooden door, and she ducked through it after the dark elf, Brynjolf behind her.
The door opened into a dark corridor within the mountain, leading down a rather steep path. Together, the three of them started down it, and Brynjolf glanced around.
"So, this is Nightingale Hall," he said. "I heart about it when I first joined the Guild from Gallus, but I didn't believe it actually existed."
"That was done on purpose," Karliah told him. "We didn't want everyone knowing about our true nature."
Ziris glanced at Brynjolf to see if he was just as confused as she was, and found that he was frowning. Karliah, who was walking ahead of them, seemed to sense it.
"What's wrong, Brynjolf? I can almost hear your brow furrowing."
"I'm just trying to understand why we're here," Brynjolf responded. "I'm not religious in the slightest, and I imagine that the Nightingales are meant to spread Nocturnal's words to the mortal realm. Why choose me to do such a thing?"
"Wait, you want us to become Nightingales?" Ziris asked in disbelief.
Karliah was silent for a moment, merely continuing on down the path.
"This isn't about religion, Brynjolf," she said at last. "It's business."
That seemed to be all she had to say about the matter, and they continued on in silence.
At the end of the path, they found an open door waiting for them, and Karliah passed through it, saying: "This is Nightingale Hall. You're the first of the uninitiated to set foot inside in over a century."
Ziris and Brynjolf followed her through the door, and Ziris looked around the Hall. It didn't seem to be a place of high quality. There were plants growing up from the floor, and a lot of the room was covered in dust. Still, Karliah seemed very relaxed, and Ziris had to wonder how much time she'd spent here prior to her exile.
She gestured to a side room. "If you'll both proceed to the armory to don your Nightingale Armor, we can begin the Oath."
"The Oath?" Ziris asked in curiosity, following Karliah into the room she'd indicated.
"Every Nightingale takes an Oath, to promise their commitment to serving Nocturnal," Karliah explained, and she gestured to three odd stones that were pressed against one of the walls of the room they'd entered. "Within these stones are the armor pieces of the Nightingale. You'll need to wear it for the Oath taking."
Ziris exhaled, and stepped forward towards the stone. In the back of her mind, she could hear what Mercer had said about Nocturnal, when they'd met in his hidden room in Riftweald Manor. He'd said that Nocturnal used her thieves as entertainment, and nothing more. He'd asked her if she wanted to be Nocturnal's entertainment.
Did she?
Well, she thought, reaching out to touch the stone and retrieve the armor, I suppose I don't have much of a choice, do I?
When the three of them all had their armor on, Ziris turned to look at Brynjolf, to see just what she was wearing.
She found him covered from head to foot in black leather that fit him rather snugly, revealing each and every line. A hood was pulled up over his head, and beneath it was a mask that was covered in the same intricate designs as the rest of the dark armor. The mask covered his entire face, and she could only see his green eyes, which were stark against the black around them.
He looked very good, and exactly like a shadow.
Brynjolf must've been able to see her thoughts through her eyes, which she imagined were the only thing showing of herself, as well, because his own glimmered with amusement.
"I wonder how the rest of the Guild will react to this," he pondered, holding out his arms and doing a turn. Ziris didn't mind, and she tilted her head as she examined the curve of his rump. He completed the turn, and Ziris was almost positive he was grinning roguishly beneath his mask. "How do I look?"
"You both look perfect," Karliah decided, and Ziris hoped she looked half as good in her armor as Karliah did in hers. "You're both ready."
"Before we agree to anything, I think we deserve to know the terms of this arrangement we're going to be making with Nocturnal," Brynjolf said, turning to face her.
"The terms are very simple," Karliah replied patiently. "Nocturnal will grant you the powers of a Nightingale, and allow you to use them whenever you wish. In return, both in life and in death, you must serve as a guardian of the Twilight Sepulcher."
Sepulcher. Ziris had heard Gallus say the same thing in one of her visions. What was it, exactly?
Brynjolf seemed to know already, because he nodded. "I suppose that's fair, and at this point, what is there to lose? You can count me in."
They both turned to face Ziris, who glanced between their masked faces.
"I understand how you must be feeling," Karliah began when she didn't speak. "And I understand that you might have heard disturbing things about Nocturnal from Mercer, but I promise you that whatever he told you is most likely far from the truth."
"I'm sure you're right," Ziris replied, "but… it's all just a little surreal. I feel as though we're going to be repeating history, and I'm not sure that's the best idea."
Karliah glanced at Brynjolf, whose demeanor had shifted a bit at Ziris's words, as though he hadn't considered it, but now he was.
"There's no going back?" Ziris asked, and Karliah shook her head. Ziris exhaled. "Of course not."
She met Brynjolf's eyes, and he offered her a small nod. Ziris nodded back, and turned to Karliah again. "All right," she said. "I suppose I'm ready, then."
Relief entered Karliah's purple eyes. "Good," she said. "After I open the gate into the summoning hall, please stand on the western circle."
The Dunmer disappeared into another hall, and Brynjolf followed after her, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Ziris was behind him. She did join them after remaining where she was for a moment, wondering just when joining the Guild had also meant she'd be giving her soul away to a Daedra.
She and Brynjolf followed Karliah to a gate, and Karliah pulled down on the chain hanging from the wall next to it. The gate rose, silently, and then Karliah entered the room ahead of them, passing over a large stone platform in the middle of the cavernous space to a conjoined platform in the direct middle of the room.
Brynjolf moved to the one to the left of Karliah's, and Ziris hesitated a moment before climbing the pathway to the vacant one, on the western side of the room. As soon as she stepped into the middle of the platform, a odd rush of cold swept over her, like a wind, and she shivered violently.
What in the name of the Divines was that?
She turned to ask Karliah, but the dark elf was already speaking, her arms upraised: "I call upon you, Lady Nocturnal, Queen of Murk and Empress of Shadow… hear my voice!"
The room shook, and then there was a bright flash from the center platform. Ziris blinked against it, and watched as a cloud of birds, nightingales, appeared from the light. They swooped around the ball that the light had formed, and a voice came from it: "Ah, Karliah. I was wondering when I'd hear from you again."
Ziris gaped at the ball in shock. Was that Nocturnal?
"Lose something, did we?" the Daedra was asking, sounding more amused than anything.
"My lady, I've come before you to throw myself upon your mercy, and to accept responsibility for my failure," Karliah said, lowering herself to one knee, her head bowed.
"Your terms were struck long ago, Karliah," Nocturnal said. "What could you offer me now, seeing as you are already mine?"
"I have two others with me, that wish to transact the Oath," Karliah replied. "They wish to serve you in life, and in death."
"Ah." Nocturnal's ball of light wavered a bit, her nightingales moving with it. Apparently, she was turning to appraise Brynjolf, for she chuckled a bit. "So much like Gallus," she said. "Facing fate with the same carefree demeanor."
The ball moved again, and Ziris stiffened. She felt as though someone were looking her over thoroughly, and it bothered her that she couldn't see them doing so.
"This one… not so much like the other that came before her, but still reminiscent of him," Nocturnal decided after a moment. "Definitely with more loyalty, but with similar determination. Just for a different reason."
The gaze left Ziris, thankfully, and the ball turned back to Karliah. "I'm surprised, Karliah," she said. "This offer is weighted in my favor."
"My desire for revenge against Mercer Frey is far greater than my desire for wealth, Your Grace," Karliah swore, rather darkly, Ziris thought.
"Revenge? Interesting." Nocturnal seemed to consider it for a moment longer, and the ball of light bounced. "Very well," she finally said. "The conditions are acceptable. You may proceed."
"Thank you, my lady. We accept your terms, and dedicate ourselves to you as both your avengers, and your sentinels. Our agreement will be honored in this life and the next, until your conditions have been met," Karliah said, rising.
"Very well," Nocturnal said again. "I name your initiates Nightingale, and I restore your status to the same, Karliah." Light glowed above the three mortals, and Ziris felt that same rush of cold go through her. "Refrain from disappointing me again," Nocturnal advised, and the ball of light faded, the nightingales returning to it without more than a few chirps.
The room returned to its original lighting, and Ziris relaxed.
She moved off of her platform down to the one in the center of the room to meet with the others. She saw that Brynjolf's eyes were glowing.
"I don't know what it is," he said, a grin in his voice, "but I feel like I can do anything, now."
"That is the power of Nocturnal," Karliah said, joining them, and then she glanced between the two of them. "Now that you are both Nightingale, I can reveal to you the final piece of this puzzle: Mercer's true crime."
"The Skeleton Key," Ziris said quietly, and they both looked at her, Karliah in surprise, and Brynjolf in confusion.
"How do you know?" Karliah asked her, and Ziris glanced downwards.
"The shadows showed me, in a vision," she explained quietly. "After… after he tried to kill me."
Liar.
She shrugged the thought away as Karliah examined her a moment longer, and then she nodded and looked at Brynjolf. "Yes, Mercer stole the Skeleton Key from the Twilight Sepulcher, which was how he was able to open the Guild's vault. So, even if he gave Ziris a key, it's doubtful that he used it, and his own, to open the vault."
Brynjolf glanced sideways at Ziris. "I should never have believed him," he said. "I'm sorry, Ziris."
"Don't worry about it," Ziris dismissed.
"When Mercer stole the Key, he compromised our connection to Nocturnal, and caused our luck to run dry," Karliah continued.
So that explains it, Ziris thought to herself. No wonder Delvin spouted all that nonsense about Nocturnal turning her back on us. She really did.
"So, this key…" Brynjolf looked at Karliah. "It unlocks any door?"
"Yes," Karliah said, "but it doesn't stop there."
"Of course not," Ziris sighed. "What did Mercer unlock?"
"There are untapped abilities within all of us, locked away inside our minds," Karliah explained. "When someone realizes the Key can access these abilities, the potential becomes limitless."
"Which is extremely dangerous, and is the reason why it's supposed to be kept hidden away in the Twilight Sepulcher," Brynjolf concluded.
"Exactly," Karliah confirmed with a nod. "You understand, then, that this is about more than Mercer's lust for power. We must return the key to its lock, or things for the Guild will never be the same. Our luck would fade away all together eventually, and without it, we wouldn't have our trade."
Despite it all, Ziris laughed, and they looked at her again. "Sorry," she said between snorts. "I just… I've never returned something before. I just find it really ironic."
The other two seemed to understand that she needed this, and so they let her laugh, until the idea of a thief returning something didn't seem so funny anymore, and it faded with a few chortles and a couple more snorts.
"All right," she said, exhaling. "Sorry. Thanks. Are we ready to go, then?"
"I thought that we might stay here overnight, and set out at dawn," Karliah replied.
"Oh, right," Ziris said. "That would make sense, wouldn't it?"
"And Brynjolf has something to discuss with you, so I'll leave you two alone while I go make a fire," Karliah concluded, and then she exited the chamber, leaving Brynjolf and Ziris by themselves.
"If this is about what I think it is, I don't want to talk about it right now," Ziris said before he could speak.
"We have to discuss it eventually, and now is the best time," Brynjolf told her. "Because of you, the Guild already has a strong footing in several of the holds, so it won't take long for it to return to its full strength. I think, along with a lot of the others, that you could easily replace Mercer as the leader of the Guild."
Ziris shook her head. "You don't want me to be Guild Master, Brynjolf," she said softly.
"Of course I do," Brynjolf replied. "Why wouldn't I? You're the best damn thief we have, and the luckiest out of all of us. You've worked hard to keep us afloat, harder than Mercer ever did. Your loyalty and your commitment is unbelievable, considering who mentored you." Brynjolf pushed down his hood, and lowered his mask, and she saw just how serious he was being "I mean it, Ziris. You're the best one for the job, and I'd be happy to serve alongside you."
"Brynjolf, I can't accept the position," Ziris said, yanking down her own hood and mask. "It isn't right."
"Listen to me," Brynjolf said, and she met his eyes. "No one will come out and say it, but they all appreciate everything you've done, even in the face of all that's happened. And now that they know that you're more loyal to the Guild that Mercer ever was, they'll commit to you as Guild Master without any hesitation."
"But Mercer was the one who turned me into this," Ziris said, gesturing to herself. "My skills were born of what he taught me."
"True enough, but your love for the Guild is your own, Ziris," Brynjolf told her, "and that's what matters."
Ziris gazed at him for a moment, and then she glanced downwards. "I'll need to think on it," she murmured at last, and Brynjolf nodded.
"I'll just consider you in charge until you've actually told me you want the job," he said, and she glanced up to see he was grinning. "Come, let's see if we can't help Karliah whip up some supper."
Ziris nodded, and she went after him, thinking.
She was finally getting what she'd strived for. Brynjolf was offering her the spot at the head of the Guild. She would be the one to make decisions, to keep an eye on the ledgers and on the vault, make sure everything was running smoothly. It was what she had wanted practically from the moment she realized that there was chance she could have it.
But now, after all that had transpired, she wasn't sure if she wanted the job as much as she had before. Knowing what Mercer had done while in the position made her wonder just how bad her own power lust was. She didn't know if she wanted to fuel it, just as Mercer had fueled his own by becoming Guild Master.
Brynjolf was definitely the safer choice for taking over, and Ziris had already decided that she wouldn't mind being his second-in-command, if he asked her to be. Perhaps that was the conclusion they could come to, when the business had been completed.
No sense thinking about it now, she decided. We have bigger problems.
After all, before anyone could become the new Guild Master, the old one needed to be removed from his position.
I'm tired, and I still need to finish my ten page paper on voter discrimination from 2000-present.
It isn't due until October 10th, but uh...
Y'know. Overachiever.
I'll see you guys next time.