Chapter nine - Traitor

Sundas, First Seed 19, 4E 0 - Afternoon

Hiding in the shadows while inside the walls of Anvil castle, a restless man stay watching as a Redguard blacksmith forges new weaponry, and he waits for his opportunity to finally step into the light to perform an act of vengeance.

From inside the room, he can see that the Redguard had been so busy at work he never took notice of him sitting in the shadows.

No one else had been inside the room, so he had decided to not wait any longer. Count Umbranox had left a couple hours ago on business terms to the Imperial City, which left his blacksmith unprotected, and alone.

He stepped out of the shadows, walked towards the Redguard, sneaking up from behind him. As he drew closer, he opened his mouth to reveal long, sharp fangs, but the blacksmith turned around and then he closed his mouth.

"Oh! You startled me. You lost, sir?" The Redguard asked.

"No, I found what I was looking for." He responded as the Redguard realized he meant he was looking for him.

"I'm sorry, have we met? Do I know you?"

"No."

"What is your name? Maybe I can help you, you look awfully tired. My name is Orrin, I can find you a bed." Orrin offered.

"Theranis is my name. I didn't come for a bed, I came here for you."

Orrin took this to be quite strange, but did not forget to keep a professional attitude.

"Well, Theranis, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, to send a message to your Guildmaster, the Gray Fox." He said, then Orrin's eyes widened, feeling that his other life that had been in secrecy had now been exposed.

Theranis moved closer and bit Orrin on the neck, Orrin screamed out in pain, struggling and panicking as Theranis held a forceful grip on him as he sucked out his blood from his neck. Orrin kept screaming as the pain of the burning bite intensified and became excruciating.

Theranis kept sucking the blood out from Orrin's vein on his neck, and as Orrin began the slowly give up his struggling fight until he stopped completely, Theranis let go of him and let his body fall to the floor.

Theranis looked down at his dead body, "tell your leader I will kill every Thieves Guild member one by one." He said to Orrin's corpse, then left the room.

Morndas, First Seed 20, 4E 0 -Midnight

Theranis had decided to find the whereabouts of the Thieves Guild fence, Fathis Ules, as he had been the next target on his list.

It wouldn't take Theranis very long to find out where in the Imperial City he lived, he had all the time in the world, since he had been immortal.

Theranis had no intention of feeding on Fathis tomorrow night, or the night after, not until he was thirsty again.

Once Theranis reached the Imperial City, he strolled around through every district, getting to know the city and the districts.

There was no way in telling what house could be the home of Fathis Ules, and Theranis did not want to search every home in the city to find which one was his, so he decided to lay low for now.

Theranis exited a district, and wandered through the Market District, every once in awhile he would see someone exit the Feed Bag and walk in their direction back home, but Theranis didn't make out Fathis of any one who had passed.

'Fathis Ules was a Dunmer who wears a black and burgundy outfit', Theranis reminded himself to be sure of who to look for.

After spending some time wandering through the Market District, he turned and began walking, and noticed a black figure in shape of a man with a helmet on frozen as he stood against a shaded wall. Theranis looked at him, but thought nothing of it and headed east to the gate leading into the Elven Gardens District.

Before entering through the gate, he seen a man going through, so he walked that direction and noticed a small parchment on the floor, thinking that the man exiting the district may have dropped the note.

He picked it up and continued walking, and read it. 'The Gray Fox! That blasted liar and traitor! I will find where he is, and kill him.' He thought.

He entered the Elven Gardens District, and in the distance he could see the man walking. Theranis assumed he must have been the one working for the Gray Fox since he had not been wearing the gray cowl that the Fox wore, so he decided to follow him.

Theranis seen that the man, which turned out to be a Khajiit, looked back a few times to notice he was being followed.

Theranis slowed his pace, but eventually followed him to the Waterfront, then when the cat looked back again, he noticed he was still being followed, then took of running, and Theranis stopped where he was.

'I'm guessing this thief of the Guild must be going to see Armand Christophe, but there is no reason for me to follow a thief, I will continue searching for Fathis Ules tomorrow.'

Theranis left back into the city, with his intention to rent a room in an inn, and ended his night there, without falling asleep.

Morndas, First Seed 20, 4E 0 -Midday

knock, knock, knock.

The knocks on the door woke me while I had been sleeping, my eyes felt glued shut, I had been tired. I forced them open, and sat up, and placed my cowl on my head.

knock, knock, knock.

"I'm coming!" I called out, then I stood up and lit a few candles to bring light within the room. I opened the door to see Amusei standing before the door.

"Master, forgive me for disturbing you." He said.

"What is it?"

"Corvus Umbranox has come back to speak with you."

"Let him come up." I said then turned away, leaving the door open, and lighting more candles in the room to have full illumination.

I turned, and Corvus entered the room. "What can I help you with, Count Umbranox?" I asked.

"Orrin is dead! I woke up this morning and prepared to head back to Anvil, and one of my riders came rode from Anvil to tell me Orrin had been murdered!" He said in an angry tone.

"What? How?!"

"You tell me! You exposed us all, look at the consequences you've brought on the Guild. This is why I did not reveal any sort of information that the Guild exists!" Corvus said.

"No, this cannot just happen. I may have gave out our secrecy, but I did not give out anyone's name and location! This cannot just happen! Unless-" I paused, and then it snapped into my brain. How could I not have noticed this entire time? It was right in front of my face.

"Unless, we have a traitor within our Guild." Corvus finished. "This wasn't a mistake all along, someone knows all the locations, or some, maybe all, members of the Thieves Guild. And this someone is targeting the most important members in our Guild, the fences are in danger."

Corvus is right, Ongar was murdered over a week ago, and this week, Orrin. That's two of our fences gone, someone in our Guild is a traitor. Someone in our Guild is conspiring against us!

"You're right! Someone is killing our members, one by one, starting with the Guild's fences!" I said.

"Yes. You're gonna have to find out who this is before more members in our Guild are killed. Anyone in the Guild could be the traitor, even your most trusted associates." Corvus warned.

"I will. Perhaps the beggars can help me out."

"Perhaps. Find out who, I've got to return back to Anvil. Let me know if you've learned anything." Corvus said as he turned away then left, I caught the door as Corvus was about to shut it.

"S'Krivva! Armand!" I called out my door.

I turned and sat down at the nearest chair, both Armand and S'Krivva walked in the door.

"Yes, Master?" Armand asked.

"We have a traitor among us. Last week, Ongar had been murdered, and yesterday, Orrin was murdered also." I told them.

S'Krivva gasped, Armand shook his head in disbelief looking down, and formed his lips in a hard line.

"We don't know who is the traitor, or who is a vampire, but this someone is killing our Guild brothers. Our fences are in danger, and we must get them to safety. Get a few volunteers for who will watch over the fences, make sure they are discreet though and not seen. If the fences don't know they're being watched in the shadows, neither will this vampire."

"I thought vampires can see in the dark?" S'Krivva asked.

"They can, only if they really want to though."

"Shouldn't we warn them though?" Armand asked.

I thought for a moment before giving an answer. "No. They'll find out by the Black Horse Courier. We don't want to raise panic neither. We have to handle this professionally, and the way to do that, we sit and watch."

"Understood, sir. I will have a few members watch over the fences in their homes." Armand promised.

A few hours later...

"Master?" Amusei asked after he knocked then cracked open the door.

"Yes?" I called back, then he came inside the room with Methredhel and Dra'haj.

"We'd love to volunteer."

"That's great." Then I stood up. "Our fences are in danger, but they don't know it yet. I expect soon this traitor will strike soon, I want all of you to make sure you keep an eye on your fences. Whether you are hiding inside their house and keeping a constant eye on them while in the shadows, or outside overlooking the house, I want you all to watch and see who this traitor, this vampire, in our Guild that is killing his brothers! Do not, I repeat, Do Not engage this vampire. He will be very strong, and you will be as good as dead along with your fence." I said to all of them, they all nodded.

"Amusei, you go and watch over Fathis Ules. He stays here in the Imperial City. Either stay outside but remain unseen in public as you overlook his house, or sneak inside and make sure Fathis doesn't know he's being watched, but for his safety. I suggest all of you to remain inside to have a better view. Methredhel, watch over Luciana Galena, in Bravil. Dra'haj, find Dar Jee, an Argonian, and second fence in the Thieves Guild. He lives in Leyawiin. Now go, don't come back until you find out who this traitor is. Take food and drink if you have to, Methredhel and Amusei, you don't know how long you'll be waiting." All had nodded then left.

'Hopefully, neither one of them will get killed also.'