Chapter fifteen - Nightmares
Tirdas, First Seed 28, 4E 0 -Nightfall
Night upon day, dusk upon dawn. Nothing but silence and waiting, breathing disturbing the quiet.
The past two days Amusei and I, plus two Dark Brotherhood initiates, we have been waiting at Dar Jee's home. We sit and wait for any small noise to occur, jumping up at the sounds of coughing that echoes off the walls, but nothing our breathing remains.
"Master, I think it's finally safe to say that Theranis must surely be dead. He hasn't showed up at all, and we've been waiting for him but he hasn't came." Amusei said.
"I think he's dead, too." A Dark Brotherhood initiate agreed.
I stood up, sheathed my sword, my arm had been weak due to the heaviness of the steel sword that weighed down more and more every hour. I walked to the center of the bedroom and turned around to face Amusei.
"Well, we may as well just leave then. He would've showed up by now and we would've ambushed him, but yes, he is dead finally." I said.
"He must have died from his wounds."
"I believe so, there's no way he would've taken on three people alone and came out of it without a scratch." I agreed.
"Let's go home, master." Amusei said.
We left Dar Jee's house, the initiates went the other way, going back to their sanctuary in Cheydinhal. Amusei and I got back on our horses that awaited us at the stables, and we rode back to the Imperial City.
A few animals and creatures, bandits and Imperial guards, followed us on our way back, but we just rode right past them. I never really took off the gray cowl, only when it's truly risky and I'm going in the Imperial City.
The stars and moons lit up our sky as I gazed up at it, then a thought came to my head. A thought I had not ever thought of till now, but one that will definitely effect my future.
'Maybe I should retire as Guildmaster. Maybe I should give this gray cowl to the one who most deserves it. But who? Everyone plays a good part. Maybe I should make it a challenge, that someone in the guild complete a test, and whoever comes out victorious, will be entitled truthfully the best thief in the guild.'
I could not think of anyone else other than Fathis Ules that would have fit the position perfectly, but there's no way I can ever crown him. It's just not a possibility anymore.
Amusei and I left our horses at the stables, went through the city to the Waterfront District, then entered the Guild Hall. A few beggars slept in some beds, a few guests, but we just walked by silently.
I opened the door to the next room, Burg Gro-Kaash had been setting up his bar, while S'Krivva, Luciana Galena, and Armand Christophe sat at a table together having a drink. I walked past them and up to my room, laid flat out on my bed, and fell asleep due to restlessness after staying up two days waiting for something that never happened.
I was asleep almost instantly after laying out on my bed, I had been so tired. Next moment, I found myself in a room, a quiet and dark room with only a lit candle to give a little light.
Someone had been sleeping in a bed, I didn't know who, just someone. Before I took a step to go find out, a figure had been in front of me and walking towards the sleeping person.
The figure had been a man, who had just walked straight through me, as if I did not exist. The man neared the sleeping one, bent over, and bit him on the neck as he woke up in pain.
The man tried to scream out, but couldn't, tried to move, but was immobilized. He just lay there in pain, but as old as he was, he couldn't do anything but let his life get sucked out of him.
I had been panicking and breathing hard, had I never seen someone die in my life. Eventually, the man gave up and exhaled his last breath.
The vampire that had bit him stood up straight, he turned around and looked directly into my eyes. I moved to the left, but his eye was still on me, with a hungry thirst in his eyes that could kill.
He turned and walked towards me, then rushed at me in a blink of an eye and bit me on the neck as I screamed out.
The pain had been excruciatingly unbearable, as I kept screaming and crying out in pain, my voice changed into a womans. Then I knew after it wasn't me, but someone else.
I woke up sweating, I took off my cowl right way and threw it beside me. I felt my neck, bare but a little wet from the sweat.
"Ugh, god I need a drink." I said to myself.
I went downstairs immediately, I was walking down the steps then I looked around. All eyes were on me, Luciana, S'Krivva, Amusei, Armand, and Burg.
They all looked at me and stood quiet, I looked at each other them back, confused.
"Did I miss something?" I asked.
"Uh..yes, you did." S'Krivva said.
Then it clicked, I forgot the cowl! I touched my face and felt it bare, unmasked.
"Oh..yeah."
"Yeah, you forgot your cowl, Master." Amusei said.
"So that's how you look like." S'Krivva said.
I just accepted it. All of Cyrodiil knows we exist, knows I exist, may as well let my brothers and sisters know I'm an existing person.
"Yes, this is me. This is who I look like." I said.
"Nice to see you actually have a face." Burg said after he gave a little laugh.
"I do." I approached him. "Can I have an ale, please?"
"Sure thing, boss." Then he started brewing up an ale for me.
Dra'haj stepped in the room, he walked past me and went straight to S'Krivva.
"S'Krivva, I finished that job you gave me." He said.
"Very good. Here's your coin." She said and handed it to him. He turned around and was headed straight to the bar.
"Who is this?" He looked straight at me, then everyone looked at him and didn't know what to say. "Are you new? My name is Dra'haj."
He extended his arm to me and I shook his hand. "Anthony."
"Nice to meet you, you'll love it here."
"Thank you." I said.
At that moment, Burg placed the tankard before me. "Here ya go, Bos-.. Anthony."
"Thank you, sir." I grabbed the tankard and took some sips. Dra'haj looked back and forth from me to Burg, then took another job from Armand and S'Krivva then left.
I drank all of the ale in less than five sips, I wanted to rid my memory of my dream, even if it was temporarily. I just didn't want to think about it.
Amusei and Armand joined me, and we played a drinking game of 'Last Man Standing'. Between the three of us, after every tankard we finish drinking, we stand up and walk to the other side of the room and back, and whoever is still standing and hasn't fallen over at all, wins.
Due to Amusei's tolerance to alcohol and how much time he spends drinking, he ended up being the one to win. I had fallen over a table and next thing I knew, I was falling asleep.
Luciana Galena and Armand Christophe got me to my feet and up the stairs to my bed, where my cowl stay waiting for me. They sat me down, and I laid back on the bed comfortably.
"Thank you, Luciana and Armand." I said.
"Not a problem, Master. You needed a drink after all that's been happening, we're glad it's over and you took care of it." Armand said then left the room.
I looked at Luciana who still stood there, but with a smile. She sat down on the bed next to me.
"Thank you for saving my life, Mast-.. Anthony. If it wasn't for you, I'd have been dead also. Now that you don't have your mask on, I've been waiting for the opportunity." Luciana leaned over me and kissed me on my lips, I knew it didn't mean anything, but more of a thank you.
After this, she stood up and walked to the door, looked back and smiled. She waited for a moment and I waved, didn't know what else to do.
"Thanks again, Anthony. See you tomorrow, Gray Fox." She said then left the room.
I had fallen asleep right after, and this dream, I was witnessing as a third person of Theranis speaking to five people. All of them had a hungry and furious look in their eyes.
"Now that you are all immortal, you all serve me. I have given you more than life, you all serve me." He said this as he walked back and forth in front of them.
"You have powers now, you all serve me. You are servants of the night, but you all serve me." Then he stopped. He looked at each of them, then turned again.
"Now, go and follow my orders. Kill everyone in this town, feast off of everyone." Theranis said, then all five men snarled with their long, sharp vampire teeth.
All of them had started running, attacking people in a small town, screams and cries filled the atmosphere, and the sky seemed to have became blood red and thundering.
I woke up again, sweating again, with the biggest headache I've ever had. I must have been having these dreams for a reason, and I needed to find out why.
I went to my bookcase, found a book that told me the whereabouts of the Thieves Guilds blessing Daedric Princess, Lady Nocturnal. I've read the whereabouts of her shrine, and I planned a trip to go see her, for she will know and will help me with these nightmares.