I had been given a few days of rest, considering the intensity of my past week. Vincente had presented me with a reward of twelve hundred gold coins along with his apologies for not realizing that my target was a vampire. I had replied that what mattered was that I was alive. I had even received a new Dagger of Misfortune and a Dwemer bow.
Taleandril, Gro-Bolmog (whose name I had finally memorized), and Antonetta were all on missions, making the sanctuary noticeably quieter. Ocheeva, Teineeva, and I were passing the time with card games and hydromel.
Ocheeva had suggested that I take care of the massacre of a noble family, but it wouldn't have entertained me much. I was searching for something more interesting for my next contract after this brief rest.
"- Game, four, I'll take the pot."
'sigh'
Teineeva had won again; his thinking abilities were impressive. He was very polite and gentle, but his way of moving indicated that he was a true shadow.
"- Alright, enough playing. I'm going to take care of the contract you declined, my brother."
The Argonian pulled up his hood and left the sanctuary, leaving me alone with a visibly bored Ocheeva. I had never seen him in action and had no idea about his abilities or style. However, without warning, Vincente entered our quarters and addressed me.
"- Are you fully recovered, my friend? Very well, here's a mission that should particularly entertain you. You're to assassinate a major Skooma trafficker residing in a fortress on the western border of Cyrodiil. He's protected by a small army of mercenaries. You're also to retrieve a necklace that interests the Dark Brotherhood... Oh, my sources suggest that that damned Gray Fox is also interested in that necklace. What do you say?"
"- Brother Vincente, I can safely say that our friend is more than willing to take care of it."
I was seriously in need of activities, and this task raised the bar quite high.
I had arrived above what seemed to be a dining hall. Six guards were nervously looking around, visibly panicking.
"- Come on, move! He can't be far from here! Search harder."
I looked into my pouch. Apart from my basic assassin equipment, I still had those light bombs. Apparently, the staircase leading to the upper rooms was at the end of this room, and I needed to clear a path.
I dropped a poisoned apple from my position. No one saw it fall, but one of the mercenaries seemed particularly drawn to the beautiful red apple. He licked his lips and took a bite. He opened his mouth as if to say 'delicious,' but his face turned blue, and he collapsed.
All the other mercenaries came to him at first, laughing, but then becoming worried.
"- Don't play the fool, get up!" "Hey, am I dreaming or are there two red eyes staring at us from that hole in the ceiling?" "Oh sh-"
The light bomb fell and exploded on the ground, blinding all the men, who had to cover their eyes and rub them. I threw a dagger into the head of one of the mercenaries who screamed and fell. Panicked, the others drew their swords and started attacking each other.
"- I got him! He's bleeding!" "No! I got him! Argh, he touched me!" "I got him! I..."
...
I gently landed next to the last survivor and planted my dagger in his neck before sheathing it and heading towards the stairs. But the elf was already there. He pulled a lever, and a gate closed between the dining hall and the staircase.
"- Thanks for the assist, friend!"
He rushed up the stairs, while reinforcements were arriving in a far too overwhelming number to handle. I tossed my second light bomb and headed towards a small door, locking it behind me. I had managed to grab a map from one of the mercenaries' bodies. It would make me take a detour through trapped rooms, but it was the only other way to access Judas Morlock's suites. Apparently, this path was reserved for unwanted guests.
Acid, blades everywhere, spikes – the place was indeed designed to ensure no one emerged alive into the suites. I could hear the mercenaries laughing behind the door. But there was a design flaw: the ceiling was wooden and seemed rather thin. Even though a normal person couldn't jump that high, I could, and fate had it that the path to the suites was just above me.
"In the end, this Dunmer is making things easier for me. No guard around here, and I can explore peacefully..."
I would have liked to see the thief's face when the floor gave way beneath him, and a hand grabbed his leg to pull him down into the execution chamber. I rebounded off the wall to land on a platform, and the elf did the same. He looked a bit annoyed, sighed as he rubbed his head, then drew his short sword again and assumed a defensive stance.
"Friend, you take life reeeeeally seriously."
I threw a barrage of knives at him, but he dodged by leaping onto a moving blade. I joined him on this small surface surrounded by acid.
"Skooma dealer, seems like a risky profession, don't you think, friend?"
We resumed our swordplay. Suddenly, he pointed his finger at my face, and I had to lean to avoid his sleep spell. I retaliated by hurling my last light impact sphere at him, but he closed his eyes and caught me with an elbow to the face, sending me tumbling across the room. He regained his footing in mid-air, somersaulted off the wall, and charged at me, knocking me down in the process.
He landed a few punches to my face, but I managed to stop his left hand with my teeth, ripping some skin off in the process. He drew his languor blade and plunged it into my arm, and I suddenly felt very tired. He coughed, struggled to his feet – he was in bad shape, covered in bruises and cuts, but I couldn't have looked much better either. At that moment, I did what I always do when threatened by sleep – I drove my dagger into my leg, instantly jolting myself awake. The elf made a grimace.
"Alright, friend, we've had enough fun. I have a contract to fulfill!"
He leaped toward the hole we had made in the ceiling, toppling a cupboard over it to prevent me from following. The elf proceeded down the corridor and finally reached Janus Morlock's chamber. He peered through the keyhole – the man with the red mask was guarding his master.
"- If all goes well, you'll be paid triple, quadruple, and..."
"- Don't worry, sir. No one will get past me."
The elf pondered for a moment, then knocked on the door.
"- PROTECT ME!" "- Yes, sir!"
The soldier exited the room, but was promptly knocked out by the elf with a perfectly executed chop, leaving him unconscious on the floor. This elf was quite skilled.
"- Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!"
The elf smiled warmly and spoke reassuringly.
"- Don't worry, sir. We just want to requisition your necklace. No harm will come to you, I promise." "- Really? Oh, thank you, thank you! Thank you!"
The elderly man handed his necklace to the elf.
"Besides, I've had enough of this wretched profession. I regret it so much... I feel like... This necklace forced me to be evil. I was like... Possessed." "There, there. We'll put it to good use, don't you worry."
The elf comforted Janus and tucked the necklace into his jacket.
"- I love it when the good guys win."
I chose that moment to become visible again and quietly open Janus's bedroom door. If we made one hole, nothing was stopping me from making another. I strolled toward the elf and Janus.
"He he, sorry, friend. I got here before you."
He adopted a teasing expression, and I slipped my hands into my pockets.
"You'll have better luck next time... By the way, I'm Tyrodil, up-and-coming at the Thieves Guild. And you?"
I pulled out a throwing knife and sent it flying toward him – he really wasn't expecting it, and it struck him in the heart. Good dodge – I aimed for his head. Janus screamed, but I had made sure to close the door behind me. The elf dropped to his knees and tried to move, but the poison was taking its gentle effect.
"I... I had won..."
Mistake, 'friend.' You only win when your opponent is completely dead. I slit his throat, grabbed the necklace, and turned toward Janus.
"- You... Take the necklace, take my gold, but spare me!"
He pointed at a chest, containing two hundred gold pieces. I helped myself, as he had requested, and made a show of heading for the exit.
"Thank you! Thank you for your mercy! Tha—"
His words trailed off as he crawled toward his bed, seeing me dragging the unconscious body of the mercenary captain into the room. I took Tyrodil's knife and slit his throat. Although he was still unconscious, he let out a groan. Then I approached Janus – I let him plead with me a bit before killing him. It's always good for the ego. After assassinating Janus, I plunged the sword into his heart and neatly wrapped up the affair: 'He kills a Skooma dealer, then commits suicide.' With reinforcements arriving, I had to jump out of the window to make my escape. It's funny, I meet many friendly people, yet my circle of friends never seems to grow.