With Fate Uncertain And Bloodstained Hands, Memoirs of Felisa Serhas. Chapter One: Beginning of the end Options

[saqin]

In this thread you will find the first two chapters in the history about the assassin Felisa Serhas, the khajiit scout Sa'Quira and Gasheera, who remembers nothing of his former life. This history tels the tale about how Gasheera came to be one of the greatest heroes of Cyrodiil, and how the trio went about to make it happen. Because when the jaws of Oblivion open, noone ever thinks the thought that the one that's saving them is lying.

Chapter One: Beginning of the End



My head ached as I arose from the hard stone floor. I waited for the dizzines to disapear as I looked around in the room. Just then I noticed it wasn't a room, and the events of the last few days came rushing back at me.

I sank down towards the wall and managed to close my eyes. The stench picking at my nose, and thoughts whirling all around my head. It was indeed cold in the cell, and the only things I'd have any use of in here was a stool, a small table, a bucket and a bedroll. I would have thought they could at least give me some water. For the soreness of my throat was increasing.

A while later a noice from another cell made me open my eyes. Sighing at the thought of how long I'd have to be here, I looked out through the steel bars of the cell and saw another dunmer in the one across.

He had a few wrinkles and his hair was grey. At the moment he was leaning against the bars of the cell door, his red eyes staring almost hysterically, at me. But soon his eyes went back to normal, as if he'd just finished evaluating me. He looked strong, but it was noticeable that he had spent much time in the cell.

"Well that's somethin' ya' don't see every day. What a pretty face." He finished his sentence with a smile, and I returned it carefully. Not yet sure of what to think. I then got up and put my hands on the cell door, looking at him.

"Ya' know, one of those guards owe me a favor, I could maybee get us put in the same cell." He said, still smiling." Ya' know, it gets pretty cold down here during the nights." I rolled my eyes, looking up in the roof before turning my eyes on him again.

"That's all you can think about? Getting someone to spend the night with?" Now I sat down on the floor, feeling how much my strength had been drained during the last hours. Though how many it had been since I fell asleep, I did not know.

"Hmph, you'll find it gets pretty lonely down here. Trust me, in a few months, you'll be asking me." He answered and chuckled. I sighed and tilted my head backwards again.



"Could you maybe tell me what time it is? You see, I don't have a window in my cell." I looked up and saw him watching me. Nodding slightly I arose from the floor and moved the stool to stand beneath the small window. Then I got up on it and looked out.

The sun shone clearly, almost enlightening the trees, and lake Rumare. It was a fine day, and had I been out there, I would probably have taken a swim in the lake. But, as I remembered myself over and over again, I wasn't.

"The sun is high in the sky, so I would say around twelve." When I'd told him I put the chair back and laid down on the bedroll. I was way to pained by the thought of the sun being on the other side of the wall, so I couldn't really stand the sight of it.

"What's your name?" He asked, and it took me by suprise. I hadn't thought he was still looking at me. But I sat up and looked at him across the cell.

"Felisa. Felisa Serhas. That is my name." He nodded and it took a while for me before I continued. "What is yours?"

"My name? It is Valen Dreth."

......................................................................................................................

A short beginning, I know. But I do not have time to write more today.

This post has been edited by saqin: Apr 21 2011, 11:30 AM

[Saquira]

Gosh, it's been so long since I made any kind of progress with this story. I'm just going to say it, I have no idea of how I'm going to continue writing from the point I've reached, which is why I've decided to at least put this project on the shelf, so to speak. I'm not just going to leave everything unresolved however, as I do have an average idea of what happens in chapter four, and have written most of chapter five, which is the last one. There's a lot of things I'm unhappy about when I look back at the story. My portrayal of Valen Dreth and the Dark Brotherhood are just two of them. So I might rewrite it eventually, but I think you deserve to know what happens in this version of the story.

Summary of chapter 4:

Saqin and Gasheera travelled all over Cyrodiil, gaining support from both the militias of the different cities as well as the guilds, before heading on to Sancre Tor where Gasheera almost got killed right before they managed to get the armour of Tiber Septim.

At the same time, Felisa Serhas visited the speakers and the listener of the Black Hand, gaining their support for the protection of Bruma in return for several services. For example acquiring a book in the possession of Chancellor Ocato and assassinating one of the guard captains in the Imperial city. She returned to Bruma to find that the siege of the city was just about to begin, as her work had taken more time than she'd first thought, and was pleasantly surprised to find that soldiers from all over Cyrodiil had come to the battle. Sa'Quira had come of age only a short while before.

In the battle itself, Felisa, Sa'Quira and Gasheera fought side by side, protecting the new emperor until the point when the Great Gate opened. Then Sa'Quira and Gasheera went through it, mostly dodging the various weapons that were being used against them, as speed was the most important thing at the moment. They came back with the Great Sigil Stone, and Martin wasted no time in readying the spell that would take one person into Mankar Camorran's paradise. In the end it was decided that Felisa should go. Sa'Quira and Gasheera both knew that she was the better fighter, and though they were reluctant, the blades agreed since they'd seen her in battle. Felisa herself didn't really care all that much about life or death, and figured that if she was going to die she might as well do something good in the process.

When she got back with the amulet they set off quickly for the Imperial City, Blades surrounding the emperor on all sides, and they were greeted with cheers and a lot of happy faces when they arrived in the city. Barely any time had passed after they set foot in the palace until the gates began to open up everywhere around the city, and Felisa and Gasheera helped the emperor make his way to the temple of the one. Felisa used invisibility spells most of the time. Sa'Quira helped hold of the daedra that tried to stop them. When Mehrunes Dagon had finally been defeated, Felisa used an invisibility spell to quietly leave the temple before anyone but Gasheera had the time to see her, and because of it Gasheera was proclaimed the Champion of Cyrodiil and given the position as count of Kvatch.

Chapter five- The Last Contract

Felisa's POV

And so the Oblivion crisis ended. By the sacrifice of one man, the whole of Tamriel was saved from the clutches of Mehrunes Dagon. Gasheera was in shock at first, he clearly hadn't expected Martins death to be the one solution to the problem. I must say that Sa'Quira did a good job at getting him back to reality again, and Chancellor Ocato proceeded to shower him in titles and gifts.

He was named Champion of Cyrodiil, and was even given his own dragon armour, just like the one Martin Septim had worn at the Battle for Bruma. Then they named him count, and he was shipped off to Kvatch to help with the rebuilding. Saqin came with him of course; I rarely saw either of them without the other after the Battle of Bruma.

I suppose it was an al right outcome, if not for the fact that Gasheera's head has always been filled with dust. He kept having Saqin on his arm and she always whispered him instructions when she thought no one saw. Funny thing is, it pretty much fooled the whole country, except me that is and from what I've heard, a couple of vampires. But then I also knew of the plot, and vampires... Well, they're vampires, who knows everything that they can do?

I made myself scarce after the Emperors death, spent some time travelling and... other things. Everything we had worked towards actually happened, though it was still unclear as to why Saqin stayed around him. I don't think she'd care much about what happened to him.

* * *

Arquen sought me out a while after Gasheera was proclaimed the count of Kvatch. She told me what happened in the Brotherhood while I was away. How another silencer, Mathieu Bellamont, plotted against the Dark Brotherhood, and caused the death of three speakers, two silencers and the Listener himself.

A newer silencer was promoted by the Night Mother after that, it was the one that found out about the plot after being tricked into killing them and then he himself killed Bellamont in the Night Mothers crypt.

To get back to the subject, Arquen wished me to be a speaker, and to start up the new sanctuary in Kvatch and handle the one in Anvil while she took care of the one in Cheydinhall. It was a welcome change in my life and gave me a way to take my mind of things while recruiting new assassins to the Brotherhood and setting up the sanctuary.

The sanctuary, which could have been the hardest task, turned out to be the easiest one. When I asked Gasheera about the possibility of buying a house and rebuilding it some, he gave me the thumbs up at once. Thought he owed to me. Heck, he practically gave it away. Sure, I did deserve it after all that I’d done during the crisis, but he could have at least asked what I was going to use it for. He knew I already had a home.

The house he gave me was a three storey building at the edge of the mote between the castle and the rest of town. It was actually his idea to create a hidden route through the mote between our homes, the rest I took care of myself. We extended the cellar to fit the sanctuary in, and I got the other two floors as my own, meaning to create an illusion that there actually was someone normal living there. Much better than making it an abandoned house like in Cheydinhall if you ask me.

The recruits were a motley bunch to say the least. All of the first ones had completely different personalities, but they got along so well. I came to like them as well, for the simple reason that their many antics made me laugh.

Of course all of them wasn't exactly what I’d have asked for if I'd known what was needed for the new sanctuary. Take Ilen for example, I never could look him in the eyes. Nothing he could be held responsible for of course, no it was his looks. He looked so very much like Valen.

* * *

Sa’Quira and I had become quite good friends during the crisis, and we grew closer upon becoming neighbours. And that's why I shouldn’t have been surprised that she didn’t stay long in Kvatch.

I’d just started to notice her growing stomach when she came to me in the night. She wore a black tunic with matching pants, they were lined with silver thread and looked very exquisite. I noticed a bundle in her arms, which upon closer inspection turned out to be the raiment she'd stolen from me long ago.

“Felisa,” she said making sure no one was able to hear our conversation. Then she walked closer to my desk as I looked at her curiously. “You asked Saqin why she put up with Gasheeras affections some time ago, Saqin thinks it is time you know.

“Saqin sees things, in her dreams. And Saqin knows that they are true, that they will happen if no one stops it. Saqin does not feel much, but she feels fear, and have come to like this world so Saqin think you could also say she to some extent feels love. Saqin have seen the end of this world, and it'll happen long from now. That is why Saqin put up with Gasheera, to stop the worlds end. There will come a hero when that happens, Saqin have seen it, but Saqin believes that the hero will require help. And therefore Saqin must ensure her descendant is there to help. Saqin have child now, and that's why she must go. Gasheera can not have part in this child.” She stroke her belly when she spoke, then put the raiment down on my desk.

“Saqin will not be needing this, it attracts to much attention.” She smiled at me then.

“Where will you go?” I asked, smiling back slightly to her.

“North, Saqin thinks. No one will think she goes to Skyrim. But that is where the dragons will appear, and so that is where Saqin must begin her task. Might come back and say hello sometime, might not.” She was backing towards the door as she spoke.

“Gasheera loves you, you realise that don't you? What do I tell him?” I looked at her, still a bit surprised by her sudden revelation.

“Saqin knows, but it was not meant to be. Tell him Saqin is dead, use the raiment to convince him. And do make sure he moves on and finds good wife will you? Kvatch does not need another debate of succession.” I nodded and just like that, she was gone. I fingered the fabric for a bit, thinking about what she'd said and what to tell Gasheera. Then I stood up and took my weapons. A wolfs blood and claws should do well to ruin the raiment, and there was no point in delaying the inevitable.

Because Saqin was wise in that. I realised just like her that if he knew she lived, he wouldn't let go.

* * *

It was about three months after Sa'Quira left that it happened. I was sitting by my desk writing letters, just having sent one of the new recruits out on a job. It was a fairly calm day with good weather and the closest you got to violence was the fights in the arena that had just been built. It wasn't quite finished, but it was enough for the fighters to use it.

I looked up, thinking of something that I cannot remember afterwards, and there he was standing in the doorway. It wasn't really him of course, it was his ghost, but it shocked me none the less. He was smiling at me like he used to, and then he floated up to me.

“Mourning ill suits you, you need to get on with your life,” he said, putting one of his hands above mine. It felt hot, like the touch of a human being, and I knew it shouldn't. I don't remember when the tears came to my eyes, or when he took his spectral hand of my shoulder and left, all I remember is Ilen coming into my office to ask me something. I hugged him close and kissed him when he wondered what was wrong, and then I did something I shouldn't have.

I was torn up of course, being reminded of the person I fought so hard to get over back then, but that's not really a good excuse. I think it might have been good for me, the relationship I got into with Ilen. But at the same time it should never have been, because I never saw Ilen. I saw Valen Dreth.

* * *

Since my tale started with a contract, I find it prudent to end it with one. To tie a knot on the whole ordeal, so to speak.

Arquen showed up in the middle of the night as the members of the Black Hand always do. She wore her robes tight around her body, hair flowing loosely down her shoulders. It's curly; I don't think I ever mentioned that. And judging from her figure I imagine the men she killed often died happy.

Back to the subject however, I wasn't sleeping when she came over. I haven't gotten a good night sleep in a long time. She had a contract, a contract she didn't trust anyone else to take care of since the target was renowned for his fighting skills, as well as his cunning. It made sense of course; it was our goal after all.

Life is everything but simple, love is not all happiness. The thing I regret most in my life? Meeting and falling in love with Valen, because it made killing him all the more painful. The thing I wouldn't avoid if I could? Meeting Valen, and falling in love with him.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd rather love and loose than never love at all. Life would be both easier and much less painful without love, but it would never give satisfaction. I would not be the person I am today if I had not taken all those steps on my path through life. I would not have met Sa'Quira, who strangely turned out to be a really good friend. And if that woman hadn't hit me over the head after I killed her husband, I would never have met Valen just as I'd never have experienced true love.

Oh, the contract. Well it was on Gasheera of course, should be obvious. I'm not going to tell you what happened. I'm not going to tell you if I killed him in his sleep or if he overpowered me and it was by chance that I survived and am now telling this story. I'll tell you I lived and continue to live on my own terms. I even met Saqin a few times after she left the public life. I'm a fighter by heart, you should have seen as much by now, and I don't give up.

They say everyone has a soul mate that completes their existence, but they never mention what happens when that person dies. I know, I've experienced it, and it's one of the most painful things I've ever known. It's not true that time heals every wound, it never has. I was seventeen when I killed Valen, now I’m just about to breach the mark of my hundredth year. Sa'Quira passed away many years ago, or so I think, they never found her body. I will live on, I might even live to see Saqins' visions come true, and I'll do my best at it. But I'll never forget Valen or the journey on which me and Saqin pulled Gasheera out on, and I'll never be able to ignore the gaping hole in my chest.

Author's note: Thank you, everyone who's read the story. Both for your patience and all of your comments.