Nemesis Options

[Jacki Dice]

This is a little something I've been toying with for awhile. I've decided to bring it out to the forums here. This story will include the original version of Kalila Blackstone, from Madness Helps me Save Myself. This version of her has absolutely no ties to the one borrowed in the story.

Speaking of, Madness Helps me Save Myself will continue as planned. Sometimes working on something separate for a while soothes my writer's block.

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1

“That which is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.�
--Friedrich Nietzsche

In a perfect world, it would have been an assassin. Or maybe a bandit. It would be someone who was out to hurt her, who justifiably deserved to die. However, as Tara Karminova clutched her dagger to her chest, she knew it would be no such person. The world was too imperfect.

She looked around the dark alleys of the Imperial City Market District for someone no one would miss. Guilt weighed in her heart for even thinking that. Did someone’s life have less value just because they had no one to miss them? Of course not. But, she needed someone whose death wouldn’t prompt a thorough investigation. Maybe a skooma addict.

Oh, dear gods, what am I doing? She leaned against the wall of one of the shops. Her heart was no longer fluttering and her stomach no longer churned. Instead, she seemed to simply accept it. That was what scared her. “It’s for Clarissa,� she reminded herself. “It’s for her.� She clenched the grip of her dagger tightly and continued lurking through the alleys.

At first she thought she had blended in quite well with the street urchins in the Imperial City. She simply threw on an old, dirty robe that had torn a little on the bottom. Her brown hair was unbrushed and thrown back in a messy bun. Once she saw the beggars in person, however, she realized how far off she was. Their clothes weren’t just dirty, they were barely intact enough to keep them out of prison for indecent exposure. None of them wore the soft cotton that she was in. They appeared to be stitched together from odd pieces of fabric and sackcloth. Tara was also far too healthy looking. Her cheeks were somewhat plump and the robe hugged her frame tightly, revealing that she didn’t often go hungry. The beggars were nothing but skin and bones. The biggest difference was their eyes. Tara could easily tell who had lived on the street by the hardness or loss of hope in their eyes. There was no way for her to imitate them in that way.

She turned behind the Copious Coinpurse into a small garden. It was empty save for a young woman sleeping on the ground. Tara crept toward her, running her finger over the black soul gem stashed in her pocket. It would have been much easier to cast some sort of spell on her, but Tara thought a stabbing would look far more ordinary than magic.

The girl stirred slightly as Tara approached. Tara straddled her and turned her on her back. She was pretty. She had quite a young face. She was probably no more than nineteen. Tara hesitated for a moment before raising her hand. A violet flash erupted from her fist and washed over the girl. Once that was done she took out the dagger and plunged it into the girl.

The girl opened her eyes wide as blood oozed onto Tara. A scream rose from her throat and Tara quickly covered the girl’s mouth with her free hand, stabbing again and again until the girl stopped moving. She wished she had known where to plunge for a more painless and instant death. That part of her research had been overlooked. Tara took out the soul gem and was satisfied with the glow of the girl’s soul.

She got up and panted, staring at the girl’s body. Did she have parents? A sister? Probably not, since she had been sleeping there alone. Still, Tara was overcome with mixed emotions.

“It’s for Clarissa,� she said to herself.



Tara had to hold in her disgust as she stared upon Clarissa’s corpse.

Three years had passed since Clarissa Blackstone’s murder and time had not been kind. Clarissa’s skin was gone for the most part, only remaining in small patches. On the pieces of skin around her temples, sat dry tufts of her once luxurious black hair, though the slightest brush would turn it to dust. Her bones were not white, like the models shown at the Arcane University. Instead they were a filthy brown. The sockets that once held beautiful grey eyes were now empty and covered by a paper thin layer of skin. The gown she had been buried in had long since been eaten away. Though she went out and bought a new robe, Tara did not look forward to redressing her. Logically that shouldn’t have bothered her any more than digging Clarissa up or even setting her body on the kitchen table.

Tara wanted to pass the time doing something other than staring at Clarissa, but she was unable to take her eyes off of her. She was repulsed but fascinated at the same time. When she finally tore her eyes away, she decided to head into the basement to distract herself.

Just yesterday, the basement was full of alchemical equipment. The shelves had been lined with empty bottles and crates full of filled ones ready to be sent off to the different Mages Guild halls. Jars of ingredients sat along the windows. Now it was empty. The windows were boarded. A metal collar attached to a long chain sat in the center of the room. Tara picked it up and tugged it with all her strength. It held fast to the wall. She sighed deeply and dusted off her hands. Hopefully it would withstand the added strength of the undead.

She took a broom from a corner and started sweeping. Clarissa still deserves cleanliness, she thought. But the basement was usually kept neat and there was nothing much to sweep. She finished in seconds. She looked at the Mages Guild banners still hanging on the walls. Her eyes welled up with tears. How could she still keep those up knowing what she was going to do? How could she ever look at Arch-Mage Traven in the eye again?

With a trembling hand, she took the banners down. She tried telling herself that it was to keep them from getting ruined, but deep down she knew it was because she felt unworthy.

When she returned upstairs she was pleased to see that the hourglass was nearly empty. It was time.

For something so complex, it was strange that it was so simple to accomplish. She had imagined an elaborate ritual involving candles and conjuring. Strangely, the hardest part had been obtaining the soul gem. That and getting the soul. She closed her eyes, forcing away the image of the girl she had killed. She couldn’t afford to think about it. All spells, complex or not, required confidence and concentration.

Her home along the Lake Rumare was close enough to hear the temple bell from the Imperial City. As it rang twelve times, Tara placed the soul gem directly over where Clarissa’s heart had been. She focused on the soul inside, transferring it the way she would to an item.

The soul was stubborn. Even in death, it resisted Tara’s demand, almost as if it knew that it would cease to exist as itself. Tara trembled violently. Her heart pounded hard and she broke into a sweat. The soul would cooperate. It had no choice.

Tara grunted hard when the soul finally entered Clarissa. She panted heavily as the gem crumbled into dust, falling into Clarissa’s bare rib cage.

Clarissa’s eyelids fluttered. She sat up, turning her face toward Tara. Though the sockets were empty, she could feel the intense stare going straight through her. Tara backed up instantly. Would Clarissa remember? Or would she react with hostility? Clarissa opened her mouth, though the only sound that escaped was a dry crackle. Her body wouldn’t return to a normal living being until she received more souls.

“Clarissa,� Tara whispered. “Do you remember me?� She took a step forward. “I’m your sister.�

Clarissa tilted her head back and forth. A chunk of skin plopped on the floor causing a surge of bile to rise in Tara’s throat. She swallowed it back down and forced herself to ignore it.

“Everything is okay now,� she said. “You’re back home now.�

She held out her hand. Clarissa ignored it, seeming to be more confused than anything.

“She’s just in shock,� Tara said to herself. She glanced at the robe. She decided to put it on her when she had more skin as there was nothing really to cover.

She led Clarissa into the basement and locked the collar around her neck. “This is just to keep you safe. When you’re back to normal you can have your old room back. I’ll even get you into the Arcane University like you always wanted.� She sighed, not knowing why she said that. That wouldn’t be possible. Everyone knew that Clarissa had been dead a long time.

Clarissa crackled again, though Tara doubted that she understood anything she had been saying anyway. No need to feel like a liar, right? she wondered. “I’m going to go clean upstairs and then I’ll have to fix up your grave outside. I can’t have it looking like it’s been recently disturbed. I’ll be back soon.�

Once she was back in the living room, she locked the basement door and then placed a plank of wood in front of it. She couldn’t chance Clarissa getting out into the open. She would be killed on sight. Tara couldn’t have that. She refused to lose her twice.

She immediately set out sweeping up the living room and kitchen. There was so much dirt. Too much. Should any guild mates come for a visit, she felt it would cause immediate suspicion. Maybe it was just paranoia, but at the same time, her sudden insistence to work from her home instead of the guild halls already seemed strange. Sure, months had passed since then, the nagging feeling remained stuck in her mind.

Though it had to be done, she couldn’t keep her mind on her task. She felt drained. She sank to her knees staring at the basement door. She could hear Clarissa shuffling faintly, the chain jingling with her every movement. She glanced at the turquoise banner on the wall bearing the Mages Guild symbol. Her life as she knew it was over. She wept.



This post has been edited by Jacki Dice: Dec 23 2019, 07:08 AM

[Jacki Dice]

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Chapter Eighteen: The Sirens


It’s only just a crush, it’ll go away.
It’s just like all the others, it’ll go away.
Or maybe this is danger and you just don’t know.
You pray it all away, but it continues to grow.
Tear You Apart, She wants Revenge

Though the Chapel was still closed because of the murders, the bells still rang every hour. Promptly at six in the morning, Kalila woke up.

Out of all the mages at the Anvil guildhall, Kalila was the only one who greeted the new day with a jog. Dressed in simple cotton pants and a loose shirt, she did a couple laps around the inside of the city gates. Then she went back to her room for push-ups, crunches, tricep dips until she felt shaky and well past sore. Afterwards she took a hot bath and returned to her room to change into fresh clothes.

This time, before getting breakfast, Kalila sat at the small desk by her bed and took out a piece of paper and a quill. She hadn’t yet written Tara and she felt guilty for it. Most of her time was devoted to trying to improve her restoration. Usually, before she knew it, the entire day had been spent. The more she put off writing Tara, the worse she felt until she had avoided it for a few weeks. Tara was probably worried and if she didn’t write soon, Kalila was sure she would show up in a panic. Last thing she wanted was Tara swooping like a mage in shining robes thinking there was something to panic over.

21st of Rain’s Hand, 3E429

Dear Tara,

Sorry I haven’t written yet. Things have been really busy. I was sent on my first official mission for the guild, right when I walked in! There was someone killing off people at the Brina Cross Inn, just a couple miles north of here. The evidence looked like it was a mage doing it. It was. It was some ancient high elf. She targeted merchants and summoned frost atronochs to kill them. Don’t worry, I had two battlemages with me so I didn’t get hurt too badly.

Other than that, I’ve been really working to get better at restoration magic. I don’t know what it is, but I’m feeling stuck. The magicka is there and so is the intent but it just comes out all garbled when I try to apply it. Luckily there’s plenty of books so I can make sure I’m doing everything right, at least in theory.

There are actually a lot of pirates around here. They don’t have their flags out, but I can point them out pretty easy. They generally keep to the Harborside though and they don’t get too rowdy. Sometimes I wonder if Mother will show up. I hope not. Somehow I have a feeling she would start harping me about settling down with a nice man and all that.

I’ve been thinking of possibly joining the Fighters Guild. I see them a lot and maybe if things don’t clear up for me here, I could work with them. They’re contracted with the Empire too, so it shouldn’t cause any conflict, right? I mean, I’ll always want to be a battlemage, but if I can’t get this restoration thing, maybe that’s a good alternative.

Everything else here is fine. I’m eating properly and getting plenty of sleep. It’s a lot easier when I don’t have to stay up studying! I hope I’ll get the hang of restoration soon so I can come back home. I miss you.

Love,

Kalila

As she folded the letter and poured the wax to seal it, Kalila still felt guilty. There was something else.

She was sick. It was possibly incurable. Kalila felt it could be fatal.

Her mouth had started to dry out of nowhere, even if she had just had water. She was quick to feel nauseas. Her heart quickened and slowed. Feverishness came and went, leaving her feeling warm and clammy. Sometimes she even felt as if she was going to float out of her body.

Curiously, this only occurred when Kestrella was around.

With a huff, she pictured just what Tara would say. Oh, Kalila you’re in love! But that was ridiculous. Kalila didn’t have time for love. She had managed to avoid it for so long at the Arcane University, so why not now? Kestrella’s dimples didn’t have that much of a pull over her, did they?

Yes.

No!

Besides, it would end badly. She wasn’t going to stay in Anvil and Kestrella seemed to enjoy it there. Even if something did happen, which Kalila was working to avoid, they would wind up half a country away from each other.

Besides, it wasn’t likely to work out for very long. Kalila was simply not suited for romance. She didn’t know the first thing about talking to girls. Or boys. Or anyone. When things soured, and they surely would, it would cause such agony. She saw how that went for countless couples. In fact, when her parents divorced, Rhianna had been inconsolable and Aiden had made a hermit of himself until Rhianna went back to sea. Even then, it changed him. She would die before she was reduced to a sobbing mess, curled up in her bed for weeks and drowning in cheap wine. The easiest way to keep from getting burned was to stay away from the fire.

If only it were that easy.

Kalila brushed out her hair, leaving it down instead of her usual Breton braid. Kestrella said her hair was so pretty down, but that wasn’t the reason. No, not at all. If she didn’t go get breakfast quick, the sausages would be gone! Kalila loved sausages. Five minutes could not be wasted on braiding.

“Kalila, over here!” Kestrella grinned, waving as if Kalila were across the room of a crowded party, instead of only feet away at the doorway. As usual, an empty chair sat at Kestrella’s left. The resident imp was hovering at her shoulder, stealing grapes from her plate. “Sparky, no!” Kestrella said, slapping its tiny hand. “You have your own!”

As Kalila sat down, she couldn’t help noticing that Kestrella smelled of flowers. She tried to blame it on her hair. She had so much of it. At times, her curls looked like a lion’s mane. That was how she preferred it. Kestrella was constantly ruffling her hair to try and make it bigger.

“So,” Kestrella said while Kalila made her plate. “Plans for today?”

“The usual,” Kalila said.

“Kaaaaal,” Kestrella groaned. “It’s Sundas! Also known as Lazy-day.” She paused for a moment. “And you sound way too awake. Were you up at the crack of dawn again?”

“Nope,” Kalila said, after a sip of orange juice. “Dawn is at five. Besides, I have to study. I’ll never know if I’m making some sort of mistake if I don’t.”

Kestrella sighed. “I don’t know why you won’t let me see what the issue is. You’re real stubborn, you know that?”

“You’ve told me,” Kalila found herself smiling.

“Okay, so you agree with me on that. So why not let me persuade you to just relax today? It’s just one day, Kal. You have your whole life to stuff yourself in books.”

“Problem is, there’s no guarantee I’ll have a ‘whole life’ to live.” She took a bite of an orange slice, glancing at Kestrella. As much as she wanted to focus and get out of there, Kestrella had a point. Besides, she was starting to become uncomfortably aware that she was behaving exactly like Tara. “Was there something you wanted to do?”

Kestrella gasped, grinning at Kalila with sparkling eyes. A flutter of butterflies intermingled with the orange slices. Kalila quickly looked away. “Well! There’s going to be a bard at The Flowing Bowl this afternoon. Her name’s Larchel. I saw her once at the First Planting festival. She was so good! And maybe we can just look around. I haven’t really looked around the Harborside yet.”

A bard in a tavern was not Kalila’s first choice of activities to do on a Sundas, but the excitement in Kestrella’s eyes promised a good time. “Well, alright.” She smiled. “Sounds fun.”



As promised, Larchel performed beautifully. Kalila didn’t know any of the songs, but Kestrella did and she sang along happily. After Larchel left, the two decided to stay for a few more drinks.

Kalila also noticed a pair of women eyeing them the entire night. They looks weren’t threatening, yet they didn’t appear too friendly. Kalila hadn’t been sure why they kept looking over until they approached.

“Never seen you here before,” the shorter one said. She was either Breton or Imperial, in a red velvet gown with a purple and gold trim. Her dark hair was styled elegantly. Even her makeup indicated status. What was she doing in a tavern like this? Kalila wondered. The women she was with, a blond Nord, dressed in a simpler brown dress. While she wasn’t as extravagant as her friend, she still seemed out of place.

Looking at Kalila, the shorter one said, “You look like you can handle yourself in a fight. And I’m sure you wouldn’t mind making a little extra money.”

Before Kalila could speak, Kestrella chimed in. “You kidding? She took down a mage and her summoned atronachs! She’s tough as nails!”

Kalila instantly began fidgeting, noticing yet another woman, a dark elf at the table next to them, looking in her direction. The women also caught the attention of a sleeping dog at the dark elf’s feet. It looked irritated. Kalila wasn’t used to having so many eyes on her. She wished she could quickly cast an invisibility spell and slip away. “I mean... I had help…” She looked up, willing her cheeks to stop burning. She was grateful for the combination of bronze skin and poor lighting to hide any reddening. “Did you need something?”

After exchanging looks, the woman continued. “Well, I’m Faustina and this is Signy.” She took the empty seat across from Kestrella and leaning in, lowering her voice. “I’ve put together a, well... a gang. We make money by luring fools out to the middle of nowhere and robbing them blind.”

Kestrella frowned. “Oh. That’s, well, that’s actually pretty horrible. Why would you do that? I mean, why are you even telling us this?”

Faustina shrugged. “Fools are easily parted with their money, so why should I feel bad for having them part with it for my gain? At least I leave them alive, unlike some of the pirates and bandits around here. And as for why I’m sharing this information, well there’s strength in numbers, see? Look at you,” she addressed Kalila again, lightly squeezing her arm. Kalila shrunk away slightly. “Think of the money we could make. Besides, it’s child’s play. Our targets are weak willed men who are easily fooled into believing they will have their way with us.” She laughed. “Men are so gullible. I leave the decision up to you. If you want to join up, meet us at the Gweden farmhouse around eleven in the evening. It’s just up the road. Oh, and one more thing,” she said, this time looking at Kestrella. “If you breathe a word of this to the city guard, you won’t live long enough to get whatever reward they’re offering." A flush of rage overcame Kalila. This criminal was blatantly threatening Kestrella! She had half a mind to shove a fireball right down her throat. A glance at Kestrella calmed her down. She didn’t seem bothered.

To Kalila, Faustina winked. “Think about it.”

With that, they both left.

Kestrella sipped her drink. “Well. That was something.” She swirled her cup, looking into the building foam. “You know, we really should tell someone. She gave us the name of the farm. Why not report it?”

“You don’t want to do that.”

Kalila looked over at the dark elf. She, too, seemed slightly out of place. Her hair was straight and dark brown, though Kalila could see from the texture that the straightness likely came from one of those metal combs she had seen and heard horror stories about. Her outfit wasn’t extravagant, like Faustina’s, but it had a certain look to it. She had on a high necked corset in a soft green and dark green pants. A pair of peridot studs were in her ears, matching the peridot pendant around her neck. As she turned to face Kalila and Kestrella, Kalila noticed green powder on her eyelids. The dog was mostly white, with tan fur on its back and the top of its head. A line green bow was tied around its neck. The varying shades of green seemed to have a magic of its own.

“Why not?” Kestrella asked. “She just admitted to luring innocent people to the middle of nowhere and mugging them! They have to be stopped!”

“Oh, no, I agree!” She said. “I would like to see them stopped, believe me. Just going to the city guard...” She shook her head. “Bad idea. You heard her. She’s got a gang. And if they’re organized, they could have connections with the city guard. Or one of them could be one of their victims and don’t want to pursue it because it’ll bruise their pride. Or they'll keep their promise and come after you.”

Kestrella frowned a little. “Then how can they be stopped?”

The dark elf smiled. Though it was nothing more than friendly, her eyes seemed to be fixated on Kestrella in a way Kalila found all too familiar. The elf’s outfit wasn’t the only source of green in the area. “I have an idea. Of course I’ll need your help. Mainly yours,” she said to Kalila. “Since they invited you specifically.”

“Sure thing!” Kestrella grinned. “I’m Kestrella, by the way. And this is Kal.”

The dark elf held her hand out to Kestrella. “I’m Lilitu and this sleeping bundle is Dolce. Nice to meet you both.”