The Story of the Listener, My first fanfic. Options

[Kayla]

The Night Mother’s words filled me with more excitement than I could take. Rather than returning to Cheydinhal, I opted to rent a room at an inn in Bravil to rest in.

Before I rested, I walked to the town’s chapel to have a healer look at my wound to speed the healing process. The priests there were very generous, doing all they could for my wound, and teaching me a spell to heal minor wounds. I was very grateful for their kindness.

Next, I walked, no longer limping, to the local smith and bought some repair hammers to repair the damage done to my armor and my weapons. Then, I returned to the inn, had a bite to eat, and went to bed.
“Sarelle… how are you feeling now?” Lucien asked me.
“Much better, Lucien.” I replied.
“That’s very good to hear.” He said, taking my hand.
“The Night Mother says that she has a very important contract for me.” I said.
“I know.” He answered.
“You can see my fate, just like the Night Mother … can’t you?” I asked.
He nodded. The look in his blue eyes was very strange.
“This isn’t going to turn out well?” I asked.
“This will turn out the way you make it turn out.” Lucien said. “I can tell you no more than that.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
He kissed my hand. “Rest, Sarelle. We’ll speak again soon.”
He walked back into the shadows.

I woke up the next day, in the afternoon. I got up, readied my equipment, and then left my room, walking out of the inn and into the bright daylight.

My wounds felt better, and I was ready to face anything. I walked to the statue of the lucky old lady and knelt once again.
“Good morning, dearest Night Mother.” I said.
“Listener! I knew you wouldn’t be gone long. I admire your dedication.” She said.
“I believe that I am ready to speak of the contract you have waiting for me.” I said.
“And I believe you are ready as well.” She replied.
The excitement was again, overwhelming.
“A client is paying us very, very well to carry out this contract.” She said. “I wish for you to meet him, and speak to him about the contract. He is meeting you in Cheydinhal tomorrow night in the graveyard near the east wall by the chapel. His name is Eno Romari. I want you to choose a new speaker. There are several good candidates at the Cheydinhal sanctuary. You will take Saprius with you to help fulfill the contract. Trust me. You will need his help.”
I stood there for a moment, absorbing the information.
“So it shall be done, Night Mother.” I said.
“Be careful, Listener.” She said.
“I will, Mother.” I answered, walking away.

I hadn’t been a Speaker long enough to actually meet clients. So, this was going to be a new experience for me.

I walked out of the city gates and climbed on Shadowmere’s back. Immediately, we began to travel back to Cheydinhal. I couldn’t help but wonder who the client wanted dead… especially if he was paying us so much. I guessed I would find out soon enough.

I arrived in Cheydinhal just after dark, and hastily walked to the sanctuary. I climbed down the ladder in the well and set foot in the main hall. I couldn’t find Saprius there, so I walked to the training room. He was there, bashing a dummy with a daedric war hammer.
“Saprius, I must speak with you.” I said.
Breathing heavily, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt.
“Speak away, Sarelle.” He said, facing me red faced and smiling.
“The Night Mother has requested that you help me with a very, very important contract. We are to meet the client here in Cheydinhal tomorrow night at the graveyard. I will tell you more about it, but first, she has requested that we promote a new Speaker so that they can watch over the sanctuary in our absence.”
He nodded. “Is there anyone you have in mind?” he asked.
“Well, is there anyone you have in mind? I haven’t really been here for awhile.” I said.
“Yes. I think I know just the murderer.” He said. “I’ll bring them in here.”
I nodded. “Alright.”
He wasn’t gone very long before he returned with the Imperial woman in tow.
“Sarelle, this is Coventia. I’d like to promote her to Speaker.” He said.
“That is fine by me.” I answered.
I addressed her. “Coventia, you are now promoted to the rank of Speaker. Saprius and I have to work together on a contract. We ask that you watch over the sanctuary while we are gone.”
She nodded. “I will, Listener. You can count on me.” she was smiling from ear to ear.
“Now, if you don’t mind, Coventia, Sarelle and I have to discuss business.” Saprius said. Coventia nodded, and left the training room.

Saprius and I sat down.
“Tell me about the contract.” He said.
“There isn’t much information on it yet.” I began. “The client’s name is Eno Romari. He’s coming to see us, and apparently, he’s paying a fortune for this. The Night Mother simply stated that I would need your help.” I continued.
“And we are to meet him tomorrow night?” Saprius asked.
“Yes.” I said.
He nodded, standing. “I will ready my equipment. I’ll go with you tomorrow night to meet him. Then, we’ll see what we have to do from there.” He looked at me. “You should rest, Listener.”
I nodded. “Good night, Saprius.” I said, walking back into the dim main hall.

I smelled food when I entered the living quarters. The Bosmer was cooking something.
“Listener! I just made some bread! Won’t you have some of it?” he asked.
I smiled. “It smells great. I’d be glad to have some.” I said, sitting at the table.
He gave me some bread, and I ate it, hungrily.
“How are things going for you since we last talked?” I asked.
He sat down across from me.
“The feelings of guilt have gone away. I feel much better, thanks to you, Listener.” He said.
“Don’t thank me, thank yourself. You’ve developed your ideas all on your own.” I said, smiling.
Yawning, I thanked the Bosmer for the bread, found my bed, and quickly slipped into a dreamless sleep.

I awoke the next day in the afternoon, feeling very well rested. The wound on my hip was virtually gone, and I no longer felt tired at all. I spent most of my day talking with the murderers and showing Coventia how to care for the sanctuary. She was a dedicated person, and a fast learner. Saprius had good judgment.

Finally, the time came to meet our client. Saprius and I climbed up the ladder in the well just after dark and, pulling our hoods up to hide our faces, went to the graveyard. We didn’t have to wait long at all before a Dunmer in a deep red robe approached us.
“My name is Eno Romari. You are the Breton woman and Imperial man I was instructed to meet?” he asked.
We nodded in unison.
“Good then. Let us get down to business.” He said, lowering his voice. “The price has already been negotiated with your mother.”
He gave me a large bag, filled with coins.
“There should be one million drakes in there.” He said.
Wow! One million drakes. I was almost dumbfounded. I’d never in my entire life, held that much money in my hands.
“Now, your target is in Morrowind, in the Vvardenfell district. He resides in the city of Vivec.”

I went through all the rich, famous people who lived in Vivec. Many high priests frequented the area; many councilors from the houses Hlaalu, Redoran, and Telvanni visited there often, or even owned residences there.

“You are to kill Vivec himself.” Eno said.

Saprius and I looked at each other. His eyes were wide in disbelief. There was a pause. The Night Mother had sanctioned this assassination.

“Let me get this straight,” I said, looking at our client. “You want us to kill a god?”
“Yes.” He answered.
“Then, it shall be done.” I said.

[Taillus]

Oh...my...great...god! Raise your hand if you saw that one coming. (Looks to see no hands raised at all.) Way to go Kayla. That was spectacular. I can't wait to see what happens next. Killing Vivec will not be an easy task at all.

[HyPN0]

*HyPN0 is still stunned*
Vivec?
Whoho,now this should be intresting.Vivec!
Let's see:Vivec is a powerful god (even though he's losing his powers).So fighting him head on would be suicidal,even for such powerful Listener.Plus,there are Ordinators who are extraordinary battlemages,temple priests,and overall a lot of people who woud give their lives for Vivec.
This will be a tough one.I suppose that Sarelle won't be doing this contract all by herself?Or will she do the contract at all?What's in that creative head of yours Kayla?Can't wait for the next update

[jack cloudy]

What, they're going after Vivec?! This was unexpected. Oh boy, I hope they prepare well for it. Rushing into the city with the intent of killing a god without paying attention to his army and Vivec himself tends to be a bad idea.
I'll be waiting4updates.

[minque]

AAAAHHHHRRRGGGHHH ......going after Vivec..omg......I´ll just keep my fingers crossed......jeez this was exciting

Hurry up with that update pleeeease....gotta know know it turns out!

[Kayla]

Ok, folks! Glad to see I surprised you all. I've been working on this update for quite awhile, and I'm currently working on the next one.
----
Saprius and I returned to the sanctuary. I could tell as we walked that this contract was weighing heavily on his mind. We decided to go to the training room to discuss our plans.
“Have you ever been to Vvardenfell?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “Never.”
“I used to live in Vivec.” I said.
“Good. Then, you should know your way around a little more than I would.” He said, smiling.
His eyes grew serious quickly. “Do you know if there is any way we could sneak up on the target?” he asked.
“No. I don’t think there’s any way whatsoever. There is one entrance to his temple, and one exit.” I replied.
The thought of not being able to use stealth to my advantage made me uncomfortable.
“Then, we’re just going to have to walk in and kill him?” he asked.
“Yeah. That’s what it looks like.” I said.
“Considering that he’s a god and everything… do you think he’ll know that we’re coming to kill him?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” I answered. “I hope not.”
“Alright then. I think we should sleep and leave tomorrow morning.” Saprius said.
I nodded. “That sounds like a good plan.”
We entered the main hall, went our separate ways to our beds, and went to sleep.

When I awoke, Lucien was standing beside my bed.
“Morning, Lucien.” I said, sleepily.
He smiled. “Good morning, Sarelle.”
“Today, I set off to kill a god.” I said.
“I know.” He said.
“Why does that Romari man want Vivec dead anyway?” I asked, getting up out of bed.
“Eno Romari is the leader of the End of Times cult. They believe that the end of the Tribunal will signal the end of the world. He wants your help in opening the eyes of the public.” Lucien answered.
“Why do we have to kill just one member of the Tribunal? Why not all three of them?” I asked.
Lucien looked at me strangely. “Amalexia and Sotha Sil are both dead. Vivec is the only remaining member of the Tribunal. I suppose that’s not common knowledge yet.”
“Ah. I see.” I said.
Saprius walked in, wearing his Black Hand robe. He had a large silver claymore sheathed on his back, and several types of daggers on his side.
“Are you ready Sarelle?” he asked.
Lucien kissed me on the cheek and disappeared.
“Yes.” I answered, sheathing my elven shortsword at my side.
“Alright then. Let’s get started.” He said.

I followed Saprius out into the main hall of the sanctuary. From there, we exited using the ladder in the well, and then we went out to the Cheydinhal stables. Saprius owned a beautiful white horse. Together, him on his white horse, and I on Shadowmere, we rode toward Mournhold.
“Hopefully, when you see the city of Vivec, you’ll start to get some ideas on how we could pull this off.” I said to Saprius.
I went through the city in my head, over and over again. Vivec’s temple was located behind the Temple canton. A lot of ordinators were posted at the Temple Canton, both inside the Office of the Watch, the Hall of Justice, and the Hall of Wisdom. I was willing to bet we couldn’t kill Vivec silently.
“How big is the city?” Saprius asked.
“Huge.” I answered. “Biggest city in Vvardenfell. Quite confusing to navigate as well.”
The fact that we were going to be right in the middle of Morag Tong territory didn’t do much to comfort me either.
“Hmm… this is going to be tough.” Saprius said.
I laughed. “This is going to be more than tough. This is borderline suicidal.”

Finally, we arrived in Mournhold. As we walked through the large, busy city, Saprius marveled at the architecture and all the colorful plants.
“Never been to Mournhold either?” I asked him, as we filed through the seemingly endless crowds of men and mer.
“No…” he said, his eyes widening at the sight of the statues of Mehrunes Dagon and Amalexia.

I led him into the castle and we got transport to Ebonheart from the Argonian mage.

I found my feet in the governor’s hall in Ebonheart. I took a moment to steady myself. When I looked over at Saprius, his face was pale, and his eyes glazed.
“Wow… I’ve never been on a trip like that…” he muttered.
I laughed. “Teleportation is hard on everyone. Especially the first time.”

I led Saprius out the door and into the city of Ebonheart. The clouds in the sky were a very dark grey. They seemed to be an ominous sign of the things to come.

Saprius looked around.
“Wow… this place is different from Cyrodiil.” He said.
“Yeah. That’s part of its charm.” I said, leading him down to the square, and then on the dirt road toward Vivec.

As we made our way to the city, I asked him a few questions.
“How do you feel about the Tribunal Temple?” I asked him.
“Well, I never really knew much about it. I was born and raised in Cyrodiil. Being an Imperial, I was brought up to devote my life to the service of the Nine Divines. But, of course, it never turned out that way. I felt forsaken by the gods and then turned to Sithis. If you ask me, Sithis is much more personal.” He said.
Then, he turned my question around on me. “What about you? You said you lived in Vivec. Were you brought up to worship the Tribunal?”
“My parents were devout believers in the Tribunal, though they never pushed their religion onto me. I read all 36 Lessons of Vivec. I found them quite interesting, but I never thought that the Tribunal were worthy of worship. I tended to agree with the Ashlanders about the Tribunal. They believed the same way I did. They believe that the Tribunal were deceitful. I was lucky enough to hear of the Nerevarine prophecies when I was a child. Daedra worship seemed to work for me. Though now I am a servant of Sithis, I am still quite fond of the Lords and Ladies of Oblivion.” I answered.

By the time we had explained our views on religion, the large city on the water lay in front of us. I walked Saprius around to the Foreign Quarter. As we were crossing the bridge to get onto the large stone canton, lightning flashed in the sky, while thunder growled.
“You know the city better than I do. Show me where Vivec is located.” Saprius said.

I led him through the large city. We crossed canton after canton, occasionally dodging someone trying to get home before the storm hit. When finally, we came to the St. Delyn canton.
“This is where I used to live.” I said, pointing to a door, labeled St. Delyn South Two.
I opened the door and stepped inside the small quarters. It was completely abandoned.
“Hmm… what luck.” I said. “My old home is abandoned, and it has a great view of the Temple canton. We can stay here temporarily while we get some idea of the ordinators’ rounds.”
Saprius smiled. “That’s a great plan.”
“Now,” I said, “I’ve yet to show you the Temple canton.”

The Temple canton was now in clear sight. We walked across a bridge connecting the St. Delyn and Temple cantons. We surveyed the outside, counting ordinators that were currently on duty. Then, we looked at Vivec’s temple. It was a tall canton, with stairs going all the way to the top, stopping at a door. No ordinators patrolled it, making our job a bit easier.

Just as the sun was setting, Saprius and I went back to St. Delyn South Two. We sat down across a table from each other.
“When do you think we should strike?” Saprius asked.
“Definitely at night time.” I answered. “If we decide to get rid of the ordinators, we could easily kill some of them in their sleep in the barracks. Plus, it will provide us the cover of darkness.”
“We have to dispose of the ordinators.” He said. “It’s the only way we’ll have any chance of doing this.”
“Agreed.” I replied.
“How many should we take out?” he asked.
“All the ones on the canton.” I said.
“Damn. That’s a lot.” He said. “And I don’t think they guard a god for no reason. They have to be strong.”
“They are.” I said, remembering the many times I’d seen them stop a public skirmish, or chase down a thief.
“How are we going to do this?” he asked, looking a bit frustrated, as he lay his head down on the table.
“We have stealth on our side. We observe their rounds, see when they switch shifts, then, using that information, we decide when the best and easiest time to kill them is.” I answered.
“I’m sure there are many priests willing to give their lives for their god.” Saprius said.
“That is very true…” I said.
This posed a problem. The priests would surely give us trouble if they knew of our intentions. But, we already had many ordinators to kill. I wasn’t above killing any of the priests, but did we have the time and energy to take them all out as well? I stayed silent for a few moments thinking things over.
“We’re definitely going to have to kill the priests too.” I said. “I know it won’t be easy… but, they could be just as much of a problem as the ordinators.”
Saprius nodded. “I understand what you’re saying.”
I stood. “Well, it's close to night time. We should probably observe the ordinators on their rounds right now.”
“Good idea.” Saprius said, standing as well.

We exited and walked toward the Temple canton. Saprius and I had a long night ahead of us.

[jack cloudy]

I'm happy that htey use a plan, even though they'll be busy for days. I doubt Vivec will be surprised by the end of it. Nice update anyway.

[DarkHunter]

Wonder how this is going to turn out... I have sevral ideas, only 2 of which make any sense really. Anyway, I'm not going to ruin it for everyone. Good work.

[Kayla]

I am rather busy today, but I have managed to type up a smaller update. Enjoy! Hopefully, the rest of the week goes a little smoother for me, and I can post bigger updates.
----
Saprius and I decided to split up for the night. He would watch the guards on the outside, and I would watch the ones inside the canton.

I took the Hall Of Justice first. It turned out that there were only two ordinators patrolling the halls, and the doors to the ordinator barracks weren’t even locked. It would be very easy to kill the ordinators in the barracks who were trying to sleep. The Office of the Watch had only two ordinators in it. However, the Hall of Wisdom was filled with ordinators and many priests. There were especially a lot in the large Library of Vivec.

The High Fane was filled with priests and a few ordinators. None of the priests were wearing armor, and it would be pretty easy to kill them all. However, there were a few locked doors that concerned me. I didn’t really get a good chance to examine the locks since the ordinators tended to be suspicious. But, at a glance, the locks looked average. I was fairly good with a lock pick. Hopefully, these wouldn’t be beyond my skill.

After I was done, I met Saprius outside. He had a good idea of how the ordinators moved during their rounds. He could even tell me where they were going to go. He had a good sense of timing.

The problem about killing the ordinators outside would definitely be discretion. Other ordinators patrolled the nearby St. Delyn and St. Olms cantons. We would have to make sure that they didn’t spot us. It was also imperative to our task that the other ordinators on the Temple canton had no idea what was going on.

Saprius and I decided that we would return to St. Delyn South Two and talk about plans.

We entered the cramped quarters and took our places across the table from each other. I decided that I would tell him about what I’d learned on my investigation.
“The inside of the Hall of Justice has two ordinators on night patrol. One is on the lower level. The other, on the upper level. It should be very easy to kill the two, considering that they never come into sight of each other on their rounds. The ordinator barracks aren’t even locked, granted they are huge. If we are stealthful, fast, and silent, we should be able to get rid of all the sleeping ordinators. Also inside the Hall of Justice is the Office of the Watch. There are two ordinators in there that work desk jobs. We could take them by surprise and dispose of them quickly. However, the Hall of Wisdom… is another matter…”
Saprius looked at me with curiosity gleaming in his eyes. Once again, I felt older. He seemed young, and ignorant in my eyes.
“The Hall of Wisdom is full of priests and ordinators, plus the occasional noble. The Library of Vivec boasts several ordinators, and priests that work there throughout the night. The High Fane is the most populated. There are a few locked doors, but I think we can get past them. None of the priests in there seem to be wearing armor. We can take care of them fast. I’m sure there are more behind the locked doors as well… though we won’t know how many for sure until we get those doors open.”
Saprius seemed to absorb all the information well.

He began with the results of his investigation. I reclined slightly in the wooden chair and listened.
“There are two guards outside of the Hall of Justice and the Hall of Wisdom. Usually, they stand by the doors, but once every ten minutes or so, they move toward the back of the canton to stand in front of the back doors. Then, they move again to the front to repeat that pattern. The ones stationed in front of the doors leading to the High Fane never move. We could easily kill them when the others move to the back of the canton. However, the canton doesn’t offer a lot of cover. I think we should try to hide the bodies, should someone wander up while we’re not paying attention.”
“I understand what you mean… but, wouldn’t the lack of ordinators on the canton alert someone anyway? But, I guess it’s better to have an empty canton than a pile of bodies lying around.” I said, reclining further to rest my tired bones.
“Agreed.” Saprius said.
“There are essentially two ways we could hide the bodies. Skillful use of shadow is one way, the easier, but also noisier way would be to dump them into the sea below the canton.” I said. “If we throw them into the Inner Sea, then no one will find them. However, there is a chance that someone could trip over a body hidden in shadow.” I continued.
Saprius was pondering the possibilities.
“I think we should just hide the bodies in the shadow. I don’t want to risk blowing our cover because we were noisy.” He said. “That’s an amateur mistake.”
I couldn’t help but agree with him.
“Do you think we should hide the bodies inside?” he asked.
“The ones lying out in the open, I think we should hide.” I answered.
Saprius nodded.
I didn’t want to waste any time achieving our goal. Being careful not to take too many unnecessary steps was a good way to ensure time wasn’t wasted.

That night, we agreed on the basics. We knew who we would have to kill, what methods of killing to use, and what to do with the bodies. Saprius and I decided to get some rest and we would talk about more strategies when we awoke.

[Taillus]

I am getting really anxious. I want to see how they both fare. Will they actually kill Vehk I wonder? It isn't going to be very easy at all. I wish them both luck and I hope you hurry with updates.

[jack cloudy]

Ah good, planning is essential. It's a nice update as usual.

[minque]

I am getting really anxious. I want to see how they both fare. Will they actually kill Vehk I wonder? It isn't going to be very easy at all. I wish them both luck and I hope you hurry with updates. 

Yup.....I agree.....it´s getting very interested now....keep up the good work

[Kayla]

I usually try to update daily, but, yesterday I had a rather personal emergency to tend to, so I'm sorry for lack of updates. But, I'm working on one right now.

[DarkHunter]

Oooooo.. they made a little mistake, i'm not going to mention it, just in case it's part of the plot...

[Kayla]

Alright, finally here's another update for you guys!
----
As I lay on the small and only bed in my old home, I stared up at the stone ceiling, thinking of our current contract. It had to be near morning, and even though I was tired, I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept wandering to the conversation I’d had with Lucien… the one in which he seemed to think that the contract wasn’t going to go well.

I could hear Saprius’s rhythmic breathing on the other side of the room. There was only one bed in the small quarters, so he had pushed some crates together to make a surface on which he could sleep. I let him borrow a blanket from the bed, and he also got the only pillow. I found it very kind of him to give me the bed.

I sighed as I turned over on my side, now staring at the stone wall. There was a lit candle on the table that cast dim light throughout the room. I watched as its light played shadows on the wall, and felt strangely soothed. After awhile, I was able to relax and I finally drifted off to sleep.

Lucien’s face was a welcome greeting in my dreams.
“Hello, Sarelle.” He smiled. “How is the contract?”
“Nothing but planning so far.” I said.
He nodded. “Patience is the key. Soon, not only will you be the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, but you will be a Godslayer.”
“Do you say that to give me hope, or because it’s the truth?” I asked.
“Think of it what you will. You know that I cannot answer your question.” He replied.
I sighed, as I knew he was right. I knew that I would have to find out myself how everything played out.
He stared intensely through me.
”Why do you worry so, Sarelle?” he asked. “Whatever happens, happens. Worry leads to regret.”
“I worry because I have responsibility. I have a family to go back to after this contract and a brother to look out for during this contract.” I said.
“Whatever you do, Sarelle, you cannot escape your fate. It’s best not to worry along the way.” He said, stroking my face.
I closed my eyes and nodded. I knew that my mind wouldn’t be at peace until I had finished this contract. I hoped that I lived to see the days after it.
“Lucien, do you miss me?” I asked.
“Constantly.” He answered.
I guessed that was a question he could answer truthfully.

“Sarelle…” Saprius’s voice stirred me from my slumber. “Sarelle, are you awake?”
I opened my eyes to realize that I was clutching my amulet.
“Yeah. I’m awake now.” I said, sleepily.
“Oh… I’m sorry I woke you. You’re quite the light sleeper.” Saprius said.
I got out of bed and threw my Black Hand robe on.
“Yes. I am. I’ve never gotten used to it.” I said.
I stretched. “What time is it?” I asked him.
“Sometime in the afternoon.” He answered.
He noticed my amulet. “Wow. That’s an amazing necklace.” He said, stepping closer to examine it.
“Lucien gave it to me.” I said.
Saprius’s green eyes met mine. “He was special to you, wasn’t he?”
I sighed. “Lucien was killed because of my actions. Had I not killed those people, he would still be alive. He was falsely accused by his family of something he didn’t do. When the Black Hand killed him, they had no solid proof that he was the traitor. Because of the pain I feel from his death, I refuse to be like them. I refuse to punish on assumption. That is the main reason that witch is alive and breathing today. Lucien was a good man, a good friend, and he was loyal to his family. I wish he were alive right now.”
Saprius put his hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t blame yourself for his death. Unless you were the one who actually, physically attacked him, then you’re not at fault. All those who helped to kill him are dead today. You have done well to avenge his death. Therefore, there is no point in carrying the burden that you carry. I’m sure that Lucien has forgiven you. It’s about time you forgive yourself.”
“Thank you. That makes me feel better.” I said. “Now, we must get to work.”
Saprius was a man wise beyond his years. I never forgot the advice he gave me that day.

I spent most of the day showing Saprius around the inside of the Temple canton. The halls of Wisdom and Justice were connected to each other. This would make killing the occupants of the halls easier and faster. Though the High Fane wasn’t connected to any of the halls, we discovered a back door, leading straight into the Archcannon’s office. The door was locked though, and the lock was complex. I wasn’t sure that I could pick it. If I could, however, it would serve as a great stealthful entrance into the High Fane.

After our tour was complete, we returned to St. Delyn to discuss plans.
“I think we should definitely split up.” I said. “That will save us a lot of time.”
“Agreed.” Saprius said.
However, we both knew that the only problem was deciding who would go where. If we decided that one of us would take the inside, while the other killed the ordinators outside and stood watch for other ordinators, then the one who had gone inside would probably be overpowered.

We talked about possible plans for hours. Finally, one plan was decided on: We would work together to kill the ordinators outside. I would take the Hall of Wisdom, while Saprius took the Hall of Justice. After we had killed the ordinators and priests, we would go back outside to check for any intruders on the canton, then we would work together with the High Fane. After we had killed everyone within earshot of the Temple of Vivec, we would enter and fight Vivec head on, since there was no possible way to sneak up on him. We had also agreed on a time. We would fulfill the contract the next night.

We both liked the plan, though none of us were looking forward to fighting Vivec without the aid of stealth.

After everything had been agreed on, Saprius decided to get some rest. I however, set out into the night to clear my head.

I walked all the way to the Foreign Quarter. Once there, I made my way up to the waistworks and stopped by at a cornerclub. I sat down at the bar and ordered some mead. Besides knowing how to swing an axe, Nords sure knew how to drink. I was handed a stone cup full of the sweet liquid. I downed it in one gulp and set the cup down on the bar.
“Long day at work?” the Dunmer barkeeper asked.
“Yeah. And I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.” I answered.
He refilled my cup. “Well, I wish you luck.” He said.
“Thanks. I’m going to need it.” I said, after downing my second cup.
I paid for my drink and left, suddenly craving some sleep.

[DarkHunter]

... wow ... thats kind of Ironic isn't it, you're going to go kill a Dumner god, and the Dumner bartender wishes you luck... of course he doesn't know what you're planning to do ... but still.

[Kayla]

It was sorta meant to be that way... Oh the irony.

[HyPN0]

It was sorta meant to be that way... Oh the irony.

Good Luck Sarelle!
Beware of the armored Ordinators!They're not guarding a god for nothing!
Those punks gave me quite a headache in Morrowind (until i became a high level demi-god )

Anyway,i'm curius how will they kill Vivec even if they manage to kill all the Ordinators!Vivec is no small prey.Actualy i know only one way that would make sence killing Vivec ,but i would love to hear your version.

Cool Fanfic

[Kayla]

I'm working on a rather large update at the moment. Plus, my week has been very very very busy for me. So, there might be a small delay on the update. However, be patient, for it will be here!

[Kayla]

Ok! Finally! An update! Sorry for the lack of updates this week. Everything has been extremely busy and probably will be for me until I get out of school. But, I will keep updating. I've been working on this big update for a few days now. So, do enjoy!
----
My sleep that night was void of dreams, most likely because it was restless. I awoke to the pounding of a repair hammer.
“Sarelle, you want me to sharpen your weapons?” Saprius asked, taking time from his work to look up at me.
I handed him my elven shortsword, and the Blade of Woe. “Sure. Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome.” He said, beginning to work on them.

Saprius was an expert armorer. He could fix any weapon or piece of armor that was broken. I admired his skill. I was a decent armorer. I couldn’t fix things like Saprius could, and definitely not as fast. While he pounded away with his hammer, I set out to the Mages Guild in the Foreign Quarter to buy some alchemy ingredients. I knew one small healing spell, and I had a feeling that wasn’t going to help much.

I returned to our small quarters, sat down at the table, and began mixing potions.
It was awhile before Saprius spoke.
“Are you sure you’re up to the Hall of Wisdom?” he asked.
I nodded as I poured a finished healing potion into a vial. I’d already made five healing potions and I began to make the sixth. It was looking as though Saprius would get three healing potions and I would get three as well. It wasn’t a lot, but it would have to do. When, I finished the potion, I poured the last of the liquid into a vial and pushed three vials across the table toward Saprius.
“Here. Three potions of restore health. They should prove useful.”
He pocketed the vials. “Thank you, Sarelle. I’m almost finished with your blades.” He said, bringing my elven shortsword up to his eye to closely examine.

I took the bow and quiver off my back. I carefully counted my glass arrows, reaching a total of thirty four. I placed them back into the quiver and strapped it around my shoulder. As I was checking my ebony bow, Saprius handed me my shortsword and my Blade of Woe.
“They’re as sharp and as deadly as I could make them.” He said, smiling.
“Thank you, Saprius. You have a great talent as an armorer.” I said, sheathing both blades at my side.
“I was going to become a blacksmith until I joined the Dark Brotherhood.” He said, picking up his silver claymore, and giving it a small inspection before sheathing it on his back.
“Well, I’m very glad you can put your skills to use in the name of the Night Mother.” I said. “Tell me, why did you start murdering?” I asked, momentarily forgetting my bow to place my potions in the pocket of my robe.
Saprius cleared his throat, as he removed a daedric dagger he’d been hiding in his robe. He unsheathed it and began to examine the oddly colored deadric ebony.
“I killed my father. After his mother died a few years ago, he became a drunk. Then, he started to beat my mother. My mother was a very kind woman… she was sickly and frail though. That wouldn’t have bothered me, had my father treated her better. Although I lived in the Imperial City, and my parents lived in Chorrol, I went there quite often to check on my mother. One day, when I went to visit, I discovered that my father had beat her severely and killed her…”
He paused.
“For no reason at all… in a rage, I killed him with my bare hands. He was no challenge. Soon after, Arquen came to me with an invitation to the Dark Brotherhood. I accepted, seeing as I had no family left…” he made a few practice stabs with the dagger he was holding. “Now, I feel great. Like I’ve found what I was really destined to be. My role in society as a murderer intrigues me as well. There’s never a dull moment.”
He sheathed his dagger and smiled. I had taken up my bow again, making sure that it fit comfortably in my hands and felt balanced.
“The life of a murderer certainly is exciting.” I replied.
Saprius looked at my bow, “Are you a good marksman?” he asked.
I nodded. “The bow was the first weapon I ever learned to use. Though now, I use blades more, yes I am a good marksman.”
“I’m a horrible marksman.” He said, frowning. “I wish I was better at it.” he said, reaching out, taking my bow from me, and tightening the string.
“Here you go. It’s as good as new.” He smiled and handed it back to me.

By this time, it was after dark. I thanked Saprius as I put the bow on my back, then I walked through the cramped room, subconsciously checking my weapons.
“Come Saprius, we have a job to do.” I said, opening the door and stepping out into the night.

Saprius was at my side as we crossed the bridge to the Temple canton.
“Good luck.” I whispered to him as we split our paths to blend with the shadows. He was going to take one side of the outside of the canton. I was to take the other. Sticking to the thick shadows, I made my way to the back of the canton and waited for the patrolling ordinator. Based on Saprius’s investigation, if I waited here, the ordinator would stop in front of the Hall of Wisdom’s back door on patrol.

I didn’t have to wait very long. After a few minutes, the golden colored armor came into view as its wearer emerged from the shadows. The ordinator stopped to stand near the door, just as expected.

Staying in the dark, I moved smoothly and silently toward the stationary ordinator, sneaking up behind him. As I neared him, I unsheathed my blade and moved into a crouched position. When I got within striking distance, I sprang up from my crouch, jabbing the Blade of Woe into the gap in the ordinator’s ornate armor just under his arm. Before the ordinator could cry out, I wrapped my left arm around his neck, squeezing tightly. With my right hand, I withdrew the dagger from his side and dragged it across the ordinator’s throat. Blood sprayed from the wound as the ordinator hit the stone floor of the canton.

Carefully, and quietly, I pulled the body across the stone, letting it rest well within the shadows. Then, I moved toward the front of the canton to kill an ordinator guarding one of the two main entrances to the High Fane. It was Saprius's job to kill the other.

I pressed my back against the outer stone wall of the High Fane as I moved. Finally, the ordinator’s back came into view. In one smooth motion, I reached out and grabbed the ordinator’s shoulder, pulling him back into the shadows with me. I wrapped my arm around his neck, restricting his airway and his ability to scream. Then, I jammed the Blade of Woe into his jugular vein. I propped his body up against the High Fane wall, as it was hidden well in shadow.

I silently examined the rest of the canton. The other two guards were gone. Saprius had done his job. I entered the front door of the Hall of Wisdom.

The ordinator that was patrolling the hallway had his back turned to me. I didn’t waste the opportunity to pull him around a corner and slit his throat. That left one more ordinator in the main hallway. Then, I would have to take care of the library.

I dumped the first body into the underworks, as the trap doors were easily accessible, and then I set out to find the other ordinator. He wasn’t hard to find at all. He was around the corner, guarding some of the priests’ private quarters.

Red eyes fixated on me through the helmet of the armor.
“We’re watching you… scum.” A gruff male Dunmer voice said.
I walked toward him, and his eyes widened at the sight of my blood-covered blade.
“You won’t be watching me much longer.” I said, stabbing him in his eye, then slashing his throat.

I hid his body in the underworks with the other oridnator. Using my lock pick, I picked the locks on the private quarter doors, managing to kill one priest in his sleep. The other rooms were empty.

I checked to make sure I’d cleared out the main hall, and then I entered the Library of Vivec.

Many priests were poring over books in the vast library. I counted the number of priests and the number of ordinators, coming to a total of seven priests and four ordinators.

I walked to the back of the library, pretending to look at the numerous books on a shelf hidden partly in shadow. I knew that every ordinator walked past the shelf I was standing at on their rounds. I would ambush them one by one as they passed. The priests seemed too busy to even realize the lack of ordinators.

When I heard the first set of armored footsteps, I unsheathed my blade and readied myself. The first ordinator didn’t even know what hit him when I pulled him behind the shelf and jammed the Blade of Woe into his spinal column.

I cast a paralyzation spell on the next ordinator, making him helpless to my swift attack.

When the next one walked by, I grabbed him but didn’t have enough time to shut him up. He cried out and attracted the attention of the last ordinator. Luckily, I was hiding partially in the shadows.

Frustrated, I hit the ordinator in the back of the neck. The cracking sound that accompanied my hit was satisfying. As his body crumpled, I grabbed the ebony mace he was carrying.

The last ordinator slowly walked closer, his head cocked in a curious manner. He stopped, and at that moment, I realized that he’d seen the bodies accumulating on the floor. He quickly turned to alert someone, but I was quicker, hurling the mace at the back of his head, crushing his helmet, and sending him reeling forward. In one swift motion, I jumped out of the shadows, unsheathed my elven shortsword, and jammed it into the ordinator’s neck, just to make sure he was dead.

The priests who had been sitting at tables scattered throughout the library were surprised to say the least.

They jumped into action, but I managed to completely decapitate two before they even stood. I quickly located both exits and made sure that I covered them as best I could. There were five priests left to kill and none of them were going to leave this room alive.

Of course, every last priest tried to escape. Their movements were predictable, and they were slow. I pinned one against the stone wall, stabbing him in his gut, then quickly slashing his throat.

Another one tried to run past me, but I stabbed him through his back, he fell to the floor, and I stabbed him through the heart. I kicked his body in front of one of the exits to block the door. Three left.

One priest picked up a chair and threw it at me. I simply threw a fireball at the chair, incinerating it. Then, I cast a lightning spell, hitting him and sending him flying across the room. When he hit the wall, he whiplashed, and I wasn’t sure whether his neck or his skull broke first.

Another priest had run across the room, frantically, he pushed the corpse blocking the door out of the way and grasped the doorknob. I pulled the bow off my back, notched an arrow, and let it fly, hitting him square in the back. He cried out in pain, and fell against the door, sliding to the ground.

The last priest was cowering in a corner, behind a shelf loaded with books. His hands covered his face as he whimpered and prayed. His whole body was shaking violently. His red Dunmer eyes gazed up at me, as I walked over to him.
“Y-you… Who are you?” he asked, his voice cracking. He made no effort to hide his fear.
I remained silent, as I stood over him and replaced the bow and withdrew my Blade of Woe.
“Who are you?!” He screamed. I could tell that he was building up anger to convince himself that he wasn’t scared of me.
Again, I remained silent.
He stared at me, struggling to see through the shadow my hood created, to see my face.
“Are… Are you going to kill me?!” He half screamed, half whispered.
“Yes.” I answered, bringing the Blade of Woe down into his left temple.

The Hall of Wisdom and the Library of Vivec had been taken care of. It was time for me to meet Saprius outside. Together, we would kill everyone in the High Fane.