11:45PM, 14th Of Frostfall, Palace Doors, Windhelm
"We are not excepting visitors right now, especially not from Elves such as yourself." The guard told Vorian.
The Altmer sighed," Look my good sir, I understand you must be under a great deal of stress, and it is very easy for me to appear as a Thalmor enthusiast, but I hate them with a passion. Besides, all I must do is speak with the Court Wizard."
The guard chuckled," Then you are wasting your time, anyways. He left yesterday on an official research expedition with the famous Calcelmo. I don't know where, and to be honest I really couldn't care less."
"Damn it!" Vorian's voice rung throughout the small corridors near the courtyard walls.
Corvus turned around, looking for their companions only to find them missing.
"Master, where have the beasts gone to?"
Vorian's eyes widened in horror. He'd been foolish, and they took their chance. They were no doubt already on their way to Alftand, and they were much swifter than the two magicians, they'd make it quicker no matter the situation.
"Corvus, I know where they are, but we must hurry. If they manage to steal Keening from the thieves then all of my work will have been useless." Vorian explained as he began running down through the Gray Quarter, towards the entrance to the city.
Corvus easily managed to keep up, the aging Altmer was no longer in his prime. Still, the Imperial's face was red with infuriation, knowing they'd been taken advantage of; clueless.
As they approached the great front doors, an arrow pierced the neck of the guard that watched this entrance. Corvus jumped back in shock, as blood began to spill rapidly from the man's chest, flowing through the cracks in the stone.
Corvus scanned the nearby area for an assassin, but he found no one. The streets were empty.
"Come on, Corvus! We best be fleet-footed!" Ordered Vorian.
Corvus nodded, dashing over to the door handle. His muscles throbbed as he attempted to pull it open. The weight of the giant door was too immense for him, but even then he managed to pull it enough to fit a single man. That was his mistake.
An Imperial soldier leaped at the opportunity, and pushed it open with his shield. Others soon joined at his side and all together managed to force it for everyone to fit. Soldiers poured in, and Stromcloak guards reciprocated, sprinting from the Palace over to the doorway. Vorian dissipated into the cloud of soldiers, all Corvus could see was the act of soldiers mercilessly slaughtering other soldiers.
In panic, the Imperial opened his hand, a thin minty green mist accumulating in an orb in the center of his palm, and as he entered a state of calidity, he pulled. A vacuum generated by his hand ripped a greatsword out of a Stormcloak's hands. It hovered now, in the air in front of him.
The guardsman turned to him and pulled out his dagger, running over to him. At the sight of a target with only a dagger, a group of Imperials charged in Corvus' direction as well.
In a frantic fit, Corvus pushed and swung viciously. Synchronized with his arm's movements, the sword cleaved through anyone that dared go nearby.
Within minutes, Corvus lay on his knees, drained of his energy. But around him, not a single man fought for control against another. At least fifty bodies lied on the ground, unmoving. Each adding a considerable amount of their blood to the stone under their feet.
Corvus looked in abhorrence at what he done, he'd killed men. Corvus had brought an end to the soldiers around him, returning their souls to Aetherius. He'd taken the lives of other people, that had families, parents and children. Other men that could've prospered in the world, and lived many more years. But with the simple act of swinging his arm, he'd killed more men than those that lived in a small village.
Tears ran down Corvus' cheeks. How could he ever forgive himself for what he'd done? For everyone he had murdered. Overtaken by the sheer intensity of the moment, Corvus ran. Beyond the city walls, beyond the nearby farms, until he stopped at an abandoned and mostly ruined house. Wood had fallen apart, and what was still here was the mostly unfurnished remnants of a home.
Corvus curled himself up in a corner, and cried, paying no attention to the world around him, until he heard the voice, that is.
"Why do you weep at the sight of death, young one?"
Corvus' bloodshot eyes analyzed the room, but not a single figure emerged.
Hesitantly he responded," Don't you understand? I killed so many people. I simply meant for the men to back off, to scare them away, but the charged, and they died. Then the others became angered at me for harming their friends, and then they came, and more and more charged, and more and more died. I caused their death!"
"Yet you cry, is what I find strange. You have killed them, returned their souls to Sithis, where they belong, so why are you so sad? What you have done is a heroic act, not many can do what you did, free so many men from the torturous husks of their bodies, releasing them to their true home. Yet you did it, I commend you for your actions, young one."
" Are you kidding?! What I did was horrible!"
In a flash of light, a man in Stormcloak armor appeared. His helm was missing, but a hood dropped over his face, and a mask covered up to his eyes. Still his eyes were invisible, covered by the darkness under the hood. On his side, hung a silver scabbard, jeweled with a single ruby in the center. Outside, was the hilt of what appeared to be an Akaviri Katana. On his back, was a bow, but it was not a common one. It contained a symbol; a bird admiring what seemed like a moon.
Corvus' eyes lit up in wonder," Who are you?"
The man laughed," Who am I? I go by many names, but you, can call me Renoit. Now it's my turn, I saw you at the gate, you opened it, why? Everyone knows the Imperials have been attacking the city for weeks."
" I didn't know they were outside, waiting. I didn't even think about it. I was in hurry-"
"Yes, you and the old elf. Both of you running so quickly.. Why were you in so hasty in leaving?"
Corvus' jaw dropped, realizing he'd forgotten all about Vorian. The Imperial scrambled to his feet, and raced out the door. In an instance, the man he'd been speaking with faded into the bitter cold air, becoming invisible in the snow covered landscape.
----------------------------------------------
"Master? Master?!" Corvus called over and over, yet not a single response came.
"He's not here." Replied a familiar voice from behind.
Corvus turned around to find Calixto standing with blood splattered across his vest.
"What happened?"
"I was near a guard fight... nothing to worry about, I'm fine. As for Ol' Vorian, I'm afraid I don't know where he is. I've been searching for you two for a while now, wanted to make sure you weren't hurt in the fight."
"Damn it! Where in Oblivion could the old man be?"
Calixto sighed," I've not the slightest idea, Corvus. My best guess, is that he is looking for you right now. How'd you two get separated anyways?"
"When the legion charged through the doors, we were both on separate sides. He just disappeared right into the crowd..."
"Yes, but you were easy to spot, slaughtered so many of them-"
Corvus pushed him in rage, slamming him against the city wall. Calixto grunted in pain as his head collided against the stones.
"Sorry..." muttered Corvus.
The Colovian ran over to Calixto, and helped him up. He hadn't meant to push him, he simply acted. He knew he was at times a bit too emotional, but though his master would often tell him to 'just control himself' it wasn't nearly as simple as it seemed.
"Why do you two struggle to find obvious answers?" The man appeared in front of them in an aura of light.
"What do you mean? The answer is not obvious, I did not see where he went, therefore I don't know where he could be." Corvus replied angrily.
Calixto whispered in the Imperial's ear," Who is this man?" Corvus shook his head.
The man pulled down his hood, revealing a short and white haired Breton with a beard now growing," The answer is clear, all around you. Do you not see it? Oh, no, of course not. I forget not everyone is gifted as I," he sneered," In any case, look at the blood. Over there, by the Inn, it is formed in a dragging motion. If you were to follow it, you'd see it goes straight to the Windhelm prison cells. He's more than likely being interrogated as we speak."
"interrogated, how do you even know this? Why do you know this?"
"It is simple, I am the best of all the species; both fish and lion, in unison. I am the Merlion, the predator that hunts amongst the modern era's credulous flock. Do you understand, now?"
Corvus gave him a puzzled look in reply.
"Allow me to elaborate, I do not come from Nirn. I come directly from the Void, from Sithis' realm of power. I am his courier, and as such, I am above the people of Tamriel."
"The Void?! That's insane!"
"Is it? Is it truly? How do you explain the fact that I know exactly where your friend is? Or that I can simply appear where I choose?"
"I'd like to believe it's simply a culmination of spells I do not know."
Renoit frowned," They are not spells, they are my inborn abilities. Gifted to me by Sithis."
Calixto laughed almost obnoxiously," You, gifted powers by Sithis?! Ha! Ludicracy, more likely you're a Skooma addict, if you ask me!"
"You don't believe me," snarled the Breton," then travel to the cells, speak with the Altmer, then you can discuss it with me. "
"Even if you did know, why would you tell us?" Corvus asked thoughtfully.
"Because then you will owe a favor to me, and when I call on you, you will do my bidding."
Author's Note: Hello everyone, Olaf here. I will not be around for the next week or so. As such, I tried to push this section out before I left, so that I may pick it back up sometime in the next two-three weeks. I look forward to returning to this story, and picking up "Presto" at the end of Chapter 3. So for now, that is all, thank you very much,
Olaf
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