The Ebony Renegades (Skyrim)

chapter fifteen

The group had split into two factions one would stay outside and prevent enemy reinforcements from entering and the second faction would pick off the stragglers that were still inside. The ones who remained outside were Tully, Lianya, Salazar, Gila, Ebon-shi, Shadow-step, and Asadelf while the rest of them funneled inside with Severin taking point. Behind him were Sabrina, Myra, Suvvan, Gentu, and Yamma. Severin rushed towards the one against the wall throwing Mehrune's razor into the agent's head as the group split off Sabrina rushed towards the agent at the top of the stairs wielding her twin scimitars as she dashed between his legs slashing at his femoral arteries followed by Yamma smashing the agent's torso with volendrung sending him flying over the railing and straight into Suvvan's nerveshatter. " Hahaha, imperial skewer anybody? hahaha!" The nord laughed out in his manic behavior as he slammed the hammer down and pulled it out of the corpse as warm blood dripped down the golden amber spikes. Gentu entered the next door only to be tackled by an agent not dressed in the traditional penitus oculatus uniform but rather a complete set of heavy imperial armor along with a covered Imperial helmet Gentu who was more of a paladin than anything, pulled spellbreaker and dawnbreaker out. As the Imperial officer pulled out a steel battle axe Gentu got into stance blocking a downward slash with spellbreaker he trusted dawnbreaker forward only for the imperial centurion to meet it head-on with his bracer grabbing Gentu's gauntlet and pulling him forward before colliding their helmets together causing both to stagger. The imperial centurion recovered first dashing forward attempting to behead the dwarven armored breton but made one fatal mistake which was not recognizing that the helmet was not an ordinary helmet rather the helmet Gentu was wearing was the visage of mzund. The imperial centurion found out too late when Gentu used the steam breath that the visage of Mzund was capable of. the scalding steam enveloped the imperial centurion soon the screams died down as the imperial centurion lay there motionless carefully sheathing dawnbreaker on his side he carefully looted the body before looking around checking the chest finding some other terrible loot but some of the only good things he found was ebony plate armor along with a few ebony ingots and some gold ingots. He returned to reunite with the group back in the main room who were all standing around the table outside the door. As the group nodded they proceeded to head further in when Severin took point going down the hallway after opening the mechanism he let them down a large hallway with two cages on either side of the hallway that led up to a room absolutely covered with traps with a small altar on the other side where Severin said the shards of Mehrune's Razor were when he found them after so long. After it was confirmed that the 'bandits' were cleared out they proceeded to walk back out to meet up with the rest of the group with Yamma taking the front with Sabrina bringing up the rear. The faction regrouped with the rest as they left the former orc stronghold heading back towards the city of Falkreath with Gila tracking the trolls by following their tracks as Severin headed down a heavy brush-covered path towards the dark puddle. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine, You guys go with Gila and take care of the trolls and we'll meet up at Falkreath at the jarl's loghouse." Severin said as he looked at the group they nodded in agreement and followed Gila as Severin headed down the shrouded path towards the former Dark brotherhood hideout.

(Severin pov)

My hands steadily gripped my crossbow as I practically hugged the wall as I rounded the corner  I trained my weapon along the stone crevice staring at the skull visage on the door as I entered quietly. Moving down the cobweb-covered stairway as nostalgia flooded my mind of my first days with the dark brotherhood and Astrid. 

(Flashback)

My mind went to the woman who captured my heart all those years ago, if she wasn't married I would have asked her out without a thought and taken her out on a wide spread killing spree date but I could visibly see how dearly she loved her husband who was a werewolf himself I kept my feelings to myself. Then when I found out she betrayed me and tried to have me killed by the penitus oculatus, I didn't bear any ill will towards her when I got back here to find the place in flames and ninety percent of the family dead, including a fellow argonian who like me, was a shadowscale, I was crushed at the fact I lost my guild brother. and I took refuge in the night mother's coffin when she told me Astrid was still in the sanctuary I rushed to find her finding her using herself as an offering for the black sacrament. She gave me her dagger, the blade of woe and she asked me, to kill her to seal the contract. With a precise strike with the blade of woe, I drove it clean through her heart so it would be quick and painless to save her from her suffering. My rage for the penitus oculatus was so intense I stormed the emperor's ship docked in solitude and slaughtered all the crew members then hung them by their entrails from the mast of the ship and knocked on the door to Emperer Titus Mede II's chambers saying the captain requested him on the deck and the pompous fool fell for it hook line and sinker. The look of utter horror as he saw his entire security force was butchered and hung up in such a gorey display made it even better when he turned and we met face to face as he seemed to be expecting me. Claiming that he had accepted his fate and that he knew that no one could stop the dark brotherhood, I of course didn't care for his prattling I was here to end his miserable life and that's exactly what I was going to do although he asked if I could give him a few moments to speak. Seeing as whatever remaining members of reinforcements he had were currently hanging from the ship's mast behind him I saw no trouble with it so I allowed him to speak expecting him to beg for his miserable life but the man surprised me. "Yes I must die, and you must deliver the killing blow that is simply the way it is. However, if I could ask a favor I would be grateful." He said as I eyed him with suspicion curious about what he would request of me in his last moments. " I'm listening." I said to the soon-to-be-dead monarch as he nodded, and to my surprise he didn't ask to be spared or anything of the sort rather he asked once I retrieved my payment from the one who hired his assassination that I would, in turn, assassinate him and in return, he pulled out a large coin purse from within his robe pocket and tossed it to my feet I didn't need to count it as I could hear from the thump it made on the ground it was more than enough. " You're an assassin, I'm an emperor, but I presume a contract with a contract is still business am I correct?" He asked as he looked at me right now I could just kill him and take his money and not kill the target but the fact that this emperor whom many before him had looked down upon the public was willing to look at me as a messenger of death in the eyes and spoke with a matter of honor in his tone. I may have been a messenger of death, but at heart, I still had a sense of honor so I nodded and accepted his contract he nodded and turned his back to me lifting his chin up to expose his throat and me fulfilling the night mother's wishes I strike with the blade of woe instead of across his throat which would have made him drown in his own blood I pierced it straight through the back of his neck severing the brain from the spine killing him quick and painless an honorable death for an honorable man. I didn't desecrate the body or hang him up along with the rest of the corpses rather I did something different as a customer I had become familiar with after observing the imperials and the nords I took two septums from my coin purse that he had given me and I placed a single coin over each of his eyes and I placed both of his hands on his sword much like they would be folded at a funeral and I took the ink well from his desk covered it over my hand and put a single black handprint in the middle of his chest to show all of tamriel that the dark brotherhood was back and there was no escaping us. I dove into the water before the imperials could discover the body as I swam to Dawnstar and stopped at the new dark Brotherhood sanctuary where I had chased that crazy clown Cicero. Smiling seeing Nazir and Babette were safe I nodded and went to Whiterun and into the bannered mare where Amand Motier was waiting the second he paid me the blade of woe was quick to jab into his open mouth and through the back of a skull as I quietly pulled the dagger out I left the body there to be found later as I proceeded to head home however I paid a stop to the thieves guild in Riften and asked Delvin Mallory to help renovate the new sanctuary after seeing to all the matters at hand I proceeded my long walk towards the Dawnstar sanctuary but decided to stop by the old sanctuary to pick something up and a properly bury Astrid along with the rest of my deceased family. After I had them all buried just outside the former sanctuary under the charred pine tree at the foot of the path I made my way back up to Dawnstar but on my way there I was caught by the imperial patrol and I was wheeled off to Helgen where I then met the rest of the group and I've been with them ever since while also doing jobs for the dark brotherhood.

( Flashback end)

I was kneeling at the pine tree where I had buried my late family all those years ago as a tradition of mine I cut my hand open with the blade of woe and dripped my blood onto the tree as I spoke to my fallen brethren " I hope you all have found solace in the void and in the service of Sithis, I want you to know that the rest of the group is doing well and I plan on stopping by Dawnstar soon to pay them a visit, I want you to know that I am doing well as well. I am still serving the night mother and Sithis for all of you as well as myself to keep going and to carry the Dark Brotherhood to new glorious heights. Astrid you were the first to take notice of me, you saw my potential even when I was simply doing a favor for a young boy who like me had no family and nothing left to lose. You picked me up and gave me a purpose in service of the night mother, and gave me a home in the dark brotherhood under your and the night mother's leadership. My only regret is I couldn't tell you how I felt, but I hope you and your husband are happily together in the void. I won't be heading back this way for some time so I wanted to come and pay my respects before I left. Farewell My friends, may we meet again in the void." I said as I stood up and made my way back up the path I felt a slight breeze rush past my face that fell almost like a spectral kiss on my scaly cheek I moved my scaled hand up to my cheek around I couldn't stop a small smile from creeping up my face as I understood the meaning behind it. " I love you too, Astrid." I said with a renowned fire in my eyes as I proceeded to catch up to the group hearing them having trouble with the troll's numbers, I charged past them dashing between the head trolls legs and slashing at the funeral artery before jumping onto its back using the razor of Mehrune's Dagon and slashing its throat wide open. " Come on guys let's mop the floor with these three-eyed freaks of nature!"