Into Oblivion

31

In due time, the assassins that Broga had control over had found a suitable gate that was ever so near to the Imperial City. The commander and his troop had approached the towering ebony gate with eyes that marveled at its very essence of beauty. Broga had tilted his head back allowing his eyes to glimpse upon the spiked peaks. Flames were spat from the very mouth of the archway causing a few Dremora to step back in fear of being burned. A coiled whip of flame came from the fiery spiral and struck Broga upon the shoulder. The commander stood motionless and merely glanced to his robes. Billowing smoke rolled into the thickened atmosphere and slowly the commander had lifted his hand and patted out the petite yet growing flare. His serene eyes had lifted and he gave his first order to the troop with a strident and daring tone, "... head off into the land and scout the area. Make certain that the path is clear." He lifted his fist and held it up near his face. With a swift movement he had pointed his middle and index finger forward and his assassins sprinted onward. They ran like streams of water around him. Their footsteps were silent and they were shadows upon the ground soon disappearing within the gate.

One of the lead mages had stepped forward and bowed to its leading commander. His hood drawn and all that was visible from his cowl were his fierce crystal eyes. He bared his jagged teeth and snarled, "... what of us, commander?"

Broga held his gaze upon the archway. His eyes were affectionate and the gaze he held upon such a gate was almost a lover's stare. He tilted his head to a side and told the mage. "You shall wait. When the assassins give their authorization then shall we proceed. We must move silently and surely. I won't allow a mistake in Dagon's final plans."

The Dremora had bowed to his superior and stepped back soon taking his position in the horde of mages. Their robes ran black together and their faces hidden from the daylight. Broga heaved a burdened sigh as he pondered silently to himself. Would he truthfully be able to kill Elizabeth?

He could see her unclothed and wriggling against the wall as he nearly choked upon Xilivicus' distinct stench. He remembered her blade nearly striking him down within Oblivion's great gate. He could still feel the twinge of pain as the poison coursed through his body. Surely he was too large and resolute to be killed by the weakened poison; nevertheless, the ache of glass shredding apart his brow and cheek could not be easily forgotten. Broga's blackened claw lifted to his left eye and he caressed his healed face. Sure enough he had been given a new body, but he had grown accustomed to stroking the scar upon his eye when burdened. His eye slowly opened when his hand withdrew and fell back down to his side.

A few minutes had passed and two assassins leapt through the hellish fire and appeared with an Imperial guard in their tightened grasps. Their lips were pursed and they spoke of naught. Together they had shoved the man forward to bow at their commander's feet. The elder guard had gasped and his gauntlets struck the harsh terrain rather swiftly before he had collided with the ground himself. His head jerked up and he looked at the commander; marveling at his immense structure. Broga's unimpressed eyes were cast down upon the man and he stooped down and seized the fabric to his tunic which was sticking out only barely from his worn and undermined steel armor. The commander used only a meager amount of strength when he had lifted himself and even the Imperial. The man had gasped and squirmed in his grasp soon snatching onto his thickened forearm. The guard tossed his eyes across the troop and finally to the black Dremora who spoke, "... you are a guard of the Imperial city, are you not?" His voice was harsh and demanding which made the man cringe.

The guard's brow furrowed sending wrinkles across his vaguely rose-tinted forehead. The man's misty brown eyes were set upon Broga an elder husky voice coming from the pits of the man's stomach, "What do you want with me?"

"You are of little importance to me, really. The only question that I have that you may be able to answer is how heavily guarded is the Imperial city?" Broga had questioned him with a curled arm. His bicep causing the dark fabric of the robes to pull tight across his skin.