Songs of the Crooked

24: The Final Fight

The door swung open without a sound. The room they came into was huge and made entirely out of stone. The grad centerpiece of the whole place was a large statue of the Snow Elves. 

Eliza could hardly believe what she was seeing. The last known visual representation of the snow elves was sitting right in front of her. It was incredible.

Mercer was there, hanging from the statue's eyebrow as he pried one of the Eyes out of its socket. The other one was missing, presumably in the bulging brown satchel he had at his hip. He had his back to them, and he did not seem to know that he was being watched.

"He's here, and he hasn't seen us yet," said Karliah in a hushed tone. "Brynjolf, watch the door."

Bryn nodded. "Aye, Karliah. Nothing's getting by me."

She returned his nod, then motioned to Eliza. "Climb down that ledge and see if you can—"

"Karliah, when will you learn you can't get the drop on me?"

They all looked up as Mercer stood, facing them with crossed arms. Then suddenly the ground started to shake and the platform under Eliza's feet gave way, causing her to fall hard on the ground. 

She was in pain, but she forced herself up. She looked up at the platform where she once was and saw the others still standing up there with a look of panic on their faces. She was alone down there with Mercer.  

Mercer had climbed down from his previous spot and now stood at the statue's feet. He crossed his arms over his chest and sneered. "When Brynjolf brought you before me I could feel a sudden shift in the wind. And at that moment, I knew it would end with one of us at the end of a blade."

"Give me the key, you bastard!" Eliza angerily demanded. 

He scoffed. "What's Karliah been filling your head with? Tales of thieves with honor? Oaths rife with falsehoods and broken promises? Nocturnal doesn't care about you, the Key or anything having to do with the Guild."

"It's cute that you think that this is about Nocturnal. This is personal!"

"Revenge, is it? Have you learned nothing from your time with us? When will you open your eyes and realize how little my actions differ from yours? Both of us lie, cheat, and steal to further our own end."

"The difference is I still have my honor."

"It's clear you'll never see the Skeleton Key as I do... as an instrument of limitless wealth. Instead you've chosen to fall over your own foolish code."

Eliza pulled out her Nightingale sword and her dagger and raised them towards Mercer. "If anyone falls, it'll be you, Frey."

"Then the die is cast, and once again, my blade will taste Nightingale blood!"

He raised his sword arm, then conjured a red light in his left hand. He threw the light towards the others up on the platform, then cast another spell. This one rendered him invisible.

"What are you two doing?!" screamed Karliah. Eliza turned to see Brynjolf and Vex with their swords drawn. Eliza's eye widen in fear.

"I... I don't know, Karliah," Brynjolf said, voice strained. "I... I can't stop myself!"

"I...I can't stop it!" Vex shouted. 

Vex and Brynjolf in unsion charged towards Karliah. She blocked them and put herself in a purely defence stance. 

"Hang in there, guys!" Eliza shouted, before turning her attetion back onto her own fight. 

She had to trust that Brynjolf and Vex would outlast the spell, and that they would not force Karliah to hurt them.