Chapter Text
A simple young traveller came traveling alone the stone road, finally coming into a great view of the Whiterun hold: Dragonsreach, sitting as marvelously as it always have. She smiled as a small gasp emitted from her lips; her eyes didn't stick to it long as what looked like a portal opened up a few meters in front of her.
"I live... Again."
She drew her ebony dagger, readying herself for what this strange, random encounter could launch at her. The man raised a hand, slowly bringing it down as he slowly murmured, "Sleep."
Her vision was starting to blur and, against her persistence, she fell to the the hard ground before she had the chance to slash at him. She watched him approach, closer and closer... Her eyes rolled in the back of her head, falling into darkness.
He smirked, standing over the now unconscious girl. "Puny," he muttered, leaning over. He inhaled deeply, a light blue gas slowly emitting from her mouth and nose. He soaked up the last of this light, blowing a dark vermillion color entering every crease and hole it could find. Once it had finally consumed her, her body slowly began convulsing. There were gasping sounds, her limbs and neck turning and twisting in almost inhumane ways. Then, as if nothing had happened at all, she simply laid there.
The girl's eyes snapped open as she shot straight up, gasping for air as her eyes looked around to get a hold of her settings.
"I... I..."
"Alive," he simply said, offering a translucent hand.
She looked up to him, her eyes transferring into a look of horror and anger.
"YOU!"
"Yes, yes me. It's nice to see you alive and fresh, too Carciniea."
She made a face, "Alive? I just died in my bed, you and everyone else were there... I can't be alive."
"Oh, you've died. You have served your time in the Void, but now the Dread Father has called a second life to you so you may serve and save the Dark Brotherhood once more. Think of me as... Your guardian angel, in a way."
"Lucien Lachance, a guardian angel? Might as well let the world come to an end."
"If you are done," he turned his back to her, "The Dread Father has given us work, and there is still much to be done. This is only the start."
She hopped to her feet, sheathing her small dagger. She began her way to the large city, noticing a carriage containing a couple passengers come into view. At first, she didn't seem to take too much note of this until she heard, "Need a ride?"
She began to fumble for the right words, glancing to the man, Lucien, and the passengers. "I- I, uh..."
"Tell him you need to get to Riften and it's urgent," Lucien told her.
"Why is it urgent?... Ugh, fine," she turned to the carriage man who now looked very confused, "I, well, need a ride to Riften, if it isn't too much."
"These people are heading to Shor's Stone, so maybe I can drop you off there? Only charge ye 20."
"I suppose," she mumbled, pulling out whatever coin was in her pockets, "Three, four five... Eighteen, nineteen, twenty." She handed the man the small gold coins, climbing into the carriage.
The whole trip consisted of Carciniea checking out the view of this new, unfamiliar territory with the addition of the intense silence coming from the other passengers. Along the road, she saw a few men clad in strange armor, while one man begrudgingly followed behind while his hands were bound together.
"What happened to him?" She asked.
"You haven't heard? They're cleaning up the last of these damned Stormcloak rebels. Bout time this cursed war ended."
"Man, I missed a lot didn't I?" She whispered to Lucien, not wanting to draw too much attention.
"Much more than you could imagine. Times have changed, and so has civilization. Once we get to Riften, your destiny begins."
She kicked back, peering over the rails as she slowly waited for them to meet their destination.
"Carciniea," she heard Lucien's voice snap at her.
She jumped, her head aching as she realized she somehow drew attention to herself. "Sorry? Yes?" She sat up, stretching her arms, "I'm up, I'm up..."
"Finally," sighed the carriage man, "We're here."
"Oh... Oh, yes, right," she nodded her head, slowly climbing out of the carriage, "Thank you for your business."
She waved once more, hopping down. She rubbed her eyes, feeling as if it was her first chance at sleep in a long time. Lucien's arrogant smile wavered, slowly turning into a frown of disproval. She rolled her eyes at this, swearing in her mind. They began the small journey south to Riften.
"You have a few questions to answer, Mr. LaChance."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, 'oh'. First things first, would you kindly explain to me why Sithis just can't get someone else to do it? Like, I don't know, someone who never died?"
"I believe in past events, you and the Night Mother have not exactly seen eye to eye-"
"In the seventy-something years I've spent in Cyrodiil, I have only engaged on versatile with that wench two times. I never fulfilled my duties, I returned to the Sanctuary so I kick Arquen's ass again, and my kids never heard me so much /breath/ about the Brotherhood. It's pretty damn clear that I don't just meet eyes with her. I resent that, /that/-"
"Bite your tongue, Listener," he snapped. The sudden tension in his deep voice almost made her jump. He let out a deep sigh, calming himself, "Think of this little journey as... A fresh start between the two of you."
"If this is going to give me some sort of stupid moral lesson, I swear to the Void..." She sighed, "Next question: What am I even here for?"
"To join the family once more."
"Oh, oh lovely..." She groaned, "That's... That's just lovely. I've proven my worth, zoomed through the ranks as if it was nothing, kill the Traitor - which I /really/ did not want to do, despite his crime - and now, now I have to join up again?"
"Minimum sarcasm would be greatly appreciated, Listener."
The two approached the city gates, eyeing Lucien as she went through the wide wooden doors.
"We'll settle this later," she scoffed. She poked her nose up in the air as she folded her arms, unaware of the strange looks the city's guards offered her.
"Advice for the future," Lucien tried to hide his taunting smirk, "My presence is limited to you. In other words, try to refrain from continuing any conversation we may have in the public's eyes. They may take you for a madwoman."
Carciniea rolled her eyes to this, slumping her shoulders as she grumbled insensitive words inside her mind. The few people that realized the fresh face in the slummy excuse of a city took notice of this, whispering to her things about this faction called the Thieves Guild. She didn't listen to this, however, since thievery was never much of an interest of her's. There was no fun and no honor, unless it involved killing a thief.
"I do love Riften," she heard Lucien reminisce, "I journeyed here in my youth. A thief took my purse... so I took his eyes. It was a fair exchange."
She couldn't help but let out a smile, wondering if Lucien ever had a purpose or a hobby that didn't involve killing. She wondered if his new life in the Void changed him from starting rumors into simply spreading him. She noted in her head to bring it up later, concealing a smile at the thought of his reaction.
"Listener," he spoke hesitantly, "Focus. Our target is on an elderly caretaker to the Honorhall Orphanage. This should be enough to put things in motion. The Brotherhood now is much pickier than in our time..."
"Honorhall? Where am I suppose to find that?" She said to herself, eyes looking around until she noticed a small little building that read 'Honorhall Orphanage' on the front, she muttered to herself, "I knew that..."
She hung around the side of the building, wanting some information and privacy before she went and made a fool of herself. She leaned against the wall, trying to look busy as she turned to Lucien, "Okay, who am I after and why?"
"An old, feeble woman that goes by the name Grelod the Kind. She runs the orphanage and banned anyone to adopt the children. A young boy by the name Aventus Aretino had arrived here, then soon enough ran away to his former home. He performed the Black Sacrament, trying to contact the Brotherhood-"
"Then that's where I come in."
He pointed his finger to his nose, "Exactly. That's your most likely way of getting in."
"Most likely?"
"Almost foolproof. Trust me Listener, I am to guide you through this."
She rubbed her arms, the chilly night catching her. Skyrim was a cold province, one she was certainly not used to. "You haven't really told me what exactly you're guiding me through."
He only laughed as his response, which helped making some of the thin hairs of her neck stand straight. The night was starting to peek through, she could hear vague yelling through the walls, followed by a door slamming shut. This must've been her cue, guessing this was the Grelod she heard about. She climbed over the tall stone wall, perching herself on top as she saw the old man mumble to herself, not even noticing Carciniea yet.
"Grelod the Kind," she announced, the older Nord jumped at the sound, "My, my. Aventus sends his condolences."
"Condolences? What in the name of Oblivion are you on about? I ain't done nothing, not get before I call the guards."
Carciniea leapt off the wall, into the shadowy shrubbery where she couldn't be found. The older woman didn't seemed unnerved by her, instead shrugging her shoulders and turning to the door. She took out the dagger the previously had, deciding to put some use to it. She leapt out, forcing Grelod against the dagger as it poked through the feeble woman's stomach. She coughed before slumping.
Carciniea was quite proud despite the easy kill, the sight and smell of blood had given her a satisfactory smile. She pushed Grelod off the dagger, wiping it on her pants. The sight of the sudden death enthralled her, sending a wave of nostalgia through her.
"You miss the kill," she heard Lucien laugh, pride in his voice.
"Yeah, yeah..." She looked to him nodding, climbing over the wall. As she fell on the other side, she could hear the door open with a young, feminine voice speaking, "The children ar-" The rest of her sentence was cut off by a bloodcurdling scream. The two snickered and giggled as they ran off, finding a small little graveyard near a temple. She rested on the ground, more than use to sleeping in such a strange, creepy place.
"So, that was done. What do we do now?" Carciniea, rested her head on her arm, looking up to the still standing Lucien.
"Patience, my Listener. We just need to wait. Tomorrow we head north to the Eastmarch hold. Provided if they haven't tracked you, already."
"They can't be that fast-"
"Don't be so sure. Remember when we met, it was only a few hours after your little duel," he smirked, "I remember that night so clearly, thinking now. You slept as if you had never done a single thing wrong." He laughed. "Such deception..."
"Yeah, yeah," she snorted, "Please, those were the times of my life. Every night with Ocheeva and Teinava, those small contract-dates with Mathieu..." She noticed Lucien grimace and ball his fist, her voice dropping immediately.
She turned away from him, her vision blurring as she soon felt the vague, yet familiar feeling of slumber approaching. She felt a ghostly hand brush her face, hearing her old friend whisper, "Sleep, sleep while you can. Tomorrow is a new day with a new life to be taken. A step closer to filling your destiny..."
She tried to keep her eyes open, seeing something in the shadows move. Something kept her from speaking, though, as if she no longer had the power to speak or warn her friend. Her eyes fell with heavy reluctance, her paranoia being sedated as she soon felt herself dream.
The next morning, she was more than surprised to wake up still in Riften, no kidnapping nor any strange intrusions as she slept. Lucien was still with her, which made her feel that much safer.
"You are awake," he said in a low voice, noticing her opened eyes, "That is good. We have a new destination: Windhelm, just North of here."
"Who makes these names? Gods," she groaned, climbing to her feet. As she made her way out of the slummy city, her hand "accidentally" slipping into people's pockets every now and then with the reward of a few shiny coins for the ride.
Outside the stables, she laid the coins on the bench that carriage man sat on, going around to climb on. "Windhelm," she stated, not bothering for him to proceed with his question. The trip was going to be long, she already knew. She rested her head on the back on the wagon, closing her eyes.
She zoned out for the rest of the time, though she wasn't actually sleeping. She could feel them approach the city as the roads became more busy with travelers, the air slowly growing colder and crisper, and the distant sound of horses. She jumped as they came to an abrupt stop, knocking her off the bench she sat on. She could hear Lucien reminisce to himself, taking in the sight of the old city, "Such a wonderful city. White as bane, cold as the Void."
She rubbed her cold arms as she planted herself in the snow. She walked up the stone steps, crossing the old, grand bridge. "Okay," she breathed, feeling her nose turn a light pink, "Where do we find this Aretino boy again?"
"That, my Listener, is up to you. You can't rely on me for everything," he chuckled, his ghostly figure disappearing back into the Void as she entered the city.
"Okay," she growled to herself, feeling the cold violently nip at her face, "Note to self: Lucien can't be trusted for shit."
She rubbed her arms once more, embracing the striking cold as she pulled one guard to the side.
"Sir, could you spare a moment?" This had captured his attention, though cueing him with a making reply. "Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll?" This had irritated her, but she didn't let it show. "Actually, I'm looking for an Aventus Aretino?" The guard's face paled, his eyes slowly widening with confusion and slight anger. She quickly added, "I'm with the Orphanage, you see. I-" "Say no more. If you really are, take him. He's bringing an evil into this city. He's over yonder," he pointed to a general direction to the right.
She kindly nodded, trying to blend in with the crowd of people in the quaint neighborhood. At one part she heard a Dunmer and small Nord boy talking, mentioning Aventus - this had captured her attention. She guessed the house was the boy's residence, lock picking her way in when the coast was clear.
"Grelod, you old crone! You'll get what you deserve..." She heard a young, tired voice as she entered the residence. This must be Aventus Aretino. "Please, how much long must I keep doing this? I keep praying, but nobody's coming."
She tried to crane her neck to get a small glance, accidentally stumbling over a small basket with a letter inside. She quickly scanned the letter, a feeling of pain stabbing her in the heart. This was the letter given to him before he left to Riften.
She stood through the doorway, surprised he hadn't noticed her yet. She could see from the corner of her eye a familiar blue light as Lucien reformed once more.
"Pity, isn't it?" There was mockery in his voice. She ignored him, sitting herself next to the boy.
Aventus' eyes widened with a warm joy, one she saw once before. "You came! I knew you would!" He hugged her tightly, Carciniea having little choice but to hug back. She couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright?"
"I am now! Finally, the Dark Brotherhood assassin comes and saves the day! I knew you'd come!" He laughed. She remained silent, seeing the jubilant youth bringing back memories. "You don't have to say anything. You probably want to get to business, don't ya? To fill your contract?" She nodded. "You know, you remind me of my mom before she... Before I was all alone. Before I was sent to that terrible orphanage with that cruel headmistress..."
Carciniea's head turned back to Lucien, who still wore a mocking smile. She turned back to the boy, "Ah, yes, Grelod... It turns out, I already killed her."
"Really? This is the best news I've ever gotten! I know you guys are good, but this good? No way!" He laughed once more, before scurrying into the next room, going through some old baskets, "Here, it's a family heirloom. Should be pretty valuable."
Carciniea looked at the plate, then to the boy. She handed it back, pulling the child into one more hug. She patted him on the head, quietly getting up to leave.
"A bit emotional back there, were we?" She heard Lucien comment as she quietly climbed down the steps back into the cold air. There, she let out a long sigh, murmuring, "He reminded me of my kids, actually. Broke my heart seeing him..." She rubbed her eyes, heading out to the Candlehearth Hall.
There, standing right outside the door, she felt an unimaginable amount of pain in the back of her head. She tried calling for Lucien, who seemed to have disappeared once more. She leaned herself against the door, fumbling for her weapon, when another strike hit and she fell to the cold floor, everything turning to black.