CHAPTER 1
Seth crouched in a dark corner. He could not be seen in his dark brotherhood armour, but he had to keep wraithguard behind his back, it would be easily visible in dark. He had been assigned this writ by Eno Hlaalu himself and had been told to make the man suffer. He didn't bother asking what the man had done or to whom, it didn't matter. All that mattered was subtlety and efficiency. He wasn't ready for this, however.
Seth was the kind of person who you may call a cold blooded killer. He enjoyed killing and decided to join the morag tong and get paid to do what he loved. So far it had worked great. He may like killing but he didn't like killing around children. He had this experience himself as a boy. Now he faced a dilemma...failure or personal problems? He had never failed, and never would fail...perhaps he would just have to wait, but his problem was soon solved as he heard the man talking to his son.
"Pladius, i need you to go to nalcarya of white haven, the alcemist, and tell her to finish the potion I asked for as soon as possible."
"Yes, father."
The boy stepped out the door and the house was left in silence. The target was standing there, thinking very deeply about something. Perhaps he had planned something and someone had found out and placed a bounty on his head? That did not matter. Now was his chance, and Seth would not allow himself to fail. He hadn't done it yet and would not start.
Seth snuck up behind the man, slowly and quietly. He drew keening from it's sheath on his right thigh and slowly put it between the legs of his target. As he touched the blade against the man's artery he began to turn around. Too late. Seth had already pulled back, slicing the artery in two and the man fell to the ground, gasping as blood poured from the wound.
Seth left him this way and went upstairs for a bit of looting. Why not? The morag tong didn't pay very good and he had to make a living. After relieving the man of a bit of gold he took his leave, quietly sliding out the front door of the house and proceeding into the dark alley.
He had not taken 5 steps before he heard a door open and the sound of a young boy screaming. Seth smiled, he loved screaming, even from a child as long as he didn't have to see the child doing it. Adults didn't bother him. In fact, he enjoyed seeing adults scream and yell in pain or sorrow, but children, that was different.
He stood in the alley and pulled out of his side pouch a small ring. Silently he said "Vivec."
When Seth came to his senses the first thing he saw was an indoril helm.
"Who are you?" asked the ordinator.
Seth drew keening and quickly grabbed the ordinator around the neck, twisted him around, and came up behind with keening pressed firmly against his neck. Soon ordinators were pouring into the room and Seth backed up a bit and made sure that no one was behind him.
"Last time i checked teleportation was not a crime."
"I simply asked who you were."
"You knew what you were getting at, don't play stupid. You know damn well who i am."
"No I do-"
At that moment, the ordinator noticed that the blade pressed against his neck was keening.
"I'm very sorry..."
"Yes, now if you wouldn't mind I have things to attend to."
Seth then let go of the ordinator and stepped out of high fane. From there he proceeded to the gondolier and politely said "Arena, please."
When he arrived at the arena, Seth quickly stepped off the boat and climbed the steep inclined plane and entered the waistworks section. From here he proceeded to the canalworks to the storage room and, after killing the 2 rats that always seemed to reappear, he opened the trapdoor in the small room to the right of the storage room and descended the ladder into the Morag Tong HQ.
As he entered, he took his helm off, revealing his ashen face and his long black hair which automatically stood up and to the back. He was a very handsome dunmer, young and smart. He always absorbed every single bit of information about his surroundings and never forgot it. After a while this became more of a habit than a task.
He walked down the narrow walkway and turned a corner, ascending the staircase and stopping at the top to greet the familiar faces. He was cold-blooded, cruel, deranged, and mad, but he was also polite.
Asfter greeting everyone he looked up at the walkway above his head. He never took the stairs. He jumped up, grabbed the ledge of the stone "bridge," and pulled himself up gracefully. From there he walked into the bedroom of Eno Hlaalu and tilted his head in a sort of bow before saying
"It's done."
"I know," replied Hlaalu
There was a moment of silence, Seth didn't want to ask him for his payment...that would be rude.
"And your payment..."
Hlaalu opened a chest and pulled out a bag containing 1000 septims, which he handed to Seth. Seth put tied it to his side before asking
"Have you any other jobs for me?"
"Well, there is one open but this is something that not even you would do i think."
"Yes? What is it?"
"It will involve killing one of your closest friends."
"Who?"
"King Hlaalu Helseth."
"What?!"
King Helseth was one of Seth's few friends and probably his closest. Seth could think of nothing to say.
"Apparently he has decided he doesn't like us and poisened one of our assassins. A man who was dining with him to discuss his connections with the dark brotherhood."
Seth remained silent.
"I will not ask you to do this, but if you don't i will send someone else. He will die anyway. Why not profit from his death? The reward will be great. The Royal Signet Ring. I know you want it. You know you want it. Now is your chance to get it."
"Something has changed in you, Hlaalu. You are not the same."
"You will call me 'sir,' not 'Hlaalu.' If you cannot respect your superiors-"
"Superior? You are not my superior. I am the reincarnated nerevar. Not a reincarnated slave. You have crossed a line. Now a wall has been built on that line and you will not get over it. You have made a mistake, be prepared to pay for it. You used to be an honourable man, now you are nothing but a fallen demon. I take mt leave...but i shall see you in times to come. And if you do try to kill helseth, be sure to send someone who will not be missed."
Seth concentrated once more on his ring and said very clearly, "Mournhold"
Before Seth noticed what he was doing he was already walking toward the royal palace. He had to warn Helseth. He entered the courtyard, from there went into the reception area and then up the stairs and into the throne room where Helseth was already standing.
"Seth, my friend, It has been too long." he said cheerfully
"This is not the time to be cheerful." replied Seth in a sort of hiss
"What is it?"
"I'm afraid you have been marked for death by the morag tong. They wanted me to do it but i couldn't. Something has changed in Hlaalu as well. He is not himself anymore."
"Do you know who is doing it? Who is after me?"
"No, but he will send his best. I just thought i would warn you. Tighten security and place more guards in your chambers. I suggest Dark Brotherhood members since you have connections with them. They don't do this kind of work but if you pay high enough..."
"Or if the nerevarine orders them. They believe in you too you know."
"I am not nerevar. I am Seth, assassin and friend of King Hlaalu Helseth. They may say i am nerevar reincarnated but i do not care. I am me, not a legendary saint."
"You know this, i know this, and certain other people know this. But the fact is that the Dark Brotherhood doesn't. I know you use the name 'Nerevarine' to get some things that you want. Don't try to tell me you don't. So why not use it now? Go to them."
"I will, and hopefully i will return with good news. Meanwhile, tighten security and stay in here. Get as many guards as you can fit in this room but stay in here. Have a few men guarding each entrance from outside and in. When i get back hopefully i will bring a few of the Dark Brotherhood with me as well."
"Very well. Be careful down there, my friend."
"Careful? Not me. There is no need."
With that, Seth walked out of the throne room and into the temple courtyard. From there he traveled to the great bazaar and to the entrance of the bazaar sewers. He made sure he had everything with him before opening the trap door and descending the ladder.
Seth landed in the water with a splash. He then paused to try and interpret the smell of this place...it was very strange, like stale death. Of course, Seth liked death but the smell was horrible. He climbed the incline to his left and greeted the khajiit at the top.
"Hello."
The khajiit said nothing.
"Hello"
The khajiit remained silent, which was rude. And Seth hated rude. He pulled keening from it's sheath and held held it near his face, as if examining it.
"It truly is a beautiful blade. Don't you agree?"
"Am i supposed to be afraid?" asked the khajiit
"Very..." replied Seth
"Then why am i not?"
"Because you aren't very bright. Can you do me a favour?"
"What favour?"
"BLEED!"
Seth lunged toward the khajiit who jumped to his left, as he did this Seth made a clockwise spin, slashing the foolish cat in it's thigh. As he did this, the khajiit's leg gave out.
"Don't you wish tendins were a bit stronger?"
"No one has aim like that..."
"...except for me." his smile was hidden by his helm.
Seth slowly walked toward the khajiit and put the tip of keening firmly agaist his forehead.
"Let's play a game. If i can get the blade a centimeter into your forehead without you screaming, you can live."
"A centimeter? My skull is probably not even that thick."
"Then pray that it is..."
He pushed a bit more and the blade slowly pushed further into the khajiit's head, just peircing the skin. As this happened the khajiit screamed.
"Too bad.."
Seth pushed hard this time, and keening went far enough into the head of the cat that Seth's hand was touching him. He then pulled it away and turned to see a large ball of firing speeding toward him. He leapt to the right and looked forward to see a bonelord. He sheathed keening and drew a throwing star from a small pouch on his side. Dodging another blast of elemental fire he quickly released the silver throwing star. It made impact with the bonelord, sticking into it's neck. The creature disappeared in a flash of light. All that remained were a few bone and a skull.
"This could be fun.." he said to himself.
He ran silently forward, taking a right at the next turn which, from what he remembered from his last "visit" led to the manor district, the Headquarters of the Dark Brotherhood in Mournhold.
As he entered another section of the bazaar sewers, which looked much like a cave, he heard a clinking noise. He came to a halt and crouched, taking full advantage of the little darkness he had thanks to the torches that lined the walls of the "cave." As he rounded a corner Seth saw a skeleton with an iron sheild and in it's sheath what looked like a silver longsword. He decided to have a bit of fun instead of...what would the word be? He thought to himself. Can you "kill" a skeleton? He dismissed the thought and waited for the creature to turn around. Then, he slowly crept up behind it and drew keening. He jumped up, almost hitting his head on the top of the cavern, and slammed the blade into the skull of the skeleton, who fell to the ground along with him. Seth got back up and, laughing silently, continued his journey to the manor district. After a short walk he came to a dort of room. A part of the cave that was wider and taller that the tunnel he had traveled through. Standing there in the middle was a lich and a skeleton champion. On the far end, which was another tunnel, was an ancestor ghost.
He pulled two throwing stars from his pouch and threw the one in his right hand across the "room," hitting the ancestor ghost, which disappeared. He switched the one in his left hand to his right and decided the skeleton would be the easiest to kill up close...so he threw the star at it. He liked a challenge and the lich would be better than the skeleton to give it to him. The star hit the skeleton in the head, staying there and falling with the creature. The lich saw this and turned to Seth. He hesitated for a moment, as if waiting for Seth to move but when he didn't the lich started firing. Seth jumped into the room and dodged everything coming at him. He began laughing, and this only angered the already vicious lich who fired faster and faster, left and right, frantically trying to land a spell. He finally did, an absorb speed spell. All of a sudden Seth began to slow down as the lich sped up. He was being hit by a number of spells, ranging from drain health, fire damage, and blind. He pulled a potion fro his pouch and drank it. Invisibility. He could barely move but used what energy he had left to get out of the line of fire. After a moment he could see again and looked toward the lich, who could not see him, and began to speak. He said a short incantation and the lich began to shake rather violently. Seth drank another potion, restore magicka and said the same thing again. After a few seconds the lich fell to the floor. Seth pulled a rather large number of potions from his pouch, they were all he had left but he needed to be strong. He drank every one. Restore health, magicka, fatigue, strength, speed, agility, etc., but now he was out. No more healing, and no more challenges. This place was more dangerous than he thought...
Seth proceeded down the tunnel. He hadn't gone far before coming to the entrance to the manor discrict. He opened it and closed it behind him very quietly. He could smell water and knew he would not be able to sneak through it, he would just have to dive deep. If you are an assassin, especially an assassin in his position, subtlety was a virtue.
When he reached the water he noticed it was too deep to sneak through and too shallow to swim deep enough to remain hidden, so he pressed his back against the wall and rounded the corner. Once he had made it around he saw a member of the brotherhood not far in front of him, with his back turned. As Seth approached, the man turned and drew his dagger. Luckily, Seth's hand was behind his back so wraithguard wasn't visible.
"Sheath your weapon." he said calmly
"Who are you?" asked the assassin
"Who do i look like? Or do you not notice the brotherhood armour?"
"Why are you not at your post?"
"Because i was busy killing innocent people. That is what we do is it not?"
"What is your rank?"
"Uhhh..."
"Well?"
Seth quickly reached down and pulled Keening from it's sheath on his thigh and, in one graceful movement, spun clockwise and slashed the assassin's stomach. The man let out a bellow of pain and fell to the floor. Before he could scream again Seth closed in and thrust keening into his throat, drowning out his cries. Seth then pulled Keening from the assassin's throat, wiped it on the man's armour, and sheathed it.
He hadn't gone very far before coming across a stone staircase that went halfway up a wall, from there a large wooden ladder would carry you the rest of the way up into a sort of loft. Standing at the top was yet another assassin. Seth pulled a throwing star from his pouch and threw it, after he watched the man fall he began climbing.
Once he reached the top, Seth saw 2 more assassins in another "room." He closed in and saw 2 more in the tunnel beyond, 3 more above him in yet another loft, and no telling how many more in the tunnels above. How could he go about doing this? He surely couldn't sneak past them all.
[i]EDIT: (minque) All 5 parts in one post now and I delete your other posts!
Tell me if i have mispelled anything, I have edited it already but may not have gotten everything.
Cool! I really like how you write your fight scenes (assasination scenes?), and I hope you will write more.
). I play as an assassin member of the Morag Tong in Morrowind, so this kind of story really is really interesting. It's different and well-written. :goodjob: