XII

It was too easy.

Dronos parried and dodged the guards' attacks with ease. Watching him fight was like watching a dancer. Every move he made was imbued with a lethal grace. Every movement was calculated and executed to be as effective as possible... and as deadly as possible.

His daggers swirled in his hands like the brushes of a talented painter who drew lines of blood on the bodies of his enemies and made their death a true work of art. The dunmer could not understand how Rilos could have failed in his mission, for even if they were trained, the khan's guards were no match.

He and his brother had trained from an early age to be Morag Tong assassins. In their homeland, the constant plots and struggles for influence between the great noble houses had created a real trade in assassination. The Morag Tong was a politically neutral organisation that only hired out its services and agents to the highest bidder. The two brothers were in great demand for their skills in this field. Unfortunately, a small infraction of the rules had led to their banishment from the organisation and they had preferred to flee Morrowind to escape possible reprisals[1]. Upon joining the cult, they continued to practice their skills for more personal purposes.

The last Khajiit guard collapsed to the ground, his throat slit with unerring precision. The room was now deathly silent, turned upside down by the fight that had just taken place. Dronos' mission was almost over. There was only one thing left to do.

- "Well, Princess..." he said grimly, turning to his prey. "I think it's time for us to leave..."

The dunmer assassin ducked just in time to dodge a flowerpot that grazed against his hood before crashing into the wall in his back.

Far from being disconcerted or terrified, Princess Shazira held up another vase, ready to throw it. At first surprised by the dark elf's intrusion, the young khajiit had quickly pulled herself together to face him. She was now very angry at the sight of this man who reminded her of the one who had coldly and severely mutilated her brother in Rimmen. She was determined not to let this happen even though her hands were shaking and her heart was pounding in her chest. In truth, she was terrified.

- "Come on, princess," the dark elf tried to reason with her. "There's no need for such violence. "

- "Don't come any closer!" shouted Shazira.

- "Don't be so bitter. I promise you this whole affair will be over soon and no one else will get hurt if you follow me nicely."

- "What do you want from me?!"

Dronos could tell that the young Khajiit was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and he preferred to settle the whole thing quietly. He already had wasted enough time.

- "Me? I don't want anything from you, princess," he said in his softest voice. "But I know someone who is eager to meet you. "

- "What on earth are you talking about?!"

- "Everything will soon be revealed to you, Princess. But for that, you must follow me." Standing up on his legs, Dronos approached with slow steps. "Also... you have nowhere to run."

The dunmer was telling the truth. There was only one door out of the room, and the assassin was between it and her prey. She had no escape.

- "Be reasonable and put that vase down... you wouldn't want to hurt yourself, would you?"

The princess was hesitant. In her heart she knew he was right. If she tried to run away, her attacker would soon catch up with her and she was no match for him. The situation seemed hopeless for Shazira but Dronos remained wary because the reactions of a cornered prey were always unpredictable. One step after the other, the assassin approached her. The game was already won, he thought, smiling under his hood.

Suddenly, something changed in the young khajiit's attitude. Her hands had stopped shaking and her eyes now had a rebellious and fierce glint. She was going to attack, Dronos thought. And as the dark elf had anticipated, the princess raised the vase high above her head to throw it. He was about to dodge the projectile when his prey surprised him once more.

Shazira turned around in a flash and threw the flowerpot into the nearest window. The latter exploded noisily in a shower of broken glass and the furious wind of the storm immediately rushed into the room. Without missing a beat, the princess dived through the broken window. She landed into a flowerbed and staggered to her feet after such a fall. Her arms and legs were covered in cuts and her right paw hurts. Ignoring her injuries and the pain, the young khajiit ran without delay.

Leaning out of the broken window, Dronos watched his prey hobbling away into the night.

The princess had surprised him greatly with her fearlessness and ingenuity. The room was located on the first floor of the manor and although the height was not lethal, it took a lot of courage to make such a jump. Although impressed, Dronos did not forget his mission. He jumped out of the window and landed nimbly on the hard ground of the courtyard.

The hunt was not over.

* * * * *

Sitting on his bed and holding his head in his hands, Alberic struggled against his headache. He had never experienced such a hangover.

He still felt a little euphoric and the colours still seemed so bright. The sounds were amplified a hundredfold and the rain that was now falling outside sounded like a drum concert in his ears. His mind was clear, however, and he remembered the events of the evening a little better. He remembered the urgency of the situation and could not shake off the bad feeling about Shazira. He had to be with her to protect her.

But it wasn't easy to protect anyone when you couldn't even stand up for more than five seconds. He sighed as he saw the sad state he was in.

Alberic thought his eardrums would burst when the door to the annex opened with a bang. Shazira entered like a fury and the young Breton wondered if it was her or another hallucination... he really shouldn't have eaten those almond doughnuts. Usually the princess was light-footed and made no noise when she walked, but to the young man's ears her hurried steps now made as much noise as a herd of aurochs.

- "Keep it down... my skull is going to explode," he grumbled. "And I'm in no condition for another reading."

- "Alberrric!" she cried, throwing herself at his feet. "You have to help me!"

Something in the tone of her voice immediately alarmed the young mercenary, who could read the panic and fear in her eyes. He just wished she would have screamed a little quieter for his poor ears.

- "What's going on, Shazi?

- "He's behind me! He's going to hurt me!"

- "What are you talking about? Who wants to hurt you?"

The princess didn't answer. She was just staring in horror at the front door. Alberic had never seen her in such a state of panic. Intrigued by her behaviour, he followed her gaze and felt his blood freeze in his veins.

In the doorway stood the dark figure of a man dressed in leather, his face hidden under a hood. His eyes glowed in the darkness as he stared coldly at the two teenagers. But what caught the young mercenary's attention were the two bloody daggers in his hand. They looked cruel and menacing with their curved, serrated edges.

Alberic struggled to his feet and pushed the princess behind him. The sight of the armed assassin had instantly dissipated his headache but not his dizziness and he clumsily reached for his sword.

- "Stay behind me, Shazi," he said in a confident voice.

Despite his difficulty in holding his weapon steady, he felt strangely confident in his abilities. The moon sugar he had eaten was still working and the young breton felt capable of moving mountains. Even the wounds in his back no longer hurt.

Dronos looked at him with an amused eyebrow. A kid with a sword against a former Morag Tong assassin. The matter would be settled quickly. He was even going to have a little fun with the poor boy.

- "So the princess has found a Charming Prince to defend her," he said mockingly. "How quaint."

- "Back off, demon," braved the young breton. "You shall not touch her!"

- "Quaint... really."

Stung by his opponent's morgue, Alberic hurled at him, screaming like hell. Too predictable. The dunmer dodged the blow with contemptuous ease. The sword stuck deep into the wooden floor and the boy pulled on his weapon to try to get it out. Dronos would have had at least ten chances to kill him while he retrieved his weapon, but it was so much more fun to watch him struggle like a clumsy little puppy.

- "A formidable protector you've found there, princess," the assassin sneered.

This did not discourage Alberic and he finally managed to pull his sword from the floor. He then began a series of blows as imprecise as they were clumsy, which his opponent dodged or parried with the same contemptuous ease. The dark elf would have almost laughed at such clumsiness, but he remained a professional above all.

Taking advantage of an opening in the young mercenary's guard, Dronos delivered a violent kick to his stomach. Alberic collapsed against a chest of drawers, disarmed and breathless. He grumbled as he tried to get to his feet despite his dizziness and shaky legs. That was enough for the assassin, who felt he had had enough fun.

- "I'm afraid that's the end of our little game, my boy," he said darkly. "Me and the princess have some business to attend to. It's nothing personal, so I hope you won't mind."

As he said this, he tightened his grip on his daggers. Dronos was no longer playing. The next time the boy tried to attack him would be his last. Now unarmed and still shaken by the blow he had just received, Alberic did not admit defeat. He didn't know where his energy came from and why he didn't feel any pain. Was it because of the moon sugar? Or was it because he knew the princess was in danger? Probably a bit of both. Whatever the case, he rushed at his opponent once again in a way that the dunmer had not anticipated.

An experienced warrior never parted with his weapon and the assassin had expected the boy to try to retrieve his sword. He was caught completely off guard when his opponent threw himself at him with his bare hands. The dark elf knew nothing about Alberic. He was not a warrior by nature, just a peasant. And peasants were more used to wrestling in the mud than fighting with weapons.

Alberic grabbed Dronos by the waist and the two opponents rolled to the ground, embracing like two drunken lovers as they struggled. The moon sugar gave the young breton incredible strength and he even managed to disarm the assassin.

- "Run, Shazi," he shouted. "I'll hold him back!"

Dronos was furious at having been caught off guard by an apparently drunken teenager. He quickly pulled himself together and, after a few smooth movements, managed to get away from his opponent. His hand slipped into his leather suit and he pulled out a stylus which he stuck into Alberic's shoulder. Alberic grunted as he felt the metal point digging deep into his flesh and finally released his grip. The dark elf then kicked him away again.

The blade was coated with a very special poison that paralyzed its victims before slowly killing them. The assassin did not know how the boy could still move, but he was no longer a threat. Despite the defiant gleam in his eyes, he could only crawl on the ground as the poison slowly took effect.

Dronos looked back at the princess, who was watching the scene, horrified and helpless. But in a last gasp of temerity, she grabbed Alberic's sword. She was not strong enough to hold it and had to use both hands. Even so, the blade felt heavy in her delicate hands. She didn't care. She just couldn't stand by while her friend was being killed.

- "Get away from him!" she shouted. "Or else..."

The assassin sighed at the stubbornness of the young khajiit. This was getting to be too much and he preferred not to damage his catch. The High Priest Jaro's orders were very clear on this matter. Bring the princess back alive and intact. He then had an idea to subdue the rebellious kitten.

Picking up one of his daggers, he placed a foot on Alberic's wounded shoulder. The boy groaned in pain but could barely move. Shazira immediately jumped at the scene.

- "What are you doing?! Stop this immediately!"

- "Or else what? You're going to slash me with that sword you barely hold in your hand?"

The princess did not answer. The dark elf was right and she knew it very well. She was powerless and that only increased her frustration.

- "Here's what's going to happen, princess," Dronos said in a threatening voice. "You will kindly put down that sword and come with me without the slightest resistance. If you refuse to obey..."

The assassin bent down to let the his blade caress the back of Alberic's neck.

- "I fear your friend will have to suffer for your stubbornness."

Shazira felt every hair on her body stand on end. If she tried to resist, she would lose the only friend she ever had. The princess met the assassin's gaze. It was like looking into the eyes of a snake, cold and deadly... he would not hesitate to carry out his threat.

Slowly, the princess lowered the sword in her hand. She could not and would not be responsible for Alberic's death. The weapon slipped from her hands and fell to the ground with a clink. Dronos smiled as he saw the young khajiit capitulate.

- "You are finally being reasonable, Princess. Now you will..."

- "What's going on here?" came a new voice.

All eyes turned to Imril. He had just come out of the storeroom and was staring at the scene in amazement, a basket full of flowers and herbs in his hand.

The assassin turned to detail the newcomer. He had already seen and killed enough altmer to recognize one at a glance. It was his attire, however, that caught his attention. With his long, loose robes, he immediately identified him as a mage and this didn’t please the dark elf who immediatly saw him as a new threat. A dangerous threat.

Without wasting another second in vain reflection, Dronos leapt towards Imril, his dagger ready to strike. The surest way to eliminate a mage was to deal with him as quickly as possible and not give him any time to cast a spell.

Surprised by this attack, the high elf backed up quickly and slammed into the doorframe of the storeroom. The assassin would be on him in a second and he raised his arms in a last reflex while babbling incomprehensible words. He was trying to cast a spell, Dronos thought, but he wouldn't have time. Casting a spell required a minimum of preparation and focus and Imril clearly didn't seem ready.

But against all odds, he managed to cast a spell.

The dark elf had expected to see crackling lightning or a cone of flame from the mage's hands... but he certainly didn't expect what was to come. Imril's hands began to glow with a pale, bluish light, almost blinding. The next moment, small electrical crackles sounded and an intense flash lit up the room with a firecracker sound. Any magician witnessing the scene would have come to the same conclusion. The spell had failed, due to a lack of focus or control.

There was nothing more dangerous than a spell out of control, for the effects were totally unpredictable. In this case, the room was suddenly filled with an intense cold and a cloud of snow burst from the mage's hands to strike Dronos in the face. The assassin staggered backwards in surprise. His feet slipped on the floor, now frozen by the side effects of the failed spell. Unable to secure his grip on the floor, he toppled backwards and fell heavily. The dark elf never knew what had killed him when his neck hit the frame of one of the beds. His lifeless body now lay on the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Dronos, former elite assassin of the Morag Tong and follower of the daedric cult of Ophia, was dead, his neck broken after slipping on a frozen sheet.

There was now a heavy silence in the mercenary quarters, interrupted only by Alberic's faint grunts. Shazira stared at the lifeless body of the assassin, puzzled. Imril's hands were still raised and he was gasping for breath, unable to move and clearly in shock, his long blue mage robe now soiled at the crotch. His legs finally gave way under him and he slid to the floor against the doorpost.

At the entrance, Flavia was also watching the scene in disbelief.

She had arrived just in time to witness the dark elf's last moments. A few seconds later, Gunnar arrived behind her, out of breath from his run. He looked around at the occupants of the room, then at the lifeless body of the assassin.

- "Did I miss something?" he asked breathlessly.

* * * * *

With Dronos death, the fights at the Golden Cane Farm quickly ceased. The mysterious assailants had lost all cohesion and fled to disappear in the night.

The damages were considerable. Dozens of Khajiit farmers were dead, their bodies still lying on the ground or in the ponds. Some of the crops had been burnt, as well as the houses of the workers on the outskirts of the estate. But the enemy had also paid a high price. Many adepts had died under the blows of the mercenaries and the guards. Their bodies and those of their victims lay strewn across the estate.

With all the commotion and the storm still blowing furiously, no one had yet set about the task of cleaning up or repairing the damage. The Khajiit workers were too busy tending to their own people to deal with the fires, and the rain that was now pouring down was slowly putting out the fires. Many farmers were still hiding in the fields and small groups of guards were searching the crops for them.

Lady Toziri's mansion had been hastily converted into a makeshift hospital to house the homeless workers. The corridors and private rooms were filled with shocked and injured khajiits. Flavia slalomed between them to reach their host's work study. Her armour and clothes were soaked. She and Gunnar had just patrolled the estate to clear out the remaining attackers and the area was now secure. The mercenary's gaze was hard and determined as she pushed open the office door.

Lady Toziri was there, along with Councillor Sahkar and Captain Tasarr. Bending over a map of the property, they were busy assessing the damage and supervising the rescue effort. As Flavia entered, the Khajiit captain looked up.

- "Captain Flavia. What is your report?"

- "We've checked the estate and there's no trace of the enemy," she replied with her usual discipline.

- "Good..." sighed Lady Toziri. "We have enough problems on our hands. Thank you for your cooperation, Captain."

As if the conversation was over, the khajiits returned to their examination of the map to decide what to do next. They had certainly expected Flavia to leave the room and return to her duties, but she did not move an inch.

- "Is there anything else, Captain?" asked Lady Toziri.

- "Yes... I would like to know more about the enemy who attacked us tonight."

- "We've told you over and over again, Captain Flavia. The Khan Razirr'Ri has many enemies," Councilor Sahkar grumbled, "and we have more pressing matters to attend to."

Flavia didn't respond, merely approaching the desk where the map of the domain was laid out. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a soggy object, which she threw on the desk. It was a piece of cloth from the dress of one of the masked assailants. The symbol of the serpent coiled around a skull was clearly visible.

- "Our enemies wore this," she said sternly.

- "So what? What are you getting at?" the old khajiit continued suspiciously.

- "Those who bear a grudge against Lord Razirr'Ri and his daughter are no ordinary enemies, are they?" Flavia spoke calmly, "Who exactly are we up against?"

The khajiits exchanged wary glances. They seemed reluctant to respond and it was finally Councillor Sahkar who spoke with his usual sullen manner.

- "How many times must I tell you that you and your men have been hired to protect the khan's daughter, not to ask questions about matters that do not concern you."

- "Allow me to contradict you, Councillor Sahkar," Flavia resumed defiantly. "As an officer, I must know as much as possible about our enemies in order to best protect the princess. Especially since one of my men was seriously injured tonight defending her and I demand to know why."

Irritated by the mercenary captain's insistence, the old khajiit was about to reply when Lady Toziri beat him to it with a single word.

- "Ophia."

- "Ophia?" Flavia raised an eyebrow at the name.

- "Lady Toziri, I'm not sure this is the right time," the advisor insisted. "The khan has been very clear about this!"

- "That is enough, Sahkar," the mistress continued with a sigh. "My brother thought Shazira would be safe here, but he was wrong. The situation is beyond us and we cannot keep it a secret any longer. The captain and her men risked their lives tonight. They at least deserve to know who we are up against."

The old khajiit seemed clearly disappointed by Lady Toziri's decision, but he said nothing. She was still the mistress of the place, and the sister of her khan after all.

- "Who is this Ophia?", Flavia asked again.

- "A daedra," the alfiq replied without further ado. "We are facing a daedra."

Flavia immediately frowned at this announcement. She had faced many enemies in the past, but she had never faced a daedra in person. Her gaze fell on the piece of cloth and the symbol painted on it. She knew at once that the mysterious assailants of this night must be its disciples and followers.

- "What do you know of this daedra?"

- "Not much, alas," admitted Lady Toziri. "We only know that she is one of Vaermina's[2] lieutenants.[3]"

- "Vaermina? That does not bode well..." Flavia looked worried. "But why would a daedra want the khan's daughter?"

- "As I told you before..." the alfiq sighed. "It's a long story."

- "Then I insist you tell it to me."

Lady Toziri nodded and told him the whole story in great detail. She told him of the daedra's arrival and the atrocities he had committed in Anequina. How her brother had confronted him and finally defeated him. She also spoke of the prophecy that was made to the khan when the demon died. Throughout her story, Flavia could not help but notice the anger on the face of Captain Tasarr'Do, whose father had been coldly murdered by the daedra.

Lady Toziri nodded and told her the whole story in great detail. She told her about the arrival of the daedra and the atrocities it had committed in Anequina. How her brother had confronted the demon and finally defeated it. She also spoke of the prophecy that was made to the khan when the daedra died. Throughout her story, Flavia could not help but notice the anger on the face of Captain Tasarr'Do, whose father had been coldly murdered by the daedra.

- "And that's how we got here," concluded Lady Toziri.

- "Quite a story, indeed," Flavia admitted. "And you say the princess doesn't know?"

- "Yes. My brother was always concerned about the safety of his children, especially his daughter. He didn't want to worry them any further. By the way, I would like my niece not to know anything about this story. In due time her father will tell her the truth himself. Can I count on your discretion?"

- "Of course, Lady Toziri. I understand the khan's feelings. The princess will not learn the truth from me or any of my men. You have my word."

The khajiits seemed relieved at this announcement. However, Flavia still had many questions.

- "Why didn't you tell us the truth from the beginning? "

- "Let me answer that question." Councillor Sahkar put his beads back on his muzzle. "Fighting daedras is not common. We were afraid you would refuse this contract knowing the supernatural and demonic nature of our enemy. Would you have accepted even knowing what we were facing?"

- "I understand better." The captain nodded. "Your reasoning is logical. But now that I and my men are here... we can't really go back."

Flavia now had a better understanding of the Khajiits' distrust. As a former officer of the Imperial Legion, she knew how unreliable mercenaries were. They fought only for gold and had no loyalty. They could run away from the battlefield or turn their coats in a heartbeat if it was more profitable for them.

- "Anyway... we have more pressing matters to attend to," she resumed, rubing her thumb under her eye patch. "What do we do now?"

- "That's the question we were asking ourselves as well." Captain Tasarr scratched his chin in thought.

- "I did say that. The princess would have been safer in Rimmen's palace," Councilor Sahkar grumbled, "We should return to the capital immediately."

- "The journey would be too long and the enemy knows the princess is here. They're probably watching us right now," the Khajiit captain countered. "Travelling in these conditions would not be wise, especially since we lost many guards tonight. We would only be handing them the princess on a silver platter by doing so."

- "What do you propose, then? Stay here and wait for that daedra and his minions to attack again?"

- "Perhaps we could ask the city of Corinthe for help. Hire more guards and mercenaries."

- "I'm not sure my brother is thrilled with the idea of bringing more outsiders into this," Lady Toziri sighed. "But it would take too long to send a messenger to the khan and wait for his reply. We may not have a choice. What do you think, Captain Flavia? You have more military experience than any of us, after all."

The mercenary captain had listened carefully to the suggestions of the khajiits and knew that the situation was not to their advantage. Half of Captain Tasarr's men had been killed during the attack and they were now outnumbered to effectively protect the princess. If the enemy decided to attack them again, they would not be able to resist. Evacuating Princess Shazira to a safe place was not an option either.

There was, however, one detail that disturbed Flavia to no end, and she was about to explain it when the office door opened wide. Gunnar entered the room, a worried look on his face.

- "Gentlemen, m’ladiy. Sorry to disturb you but..."

- "What is it, Gunnar?" asked Flavia with a frown. "Has the enemy returned?"

- "No. It's the kid," the Nord replied gravely. "He's not well... not well at all."

Notes:

[1] In order to be tolerated by the dark elf authorities, the Morag Tong follows a particularly strict set of rules. In particular, when an assassination contract is signed, the requested agent cannot kill any other person than those stipulated in the contract. Many Morag Tong assassins have been expelled from the organisation for breaking this simple rule.

[2] Vaermina is the daedra princess of dreams, nightmares and torture. She rules the plane of Oblivion known as 'Quagmire'. It is there that she collects the dreams and nightmares of mortals and no one knows what she does with these memories.

[3] Like human and elven societies, the daedras of Oblivion follow a structured hierarchy. The minor and intermediate daedras gather under a daedra prince whom they serve as their master. Occasionally, an intermediate daedra becomes powerful enough to have his own cult, usually without the knowledge of his master, who takes a dim view of such ambition.