XVIII

- "Make way !" Gunnar shouted.

The Nordic dispersed the khajiits who had gathered at the door of Princess Shazira's room. The servants moved swiftly away from the large mercenary to reveal a dead body on the floor. Lady Toziri was also present, an expression of surprise on her face.

- "When did this happen?" asked Flavia as she knelt down to examine the corpse.

The body was that of one of the Khajiit guards. The body was laying in the doorway of the room. His eyes were wide open and staring into space, his face frozen in an expression of intense surprise.

- "Only a few minutes ago," Gunnar replied, "it was one of the cat servants who found him when he brought the princess her lunch."

The captain squinted to examine the dead khajiit. He had a deep wound in his chest, right at his heart, and his blood had spilled onto the floor in a large pool. The body was cold and the blood clotted. He had been dead for some time.

- "And no one noticed anything before?" she asked as she stood up. "Where are the other guards?"

- "All dead, as well as several of the volunteers," the Nord answered. "Their bodies were found scattered all over the villa, as if someone had tried to hide them."

Flavia swore at this news. All this had happened while she was asleep. If she had stayed awake, she might have been able to prevent this disaster. A feeling of guilt began to creep over her, but she had no time to mope.

The captain stepped over the body into the room for a quick inspection. Apart from the sheets on the bed which were unmade, there was no mess in the room. The furniture was upright, the windows were closed and all the objects seemed to be in their place.

- "No doubt..." she turned to Lady Torizi. "Your niece has been taken away."

- "But... but how?!" The estate owner nearly choked.

- "There's no sign of a struggle in the room or in the hallway. Whoever did this eliminated the guards first before abducting the princess by surprise. It must have been someone who knew the inside of the villa very well."

- "You mean...?"

- "There is a traitor among us, yes."

- "My niece... kidnapped... but what are we going to do?"

- "We must find her and quickly," Flavia replied in a firm tone. "Find Captain Tasarr and Councilor Sahkar. We need to get organized before we start looking for her."

At the captain's calm and confidence, Lady Toziri quickly regained her composure and gave her orders to the khajiits nearby. They immediately obeyed and dispersed to search the villa from top to bottom.

Meanwhile, Flavia continued to inspect the room for clues. All she found was a rag the size of a handkerchief on the floor, which she grabbed and sniffed cautiously. It had an odour that the captain easily recognised. When she served in the legion, the healers used to use blisterwort to soothe their patients before treating or amputating them. No wonder the princess did not struggle against her attacker. The latter must have taken her completely by surprise.

Apart from the rag, Flavia could find no other clues that would give her more information about the identity of the traitor.

- "So, Captain," Gunnar asked from the entrance to the room. "What are we doing?"

- "We're getting ready to leave," she replied as she approached the Nord. "Go get Master Imril in the meantime. We'll need him."

- "That schmuck? What for?"

- "Do as I say."

Gunnar hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. He greeted his superior before leaving the mansion for their quarters where the elf had stayed to watch over Alberic. Flavia wasted no time in leaving the building, for every minute counted. Judging by the state of the guard's corpse, it had been several hours since the princess had been kidnapped and the mysterious traitor already had a precious head start.

Once outside, Flavia could see that confusion still reigned in the villa. Farmers and Khajiit servants were searching the property for more and more dead bodies. Most of them were the guards of Captain Tasarr'Do, but also some of the volunteer farmers. In total, a dozen men and women were dead. The captain couldn't believe it. How could one individual have killed so many people without anyone noticing? Another assassin? Could it be that there were several traitors among them?

There were many possibilities, but Flavia didn't waste time thinking. They had to get organised as quickly as possible to go after the enemy. Every minute was precious now.

The captain was drawn out of her thoughts by a particularly noisy gathering near the stables. Another body seemed to have been discovered. She quickly approached and pushed the confused farmers aside.

- "What's going on here?" she asked at once.

- "Oh, uh... we found Counsellor Sahkar, ma'am," one of the farmers replied, stepping aside to let her pass.

Flavia entered the stable. The place was dark and the horses were quietly eating their oats, unaware of the commotion outside. Squinting, the mercenary captain finally spotted the old Khajiit advisor curled up in an empty stall, his head down and his hands resting on his chest. He seemed to be asleep. It was only as she approached that Flavia noticed the dagger stuck in his chest.

She crouched down beside the body to examine it more closely. The old khajiit face was frozen and twisted in a grimace of pain, his hands gripping tightly the weapon responsible for his death. The dagger was buried deep in his chest, right down to the hilt, with only the handle visible. It was made of copper or bronze, covered with elegant arabesques finely chiselled. Its pommel was carved to represent the paw of a large feline. The weapon was clearly of Khajiit manufacture and curiously familiar to Flavia who swore she had seen it somewhere before. So there was indeed a traitor among them and her suspicions immediately turned to one person in particular.

The captain turned back to the farmers with a stern look.

- "What about Captain Tasarr'Do?" she asked coldly. "Where is he?"

* * * * *

Captain Tasarr'Do pulled on the horse's bridle and it stopped. Taking advantage of this stop, the khajiit looked around to get his bearings.

Since leaving the Golden Cane farm a few hours before dawn, he had headed north, guided by scraps of confused memory. He had carefully avoided the roads and moved slowly through the dense vegetation of Pelletine. Tasarr preferred to keep a low profile given the situation. Glancing back, he made sure his precious cargo was still in place.

Princess Shazira lay across the saddle, unconscious and with her hands securely tied with rope. She would not wake up for several hours with all the blisterwort essence she had inhaled. It was better this way, Tasarr thought. The more he looked at her, the more remorseful he felt.

He had known Shazira since she was a kitten and had seen her grow up within the walls of Rimmen. She was a child brimming with curiosity and innocence who had just had the misfortune to be the daughter of the khan Razirr'Ri. Captain Tasarr held no grudge against her. Against his father, on the other hand...

At first he had been grateful to the khan for taking him in and raising him among his own children. Then, with time, a resentment had built up inside him. He was still young when his father had died, killed by the daedra, but he remembered the pain as if it were yesterday. Ever since that day, a part of him held Lord Razirr'Ri responsible for not having been able to protect his father, who was his closest and most devoted friend.

As he watched the khan play with his children, Tasarr was filled with sadness and anger, having grown up without the father he so admired. Over the years, his resentment had softened but never completely disappeared. Then, in recent months, strange dreams had come to haunt his nights. His missing father was talking to him and begging for help. At first, the captain thought they were just nightmares, but they kept coming back, night after night, begging him to be freed. With time, the visions became clearer and Tasarr learned that his father was not only dead, but that his soul had also been stolen by the daedra and taken to Oblivion. The daedra agreed to free his soul, but on one condition: that the khan's daughter be brought to him.

Captain Tasarr had at first refused to obey, for his anger against the demon was still strong. But the dreams became more and more insistent and the pleas of his dead father finally got the better of his tenacity. Especially since Lord Razirr'Ri had never told him about the fate of his father's soul.

Everyone knew the story of the great Khan who had defied and defeated the terrible daedra to bring peace to his people, but almost no one had heard of the valiant companions who had helped him in that fight. They were all dead and forgotten. Only orphans like Tasarr remembered them.

The grudge that had been brewing in Captain Tasarr'Do's heart had suddenly been awakened and this had made it easier for him to act. He might not be able to bring his father back from the dead, but he could at least help his soul so that he could leap to the sand behind the stars. That was his duty as a son. But even knowing this, he could not suppress his remorse. Princess Shazira was innocent of her father's sins and she certainly did not deserve such a fate. But the daedra had been very clear and would not accept any other compromise.

The khajiit looked away from the princess with a sigh. Another weight was on his conscience. He had killed all the guards under his command with his own hands, as well as innocent farmers. He knew some of them well, who had served under him for many years already... but Tasarr was willing to do anything to allow his father's soul to rest in peace.

Killing them without raising the alarm was easy. The captain himself had organised the guard tours on the estate and knew who went where and when. His hands were still stained with the blood of his men because he had not been able to spare any of them. This way, no one could come after him.

Tasarr, however, had not planned to kill Councillor Sahkar. The latter had surprised him while he was taking Shazira unconscious to the stables. He had no choice but to silence him as well. Apparently, the counsellor suspected that there was a traitor in the princess's entourage and he kept a close eye on the captain. But he was old and frail and eliminating him was very easy. It was a pity, Tasarr thought. If he hadn't been so suspicious and picky, he might have lived a little longer.

There was still the problem of the mercenaries hired by the Khan to look after his daughter. They were experienced and dangerous soldiers, especially Captain Flavia. Tasarr had preferred not to go after them, judging the risk too great, and he had taken advantage of their sleep to carry out his plan discreetly. With a bit of luck, they would not go after him when they discovered the princess was missing. They would leave the farm in search of another contract. They were only mercenaries after all. They had little loyalty and the prospect of facing a daedra was terrifying enough to deter even the bravest.

- "Come on, move on," he muttered as he pulled on the horse's bridle.

The horse began to move forward again, guided by the khajiit through the vegetation. Captain Tasarr was confident. Even if the smooth-skinned mercenaries decided to pursue him, he had a several-hour head start on them and he had taken care to leave as little trace as possible behind him.

They had no way of finding the princess.

* * * * *

- "A spell of what?" asked Gunnar, squinting.

- "A spell of clairvoyance," Imril replied in an exasperated tone. "It's a basic illusion spell that allows you to find a previously marked object or location."

The elf, Gunnar and Captain Flavia were gathered in the courtyard of the villa. The mage was kneeling on the ground in the middle of a strange pentagram that he had drawn in the sand. His eyes were closed and he held a small silver pendulum that was swinging gently in the wind.

- "And how is that going to help us find the cat princess? "

- "Because I asked Master Imril to cast this spell on the princess's medallion before returning it to her," Flavia replied. "That way we can know the exact direction she and her captor took."

- "Really? I thought he was just good at keeping the milk fresh?" Gunnar grinned mockingly as he pointed at the altmer.

- "Captain, tell your shaggy friend to shut up," the mage replied curtly. "I'm trying to focus."

The Nord was about to respond to the elf's provocation, but he refrained at the dark look Flavia gave him. They had already lost enough time as it was.

The two mercenaries were ready for battle. The captain had donned her old legion armor while Gunnar wore his studded leather brigandine. The Nord didn't like heavy armor because it restricted movement and he preferred lighter protection that allowed him to move quickly. Their weapons were sharpened and they were ready to go. All they needed was to know where to go.

Flavia was still worried that her plan was not foolproof. She didn't remember seeing the princess put her medallion back around her neck. She could have left it in her room before going to bed or she could have lost it during her abduction. If that was the case, their chances of finding the young khajiit were almost nil. There was also the problem of the balance of power.

With all the guards dead, there were now only three of them left to rescue the princess. Flavia had tried to find volunteers to go with them, but no one had agreed. After all, they were just simple farmers who were not concerned about the fate of their employer's niece. None of them was willing to risk their lives for a stranger after the many deaths of the last few days. The mercenaries would therefore be alone on this rescue mission.

What's more, the captain doubted that Master Imril's skills would be useful in a fight. As for Alberic, his injury still prevented him from fighting and it would be too risky to take him with them. Flavia could therefore only rely on herself and Gunnar. Would that be enough against an unknown number of enemies and a daedra? Probably not, but giving up now was out of question. Even though she was a mercenary now, her service in the legion had made her a tough and tenacious woman. For his part, Gunnar was boundlessly loyal to his superior and would follow her to Oblivion if she ordered him to. The Nord even seemed to look forward to facing a daedra and his fingers mechanically stroked the axes at his belt.

Suddenly, Imril's pendulum began to glow brightly and then swing jerkily. After a few moments, as if drawn by an invisible force, the small object swung at the end of its chain to point in a direction.

- "This is it," the mage said, opening his eyes. "They went in this direction."

- "North? Perfect..."

Flavia stuck her thumb under her eye patch. Fortunately, the princess seemed to be carrying her medallion with her. They could find her faster that way.

- "Well, there's no time to lose," she decided. "Gunnar, Master Imril... we're leaving right now."

- "Aye, aye, Captain," the Nord replied with a broad smile.

- "M... me?" the altmer stammered as he stood up. "You... you want me to come with you?"

- "Of course, master mage. We may still need your services to find our way."

The elf opened his mouth to argue, but in the face of the captain's stern look and stubborn tone, he merely nodded limply, clearly not thrilled with the idea of being a living compass.

- "Come on, let's go," Flavia ordered.

- "Wait," came a voice from behind them.

The captain raised an eyebrow as she saw Alberic approaching. The young Breton had managed to don his armor despite his injured shoulder and was wearing his sword on his belt and his haversack. Flavia could tell from his attire and walk why the boy was there.

- "I'm coming with you," he said as he reached them.

- "No way," retorted the captain. "You're still injured and you'll slow us down."

- "With all due respect, I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not, Captain."

- "You're so stubborn, Al' ... I said no."

But Alberic would not budge, and he held Flavia's gaze stubbornly. Flavia could not remember ever having seen him so determined before. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him sternly.

- "Look... this isn't an escort or surveillance mission like before... it's going to be much more dangerous this time."

- "I'm coming anyway."

- "Let him come, Captain," Gunnar interjected, "If the kid is dragging his feet, I'll carry him myself."

Flavia looked at the two mercenaries in turn before rolling her eyes. She knew in advance that she wouldn't have the last word this time and, in any case, they had already wasted enough time as it was.

- "Alright, fine... let's go."

* * * * *

Despite the burning torches, the cave was dark and damp and the steady dripping of water from the ceiling could be heard.

Captain Tasarr'Do looked around nervously at the hooded figures of the cultists who surrounded him in a heavy silence, their hands clutching tightly to old rusty weapons.

When he'd arrived at their lair, he'd immediately been led through a maze of natural caves that led to a large chamber. One of the cultists had asked him to wait a few moments before slipping out through one of the tunnels. The captain did not have to wait long, for he returned almost immediately and he was not alone.

The man accompanying him was a tall, black-furred khajiit with piercing yellow eyes. His long robe was similar to that of the other followers but more elaborate. He also held a staff similar to the one used by mages throughout Tamriel. No doubt he must have been the leader.

- "I am High Priest Jaro, leader of the cult of Ophia, Grand Mistress of the Serpents of Oblivion," the newcomer said. "In her name, I welcome you among us."

With that, the high priest bowed deferentially. Such politeness only irritated Captain Tasarr'Do, who gritted his teeth. He had not forgotten that the daedra Ophia had been responsible for his father's death, and now one of his servants was welcoming him as if nothing had happened.

- "Enough of the niceties, high priest... I'm not here for tea," Tasarr growled.

- "You don't like wasting time, do you? I confess that I do too..." Jaro looked anxious. "Have you brought the princess as agreed?"

The captain hesitated for a moment before answering, still wondering if he had made the right choice.

- "I left her outside the cave, tied to a horse."

- "Wonderful!" exclaimed the high priest. "We will take care of her without further delay. Brother Maubert, Brother Gorion... go and fetch the Master's bride."

The two adepts nodded and headed for the tunnel that led outside, but Captain Khajiit interfered by placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.

- "Not so fast," he growled. "I've kept my end of the bargain. Now it's your turn to keep your promise."

- "Our promise? Aaaah yes... your father's soul, right?" Jaro grimaced as he scratched the back of his neck. "I'm afraid I can't do anything about that. You'll have to ask our master directly..."

- "Then send for him immediately."

Jaro was about to reply when a soft, sensual voice rose to echo through the cave.

- "Send for him immediately? How rude..."

Tasarr turned his head towards a dark corner of the room, squinting. The daedra approached slowly, his large bulk undulating on the rocky floor to expose himself to the light of the torches. At the sight of him, the followers immediately knelt, including the high priest. As for the Khajiit captain, he widened his eyes at the sight. The demon standing before him and looking down on him was as repulsive as it was sublime, and he shuddered as her lips stretched into a cruel smile.

- "It's very rude to demand something of your host, don't you think?" the daedra said with an amused hiss. "Didn't your father ever teach you manners?"

At these words, Captain Tasarr's stupor gave way to a deep rage and he almost drew his sword. He managed to control himself, however, knowing that he didn't stand a chance against such an opponent, and that wasn't why he came anyway. The khajiit couldn't help but give the demon a hateful look.

- "I don't care," he growled through clenched teeth. "Just give me what I was promised!"

- "Promised?" The daedra raised an eyebrow before turning to Jaro. "What is he talking about, kitten?"

The high priest flinched as he felt his master's gaze upon him, but he managed to answer calmly.

- "Yes, Mistress Ophia. I promised this man that you would release his father's soul if he brought us your bride.

- "His father's soul?"

The demon nodded as she turned her attention back to Tasarr. Her eyes suddenly glowed and her smile widened to reveal her sharp teeth.

- "Aaaah, I remember now," she murmured softly. "I thought you reminded me of someone. You have the same look of fury and passion. So, you want me to release your father's soul so he can rest in peace in that boring paradise you call... what's it called? Well, never mind..."

The daedra's mealy-mouthed, contemptuous manner was beginning to make Captain Tasarr's lose his patience. The demon finally caressed one of the beads on her pectoral with her clawed fingers.

- "Your father's soul is right there. Look how it shines... a beautiful piece for my collection."

- "Release him," Tasarr managed to articulate between his clenched jaws. "Right now!"

- "You dare to give me orders now? You're just like your father..." sighed Ophia. "But a promise is a promise, I suppose."

Her long, slender fingers grasped the pearl to detach it from the jewel and she winced as she looked at the hole in her collection. Her long ophidian body snaked across the cave floor to Tasarr, mesmerized by the precious pearl. The daedra was about to hand him the imprisoned soul of his father when she held back.

- "I have one question, though," she breathed coldly before closing her fingers abruptly around the pearl. "Why should I keep a promise made by one of my minions to a miserable mortal like you?"

Captain Tasarr'Do realised at once that he had been duped.

He drew his sword in a flash and showed his fangs, ready to attack. His eyes were filled with anger and threw murderous flashes at the demon. Ophia was upon him in an instant, beautiful and terrible in her fury. With a disdainful wave of her hand, she snatched the weapon from the hands of her opponent, who, with all claws out, threw himself at the daedra in a desperate assault... in vain.

Ophia's hair suddenly stretched out to grab her prey by the wrists and ankles. Soon the Khajiit captain found himself immobilized and lifted into the air. With his muscles stretched to the limit, he tried to free himself, but he could do nothing against the supernatural strength of his enemy.

- "Well, well..." the daedra chuckled. "This brings back many memories. Like your father twenty years ago, you are now in my clutches... weak and helpless."

- "Damn you," Tasarr growled as he struggled. "Kill me and be done with it!

- "You didn't think I'd let you steal a single piece of my beautiful collection, did you?" Her smile brightened. "Oh... but I just had an idea. A wonderful idea."

The demon leaned forward, looking into his victim's eyes as she licked her lips with her long snake-like tongue.

- "How about joining your father?"

At these words, Tasarr suddenly froze and opened his eyes wide, unable to look away from his opponent who was revelling in his expression of terror.

- "A father and son together in my personal collection... oh yes! It will be perfect! What do you think? Oh, right..." The daedra raised a hand to the khajiit's face. "You don't really have a say in this."

Understanding the fate that awaited him, Captain Tasarr'Do growled and struggled harder, but his efforts were in vain. Ophia's eyes glowed in the darkness as she whispered in her prey's ear.

- "A soul driven to treachery by resentment and despair. Yes... you will be a magnificent addition to my collection."

* * * * *

Still driven by an invisible force, the pendulum continued to point north insistently in Imril's hand.

The mage and the mercenaries made rapid progress through the dense vegetation surrounding them, guided only by the indications of the magic pendulum. Everyone was on guard despite the quiet of the jungle and Gunnar was beginning to lose patience after several hours of walking without anything happening.

- "Are we getting there soon?" the Nord grumbled. "At this rate, we'll never make it in time."

- "The clairvoyance spell can indicate direction but not distance," Imril replied, doing his best to stay focused despite the swarms of insects flying around him.

- "In any case, they did pass through here...", commented Flavia at the head of the column. "They left tracks."

The captain crouched for a moment to observe the surrounding vegetation. Her experienced eyes could see horse tracks on the ground. Several broken branches and hairs also confirmed the animal's passage.

- "We're on the right track... let's pick up the pace!" she shouted to the group as they resumed their walk.

Gunnar couldn't help but smile, eager to do battle with the enemy. Master Imril seemed more reluctant to advance, but the giant Nord did not fail to push him forward every time he slowed down. A little further back, Alberic was bringing up the rear.

- "Don't drag your feet, kid," Gunnar encouraged him.

The young Breton was struggling to keep up with his injuries and was already out of breath and sweating. He was beginning to regret putting on his armour and taking his gear with him, but he knew that Captain Flavia would not have allowed him to accompany them if he was not properly prepared. Still, Alberic managed to take one step at a time, driven forward by his desire to rescue Shazira.

A few weeks ago, he would have been indifferent to the fate of the shameless young khajiit. In his eyes, she was just another rich kid, spoiled from infancy and despising ordinary people like him. But she had proved him wrong. She was adventurous, passionate, curious and concerned about those around her. Whether he admitted it or not, a complicity and a sincere friendship had developed between them, and Alberic could not bear the idea that anyone would harm her.

- "Come on, Master milkman! Let's move!" exclaimed Gunnar, pushing Imril in the back.

The altmer muttered something before accelerating. Intrigued, Alberic raised an eyebrow as he stared at the Nord.

- "Master milkman? Why do you call him that?"

- "Mmmh? Ah yes... it's true you were out of it at the time." Gunnar laughed. "Well actually..."

- "Quiet back there!" scolded Flavia.

With a wave of her hand, the captain stopped the small group in their tracks. She was staring at a point straight ahead of them, through the vegetation.

- "I think we've arrived..."