XXI

Alberic collapsed to the floor of the cave, groaning in pain. He could feel the hot, coppery taste of blood in his mouth and his head rang like a bell after the blow he had just received.

Ophia had pushed him away with a wave of her hand as if he had been a child, and the young Breton immediately understood the gap in strength that separated them. If Gunnar had failed to defeat the demon, he had no chance. Despite this, he stood up on his legs to face the daedra.

The daedra was staring down at him from its full height, meandering across the floor slowly and casually. Its face showed a superior and arrogant confidence, its cruel eyes staring at Alberic with contempt.

- "Well... what have we here?" she hissed coldly. "A noble knight? A great warrior? No... I can smell the poverty and misery on you. You are nothing."

Her voice was as contemptuous as her gaze, though she seemed to take some pleasure in tormenting a new prey. Despite his wounds, Alberic faced again and raised his sword, ready to defend himself. Behind the daedra's back, Shazira watched in horror as she pulled on the chain that held her captive.

- "What did you think you were doing with the instrument of my vengeance? Stealing it from me?" Ophia said in a poisonous voice. "She has been mine since she was born and no one will deprive me of my revenge. Do you hear me, brat?"

She was now very close to the boy and the latter attempted a blow that the demon parried easily. Taking advantage of her opponent's imbalance, the snake woman plunged her claws into Alberic's face, who barely managed to dodge the attack by sliding on the ground. Back on the ground, he crawled backwards to get out of the demon's reach but this one was on him in a flash.

The young mercenary tried a desperate attack, but his wounds made his movements slow and the daedra did not even bother to parry the blow. Grabbing the sword directly by the blade, she snatched the weapon from Alberic's hands in one swift movement.

- "You do not amuse me, worm... not even a little."

The demon's slender fingers tightened around the blade as it creaked under his superhuman strength. The steel finally snapped and Ophia let the fragments of the sword fall to the ground.

- "Now what?" she replied arrogantly. "What do you intend to do, little insect?"

Despite the loss of his weapon, Alberic returned the daedra's gaze with rage. Even though he was aware of his weakness, the young Breton felt anger rising in him at his opponent's arrogance and contempt, but more than that, it was his own helplessness that frustrated him. He had promised himself to protect Shazira and he was unable to do so.

Backing away from the demon, Alberic's back bumped against the cave wall. Ophia smiled with all her teeth as she saw her prey now cornered. She grabbed him by the throat in a move so quick that he had no time to react. A veritable grip of steel was now holding his neck as the demon lifted the young breton to eye level.

- "Weak, tiny, powerless... your soul is worthless," she hissed through her teeth. "You would only sully my collection."

Raising his other hand, the daedra was about to deliver the final blow when Shazira shouted from behind its back.

- "Let go of him, demon! If you touch a single hair on his head, I will make you pay a hundredfold!!!"

The snake woman suspended her gesture and turned her head in the direction of the princess. The young khajiit's fear had completely disappeared and was replaced by a dull anger. Ophia raised a puzzled eyebrow before her lips stretched into a wide smile... a cruel, malevolent smile.

- "Ooooh... do you care about him, kitten?" she giggled. "That's interesting. It gives me an idea... a delicious idea."

The daedra's free hand rested gently on Alberic's chest before stroking him lasciviously with its long claws. The sight enraged Shazira even more and she pulled with all her might on the chain. Slowly, Ophia's claws slipped under the young mercenary's armour to slice through the ties one by one. Soon the brigandine fell to the ground, leaving the boy in just a shirt.

- "Do you remember what I said about mortal souls, little kitten?" Her voice had returned to a sensual whisper as her claws unbuttoned the young breton's shirt. "How powerful emotions could alter them..."

Shazira froze immediately at the words and stared at the demon with wide, horrified eyes. Alberic grunted in the demon's iron grip, his neck muscles tense as he struggled for breath. The daedra's sharp claws caressed its prey's now bare chest in long, sensual strokes. The smile on its face widened a little at the glint of understanding in the princess' eyes.

- "You guessed right, little kitten," she giggled. "After all, you're destined to join my collection, too... so we might as well make a work of art of your soul, don't you think?"

The caresses soon ceased and Alberic felt the claws pressing against the skin of his chest. The first drops of blood soon began to trickle down his chest and he grabbed the hand that was clutching his neck to try to free himself... in vain.

While slowly cutting the skin, Ophia continued to stare at Princess Shazira, who watched the scene in horror, her jaw trembling.

- "No... please... stop..." she stammered in a small voice.

The demon licked her lips with her long ophidian tongue at the desperation she could now see in the young khajiit's eyes.

- "I should stop? Come on, kitten..." Her voice was as cold and amused as ever. "Real art takes a lot of time... and we'll make sure we take all the time we can."

* * * * *

Flavia fell back against the wall of the tunnel, panting. Her vision was blurred and blood was streaming down her face from a wound in her temple.

Breathless, she put a hand to her forehead to judge the extent of the damage. The wound was large but shallow. Her head had hit a protruding rock when she had run into the tunnels to escape her opponent. Nothing serious but she had already lost a lot of blood and her eye patch had fallen off during her escape. The hot blood was now running down her empty eye socket and she hated the feeling.

She seemed to have managed to lose her pursuer, however, and took advantage of the brief respite to tend to her wound. The captain tore a large piece of her sleeve to wrap around her head to limit the bleeding. It was crude but she would have to be satisfied with it for the moment.

Her opponent was no ordinary adept, and Flavia had learned that the hard way, for the magic he used was formidable. He seemed to manipulate the surrounding darkness to destabilize his targets and she had to admit that it was an effective technique. The black mist he invoked gave her a powerful sense of terror that appealed to her primal survival instincts. At its touch, her deepest fears would suddenly resurface and she would feel like a child terrified by a stormy night. Her imagination would create a thousand and one horrible monsters waiting for her in the darkness nearby.

This feeling of terror was so powerful that it prevented her from concentrating, and Flavia would only run away whenever she was touched by this dark magic. She had fired a few arrows at her pursuer, but he had mastered the barrier spell to perfection and each of her shots had been deflected at the last second. She had only one arrow left now.

While catching her breath, the captain thought of a way to get rid of the wizard. Although she was not versed in the arcane arts, she had worked with many mages in her military career and knew some basic concepts. While a mage could maintain a barrier spell almost indefinitely, they could only maintain it in one direction. Much like a shield for an infantryman, it could not protect the wearer from all sides, and often the back remained vulnerable to attack.

Unfortunately, this was going to be complicated because the narrowness of the tunnels was now working to her disadvantage and did not allow her to have a clear line of fire on the wizard's back. She would have to take him by surprise.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sound she had heard all too often in the last few minutes, the sound of wood against rock, dry and steady. The wizard was still stalking her through the tunnels, and he was close behind her.

Without missing a beat, Flavia tightened the bandage around her head before resuming her run. She moved quickly and quietly as she tried to find her bearings in the maze of rocky tunnels, practicing everything she had learned as a legion scout. After a few moments, she came to an intersection illuminated by a single torch blazing in its holder. Two bodies of cultists lay on the ground and the captain immediately recognized the place. This was where she and Gunnar had taken out the two sentries just before the alarm was raised. This gave her an idea and she hid in the shadows of a nearby gallery.

The cave wasn't very big but it should be enough to carry out her plan. Flavia notched the last arrow in her quiver before bending down to pick up a pebble from the ground.

The sound of the stick hitting the rock was now very close...

With her heart pounding in her chest, the captain waited silently, even holding her breath, for the khajiits' hearing was particularly acute and she had to take him completely by surprise.

The dark, hooded figure of the sorcerer emerged from the tunnel to stand out in the torchlight. He seemed to pause for a moment as he observed his surroundings. While Khajiits had excellent night vision, it was only effective in complete darkness and the bright light of the torch did not allow him to see beyond the darkness of the cave. It was this hesitation that Flavia was waiting for.

With a quick movement, she threw the stone away from her opponent. The small stone hit the rock with a sharp sound echoing off the walls of the tunnel. The sorcerer turned sharply towards the gallery, his staff brandished before him and ready to use his magic. His back was now turned to Flavia...

The captain immediately bent her bow, the wood of the weapon creaking under the pull of the string as she aimed at the back of her target... there, right between the shoulder blades. An easy shot for a quick death. Alerted by this new noise, the wizard quickly recovered from his surprise and began to turn his head in her direction, but it was too late. He would never have time to turn around and cast his protection spell.

But the shot never came...

With a sharp, violent crack, the upper limb of the bow broke in two. The weapon had finally breathed its last in Flavia's hands, and she stood for a moment in a daze.

Her opponent seemed equally surprised by the turn of events before a sinister smile appeared on his lips. He uttered two words and a flood of darkness rose from his staff to engulf the captain.

The High priest Jaro held his spell for a few moments before dispelling it with a simple wave of his staff. Slowly, the mass of shadows receded and the light of the torch once again illuminated the cave. The grey-maned woman had disappeared from the tunnel and all that remained was her broken bow on the ground.

The hunt was far from over...

* * * * *

Alberic screamed in pain as a particularly sharp claw cut into the flesh of his ribs before descending to dig into his groin. After a few moments, the claw withdrew, leaving his victim gasping for breath.

The daedra had been torturing him slowly and sadistically for several minutes, but it felt like an eternity. His torso was now covered with numerous wounds dripping with blood. He had struggled like a madman under the pain but had not been able to break free from the demon's iron grip. Alberic was at the end of his rope.

He didn't know what was worse, the pain or Shazira's desperate screams at the horrible sight. She had screamed and pleaded for the daedra to spare him until her voice broke and the young khajiit was now reduced to painful sobs.

Ophia, on the other hand, seemed to take great pleasure in all this, inflicting wound after wound on her unfortunate victim. She was incising the flesh with frightening precision, each cut designed to inflict the greatest pain while sparing vital points. Obviously, this was not the first time the demon had indulged in this kind of torture. She cackled and giggled like an old woman as she tormented her prey.

- "Aaaaah... the cries of mortal suffering. There is no sweeter music to my ears."

The demon's claws caressed Alberic's bloody wounds before slowly moving up to his left shoulder. Then she noticed the scar there and her smile widened.

- "Here... an injury that is not my doing. This will be... perfect."

As she licked her lips, she pressed the tip of her claw against the scar. Alberic gritted his teeth as he felt the tip digging into his flesh, and he tried once more to break free of the demon's grip. Slowly at first, the claw penetrated the skin to reopen the wound and let the blood flow. Then, with a sadistic expression, Ophia pressed a sharp blow into the shoulder and Alberic could not help but scream. The pain was like a fire burning through his muscles and bones as the claw stirred inside his flesh.

- "Yessssss, there!" the daedra chuckled excitedly. "A beautiful scream. What do you think, Princess? I haven't heard you beg for a while. Has your despair consumed you? Too bad... I wasn't done having fun."

The snake woman withdrew her claw from the young breton's shoulder and licked the blood from it. Her eyes closed and she shuddered as she tasted the life-giving fluid, an ecstatic smile forming on her dark lips. After a brief moment, she opened her eyes again to look into those of her victim. There was no longer any pleasure in her gaze, only the murderous intent of a predator preparing to deliver the coup de grace. Slowly, she put her claws on Alberic's chest again... right at the heart.

- "This game has gone on long enough. " Her voice was cold and cruel again. "You have been very useful to me in the end, my young friend, but now it is time to..."

Ophia suddenly reared back with a howl of pain, her shrill cry echoing through the cave like a thousand angry birds, and the demon turned in a flash to discover what had hurt her.

What was her surprise to discover that Princess Shazira was responsible for her pain. The young khajiit had retrieved the broken section of Alberic's sword and stabbed her with all her might into her snake tail. Although still attached to the altar, the chain was long enough to reach the daedra's body, and the latter was so absorbed in its torture that it had not noticed.

The fear in Shazira's eyes had completely disappeared, replaced by an almost animal fury. Her features, usually so soft and harmonious, were now distorted by anger and she no longer looked like a frightened kitten. She was a ferocious panther, growling and snarling as she pressed the broken weapon further into Ophia's body, spurting out her foul black blood.

The daedra glared back at her even more angrily.

- "You little snot!!!" she spat angrily. "How dare you?!"

She didn't even deign to use her hands, merely pushing the young khajiit away with a violent jerk of her tail. Shazira was thrown with force by the demon's rings and she let go of the hilt of the sword, which remained deeply planted in the demon's body.

Ophia was far from finished with her, however, and her long snake-like tail swung up into the air to strike the princess, who rolled to the ground just in time to avoid the attack. The blow was so violent that it shattered the stone altar and resounded like a thunderclap through the cave, knocking small pebbles and dust off the ceiling. The chain that held the young khajiit was also broken and the latter, now free, immediately got to her feet with a defiant look at the demon.

Enraged at having missed, the daedra attacked again, furiously whipping the air with its tail. But Shazira was small and agile, and she managed to dodge each blow just barely. In its anger, the massive tail struck the obsidian mirror, which wobbled for a moment before tipping forward. The heavy object shattered into a thousand pieces with a frightful crash.

- "Stop squirming like an insect!" the demon ranted.

The young khajiit was not about to obey, however, and continued to leap around to avoid Ophia's attacks. When she lived in Rimmen, Shazira used to run and sneak through the crowded, winding streets of the capital to escape the guards her father had sent. She had honed her senses and reflexes to become as elusive as an eel.

Ophia finally released Alberic, tossing him aside as if he had been a piece of trash to concentrate on her attacks. The young breton fell to the ground whimpering, fighting pain to stay conscious.

Shazira jumped aside to dodge her opponent's tail once more, but lost her balance as she hit the ground, slumping to the hard rock and yelping. The daedra rose above its now vulnerable prey, all beauty gone from its face, which now reflected only hideous and cruel anger.

- "What now, Princess?" she hissed. "What am I going to do with you?"

* * * * *

Flavia's lungs were on fire.

She had run through the tunnels breathlessly, closely followed by the wizard who gave her no respite. His magic was too terrifying to face and the captain had ended up lost in the rocky maze. She would have paid dearly for a map of the place and even more dearly for a bow and arrow.

She still had her sword to defend herself, but of all the weapons she had wielded in her life, the bow was the one that suited her best. Death from afar may have been cowardly and dishonorable for many warriors, but Flavia had seen enough battlefields to know that concepts like honor and courage had no place there. Once the chaos of battle was over, there were only two categories of warriors left: the dead and the living. Flavia preferred to be among the living, and the bow was a perfect reflection of her temperament. Fast, precise and decisive, it required great concentration and a sharp mind. She felt almost naked without it...

But even without her bow, she still had a chance to win. Wizards tended to put everything into their arcane mastery and were relatively weak in close combat... if only you could get close.

The magic the black khajiit used was strange and unholy. It didn't seem to be able to hurt, only to induce unreasonable terror in its victims. It was impossible to approach the sorcerer because, as soon as the captain was touched by his spell, she could only think of fleeing as far as possible. It was while running away that she had injured her head.

Flavia stopped running for a moment to listen over the frantic beating of her own heart... nothing. She couldn't hear anything. Had she finally managed to lose her pursuer? Not for long, for he knew these tunnels far better than she did, and it wouldn't be long before he found her. She had to keep moving while thinking of a new plan of attack.

Searching for her bearings in the labyrinth, the captain eventually came upon a cave of modest dimensions. This must have been an important place for the adepts because it had been carefully arranged. Crates and jars of various sizes were arranged around a large workbench. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling above a heavy oak table on which were a series of incongruously shaped stills. At first glance, Flavia had landed in an alchemist's laboratory.

Cautiously, the captain entered the cave, her senses alert. She looked curiously at the ingredients on the table or sealed in small jars of formaldehyde, and there were a dozen strange smells in the air, intermingled. There was no torch or brazier to light the place. Instead, a handful of torchbugs[1] were locked in a large jar hanging over the workbench. The insects hummed faintly in their glass prison, their bioluminescent thoraxes illuminating the room with a sickly green light. Something about this place made Flavia uneasy.

The sound of clinking glasses suddenly broke the silence.

The captain immediately reached for her sword, scanning the shadows of the cave... she was not alone. Reaching out, she heard a faint rustle from behind the heavy table. With slow steps, she approached the workbench before reaching down to grab the person hiding behind it. The stranger let out a small cry as Flavia grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against one of the cave walls.

- "Please! Don't kill me, please! I am not with them!", Imril pleaded as he felt the blade on his throat.

- "Master Imril?", Flavia replied in shock, the Altmer mage being the last person she expected to see here.

Soon the elf's panic was replaced by intense relief when he recognized his assailant. His robes were in a sorry state, full of holes and dust. The darkness of the room made it impossible to tell if the mage had soiled himself again.

- "Is that... is that you, Captain? The divines be praised..."

- "What are you doing here?" she questioned her at once.

- "Well, I... when the fighting broke out, I got separated from you. I ran through the tunnels to try to get back to the exit but... I got lost and ended up here."

After a final hesitation, Flavia pushed aside her sword to return it to its scabbard.

- "You're lucky it was me who found you, Master mage."

- "I... I agree," the altmer replied, trying to regain composure. "And the others? Where are they?"

- "I do not know. I got separated from them while trying to delay the enemy."

- "Oh, I see... I'm sure they're safe. And the followers who were chasing us?"

- "All dead... except one. A mage."

- "If there's only one left, we should take the opportunity to flee these caves and get as far away from here as possible."

- "We can't. We haven't found the princess yet," Flavia retorted in an adamant tone.

- "I was afraid you were going to say that..." the altmer sighed.

- "For now, we need to find a way to get rid of the sorcerer who is after me. He won't give up... shh!"

The captain turned abruptly to look at the tunnel she had come from... but there was nothing there. Her imagination was beginning to play tricks on her. She sighed, shaking her head, before resuming in a calm, authoritative voice.

- "We must leave. The longer we stay here, the sooner he might find us."

- "Can't you defeat him?"

- "My bow broke and he's using some strange magic that paralyzes me with fear and forces me to flee."

- "Oh, I see... most likely illusion magic."

- "I don't care. We need to get out of here and fast."

Without further ado, she urged the elf forward, but he seemed reluctant to leave the lab.

- "What a pity... this place is a real paradise for any self-respecting alchemist."

- "Yes, that's right... now move along," Flavia rebuked him, beginning to lose patience.

- "Abecean longfin, bleeding crowns, sabre-cat eyes and I even thought I saw Nirn root... Some of these ingredients are particularly rare and expensive. It's a shame I can't pick up more."

- "I don't care. If you want to live and continue making little potions, I advise you to go ahea..."

Flavia did not finish her sentence, suddenly freezing as she replayed the altmer's last words in her head.

- "Master Imril... you said you were gifted in alchemy, is that correct?"

- "Uh... yes, I am," he admitted with a raised eyebrow. "Much better than spellcasting, anyway... but why do you ask? Shouldn't we be running?"

The captain did not answer, merely turning her head towards the alchemical workbench as she pondered. After a moment, she turned back to the altmer with a smile on her face.

- "You may be more useful to us than you think... Master mage.”

* * * * *

The High priest Jaro ruminated as he paced the tunnels, his long staff echoing against the hard rock with every step he took.

Who were these intruders who had dared to desecrate their sanctuary? Guards in the pay of the khan Razirr'Ri? Perhaps, although the khajiit was leaning more towards the famous mercenaries he had glimpsed in Captain Tasarr's dreams. In any case, he was determined to make them regret their folly.

What did they hope to achieve by attacking them in this way? To rescue that little pest of a princess? Even if they managed to reach her, they would have no chance against her demonic mistress. She would surely slaughter them by inflicting the worst torments, and the very thought made him shudder with fear.

For Jaro was afraid.

He had already tested his master's patience several times and another failure on his part was not an option. A fate worse than death awaited him if he failed to rid himself of the intruders, but on the other hand, he also knew what reward awaited him if he succeeded...

Most mortals who decided to serve the daedras did not do so out of pure devotion. In exchange for their servitude and faith, they hoped that their new masters would reward them if they proved themselves worthy. These rewards could take many forms depending on the daedra served, but all were coveted. It could be magical power, a blessing, riches or forbidden knowledge... but the rewards promised by Ophia were quite different because she promised a real dream to her followers.

Just as the daedra was able to capture the souls of its victims to make them live an eternal nightmare, it could also make them live an eternal dream. A dream in which you were the architect and in which everything was subject to your will alone. A world in which you would be a king, an emperor or even a living god. A world where you could have everything your imagination could desire: power, wealth, the finest delicacies, the most beautiful women and men... absolutely everything.

The eternal dream... this was the nature of the reward promised by Ophia to her followers.

Of course, to obtain it, one had to die and give one's soul willingly to the daedra. But this was a small price to pay for an eternity of fulfilled desires, and there was no way that a bunch of lousy mercenaries would deprive Jaro of his reward.

Obeying his mistress' orders, he tracked down one of the intruders who had dared to enter their lair, a one-eyed woman with a grey mane. The latter had tried to resist him but her bow had broken during their last encounter. Now unarmed, she had only fled since then, probably believing she could lose him through the rocky maze... a big mistake. Jaro knew these tunnels well, and his khajiit senses allowed him to hear the sounds of his prey running.

The high priest stopped at an intersection to listen and sniff the air before turning his head to the tunnel on the right. The smell of blood and sweat was stronger in that direction and he even detected a faint whiff of urine. He smiled as he imagined his prey in terror... especially as this tunnel led to a dead end.

There was no escape.

Jaro walked confidently through the tunnel and after a few moments entered a large cave which served as a resting place for the adepts. The place seemed deserted and the silence only disturbed by the regular crackling of embers in a large brazier placed near the entrance. But the khajiit knew she was there because he could hear the hiss of her breath and the smell of her flesh nearby.

- "There is no need to hide, female," he said dismissively. "I can feel your presence."

After a few moments, the one-eyed woman decided to emerge from behind one of the cave's pillars. Her face was bloody and she seemed out of breath. Despite this, she gave Jaro a defiant look and he had to admit that she was not lacking in courage.

- "This little game of cat and mouse has gone on long enough," he said with a smile. "There's no point in resisting, you'll only prolong your suffering..."

The woman did not answer, merely staring at the High priest with her one eye... too bad for her. Raising his staff in both hands, he spoke the spell and the darkness of the cave swelled to swoop down on their prey.

Jaro was a coward. He was loath to face his opponents head on and preferred to manipulate his victims before stabbing them in the back, and illusion magic was perfect for that. Although unable to kill, the fear spell left his opponents defenceless and he had seen big bullies turn into whiny children under the influence of this spell. Once in this state, it was very easy to kill even the greatest of warriors with a single blow of the dagger. It was something he could never get enough of, and the black khajiit couldn't wait to dip his ritual knife in the blood of this arrogant female. He was going to savour every moment of it...

The woman did not flinch as she saw the darkness approaching her. She clenched her fists as she continued to challenge her opponent with her eyes. At the last moment, as the shadows were about to engulf her, she finally spoke.

- "Now!" she shouted before being swallowed by the darkness.

Now? Why was she shouting that? The khajiit frowned before realizing that they were not alone.

A figure previously hidden by the shadows emerged from behind a rock to throw an object at the wizard. Who was it? Another mercenary? It did not matter, for Jaro reacted immediately to this new threat. In a flash, he interrupted his spell to erect a protective barrier in front of him. Whatever object was thrown at him would be deflected as the one-eyed woman's arrows had been.

But Jaro soon realised that he had been worrying about nothing, for the small object passed well over him and ended up in the brazier behind him.

Whoever this new adversary was, he seemed very clumsy and the wizard could see the fear and panic on his face. He was a high elf, judging by his height and skin colour. Dressed in long, loose robes, he was not a warrior, and the khajiit's sense of smell detected the same whiff of urine in the man that he had smelled earlier. He would be even easier to kill than the female.

A slight creak in his back suddenly caught the high priest's attention, and he turned his head in reflex, his magical barrier still raised in front of him. Squinting, he then noticed the object the elf had thrown into the burning embers of the brazier. It was a small vial containing a red liquid that was now bubbling under the intense heat. There was another crack and the glass of the vial cracked along its length as a chemical reaction took place inside. A violent reaction...

Jaro barely had time to widen his eyes before the vial exploded violently with a roar of flame and hot air.

The khajiit was thrown into the air before falling heavily to the ground. His protective barrier was up in the opposite direction and he had not had time to create a new one to protect himself from the blast. He was still alive though...

Shaken and stunned by the attack, he struggled to his feet, grunting. His robes had caught fire in places and he hurriedly smothered the flames with his hands. When the danger was over, he turned to the elf and gave him a look of hate and anger.

- "Damn pointy ears," he growled, picking up his staff. "You'll pay dearly for this!"

Holding up his scepter, he was about to cast his spell when a firm, strong hand grabbed him by the shoulder and swung him around. The next moment, an intense cold sensation seized him in the stomach, followed by a terrible pain. His eyes opened wide and stared at the one-eyed woman in amazement for a moment before moving down to his stomach. The blade of a gladius was stuck in it and blood was now trickling down the weapon’s blade.

Surprise soon gave way to injustice in his eyes and he grabbed the blade with both hands to try and pull it out but the woman had a firm and strong grip.

- "No..." he groaned through clenched teeth. "My eternal dream... my reward..."

His sentence ended in a long, agonized death rattle as his assassin drove the sword deeper into his abdomen. The high priest Jaro spat out a trickle of blood in a final hiccup before suddenly freezing. He was dead.

The cave quickly fell silent again and Flavia withdrew her weapon from the body of the black khajiit who fell inertly to the ground. After catching her breath, she smiled as she wiped the blood from the blade.

- "Well, Master Mage..." she said, turning to Imril, whose knees were still shaking. "I told you you could still be of use to us."

* * * * *

Shazira coughed as the demon's fingers tightened on her neck.

She tried to struggle energetically but the daedra was too strong for her and the young khajiit found it increasingly difficult to breathe. The anger had disappeared from Ophia's face and she now looked weary as she stared at the princess with a disillusioned expression.

- "How difficult it is for an artist like me to be understood..." she sighed. "Yet I seek only to create beauty, but there are always ignorant people who disparage my work."

Shazira wanted to answer but her words were lost in another coughing fit. Despite her helplessness, she continued to challenge the daedra with her eyes.

- "Do you know how difficult it is to carve a soul to its fullest potential," she continued, "It requires meticulous and delicate work that must never be rushed. It is not enough to have a beautiful soul to create a work of art. You have to know how to push feelings and emotions to their peak before freezing them forever."

The daedra stared into the eyes of the young khajiit, hoping to detect a tiny trace of fear, but the latter continued to defy her with her reckless gaze. She hissed and showed her fangs, determined not to give the demon that pleasure, and the latter sighed at such stubbornness.

- "What a pity I can't practice my art on myself. I'm sure my soul would make a work of art like no other. But I digress..." She shook her head wearily. "What am I going to do with you now? I was planning to kill you in front of your father's eyes to prepare his soul for my collection, but a little bird tells me that you won't be quiet until then... am I right?"

In response, Princess Shazira struggled harder and tried to kick, but the daedra held her at a distance and her paws only struck out into the air. The young khajiit finally bit the hand that was clutching her throat but to no avail, her fangs not even managing to pierce the skin of the demon who sighed deeply before resuming in a tired voice.

- "Too bad... I'll just wave your cold corpse in front of your father's eyes. The result should be satisfactory after all."

Ophia's eyes glowed in the darkness as she recited a formula in an ancient tongue. Her prey still refused to give in to fear, but that would soon not matter. Her fierce and reckless soul would soon join her collection.

The daedra was suddenly interrupted as it felt a weight fall on its back. Before Ophia knew what was happening, a searing pain gripped her ribs and she screamed in pain.

She was so focused on the princess that she didn't notice that Alberic had finally jumped up and stabbed her in the side with a short dagger. He winced under the pain of his wounds but displayed surprising strength despite his condition. Like Shazira, his eyes reflected the fury that animated him and he plunged the blade into the demon's flesh again.

But Ophia's body was so massive that such injuries were nothing to her. The pain was enough to rekindle her anger, however, and she turned a look of rage on the boy. She tried to reach out with her other hand but Alberic held on tightly to her back and refused to let go. Exasperated, the daedra finally decided to release the princess, who fell to the ground, groaning, before cowering.

As she struggled to grab Alberic, the demon had to maintain her concentration in order not to lose control of her spell and her eyes continued to glow, saturated with dark magic. She finally managed to grab the young breton by the ankle and throw him forcefully into the cave where he hit the ground hard.

- "Wait your turn, vermin!" Ophia shouted as she pulled the dagger from her side. "I'll deal with you soon enough! But until then..."

The daedra turned its attention back to Princess Shazira still lying on her stomach. Grabbing the young khajiit by the hair, she turned her onto her back to force her to face her glowing gaze. The magic in her eyes was about to dissipate and the effects would be devastating if she did not cast her spell quickly.

- "It's time for you to join my collection, princess!" she said before uttering the last syllables of the spell.

Shazira suddenly held up an object and Ophia stood in disbelief as she stared at her own reflection. It was one of the shards of the obsidian mirror she had broken in her rage moments before. The princess had picked it up when the demon had turned away from her to get rid of Alberic.

Frozen in contemplation of its own reflection, the daedra did not manage to look away in time...

The cave was suddenly bathed in a blinding flash of light accompanied by a shrill cry... then nothing. Silence fell again and darkness took over.

Breathing heavily and still holding the piece of mirror in her trembling hands, Shazira stared at the ceiling of the cave. She couldn't believe it had worked.

If the daedra hadn't talked about capturing her own soul, she never would have had the idea. She could also thank Master Tauryon for his lessons. Although she had no aptitude or predisposition for magic, Shazira had questioned her tutor at length about it, for he had been a renowned mage when he still lived in the Summerset Isles. He had spent long hours explaining the basics of the arcane to satisfy his student's curiosity.

A nervous smile played on the lips of the young khajiit who dropped the piece of mirror. An intense fatigue took hold of her as the adrenaline wore off and she shook all over her body. For all her fearlessness and defiance, Shazira had never been so scared in her life.

But she soon came to her senses and jumped to her feet as she heard moans of pain nearby.

- "Alberrric!" she shouted, rushing to her injured friend. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

The young breton struggled to his feet with the help of the princess. His breathing was ragged and his body was covered with wounds and bruises, but his life did not seem to be in danger.

- "Shazi..." He looked at his friend with some relief, obviously more concerned about her condition than his own. "The divines be praised... are you okay?"

- "I'm fine, silly..." she replied with a smile. "Seriously, did you look at yourself? No, don't get up... try to stay calm."

- "But... the daedra..." snapped Alberic as he tried to get up. "Where is it?"

- "It's gone. I don't know what happened, but it seems to have disappeared..."

Shazira scanned the shadows of the cave for the demon's body but there was no sign of it. Her gaze was suddenly drawn to a glint on the ground.

The daedra's broad pectoral rested on the cave floor, just where it had been standing before it disappeared. The many pearls still glowed under the light of the braziers but were now eclipsed by the glow of a new pearl. This one was huge, the size of an apple and glowing with an amethyst colour. The more she stared at the jewel, the more Shazira felt a strange thrill. The same chill she had felt in her nightmares or when she first came face to face with Ophia.

- "The daedra is gone..." she whispered. "It's not coming back..."

Alberic didn't understand what his friend meant, but he was reassured that she was safe and that all danger was over. He tried to get up again but Shazira stopped him, insisting that he stay still.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the nearby tunnel and Alberic reacted immediately. Despite his injuries, he leapt to his feet to get between Shazira and the cave entrance. With no weapon at hand, he grabbed a large stone from the ground, determined to use it if necessary. His heart was beating wildly, he expected more followers to appear and, in his state, the young Breton knew that he would be able to put up little resistance. But he was determined to defend his friend, whatever the cost.

She had saved his life once again and now it was his turn to protect her.

Muscles tense and ready to attack, Alberic waited for what seemed like an eternity as the footsteps grew closer and closer. A figure finally appeared at the entrance to the cave and the young Breton raised his makeshift weapon before suddenly freezing.

- "Ca... Captain?" he asked hesitantly.

With her sword in hand, Flavia was unrecognizable with the blood covering her face and her crude improvised eye patch. She watched Alberic and Shazira for a moment before raising an eyebrow at the boy's posture.

- "What were you going to do with that stone, Al'?" she asked in a quiet voice.

- "Uh, I... nothing... nothing at all, Captain."

His relief at the sight of the former legionnaire was such that he dropped to the ground, his legs still wobbly. After a few moments, Imril cautiously poked his head through the entrance to the cave. The elf seemed as nervous as ever and he waited for Flavia to enter the cave before following her lead.

- "What happened here?", Flavia asked as she scanned the surroundings. "Where is the daedra?"

- "I... I'm not sure...", Shazira replied hesitantly.

The young khajiit turned her head and the captain followed her gaze to contemplate Ophia's necklace still lying on the ground.

- "But I think we're rid of it..."

* * * * *

It was with a curiously excited voice that Shazira recounted the confrontation with the daedra, leaving no detail out. She praised Alberic's courage and bravery against the demon, insisting that she would have died without his intervention. She then puffed up her chest with pride as she detailed her ploy with the mirror fragment.

Given this explanation, Imril concluded that the strange obsidian mirror was an ancient magical artefact and he was willing to bet that Ophia's soul-capturing spell had backfired after being reflected by the piece of mirror wielded by the princess.

- "You were very lucky that your idea worked," the altmer congratulated her. "The magic that permeated that mirror could have dissipated the moment it was shattered, but fortunately that doesn't seem to have been the case."

- "Jone and Jode always look out for the bold cats," Shazira replied with a broad smile.

While listening to these explanations, Flavia had gone to Gunnar's who was slowly regaining consciousness and moaning in pain. He too was not a pretty sight. His beard was full of dust and his skin was covered with bruises and hematomas.

- "Gunnar, how do you feel?" she asked him.

- "Like a saint... what a question, I feel like I've been trampled by a herd of mammoths." He tried to laugh but even that was painful. "I've got a shattered leg and several broken ribs but other than that... I'm fine."

- "Don't push it. Wouldn't it be silly to die now?"

- "And miss out on the booze you promised me? Ah! Certainly not!"

With the help of the captain, the giant Nord struggled to get back on his feet to join the others. Once they reached them, Imril hastened to call out to Flavia with a curious impatience.

- "Captain Flavia, can I talk to you about something?"

- "What is it, Master Imril?"

- "Well, you see..." The elf turned to point to Ophia's necklace. "If what the princess says is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, the daedra's soul is trapped in that pearl you see there. "

- "So what?" asked Flavia, who thought the altmer would have begged her to leave this place as soon as possible.

- "Daedra souls are particularly rare and we could fetch a good price for a soul of such power... you understand me?"

The captain frowned at the mage's proposal and, after helping Gunnar to a seat, moved towards the large jewel. The object still glowed golden in the light of the braziers, its many pearls gleaming faintly around the larger one, which the elf said held the demon's soul. Flavia stared at it for a long moment before picking up the pectoral with her fingertips and stuffing it into her bag. Imril couldn't help but smile with a glint of greed in his eyes as he watched her do this.

- "It's a wise decision, Captain. But you should let me keep it, I'll know who to go to for the best price."

- "If you think that, then you don't know me very well, Master mage," Flavia interrupted him curtly. "I will keep this item until I find a safe way to dispose of it."

- "But, Captain... think of the fortune we could make from such an object."

- "The discussion is closed. Do not force me to repeat myself. "

Flavia gave the mage a stern look, made even harsher by her injuries, and the altmer did not dare to insist on the captain's intransigence. He nodded reluctantly.

On the other side of the cave, Alberic was recovering as best he could from the recent events, his body and mind in the grip of an intense fatigue that eclipsed even the pain of his wounds. He wanted only one thing, to rest.

The young Breton felt a pair of hands rest gently on his shoulders and he turned his head towards Shazira who was smiling cheerfully.

- "So... it’s over?" he asked hesitantly.

- "Yes," she replied optimistically. "I think it's finally over."

- "And now? What do we do?"

- "I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for a nice hot bath... and you? "

- "A bed," the young Breton replied immediately, smiling. "A warm, cosy bed and no one to wake me up... not even you."

The young khajiit couldn't help but laugh at her friend's answer as she ran a hand through his hair.

- "I think you've earned some peace and quiet from me for once."

Notes:

[1] A variety of insect that can be found throughout Tamriel and resembles large fireflies. They are often used as a source of light, especially by the Bosmers of Valenwood.