20demayo Chapter 164: Chapter XXVII: The Ebony Shank
Chapter 164: Chapter XXVII: The Ebony Shank
Chapter 164: Chapter XXVII: The Ebony Shank
We stayed the night at the hunter's camp, the two huntsmen eagerly praising us for bringing them the head of the werewolf that killed their friend/relative. The speed at which they got to taxiderming the whole thing was honestly a bit worrying though.
They even tried to invite us to stay over at their village so they could at least prepare a modest feast for us but we were in a hurry so I decided to just ask them to guide us out of the forest and as near Whiterun hold as possible.
They led us all the way to Riverwood without a hint of complaint. Not my first choice of destination but it was on the way so I guess a bit of annoyance at the resident spy was not that terrible a fate.
I was busying myself teaching some of the more efficient runic sequences I discovered to Nightshade while we waited for daybreak in the Sleeping Giant Inn, when the usual suspect decided to insert herself into our conversation.
I still did not know what to make of Delphine, she was a very pushy character with a fair bit of arrogance. Then again she seemed far more intelligent than I remembered and her pride was tempered with experience.
I do wonder if she managed to understand the little hint I left her last time...
This time she didn't play coy and merely sat down next to Nightshade, whom I was forced to signal not to try and turn the Blade agent into a popsicle as it would probably not end too well for my Falmer vassal.
The Blades had a reputation for a reason and I wasn't about to waste time or servants in testing that.
"Delphine" I greet with a bored drawl while closing my notes book turned grimoire.
"Greetings Thane" She responds with a conspiratorial smile "We may speak openly, I checked."
I roll my eyes and activate clairvoyance just in case, an instant later I am back in reality and the woman is staring at me with a twinge of annoyance, likely seeing the light glow in my eyes which appears whenever I use that specific spell "Indeed, there is no one" I respond with only a bit of smugness lacing my voice before it turns serious "Now, what did you need from me Blade?"
"There is no need to be so standoffish, we are on the same side" She raises her hands placatingly and I merely snort in response. Seeing that I wasn't about to relax she sighed and sent a quick look toward Nightshade, once again seeing that I wasn't about to go out of my way to accommodate her she sighed "I wish to propose a trade."
"Oh?" I raise an eyebrow "Do go on."
"I have some information regarding our mutual enemy" She asserts "In return, I would like you to give me information available to those of your social standing."
I stretch the silence to an uncomfortably long degree before slowly nodding "Alright, that does sound like something that isn't a complete waste of my time."
We started by trading some minor facts, positioning of Justiciars, and the most recent raids on Delphine's side while I talked about some less than public happenings among the nobility that my agents gathered with practiced ease.
Finally, we got to the big ones "I have noticed heavy movements of Justiciars to the far northwest, they were meeting with what I think were powerful vampires."
"Thalmor and Volkihar..." I mutter with a frown, that was not good...
"You know of them?" Delphine asks, easily showing me she has no details on the vampire clan.
"Extremely old and powerful clan, directly blessed by Bal as well." I easily explain "Not quite Dwemer old but close enough."
She frowns and mutters both our thoughts out loud "Fuck."
'Apt' I chuckle inwardly "Contact the retired Vigilant of Stendarr named Isran." I say while looking at the crackling firepit at the inn's center "Tell him to prepare for the vampires' return."
"And this... Isran will just believe me when I tell him just that?" Delphine gives me an incredulous look and then adds "A Vigilant might be useful but how can a single man help us against an entire clan?"
I shrug at her question "He is surprisingly resourceful for a religious zealot... and he is so ravenous for killing vampires that even a hint about a possibility of them returning will have him preparing infrastructure to fight against them."
She nods slowly "I will get to it then." Before raising an eyebrow as if to say 'your turn'
I smirk "I just butchered the Dark Brotherhood almost in its entirety."
She blinks before finally processing my words, after staring at me for a while she mutters "You aren't joking, are you?"
I shake my head "No, I found their hidey hole and ended whoever they didn't send after me." She takes a deep breath before nodding in a mix of satisfaction and self reassurance "It is good to hear that the province is that much safer."
"Indeed" I agree quickly "And if we were to find the final member we would be rid of the organization for a very long time."
Her eyes snap to mine "You sound as if you already have information on them."
I incline my head "That I do, an Imperial named Cicero, wears a clown's attire and drags a coffin with him wherever he goes." A predatory smile twists on my face as I point at the Blade "You will do your utmost to find this disgusting creature and kill it if I am too far to do it myself, in return I will gift you with one very vital fact for your organization."
She doesn't even need to consider and agrees immediately "I do not need a reward for doing this but I welcome any help you may provide."
I snort "Right, sure I will grab the damn piece of sodomized metal for you but I don't know when I will get around to doing it."
She waves it off "Just do it whenever you get the chance, preferably before you butcher his
toys." She suddenly stops speaking and groans "Oh no, I wasn't supposed to say that... Azura
will be insufferable."
She looks genuinely distressed but I do not react. Remember Reyvin, manipulations within
manipulations.
She sees me not even twitch and sighs "Fine then, ruin my fun." She proffers her hand "My token and the knife with which you earned my blessing please."
I shrug and toss the locket and dagger at her which she grabs with ease. She takes up the ebony
blade and suddenly all three items loose their shape and turn into a shadowy blob, her hands, both humanoid and spidery, move around like she is weaving something and soon a much
smaller blob of shadow is all that remains.
Its aura was nothing to scoff at however. Mephala proffers the long ebony stiletto dagger toward me and I grasp it with practiced ease,
immediately feeling my old blessing return with a bit extra residing within the dagger itself.
I twirl the newly modified Daedric artifact between my fingers and immediately realize that the damn thing is telling me how best to wield it alongside giving me hints on how best to remain hidden. A quick scan shows exactly what I am looking at.
[Ebony Blade-Unleashed:
Mephala's prime artifact, once the blade of the betrayer and now the blade of ambition in the
hands of her chosen. She watches all your deeds with great attention.
Mephala's Favor: Grants you power over lies of all forms.
Lifedrinker: Steals great amounts of lifeforce from victims, can be used to heal and power
spells and rituals.
Shadowguide: Teaches you how best to wield it.]
[Daggers: Apprentice]
I look up to my patron while sheathing the weapon "I see you went all out this time."
She smiles kindly "You are by far my favorite mortal of this era, do not take my actions
lightly." Realizing the weight of her words I give her a light bow "I will do my utmost not to disappoint my Prince."
"Indeed you shall" She nods as if it were to be expected "I will be watching." She smiles and disappears, moments later I am back.
I slowly turn around and come face to face with a confused Balgruuf and a very horrified
Irileth.
It was at that moment that I realized the damn demon had set me up...
I am loco for el rocko
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