Just a Skyrim fanfic: Extended cut

Agreement fulfilled

(Leonidas arrives at the twilight sepulcher and sees a blue nightingale spirit)

Gallus: I don't recognize you, but I sense that you're one of us. Who are you?

Leonidas: I am Leonidas. Who may you be?

Gallus: I'm the last of the nightingale sentinels, I'm afraid. I've defended the sepulcher alone for what seems like an eternity

Leonidas: Last? What happened to the rest of them?

Gallus: We were betrayed by one of our own kind. In fact, I'm to blame for what's happened here

Leonidas: How are you to blame?

Gallus: I was blinded. Blinded by dark treachery masquerading as friendship. Perhaps if I had been more vigilant, then Mercer Frey wouldn't have lured me here to my fate and stolen the skeleton key

Leonidas: Wait a moment... He lured you here and killed you... You're Gallus!

Gallus: I haven't heard that name in a long time. How do you know of me?

Leonidas: I killed Mercer Frey and took the skeleton key back from him

Gallus: They key! You have the skeleton key! I never thought I'd see it again! Then it's over. And my death wasn't in vain. I owe you a great deal, nightingale

Leonidas: I did this for the guild

Gallus: That's quite a noble sentiment for someone in our... well... our line of work. My only regret is that you had to undertake this task alone

Leonidas: But I didn't do it alone. I was helped by Brynjolf and Karliah

Gallus: Karliah... She's still alive? Ha-ha! I had feared she's befallen the same fate. Ending up a victim of Mercer's betrayal

Leonidas: Then we must take this key to the inner sanctum and right all of the wrongs

Gallus: Nothing would bring me more pride than to return the key. But I'm afraid it's impossible

Leonidas: Impossible? What do you mean?

Gallus: From the moment I've arrived here I've felt myself... dying in a way

Leonidas: How can a spirit die? I thought they could only fade

Gallus: The twilight sepulcher isn't merely a temple or a vault to house the skeleton key. Within these walls is the ebonmere. A conduit to Nocturnal's realm of evergloom. When Mercer stole the key, that conduit closed, severely limiting our ties to her

Leonidas: Then I'll do this alone

Gallus: I'm weakening. And I can feel myself slowly slipping away. The years without the restoration of my power have taken their toll. Whatever damage has been caused can only be corrected by following the pilgrim's path to the ebonmere and replacing the key. If I'm going to fade, it will be in battle

Leonidas: Then together, we will return the key, and restore our power

Gallus: Yes. And alongside someone I can trust

(Leonidas and Gallus head into the pilgrim's path but Leonidas notices the other nightingale spirits are purple)

Spirit: Hmm? Does someone live among the dead?

Spirit: I sense a presence

Spirit: A mortal!

(Three nightingale spirits charge at Leonidas with spectral blades)