Legends of Skyrim: The Sapphire Smuggler (BOOK THREE)

Epilogue - Tasitis Amatel

Ji'ssa sat in the vault, overlooking her treasure trove. Once again, it was overflowing with pilfered riches and gems from all the ores of Skyrim. She placed down a letter from Maven Black-Briar as the vault began to open. "Lass?" Brynjolf asked, stepping in, "You have a visitor?"
"Do I know him?" she asked.
"He claims you've met before," Brynjolf looked back, "He wants to talk about an 'in-house matter'."
Ji'ssa's eyebrow raised before she stood. "Thank you." she leaned against the wall, facing away from the door.
"... Should I show him in?" Brynjolf inquired.
"No need," he tilted her head, "He's made himself comfortable."
From behind a stack of crates, all overflowing with Skooma bottles, emerged an Imperial, a leather hood pulled over his face. Brynjolf went to draw his dagger, but Ji'ssa held a hand up. "Thank you, Brynjolf," the Khajiit turned to her friend, "But I won't need you for this. He can show himself out when we're done."
"... Aye, lass," Brynjolf closed the door after him, "If you're sure."
The door to the vault closed. Ji'ssa turned to the Imperial before her. "So your issue is concluded?" she asked.
"Yes." the Imperial spoke with a deep, tired voice.
"And where does the final branch of the Dark Brotherhood reside now?" Ji'ssa ran her finger over the head of a Dibella statue.
"Dawnstar," he answered, "A small sanctuary by the sea."
Ji'ssa looked up at the Assassin. "I..." she spoke hesitantly, "I am sorry for what happened to Astrid."
His head snapped up to face her with a restrained rage. His eyes were a dull white, and his light grey beard swayed with each movement of his head.

"Astrid was a traitor!" he declared, "May she find redemption in the Void, for Sithis would not so soon grant her any for what she did to our family."
Ji'ssa watched the Assassin as he opened a chest. "Is this all you came to report?" she asked impatiently.
"The Argonian," he looked at a small diamond, picked it up, and tilted it against the light of the fire, "She visited us almost ten nights ago. She is convinced that an evil will soon return to Skyrim. One that we all believe has been dead for centuries."
Crossing her arms, Ji'ssa asked, "Did she say what kind of evil? Or did her delirious nature steal your attention instead?"
"Khajiit, do you know the tales of the Dragon Priests?" the Assassin asked.
Her blood ran cold. "They..." she tried to speak, "They're just stories. Legends build on conflicting sources."
"Well, the Argonian claims to have fought one and lived," the Assassin continued, "In Labyrinthian. It spoke of a Ninth Priest."
"But the stories only tell of eight," protested Ji'ssa, "She has to be lying!"
"When I asked her to show me, she told me that she would never let another soul enter Labyrinthian," the Assassin turned back to the gold, "She was quite infuriating, yet so persistent that she was being truthful."
"Do you believe her?" Ji'ssa asked after a moment's silence.
The Assassin didn't answer, nor did he look at the Khajiit again. "You believe her, don't you?" she couldn't believe it.
"When you have seen as much of the world as I have, Khajiit," he began to walk back into the darkness, "You can easily discern truth from lie. The Argonian speaks the truth... and tells prophecies that spell this world's end."
Before he vanished into the darkness, he looked back, his white eyes glinting, and whispered, "When her predictions come true, what side of history will your Guild be on?"

The Khajiit has been informed of the Argonian's fears. Whether or not she will believe them herself is to be revealed. For now, I am to remain in Riften to wait for my newest contract. They will visit Jarl Black-Briar in a fortnight.
- Tasitis Amatel, 14th of Midyear