Beautiful Insanity (A Skyrim/Oblivion Fanfiction) ((ORIGINAL))

Rebuilding the Gatekeeper

Relmyna was pissed when I, the killer of the Gatekeeper, appeared, to say the least. She spoke of how I murdered her son and how terrible I was. I could understand her fury. If I had a child and someone killed him, then I wouldn't just seek revenge, I would make them feel the same pain.

Xaselm was somewhat near the Gates of Madness, but still a decent trek from New Sheoth. Inside were the skeletal creatures known as Shambles, vaguely humanoid-looking beasts with the heads of deer-like creatures. I burned them and opened the rusty door to Xaselm.

The path was fairly simple at first, just a gate up ahead. But beyond that gate was an entire nest of the buggers. Left and right, I killed the bony monsters. I narrowly avoided a red draining blast from a Hunger statue on the wall.

I got turned around partway through, and I winced as a scream echoed through the ancient building... then I screamed like a little girl. I'd run into a torn-up zombie, except that it was hardly a zombie. It was sewn up, and I realized that it was strikingly familiar to the Gatekeeper. I tried burning it alive and choked on the disgusting odor of burning flesh. That was creepy as all Oblivion.

I bit my lip in annoyance as I was forced to fight a Skinned Hound and more fleshy atronachs. Are all of these what experiments have gone wrong?!

...

I finally reached Relmyna-- who was brutally torturing a female subject. She was stripped nearly naked, and the horrid Dunmer woman was blasting her with spells.

"Please, let it end! Oh, it hurts, it-- aaugh!" the experiment-woman shrieked, agonized.

"Don't worry, if you die, I will bring you back to life. We have much left to accomplish." I stared at her, dumbfounded. I shook out of my stupor and approached the auburn-haired Dark Elf. She immediately fixed me with a furious glare.

"You! I remember you! You're the adventurer who slew my Gatekeeper, are you not?!"

"Yes, I killed him," I admitted, expecting the magic blast she sent out at me. I held up a ward. "I needed to get in."

"The ends justify the means, do they?! You'll pay for that one day! Now, by all means, come right in, walk in here as if you own the place... By what authority do you disturb me?!" I pressed my lips together.

"By my authority as Duchess," I announced. Her face cleared, and I was relieved that she'd quit the hostility.

"Ah, that confirms it. You're the new Duchess. The stink of hubris surrounds you!" She was aggravating me. I may have been somewhat in the wrong, but her attitude towards a Duchess was entirely inappropriate. "My Lord allows you to lick his boot straps, does he?" I glared at this... whore. The thought of that arrogant bitch touching my king, even from so long ago, stirred up such an anger unknown to me.

"No, but there are other things..." I trailed off pointedly, staring at Sheogorath's former concubine. It may not have been the best retort, but it did the trick.

"Well, then," she growled. "I trust my servants didn't give you too hard a time getting here. Perhaps the Duchess would like to explain her business?"

"A new Gatekeeper is required, milady."

"Ah, your tone is more in line with my station."

"What station?" I scoffed. "Ex-lover?" Relmyna's face scrunched up in distaste.

"Please... continue."

"Will you lend us your oh-so-powerful magic?" I drawled. "After all, only someone as screwed-up in the head as you could make such an abomination."