I am Laeilwyn Riverpool (A Skyrim Adventure)

Chapter Forty: The Fall of the Old Regime

-Laeilwyn's Perspective-

Karliah was waiting for us at the bottom of the great lift. She was sitting on a collapsed pillar in full Nightingale gear, sharpening her dagger on a stone. 

"Mercer's been here." She said to me. 

"So those bandits back there..."

I could tell she grimaced beneath the mask. "I found them like that. We have to catch up with him before it's too late."

"We should tread carefully." Brynjolf piped up. "I wouldn't be surprised if Mercer's left behind a few presents for us."

"Like that?" Erandur pointed to a trap trigger on the door we were all standing in front of. 

"Good eyes lad. I'll disable that in a jiffy." Brynjolf said, kneeling down to work on it. When we heard the all too familiar snap of the string, we opened the door and saw the mace still hanging overhead. 

"That would have hurt!" I said. "Nice work Erandur."

As we moved through the corridors, bodies of defeated spider guardians, sphere masters and other sorts of steam Animunculi littered the place. There wasn't a spot of blood anywhere. 

"Crossing blades with Mercer could be the worst mistake you ever make. He's too quick. Always one step ahead. I learned that the hard way when we trained together back in the day." I explained to Erandur. 

We reached a large balcony overlooking a large and complex lower level. 

"Wait a minute. Is that...?" Karliah said, pointing to the movement below. 

"That's Mercer!" Brynjolf said, drawing his sword. Mercer was sneaking up behind an unsuspecting Falmer. He desperately looked around for a way through. "Damn it! We can't reach him."

We watched him stab the Falmer in the back and stop for a moment to stare in our direction. 

"He's playing with us..." I said through gritted teeth. "He wants us to follow him."

"Well, he knows we're here, and he's challenged us." Erandur said, readying fireball in one hand and chain lightning in the other. "Let's accept his challenge."

***

After what seemed like hours of dispatching various Falmer and avoiding Mercer's traps, we reached the door to the Irkngthand Sanctuary. 

"Finally. So close to to avenging the deaths of Gallus and Sigaar and everyone else Mercer betrayed." I said, applying some of the poison Mercer used on me to my sword once more. Erandur and Brynjolf pushed open the door. In front of us stood the largest statue I have ever seen in my life. Filling the room, floor to ceiling, was the most intricate sculpture of a snow elf, with Mercer dangling off the face, trying to pry the right jewelled eye from it's socket. 

"He hasn't seen us yet. Brynjolf, watch the door. Elle, you'll have to try and get closer to him. We'll stall." Karliah said. 

I crouched down and cast invisibility on myself. I jumped down and hid in the shadows by the left foot of the elf.

"Karliah karliah karliah. When will you learn you can't get the drop on me?" Mercer said, turning to face them. He cast a powerful spell that led some of the chamber to collapse. He jumped down from the head of the Falmer to the tome of knowledge it held in its left hand. 

"Give it up Mercer! It's too late for you. Your time has come. All your black deeds must be paid for." Karliah shouted back at him. 

Mercer ignored this. "And where oh where is Miss Riverpool? Our dearest Laeilwyn too scared to face me? Or does she lie in the deepest depths of Oblivion with the rest of those who have crossed me?"