Two Graves - The Song of Nephiah and Brelyna

Chapter 22: Two Dunmer Walk Into a Bar

"That is going to leave a scar." Frokwulf was crouching outside of Nephiah's cage, looking deeply unhappy about the fresh wound on her face. The cut burned under her eye, down to her chin, heating up her entire face. She didn't let him see her pain. She had trained herself to hide it the second she realized he took pleasure from it. She could tell from the most subtle changes on his face, his stance, how he enjoyed her pain, how it bothered him when he was denied a reaction. Things so subtle, she was the only one to notice them for nobody else knew him that well. Over time the threshold where she could not contain it was beyond the things he could do to her. And he did try. But she didn't exist, nothing he did to her mattered. So she could revel in those little victories, however insignificant they were.

"Is everything alright?" The necromancer approached them, having settled his dealings with the elder vampire. Frokwulf got to his feet. "I don't suppose you can..." "Sorry.", he got interrupted. "I do not deal in matters of life, you know that." He looked down to the slave in the cage, she was staring motionlessly onto the floor. "Well with one exception. But she is not it." He gave off a quick laugh. "We will have to postpone then. She needs to heal." Frokwulf crossed his arms. "No. This has to happen now. And I need a living subject as a conduit." "We have dozens of living subjects available." "Yes... Slave, look at me." Nephiah didn't react to the necromancer's voice. Frokwulf took note and intervened. "Slave." Nephiah looked up, her face purposefully void of expression. "So she only listens to your commands?", the mage inquired. "Yes. Or the ones I tell her to. That's how I make your merchandize as well." The mage laughed. "You know, that never ceases to amaze me." "She is mine." Frokwulf didn't respond to flattery. "Well let's just say that if I do not perform this ritual now, our entire enterprise is going to crumble. You have some interest in avoiding that, yes?" The mage looked him in the eye with a superior smile. Frokwulf looked down at Nephiah. "Why her." "I don't know." The mage looked back down as well, her gaze was still upon him. "There is something..." He pondered as if trying to find words. "Fire? No. A certain... aura." For a moment he looked confused. "Are you sure you have her tamed?" "Without question." "Hm. Well she will do is all I can say. It will be painful, but no lasting damage will be done, I assure you." He bowed down to Nephiah, moving his face close to hers. He was surrounded by an eerie pocket of cold air. She could see his eyes under the hood, giving off a faint violet glow. She was terrified. "You will suffer for me, won't you, child."

Nephiah awoke with a short scream, jumping into a standing position, knocking over the chair she was sitting on. Sweating and breathing heavily, she looked around, trying to get her bearings. The tavern was empty, both Brelyna and the girl weren't there, Ambaryses help was sweeping the floor in the corner. Daylight was seeping in through the cracks in the door. "Your friend left a while ago. Said to tell you to wait for her.", the man holding the broom said. "Where is Sophie..." Nephiah uttered. "The girl? Left as well." She took a menacing step towards him, he instantly raised his hands in surrender, still holding the broom in his right. "Of her own free will, I swear! Said something about flowers and stormed out!" Nephiah's stance relaxed, she put the chair upright and sat back down. She liked the place better now that it was empty.

The door opened, instantly inviting a swell of cold air. "Nevrith! You're awake!" Brelyna entered and sat down opposite of her. "Nevrith...", Nephiah uttered annoyed. "Shh, we are in disguise...", Brelyna whispered, smiling back at her. Nephiah crossed her arms and leaned back. "All right then, um..." "Eravani." "...Eravani." The help looked at them, noticing the odd conversation. "Where have you been?" "Don't be mad at me." Nephiah raised an eyebrow. "Mad?" "I went to see Wuunferth." Nephiah's eyes widened, she untangled her arms and put both hands on the table. She tensed up. "Alone?!" "Yes, I posed as a courier like Suvaris suggested, was no trouble at all. I thought it best to get the lay of the land. You know, so we know who we are dealing with before we start punching him. See if we have the right man." Nephiah gave her a disapproving look. She disapproved less of Brelyna's initiative than of her making fun of her tactics. She exhaled audibly and relaxed. "So?" "So I got to talk to him a little bit. Asked him about his magic. And here's the odd thing. He said he was a mage from the College." Nephiah began to listen closely to Brelyna's report. "Now I haven't studied the College's history. His name was never mentioned but he may well be. But. When he told me he specialized in Conjuration magic and I asked if he was a necromancer, he said that he would never do that for the College forbids it." She paused, highlighting the importance of the statement. "The College does not! In fact it is the only magical organization that has NOT outlawed Necromancy. The Conjuration Master told us as much during orientation. He is definitely hiding something." Nephiah pondered a moment. "Had I been there... I know what he looks like." "Yes, well. Right now, if it's really him, he doesn't know that we know. We have time to find a way to get him to leave the city. Maybe catch him alone and off guard? You would have punched him!" Nephiah crossed her arms again. "As I said. There's no way we fight him here and live." Nephiah looked to the door, a moment passed. "And I am expecting us to live!" Brelyna reached across the table and put her hands down. "Both of us!" Nephiah looked back to her mage, her arms still crossed. "I have to see him."