Balanced On the Knife Edge

Chapter 15

The chamber was dark when they entered. Nusha squinted, her eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom. It was a wide, spacious room, and all around the edges were crates, piles of clothes, and weapons. The Akaviri army had clearly used this room for storage, and it looked like they were planning on hiding out there for a long time.

A blue light came from the opposite wall, and Nusha at first thought it was from the same magic that lit the other rooms. But this one was different; pale, and faint. It appeared as a strange mist, which whirled together, moved by some invisible wind, until it coalesced into the form of a person.

Commander Mishaxhi of Akavir stood before them as a spectre. He was dressed in the rivuletted armour of his people, katana sheathed by his side, an impressive figure even in death. Karme stepped forward but Nusha shot out her arm. There was no telling what this ghost would do.

"You are the messenger," the ghost said, finally.

Karme opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing. Nusha wasn't sure what they should do. Play along with this game? Or tell him the messenger was dead, that the war was over? The commander continued.

"We have been holed up here for weeks now. I hope you come bearing good news."

He thought he was still there, in the war. Except something was wrong. Karme started to speak but Nusha interrupted her.

"This doesn't make sense. He's speaking Cyrodiilic."

Karme shook her head. "No, you're just hearing it as that. I heard it in Dunmeri. He's speaking directly to our minds."

The ghost observed them as they spoke. Even stood still, his weapon sheathed, he managed to appear threatening.

Karme pulled out the amulet, its glow mixing with the hazy blue light of the ghost.

"I have come to return your amulet," she said.

The ghost's expression twisted into rage, and he let out a guttural cry, which echoed across the stone chamber.

"You! You are the one who stole my amulet!"

In a second he had unsheathed his sword and moved forward. Nusha had thought that the ghost couldn't harm them, but now she wasn't so sure.

"No!" Karme cried. "I promise, I didn't mean to, I..."

She tugged at the chain, but the amulet would not come off. Mishaxhi marched closer.

Nusha pulled the bow off her back, nocked the arrow, and fired. It flew straight through the ghost, landing in a pile of weapons on the other side of the room.

"It's no use!" Karme said. "Only silver will harm it."

Nusha swore and started rummaging through the weapons around them. It was hard to tell what material they were made from in the dark room, and she had to move nearer to the ghost to be able to see. Meanwhile, Mishaxhi swung at Karme, who narrowly dodged the blow. The sword sliced through one of the crates like butter, confirming the real danger of the commander. Karme's injured arm whacked into one of the crates, and she howled in pain.

"It's no use," Nusha said, throwing away a broadsword. "These are all iron and steel."

"Traitor!" the ghost shrieked. "I will cut out your entrails and eat them, I will turn you into a mindless soldier of death!"

Mishaxhi turned on them, backing them into a corner.

"What can we do?" Nusha said.

"I'll have to use my magic. Nusha, when I give the signal, you run through that wall the ghost came through."