That's Madness (a Skyrim fanfiction)

Chapter Fifteen - Death Incarnate

I've never rode with such a fury before. Time and my surroundings blurred past me and I never paused once to make sure I was going in the right direction. I felt something pushing me, compelling me in the right direction. Shadowmere felt it too and he rode with such an intense fury that we must have woken everyone who we passed from their slumber. 

Soon we came to the familiar forest of Falkreath and the dread and terror begins to set in again. What if I'm too late?

I dismount Shadowmere and don't even flinch when I see the Penitus Occulatus outside my Sanctuary. They're dead before they know what's hit them. I'm about to enter the Sanctuary when something catches me off guard. 

The corpse of Festus pinned to a tree, littered with dozens of arrows. 

He wasn't a kind old man, not in the slightest. He was rude and grouchy and underestimated me at times. But godsdammit, he was our rude, grouchy and underestimating old man. 

"Dread father watch over you, brother," I say with tears stining my eyes. Then I go inside to face the carnage. 

In the first and familiar room, where Astrid often met me, there are two more agents discussing who the traitor could be. The pain inside of me returns. I sink an arrow into one of them and then kick the other agent in the groin. He gasps in pain and then I lock my hands around his throat and squeeze, making it as painful as possible. Then I hurry on into the main chamber. I hear a roar and a growl and a werewolf facing off more agents. Arnbjorn. 

I rush fowards to help Arnbjorn, almost crying with relief that one of them is alive.

Arnbjorn swipes at the agents with his massive paws, killing one. But then the other one sinks his sword into Arnbjorn's and he gives a roar of pain. 

"No!" I scream and I charge forward too. I kill the agents with my bow and dispose of another with my daggers. Arnbjorn is dead before I can say any words of comfort to him and my eyes brim with angry tears. The room shakes and the fire is spreading and it gets harder and harder to breathe. 

I stagger into the next room, the alchemy and enchanting lab. Lis, Babette's frostbite spider, is dead. 

"Maryse?" a familiar voice croaks. 

"Gabriella!" I don't even try to hold the tears back and I run to her. 

"No, child. Don't cry. I'm going to see our Lady and Father soon," she pats my cheek. "You are the worthiest Listener," she coughs blood. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a gold ring with an old jewel in it. "Find Azaron," she says insistently. "My son. Azaron..."

The life leaves Gabriella and a wave of pain hits me again. I don't stop the tears spilling down my cheeks. I put my bow on my back and clench my daggers. The daggers will hurt more. 

"If I am to die today, so be it. But you'll not soon forget the Dark Brotherhood!" I hear Nazir shout. 

Nazir!

"Nazir!" I shout. I rush to where I heard his voice and he's locked in a duel with the last of the Penitus Occulatus agents. I jump down from the ledge I'm on, landing perfectly on the agent. My weight staggers him. I use his hair for grip, pull his head back and drive my dagger into his throat, but not enough to kill him instantly. I pull out the dagger and I stamp on his throat as he makes disgusting sounds as he bleeds out. 

Nazir pulls me back. "He's dead Maryse!"

"They're all dead!" I scream. 

"But you are alive. I was starting to wonder," he sheathes his curved sword.