Heartless

Chapter 42 - Part 55

This chapter is switching between Shadow and Brynjolf's current situations. It should be fairly easy to distinguish which is which.

Brynjolf sat on his own, away from everyone in the Ragged Flagon, absently toying with the little bottle cork in his hand as he stared blankly at the tabletop. The redhead's head was rather comfortable in his free hand as he watched the bottle cork spin on the top of the table. Of course he blamed himself for her death, he knew he should have insisted she didn't stay out in the cold, but here he was, burdened with the knowledge that Mercer was a traitor.

Shadow launched herself from the creeping shadows, darting across the moonlit path as the wind picked up, swirling sand through the warm night air. In the distance, a bolt of violet lightening arced from the sky and struck the sea, indicating a summer storm was approaching. Nocturnal had instructed her to steal literal Luck from people, which was hard, very hard. The luck the goddess required came best and freshest from Thieves that could still have strong ties to her, and Elsweyr was full of lucky Thieves. Something was off, the pale Khajiit knew it as soft green light began swirling around her. She was absorbing luck from someone for no reason...?

Vekel the Man wandered over and handed Brynjolf his third bottle of Oak-Matured Mead for that evening, the hefty Nord thief slapping down a few septims as he refilled his tankard.

'Something the matter, Bryn?'

'Hmph. Nothing, Vekel. Just a lot on my mind.'

'Aye. You enjoy your mead.'

Brynjolf nodded tiredly as his brick coloured locks shaded his blank face, his mind reeling with grief and alcohol as memories of her passed through his mind. He could have done something. He should have done something, but he didn't. He thought she was strong enough, but she wasn't. She was dead.

A roar echoed through the night as shrieks erupted from behind Shadow. She turned to see four Khajiit in black, who had been following her stealthily. Shadow and those who would have been her enemies made a Silent truce, before drawing their weapons and facing the enormous dragon that was descending rapidly towards the group. Shadow gritted her teeth and drew her bow, nocking an arrow, taking aim, and nailing the dragon dead in the left wing. It faltered in the sky, growling in pain as Shadow shot it's right wing, her arrows tearing through the delicate skin. The white Khajiit reached back for another arrow as the dragon landed, but found not an arrow, but a new experience.

Not even remotely tipsy, Brynjolf numbly entered the Cistern and removed the top half of his armour as he had done the night she died, placing it within arms reach and making sure he had his iron dagger securely under his pillow. The broad chested nord sat on the edge of his scratchy hay bed, wishing he had his nest and his favourite thief back.

Her quiver was empty.

This was a new experience for the master archer, who cussed colourfully as she drew her ebony daggers and leapt at the huge beast just as it opened it's mouth to torch her alive. Shadow landed and slid across the ground, jumping onto the dragon's tail and running up it's back to balance on it's head so she could get a clear shot at the weak spot in the roof of it's mouth. What Shadow didn't expect was for the dragon to suddenly jerk it's head up, nearly ending in her sliding smoothly down it's throat, had she not dug her daggers into the dragon's nose and lower lip, pushing against it's crushing jaw until with an almighty snap, two things happened

Sighing, Brynjolf noticed the new recruit gazing at him through her lashes, twisting and turning to try and get him to notice her. Normally Brynjolf would have readily agreed to something like this, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts. He shouldn't be like this, he shouldn't be caring...

One: The Dragon's jaws snapped shut.

Two: The dragon died.

How?

Blind with the aching pain in her arms, Shadow lit a summoning spell in one hand as she edged towards the sharp teeth lining the outer rim of the dragon's mouth. Just before jumping out of the way, Shadow summoned a bound sword and propped it in the dragon's mouth. As she led go... bye bye dragon...

Hello Assassins.