The Kill - Chapter 4: A Watery Grave

Pesci, Formaggio, Sorbet, and Gelato sat at the table in the sanctuary living quarters. The green-haired Imperial had emptied a couple of glasses of milk while the redhead was eating a sweetroll. Gelato was sitting on Sorbet’s lap.

“So,” Sorbet said, breaking the silence, “you managed to swim across Lake Rumare–”

“Actually, I left the city using the main entrance,” Pesci corrected.

“Wait,” Gelato interrupted. “So, you got out of the sewers, ran to the exit, and kept running to Cheydinhal while it was still bright out?”

“Yeah, and nonstop too,” Pesci said. “You make it seem strange.”

“Well, vampires aren’t supposed to be in the sun, so you could’ve stopped running right there,” Sorbet added.

“I got scared.”

The redhead finished his sweetroll and placed his arm on the table, interested in the conversation.

“Pesci, you have amazing stamina,” Formaggio complemented. “It usually takes some time to travel from the Imperial City to Cheydinhal. You know, I remember seeing this Khajiit that ran faster than my horse.”

“Hold on,” Gelato said. “I think I know that guy.”

“I think I know that guy too,” Sorbet added. “He told me something once, and it was a lie.”

“What was it about?” his lover asked.

“Something about a helmet at the bottom of the ocean near Anvil. I never found it.”

“Alright, I should go,” Pesci said.

Before leaving the table, he finished up his last glass of milk and left.

“He’s kind of a coward,” Gelato gossiped.

“How is someone like him an assassin?” Sorbet added.

---

Pesci entered Illuso’s room. Illuso was sitting in the same spot he normally sits, but then he got up and walked to his desk, looking at stacks of paper. The vampire turned his gaze to Pesci, and he froze. Illuso sighed.

“The two contracts I gave you were completed but not by you. I’m against this idea, but your brother believes in you,” Illuso said.

“Huh?” questioned Pesci.

“You’ve earned the rank of Slayer. I don’t believe you earned it, but I’m not in charge,” he explained. Pesci grew a smile on his face. “You lacked the scent of Styx’s blood, and you lack Luca’s blood. When you entered the sanctuary screaming, I only smelled fear from you. I think you’re a pathetic excuse for an assassin.”

His words hurt Pesci, making the green-haired Imperial almost cry. Then the trapdoor to Prosciutto’s room creaked open, and his brother dropped down.

“Illuso, you know I can hear you from up there,” the blond man said. He walked towards his brother, rubbing his hands over his head. “Pesci, I know you can do this. To join the Dark Brotherhood, you had to kill someone. I know you’re capable of murder.”

“It was an accident,” Pesci whispered to him.

“The Night Mother knows you’re capable,” he whispered back. He then returned to his room.

Pesci held back the tear in his eye. “What’s my next contract?”

“You’re to kill a pirate named Gaston Tussaud,” Illuso answered. “You’ll find him in the Waterfront District in the Imperial City.”

Pesci sighed. “Again?”

“Yes, again,” he said. “Also, I may have held some information to you that would’ve helped find Luca quicker. I wanted to test if you could find the target yourself. There’s a crate where you can sneak yourself into the boat. Now go.”

---

Pesci was back at the Imperial City again, but this time it was late in the night. A pirate was standing just outside the ship, whistling a tune. He was probably there to guard anyone from getting on board, but he seemed carefree. With darkness around him, he snuck to the crate and hid inside. Waiting in the box for a few minutes, someone picked him up.

“Give me a hand,” he heard someone say.

“This crate is heavier than usual. What’s in it?” said another.

“Don’t know, don’t care.”

Pesci could feel that he was at the bottom of the ship. He waited for the pirates to walk away. Once their footsteps were fading, he got out. Before he could continue, he removed his overalls and placed them in his bag, no longer hiding the skin-tight armor.

He walked towards the wooden ladder. As he moved, the wooden planks creaked. Pesci started to sweat and froze in terror. No one heard him. He let out a sigh of relief and went upstairs.

Once there, he noticed the shadows of two people.

“A Dark Elf and a woman,” said one of the men. “I tell ya, something bad is going to happen.”

“Gaston thinks she’s a capable bodyguard,” said the other.

“We’ll see.” He paused for a second. “Hey, I can’t get this feeling that someone was in that crate.”

“Hmm, we probably picked up a stowaway. Let’s go look.”

Shit, Pesci thought. There was no point in heading to the bottom deck, but there was a room a couple of feet ahead he could hide in. He decided to hide in the room, but the loud creak in the floor gave him away, alerting the pirates to his position. They unsheathed their cutlasses. Pesci took out his dagger, but he was indecisive on who to attack.

“Hey, over here!” shouted a voice familiar to Pesci.

Both of the pirates turned to face that called out his name. Pesci took this opportunity to stab one of them in the back. The pirate’s slightly white shirt turned red. He watched as the pirate lain there, unmoving. Pesci’s mystery friend then stepped out of the shadows, revealing who he was, and charged towards the other pirate. A knife deeply plunged into his abdomen. Oddly, he had this feeling of excitement. To take someone’s life had awakened something in him.

“Gelato!” Pesci said with a smile.

“Shh!” the Wood Elf responded. “You shouldn’t say people’s names out loud.”

“Oops, sorry. That was fun, thrilling. It almost reminds me of that time in Anvil where I– Never mind. Hey, where’s Sorbet? Aren’t you two always together?”

“Not all the time. Hurry, he’s holding off the Dark Elf woman and your target.”

Before they headed towards the captain’s cabin, Pesci grabbed one of the pirate’s cutlasses. Sorbet was there, fighting the balding Breton and the Dark Elf woman. He kicked the woman towards the wall, stunning her for a few seconds. He then focused his attention on Gaston, moving with such speed. Swipe, swipe, clank, parry, dodge! He did notice Gaston had many cuts on his fine outfit, as well as a large, nasty gash on his chest.

“Gaston!” the woman yelled.

She charged towards Sorbet, but a throwing dagger cut the skin of her neck. Covering her neck with her hand, she looked to see who threw it. Pesci then looked at Gelato, realizing he had thrown it. His face seemed emotionless, expressionless.

“Accept your death,” the blond Wood Elf said to her, “Pesci, you can do the honors.”

The woman’s eyelids felt heavy, and soon, she breathed no more. As for Gaston, the green-haired Imperial slowly approached him, cutlass in hand. He watched as the Breton chest slowly rose up and down. He was furious, not ready to leave this world. The cutlass hovered over his chest, ready to pierce, but Pesci’s hands were getting shaky.

“Come on, do it! Why are you trembling?” Gelato commented. “I know you felt something when you stabbed that one pirate. I could tell from the look in your eye. Do it, boy!”

A loud knock interrupted them. “Captain Gaston, are you alright? We heard a noise. Captain Gaston? We’ll open the door in just a second.”

“Hurry!” Sorbet whispered. “The two of us unlocked the back door. We’ll jump into the water.”

Pesci plunged his cutlass into his chest. Just as that happened, the pirates kicked the door open.

“Assassins!” one of the pirates shouted.

“Run!” Gelato yelled.

They hopped out of the ship’s balcony and into the lake’s cold water. “Keep swimming in case one of them decides to chase us down!” Sorbet yelled. Once they were on land, they had a chat.

“Thanks for the help, you two,” Pesci said.

“We heard your conversation with Illuso,” Gelato said. “I just had to help. Sorbet said we shouldn’t.”

Sorbet sat down on a rock and sighed. “Well, it was on the way. I have to go to Skingrad. By the way, did you feel like someone was following you on the road?”

Pesci shook his head.

“Well, we were shadowing you. Anyways, Gelato, make sure Pesci returns to Cheydinhal unharmed.”

“What?” the blond Wood Elf cried out. “I thought I was coming with you.”

Sorbet stood up and walked towards his lover, grabbing his chin and pulling him closer to his lips. “And what would happen if we get caught? Go with Pesci and take a nap.” He kissed him then walked away from them.

Gelato blushed. “Wait, what if Illuso smells me? He’ll know that we helped him.”

“Pretty sure he just does that to scare us into doing the job.”

“Illuso sniffed out three people I killed,” Pesci added. “He’ll know.”

---

For years, Vicente Valtieri had been this sanctuary’s Executioner. Long before Prosciutto was born, he was the only Executioner, and he saw many members come and go, as in die. And then he lived for a long time and retired, but still gave orders after someone became Executioner. Now, Vicente was a Speaker, looking for a Silencer. He approached Illuso’s room, which was once his room. He gave the heavy metal door a slight push, making them open slowly. Illuso sat at the round table, reading a book. He placed it down once he saw Vicente.

“I thought I smelled someone familiar,” Illuso said, smiling.

“Yes, I– Wait, you can smell me?” Vicente replied.

Illuso laughed. He got up from his seat and poured Vicente a glass of blood. “No, I actually can’t. But it’s so funny to make everyone think you have heightened senses. I did it to this one recruit. It’s quite a funny story. When Pesci was resting at an inn on the road, I–”

“I didn’t come here for stories,” Vicente interrupted. “You have a contract.”

The older vampire took the glass of blood and drank from it anyways.

“Once the sun goes down, I’ll be on my way.”

The Kill - Chapter 3: Luca

Illuso drank from his wine glass, swirling the liquid in the glass around afterward. Red liquid escaped from his mouth. His long tongue scooped it up. Pesci could have sworn he saw sharp teeth. “Are you a--”

“Vampire?” Illuso finished for him. He placed his glass down. “Yes, I am. However, I’m not sharing this gift with you. You stink. By the way, I can smell the blood from your overalls. Let me guess, you killed an Imperial, Nord, and a Khajiit. All three of them were women. Strange, your target was an Imperial man. Now how did this happen?” A smile grew on his face.

“... I’d rather not talk about it.”

The brunet chuckled. “Very well, here’s 250 Septims for your reward.”

“What? 250? I thought it would be more than that.”

“You’ll earn more once you rank higher. For now, this is all you’ll get.”

“When will I rank up?

“Ugh, give me a few minutes.”

The vampire got up from his seat and walked towards the trapdoor that lead to his brother’s room. Pesci could barely hear what was going on.

“When does Pesci rank up?” Illuso asked. “I don’t–”

“Quiet!” Prosciutto raised his voice. The green-haired man couldn’t hear him well. “Not too fast,”

After they were done conversing, Illuso returned to his room.

“Alright,” he said, pulling out a piece of paper from his coat, “there’s this one contract for you available. You are to kill a man named Leaky-eye Luca in the Imperial City.”

“And where do I find him?” Pesci asked.

“Ask someone. Now get to it. I want to enjoy my blood in peace.”

The green-haired Imperial went into the living quarters. There was no sign of the Wood Elf couple. However, he did spot Formaggio eating some cheese and crackers while Carne had some ham and steak. The cat jumped onto the table, attempting to steal the Orc’s food. He grabbed the feline so suddenly that her tail fluffed up.

“Hey, back off!” Formaggio yelled, slamming the table with his hand.

“Tell this little shit to eat its own damn food,” Carne replied.

Pesci could feel the tensity around them and wanted to avoid them. He looked around, but they were the only ones there. Formaggio’s gaze looked elsewhere and spotted him. He waved and got out of his seat.

“Take the rest of this,” he said to Carne. “Don’t want you to die of a heart attack from all that meat.”

“Whatever…”

Formaggio placed his arm on Pesci’s shoulder and walked out of the living quarters with him.

“Man, I’ll tell you what. One day, that guy will disappear. Anyways, how’d your first contract go?” the redhead asked.

“Well, I killed the guy,” Pesci answered.

“I have the feeling there’s more to it. Come on, tell me.” Pesci told him what happened. “Damn, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” the green-haired man responded. “Hey, do you know where this guy named Luca could be? You know how big the Imperial City is.”

“Oh, Luca? I know that guy! He’s part of the Thieves’ Guild, probably not anymore, and he’s a skooma dealer. You’ll find him on the waterfront or possibly in the sewers. He might be dead when you find him. He’s kind of stupid.”

“You knew him? What does he look like? You know, Illuso never told me what Styx looked like, only that he was a priest.”

“He’s ugly. He has brown hair. He kind of looks like a coconut. His right eye is leaky, too, hence the name. You’ll probably notice him right away. Make sure you take his things from his body. Oh, and tell him I said fuck you.”

“Alright, thanks for the help. I’m going to go.”

Before Pesci could leave, Formaggio grabbed his shoulders.

“Hey, before you go, sometimes the beggars can help. They’re going to ask for some money, though. Anyways, good luck!”

---

Pesci arrived at the Waterfront around noon and wandered around the shacks in the shadows of the Waterfront’s walls. This place hasn’t changed at all. The man stood in front of his childhood home, which was in disarray. There were so many weeds growing around it. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He sighed and looked at it for a while, imagining it was how it looked back then.

There were some weeds back then, too, but not as much. Pesci’s mother purposely let wild violets, dandelions, and chickweeds grow. It made their house look beautiful on the outside. Inside, there wasn’t much. Their parents shared a bed, but he and Prosciutto had to sleep on the floor due to a lack of space. And they were happy, for a time.

Their father took them to the Arena to watch the fighters fight. While on their way, a thief managed to pick their father’s pockets and sprinted away. It didn’t go unnoticed, and Prosciutto chased him down, going somewhere unknown. When he returned, Pesci noticed a small bloodstain on his tattered shirt.

Big brother, was that your first kill?

Someone bumped into Pesci, interrupting his memories. The guy was a brunet, and his right eye was teary.

“You!” Pesci shouted, causing Luca to turn around.

“Me?” He looked at him in confusion.

“You!”

Luca made a run for it, heading straight toward the Temple District and then to the Talos Plaza District. Pesci panted as he chased him, and then he rested a bit, catching his breath. As he took a short break, he heard a scraping sound. He walked to the source, leading him to the sewers.

As Pesci climbed down, he felt squirmish. Rats were scurrying around, including the aggressive giant ones. Mudcrabs pinched his ankles. He had never been down the sewers in his life, but his brother had. Perhaps he should’ve gone to his brother for advice about this contract. The sewers were a labyrinth, and eventually, Pesci was more focused on getting out than finding Luca. He was likely dead by now. And just as Pesci thought that he heard a scream echoing the sewers. Curious, he tried to find the source. It eventually led him to a bloody scene.

Bloodstains painted the walls, and a Dark Elf woman, with blood all over her mouth, was kneeling near Luca’s body. A zombie struggled to stay still beside her, limping one way, trying to balance. She then turned around to face Pesci.

“I could hear you from a mile,” she commented.

In response, Pesci began screaming and panicking, running away from her. He slid on a wet surface but quickly got up, still running and screaming. Despite being lost, he managed to find his way out, finding himself in the Arena District. Once he was out, he kept screaming and running. He exited out the Imperial City that way and entered Cheydinhal that way. He didn’t feel safe until he was in the Sanctuary.

“What is the--”

“Sanguine, my brother!” he screamed.

He went inside and slammed the door. Everyone in the Sanctuary was alerted and had their weapons drawn.

“Pesci!” Prosciutto called out. “What in Oblivion happened?”

“Um, three minotaurs were chasing me,” he lied.

“Three minotaurs are nothing,” Carne commented.

“That’s because you’re almost as strong as them,” Illuso replied.

“Can I have a glass of milk?” Pesci asked. “My throat hurts.”

Prosciutto sighed. “You’ll find some milk in the living quarters. Just don’t try to shout near the Sanctuary. We don’t need that attention.”

---

It was a dark stormy night in Bravil, making the conditions perfect for Vicente to sneak around. The torches struggled to stay lit as rain poured while the winds howled. Most of the guards were not taking their posts seriously. A beggar slept on the soggy ground. The vampire knelt, hands near his body just in case he needed to cast a sleep spell. Then, he took a bite of his neck, sucking the blood from him. The beggar wiggled around in his bedroll until Vicente cast his spell. He slept peacefully. As for the blood, he had better. Now that he had his meal, he headed back to Deepscorn Hollow.

“Wait,” Lucien grabbed his attention, stopping and surprising Vicente.

When did he get there? How long was he there? Was he always there? By the Night Mother, he’s good.

“Oh, Lucien, you scared me,” the vampire responded.

“My sincerest apologies.” He could’ve sworn he heard a slight playful giggle. “I’m thinking about who your Silencer should be. I was thinking Illuso would be perfect. After all, you have worked with him and given him your gift of vampirism.”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to play favorites.”

“You aren’t playing favorites, my friend. You gave him that gift for a reason, yes?”

“Very well, I’ll have him as my Silencer.”

“Excellent, there’s a contract for him.”

The Kill - Chapter 2: Blood in the Waters

Pesci never believed something so scary would happen to him. A random Dark Elf named Risotto Nero broke inside his house, accused him of killing his roommate, and then asked him to join his guild of assassins. Pesci wanted to say no, but he ended up agreeing to join. However, he had to assassinate a merchant before joining. And he did. Then Risotto told him to head to Cheydinhal, which is where he currently was right now.

He watched as Aldos Othran distracted the guard who had a clear view of him picking the lock to the abandoned house. The Dark Elf went on a drunken rant and poked the guard on the chest to irritate him. The guard only replied with a sword going through his chest. When that happened, the green-haired Imperial unlocked the door and slipped in, but he witnessed the murder on the other side. Aldos’ dark red blood spilled, seeping into the stones. Pesci quickly closed the door in response. He hurled over as if he were about to puke. Instead, he coughed.

The furniture in the abandoned house was all dusted and covered in cobwebs. The planks nailed to the window made sure barely any sunlight entered through. Barrels and crates were broken and scattered, and the smell in the house was musty.

Continuing forth, Pesci went into the basement, and that’s where it got worse. There was a blood trail, and it seemed that the basement went further down than he thought. He felt lightheaded at the sight but went further down into the dark tunnel, where a glowing red door greeted him. The door spoke in a raspy voice.

“What is the color of night?”

“S-sanguine,” Pesci stuttered, “m-my brother.”

On the other side of the door, Prosciutto awaited Pesci's arrival. While he was waiting, one of the assassins, Formaggio, decided to make some small talk.

“So, the recruit,” Formaggio said, “he’s your brother, correct? What’s he like?”

“He’s my half-brother,” he corrected. “I joined the Dark Brotherhood at a young age. I was hardly around him. Although, I did teach him a few things. I’m surprised, though, because he faints at the sight of blood.”

“How young were you? Can’t be as young as Fugo.”

“Doesn’t matter. Too young then, and he’s still too young. I hope he knew what he was signing up for.”

And as the door opened, Pesci took a few steps forward before fainting. Formaggio laughed, but then he tried to contain it. Prosciutto didn’t find it amusing and gave the other a disapproving look. The blond assassin and Formaggio carried him to one of the empty beds in the living quarters. There, the recruit rested.

Pesci awoke a few minutes later. Across from him, three people sat at a dining table, talking to each other. There were two Wood Elf men and a human man, likely an Imperial. One of the Wood Elves had blond hair, and the other had black hair. The Imperial had dark orange hair styled in a buzz cut. A cat jumped onto the Imperial’s lap and received a few pets from him. As for the Wood Elves, the blond one decided to sit on the other’s lap and gave him kisses. The Imperial looked away, his sight now on Pesci.

“Oh, look who’s awake,” he announced.

“What happened?” Pesci asked.

“You fainted. Come sit with us!”

He got up from the bed and sat at the table with them.

“I’m where I’m supposed to be, right?” Pesci asked. “I just remember a door, and then I don’t know.”

“Yeah, you’re where you’re supposed to be,” the guy with the buzz cut said. “I’m Formaggio, by the way, and no need to introduce yourself to us. We know your name. The blond Wood Elf is Gelato. The other is Sorbet. Anyways, you guys going to stop making out or what?”

The blond’s cheek was pressed to the other ones. “No,” Gelato answered. He then kissed Sorbet on the lips.

“Forgive us, Pesci,” Sorbet said, speaking to the green-haired man. “Gelato and I have been separated for a while. Our contracts tend to keep us away from each other.” He looked back at his lover and started making out with him.

“Alright, I’m getting out of here,” Formaggio said. He got up, and the cat that was on his lap earlier hopped off and scurried elsewhere. Pesci followed him.

They went into the main hall and then across to the other side, where the training room was at. There were two people here: an Orc and a Khajiit. The Orc was swinging his two-handed axe on the wooden dummy, leaving marks all over it.

“That guy doesn’t look like he belongs here,” Pesci whispered.

“Oh, that’s Carne,” Formaggio whispered back. “He’s not the sneaky type. I want to say he has a large bounty on him, but I don’t know. Hey, have you seen those Grey Fox wanted posters everywhere? I bet that guy’s him.”

“He’s green.”

“But what if he painted his skin? That guy is so smart. If only I had that mask.”

“Have you ever gotten caught?”

“Murdering my victim? No. Other crimes? Yes. It was mostly just theft and trespassing. Nothing too exciting, I’m afraid.”

“Wow, you’re cool,” Pesci complemented.

Formaggio blushed in response. “Oh really? Thanks. Illuso thought I was pathetic.”

“Illuso?”

“Jackass. You’ll meet him in a second. See that Khajiit over there?”

The Khajiit near them were practicing their spell casting. He constantly got a bullseye on the target using his ice spells.

“Well, that explains why the room is so cold,” Pesci commented.

“He’s also a jackass,” Formaggio said, “but he’s a good guy once you stay around for a while. For now, he’ll insult you. I think he does that, so he doesn’t get attached to people. That reminds me, I knew this other guy just like him. I only ran into him once.”

“Will I meet this other guy?”

“No, he was from the other sanctuary. You’ll probably never meet him. I believe his name is Ghiaccio. Anyways, do you need anything from him? Perhaps some lockpicks?”

“Yes, I do need some lockpicks. They’re difficult to find.”

Formaggio handed him some lockpicks. “Here, I have plenty. I used to be part of the Thieves Guild. And if you ask, I’m not with them anymore. The Dark Brotherhood is easier, in my opinion. There’s one guy you have to meet, but I don’t think he’s here. He’s a blond guy with purple eyes. His name is Fugo. He’s got a temper also. Anyways, you should probably speak to Illuso. His room is to the left, at the very end of the hallway. Good luck! I’ll be taking a nap.”

“Thanks, you’re so helpful.”

The two of them got out of the training room. Pesci headed towards Illuso’s room, but before he headed there, he stopped right in front of a room that Formaggio didn’t tell him about. Standing there, he could hear an argument.

“I have my own shit to deal with. I’ll take as long as I need to,” said an angry voice Pesci didn’t recognize.

The large metal door opened, revealing the one who opened it. It was Fugo. He seemed too young to be an assassin.

“Out of my way,” Fugo said as he bumped into Pesci.

“Ignore him, my brother,” Prosciutto said. “Illuso wants to speak to you.”

His brother then closed the door, and Pesci went to Illuso’s room.

In Illuso’s room, it looked nice. There was a small round rug, a stone bed, a bookcase, a writing desk, and a round table with two chairs. A brunet with hair tied into six ponytails and red eyes sat in his chair, drinking something red in a wine glass. Upon seeing him, he placed the glass down on the table.

“Well, you don’t look like much,” the brunet said.

“What were you expecting?” Pesci asked.

“Something that looks like Prosciutto. And no offense, you’re kind of chubby.”

“We’re half-brothers, and I’m not chubby!”

“You’ll lose weight in a few weeks. Anyways, here’s a uniform that will help you with your contracts. It’s an enchanted armor that’s lighter than leather and dark as night. Just don’t wear it in public. You’ll look suspicious.”

Illuso handed him the armor. It barely weighed anything at all, and it seems one size fits all.

“Thanks,” Pesci responded. He’s not so bad. Not sure why Formaggio thinks he’s a jackass.

“And now for your contract. You’re to kill a priest named Styx. He’s a drunkard. He’s in Anvil.”

“But that’s far away!”

“I don’t care. You have no choice but to accept, anyways. I don’t have to explain the tenets, do I?” Pesci shook his head no. “And don’t give me an excuse that you’re busy. Prosciutto has told me everything that you do. You’re a former fisherman. What are you going to do? Fish? And I didn’t need him to tell me that. I could smell you from a mile away. Now get out of my sight.”

Pesci left and sighed. He didn’t like him.

Once Pesci arrived at Anvil, the first thing he did was head to the waterfront. Everything about this city seemed perfect. There was a beautiful sunset, and the temperature was comfortable. He couldn’t help but feel envious of the people who live here. He saw a few people fishing on the docks and wondered if he would’ve been happier here. A long time ago, someone told Pesci there were thieves and robbers there, and Pesci believed that stranger. He shouldn’t have listened. This place was nicer, and the women were too. The one in a red velvet dress winked at him. She looked pretty too. There was another woman next to her who smiled at him. She was pretty as well but too tall for Pesci.

He then clapped his face. Focus!

He headed to the chapel. In there, it was quiet, and hardly anyone was there. Only the priestesses were here.

“Hello there!” an elderly Redguard woman greeted him. “I’ve never seen you here before. Are you a traveler?”

“Yes, I am, I guess. I’m looking for someone named Styx,” Pesci replied to her.

“Him?” She sounded surprised. “Whatever for?”

“Um, I have a message for him,” he lied. “His eyes only. That’s why I need to find him.”

She looked at him intensively, causing beads of sweat to drip down.

“So you’re a messenger. He’s in the tavern by the waterfront,” she said. “He has a drinking problem. I hope your message is to help. He desperately needs it.”

He headed back to the waterfront and went inside The Flowing Bowl. There was a lot of action going on such as sailors singing, fighting, and arm wrestling. The women from before were there, and a drunk man in black robes, who looked ready to pass out, sat at the bar, cleared from everybody else but him and the bartender. He downed a bottle of cheap wine and then hunched over, almost as if he were about to vomit. The Wood Elf who owned this store approached him.

“Okay, Styx, I think you’ve had enough, leave!” he said.

“Whatever,” he said. “This place is a den of filth and sin.”

The woman in the red velvet dress stuck her tongue out at him as Styx stumbled and bumped into Pesci. The green-haired Imperial grabbed him before he could fall. That, and the priest had a grip on his overalls. However, he did not let go once he regained his footing. Instead, he brought his face closer to his, making Pesci uncomfortable.

“Listen here, my good man, you see those harlots?” Pesci could smell the alcohol on his breath. “Don’t trust them.”

“Are you okay?” Pesci asked, feigning concern. And then he whispered, “Perhaps you’d like some alcohol? I have plenty. I hid them at the top of the lighthouse.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“Let’s hurry before the lightkeeper notices. It’s getting dark.”

Pesci walked towards the lighthouse while Styx stumbled behind. When he checked to see if the priest was still following him, he was gone.

“Styx? Hello?” the green-haired Imperial called out.

There was nowhere he could’ve gone except for maybe the chapel or the tavern. In a hurry, Pesci first searched the tavern. He wasn’t there, but he approached the innkeeper for questions.

“Hey, have you seen Styx?” he asked.

“No, he hasn’t returned. I would’ve gone to the guards if he did. I assumed he was still with you.”

“No, he suddenly vanished. Maybe he headed back to chapel.”

He then checked the chapel, and the priestess from before greeted him again.

“What brings you here again?” she asked.

“I somehow lost Styx, so I thought he was here. He is here, right?”

Her head turned toward the other priestesses that were here, and they shook their heads.

“That’s odd,” she commented. “So, he wasn’t at the tavern?”

“He was, and then I took him out of there. The next minute, he was gone.”

“Check The Count’s Arms. The alcohol over there is expensive, so I doubt he’d be there, but just in case, check. I’ll see if he returned to The Flowing Bowl.”

He rushed to the other tavern. It was much nicer, but there was only one person here besides the innkeeper, a Redguard who was wiping the counters, and himself.

“Hello,” Pesci greeted. “Have you seen Styx?”

“No, he’s not allowed in here,” he answered. “Sorry, he might be in the other tavern on the waterfront.”

“Oh, thanks, though.”

Well, there was no other place he could be, so he decided to backtrack. He returned to where he lost him. Upon entering the waterfront, a bunch of people crowded together near the water. Curious, he gently shoved people aside to see what the commotion was about. There was a body in the water that looked like Styx.

“What happened?” Pesci asked.

“He fell into the water,” a guard answered. “He must’ve gotten so drunk that he stumbled into the water.”

“So, it was an accident?”

“Yep.”

Pesci wasn’t sure what to think. He thought about how all three of his recent kills have been accidents. The first kill, the one that caused Risotto to visit him, was an accident. There was a fight that happened outside his house. In fear of being killed for whatever reason, he clenched his dagger. A loud noise scared him, and in a panic, he stabbed his roommate. The second time was when Risotto ordered him to kill this one stranger. He couldn’t remember the name, but she was a traveling merchant. A bunch of bandits happened upon them and showered them with arrows. She died, but Pesci had never sprinted for his life before until that moment.

“Hello there,” the woman with the red velvet dress grabbed his attention. “I’m so sorry about your friend.”

“He’s not my friend,” Pesci corrected her. “He’s just a stranger.”

“Oh.” She was quiet for a few seconds, probably thinking of what to say next. “You seem to be alone and out of place here. Want to join us for a night of fun?”

“Excuse me?” he said.

“Faustina!” blurted her Nord friend.

“There’s just something about you that’s so mysterious. There’s a cozy little farmhouse outside of town. It’s just past Fort Strand. What do you say?” A smile grew on her face.

His face blushed red. “Yeah, sure. I’d like that.”

Pesci arrived at the farmhouse Faustina described. His hands trembled as he opened the door. Faustina sat on the bed, still placing on her makeup.

“Oh, you’re here!” she said. “I’m almost done. Step inside!”

He stepped inside. Her Nord friend shut the door as he entered.

Red silk curtains covered the windows of the house. “Wow, this is a nice place you have here,” Pesci commented.

Faustina put her makeup away. Her fingers made a gesture, indicating Pesci to sit on the bed with her. “Alright, we can’t have you fully clothed, can we? Take it off.”

Oh shit, I forgot I had my enchanted armor under these overalls, he panicked.

“Um, I just realized I forgot something,” Pesci lied.

“Signy, hold him down for me,” the Imperial woman commanded.

The Nord touched his shoulders and then pinned him to the bed.

“I’m getting uncomfortable. Stop,” Pesci begged.

Faustina laughed. “You fool, you’d think I’d sleep with someone hideous as you. You look like a pineapple. This is a robbery, fool.”

Still pinned, Pesci kicked Signy, pushing her out of the bed.

“Bastard! Tsarrina, help us!” Signy yelled, pulling out a knife. “It’s three against one. It’s over for you.”

Faustina, who was still on the bed with Pesci, took out her knife and cut the fabric of his overalls. Heart rapidly beating, Pesci brought his rusty iron dagger out of his pockets, slitting the throat of the Imperial woman. Her hand covered the bleeding wound, but the blood kept spilling out. Her eyes wept. As she attempted to speak, she only coughed out more blood.

“By the Divines! Murderer!” Signy screamed.

“Murderer? You would’ve killed me!” Pesci raised his voice to argue back.

Pesci then rushed towards the Nord, dagger stabbing her in the abdomen. Blood seeped through her clothing, staining her brown and white dress red. And then a Khajiit woman with dark fur got out of the basement with a steel sword in hand.

“You– you murdered them! You’ll pay for that!” she shouted, rushing at him with her sword.

Pesci parried the attack with his dagger, but she was overpowering him. Realizing this, he started to squeal. He looked down at his feet and noticed that the Khajiit stood on a rug. He used his leg to move the rug, causing Tsarrina to lose balance. Once she was on the ground, he plunged his dagger into her chest. He then took it out, causing blood to gush out of her.

He then sat on the chair that was in the corner and sighed. There was so much blood, and it was everywhere. It was on the women’s clothes and his. He got out of the chair and left.

The Kill - Chapter 1: The End

If anyone dared to enter Bravil in the dead of night, they would’ve seen a gruesome sight. There were bodies everywhere in the rain and mud. Never has the Dark Brotherhood witnessed a slaughter like this. Guards, Speakers, and their Silencers lay dead on the streets. There were no citizens out at this time, and they were likely indoors, locked, from all the fighting going on a few minutes ago. The rain washed away the blood, possibly running off into Bravil’s sewage. Lucien, Risotto, and others panted through their masks.


“I sense we killed all the guards and the traitor,” the Dark Elf named Risotto Nero said. “The only people I see with my spell are civilians cowering in their homes.”

They looked at Mathieu’s body. Lucien walked towards his corpse and decapitated him.

“Like mother, like son,” the Imperial commented, tossing his head into the sewage. He sighed and walked towards the Listener’s dead body.

“Lucien,” whispered a woman’s voice in his head. His head turned to the Lucky Lady statue. He approached it. “Ungolim was weak. I knew about the traitor’s existence. Go now and bury your brothers and sister who died. Cioccolata, Risotto, Ghiaccio, and Vicente shall serve as new Speakers.”

“What now?” Risotto asked.

“We rebuild,” he answered. “The Night Mother has spoken to me. I am to be the new Listener. Risotto, Cioccolata, Ghiaccio, and Vicente, you four are now Speakers of the Dark Brotherhood.”

“Then we get Silencers?” Cioccolata asked, looking at his Khajiit companion, Secco.

“Yes,” Lucien answered. “You all–”

“Then I’ll take Secco,” Cioccolata interrupted.

“What about me?” said the High Elf, Ghiaccio. “I want Melone as my Silencer.”

“Dear brothers, what do you say,” Lucien spoke to the two who were called.

Secco nodded quickly. Although they couldn’t see his covered face, Melone smiled and said, “Of course, I’ll be your Silencer, Ghiaccio.” The lilac-haired Imperial winked at him. The blue-haired High Elf blushed, although nobody could tell from his mask.

“Let’s just go,” Ghiaccio turned around and said.

“Before you go,” Lucien said, “the Night Mother has a task for you.”

The Listener whispered his task to Ghiaccio, and he and his Silencer left. And then he spoke to Cioccolata, and he and his Silencer left.

“Lucien,” Vicente said, “I thought about having a Silencer. His name is Illuso.”

“Not yet,” Lucien replied.

“What about me?” Risotto spoke. “I would like Prosciutto to be my Silencer.”

“Not yet. Both of those people are Executioners. So far, nobody can replace them.”

“Fugo could replace them,” Vicente added.

“He has quite a temper,” Risotto commented.

“We shall see,” Lucien said. “For now, Vicente, there are plenty of vampire recruits to send into Deepscorn Hollow. Risotto, you have one person to recruit who lives here in Bravil. His name is Pesci.”

“Prosciutto’s half-brother?” spoke the Dark Elf. “Interesting…”