Pesci awoke with his brother on the other side of the room. Once Prosciutto noticed that his eyes were opened, he walked to his bed and knelt, patting him on the head.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
He rose from the bed, stretching. “Yeah, where am I? What happened?”
“Do you remember what happened?”
“A bear killed Tuudir,” he whispered. “I dragged the bear to him and watched. I then returned to Cheydinhal, and that’s all I could remember.”
“Well, you passed out at the gate, and a guard dragged you to the inn. There were some headaches you caused, but you shouldn’t worry about that right now.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re planning to make me take on another contract?”
Prosciutto sighed. “Tenet three, never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a Dark Brotherhood superior. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis.” The candle on the nightstand was dying, which made the light weak, making his older brother’s face dramatically scary. “Are you refusing to carry out the next contract, dear little brother?”
“N-no! It just feels like I’ve been lying in bed for a week.”
“That’s because you have,” Prosciutto stated. He was silent for a few seconds. “Alessia Ottus. I’m afraid I cannot give a lot of information here.”
Prosciutto handed him a book and left his room, leaving Pesci alone. The green-haired man got up and noticed his outfit had changed. He was clad in a dark brown vest and white shirt with light brown pants. He was also wearing some leather boots. It’s better than wearing those old worn-out overalls anyway.
Pesci pondered over the book his brother gave him. He’s heard of Alessia Ottus before. His roommate always complained about her, saying that she was racist. It’s strange how racists can be rich and popular. If he was going to assassinate a popular author, he might as well get some help, so he returned to the sanctuary, heading to Formaggio’s room first.
The redhead sat at the table where Illuso once sat, doing nothing but staring into the wall. Pesci cleared his throat, but he paid no attention.
“Formaggio!” That grabbed his attention, and he focused on Pesci. “Formaggio, I need your help. I know hardly anything about my target. I know she lives in the Imperial City, but I don’t know how close to her I can get.”
Formaggio sighed. “I’m sorry, Pesci, but I know nothing about your current contract except where she lives. She lives in the Temple District. I’m sorry, but that’s all I can give you. Try asking somebody else.”
“Thanks, that at least narrowed down my search.”
“W-wait! Pesci, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Can I get a drink? As in, can I bite your neck?”
“Yeah, sure. Just don’t suck me dry.”
Formaggio caressed Pesci’s neck and then licked the spot, causing the green-haired man's face to redden. It reminded him of their first kiss, and he wondered if the redhead had any feelings for him. He wanted to ask, but Formaggio had sunk his teeth into his neck. Pesci let out a muffled squeal, making him stop.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“It hurts a little, but you can keep going.”
“I’ll just suck on you a bit.”
The trap door suddenly opened, and Prosciutto dropped down.
“Formaggio, please stop snacking on my brother,” the blond asked. “If you’re that thirsty, have my neck.”
“You aren’t afraid I might suck it all up?” Formaggio teased.
“You’re worse than that Melone guy Risotto introduced to me. I never want to hear you say the word suck ever again.”
Formaggio’s lips brushed against Prosciutto’s, licking the spot where he’ll bite.
“Hey, Formaggio,” Pesci said, “do all vampires lick the person’s neck before biting?”
“Well–”
“No,” Prosciutto answered for him. “I’m not sure why Formaggio is doing this. Illuso didn’t lick me when he needed a quick drink.”
“Maybe I just like the taste of you,” Formaggio replied.
“This is why I want you away from my brother.”
Prosciutto’s response caused Formaggio to bite deep and harshly, causing the other to grunt.
“Hey, Formaggio, I think you had enough,” Pesci commented.
The redhead pushed Prosciutto away.
“I have two potions that can cure the vampirism disease. Both of you should drink it.”
“Thanks!” Pesci said before downing the potion. “I should probably ask the others about Alessia.”
“Brother.” Prosciutto grabbed his attention. “Before you leave, Sorbet should be able to assist you. He’s there to spy on Adamus Phillida. Perhaps he can provide you with more information about your target. Also, try to kill your target indoors. We’re trying to send fewer people to the Imperial City. Good luck to you.”
-
It was around lunchtime when Pesci entered the Imperial City. He scoured the city in search of Sorbet, but the city was in the shape of a circle, so he ended up back where he started.
“Heard you were looking for me,” said a voice.
Pesci turned around, and it was Sorbet.
“Oh, hey. Yeah, I was. How did you find me?” he asked.
“Well, I was at the arena to check up on Fugo. Then I thought, hey, Pesci might be here soon. So I searched for you, heading to the Arboretum first.”
“I headed to the Elven Gardens District first. Wait, don’t tell me we walked around in circles.”
Sorbet laughed. “Yes, I believe we did.”
“Wait, then how did you find me?”
“The beggars here are pretty helpful. So, let’s rent a room where we can speak in private. Let’s head over to the hotel. I already have a room rented there.”
They went into Sorbet's room at the hotel.
Pesci sat at the dining table and started munching on the fruits on the table. Sorbet had a roll of paper and sat at the table. He unrolled it and began writing.
“What’re you doing?” Pesci asked with food in his mouth. “How come Gelato’s not with you?”
“I’m not sure if Prosciutto has told you, but as long as Adamus Phillida still lives, we can’t have that many of us here. Two people here is enough. So, why are you here?”
Pesci brought out the book Prosciutto gave him. It was a guide to the Imperial City. He pointed at the author’s name.
“Good riddance!” Sorbet stopped his writing to comment. “I came across her this morning. I was buying some clothes for Gelato when I saw her. I thought about killing her, but I wanted to get paid for it. Turns out you’re the lucky guy. How does it feel?”
“I never cared about her much. I never read her books. I just know some people hate her guts. So, is she well-guarded? She has to be, right?”
Sorbet looked at the paper he was writing on. “Honestly, you would think so, but she isn’t. She’s not rich. She’s just like everyone else. I can tell you everything about her. She’s married to a Breton named Hastrel and has a daughter named Ida. Speaking of those two, Hastrel is currently at Leyawiin. As for Ida, I don’t know much about her activities. Right now, Alessia is eating lunch somewhere in the Market District. Wait until she comes home at 5 pm.”
“What should I do?”
“I don’t know. Try talking about the Nine Divines. Try to get her to like you and then end it right there. You got this! Or do you need me to help like last time?”
-
Pesci hung around Alessia’s house, waiting for her to return to her home. He’s been reading her opinionated guides to try and understand her a bit more. He was feeling a bit nervous. He knows what to talk about, but religion was too much for him. He never cared much for the Divines.
Footsteps came closer to him, causing him to stop pondering.
“Excuse me,” Alessia said, “but what are you doing in front of my home?”
“I came to ask you about the Divines,” he lied. “I’ve read your guides, and I find that you and I think alike. However, I am merely a simple fisherman. I’ve been working day and night, but I’ve quit my job. I’m currently living with my brother who is residing in Skingrad, but I’m afraid he’s very religious.”
“Well, step right in, sir!” She smiled and opened the door for him.
He walked into her house. It was like most homes. She has a place to sit and read. Pesci assumed upstairs led to the bedroom and the door behind the stairs leading to the basement. There was nothing strange, but she did have a couple of her books on the bookshelf. Once he saw that Alessia sat down, he sat down as well.
“Do you get a lot of visitors here?” Pesci asked.
“I’m afraid not,” she answered. “Honestly, I’d love to have company. It feels like people in this city sometimes avoid me.”
Pesci thought about which god to talk about. He knew she had a poor opinion of sailors. He read somewhere that Kynareth is the patron of sailors and travelers. “How about Kynareth? I don’t know why, but Kynareth has been on my mind as of lately.”
“Ah, the goddess of the elements and patron of travelers! You’ve been traveling, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Do you hear her speaking to you? Did she give you a sign?”
“Yes, she did. And then I got a sign from Arkay to come over here, but I’m struggling to understand what it all means.”
Her thoughts turned to the surface of the coffee table in front of her as she asked, "What it all means, you say?"
While she was deep in thought, Pesci got behind her and began to strangle her. She tried to let out a scream, but his hands muffled any sounds. She squirmed and kicked around, but he managed to drag her to the basement.
Downstairs, there were barrels and chests, but one thing did grab Pesci’s attention: the three cages.
“Looks, I’m not sure why you have these cages, but I have a perfect use for them,” Pesci said.
“By the Divines, you’ll pay for this!” she shouted.
“Yell all you want. No one cares about you. By the way, Kynareth is the patron of travelers and sailors, something you despise. For someone who preaches about the Divines, you sure are a hateful bitch.”
Pesci shoved Alessia to the ground and then sat on her stomach.
“You could’ve at least lost a bit of weight?” she insulted.
Pesci landed a blow to her head, then another and another. He then brought out his dagger and cut off her long braided brunette hair. He tried using it as a gag. “Quiet or this will get worse for you.”
Still sitting on her, he pinned one of her hands to the floor.
“This hand wrote so many hateful things,” he commented. “The world would be better off without it.”
He cut off her fingers one by one. She tried fighting back with her other arm, but it was no use. Tears came rolling. No one cared for a racist like her. A pool of blood surrounded her hand. Eventually, she passed out from blood loss, which will eventually lead to her death within a few minutes or less, if Pesci decides to do more. Unfortunately for her, he wasn’t done torturing her. He did the same to the other arm. He then removed the hair from her mouth and placed the fingers inside. Most killers would’ve been gone by now, but there was one last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to see if she had a heart, so he cut her chest open. She had a heart until Pesci took it with him and left the city.
When Ida came home, she searched for her mother, eventually leading to the basement. She screamed at the sight of her mother’s murder.
-
Prosciutto looked at Risotto, staring at the Dark Elf’s red eyes.
“I’m not ready. There’s so much work to do. I think Pesci might need some guidance. And then there’s the matter of who will replace me,” the blond explained. “Will it be Sorbet? Please don’t let it be Fugo. The Grand Champion is unpredictable.”
“Sorbet will take your place once you’re ready,” Risotto explained. “I hear footsteps.” He then vanished, probably using his invisibility spell.
Pesci opened the iron doors. There was a smile on his face.
“You’re back,” Prosciutto said. “Did you—”
Pesci quickly rummaged through his bags and pulled out a bloody heart.
When they were younger, Pesci would squirm whenever he saw one ounce of blood, but here he was, showing Alessia’s bloody heart to him.
Formaggio popped out of the trapdoor.
“Something smells pleasant,” he commented.
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