Hey, so, I'm not going to use Blogger ever again after it got me in trouble with YouTube. Thing is, I posted a smut fic, and YouTube said no. Really not point in using this. So goodbye.
https://linktr.ee/NemoBeatrice
Friday, April 22, 2022
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Monday, April 18, 2022
Saturday, April 16, 2022
Nurse Sally - Trapped in the Hospital
Evan MacMillan sat in the waiting room filled with coughing patients. He wasn’t sick, but he injured himself. A few hours ago, he went outside to see if any animals triggered his traps. Luckily, a red fox did. Unluckily for Evan, when he carried the fox, he accidentally stepped on one of his traps, and that’s how he ended up in the hospital. The pain felt like a shark chomped on his leg when he stepped on it. Right now, he doesn’t feel anything. He doesn’t even feel the warmth.
While he was waiting, a doctor or staff walked into the room holding a clipboard. “Mister Fairfield,” they said.
The man who was sitting next to him got up. He was a brunet and wore glasses. He went into the hallways. After a few minutes, he came out screaming.
“Not them again! Not them!” he yelled.
Two staff members came out, a red-headed nurse, whose uniform looked more like a Halloween costume, and a doctor.
“Doctor Carter,” the nurse asked, “why did he run away?”
“I don’t know, Nurse Sally,” the doctor replied. “I’m going to assume he’s mentally ill, possibly has schizophrenia.” He then looked at the receptionist. “Who’s next?”
The receptionist looked at the list and said, “Mister MacMillan, Evan MacMillan, you’re next.”
He got up and walked– more like dragged his foot –to the examination room.
“Oh my god!” Sally looked at his foot. “What happened to you? Did a shark chomp on your leg?”
“I’d describe the pain like that,” he said. “I stepped on one of my traps.”
The nurse and doctor laughed, hurting Evan’s feelings, but he didn’t show it.
“How the hell did that happen? That’s so stupid,” commented Doctor Carter. “I’ll be right back. Do not flirt with the nurse. She’s mine!”
Evan had a bad feeling about this.
“How long have you been a nurse?” he asked.
“About a week ago,” she answered. “How long have you had that injury?”
“This morning.”
“Wow, early bird, aren’t you? What are you, a hunter?”
“Yes, but I hunt differently than others. Some people might use a bolt-action rifle or bow, but I like using traps.”
“Just wondering, how often do people fall for your traps?”
“People?” Evan repeated. “You mean animals?”
“Animals, people, they’re all the same.”
“Well, I get some bears and wolves, but sometimes I get smaller animals. I only hunt for bigger games. However, some idiotic hunters out in the wood sometimes step on my traps.”
“Idiots such as yourself? You did step on your trap.”
Evan hung his head low. “Thanks for reminding me.”
“Hey, look on the bright side!” Sally attempted to cheer him up. “We’re here to help you. Everything will be okay!”
“Maybe you’re right. I think maybe it’s time to switch my hunting style. I’m thinking about using a bolt-action rifle.”
“Um, I was going to say you should pick a different hobby because–”
Doctor Carter returned to the examination room with a large bloody saw.
“Um, what’s going to happen to me?” he asked Sally, who had a neutral expression on her face.
She didn’t reply, but he felt sleepy. The nurse had a syringe in her hand. He fought his best to stay awake, slightly wobbling around until his eyes rested.
-
Evan MacMillan awoke in the same examination room. However, he noticed someone had wiped the floors recently. The blood wasn’t completely washed away.
“Who’s blood is this?” he asked himself.
Before he could figure it out, Nurse Sally walked into the examination room.
“Oh my god! Congratulations, you lost weight!” she cheered.
He was confused, but he did feel a bit lighter. He also found it strange that Nurse Sally was taller than him.
He looked down to see if they fixed him.
“Wait, what happened to my legs?” he panicked.
Doctor Carter walked into the examination room.
“We took care of your injury, sir. Here is your medical bill.”
“50,000 dollars? Are you insane? How the hell am I going to pay for this? I can’t hunt in these conditions! I thought I might have to walk on crutches, not use a wheelchair for the rest of my life!”
“Hey, that’s not his fault!” Nurse Sally defended the doctor. “It’s your fault for stepping on your trap.”
“Give it up, darling, they always blame the doctor.”
“Damn right, I’m going to blame you. Ugh, now I see why that guy ran away screaming, that poor fool.”
Saturday, April 9, 2022
Friday, April 8, 2022
The Kill - Chapter 10: The Kill
Pesci looked at his quaking brother. He’s never seen him so vulnerable, timid.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Prosciutto asked.
“I never thought highly of father. In truth, he scared me a bit. He never did anything, but sometimes I saw the way he looked at you. I didn’t understand why. Now I know. I’m so sorry. If I had known–”
“It’s fine. It’s all in the past. Father never did anything to you, did he?”
“No, but brother, are you alright?”
“I–” Prosciutto regained his composure. “I’m fine. Thank you. We should head to bed.”
The two went to bed in the same room, sleeping in two separate beds. In the middle of the night, Prosciutto’s whimpers awoken his brother. Pesci got up from the bed and woke the other up. In response, Prosciutto pounced on top of him, bringing a knife to his throat. Once he realizes it was his brother, he dropped the knife near him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Are you going to be alright?”
“Yeah.”
Pesci went back to his bed, but he scooted it closer to Prosciutto.
“What are you doing?” the blond asked.
“I want to make sure you’re safe, so I’m getting closer to you.”
“Thank you.” Before they could sleep, he had one more thing to say. “Don’t tell anyone about this, please.”
“I won’t. I won’t. Goodnight, brother.”
“Goodnight.”
The two had fallen asleep peacefully.
-
It was nearing lunch when the brothers returned to Cheydinhal. Pesci felt somber. Prosciutto was probably done watching over him now. Once they entered the sanctuary, the green-haired man completely forgot about Risotto, who was sitting in his brother’s chair near his desk.
“Hello once again, you two,” the Dark Elf said.
“Risotto, greetings,” Prosciutto replied. Before he could say anything, the blond handed Pesci his reward, which was some coins and an enchanted dagger. “I’m ready to go.”
“Perfect,” he said, “but there’s one last thing for Pesci to do.”
“Is that so?” the blond replied. “What could it be?”
“I’ll tell you here right now. Prosciutto, you’re going to kill Adamus Phillida.”
“What?” Prosciutto raised his voice. “Aren’t his bodyguards watching him 24/7?”
“That’s where Pesci comes in.”
Risotto looked at the younger brother whose head was sweaty.
“Bodyguards, as in multiple of them? How many?” the green-haired man asked.
“Three,” the Dark Elf answered. “Physically, they are strong. However, Kars knows a few alteration spells, possibly master rank spells, Esidisi knows a lot of destruction spells, mostly fire, and Wamuu knows some spells, too, although probably not as skillfully as the other two.”
“There’s no way I can do that by myself!” Pesci said.
“Not only that,” Prosciutto added, “but wouldn’t this grab too much attention?”
“We know, but worry about that later,” Risotto answered. “I’ll inform you all later where the Blue Road meets Red. At night.”
-
Pesci had trouble sleeping. After being told what to do, he immediately slept, but his anxiousness kept him up. He didn’t know who Kars, Esidici, or Wamuu were, and nor did he care until now. He would ask anyone about the current contract, but he had the feeling nobody had information.
And now Pesci was where the Blue Road and Red Ring Road met. Prosciutto, Risotto, and a stranger with blue were there. Prosciutto was wearing his fancy garments while Risotto, who was holding a torch, wore his bloodied black robes. As for the stranger, he was wearing a blue velvet outfit and red glasses. Said stranger was also a High Elf.
“You know,” the High Elf started a conversation, “whoever named these roads needs to change them.”
Prosciutto looked at him in confusion.
“Why is it called the Blue Road?” the elf continued. “At least paint the road blue. The same goes for the Red Ring Road too.”
“Don’t take it so literally,” the blond responded. “They’re named that for a reason.”
“So, is the Blue Road called that because it leads to Cheydinhal, a population full of Dark Elves? So it’s a racist thing then.”
Prosciutto sighed. He noticed Pesci approaching them. “My brother is here.”
The blue-haired High Elf turned around to see him.
“That’s your brother?”
“Half-brother.”
“I was about to say you guys don’t look alike at all to be related. Well, you still don’t, but whatever. I never had a sibling. Anyways, Risotto, you can tell them about the plan.”
Risotto looked at Pesci.
“First,” the Dark Elf said, “make sure you aren’t followed. Cast the detect life spell.”
Pesci checked the area around them, but nobody was there.
“It’s all clear,” he assured them.
“Since you two know half of the plan, I’ll tell you the rest right now. Prosciutto, earlier before, you were worried about how much attention that would bring to us. That’s why Ghiaccio is here. You two are going to disguise yourselves as guards and turn him in. Ghiaccio will cause a prison riot while you two are fighting your own battles. Prosciutto, as soon as you get into the Imperial City prison, you must cast your spell. Ghiaccio, I need you to slightly freeze Pesci. Does everyone understand?”
All three of them nodded.
“Good, now make sure you are all prepared for tomorrow. You’ll all be resting at the Waterfront District. A friend of Fugo’s has a shack there where you can rest. He goes by the name of Mista.”
“You have this all planned out, huh?” Pesci commented.
“Yes,” Risotto replied. “It wasn't easy setting this up. We were lucky enough to bribe a guard. I have confidence in your abilities. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
-
Before they set out and don their armor, they went into the market to buy supplies. Judging from Risotto’s response last night, it seems like everything would go well. However, the brothers wanted to make sure they get out alive. They stalked up on poisons but mostly potions: healing, stamina, magical resistance, speed, and strength. When they were ready, they headed back and dressed for the assassination.
“This body armor is heavy,” Pesci complained. “How do guards walk around in this?”
Ghiaccio was in front of them, hands tied behind his back.
“They were trained,” the elf answered.
“Guys,” Prosciutto interrupted, “stop chatting away. We’re guards turning in this elf who assaulted someone.”
As they went outside of the Imperial Prison District, Prosciutto cast his spell.
“It sure is a hot day out,” Prosciutto said, signaling that he cast his spell.
“If only I could be cooled off,” Pesci said.
Ghiaccio cast his frost spell, chilling the younger brother.
The aging effect wasn’t instant, but some signs were showing. The guards were fatigued. Once they locked Ghiaccio in the cell, the aging effect greatly affected the guards, since they were patrolling the area and wearing heavy armor. They were getting old and wrinkly. Pesci and Prosciutto climbed the ladder to reach the top. However, they eventually confronted the bodyguards in a dark room.
As Risotto said, they were former arena combatants, and it’s clear as day how strong they were. Unlike the guards, they didn’t wear anything heavy. They were showing a lot of skin.
“There’s a prison riot outside!” Prosciutto warned.
“That’s not our problem,” Esidici, the Redguard with white hair, said.
“But what about the guards outside? They’re all too tired,” Pesci said. “The prisoner is a spellcaster!”
“The one you placed in the prisons?” Kars, an Imperial with long purple hair, inquired. “I noticed that all the guards are in a weakened state except for you two.
“How come you three aren’t affected?” Prosciutto questioned.
Pesci looked into Kars’ eyes, and they looked familiar. They reminded him of Illuso and Formaggio.
“That’s impossible,” the green-haired man commented.
“What is it?” Prosciutto asked.
“T-they’re vampires!”
“What?”
“I’ve never seen you two around here. I’ve examed every face,” Kars said, “and I don’t recognize either of you two. Well, I think you two might be assassins. You won’t be getting far.”
“Pesci,” Prosciutto said, tossing him an enchanted sword, “it does fire damage. I don’t have time for this. I’m completing my contract. I’m not failing today. Good luck.”
His brother sprinted toward the ladder. Kars grabbed him, but then Pesci pulled out his bow, aiming for the arm. It pierced him, causing him to let go of Prosciutto. The blond climbed the ladder, and Kars tried to follow, but he couldn’t open the trapdoor.
“Some comrade you have there, leaving you to fight three vampires in a closed space,” he commented. “Esidisi, see if you can burn the trapdoor.”
Before Esidisi could approach the trapdoor, Pesci aimed and hit his foot. The Redguard vampire looked at him in confusion.
“If you’re trying to kill us,” he said, “aim for the head or perhaps the heart. I suppose that won’t matter with me; I am undead after all.”
The arrow in his foot disintegrated. Esidisi began casting a fire spell.
“Hey, you’re a vampire, right?” Pesci panicked. “Why are you playing with fire? Isn’t that especially dangerous for you?”
“I like a little danger,” he replied. “I used to fight in the arenas way back then. Have you heard about the grand champion before Fugo? I heard he was half a vampire. I’m a bit envious. At least he was able to go out into the sun and fight.” He then sighed. “I miss fighting. You don’t look so tough. I can tell just from looking at you. I was hoping for a challenge. I bet that other assassin might be worth my trouble. Whatever, it looks like we have no choice but to demolish you.”
“Hey, this isn’t a fair fight!” Pesci said. “I’m fighting against three of you.”
“Then you shouldn’t have stepped in in the first place!”
A fireball hurled towards Pesci, heating his heavy plated armor and making it glow red. He was no longer feeling chilly but very hot. He removed the armor, making him able to dodge any spell. Esidisi cast another fire spell. Pesci tried to dodge, but it still hit him. Due to the aging effect still active, Pesci’s green hair turned white and his skin wrinkled.
“Interesting spell your friend has learned,” Esidisi said. “I’d asked him, but I’m afraid he has to go too. He’s probably dead by now.”
“What?”
“Ah, I forgot to mention,” Kars said. “I gave him the gift of vampirism. He was so desperate to eradicate the Dark Brotherhood.”
Pesci was scared. He couldn’t do anything. He was weak and tired. They had failed the mission. He closed his eyes, waiting for it to end.
-
Will Zeppeli sat in his cell, waiting for anything to happen. The other prisoners here didn’t seem responsive when he tried to make small talk. He looked at the scratches on the stone walls. Somebody has been here for 100 days. If Will had to guess, they probably had been here longer than that. He looked at the dry bloodstains. Hmm, perhaps the poor fool lived for 100 days.
He sighed and noticed that he could see his breath. It was suddenly so cold.
Will tried to look out from his cell.
“Hello?” he called out.
“I’m breaking you out of here!” said the voice.
“Did Jonathan send you or was it Avdol? Do you know about the vampires working with the guards?”
“What? I don’t know who those two are, and what are you talking about?”
The voice got closer, and Will saw his face. It was a blue-haired High Elf with red glasses. He opened the cell with a spell.
“At night, there are three strangely buff men who drink the blood of prisoners here. They dare not infect us with vampirism, so they cut us somewhere. I hate to tell you this, but Adamus Phillida is also a vampire. We have to get rid of him! That’s why I was thrown into this cell.”
“No,” the elf replied. “No way. Impossible! They’re fighting them right now.”
“Who?”
“Shit, no time to talk! We have to help them!”
Before Will could help the elf’s friends, he got his white suit and hat. They climbed the ladder to where Pesci was. The elf cast a frost spell on him while Will faced the three vampires.
“Don’t worry about me,” Will said. “Tend to your friend. I have experience fighting vampires.”
First, Will cast a turn undead spell. Esidisi and Wamuu lost confidence and started running around in fear. As he suspected, Kars was too powerful to be affected by the spell.
“It’s going to get hot in here,” the vampire hunter warned Ghiaccio.
“Just keep yourself cool,” replied the elf.
Will hurled an explosive fireball spell towards Kars; however, Esidisi got in the way, turning into ash almost immediately. Kars looked annoyed and cast a calming spell on Wamuu.
“Wamuu, it’s time to get serious,” he said.
“I can’t believe he killed Esidisi! No matter, you shall all die.”
Unsure of his strength, Will cast a weaker fire spell toward Wamuu. The spell didn’t touch him. Instead, it was blown away back towards Will. He cast his ward spell, saving himself from getting burnt. Before he could cast another spell, Wamuu charged toward him, backing him into the hard stone wall. Will pushed him away with a kick before casting a powerful fire spell. Wamuu was burning away, but before he died, he twisted Will’s right arm.
“Are you alright?” the elf asked.
“It’s just one arm. I can cast with the other.” Although that was my dominant hand he twisted. “If you’re done tending to your friend, mind helping me out here?”
“Two against one,” Kars commented. “That seems a bit unfair.”
“Are you kidding me?” the blue-haired elf yelled. “Originally, it was three against one! Also, your dead friend twisted this guy’s arm.”
“Enough!” Will said. “Do you know of any powerful fire spells?”
“Every spell I know is frost except for the basic fire spell, and I can conjure a scamp. But since this guy is way too strong, it won’t even last a second.”
“Every little bit helps.”
“If you say so.”
The elf summoned his scamp. As it cast a spell, Kars killed it with an ice spike spell.
“What did I tell you?” the elf warned.
“It’s just what I needed.”
While Kars was distracted by the scamp earlier before, Will cast a weakening spell that increases fire damage done to him.
“Now get incinerated!” Will yelled, casting one last fire spell. He tried making the fireball bigger than the ones he cast before. The heat was so intense that his skin started to wrinkle. He flung it at him. A big pile of smoke filled the room, causing the elf and Will to cough.
“By Sith— the Divines!” Ghiaccio corrected himself. “Was that necessary? Don’t forget, my friend’s spell is in effect.l
“Well, that’s done. Let’s go check on your friend.”
“I think you may have spoken too soon.” Ghiaccio pointed at Kars.
The smoke cleared, and Kars was unharmed. Not a single burn was visible. Amused by their bewilderment, the purple-haired vampire grinned.
“Now it’s my turn!” The vampire conjured a two-handed battle axe, charging at them full speed. The two dodged him, but Kars turned his body around to hit Will, slashing him in the chest.
The wound wasn’t deep, but he tried to cover it with his arm. “Oh, if only Avdol were here.”
The blue-haired elf returned to Will’s side and whispered, “I have an idea. How about I just completely freeze this guy solid?”
“We don’t know what type of vampire this guy is,” Will whispered back. “He could be from the north, and those guys are slightly more resistant to frost.”
“Slightly? So, that means not completely. Good because I’m going to freeze him solid.”
And then the elf did what he said he was going to do, and Kars was frozen completely.
“That actually worked?” Will said in shock.
“I’m a master at frost magic. Hmm, earlier ago, you mentioned Avdol. What’s he like?”
“Archmage Avdol?” Will said. “Well, he’s a master of magic, but he favors using fire. If I managed to tell him about these vampires, he would’ve helped us, but I was framed and thrown in jail before I could.”
“Hmm, I feel like I should fight this guy one day.”
“Archmage Avdol has no time for games. Anyways, now that we’re basically finished with this fight, who are you and why are you here?”
“I’m Ghiaccio,” the elf answered. “That won’t matter in the end. You’ll never see me again. And as for why I’m here, that’s none of your business.”
Will did find him a bit suspicious, but there was nothing he could do. That, and he didn’t trust the guards after learning about Phillida. “I’m Will Anthonio Zeppeli, a vampire hunter. A pleasure to meet you. Will your green-haired friend be okay? He’s been asleep for a long time.”
Ghiaccio put his hands on Pesci’s neck. “His heart is still beating. Let’s just get out of here with my… friends.”
-
Pesci awoke in the sanctuary. Sorbet and Formaggio stood near him.
“Oh, you’re awake!” Sorbet stated. “Everything went well. Prosciutto is still resting from his injuries from his contract.”
“Speaking of your contract,” Formaggio butted in, “I noticed Prosciutto got a lot of bite marks. Now if I weren’t a vampire, I would’ve thought he’d spent his time with some wild lady. That, and I know he’s a serious person. But, Pesci, since when did you guys become vampire slayers? Should I scream and panic?”
Pesci giggled. “No, I’d never slay you.”
“Anyways,” Sorbet interrupted, “there’s a contract for you once you fish resting.”
He sighed. “I just finished a contract, and Prosciutto said that was my last one.”
“Your last one for a while,” the Wood Elf corrected. “This one was so sudden. You’re to assassinate a nobleman named Jonathan Joestar. Whoever wanted him dead has richly rewarded us, and they aren’t picky about how you execute him.”
“Very well,” Pesci said. “I accept.”
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Prosciutto asked.
“I never thought highly of father. In truth, he scared me a bit. He never did anything, but sometimes I saw the way he looked at you. I didn’t understand why. Now I know. I’m so sorry. If I had known–”
“It’s fine. It’s all in the past. Father never did anything to you, did he?”
“No, but brother, are you alright?”
“I–” Prosciutto regained his composure. “I’m fine. Thank you. We should head to bed.”
The two went to bed in the same room, sleeping in two separate beds. In the middle of the night, Prosciutto’s whimpers awoken his brother. Pesci got up from the bed and woke the other up. In response, Prosciutto pounced on top of him, bringing a knife to his throat. Once he realizes it was his brother, he dropped the knife near him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Are you going to be alright?”
“Yeah.”
Pesci went back to his bed, but he scooted it closer to Prosciutto.
“What are you doing?” the blond asked.
“I want to make sure you’re safe, so I’m getting closer to you.”
“Thank you.” Before they could sleep, he had one more thing to say. “Don’t tell anyone about this, please.”
“I won’t. I won’t. Goodnight, brother.”
“Goodnight.”
The two had fallen asleep peacefully.
-
It was nearing lunch when the brothers returned to Cheydinhal. Pesci felt somber. Prosciutto was probably done watching over him now. Once they entered the sanctuary, the green-haired man completely forgot about Risotto, who was sitting in his brother’s chair near his desk.
“Hello once again, you two,” the Dark Elf said.
“Risotto, greetings,” Prosciutto replied. Before he could say anything, the blond handed Pesci his reward, which was some coins and an enchanted dagger. “I’m ready to go.”
“Perfect,” he said, “but there’s one last thing for Pesci to do.”
“Is that so?” the blond replied. “What could it be?”
“I’ll tell you here right now. Prosciutto, you’re going to kill Adamus Phillida.”
“What?” Prosciutto raised his voice. “Aren’t his bodyguards watching him 24/7?”
“That’s where Pesci comes in.”
Risotto looked at the younger brother whose head was sweaty.
“Bodyguards, as in multiple of them? How many?” the green-haired man asked.
“Three,” the Dark Elf answered. “Physically, they are strong. However, Kars knows a few alteration spells, possibly master rank spells, Esidisi knows a lot of destruction spells, mostly fire, and Wamuu knows some spells, too, although probably not as skillfully as the other two.”
“There’s no way I can do that by myself!” Pesci said.
“Not only that,” Prosciutto added, “but wouldn’t this grab too much attention?”
“We know, but worry about that later,” Risotto answered. “I’ll inform you all later where the Blue Road meets Red. At night.”
-
Pesci had trouble sleeping. After being told what to do, he immediately slept, but his anxiousness kept him up. He didn’t know who Kars, Esidici, or Wamuu were, and nor did he care until now. He would ask anyone about the current contract, but he had the feeling nobody had information.
And now Pesci was where the Blue Road and Red Ring Road met. Prosciutto, Risotto, and a stranger with blue were there. Prosciutto was wearing his fancy garments while Risotto, who was holding a torch, wore his bloodied black robes. As for the stranger, he was wearing a blue velvet outfit and red glasses. Said stranger was also a High Elf.
“You know,” the High Elf started a conversation, “whoever named these roads needs to change them.”
Prosciutto looked at him in confusion.
“Why is it called the Blue Road?” the elf continued. “At least paint the road blue. The same goes for the Red Ring Road too.”
“Don’t take it so literally,” the blond responded. “They’re named that for a reason.”
“So, is the Blue Road called that because it leads to Cheydinhal, a population full of Dark Elves? So it’s a racist thing then.”
Prosciutto sighed. He noticed Pesci approaching them. “My brother is here.”
The blue-haired High Elf turned around to see him.
“That’s your brother?”
“Half-brother.”
“I was about to say you guys don’t look alike at all to be related. Well, you still don’t, but whatever. I never had a sibling. Anyways, Risotto, you can tell them about the plan.”
Risotto looked at Pesci.
“First,” the Dark Elf said, “make sure you aren’t followed. Cast the detect life spell.”
Pesci checked the area around them, but nobody was there.
“It’s all clear,” he assured them.
“Since you two know half of the plan, I’ll tell you the rest right now. Prosciutto, earlier before, you were worried about how much attention that would bring to us. That’s why Ghiaccio is here. You two are going to disguise yourselves as guards and turn him in. Ghiaccio will cause a prison riot while you two are fighting your own battles. Prosciutto, as soon as you get into the Imperial City prison, you must cast your spell. Ghiaccio, I need you to slightly freeze Pesci. Does everyone understand?”
All three of them nodded.
“Good, now make sure you are all prepared for tomorrow. You’ll all be resting at the Waterfront District. A friend of Fugo’s has a shack there where you can rest. He goes by the name of Mista.”
“You have this all planned out, huh?” Pesci commented.
“Yes,” Risotto replied. “It wasn't easy setting this up. We were lucky enough to bribe a guard. I have confidence in your abilities. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
-
Before they set out and don their armor, they went into the market to buy supplies. Judging from Risotto’s response last night, it seems like everything would go well. However, the brothers wanted to make sure they get out alive. They stalked up on poisons but mostly potions: healing, stamina, magical resistance, speed, and strength. When they were ready, they headed back and dressed for the assassination.
“This body armor is heavy,” Pesci complained. “How do guards walk around in this?”
Ghiaccio was in front of them, hands tied behind his back.
“They were trained,” the elf answered.
“Guys,” Prosciutto interrupted, “stop chatting away. We’re guards turning in this elf who assaulted someone.”
As they went outside of the Imperial Prison District, Prosciutto cast his spell.
“It sure is a hot day out,” Prosciutto said, signaling that he cast his spell.
“If only I could be cooled off,” Pesci said.
Ghiaccio cast his frost spell, chilling the younger brother.
The aging effect wasn’t instant, but some signs were showing. The guards were fatigued. Once they locked Ghiaccio in the cell, the aging effect greatly affected the guards, since they were patrolling the area and wearing heavy armor. They were getting old and wrinkly. Pesci and Prosciutto climbed the ladder to reach the top. However, they eventually confronted the bodyguards in a dark room.
As Risotto said, they were former arena combatants, and it’s clear as day how strong they were. Unlike the guards, they didn’t wear anything heavy. They were showing a lot of skin.
“There’s a prison riot outside!” Prosciutto warned.
“That’s not our problem,” Esidici, the Redguard with white hair, said.
“But what about the guards outside? They’re all too tired,” Pesci said. “The prisoner is a spellcaster!”
“The one you placed in the prisons?” Kars, an Imperial with long purple hair, inquired. “I noticed that all the guards are in a weakened state except for you two.
“How come you three aren’t affected?” Prosciutto questioned.
Pesci looked into Kars’ eyes, and they looked familiar. They reminded him of Illuso and Formaggio.
“That’s impossible,” the green-haired man commented.
“What is it?” Prosciutto asked.
“T-they’re vampires!”
“What?”
“I’ve never seen you two around here. I’ve examed every face,” Kars said, “and I don’t recognize either of you two. Well, I think you two might be assassins. You won’t be getting far.”
“Pesci,” Prosciutto said, tossing him an enchanted sword, “it does fire damage. I don’t have time for this. I’m completing my contract. I’m not failing today. Good luck.”
His brother sprinted toward the ladder. Kars grabbed him, but then Pesci pulled out his bow, aiming for the arm. It pierced him, causing him to let go of Prosciutto. The blond climbed the ladder, and Kars tried to follow, but he couldn’t open the trapdoor.
“Some comrade you have there, leaving you to fight three vampires in a closed space,” he commented. “Esidisi, see if you can burn the trapdoor.”
Before Esidisi could approach the trapdoor, Pesci aimed and hit his foot. The Redguard vampire looked at him in confusion.
“If you’re trying to kill us,” he said, “aim for the head or perhaps the heart. I suppose that won’t matter with me; I am undead after all.”
The arrow in his foot disintegrated. Esidisi began casting a fire spell.
“Hey, you’re a vampire, right?” Pesci panicked. “Why are you playing with fire? Isn’t that especially dangerous for you?”
“I like a little danger,” he replied. “I used to fight in the arenas way back then. Have you heard about the grand champion before Fugo? I heard he was half a vampire. I’m a bit envious. At least he was able to go out into the sun and fight.” He then sighed. “I miss fighting. You don’t look so tough. I can tell just from looking at you. I was hoping for a challenge. I bet that other assassin might be worth my trouble. Whatever, it looks like we have no choice but to demolish you.”
“Hey, this isn’t a fair fight!” Pesci said. “I’m fighting against three of you.”
“Then you shouldn’t have stepped in in the first place!”
A fireball hurled towards Pesci, heating his heavy plated armor and making it glow red. He was no longer feeling chilly but very hot. He removed the armor, making him able to dodge any spell. Esidisi cast another fire spell. Pesci tried to dodge, but it still hit him. Due to the aging effect still active, Pesci’s green hair turned white and his skin wrinkled.
“Interesting spell your friend has learned,” Esidisi said. “I’d asked him, but I’m afraid he has to go too. He’s probably dead by now.”
“What?”
“Ah, I forgot to mention,” Kars said. “I gave him the gift of vampirism. He was so desperate to eradicate the Dark Brotherhood.”
Pesci was scared. He couldn’t do anything. He was weak and tired. They had failed the mission. He closed his eyes, waiting for it to end.
-
Will Zeppeli sat in his cell, waiting for anything to happen. The other prisoners here didn’t seem responsive when he tried to make small talk. He looked at the scratches on the stone walls. Somebody has been here for 100 days. If Will had to guess, they probably had been here longer than that. He looked at the dry bloodstains. Hmm, perhaps the poor fool lived for 100 days.
He sighed and noticed that he could see his breath. It was suddenly so cold.
Will tried to look out from his cell.
“Hello?” he called out.
“I’m breaking you out of here!” said the voice.
“Did Jonathan send you or was it Avdol? Do you know about the vampires working with the guards?”
“What? I don’t know who those two are, and what are you talking about?”
The voice got closer, and Will saw his face. It was a blue-haired High Elf with red glasses. He opened the cell with a spell.
“At night, there are three strangely buff men who drink the blood of prisoners here. They dare not infect us with vampirism, so they cut us somewhere. I hate to tell you this, but Adamus Phillida is also a vampire. We have to get rid of him! That’s why I was thrown into this cell.”
“No,” the elf replied. “No way. Impossible! They’re fighting them right now.”
“Who?”
“Shit, no time to talk! We have to help them!”
Before Will could help the elf’s friends, he got his white suit and hat. They climbed the ladder to where Pesci was. The elf cast a frost spell on him while Will faced the three vampires.
“Don’t worry about me,” Will said. “Tend to your friend. I have experience fighting vampires.”
First, Will cast a turn undead spell. Esidisi and Wamuu lost confidence and started running around in fear. As he suspected, Kars was too powerful to be affected by the spell.
“It’s going to get hot in here,” the vampire hunter warned Ghiaccio.
“Just keep yourself cool,” replied the elf.
Will hurled an explosive fireball spell towards Kars; however, Esidisi got in the way, turning into ash almost immediately. Kars looked annoyed and cast a calming spell on Wamuu.
“Wamuu, it’s time to get serious,” he said.
“I can’t believe he killed Esidisi! No matter, you shall all die.”
Unsure of his strength, Will cast a weaker fire spell toward Wamuu. The spell didn’t touch him. Instead, it was blown away back towards Will. He cast his ward spell, saving himself from getting burnt. Before he could cast another spell, Wamuu charged toward him, backing him into the hard stone wall. Will pushed him away with a kick before casting a powerful fire spell. Wamuu was burning away, but before he died, he twisted Will’s right arm.
“Are you alright?” the elf asked.
“It’s just one arm. I can cast with the other.” Although that was my dominant hand he twisted. “If you’re done tending to your friend, mind helping me out here?”
“Two against one,” Kars commented. “That seems a bit unfair.”
“Are you kidding me?” the blue-haired elf yelled. “Originally, it was three against one! Also, your dead friend twisted this guy’s arm.”
“Enough!” Will said. “Do you know of any powerful fire spells?”
“Every spell I know is frost except for the basic fire spell, and I can conjure a scamp. But since this guy is way too strong, it won’t even last a second.”
“Every little bit helps.”
“If you say so.”
The elf summoned his scamp. As it cast a spell, Kars killed it with an ice spike spell.
“What did I tell you?” the elf warned.
“It’s just what I needed.”
While Kars was distracted by the scamp earlier before, Will cast a weakening spell that increases fire damage done to him.
“Now get incinerated!” Will yelled, casting one last fire spell. He tried making the fireball bigger than the ones he cast before. The heat was so intense that his skin started to wrinkle. He flung it at him. A big pile of smoke filled the room, causing the elf and Will to cough.
“By Sith— the Divines!” Ghiaccio corrected himself. “Was that necessary? Don’t forget, my friend’s spell is in effect.l
“Well, that’s done. Let’s go check on your friend.”
“I think you may have spoken too soon.” Ghiaccio pointed at Kars.
The smoke cleared, and Kars was unharmed. Not a single burn was visible. Amused by their bewilderment, the purple-haired vampire grinned.
“Now it’s my turn!” The vampire conjured a two-handed battle axe, charging at them full speed. The two dodged him, but Kars turned his body around to hit Will, slashing him in the chest.
The wound wasn’t deep, but he tried to cover it with his arm. “Oh, if only Avdol were here.”
The blue-haired elf returned to Will’s side and whispered, “I have an idea. How about I just completely freeze this guy solid?”
“We don’t know what type of vampire this guy is,” Will whispered back. “He could be from the north, and those guys are slightly more resistant to frost.”
“Slightly? So, that means not completely. Good because I’m going to freeze him solid.”
And then the elf did what he said he was going to do, and Kars was frozen completely.
“That actually worked?” Will said in shock.
“I’m a master at frost magic. Hmm, earlier ago, you mentioned Avdol. What’s he like?”
“Archmage Avdol?” Will said. “Well, he’s a master of magic, but he favors using fire. If I managed to tell him about these vampires, he would’ve helped us, but I was framed and thrown in jail before I could.”
“Hmm, I feel like I should fight this guy one day.”
“Archmage Avdol has no time for games. Anyways, now that we’re basically finished with this fight, who are you and why are you here?”
“I’m Ghiaccio,” the elf answered. “That won’t matter in the end. You’ll never see me again. And as for why I’m here, that’s none of your business.”
Will did find him a bit suspicious, but there was nothing he could do. That, and he didn’t trust the guards after learning about Phillida. “I’m Will Anthonio Zeppeli, a vampire hunter. A pleasure to meet you. Will your green-haired friend be okay? He’s been asleep for a long time.”
Ghiaccio put his hands on Pesci’s neck. “His heart is still beating. Let’s just get out of here with my… friends.”
-
Pesci awoke in the sanctuary. Sorbet and Formaggio stood near him.
“Oh, you’re awake!” Sorbet stated. “Everything went well. Prosciutto is still resting from his injuries from his contract.”
“Speaking of your contract,” Formaggio butted in, “I noticed Prosciutto got a lot of bite marks. Now if I weren’t a vampire, I would’ve thought he’d spent his time with some wild lady. That, and I know he’s a serious person. But, Pesci, since when did you guys become vampire slayers? Should I scream and panic?”
Pesci giggled. “No, I’d never slay you.”
“Anyways,” Sorbet interrupted, “there’s a contract for you once you fish resting.”
He sighed. “I just finished a contract, and Prosciutto said that was my last one.”
“Your last one for a while,” the Wood Elf corrected. “This one was so sudden. You’re to assassinate a nobleman named Jonathan Joestar. Whoever wanted him dead has richly rewarded us, and they aren’t picky about how you execute him.”
“Very well,” Pesci said. “I accept.”
Thursday, April 7, 2022
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Friday, April 1, 2022
The Kill - Chapter 9: The Last Contract (For Now)
On the road back, it was quiet, save for Pesci pestering his brother if he was an Eliminator or not. Even when they returned to the sanctuary, Prosciutto did not say a word except, “Brother, it’s been a long day. Rest.”
Pesci went to bed in the living quarters, sleeping on Formaggio’s old bed. He couldn’t sleep right away. He was resentful, feeling held back. As for Prosciutto, he lay in his bed, awake and looking at the ceiling, unable to expel the scenarios in his head. Had he left Pesci there, Rohan would’ve extracted information about the Dark Brotherhood. Of course, had his brother not saved him, it would be the same but worse.
“Risotto,” Prosciutto whispered, “are you there?”
There was no response. He was not there.
“Where are you?”
-
“Everyone, I have called for a quick emergency meeting,” Lucien said, speaking to the Speakers and Silencers.
There were no tables, only the darkness surrounding them. Where they were, nobody knows except for them. They were all silent, waiting for the Listener to say something.
“The current plan would bring attention to us, which we don’t want. Instead, I think we should free the prisoners in the city,” he said.
“What would we gain from freeing the prisoners?” Ghiaccio, a blue-haired High Elf, asked.
“Let me finish. I want Prosciutto to use his spell to speed up the aging process for every guard in the prisons. Ghiaccio, we’ll have to turn you in. It’ll–”
“What?” he shrieked.
“Relax, you’re going to break out with the prisoners. It’ll look like a prison riot would happen. Ghiaccio, as for the reason we’re turning you in, it’s because frost is the aging spell’s weakness. We need the prisoners to look like they were capable of breaking out.”
“You said that Prosciutto was doing this also, correct?” Risotto asked. “You did read the reports Sorbet wrote, right? I’m not sure if Prosciutto will be able to handle himself again three former arena combatants.”
“That’s why I want to Pesci with him.”
“He’ll be slaughtered,” Illuso butted in. “He’s just a recruit.”
“We just need Adamus Phillida slain,” Lucien replied. “No matter what the cost.”
“Will the brothers survive?”
“Prosciutto will probably need to stock up on some potions to restore his magicka,” Lucien answered. “Ghiaccio, you too.”
“I know. It’s what my bags consists of as of lately.”
“As for Pesci,” the Listener continued, “I know he’ll find a way.”
“I think you’re putting too much faith in Pesci,” Risotto said.
“Perhaps, if Mathieu hadn’t killed so many– it has to work! Adamus must be taken care of! He’s hindered our operations for so long.”
-
It was morning, or at least it felt like it was morning. Pesci awoke fully energized. Everybody was up and about except for M’raaj-Dar, who had the ugliest sleeping face. Carne was chewing on some steak while Sorbet and Gelato were doing something at the dining table. Fugo was nowhere to be found, and Formaggio was likely asleep. As for his brother, he was probably still processing yesterday.
For now, Pesci approached the dining table and sat down near the Wood Elf couple. There was black nail polish near them, and it seemed like Gelato was painting Sorbet’s nails.
“What are you guys doing?” Pesci asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Sorbet replied. “He’s painting my nails.”
“Oh.”
“Why, do you want your nails painted?” the raven-haired elf asked.
He thought about it for a second. “Got any nail polish in green?”
“Hold on.” Gelato was close to finishing his lover’s nails. Within a few seconds, he was done painting his nails. The blond elf then scoured his bags and found some green nail polish. “Alright, Pesci, your turn.”
He placed his hands on the table, and Gelato started painting his nails.
“So, Pesci,” the blond said, “how have your contracts been?”
“You know, kind of difficult. Big brother was watching over me yesterday. I was to assassinate Rohan Kishibe. Do you know about him?”
“Yeah, I liked his art. Don’t worry, I don’t hate you for killing him. A job is a job. We can’t reject a contract. I heard this one guy wanted him dead, but I thought it was a joke. How did it go down?”
“He fired one of his servants and then hired me on the spot.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, so I go to his house and try to read one of his books. Turns out when you touch and see the pages, he reads you and makes you lighter.”
“That sounds crazy!”
“And guess what his enchanted pen does. He controls you. And do you want to know what I’m thinking of?”
“What are you thinking of.”
“I was thinking of getting a specially enchanted weapon for myself. Except I don’t know how to get one.”
“Hey,” Sorbet interfered, “this talk about enchanted items is reminding me of something bizarre. Sweetheart, do you remember when the local artist here went missing?”
“Rythe Lythandas, what about him?”
“I was the one who saved him. I wanted to steal a painting if you were wondering. He was trapped in his painting and told me his brush is enchanted. Well, the artist said it was a brush woven from Dibella’s hair, but it’s the same thing, right?”
“Interesting, but why did you bring this up?” Gelato asked.
“Most enchanted weapons deal fire, frost, or lightning damage. It’s basic. However, I’m starting to think that maybe more complicated enchantments could be applied to weapons. So, Pesci, you could probably get an enchanted item for yourself.”
“Yeah,” the Imperial replied, “but where would I find one? I was thinking about enchanting a fishing rod where the hook and line can go through the walls.”
“If such an enchantment existed, that would cost a lot of Septims,” commented Sorbet.
“And… finished!” Gelato said.
All his nails were painted green.
“Wow, I never had anyone do my nails before,” Pesci commented. “Thank you so very much.”
“Wait!” Gelato halted him from getting up from his seat. He looked through his bags and handed him some green lipstick. “I saw this and thought of you. I think it might look great on you.”
“Thank you again. I should go now. I should check on how my brother is doing.”
He left the living quarters and headed to Prosciutto’s room. His brother was sitting at his desk, lost in thought. Pesci cleared his throat to grab his attention.
“Are you alright?” Pesci asked. “The target is dead. What else could be bothering you?”
“That did not go how I envisioned it,” he said. He looked through the sheets of paper, filled with information about every target available and their estimated difficulty. He held up a piece of paper. He found the perfect target. “For now, this will be your last contract until you receive more training.”
“More training?” blurted out Pesci. “If I just had better weapons–”
“But you don’t have better weapons. Your last target is to kill a man named Gregory Jackson. He resides in Leyawiin, near my house, wasting the days away in his home. I have some disturbing information about him, but nothing that will assist you in getting rid of him. Come, let’s go.”
-
As the brothers trotted on their horses away from the city, Prosciutto couldn’t help but feel as if something was amiss. Right before he realizes what was wrong, a black-haired Breton man stood in front of the path, making the horses abruptly stop. It was him, Hazamada. He’d recognize that glare. The two got off the saddle and tried to approach him.
“Stay back! I know exactly what you did, murderer!” He pointed at Pesci. “And as for the blond guy, I saw you enter Rohan’s house before the fire. I was watching you while you were watching them.”
Pesci had no idea what was going on, but Prosciutto had an idea.
“Where is your proof?” inquired the blond. He tried to get a little bit closer to him.
“Huh?” Hazamada reacted.
“How do you know we started the fire?” he continued. “You’re his servant.”
“I was his servant until that pineapple guy stole my job.”
“So, you have a motive for starting the fire.”
“What? No, I came here to–”
Bonk! Prosciutto knocked him in the head.
“What was that for?” Pesci panicked. “Couldn’t we have just killed him?”
“We can say he did it. We’ve only been to Skingrad once. Besides, the guards would suspect he’s suspicious. Rohan did fire him. Do you still have that shirt with red paint on it?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. I noticed that most of your contract involves you plunging your knife into someone. Let’s teach you the art of speechcraft.”
-
After turning Hazamada in for a crime they committed, they rode to Leyawiin and entered the humid city. Nothing much has changed since Pesci has last been here. He still can’t get used to the heat here, but at least it was better than Bravil.
Pesci looked at the orange sky. It was getting dark. He wondered if they would spend the night in Prosciutto’s house.
“Should we head to your house?” he asked.
“Later. The sooner we deal with this guy, the better,” the blond said as he looked at shacks. “If I’m correct, he lives right about…” At first, he looked at the shacks that were gathered near the pond. He then turned in the opposite direction, looking at the shack that was behind the stores. The grass was overgrown and was covered in trash. One of the windows was broken.
“I’m guessing that’s his house,” Pesci said.
“I wondered why I always heard fighting here. I believe this man had a husband and two kids. I wondered what happened while I was away. Anyways, I’ll be relaxing at home.”
“Wait!” He tugged on Prosciutto’s clothing. “Rohan had a unique spell, and so do you. How do you do that?”
“It might take some learning and possibly mastering certain schools of magic. Why are you asking this?”
“I thought maybe you could teach me.”
“Now’s not the time.”
Pesci was left alone, watching his older brother head into his house, the colorful one. He wanted a house like that, but a fisher like him could never earn enough to get it. Instead of going for the target, Pesci walked toward the pond. He sat down and watched some of the fish swim around. However, he could only see the ripples because the water was dirty. He cast his life detection spell. Purple mist, all he saw were purple mist. He hated the shapelessness of it. He tried to focus on what they might look like, using a bit of magicka in the process. He tried to focus on the shape of the fish. Eventually, it was no longer shrouded in a purple mist but a purple outline instead. One of the fish managed to jump into dry land. Pesci watched it wiggle around. Instead of placing it back into the water, he examined it closely like a hawk with the spell effect still active. He could see its vital organs, and then Pesci had an idea.
He walked towards Gregory’s house and used his life detection spell. Instead of seeing a blob, he could see his shape. Gregory was 5’10 and weighed 150 pounds. Right now, he could see him sitting near the broken window. Greg was looking at an old faded painting of a family, distracted from what was going on outside. Pesci drew his bow and aimed for Gregory’s head. Once the arrow hit his head, he walked away, returning to his brother’s house.
Pesci approached the door and knocked. “I did it!” he shouted.
Prosciutto immediately opened the door and pulled him inside. “Quiet. Did anyone watch you?” he asked.
“No.”
“I doubt anyone would snitch on you. Excuse me, I’m cleaning. Feel free to help me.”
“Of course, brother.”
Judging from the cobwebs, dust, and dead plants, it was clear Prosciutto hasn’t been home for quite a while. While his brother was cleaning the first floor, he decided to go upstairs to clean. Once they were done, they went into the living quarters and sat down.
“Brother,” Prosciutto said, “how did it go?”
“Excellent!” he said. “I managed to improve the life detection spell.”
“How so?”
“Well, I focused on this 1.5-pound minnow that jumped out of the water. I could see its organs.”
“But the purple mist must’ve been annoying, right?”
“I made it less annoying.”
“Interesting.”
The brothers looked out the window and watched as the sunlight dimmed.
“It’s getting dark. We should head to bed,” Pesci said, getting up from his chair.
“Wait!” his brother said, making the other sit quietly back down. “There’s something I have to tell you…”
And he told him.
Pesci went to bed in the living quarters, sleeping on Formaggio’s old bed. He couldn’t sleep right away. He was resentful, feeling held back. As for Prosciutto, he lay in his bed, awake and looking at the ceiling, unable to expel the scenarios in his head. Had he left Pesci there, Rohan would’ve extracted information about the Dark Brotherhood. Of course, had his brother not saved him, it would be the same but worse.
“Risotto,” Prosciutto whispered, “are you there?”
There was no response. He was not there.
“Where are you?”
-
“Everyone, I have called for a quick emergency meeting,” Lucien said, speaking to the Speakers and Silencers.
There were no tables, only the darkness surrounding them. Where they were, nobody knows except for them. They were all silent, waiting for the Listener to say something.
“The current plan would bring attention to us, which we don’t want. Instead, I think we should free the prisoners in the city,” he said.
“What would we gain from freeing the prisoners?” Ghiaccio, a blue-haired High Elf, asked.
“Let me finish. I want Prosciutto to use his spell to speed up the aging process for every guard in the prisons. Ghiaccio, we’ll have to turn you in. It’ll–”
“What?” he shrieked.
“Relax, you’re going to break out with the prisoners. It’ll look like a prison riot would happen. Ghiaccio, as for the reason we’re turning you in, it’s because frost is the aging spell’s weakness. We need the prisoners to look like they were capable of breaking out.”
“You said that Prosciutto was doing this also, correct?” Risotto asked. “You did read the reports Sorbet wrote, right? I’m not sure if Prosciutto will be able to handle himself again three former arena combatants.”
“That’s why I want to Pesci with him.”
“He’ll be slaughtered,” Illuso butted in. “He’s just a recruit.”
“We just need Adamus Phillida slain,” Lucien replied. “No matter what the cost.”
“Will the brothers survive?”
“Prosciutto will probably need to stock up on some potions to restore his magicka,” Lucien answered. “Ghiaccio, you too.”
“I know. It’s what my bags consists of as of lately.”
“As for Pesci,” the Listener continued, “I know he’ll find a way.”
“I think you’re putting too much faith in Pesci,” Risotto said.
“Perhaps, if Mathieu hadn’t killed so many– it has to work! Adamus must be taken care of! He’s hindered our operations for so long.”
-
It was morning, or at least it felt like it was morning. Pesci awoke fully energized. Everybody was up and about except for M’raaj-Dar, who had the ugliest sleeping face. Carne was chewing on some steak while Sorbet and Gelato were doing something at the dining table. Fugo was nowhere to be found, and Formaggio was likely asleep. As for his brother, he was probably still processing yesterday.
For now, Pesci approached the dining table and sat down near the Wood Elf couple. There was black nail polish near them, and it seemed like Gelato was painting Sorbet’s nails.
“What are you guys doing?” Pesci asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Sorbet replied. “He’s painting my nails.”
“Oh.”
“Why, do you want your nails painted?” the raven-haired elf asked.
He thought about it for a second. “Got any nail polish in green?”
“Hold on.” Gelato was close to finishing his lover’s nails. Within a few seconds, he was done painting his nails. The blond elf then scoured his bags and found some green nail polish. “Alright, Pesci, your turn.”
He placed his hands on the table, and Gelato started painting his nails.
“So, Pesci,” the blond said, “how have your contracts been?”
“You know, kind of difficult. Big brother was watching over me yesterday. I was to assassinate Rohan Kishibe. Do you know about him?”
“Yeah, I liked his art. Don’t worry, I don’t hate you for killing him. A job is a job. We can’t reject a contract. I heard this one guy wanted him dead, but I thought it was a joke. How did it go down?”
“He fired one of his servants and then hired me on the spot.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, so I go to his house and try to read one of his books. Turns out when you touch and see the pages, he reads you and makes you lighter.”
“That sounds crazy!”
“And guess what his enchanted pen does. He controls you. And do you want to know what I’m thinking of?”
“What are you thinking of.”
“I was thinking of getting a specially enchanted weapon for myself. Except I don’t know how to get one.”
“Hey,” Sorbet interfered, “this talk about enchanted items is reminding me of something bizarre. Sweetheart, do you remember when the local artist here went missing?”
“Rythe Lythandas, what about him?”
“I was the one who saved him. I wanted to steal a painting if you were wondering. He was trapped in his painting and told me his brush is enchanted. Well, the artist said it was a brush woven from Dibella’s hair, but it’s the same thing, right?”
“Interesting, but why did you bring this up?” Gelato asked.
“Most enchanted weapons deal fire, frost, or lightning damage. It’s basic. However, I’m starting to think that maybe more complicated enchantments could be applied to weapons. So, Pesci, you could probably get an enchanted item for yourself.”
“Yeah,” the Imperial replied, “but where would I find one? I was thinking about enchanting a fishing rod where the hook and line can go through the walls.”
“If such an enchantment existed, that would cost a lot of Septims,” commented Sorbet.
“And… finished!” Gelato said.
All his nails were painted green.
“Wow, I never had anyone do my nails before,” Pesci commented. “Thank you so very much.”
“Wait!” Gelato halted him from getting up from his seat. He looked through his bags and handed him some green lipstick. “I saw this and thought of you. I think it might look great on you.”
“Thank you again. I should go now. I should check on how my brother is doing.”
He left the living quarters and headed to Prosciutto’s room. His brother was sitting at his desk, lost in thought. Pesci cleared his throat to grab his attention.
“Are you alright?” Pesci asked. “The target is dead. What else could be bothering you?”
“That did not go how I envisioned it,” he said. He looked through the sheets of paper, filled with information about every target available and their estimated difficulty. He held up a piece of paper. He found the perfect target. “For now, this will be your last contract until you receive more training.”
“More training?” blurted out Pesci. “If I just had better weapons–”
“But you don’t have better weapons. Your last target is to kill a man named Gregory Jackson. He resides in Leyawiin, near my house, wasting the days away in his home. I have some disturbing information about him, but nothing that will assist you in getting rid of him. Come, let’s go.”
-
As the brothers trotted on their horses away from the city, Prosciutto couldn’t help but feel as if something was amiss. Right before he realizes what was wrong, a black-haired Breton man stood in front of the path, making the horses abruptly stop. It was him, Hazamada. He’d recognize that glare. The two got off the saddle and tried to approach him.
“Stay back! I know exactly what you did, murderer!” He pointed at Pesci. “And as for the blond guy, I saw you enter Rohan’s house before the fire. I was watching you while you were watching them.”
Pesci had no idea what was going on, but Prosciutto had an idea.
“Where is your proof?” inquired the blond. He tried to get a little bit closer to him.
“Huh?” Hazamada reacted.
“How do you know we started the fire?” he continued. “You’re his servant.”
“I was his servant until that pineapple guy stole my job.”
“So, you have a motive for starting the fire.”
“What? No, I came here to–”
Bonk! Prosciutto knocked him in the head.
“What was that for?” Pesci panicked. “Couldn’t we have just killed him?”
“We can say he did it. We’ve only been to Skingrad once. Besides, the guards would suspect he’s suspicious. Rohan did fire him. Do you still have that shirt with red paint on it?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. I noticed that most of your contract involves you plunging your knife into someone. Let’s teach you the art of speechcraft.”
-
After turning Hazamada in for a crime they committed, they rode to Leyawiin and entered the humid city. Nothing much has changed since Pesci has last been here. He still can’t get used to the heat here, but at least it was better than Bravil.
Pesci looked at the orange sky. It was getting dark. He wondered if they would spend the night in Prosciutto’s house.
“Should we head to your house?” he asked.
“Later. The sooner we deal with this guy, the better,” the blond said as he looked at shacks. “If I’m correct, he lives right about…” At first, he looked at the shacks that were gathered near the pond. He then turned in the opposite direction, looking at the shack that was behind the stores. The grass was overgrown and was covered in trash. One of the windows was broken.
“I’m guessing that’s his house,” Pesci said.
“I wondered why I always heard fighting here. I believe this man had a husband and two kids. I wondered what happened while I was away. Anyways, I’ll be relaxing at home.”
“Wait!” He tugged on Prosciutto’s clothing. “Rohan had a unique spell, and so do you. How do you do that?”
“It might take some learning and possibly mastering certain schools of magic. Why are you asking this?”
“I thought maybe you could teach me.”
“Now’s not the time.”
Pesci was left alone, watching his older brother head into his house, the colorful one. He wanted a house like that, but a fisher like him could never earn enough to get it. Instead of going for the target, Pesci walked toward the pond. He sat down and watched some of the fish swim around. However, he could only see the ripples because the water was dirty. He cast his life detection spell. Purple mist, all he saw were purple mist. He hated the shapelessness of it. He tried to focus on what they might look like, using a bit of magicka in the process. He tried to focus on the shape of the fish. Eventually, it was no longer shrouded in a purple mist but a purple outline instead. One of the fish managed to jump into dry land. Pesci watched it wiggle around. Instead of placing it back into the water, he examined it closely like a hawk with the spell effect still active. He could see its vital organs, and then Pesci had an idea.
He walked towards Gregory’s house and used his life detection spell. Instead of seeing a blob, he could see his shape. Gregory was 5’10 and weighed 150 pounds. Right now, he could see him sitting near the broken window. Greg was looking at an old faded painting of a family, distracted from what was going on outside. Pesci drew his bow and aimed for Gregory’s head. Once the arrow hit his head, he walked away, returning to his brother’s house.
Pesci approached the door and knocked. “I did it!” he shouted.
Prosciutto immediately opened the door and pulled him inside. “Quiet. Did anyone watch you?” he asked.
“No.”
“I doubt anyone would snitch on you. Excuse me, I’m cleaning. Feel free to help me.”
“Of course, brother.”
Judging from the cobwebs, dust, and dead plants, it was clear Prosciutto hasn’t been home for quite a while. While his brother was cleaning the first floor, he decided to go upstairs to clean. Once they were done, they went into the living quarters and sat down.
“Brother,” Prosciutto said, “how did it go?”
“Excellent!” he said. “I managed to improve the life detection spell.”
“How so?”
“Well, I focused on this 1.5-pound minnow that jumped out of the water. I could see its organs.”
“But the purple mist must’ve been annoying, right?”
“I made it less annoying.”
“Interesting.”
The brothers looked out the window and watched as the sunlight dimmed.
“It’s getting dark. We should head to bed,” Pesci said, getting up from his chair.
“Wait!” his brother said, making the other sit quietly back down. “There’s something I have to tell you…”
And he told him.
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