“You said this was the gateway to Nocturnal!” Sapphire shouted.
“I thought it was!” Karliah cried, near tears.
“Well, I don't see her!” Sapphire snapped. “And now we're stuck here, no one knows we're here, and we're all going to die. Thanks for nothing, Karliah.”
“Lass, don't shout, she didn't know,” Brynjolf sighed wearily. The last thing he needed was a fight on his hands. Karliah was stressed enough as it was. “What was in that journal again?”
“The journey is complete, the Empress's embrace awaits the fallen. Hesitate not if you wish to gift her your eternal devotion,” Sapphire sighed, slumping to the floor. “So we jumped in and here we are, no Nocturnal.”
“Did we hesitate too long?” Karliah whispered. “Was our faith not strong enough? Didn't we keep her terms?”
“If the portal's shut, maybe she can't,” Brynjolf said broodily. “Dammit, we brought the Key all this way and it hasn't worked.”
“The Key.” Karliah sat up, realisation dawning. “Brynjolf, the Key, we have to use the Key!”
“Not stopping you,” Sapphire shrugged. Karliah produced the Key and held it out and somehow it turned in her hands, reaching down to the floor which opened beneath them and they were falling, falling...
Brynjolf opened his eyes, looking about to see a dark chamber, empty portals on the various sides and in the middle, a dais with a lock in the middle.
“Is that it?” he whispered. “The Ebonmere?”
“That's it,” Karliah breathed, Key in her hands as she approached. “Shall we?”
“Go on,” Sapphire told her, getting to her feet on the other side of the room. “I don't see any other way out of here.”
Karliah inserted the Key into the lock and turned it. There was a click and then the Key sank into the dais as it fell open. A whole flock of nightingale birds fluttered out and in the purple half-light, a dark-haired woman in very revealing black robes rose out of it, languid smile on her face.
“My my,” Nocturnal drawled. “What do we have here? My champions three, my dark Trinity. It's about time. Or was it moments? One tends to lose track. So here you are, awaiting your rewards like good little thieves. A pat on the head, a kiss on the cheek? Except you fail to realise your actions were expected and represent nothing more than the fulfilment of your agreement.”
“Does this mean we're not getting paid?” Sapphire muttered, only to have Nocturnal turn viciously on her.
“Oh don't worry, thief, you'll have your accolades. Your trinkets, your wealth,” Nocturnal snapped. “You have after all performed your duties to the letter. Drink from the Ebonmere, and you will have your powers. You are my Nightingales now, after all, my Agents in the world. The Oath has been struck, the die cast and your fate lies in Evergloam now. Even you, Karliah, came good in the end.”
Karliah actually did sob a little on hearing that. Nocturnal folded her arms and began to sink back into the Ebonmere.
“Farewell, my Nightingales. See to it the Key stays this time, won't you?”
The light faded and she was gone, but the swirling black lake remained. Sapphire was first to approach, staring into its depths.
“That it?” she asked. “We can go now?” All around them, the three portal arches flared into life, leading to who knew where. Karliah had taken her cowl off, drying her eyes.
“We can go,” Karliah said quietly. “That portal takes you to the Sepulchre, that one to Nightingale Hall... and that one is only for the souls of the dead.”
Brynjolf studiously avoided looking at the last one, moving nearer Karliah.
“So that was Nocturnal,” he said, shivering at the memory. “She didn't sound pleased.”
“She sounded indifferent at best,” Sapphire snapped. “Is that seriously who we've sworn our souls to?”
“Yes,” said Karliah, straightening up and pulling herself together. “Don't worry, she was pleased. That's just how she is. A scolding mother, pushing us to do our best, pushy on the outside but inside, content. I assure you, if she'd been angry, we wouldn't be having this conversation.”
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 23.6
Date: 2014-02-09 09:35 pm (UTC)“I thought it was!” Karliah cried, near tears.
“Well, I don't see her!” Sapphire snapped. “And now we're stuck here, no one knows we're here, and we're all going to die. Thanks for nothing, Karliah.”
“Lass, don't shout, she didn't know,” Brynjolf sighed wearily. The last thing he needed was a fight on his hands. Karliah was stressed enough as it was. “What was in that journal again?”
“The journey is complete, the Empress's embrace awaits the fallen. Hesitate not if you wish to gift her your eternal devotion,” Sapphire sighed, slumping to the floor. “So we jumped in and here we are, no Nocturnal.”
“Did we hesitate too long?” Karliah whispered. “Was our faith not strong enough? Didn't we keep her terms?”
“If the portal's shut, maybe she can't,” Brynjolf said broodily. “Dammit, we brought the Key all this way and it hasn't worked.”
“The Key.” Karliah sat up, realisation dawning. “Brynjolf, the Key, we have to use the Key!”
“Not stopping you,” Sapphire shrugged. Karliah produced the Key and held it out and somehow it turned in her hands, reaching down to the floor which opened beneath them and they were falling, falling...
Brynjolf opened his eyes, looking about to see a dark chamber, empty portals on the various sides and in the middle, a dais with a lock in the middle.
“Is that it?” he whispered. “The Ebonmere?”
“That's it,” Karliah breathed, Key in her hands as she approached. “Shall we?”
“Go on,” Sapphire told her, getting to her feet on the other side of the room. “I don't see any other way out of here.”
Karliah inserted the Key into the lock and turned it. There was a click and then the Key sank into the dais as it fell open. A whole flock of nightingale birds fluttered out and in the purple half-light, a dark-haired woman in very revealing black robes rose out of it, languid smile on her face.
“My my,” Nocturnal drawled. “What do we have here? My champions three, my dark Trinity. It's about time. Or was it moments? One tends to lose track. So here you are, awaiting your rewards like good little thieves. A pat on the head, a kiss on the cheek? Except you fail to realise your actions were expected and represent nothing more than the fulfilment of your agreement.”
“Does this mean we're not getting paid?” Sapphire muttered, only to have Nocturnal turn viciously on her.
“Oh don't worry, thief, you'll have your accolades. Your trinkets, your wealth,” Nocturnal snapped. “You have after all performed your duties to the letter. Drink from the Ebonmere, and you will have your powers. You are my Nightingales now, after all, my Agents in the world. The Oath has been struck, the die cast and your fate lies in Evergloam now. Even you, Karliah, came good in the end.”
Karliah actually did sob a little on hearing that. Nocturnal folded her arms and began to sink back into the Ebonmere.
“Farewell, my Nightingales. See to it the Key stays this time, won't you?”
The light faded and she was gone, but the swirling black lake remained. Sapphire was first to approach, staring into its depths.
“That it?” she asked. “We can go now?” All around them, the three portal arches flared into life, leading to who knew where. Karliah had taken her cowl off, drying her eyes.
“We can go,” Karliah said quietly. “That portal takes you to the Sepulchre, that one to Nightingale Hall... and that one is only for the souls of the dead.”
Brynjolf studiously avoided looking at the last one, moving nearer Karliah.
“So that was Nocturnal,” he said, shivering at the memory. “She didn't sound pleased.”
“She sounded indifferent at best,” Sapphire snapped. “Is that seriously who we've sworn our souls to?”
“Yes,” said Karliah, straightening up and pulling herself together. “Don't worry, she was pleased. That's just how she is. A scolding mother, pushing us to do our best, pushy on the outside but inside, content. I assure you, if she'd been angry, we wouldn't be having this conversation.”