Chapter 24: Stirring the Storm part 3

11,989...

11,990...

11,994...

11,998...

12,000 Septims

"Everything is accounted for, now where is Jin'da. He said he'd be back with what I want by the time I'd finished counting my earnings."

I said to a female Khajiit receptionist, behind her stood a Cathay-Raht guard, of the same varient-race category that the Royal Guards of Elsweyr's Clanmothers were.

"A-ah..He shou-"

"No need, Jin'da is here as promised. So untrusting if this one's promises. Jin'da is pained by this." He replied as he put on a theatrical display as if he'd been wounded by a blade.

"I don't have time for this, tell me what I want or the letters I had prepared goes straight to the Elder Council."

I threatened him with obvious blackmail.

I had investigated and dug up a fair bit of blackmail material tonuse on him and anyone I would interact with.

Jin'da on the surface has a small time business of which those profits are used to fund his illegal activities.

If the Elder Council catches wind of what he's been doing they'll gladly rain down all Hell upon him, destroying his hopes and dreams with life Imprisonment based on the number of crimes he's committed, that is what his end sentence will be.

The Khajiit slavemaster sighed in annoyance before handing me a letter.

I skimmed through it and it was something he had written along with a location, time, details of the meeting place and a small map of the Memorial District with one monument circled.

I knitted my brows in confussion since I memorised the cities layout, or at least of what maps I could get a hold of

"The statue of Topel the Explorer?"

"Yes, a hidden entrance is located somewhere there that leads through tunnels. Jin'da knows not anything else, this is all this one can give."

I reached into my pocket and grabbed a smaller coin pouch than the large one I had received.

He caught the coin pouch I tossed to him and grinned madly, enough to make the Mad God blush.

I'd given him 1,000 Septims.

It a bit much for a tip, but to keep someone like Jin'da in your pockets and as allies is well worth it.

He could send a few Thugs to deal with me, and I had seen them first hand, knowing well enough that I'd lose to them.

They were clearly well trained, enough to give platoons of Thalmor trouble, unlike me who had barely managed a victory in the past.

I decided to take my leave and Na'shi approached me from the shadows soon after my departure.

"So, how'd it go?" She asked curiously.

'Ever heard of 'curiously killed the cat?''

"Send the others to head to the statue of Topel the Explorer in the Memorial District. There is a tunnel system beneath it and some mechanism or hidden entrance there. Keep an eye out for any Altmer or Elika's parents that might be heading that way. They may know how to get in. We'll follow behind them."

"What will you be doing while me and the others do that?"

"Considering its unique location and the layout of the sewer system, there aren't any beneath the statue leading to the lake which is odd. There might be a hidden entrance there which I'll be investigating."

My eyes widened as I felt something familiar happen.

Na'shi noticed an became worried for a moment.

"Is everything alright?"

"Y-yes, just something familiar happened. Go on then, I'll meet you later." I stuttered out before recovering from the momentary suprise I had experienced.

I quickly left Na'shi and made my way to Elika's home so that I can notify her parents of the plan to save Elika.

Although, ill cant tell them directly, ill need to use a Familiar Summon to tell them while concealing myself, neiyher of them have seen me and Rella hasnt met me in person yet.

I'll do that before making my way to the lakeside to locate the hidden entrance.

As I made my way, I opened my Grimoire as it had signalled that a new codex entry was added and/or revealed.

I let the pages open and it returned once more to Umaril the Unfeathered.

The Fuck is going on with this guy?!

************

Umaril, the Unfeathered

...

A Price to be Paid,

From Death returned to Life,

A Life delivered onto Death,

Regrets made,

Payments paid,

Meridians of Magnus,

For the Paths have been Laid,

The One Once Praised,

One Once Served,

One Once Rebelled,

One Once Saved,

Only to serve again,

By their involvement will the deal be made,

And the Toll Paid,

The Woodland Man,

Salvation formed of Desperation,

Illumination gained though Cooporation,

For you Will Weap Cold Tears.

**************

'The Hell?'

...

...

...

**************************************

As Sivreth was elsewhere at this very moment doing who knows what.

Elika awoke from unconsciousness and could barely take in the surroundings before her eyes landed to her parents standing before her.

"Mom! Dad!"

Rella, being the commander of the Imperial Legion and bodyguard to the Emperor didn't break out of character, yet the emotions were still seen in her eyes.

Worry, relief, fear, a hopeful joy.

Meanwhile, her father Kibren didn't reply to her but to her captors.

"Let her go. We're here, there's nowhere we can run off to anyway." He said in my direction but immediately after that I heard a voice emit from behind me.

"Ha! Go on and tell us the Prophecies or ill start cutting her into pieces, maybe making her a cripple will loosen your tongue."

"OK, ok. I'll tell you."

"Good. Now, no lies, this orb will know if you try to, only the full truth."

Kibren didn't say anything for a moment before reluctantly telling them the Prophecies of the Elder Scroll that resulted in his blindness.

The Thalmor were all waiting expectantly, and so to was Elika as she listen in, ignoring the one restraining her.

"There were no words to describe the Prophecies ither than what I saw. The first two are one and the same, it is of a war of blood and fire amongst a battlefield of snow. Of a time when the Dragons will return and amongst it all, a single individual stood with a horned helmet amongst piles of bones and corpses of both Men and Dragon." Kibren finished, unwilling to go on.

I turned my head slightly to see my captor and was shocked to find that it was Ancano!

He ignored my gaze on him as if it was beneath his attention to look at the Wizard to his side that held a dimly glowing orb.

The wizard nodded and Ancano turned to speak to my parents once again.

"Tell me Moth Priest, the third Prophecy! What is it!"

"Release our daughter, I want to have her in my arms and I swear to tell you the last one."

Ancano gazed at the Wizard again only to get althe same nod, before returning to face my mom and dad."

Ancano released Elika for her to scurry of to be reunited with Rella and Kibren.

After they made sure Elika was fine and some emotional words, Ancano grew irritated of all the wait.

Kibren saw this and sighed before saying the last Prophecy.

"The last Prophecy is that of the Snow Prince and his return to Skyrim. A vision of both a Man and Falmer standing side-by-side. The Falmer held a beautiful bow that glowed as brightly as the rays of light of Magnus. While the Man held a spear that radiated an aura of frost. One of each of the races stood beside them. An female Khajiit, an male Dunmer, Altmer girl, a Breton man, Imperial Girl, Redguard male, female Nord, lastly a female Snow Elf and few unidentifiable shadows. In addition to all sorts of beasts and creatures including three large shadows that loomed overhead but the vision ends as the last thing I saw was 5 Elder Scrolls surrounding the Man and Falmer duo."

Ancano had a wicked grin on his face upon hearing everything that was said.

*whoosh*

The sound of whistling wind was heard as an arrow lodged itself into the left eye of Ancano.

"Arrrghhh!"

Ancano had somehow managed to survive by being able to cast a rapid alteration spell I knew all to well since it was one that I and Sivreth had developed and released for public use.

It allowed for Instantaneous casting with pure thought alone but provided barely any defense and only to be used under circumstances similar to Ancano in that brief moment.

I looked around me as I saw the throats of the multiple Thalmor soilders and Wizards throats being cut and blood pouring like waterfalls onto the soil beneath us.

The killers revealed themselves to be Khajiit, but they conceled their visage with masks or cloth.

The remains Thalmor quickly reacted and engaged in battle as my mother joined the Khajiit assassins in their suprise attack.

I looked at Ancano who had pulled the arrow from his eye and stopped the bleeding.

He quickly fled the scene deeper into the dark tunnels of the cave.

Another yet smaller figure followed after Ancano with a bow and a Khajiit accomplice.

"It can't be!"

I was barely able to see it, but all the same i just about recognised that Ring on the figure's hand.

"Siv!"

I looked next to me to see if my dad is alright...

He wasn't there!

I looked around until I noticed there was something below me.

Fear settled in my heart as I looked down only to see him sprawled out on the ground.

"Dad!"

I rushed to his body and moved him over only to...

"Zzzzzz"

He's asleep?

...

...

...

"Zzzzzz"

"Zzzz"

Zzzzzzzz"

I heard more sounds of snoring. Looking around me I saw numerous bodies on the ground including my mother, the only ones unaffected were the Khajiit.

It was then that I noticed it was the result of some kind of sleeping gas!

Before I was effected I quickly used my Magicka to form a barrier of wind around my mouth and nostrils, circulating it.

It was something Siv taught me.

Seeing that the unknown Khajiit only slit the throats of the Thalmor and had already moved my mother to the side, placing her on the wall.

I knew they must be with Siv, so if he tryst them then so will I. He would never endanger me or my family with strangers he wouldn't trust.

Without Delay I turned around to chase after him deeper into the cave.