Skyrim: The Nightshade Assassin

Death Incarnate

Chapter 35

Note: This is what I was listening to while writing this oops

31st of Evening Star, 4E 203

It's been almost a week already, and Astrid's been looking guilty as ever. I've asked her many, many times why, but she just shoos me off, along with the others.

Every day I get even more paranoid and worried, if Kaito is captured and being tortured, he has nobody to help him, or he's suddenly injured from an ambush, or he's already dead...

And every time I think about it, I scold myself for getting too attached.

Laying on my bed, I cast a wave of flames on my palm with unlit candles, conjuring them over and over again in the dark room. It looks pretty, the sparks left in the air seem like bright orange and red stars.

I force myself to get up and change, and expect Kaito to show up at my door, waiting, like a complete stalker. He's been out in contracts for three days, but this is different. I have this feeling that something will happen.

"Good afternoon, future-mother," Veezara greets me, and I furrow my eyebrows.

"It's noon already?" I ask, and Babette giggles. It feels weird being called that.

"Of course, silly! You sleep like a bear in hibernation, I swear," she smiles cheerfully, sucking on blood-flavoured candy. Typical 300-year-old vampire.

I sit down beside Babette and Veezara, leaning against the rock. "Does anyone notice Astrid being a littleー"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

The vampire and the lizard chorus together, agreeing, and she licks her fingers from the hard candy. "She's been acting weird, lately, and I heard she was talking to someone about the Dragonborn. I'm guessing she was talking about Kaito."

Veezara nods. "I also know she made a deal with the mysterious man."

"Yeah. Veezara and I did a little stalking, but that's all we know," Babette tells me. "We almost got caught, because Lucien's ass decided to talk about the Dread Father."

Lucien laughs, appearing beside us, sitting in a circle. "Ah yes, I intended to make a joke. I forgot how it was like to laugh until it comes out as silent breaths."

"You call blowing our cover a joke?" Babette glares, hugging her knees. "Honestly, dead people nowadays.."

"Hah, if I were with Lucien, that'd be funny," I giggle, and the spectral assassin chuckles ominously. "Well, I'll be talking to the corpse if you need me."

"Ohhhh if your brother was here!" Babette laughs, and I smile. "Really, you two only look alike when I really study you. I mean, same eye structure, same smile, and same appetite for Sweetrolls. As a matter of fact, I need to complete a contract close to Whiterun. Won't be long. I hope the baby doesn't arrive before I'm back!"

Grinning Cicero's world-famous smile, I exit the conversation, and head to the Night Mother's chamber. I carefully open her coffin, revealing her still-oily corpse. Since I wasn't wearing a dress, I did a mix of a bow and a curtsy.

"Mother, I need to speak with you," I say, clenching my fists.

After a moment, I hear a breath. "Embrace me."

I touch her corpse, and for a flash of a moment, I lose my balance until I feel my feet. I'm in the Void, seeing the same stone pew, the same Nightshades growing around it, the same splatter of blood on the stone.