Into Oblivion

16

Elizabeth's mouth fell agape and she wheezed, "B-Broga..."

He chuckled and leaned farther down so she could hear him over the wailing wind and the quarrelling rain. "So you remember me... I surely thought that after such a long time you would have forgotten all about Oblivion."

The maiden glanced around desperately hoping to catch the disappearing watery figure of a guard or possibly a beggar. Anvil seemed absolutely dead, and this is what the girl had feared. She thrashed about and made an effort to slacken his grip; however, it seemed like he had a good hold on her. Anger boiled within her and she snapped, "Let me go!"

He laughed and watched her futile attempt. How pitiful. His hands gripped tighter and he could feel the bones hidden beneath her skin. Her teeth clashed even tighter together and her brow furrowed as she could only watch this man attempt to shatter her bones. She squirmed and quickly blurted, "What do you want from me?!"

His hands loosened and he looked her over. Her ample eyes stared at him and hungered a response. He could feel her heart block itself every time he was near; protecting her soul. His lips pursed and he scoffed, "Why would I be here? Why would I be holding you back right now," his right hand released from her arm and lifted up to stroke back drenched silver strands of hair.

She cringed at his touch and turned her head away with a hardening glare. Her body was freezing in the wintry breeze and heaven's falling teardrops. The Daedric man clenched his jaw and all of a sudden he had remembered that he hadn't much time. Surely the guards or another mindless traveler would find the guard's dead body and report it. He needed to get out of Anvil as quickly as possible. He tossed his eyes around evasively making certain that no guards were coming. The wind and rain acting as a personal black cloak that he slithered through like a serpent.

His eyes turned back to the maiden and he spun her around soon pushing her into the base of the statue. His jagged nails ripped a piece of cloth from his wrapped wrist and he pulled off the dark leather like a second layer of skin. He quickly bounded the girl's hands causing her to gasp slightly as the skin of her wrists was pulled and pushed down harshly. Broga's nostrils flared as he knotted the textile tightly being assured it would be fall apart. As he spun her around his bloody eyes fell upon her and he snarled, "Let's go."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and reluctantly pushed herself upon the statue. She was going to make this as hard as possible. Broga's muscles tensed and he bore his teeth at her in frustration. He crouched in the water and suddenly the maiden was lifted easily from the water and thrown over his shoulder with certain care. He made sure that her skin would not be pierced with his jagged ebon horns. Just as he was about to climb from the watery pit, he heard the screaming of an Anvil resident. The Dremora's ears perked and he listened as the calls were made from over the howling of the wind.

"Oblivion gate! There's an Oblivion gate outside Anvil!" screamed the Dunmer.

A guard rushed over to the man and tried to calm him down. The raging Dunmer continued to scream trying to run past the guard; however, this attempt was to no prevail. "Calm down, sir! What's this about a gate?"

The Dunmer grasped at his chainmail and boomed, "Did you not hear me?! There's an Oblivion Gate right outside of Anvil! We're next, I tell you! First Kvatch, now Lord Dagon wants Anvil!"

A few more guards entered the streets. They conversed beneath the wind's howls and quickly they ran off in different directions to alert the guards and countess in the Castle and to make sure that the doors were well guarded. Broga cursed and ducked lower into the water. His chances of being spotted were increasing and his mind began to revolve like clockwork. He glanced to the Benirus manor. If he could somehow sneak behind it and make it to the Chapel gate, he was certain that he could make his way around Anvil and back to his gate. He hauled the girl and himself out of the water with her struggling violently upon his shoulder. Broken limbs or deep slashes might be the result of one scream to the guards.