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51.19% Unbound Familiar / Chapter 365: You're not Listening!

Chương 365: You're not Listening!

"How have I found myself here...?" Eleril mutters to herself as she desperately tries to ignore the foul stench of death and decay filling her senses. "Oh, that's right... Astrid's orders..."

She opens her eyes again and tries to not squirm or shuffle at the sight of the rotten corpse right in front of her face. Why Astrid thought it was a good idea for her to hide in the Night Mother's she didn't know, even if it was technically working...

She was sure what she was doing could be considered sacrilege, worthy of execution for her defilement of the Night Mother's corpse... But, when your superior orders you to do something, you do it. No ifs or buts about it... Even if she had massive qualms with this...

Eleril quietens down as she hears footsteps, along with the whispered ruminations of Cicero's manic-sounding voice...

"A-are we alone? Yes... Yes... Alone, sweet solitude. No one will hear us. Disturb us... Everything is going according to plan!" the crazed jester says to the coffin, completely unaware that an intruder was listening... In more ways than one would expect.

The jester continues, "The others... Some are willing to hear me, while some... Some are not worthy to be family... Not worthy to even be step-siblings! It's not right! Not right not right not right!... A-and then there's you... Sweet Night Mother...

...

If you just spoke to someone, anyone! Cicero wouldn't have to do this... Do everything alone... What else can this loyal one, THIS SERVILE ONE, do? Cicero cleans, sneaks, protects, hunts, stalks, talks, stalks... Why MUST you do nothing, sweet Mother? Is there no one worthy? Is CICERO, not worthy!?"

The jester takes a breath from his rant, "Sometimes Cicero thinks that you..." his speech hitches, "No! Nonononononono! Cicero must not think that! Never ever ever ever!"

Eleril frowns as she listens to all of this, wondering if Cicero truly was as crazy as he sounds. Clearly, he wasn't a traitor like Astrid had made him out to be, but... Was talking to a corpse any better? At best it was a strange quirk, but at worst? He was a liability. A flight risk.

"Poor Cicero, Dear Cicero. Such a humble servant, but he will never hear my voice. For he is not the Listener." a dark, almost ominous feminine voice states as the Night Mother's corpse before Eleril glows a dim red...

Yeah, Eleril was about to freak out... The corpse just spoke to her! What the fuck!? Did she catch whatever Cicero had? Maybe he'd caught it from the corpse in front of her? "No... I'm just imagining things." she whispers to herself, squeezing her eyes closed to try and attempt to calm her erratic breathing and beating heart.

"Oh, but how can I protect you? If you will not speak, how will Cicero defend you!? How will you exert your will without a Listener!?"

Eleril opens her eyes once more, again seeing the dim glow surrounding the corpse. Strangely though, she got an incredibly smug expression from it, despite its lifeless rotten features.

"Oh, I will speak... Speak to you. For you are the one. My Listener."

"No... I'm hearing things... That's all."

"Yes, you are hearing things. You who shares my iron tomb, you who warms my ancient bones... I give you this task, my Listener... Journey to Volunruud and seek one known as Amaund Montierre... Tell Cicero the time has come. Tell him the words he has been waiting for all these years... Darkness rises when silence dies."

Eeril shakes her head, "N-no... Why? Why me? Choose someone else!" she says, her voice strained from her roiling emotions...

"V-voice? Night Mother?" Cicero asks after having apparently heard Eleril's protestation.

*Creeea*

Cicero throws the coffin doors open with a wide grin on his face, excited to finally hear his Mother's voice... "Night Mother! I-... W-what!?" the jester exclaims, shocked, horrified, and enraged at the sacrilege he saw before him... "YOU! SACRILEGE! TREACHEROUS DEFILER!" he screams, pulling the dagger from his waist and stepping forwards to bloody the Night Mother's coffin.

"W-wait! Cicero! She spoke! The Night Mother spoke to me!" Eleril shouts while raising his hands placatingly, not wanting to get stabbed. There wouldn't be much that she could do while backed into the coffin after all.

"N-no! You lie! Spout lies and deceit to hide your treachery! THERE IS NO LISTENER!" he growls, raising his blade in preparation to strike.

Eleril shields her face with a hastily conjured dagger as she leans against the Night Mother's body, "D-darkness rises when silence dies!" she exclaims in a panic. But quickly becomes confused when she feels no attack... She peaks her eyes open and spots Cicero standing there, his dagger on the floor as stray tears drip from his eyes.

"Y-you... Listener... Only the Listener would know those words! Words only known to the Keeper!... D-did the Night Mother truly speak?... Has her voice returned to her?"

...

Eleril gives a short nod as she feels the heavyweight of Cicero's gaze on her...

At this, Cicero's face lights up as he begins performing a strange jolly jig, hopping and dancing around the room like an incredibly drunk clown. "IT'S TRUE! SHE'S BACK! MOTHER IS BACK! SHE'S BACK SHE'S BACK SHE'S BACK SHE'S BACK! HIYAHAHAHA! IT IS FINALLY TIME! ALL HAIL THE NIGHT MOTHER! ALL HAIL THE LISTENER!" he maniacally laughs.

Only for the door to the room to get kicked open as Astrid, Arnbjorn, Festus, and Babette run in, the latter two faces looking worried when they spot Eleril crotched in the Night Mother's coffin.

"By Sithis! Whatever you've been planning is finished, clown! Be still and I'll end this quickly." Astrid growls as she tightly grips the blade in her hand.

"W-wait! It's not what you thought, Astrid!"

...

"What do you mean, sister? Was he not about to cut you down!?"

"ME!? Cut HER down!? CICERO WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING SO TREACHEROUS! SHE IS WHAT CICERO'S BEEN WAITING FOR! WHAT THE FAMILY HAS BEEN WAITING FOR!"

Astrid turns to Eleril with a glower, "What does the clown mean, sister?"

Eleril shrivels slightly under the woman's intense glare, but raises her head high as she composes herself, "I-... I think I'm the Listener..."

...


SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO
Niggross Niggross

Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!

Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :

ShinAmazake

Kingsprovince

Faruk Ereng

Chương 366: Mar-Care

Michael, Tiffania, Megumin, and Illococoo were standing before the gates of Markarth with complicated expressions. This was now the second time they'd visited here and the absence of Charlotte was clearly felt.

Unfortunately, they'd come here to do a job, so even if most of the people here, including the Jarl were a bunch of ass holes, they'd have to finish before leaving. The Silver-Bloods were arrogant scum, and any civilian who didn't hate foreigners was essentially just a slave that toiled in the mines to regain their freedom.

Michael shakes his head, "Let's just get this done so we can leave... And let's try to stay out of trouble." he glances to Tiffania, "No fights with any priests."

She lets out a sigh, "It wasn't a fight... And it was her fault for acting like a prostitute."

"Why are we here to begin with?" Megumin asks as the single tired-looking guard allows them into the city. Immediately you could tell that something was wrong, judging by how most of the city was waiting around the gates, as if ready to abandon the place at any moment.

"Some wackjob with a Dwemer artifact has taken control of the remaining Dwemer machines hidden under the city and taken the Jarl, along with Understone Keep." Michael shrugs, "We're lucky we can teleport or we might've missed it."

"Those robots can be controlled?" Megumin wonders aloud, "Can we take some for ourselves? I want one to ride around on, one of those spiders... Or maybe on the shoulders of one of those ball things...?"

Michael shrugs, "If we can get the artifact then sure, the Jarl'll probably want it but if we take it fair and square he'll have no leg to stand on." he says as the group walks around and finally reaches the entrance to the Keep build into the mountainside.

There was a large amount of Markarth guards already gathered, along with a few familiar faces. "Vilkas, Shakeesh, here to crack some metalheads together then?" he asks as he jovially clasps their hands.

Vilkas chuckles, "Of course, even if I find flesh and bones enemies more satisfying."

Michael looks to Shakeesh, "And you? Settling down well into the Companions?"

The Redguard nods, "I have. Not as well as you in that College of yours, it seems."

"And, how is your new member doing since I saw you all? She was already tough, so I'm scared to see how much she's learned in four months with you lot."

Vilkas and Shakeesh glance at one another unsurely at this, "Well..."

"Your lady friend isn't with us anymore, Michael..." Vilkas admits while shifting his helmet with a gauntletted hand.

...

"What do you mean? You mean she's dead or something?" he grouses, knowing that Saeko wouldn't be put down so easily. She was stupidly strong as a base human, and she'd only get stronger with the Warrior Birthsign and Magicka enhancing her body.

Shakeesh shakes his head, "Not dead... Just not with us. I might be partly at fault too, it saddens me to admit. We were in the Mead Hall plying each other with stories, and I spoke of my ancestors, the Yokudan and the Ansei, Sword-Singers..."

Vilkas chuckles, "Just telling stories eh? Looked to me like you buttering her up so that she'd sing with your sword..."

"Gross." Megumin says at the side.

The Redguard lets out a sigh, "She's a fine woman, can you blame me?... Anyway, I knew the story had caught her attention, as she spoke to me about it for the rest of the night. The next morning, she was gone, left Whiterun and caught the first Carriage to the border... I fear she's departed for Hammerfell..."

"Fear?" Michael inquires, surely Hammerfell couldn't be any more dangerous than Skyrim, right?

Shakeesh chews his inner cheek, and answers Michael's silent question, "The land is different from here, hostile but still livable... Usually. But with the Civil War and the elves attacking? She will find no help there, all foreigners are regarded with suspicion and resentment... Saeko possesses features of many races, the skin of Nords, eyes of a Dunmer, face of an Imperial... I don't fear her death, I fear what kind of death awaits her."

Michael wasn't really sure how to take that. If she did die, he'd be partially responsible for it... He had essentially dumped Saeko on the Companion's doorstep and ceased contact with her for the most part. Her antagonistic attitude toward Tiffania had started putting a strain on his relationship, Tiffania wasn't equipped to properly deal with it or the fear of him cheating on her with Saeko.

The duel between the two of them had been the straw that broke the camel's back. Tiffania had won definitively by simply freezing the swordswoman's legs with a Frost spell to end it. But this had the opposite effect that Tiff had wanted, causing Saeko to demand training with Michael almost constantly.

He'd attempted to sway her from being so... Blunt. But the woman was determined to get what she wanted, even if he rejected her a hundred times in one day.

So to hear that she'd ventured away from Skyrim in search of legendary swordsmen had made him feel pretty guilty, knowing that he wish to get stronger than Tiffania was part of the reason... Sure, he knew she was a sword fanatic anyway, but would she be in such danger if he'd done something differently? Or even left her back in her homeworld? He didn't know.

He is brought from his thoughts by Tiffania who slides her hand into his own while smiling at him, "I'm sure she's fine, Michael. She survived a dying world, she'll survive this..." her smile dips into a conflicted one, "I just hope she'll fall for someone else, one day..."

"Eh, I'm sure she'll get interested by someone in Hammerfell, from what I've heard, the whole country is filled with sword maniac-" he's interrupted as the large metal gates leading inside the Keep are thrown open by a massive metal figure...

"A fucking Centurion!? Really!? How did no one notice this giant thing under their house!?" Michael exclaims in exasperation.

Vilkas raises his shield, "We can talk later, for now let's deal with this and save the Jarl."


SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO
Niggross Niggross

Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!

If you like my content or want to read ahead please go to : https://www.p.atreon.com/Nagross, I'd appreciate it.

Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :

ShinAmazake

Kingsprovince

Faruk Ereng

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