Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-3293219-20140323001956/@comment-3293219-20140326163325

Tabith groaned as the prisoner's singing echoed throughout the dungeon, she scribbled, furiously at the paper that she was writing on, in an effort to drown it out.

Urgh… 

She was annoyed, to say the least but perhaps this was a good thing as she could take it out on her new ‘guest.’

The Dunmer nodded to herself and stood up, leaving her office and pacing through the dungeon and heading to the barracks as she knew that there was somebody else who would want to spend some quality time, with the Black Argonian.

As she approached the main door, she heard the sounds of lute strings and the echoes of singing, coming from one of the cells. Perhaps that General was drunker than she thought…

The Captain shook her head and pressed on, marching up the stairs as she held on to her anger induced desire to beat Kaizen to a bloody pulp. He kidnapped Petra, drove Mikasa to running away from home, attempted to kill her niece in the worst way possible and put her in a coma…

Those were the few things that she knew about as well, who knows how many people he’s murdered, how many people he was planning to kill or worse, later on.

-

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">As the Dunmer arrived at the barracks, she knocked on for her accomplice. She pressed her ear against the door as she heard the sound of her recruits, scrambling about and moving their beds as they climbed out of them and stood to attention. She heard the sound of bare feet, running about, panicked whispers and furniture being kicked in the dark. Though it was incredibly unprofessional and not normally like her, Tabith often found it amusing, when she heard those sounds, she often wished to be invisible, just so she could watch it happen with her own eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">A seasoned Dunmer guard, with long black hair, answered the door, slowly opening it and peering out.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">“Captain?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">“Janaq…” She greeted him, trying to see over his shoulder, to see if Darren was in the crowd.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">“If Darren is in there, could I borrow him for a bit?” She had to ask nicely as he was off duty and she had to show respect for that.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">“Of… Of course…” The Dunmer shut the door behind him and left Tabith to wait, she turned around and looked up at the stars, smiling at the thought of Nepht looking up at them, connecting them whenever they grew lonely and missed each other.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themecolor:text1; mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">No matter where we are, we all live under the same stars… 

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">Before she could think about it anymore, the door opened and Darren burst out, standing to attention.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">“Ma’am!” He said with a salute, something that still managed to annoy her.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">“At ease Darren…” She groaned, rolling her eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">The Imperial lowered his hand and sighed, he had hoped to impress her…

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">“Wh-What did you want to see me for?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language: EN-GB">Tabith couldn’t understand Darren. Whenever it came down to suspects, other guards, citizens and even Nepht, he was always so confident and strong but as soon as she spoke, he always grew nervous and tried incredibly hard to be official and restrained. Many would see it as a good thing, as his loyalty was secured and he always behaved for her but it bothered her as she didn’t really understand it, perhaps it was her position as his CO that made him like that.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I was about to interrogate our new guest…” She informed him, moving on from the previous spectacle.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You mean… The Argonian?” Darren sounded incredibly nervous about the whole thing, last time they took him on, he gassed half of the guard and put Guard Captain Tabith into a coma. He spent that entire week worrying for her, fearing that she’d be out of action for longer or worse, she could have died.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He shuddered at the thought of her being replaced, the thought of some retired general taking over and changing everything overnight. Darren loved working under Captain Delressi, she cared for the people in her command; she was strong, clever…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Powerful…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Darren?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> The Imperial was brought back to reality as she snapped her fingers, in front of his face, feeling even more embarrassed now.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Y-Yeah, it would be a pleasure.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith smiled, though she was still confused as to how he could have zoned out at a time like that.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He must have been thinking about what happened in the sanctuary, I knew that he should have had some time off but…  She almost sighed before remembering where she was, it still bothered her that he insisted on coming into work, after such a traumatic event.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Alright, let’s go and get him…” She gestured as she walked away, inviting Darren to follow her over to the dungeon.

<p class="MsoNormal"> -

<p class="MsoNormal"> The two of them entered a small interrogation room, that had been set up for such occasions. It was rarely used as the only had to deal with petty thieveries and drunken brawls. Drunks and illiterate thieves weren’t half as fun to interrogate, the last time they used this room for anything serious was ten years ago, when a khajit randomly attacked people in the street. This was just as Tabith had joined the guard and she had to watch her predecessor, Guard Captain Maverick, interrogate him. She had never seen anything so…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tragic…

<p class="MsoNormal"> The Khajit had received a heavy beating, to the point that he was beaten into a coma. Apparently some citizens attacked him, during his rampage and beat him to a state of near death. The way his face looked, even after all of that surgery and healing was…

<p class="MsoNormal"> He just sat there through most of it, it was rare that he said anything but from what he had said, he knew the people who attacked him and he was heartbroken by it. They changed, just as he did and tried to kill him…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Things died down a bit for the best part of ten years, until that war came and blew another hole in the peace and stability of this town…

<p class="MsoNormal"> She stopped her trail of thought as Kaizen entered, his wrists bound in chains and his ankles shackled together. She prayed to Azura that it would be enough as she knew that he was capable of a lot…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Sit…” She ordered, sternly.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Kaizen looked around and pulled up a chair, dragging it over to the table, using his tail. It took a great deal of effort but he had done it before and it looked somewhat impressive.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He took as seat, carefully placing himself on the chair as if he was sitting down to dine. Staring at the Guard Captain, in an effort to put her off and intimidate her into putting him back in his cell.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I understand that you weren’t in the best shape, when we brought you in here...” She began, leaning forward and wrapping her hands together as she thought of her first question.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “No, I wasn’t…” Kaizen answered, evasively. It was the first thing he had said since he was brought in here, besides Petra’s name.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You had several deep wounds, most likely done by a sword and you inhaled a lot of smoke…” She leaned forward again, forcing a smile as if that news brought comfort to her. “Sounds like you’ve been busy…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Incredibly…” He replied as he expressed annoyance in his tone, suggesting that he was implying that she was interrupting it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Was it a contract, gone wrong?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Who says it went wrong?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “So… You did kill someone?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Kaizen laughed, slightly. He glanced across the room with his cold blue eyes before he looked back over to her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I’ve killed more people than you’ve met…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith sat back, seemingly unimpressed.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Is that supposed to scare me?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “No, it’s supposed to answer your question. You asked me if I ‘killed someone…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> He leaned forward and began to whisper, a smile formed on his lips.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I’ve killed, I am killing, right now and I am going to kill again and again, until I drop dead.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith stared at him, the way he said it unnerved her deeply as he sounded like he was being honest and incredibly sure of himself…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Why?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “It’s my job…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “As an assassin?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Partly, but also because it is my place in the world.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Just like you have your place here, keeping law and order in this cesspool of a town and the imperial has his…” He gestured back to the guard behind him; Darren stumbled in response, as he didn’t think he had been noticed.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Speaking of Imperials…” Tabith began, hoping to steer the conversation away from his insane ramblings. “You have one of my citizens, or at least you had one of my citizens; she was last seen with you…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Petra? Yes, she is still in my company…

<p class="MsoNormal"> She’s settled in quite nicely in fact…”

<p class="MsoNormal">'' S-Settled in? ''

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Well, as fond of her as you are, I think it’s high time that you released her back to her family…” Tabith stood up, leaning over her prisoner as she was about to yell but The Argonian was quick and therefore he cut across her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I already did…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I opened the door and told her; that she could leave, weeks ago in fact…” He glanced around and shrugged, a smirk crept across his face as he saw the confusion in her eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “She chose to stay with me…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> The Guard Captain glanced up to Darren, was he telling the truth?

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Y-You’re ly- Why would she?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What does she have to come home to? A town that despises her, a ‘friend’ who profits from her misfortune and an old fool, who can’t keep to his own affairs…” He glanced up at her, keeping his gaze fixed on her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “She had time to think about it, to realise where she was and she saw her place in the world…” He chuckled to himself as he looked away.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “She didn’t like it, what was there to like? Being a housewife without a lover, being young with no opportunities, being a living thing without respect…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith stood up and circled him, growing even more concerned for his Imperial prisoner.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He’s… Brainwashed her… 

<p class="MsoNormal"> The Guard Captain slammed her fists on the table, unable to contain her frustration at the hopelessness of Petra’s situation.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Dammit, where is she?!”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I’m not at liberty to say…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> The Guard Captain lost her patience and hit Kaizen across the face; he barely even flinched as he had seen it coming from a mile off.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Then allow me to liberate you…” The Dunmer seethed, catching the Black Argonian’s gaze as he showed no signs of fear or discomfort. She ignored his freakishly calm behaviour and raised her hand to strike him again but quickly lost her nerve as he continued to stare at her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Why do you hate me?” He asked, taking the chance, now that she has hesitated.

<p class="MsoNormal">'' Is he taking the piss? ''

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You… kidnapped a good person and drove her friend to who knows what! You tried to kill my niece…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> As soon as she said the latter, Tabith’s list of accusations came to a halt as she saw the confusion in his eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Your niece?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith sighed; disgusted at the fact that he didn’t remember such a callous action.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You tried to drown her in the lake…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I don’t believe I did…” Kaizen replied, honestly.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I wasn’t even aware that you had a niece.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith sat down, opposite him, he sounded like he was telling the truth here but this could more than likely be more trickery, maybe to brainwash her, like he did to Petra.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You put her in a wooden box and threw her in the lake, how could you not remember that!?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> The Black Argonian looked away; he truly had no idea what she was talking about at this point.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “That wasn’t me…” He informed her, it seemed like it was far too much effort for something so insignificant…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Oh, so now you’re ‘innocent.” Tabith muttered in disgust, pulling away and looking at the floor. This prompted Kaizen to pull himself forward, to protest his innocence further.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I think you already know that I poisoned you, you know that I work for the Dark Brotherhood and I’ve just confessed to hundreds of murders, over the last two hundred years.” He paused to let her think on it for a second or two, hoping that she’d figure it out.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Why would I deny this now?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith glanced back at him, assuming that he was telling the truth, missing the part about ‘two hundred years’ as she was too hung up on getting to the bottom of this…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “An Altmer did it…” She told him, looking away.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I assumed that you had arranged it.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> The Argonian thought about it, there was only one Altmer who could connect it back to him…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Larius… 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I take it that he failed? Considering that you said ‘tried to kill,’ instead of ‘killed.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> The Guard Captain began to scratch at her desk, she felt confused at how civilized this conversation was all of a sudden…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “So you did order it…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “No, I didn’t order him to attack her, L- that Altmer acted on his own…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Most likely to get to you…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith knew this but she knew that the Altmer was the sick bastard that tried to drown her niece, not the Argonian, though that didn’t exactly change anything.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Well it worked…” She replied, bitterly as she thought about choking the life out this ‘L.’

<p class="MsoNormal"> Kaizen sat back, his chains rattled as they were dragged across his lap and he got into a comfortable position. He didn’t care that Larius had done this as he was a Dark Brother; this kind of thinking was encouraged back in his day, especially by the Old Man.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He stopped his trail of thought dead as he noticed that the Captain had zoned out, he sat, patiently, awaiting her return to reality.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “She said that she was saved by an orc…” She informed him, catching his eyes again but this time they gave her a different look, a look of understanding.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “He pulled her out…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Saved her…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Bologra… 

<p class="MsoNormal"> That’s why he attacked Larius… 

<p class="MsoNormal"> The Argonian finally understood what had driven him to that act of insanity, though he didn’t regret killing him. Rules are rules and though he would have taken this into account now, he didn’t know at the time. It would be illogical to wish to reverse time and change things. Besides; he would waste such a chance on that regret.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith stood up and went over to the corner of the room, facing the wall as she tried to suppress her emotions. The thoughts of Nepht being alone, in that box, at the bottom of that lake still haunted her…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Kaizen continued to stare ahead, his gaze fixed on the wall.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I… Get it…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith looked around, confused at Kaizen’s outburst as she went over to him, slowly shuffling over to her chair again.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Get what?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You almost lost your niece… I know that, that isn’t an easy thing to go through…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Yeah and you still manage not to care…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Not care? I’ve lost everything, my brother, my old family…” He glanced away as his hand started to tremble; he managed to regain control over it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> And her… 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “How?” Tabith asked, not knowing what else to ask. This caused Kaizen to raise his head to answer her, leaning forward and holding his hands together.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I outlived them…” He answered, bluntly and evasively.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You expect me to feel sorry for you?” The Guard Captain scoffed, though talking about Nepht had gotten her emotional, she wasn’t stupid. She remembered what this man had done, what he was doing, what he was going to do…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “No…” Kaizen answered, shaking his head. “I expect you to understand why I feel sorry for you…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You have no reason to pity me…” Tabith reminded him, her voice grew cold as her anger emerged at the thought of this low life looking down on her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I don’t pity people like you, I find empathy, common ground…” The Black Argonian wanted to get up but it wasn’t a possibility right now.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “We both know loss; both know the burden of leadership…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “We’re nothing alike… I’ll always be better than you…” Tabith grew more and more frustrated at the comparison, for once, Kaizen relished he conceit.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “How so?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I’m not a murderer or a liar…” She began but she was immediately cut off as Kaizen raised his hand and began to speak.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I believe that I have been quite forward with you, I don’t believe that I’ve lied to you once.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Whatever, you’re still a murderer and a brute and a psychopath…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “And you’re self-righteous, weak, stupid and arrogant.” Kaizen smirked and laughed to himself, dragging his fingers through the fingernail scratches in the table. “I guess we’ve all got our flaws…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tabith rose above the insult as she was somewhat used to them, she was mostly glad that he targeted something other than her race. She glanced away, thinking on what he had said…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Well… I think we’re done here, Darren? Escort ‘Kaizen’ back to his cell…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Y-Yes Ma’am…” The Imperial acknowledged, stepping forward and hurrying Kaizen to his feet. It was only then that Tabith noticed how weak he was, he stumbled as he got up and walked with a shuffle and it wasn’t the chains either, she knew that he’d walk like that without them. His injuries must be worse than he originally admitted but she didn’t care as he never did…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Time to summon the Penitus Oculatus…  She decided, heading back to her office and planning her next move.