I couldn't say how long I had been in this strange coma, but upon waking up, I found myself in a room with pleasant light and a soft warmth. The bed I was lying on was comfortable, and the blanket exceptionally cozy, unlike the ones we have at the sanctuary. The first thing I did was to check my vital signs and the condition of my body. As I raised my arms towards the ceiling, I noticed they were in perfect shape, and the glass cuts I had received had been bandaged and treated.
My vision was a bit blurry, but nothing too terrible. I might have had difficulty walking, but it would have been doable. Out of caution, I tried moving my legs, which were not bound or restrained, but I was completely naked.
"- Are you alright?" a young Dunmer girl entered the room, carrying a bowl of warm water and some towels. She sat on a chair next to my bed.
"I found you unconscious near my home a few days ago. You've been sleeping all this time, and your eyes were in bad condition. But warm water and towels are always more useful than lengthy medical treatments," she said as she wrung out a towel and began wiping my face.
"You're not much of a talker, huh? My name is Lyzora, Lyzora Paxton. My father was a renowned mercenary, you know. By the way, I—"
I had indeed heard of André Paxton, the Butcher of the Empire. As far as I knew, he had been killed by Ocheeva a few months earlier. It was ironic to think that someone related to her father's murderer was now sitting in front of her.
"—and ever since then, I've been living alone with some small animals. Having a little company will be a nice change... Hey, what are you doing?"
I tried to get up, but then I remembered that I was naked and had to resign myself to get back under the covers while asking where my clothes were.
"Your strange garments? Oh, they were very dirty. I'm currently washing and restoring them... Don't try to get up; your nervous system is impaired, and all your limbs might react strangely," Lyzora said.
She was right. When I tried to move my hand, it took a few extra seconds for it to respond, and I struggled to coordinate my movements. I could safely conclude that hist was something to avoid. My stomach rumbled, and Lyzora looked at me with a wide smile, while I felt particularly ridiculous.
"You're HUNGRY? You should have said so! You haven't eaten in a day. I'll make you something. Uh... that's not what I meant. Well..."
The Dunmer blushed and left the room. It was clear that she had a fondness for me, but I found such emotions particularly annoying. As soon as I was fit enough, I would return to Cheydinhal and resume my delightful bloody routine.
"There you go, my Dunmer brother! Some Lyzora's pasta. Eat it all, especially!"
I just had to endure a few days, nothing more. We played chess all evening, as it was the best way to stimulate my brain and get it working again due to my lack of sleep. She was an interesting opponent, but she was staring at me a bit too much. After a few good matches, she got up, gave me a kiss on the cheek, wished me good night, and went to bed. It was a gilded cage, but not entirely unpleasant.
The next morning, upon waking up, I was surprised to find a letter signed by the Black Hand on my chest.
'Dear brother, we lost sight of you for a few days, and you have been deemed a deserter and traitor by the announcer Mathieu Belamont. To reclaim your place in the sanctuary, you are required to present us with the body of André Paxton's daughter, whom we have been searching for. Failure to do so might result in a nocturnal visit from a Silencer if we detect a lack of interest. Please accept, dear brother, my most respectful greetings. Lucien Lachance.'
"What are you looking at?" I folded the piece of paper and threw it into the fireplace.
Lyzora was addressing me informally now. The message annoyed me. I knew this return ritual was inevitable, and killing someone didn't particularly bother me. However, I was still in a pitiful state, and as for her... it was just bothersome.
"Come on, a little effort... You're almost there..."
I was about to succeed in standing up, and she had returned my Dark Brotherhood armor. She was holding my hand and supporting me. What a humiliation.
"There you go! Well done! Bravo!" she exclaimed.
I managed to stand up, but I had to sit down again. Despite my efforts, I was still very weakened from staying invisible for far too long while using telekinesis.
"How about a game of chess before bedtime?"
Lyzora was naturally warm and sociable, always smiling, and, above all, she didn't ask me any questions. She simply wanted me to get better. It was sickeningly naive.
I had many opportunities to eliminate her, but every time, my body refused to act, the knives slipped between my fingers, and I had almost no control over them. I had to wait a little longer.
Our chess games grew more intense as my brain gradually regained its previous efficiency.
"See? You can walk like before. Hey, watch where you're going! Be careful!"
With her help, holding my hand, I could walk as before, and my limbs were starting to move at their normal pace.
But on our way back, we encountered a highwayman, an Orc.
"- Two little Dark Elves? How cute! Hand over everything you've got, and I won't harm you... Well, can't guarantee the same for you, pretty one!"
It was an opportunity to see if I wasn't too rusty.
"Hey, you! Don't do anything stupid, handsome!"
I calmly walked toward the Orc, who drew his axe and prepared to strike, but his opponent suddenly disappeared, literally.
"Huh? Where'd you go, cutie?"
The Orc looked around for the vanished dark elf, completely mystified.
He didn't have time to realize what was happening before his head did a complete turn on its own, and his neck snapped with a deliciously satisfying bone-cracking sound.
I reappeared right next to Lyzora, who jumped into my arms.
"- You're amazing! You saved me!"
It was amusing; she didn't call me a monster, an assassin, but was simply grateful for being rescued.
She stood on tiptoes and tried to kiss me, but I pretended to turn my head, which disappointed her. However, she pulled me into her house to play chess.
She spent the evening praising how extraordinary I was and confessed that she had fallen in love with me.
This was my fourth day with Lyzora. I spent very happy and peaceful days, each one filled with simple pleasures, delicious meals, calm and peaceful nights, doing enjoyable things like stargazing...
She and I had just shared a meal with an ambiance she wanted to be dramatic. Apparently, she had a message to convey.
"You're in great shape. Are you going to return to your family? Are you going to leave me alone?"
She looked distressed, so I answered without thinking and accepted her proposal. She jumped into my arms and covered me with friendly kisses, while I tried to avoid her lips.
With tears in her eyes and a beautiful smile, she blushed slightly.
"To celebrate, how about... wait for me, I'll prepare something!"
I watched her happily skip towards the living room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
"Be careful, prepare yourself..."
And what if... what if all I needed was a peaceful life, filled with tenderness, love, and joy with someone who appreciated me? Did all of this not hold more value than taking the lives of human beings who had just as much right to live as I did?
...
Oh, God, no.
I was in great shape now. I could leave this rat hole behind.
I grabbed a butcher's knife that was lying in the kitchen and strapped it to my belt before joining Lyzora with a broad smile.
"And here we go! Are you ready for our daily chess game? Huh? Huh? It's three to one for you tonight, I'm going to massacre you!"
She didn't even pay attention to my response and began setting up the chessboard, singing a song.
Oh, not tonight, Lyzora, not tonight...
Lucien Lachance leaned over Lyzora's body, inspected her, and then spoke to me.
"- Welcome back among us, dear brother. This girl must have irritated you for you to put her in such a state. I didn't recognize her at first, to tell you the truth."
A fine rain covered everything, giving the scene a particularly dramatic appearance.
"Dear brother, for your impeccable work regarding Remus Philidas, I name you an assassin. Now go, your family is waiting for you."
Lucien Lachance and the body disappeared like shadows, leaving me alone in the rain.
In life, there are two types of people: those who live their lives and those who take it. That's just the way things are.