Kin was immediately flooded with worry at the thought of Taviiah being alone. He turned and was about to take off running until a hand grabbed him by the shoulder. It was Passha attempting to stop him from acting rash.
Passha: Have you learned nothing from dashing off on a whim? We need to be smart about this.
Kin: I,…left my friend alone. She could be in danger.
Passha: This may be true,…but sprinting blindly into what could be a trap won't help her.
Passha then pulls her hood over her head. It had holes in it to let her horns through, and was connected to a tattered black cloak that stopped at her waste. She walked toward the wall of a building and began climbing it.
Passha: Come. We will need a view from up high if we are to find her quickly. Try to keep up child.
She proceeded up the wall effortlessly. This would be a harder task for Kin given that he was still wearing the dress Taviiah put him in. He looked around and spotted a group of boxes stacked high enough to get onto the roof. He made his way up the boxes and began pulling himself onto the rooftop with Passha. Once he got himself standing she quickly began climbing higher. It was a struggle to keep up with her. Her movements were instinctive and efficient, making the climb look like a cake walk. They made it to the highest nearby roof and stopped to scan the area.
Passha: Where did you last see her?
Kin took a moment to respond as he was out of breath. He had to parkour harder than he had ever done before to keep up with her.
Kin: We were,…right outside,…of Candlehearth. We saw a figure. I ran after it without thinking. That's when I bumped into you.
Passha: I see,…
She looked around for a moment, then her head stopped toward the market area of town.
Passha: Come!
She immediately takes off in that direction. Kin watched as she leaped from building to building with ease. He could not even hear her footsteps. She looked back at him once she was three or four buildings away.
Passha: Do not dally child. And be quiet about it.
Kin: (Mumbling) Easy for you to say. You aren't the one in a dress right now.
He began running after her, leaping each gap just as she did. This impressed Passha a bit. The boy was clearly very adaptable, and almost as nimble as a Bosmer. Kin had finally made it to her. He was praying that this was the end of their little rooftop sprint. Passha kneeled down and gazed over the square. She then spotted a girl wearing a red dress, standing in the very center of it.
Passha: There,…is that your friend?
Kin looked and saw that it was indeed Taviiah. He was excited for a moment and relieved to see her unharmed, but something was off. She seemed to be just standing in one spot, almost as if she was frozen. Her arms were tightly wrapped up as if she was holding herself.
Kin: Taviiah up here! Dont worry I'm coming to you!
He started to climb down from the building but was quickly grabbed by Passha once more.
Passha: Wait,…something isn't right.
Taviiah: Kin? If that's you just stay where you are! Don't come any closer!
Kin was confused. Why was she standing out in the open holding herself? Why would she want him to stay away? As he looked closer he could see little strings of light all around the square. They all seemed to be coming from Taviiah's direction. Passha pulled Kin back up onto the roof and inspected further. That's when she realized that Taviiah was caught in a deadly wire trap.
Passha: She is right. It is not safe to approach her.
Kin: What are those strings round her?
Passha: Ebony wire. It seems someone did indeed set a trap, and your friend walked right into it.
The wires were everywhere but very difficult to spot. They were wrapped around Taviiah's entire body, only hinting to their presence when the moonlight hit them. The wires were made out of Ebony, one of the strongest metals known to Skyrim. They gripped her body tightly making her unable to move without slicing her skin open. They were already beginning to sink into her flesh as blood ran down both her arms and her thighs. A simple vibration from the wind caused her great pain. They then began to hear laughter in the distance. The voice sounded warped and decrepit.
Kin: Where's that coming from? I hear it all around us.
Passha: This is bad. Those wires are deadly sharp and hard to spot. One wrong move and your friend could lose a limb,…or her life.
Warped Voice: We found you,…
Kin immediately looked to his left to see a dark cloaked figure rushing him with a blade drawn. He barely had time to summon a bound blade before clashing with the figure. The impact was great, sending him sliding back along the rooftop as the figure continue their assault. They went in for one more attack, but were quickly cut off by Passha who had jumped between them. They took a low swing a her. Passha quickly jumped over it and delivered a spinning kick to the figures face, sending it stumbling away from them. Kin rose to his feet and summoned another bound blade.
Kin: Is this our guy?
Passha: One cannot be too sure, but it would seem that way.
Kin: What are we going to do about Taviiah?
Passha: Keep them busy. I will see about freeing your friend. Keep your wits about you as well.
Kin: Got it.
Passha then leaped from the roof and landed in the square. Once her feet touched the ground she went into a low crouch. She looked up to see dozens of shining lines above her head. All of which were deadly sharp wires that would slice anything that crossed them. Kin stood on the roof with both swords in hand. He waited for the figure to move. It slowly began to rise to its feet, but not the way a normal man would. It's movements were not human-like. It's body twitched with every motion it made. Kin could not make out the face of the person. The hood of their cloak left only a devilish grin visible to him.
Kin: So you're the one who's been murdering the women in this town. You're the Butcher.
The cloaked figure did not respond. He only began laughing as a dagger connected to a wire fell from his cloak to the floor. It seemed to be the same weapon used to catch Taviiah in a trap. The Butcher's foot moved forward slowly as his grin grew wider. He was not wearing any shoes, and the skin that could be seen looked very damaged. Kin waited for a moment, unsure of how the man would come at him. Then he took off after Kin with lightning speed. Kin planted his feet and threw both swords up in front of him. The Butcher swung at him three times with deadly precision after the initial clash. Kin managed to parry the first two slashes and duck the last, but his area of movement was limited. They stood upon a very long and narrow run of the roof. He took a swing at the Butcher to back him away. It worked but only for a short moment, then he was back on the attack. The Butcher unleashed a barrage of slashes at Kin, jumping from one side of him to the other with each contact. Each clash of their blades created a bright flash of light as they begin to grow more rapid and ferocious. The Butcher was supernaturally speedy. Kin's reflexes were keeping him alive, but if he were to lose focus for even a moment, it could mean his end.
Passha was still moving to free Taviiah from the wire trap. She was crouched very low to the ground as she slowly crawled under and over the wires. The scales on her tail glistened as she passed under the moonlight above. She was unnaturally flexible and nimble, twisting her body in ways most could not. She could hear Kin and the Butcher doing battle on the rooftops above her. It was the rapid clanging of blades accompanied by a sinister howling laughter. Passha worried that the boy might be overtaken if this were to continue, but she had to stay focused. She slowly made her way closer to the center of the plaza where Taviiah stood. She found an opening right next to her and used the space to stand up a bit. Taviiah opened her eyes to see the Argonian woman crouching right in front of her. This shocked her, but she did not have the energy to react. She had lost much blood from the wires cutting into her and could barely keep her eyes open.
Passha: You must be exhausted from blood loss,…good. This means you will not struggle. Hold still.
Taviiah: Who,…who are you?
Passha: I,…am here to help. Do not speak. It will make this harder.
Passha began examining the wires that tightly wrapped around the girl's body. She was looking for their origin and where they were weakest. Thats when she noticed a pattern in the way they twisted around Taviiah. She held out a single finger with a very sharp nail at the end of it. She placed the finger right below one of the lower wires and moved it up to cut it. The nail cut through the wire with ease, but the snapping caused the wire to whiplash, cutting Passha in the face on her cheek. She did not flinch. She continued moving her hand upward, snapping more wires as she went. She went all the way up the length of Taviiah's body until suddenly all of the wires had come undone. A maelstrom of wires spun away from her almost immediately. Passha took a couple of cuts as they dispersed, but she was successful in freeing Taviiah. Once freed, Taviiah's legs gave way, causing her to fall, but she was kept from hitting the ground by Passha.
Taviiah: Kin,…he's still in danger.
Passha: I am aware child, but you must rest. I will handle things from here.
Passha laid Taviiah down in a corner out of sight and away from the fighting. The girl was unable to move, and her wounds would see that she didn't have the energy to do so. Passha then stood up and began walking away from Taviiah, but her stride was cut short by the sound of a knife being drawn. She turned to see Taviiah with a blade in her hand, using what little strength she had to hold it up at her.
Passha: You should really save your strength you know.
Taviiah: You don't think I recognize that outfit? I know what you are,…I won't let you hurt Kin!
Passha turned her back to Taviiah.
Passha: If you know what I am, then you know the boy would be dead by now if I wished it so. You'll just have to trust me on that I'm afraid.
She then started walking in the direction of the fighting.
Passha: After all,…what choice do you have?
She slowly disappeared into the dark shadows. The knife had then dropped out of Taviiah's hand as she began to lose consciousness. Passha could hear the sounds of rapid footsteps and swords clanging. Kin was on the move. He and the Butcher were no longer on the rooftops it seemed, but barreling down a tight alley way. Kin did his best to keep distance between the two of them. He made a sharp turn down another alley way, but the Butcher made the turn immediately after while running along the walls above him. He used his wired dagger to send lashing attacks at the boy as he gave chase. Kin would parry or dodge whenever he could, making sure not to lose sight of the Butcher as he kited him through the city. The ebony wired dagger cut through even stone as the Butcher lashed out. He wanted to cut off the boy's path. He drew the knife back, and then sent it spiraling down the alley along the walls. It ripped through the stone as it passed over Kin's head, causing rock and debris to fall. He quickly roll dodged out of the way and turned around to guard, but there was nothing coming. All of the rocks that had fallen from the walls had made the entire alley clouded with dust. His visibility was now very limited. He could no longer see the Butcher. He only heard the sinister laughing echoing off of the nearby walls.
Kin: Dammit,…where are you?
The Butcher's voice: Are you scared yet? Are your senses being overrun with fear? You know all it takes,…is one tiny slip up,…AND YOU'RE MINE!
Suddenly, the Butcher appeared right behind Kin with his blade wound back. He quickly unleashed a massive cleave directed at Kin's head. The slice packed enough force to clear the alleyway of dust immediately. The Butcher looked down to see that Kin managed to dodge the deadly attack, but only by a hair. He then noticed the feral look in his eyes. The Butcher's words rang true. Fear had begun to grab hold of Kin's mind; So much so that his adrenaline was pumping furiously. He had been attempting not to shout for fear of the extra damage to the city, but with his mind now in it's current state all bets were off. The Butcher jumped back to anticipate what the boy might do next. He saw Kin take a deep inhale. He readied his blade and began to charge Kin with demon-like speed, zig-zagging rapidly as he grew nearer. At the same time, Kin unleashed the Whirlwind Sprint shout, sending himself flying toward the butcher. They met each other halfway with a violent clash of blades. Then came another, and then several more in rapid succession.
Kin let out a shout after each clash, sending him right back at the Butcher for another attack. He was much better at mitigating the toll shouting took on his body, but shouting at such a rapid frequency was sure to have negative effects. Even so, employing the Whirlwind Sprint allowed him to keep up with his insanely agile opponent. He did not care about the effects. His mind was locked in a survival mode.
Passha could hear the fight coming from a few buildings over. She felt the ground shaking each time the boy's voice rang out. She took to a nearby rooftop to get a better view of the situation. What she saw when she looked down was enough to shock even her. Both of their movements were almost untraceable to the naked eye. She struggled to keep her eyes on them as they crossed blades.
Night Mother's Voice: The boy is indeed very powerful, but he cannot keep this up. He risks being overtaken because of the fear that grips him.
Passha: Night Mother,…If you don't mind me asking. Why is this child special to you?
Night Mother's Voice: Not just to me,…He is special to all. He is a child of legend. He is the Dragonborn.
Passha: I see. So the boy serves some greater purpose then?
Night Mother's Voice: I will explain all in due time my child. For now,…I only wish that you keep him alive.
Passha: Understood. Your will,…my hands.
Kin clashed with the butcher once more, this time losing his footing after passing him by. He struggled to catch himself after the last shout. He stumbled a bit, then he turned to guard, but the intense shouting had finally gotten to him. Once he was still, he found it hard to move his legs. He was a sitting duck now. The butcher laughed even louder as he charged the boy once more. Kin quickly dispersed his blades and grabbed his leg in an attempt to make it move.
Kin: Not this again,…Come on! Move damn you! (cough)
It was too late. The butcher was now right in front of him ready to cut him down. He was now realizing that he had lost. His voice had begun to betray him, causing him to cough up blood; a side effect of over-shouting. There was nothing he could do to defend himself. Then he noticed sparks coming from a nearby building above them. It was Passha running along the wall toward the butcher while dragging her nails against it. The butcher heard the noise of someone approaching from above. The moment he turned around Passha leaped from the wall with her claws drawn back. He was given no time to react. She swiftly sliced the butcher's face with her sharp claws as she passed him by. She landed right in front of Kin who was still unable to move. The butcher let out an earsplitting scream while falling to the ground.
Passha: Are you alright child?
Kin: I can't,…(cough) move my legs. I tried to keep up but,…I must've overdone it. (wipes mouth) I couldn't beat him.
Passha: I did not ask you to beat him, only that you keep him busy. You rose to the challenge, and your friend is safe because of it. I will take over now.
Kin: You got her out of there? Thank you. I- (Cough)
Passha: Save it,…we are not finished yet.
They both saw the body of the butcher twitching as it began to rise from the ground. It moved like something out of a nightmare. He got up from the ground holding his face. He seemed to be in a panic about the injury Passha had just given him.
Passha: No blood? I was sure that my claws cut him deep.
Butcher: My,…my face. LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! He'll never accept me like this!
Kin: What is he on about?
Passha: I do not know,…but I doubt that "He" is even human. I have never cut a man that did not bleed after.
The butcher looked at them for a moment as if suddenly getting an idea. Then the laughing started again.
Butcher: I know. I'll just have to get more faces,…better ones. I'll have to take,…yours!
The butcher began running at Passha full speed while keeping low to the ground. She quickly got into position with her claws brandished and ready. He went for a jumping slash that was quickly evaded and countered. This angered him. He threw more attacks at her, each time she parried and dodged using only her hands and feet as weapons. She displayed masterful martial arts against him. He attempted to cleave her with his blade. She swiftly spun around while crouching to dodge, and used her tail to swipe him off of his feet. Once his body hit the ground, she delivered a swift kick to his abdomen. This sent him sliding away from them and further into the alleyway. Kin watched as the butcher struggled to get off of the ground. He was plagued by the familiar movements of the butcher.
Kin: Why do I recognize his moves? Have I seen them before somewhere?
Passha had gotten back into battle position and was readying for another attack.
Passha: Now,…It is my turn.
She then crouched low to the ground and immediately dashed at the butcher. He attempted to slash at her to keep her away. She quickly jumped and took two steps along the wall, spinning off of it to come down with a guillotine kick. The butcher was able to block it, but the force of the kick broke the guard instantly. She followed up with a flurry of kicks. Each one meant to goad and mislead him for the next. The butcher stumbled back as she performed a switch-foot and continued attacking. It was as if she was telling him that her hands were not needed to win. Until now, he had not faced any real opposition, with most of his victims being young defenseless women. This made him overconfident, and Passha had every intention of exploiting it. She knew now that this was no skilled killer, but merely a spoiled brat with strange abilities who had never had to answer for their actions.
Butcher: NO! He'll be angry with me if I let you stop my hunt! I'll end you FIRST!
He then threw the wired dagger at the wall as he jumped back into the air. It began to ricochet from each side of the alley until it finally hit Passha in the arm. The butcher then pulled the wire as hard as he could. This lifted Passha off of the ground and into the air right in front of him. He placed his feet against the nearby wall and used it to jump off. He then unleashed a flurry of slashes while staying airborne, cutting from multiple sides. Kin watched as the butcher maliciously attacked her. His legs started to move him forward without him even thinking about it.
Kin: I have to stop this!
He then stopped and looked down at his legs. They were moving again. Passha's body hit the ground with a thud. She was bleeding from the many wounds she had just suffered, and it appeared the butcher was not done with her yet. Passha struggled to get up from the ground as the butcher approached her for another attack. Kin began sprinting toward them while summoning another bound sword to his hand. He didn't know Passha very well, and he had many questions about who she was, but he wasn't going to let her die right in front of him. His voice was still very horse, but if he could help it he'd shout once more.
Kin: Passha!
In the midst of pulling herself off the ground she turned to see Kin running full speed at them. She then turned forward to see the butcher moments away from beheading her. She decided to trust in the boy. She pushed herself backward into a roll to evade the attack. The butcher missed, but the energy she had to get up was now spent. Then came a booming shout.
Kin: Wuld Nah Kest!
The butcher looked up to see a bright purple flash, followed by a massive gust of wind ripping down the path at him. Windows were shattered instantly as it tore threw the alleyway. The wind had even blown back his hood, exposing the face of the killer. Once it passed over him, that's when he realized he had been sliced, from the right shoulder down to the left rib. He stood in shock for moment, unable to process what had just happened. A black ooze then began pouring out of the newly carved line through his torso. He fell to his knees covered in it.
Butcher: I,…(cough's black ooze) I couldn't do it,…brother. I couldn't find you the perfect,…(Takes last breath)
The body falls to the floor now lifeless. Passha could now see Kin standing behind the corpse, barely able to stand. He fell to one knee while having a coughing fit. She could hear the droplets of blood splatter on the ground each time he coughed. She picked herself up with what little strength she had and made her way to him.
Passha: Are you alright child?
Kin: I'm (Cough) Fine,…Did we,…win?
Passha: Not we,…you won. (Kneeling next him) In an attempt to take advantage of his overconfidence, I in turn grew overconfident and was taken unawares. A mistake I shall not make twice. But you child,…you have shown me what the heart of a hero looks like!
Kin: What,…do you (cough) mean by that?
Passha: Your goal was to stop the butcher no? A goal that could have been achieved without saving my scales.
Kin: You mean letting him kill you so that I could have an opening?
Passha: It would have been the most efficient way to deal a killing blow. Calling out to me only made things more risky. But I do not blame you for it. In fact,…I am grateful. I now see why the Night Mother is so taken with you.
Kin: Yeah,…we definitely have to talk about that whole Night Mother thing.
Kin stands up slowly and starts to make his way to the butcher's corpse. He stands over it for a while completely silent. Passha was right behind him when she noticed the boy's shortness of breath. She walked around to see complete terror in his eyes. That's when she looked at the corpse of the butcher. The face was still scarred from her claws, but apart from that, the entire body seemed to be stitched together piece by piece. This was not the man behind the murders, it was no man at all it seemed. It was some sort of doll or puppet. The corpse was itself comprised of body parts, likely from all of the victims. The face had stitching going through the middle, and the hair and skin on each side was a different color. Kin could see that one half of the face belonged to the missing girl from Candlehearth. He was too late. Right in front of him was proof the butcher indeed got to her before he could. He dropped to his knees in front of the body, his heart now flooded with guilt. Slowly tears began forming in his eyes. One after the other they fell onto the face of the corpse.
Kin: Why,…why did I let you leave by yourself? Why didn't I go with you? You'd be alive right now,…and not forced to suffer like this. WHY CANT I SAVE ANYONE?! I can't,… (weeps) even save myself sometimes.
Passha kneels down beside him once more.
Passha: Pick your head up child.
Kin: I don't want,…a pep talk ok? I knew better than this. Everyone expects me to save Skyrim, slay dragons and the like,…but I can't even save the ones right in front of me. What am I even doing (Balls fists)…If I can't do at least that?
Passha: I am not in the business of cheering people up. I am a career assassin mind you. I will say however,…that you are wrong. Tonight I saw first hand the hero within you. Because of your actions, no more young women will suffer the same fate as those before. You may not see it now because you are lost in grief, but your actions have saved many. Just because you can't see their faces or hear their plights,…does not make this untrue.
Kin: I've done nothing of the sort. This isn't even the actual killer. If anything we've only managed to hinder his plans.
Passha: That is correct,…but surely you don't mean to quit now? Protecting people, much like killing them,…can be nasty work. It is not always pretty. In fact, it rarely is. But you have a job to do. We both do.
Suddenly they both saw the dancing light or torches and the sound of men getting closer. Passha placed a hand on Kin's shoulder.
Passha: I must go now,…this city is not very kind to Argonians as of late. But we will continue our hunt soon enough. Do not lose heart on me now youngling.
Kin was still grieving and too emotional to respond. He simply sat over the body staring at the face. Soon the town guard was standing at the end of the alley. They saw Kin next to the corpse lying on the ground and all the damage they had caused. Kin did not move or react to them calling out to him. He couldn't hear anything other than the songs that he and the girl danced to that night. The men came and grabbed him up from the ground. They then placed him in cuffs and began walking back to the center of the city with torches high. A few stayed back to examine the body and to tally all of the damages. This pain was familiar. It was almost a callback to that day in Riften almost 6 years ago. He never thought he would feel this way again; utterly powerless and defeated. The real butcher was still out there, and still one step ahead.
Chapter End-