The Return of Sithis, Volume 1: Awakening

"Huh?" Avenicci looked cluelessly at Lorelei with squinted eyes before looking back at the stack of books. "What the-I didn't put that there! Plus, I've read entire libraries' worth of restoration books but whenever I even try to cast a spell, it just explodes in my face! I've even trained with master magicians in the Synod and it just doesn't work! Even under extreme pressure, they just pop!"

Avenicci de-gloved his desiccated right hand and placed it inbetween the two pages she was reading so she could examine it further.

"Mmfh!" Avenicci bit his lip as he yelped in pain. "Why do you have to be so mean!"

"Well-! I... don't know." Avenicci hung his head as he tried to reapproach Lorelei. "But that didn't answer my question! Sure you may not be a shining paragon of humanity, but you seem to go out of your way to hurt people!"

"I don't think so." Avenicci answered as he snuck up behind her. "You know, you should be capable of kindness, and I think you've already shown it. I just don't think you want to admit it. What good cones out of being so icy?"

Ah, nothing like a good old Dwemer ruin to get the blood pumping...

He had been caged for so long, confined to the world of politics, that he had nearly forgotten the simple pleasure of an adventure. So long ago were the days of his youth, when he explored the shores of Auridon and Firsthold, and beyond... He parted ways with Elena over an hour ago, and since then, it's been nothing but Dragur and treasure chests. Compared to the horrifying battles to the death with the Legions of Sithis, Dragur, spiders, and dumb machines were a walk in the park. His sword arm was a constant symphony of motion, as he effortlessly, gladly danced through the waves of undead, and explosions of magic echoed throughout the halls, as Dawnbreaker went to work. Deathlord, Overlord, or simple skeleton, didn't matter. All fell to his deadly dance. He hadn't had so much fun in years. Once in a while, he would decide to practice his Shout, and make a Dragur Death Overlord his thrall, and then laugh as the Dragur slaughtered it's own. Eventually, he'll put the poor thing out of it's misery, but only after he's had a good laugh.

Two hours later, he finally finds his second gate, and closes it from the inside. To his surprise, the Gull is still moored right where he left her, along with all her crew. Varren's eyes widen a bit as he watches the crew hoist the dead body of a giant Wounded Frostbite Spider over the side of the ship, letting it plunge into the water below. That's... One big spider. Elena finally notices him, and sprints over.

"Varren! Are you alright?"

He raises a single eyebrow. "I could ask the same of you. Is anyone injured?"

She shakes her head. "Not terribly, no. A few bruises, but nothing that a few Restoration spells won't fix. We were lucky though. Droithe managed to hear the thing coming, lucky cat. I shudder to think what would have happened if that thing surprised us."

We probably wouldn't be having this discussion right now, Varren thinks grimly. "You should leave," he says suddenly, surprised by the surge of protectiveness he felt. Sithis damn him if he allows another one of his people to die. "It isn't safe. There could be many more where that spider came from, and you wouldn't stand a chance if four or five of those things attacked you at once."

"I can take care of myself," Elena replies hotly. "And I'm not abandoning my ship to those fiends."

"Maybe you can, but how many of your sailors do you think would die? Ten, twenty? All?" Varren can feel his temper rising, but he isn't sure why. Is it because he's grown to care for her? Or is it because it's like he's watching a mirror of his own failures as a leader? "You will take your men and leave, Elena. That is an order."

"Who do you think you are?!" She snaps. "You can't order me to do squat!"

"The hell I can't," Varren hisses. "I am your king."

Silence ensues. The tension is almost palpable. And then, like a rope snapping or rigging breaking, it snaps. Elena visibly deflates, and she gives a subtle nod. "You're right... Forgive me... I... I was foolish to lead us here in the first place. Instead of taking the safer route to Solitude, I lead us all into this death trap, just to conserve time... Please, forgive me..."

Varren smiles gently, and reaches through the bars to grasp her hand. "Peace, Elena. You were only doing what you thought was right. That's all any of us can do. A ship can be replaced, but lives cannot. And besides, it's unlikely the monsters would even target the ship with everyone gone."

She only sighs. "You're right, of course. I'll go give the order."

As Elena hurries off, Varren contemplates waiting for her, but decides against it. He does have a mission after all.

"How could I?" Avenicci turned and crossed his arms before continuing. "She's actually pretty. However, you don't have to be as prickly as a cactus."

"That's trolls*** and you know it." Avenicci sighed as he plopped down on the floor. "You could try. Maybe I could show you a few things."

"You're welcome to try, but don't get your hopes up, Avenicci," Lorelei said before putting the book back and leaving the library.

"Why, because I'm a woman!? Okay, let me try this. Avenicci, your comment annoyed me. But I think I have a solution," Lorelei said as she stopped walking and looked at Avenicci, as if she was going to say something. She did, but not before she slapped him. "Luckily, you're fairly effeminate yourself, and you would look really good in an apron."

Lorelei then stormed off, passing by a laughing Dorian, who had apparently seen and heard everything.