“Niyleen Flame-Child,” a hushed voice said from behind her. “The Raging Inferno of the Reach?” Niyleen stopped in her tracks. “Don’t turn around and don’t be alarmed… yet. If I wanted you dead you’d be dead already.”
 

(This must have been who I felt watching me in the alleyway…)

 

“Anyway keep walking until I tell you to stop,” her stalker said.

Niyleen kept walking until they came to a part of Markarth completely devoid of anyone. Without warning, Niyleen turned to face her stalker and said, “Okay bitch, who are you, and how do you know who I am?”

“I don’t think you understand who or what you’re dealing with.”

“Then please, do explain it to me?” Niyleen said. “Because having random stalkers confront me is a new realm for me.”

“I’ll answer your second question first,” the stalker said dryly. “‘How do I know who you are?’  Well as you should know by now due to your encounter with Nanae, not everyone was killed in the incident five years ago. You know the one. Where you killed your Master, Eolri.”

 

Niyleen sucked her teeth. “What does she have to do with any of this? And how long have you been following me?”

 

“Everything, and since the incident.”

“Now for your first question, ‘who am I?’  Well unknown to you, Eolri had a younger sister, a twin in fact. Every so often, Eolri would return to Karthwasten, her hometown, and visit that little sister for a couple of days at a time. During the return of one of those trips is when she encountered you.”

 

“No…”

 

“Eolri told her sister everything,” the girl continued, ignoring Niyleen. “Including how much she did to protect her newfound precious pet; whom she eventually came to see as her apprentice… and even her lover...”

 

“I-I was never like that with Eolri,” Niyleen said. “She wasn’t even there for me half the time. You don’t know what—”

 

“Eolri told her sister how devastated she was she found out that you were raped for weeks on end because of the acts of one of her best friends, and how she made sure that you only remembered the bad times that happened to you while you were captured. So there would be no remorse in your heart whenever you killed a Forsworn,” the girl kept going on. “Sadly, she didn’t realize that by leaving the memories of the rape that you’d be scarred for life and more or less full of hate and fear towards those she wanted you to so desperately to kill.

 

“This and more she told her sister, until one day she didn’t return to Karthwasten as she had promised and instead was visited by another Forsworn that told her what you had done.” She removed her hood and stared Niyleen dead in the eyes. “So, ‘who am I?’ I am Carciel Syliel, sister of Eolri Syliel the former Master Ravager of the Karthspire Forsworn camp!

“There’s just no way…” Niyleen said. Looking keenly at Carciel she saw her Mistress staring back at her momentarily.

Everything the Breton said made sense, but it didn’t add up with her memory at all. (Eolri and me lovers? I don’t even like women like that!)

 

“Too much for you? Or is it too unbelievable that a Forsworn like my sister could ever have cared for the daughter of a pedophile necromancer and a holier-than-thou bandit?”

 

“I… I couldn’t have… I haven’t even told Lucari about…”

“Now then,” Carciel said disregarding Niyleen’s surprised banter. “To answer the unasked question of ‘what do I want from you?’ I—” Footsteps approached them and the Breton swore. “Follow me, and don’t you dare walk off!”

The two of them walked around Markarth, attracting the attention of several men on the way, until they came upon another dead end devoid of anyone. Niyleen knew this place well. It was a place where many people came to take out contracts. Feeling a bit uneasy, Niyleen hung back and waited for Carciel to stop.

“So what’s the answer,” Niyleen asked, but she already knew the answer.

 

“You don’t understand still,” Carciel said. “I know who you are and who my sister made you become. I could have killed you for many things. Like all the people you’ve stolen from and killed, or for being the infamous Raging Inferno of the Reach. But I will not kill you for killing my sister, an act that I know in my heart you did not commit.”

 

“Then why are you here? Why are we having this conversat—”

“You may not have killed her, but you are one hundred percent responsible for Eolri’s death!” Carciel snapped. She turned around and wielded her weapon. “If you were just a normal captive… if she just didn’t see anything in you… if she didn’t love you… My sister would still be alive!!”

(A two handed blade in close corners…) Niyleen judged the situation. (If I didn’t use such wide movements I’d say I was at the advantage, but she’s the one who chose the setting and the one with the desire to kill…) Niyleen drew her blade and sighed. “If this is what you really want…”

Both women rushed towards each other closing the distance within an instant. Niyleen took to the air to deliver a downward slash across Carciel’s chest, but was parried and due to her momentum swapped places with her opponent.

Carciel decided to go on the offensive, and tried to split Niyleen in two, however Niyleen expertly blocked her attacks; although the recoil from the attacks caused her hands to go a bit numb.

 

Niyleen took a few steps backwards to shake some feeling back into her hands. And was heckled by her opponent.

 

“My sister praised your swordsmanship back then. Saying you were going to be the stuff of legends when she was done with you. Yet you can’t even beat me in an environment that ultimately favors you?”

Niyleen massaged her neck and shrugged. “I don’t want to fight you,” she said.

 

“But do you want to live?”

 

“I have no quarrel with you, Syliel!”

 

“But I do with you, Flame-Child.”

They crossed blades once more with both women giving it their all. At many times it seemed that either woman would land the first cut on the other, but they kept blocking, parrying, or dodging each other’s attacks just in time. This continued until Carciel delivered a hard vertical slash that Niyleen blocked, but the recoil of the attack took Niyleen off balance for just enough time for Carciel to follow up with a hellacious horizontal slash that aimed to cut Niyleen in half. Unable to block it without taking damage herself, Niyleen threw herself as hard as she could to the side to avoid the blow. However, she ended up crashing headfirst into the wall.

Having cornered her prey, Carciel stood over the fallen Niyleen and leaned on her blade momentarily to catch her breath. “Haa… ha… you’re quick. I’ll give you that,” Carciel admitted. “But your attacks… were too showy and not conceivable for close quarters combat.”

(She is NOT about to lecture me.) Niyleen thought as her head pounded intensely. She looked at the blade between her legs and said, “Yeah… I thought as much before we started. But it quickly became painfully obvious.”

“And now because you are so inept, I’m afraid it’s time to meet your end.”

Carciel raised her blade above her head and prepared to cleave Niyleen in two.

However, as soon as she began her downward motion, Niyleen lunged herself out of the way.

“Damn you to Oblivion, Flame-Child…” Carciel snarled.

“As long as I have Julianos on my side, I think not.”

 

“So you’re one of his followers as well… I guess that trinket around your neck isn’t just for show.”

 

“It’s… a gift from someone special,” Niyleen admitted. “And it’s an amulet.”

“It matters not,” Carciel said raising to her feet. “Get up and let’s continue.”

 

“No… I think I’m done.”

 

“What!?! You’re not going to be done until either you’re dead or you kill me!”

 

“I don’t want to fight you, I never did. Plus you seem to know more about my past than I do. At least about what happened five years ago and if either of us die I’ll never get those memories back.

“I will kill you; I’ll behead you and give your skull to a troll to fuck! You think this is over? It hasn’t even begun!”

 

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t fight you,” Niyleen said sadly. “I don’t know why, but after finding out about who you are, and hearing what you said… I keep getting a sharp pang in my chest and even though my life is on the line, I just can’t get into it.”

Carciel scowled. “That’s just your guilt talking.”

 

“No, I feel like your sister wouldn’t want this.”

 

“Bitch! Don’t you dare mention my sister!”

 

“Ciel,” Niyleen said in a voice that wasn’t hers. She felt something come over her, yet no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t shake it. Before she knew it, that voice began again. “Eoly would want you to be strong for her, and to do what you could to honor her legacy.”

“S-sis?! There’s no way…” Carciel dropped to her knees in shock. She knew those eyes… that look. It may not have been the same woman on the outside, but that those words were definitely coming from her older sister.

 

“Please Ciel. Lend Niyle your strength. She will need it in the coming times to deal with forces beyond her control."

 

“It’s not fair… she’s the reason you’re dead… that I’m alone…”

“You won’t be alone anymore,” Eolri said. “Eoly promises you this, on her grave.” She gave her a warm smile. “Besides, I’ve left a gift in the poor milkdrinker’s locked up memories that you’ll thoroughly enjoy. So please…”

 

“…help me…” Niyleen concluded just as Eolri’s presence left her body.

Hearing Niyleen’s normal voice, caused Carciel to rise to her feet once more and take a defensive stance. “This doesn’t change much, but…” Carciel reluctantly nodded. “I guess… I’ll… fuck!”

 

“Thanks. And I appreciate it,” Niyleen said with a smile.

 

“Whatever…”