Trace was so preoccupied with the Night Mother’s words, whether or not Astrid was responsible for this deception, and what the Penitus Oculatus had in store for the Brotherhood that she didn’t realize she had forgotten the number one thing that was ingrained in her head when she was first being trained with both the Guild and the Brotherhood… Stay aware of your surroundings; which is why just after she had exited the perimeter of the Riften guard’s patrol Trace found herself being pushed up against the side of a mountain and in a position she used to find herself on the opposite side of… She was being mugged…

Trace’s instincts told her to attack her assailant, however she noticed her attacker’s attire and decided on a different approach…

 

Trace: Are you freaking serious thief? You dare try to mug me? Heh, your ass is done for when Vex hears that you assaulted and tried to attack her love—

Vex: Say what now, love? What am I going to be mad at exactly, Jalena?

 

Trace: V-Vex!? What… what a surprise! Haha haaaa…

 

Vex: Don’t play dumb with me Trace, you know exactly what I want to know. Why did you leave the Cistern when I explicitly told you not to?

Trace: (I… I could tell her that Brynjolf told me to do something, and he’d probably cover for me… But… No. Lies and omissions are the reason all of my relationships are in such a mess…) *sigh* I… I’m not a pet, a slave, or your underling Vex. I tried… I really did, but I can’t stay cooped up somewhere just because you’re jealous of who I might meet and what I might do…

Vex: So you’re just telling me to be fine with this? I asked you to stay as a price for her the second poison vial.

 

Trace: And I stayed there Vex! I stayed there for three days for the first vial and five days for the second. I couldn’t take it anymore okay? I needed to get out! And then since I got information that something was going on with the Brotherhood—

Vex flung Trace to the ground, causing the dark haired Imperial to let a small cry out of pain.

When she got her wits about her Trace looked up at Vex, her face contorted in anger.

 

Trace: What in Oblivion was that for? I’m trying to be honest, I’m trying to not let there be any secrets between us, I’m trying to make it so you can trust me again! What am I doing wrong? Why is nothing I do right—

Vex suddenly claimed Trace’s lips as her own, and as much as she wanted to protest, wanted to fight it off… Trace couldn’t fight her heart that still craved Vex’s touch…

Trace’s heart felt like it was pounding out of her chest every time their tongues traced swirled together, but throughout all of the pleasure, all the bliss, Trace could feel that something was off between them. Something she couldn’t quite place a finger on…

Snapping back to reality, Trace pulled away from Vex and looked up at her as she tried to catch her breath.

 

Trace: Haaa… Ha… I… I know this isn’t the time to say this… But… If I don’t get going soon… The Brotherhood—

Vex: All that’s been coming out of your mouth is Brotherhood this, Brotherhood that. Not, ‘Hi Vex’ or ‘Glad to see you Vex.’ You… I know you don’t mean anything malicious by your actions, but I can’t trust you! I can’t trust that you’ll be completely honest with me! Am I wrong? Are you not hiding something else from me at this very moment?

 

Trace: Vex… I—

 

Vex: I don’t want to hear your excuses! I want your actions to do the talking for you! Now you will either let me do whatever I wish to you NOW, or… You’ll have to trust me that I had indeed given you the correct vial of poison for Astrid.

Trace: I see… (I… I think I get it now, what that disappointed look she gave me when I asked her about the poisons truly meant. It was Vex’s way of letting me know not to hurt her again, not to betray her again… But that’s not what I want—what I’ve ever wanted to do…)

Vex began to crawl over Trace and stared up at her.

 

Vex: So what is it going to be? Are you really going to leave me? For some bitch that you yourself said you’re going to have to kill?

Trace: This… This isn’t about Ast—about her. This is about the Dark Brotherhood, my second family. Their lives are at stake Vex! Would… would it really be a betrayal of some kind if I left you to go save them? I’d leave Ast—her if I knew the Guild was in danger.

 

Vex: Yes… yes it would.

 

Trace sighed and shook her head.

 

Trace: (Nocturnal… Sithis… please guide me…)

See no other alternative, Trace took the initiative and forced herself onto Vex, startling the platinum haired Imperial.

 

Vex: *flustered* W-what do you think you’re doing!?

 

Trace: *licks lips* Now there’s an expression I haven’t seen in quite some time. Don’t worry Love, just sit back and let me do all the work.

Trace removed Vex’s clothing and was halfway done with her own when Vex overpowered her, finished the task herself, and then climbed on top of Trace’s prone body.

Vex licked her neck sending a chill down Trace’s spine, and then proceeded to assault Trace’s side with her tongue until she felt Trace trembling from head to toe…

 

Vex: You get points for taking the initiative, but right now, I just want to give you something that I’ve never *smooch* EVER given you before…

Trace didn’t have time to think about what Vex was talking about as she was suddenly spun around and with a full on view of Vex’s crotch.

 

Trace: (How in the world did she reposition so fast!? Well… I guess I might as well give as much as she is—)

As soon as Trace started to pleasure Vex, Vex nibbled softly on Trace’s clit causing her to tense up…

When Trace recovered from that and tried to resume pleasuring the Imperial, Vex drove the point home by assaulting Trace with her tongue enough until she finally went limp and started breathing heavily…

Trace: (By the Divines!! V-Vex n-n-never… Never went down on me t-t-t-this good before… G-gods!! I… I think I’m—)

As if she knew Trace was about to come, Vex repositioned herself in order to continue pleasuring Trace with her fingers while gazing into her lover’s eyes..

However, with the way she was stirring up Trace, it was going to take quite a bit of time before Trace could come, and Trace knew it.

 

Trace: Veeeeeeex… Haa… haaa…. W-why are… Why w-won’t you—AHHHN!!!

 

Vex: Tsk tsk! Did you really think I’d let you come until I said you could? *grins* After all, I DID say that you would ‘let me do whatever I wish to you.’ Which means if I want to keep you on the edge of orgasm without letting you do so, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

Trace: V-V-Veeex… Pleeeeeeasssssse… I can’t… think… I think I’m going insane!!

Trace didn’t know whether it was her imagination or not in her stupor, but she could have sworn that as she was pleading for a release from Vex, a dark look came over her face for but an instant.

 

Vex: Fine, you want to come? Then let’s see how you like this….

Vex stopped playing with Trace’s slit and lifted Trace’s back off the ground. She then began to play with Trace’s breasts. First she swirled her tongue around Trace’s nipples, and then once they got erect Vex began to nibble on them lightly.

 

Vex: *glances up at Trace* Sho, haw do oo rye dis? Mwuah! Feels amazing right?

Vex knew her question was completely rhetorical as Trace’s pleasurable moans echoed around them. Part of the Guild Master wanted to silence Trace, but another part of her relished in the fact that she could give Trace this much pleasure when to her knowledge she never knew her to have played with her breasts on her own before…

Seeing that she promised to allow Trace to come, Vex began continued to kiss around Trace’s breasts, licking her nipples periodically, and made sure to stimulate Trace’s vagina whenever simultaneously… And then when Trace’s moans simply turned into long, drawn out, haggard breaths, Vex gave Trace’s left nipple a long hard suck…

Vex: Mwuah!

 

And then everything became hazy to Trace. She felt as if she were floating. Somewhere in the back of her head, Trace couldn’t believe that she could have ever received such pleasure from her breasts… She tried to say something but only sweet sounding moans would come out…

 

Vex: Shhhh. Just lay back. I’ll do all the work.

Trace didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter as Vex laid her limp body on the cold hard ground. However, she sprang back to life as soon as Vex began working on her groin again, but that didn’t last for long…

Trace: Wha… where am—AHHHNN!!

 

She didn’t know when she’d done so, but apparently Trace had momentarily passed out from Vex’s relentless assault on her pussy, and with it not having ceased, she couldn’t stop herself from squirming and the involuntary moans of pleasure that were escaping from her lips…

When Vex finally calmed down, Trace tried to catch her breath as she basked in the afterglow of what had transpired…

 

Trace: *pant* Vex… Love… That was amaaaazing… I… *pant* *pant* I-I never knew you were so… good with your tongue… M-maybe you can… *pant* teach me some time…

Trace: Vex? *pant* *pant* Are… Are you okay?

 

A drop of wetness hit Trace’s groin sending a tingle throughout her body, but with it was also a sense of worry…

Trace tried to sit up, but her limbs wouldn’t cooperate with her. Her sudden movement however, alarmed Vex causing her to back away from Trace with a hung head.

Trace: Vex… W-what… What’s wrong?

 

Vex remained silent and instead went over to where she their clothes were, dressed herself, and then upon returning to Trace placed a bottle at next to her.

Vex: I… I’m so sorry… I always *sniff* I always do this. I am always so… So…

 

Trace looked up and saw Vex’s crying face staring right back at her. Trace tried to reach out to her, but her body still wouldn’t cooperate with her.

 

Vex: *sniff* This… This is the real poison for Astrid. I-I took back the other one. You must think I’m a vile woman… And I wouldn’t blame you if you never—

 

Trace: *smiles* You love hard, and strong… I could never be mad at you about that… But I do need some help. It seems that I can’t move Love; must have been your exceptional technique. Tee hee!

After helping Trace dress herself and one Potion of Ultimate Stamina later, Trace felt as good as new although there was still a bit of tingling coursing through her body. She was about to get up when she heard something make a soft thump by her side.

Trace: Huh? What’s that?

 

Vex: That’s what I was given as payment for the job I was on. It’s the ‘Coveted Amulet of Apparition.’ I don’t know how it works, but apparently it can hold only one charge and can teleport the wearer anywhere. I thought that you might need it…

Trace nodded, rose to her feet, and then got ready to put it on…

…When suddenly Vex hugged her from behind, startling her.

Trace: W-what are you doing Vex? Are you trying to make me even later than I already am? If I don’t hurry—

 

Vex: *sigh* You should be grateful that I was able to release that tension you were holding inside of you… And you should also thank me for stopping you from running there overnight. You would have been rather useless if I’d just let you go…

 

Trace: Then let me use this amulet and be about my business!

Vex sighed, released Trace, and walked away.

 

Vex: All I’m saying is that if I owned an amulet such as that, I’d save it for a more pressing time and use my super-fast steed that I could summon on a whim instead. But that’s just what I’d do… IF I were using my head…

Trace glanced back and the pieces started to click in her mind.

 

Trace: Wait a second… You knew!? You knew about the attack on the Brotherhood all this time!?

Vex raised her fist up, and Trace understood. If Trace had continued to run, there was no way she’d have made it to the Sanctuary before the Penitus Oculatus agents had their way with Dark Brotherhood. Yet again, Vex tested Trace in order to see how much she truly was loved…

…And to demonstrate to Trace how much she was loved in return…

 

Trace slowly gathered magicka in both of her hands…

…And she allowed the ghostly aura swirl around and all but consume her. Trace could feel the cold touch of Sithis caress her body, a stark contrast from the warmth that had previously welled up within her…

Then she felt it. Astrid’s steed, the mare that had no peer in all of Tamriel… Trace released her magicka and flung it to a spot on the ground before her, and within seconds she saw the outline of that proud stallion with its signature glowing red eyes.

She didn’t waste any time getting acquainted with the beast as she did the first time she’d rode it. However she didn’t need to. From the last time she’d rode him, it felt like her and Shadowmere shared a connection… a bond, which is why she was able to summon her as she had. He knew where Trace needed to go, for it was the same place he wished to go, and they both shared the same sense of urgency to return there.

Trace: (Vex… Thank you…) Everybody… I’m on my way!

By the time that she had arrived in Falkreath, the weather had taken a turn for the worse and a storm had rolled in. Shadowmere seemed to want to take her the entire way, but as soon as they passed through the city Trace took hold of his reigns and forced him to an unwelcome stop.

She dismounted the disgruntled beast, and stroked it a few times… trying to calm it down.

 

Trace: I’m sorry friend, but I must leave you here. I don’t want to give away my approach… Please try to understand.

 

Once Shadowmere had calmed down enough, Trace started to walk toward the Sanctuary…

There were more patrols out than usual, so Trace strayed further off the road than she would have liked. Luckily the Sanctuary wasn’t far from the city in the first place, so it was but a minor inconvenience. And it wasn’t long before she arrived…

 

Trace: (Heh, nice going Trace. Made it without alerting a soul…)

Trace: (So those are the agents… Seems rather lackluster for them trying to overrun the Sanctuary. It’ll take a lot more than these three idiots in order to—!)

Trace looked closer and noticed there was another figure among them. This one wasn’t wearing the crimson of an Imperial, but the red and black of a Dark Child… And from the looks of things, they were not merciful in the least bit in dealing with him…

Drawing her weapon, it took everything in Trace to not let out her anger in the form of a echoing roar.

 

Trace: (Seems we both understand that mercy is a kindness… One that I shall NOT afford the likes of you!!)

Trace waited until one of the agents detached from the rest, and then sprang into action. As soon as she was out of visual range from the others, she snuck up behind him and drove her weapon through his shoulder blade and into his abdomen…

Rather than mercy, she didn’t even allow him time to realize what had happened to him before she drew the life from his body…

She silently placed his body on the ground as to not make any noise and then looked at the remaining agents.

 

Trace: (The way they’re positioned, there’s no way I’m getting by them without a fight… Oh well. Guess I’ll just stealth one and then kill the other. Should be simple enough.)

Just as she thought, the stealth kill was easy, clean, silent and swift. The only problem about it was…

She did it right in the peripheral view of the remaining agent.

Agent: Assassi—

 

Trace tackled the agent into a bush and then fell back in order to put enough distance between them as to not injure herself with what she was preparing next…

???: Kill them! Kill everyone that stands in your way!!

 

The agent charged widely at her and she responded the best way she knew how, with a torrent of flames straight in his face…

???: Good… GOOD!!! Burn them… Make sure not even their ashes survive your fury…

 

Trace could feel herself slipping into the bloodthirsty berserker that she’d let herself become in the past, and this voice that was calling out to her wasn’t helping matters. As for now however, she resigned herself to do as the voice said and roast the agent alive…

???: Watch out!

 

Trace turned her head just in time to avoid an arrow making her go blind in her good eye if not flat out killing her.

 

Trace: COWAAAARRD!!!

 

Trace turned in the direction the arrow came from and proceeded to send wave after wave of flames to the cliff above her…

…Until she was sure that no one could possibly be up there anymore…

Trace saw the Black Door and was about to immediately lend aid to her second family…

…But then she remembered the poor state that the agents had left her fellow Dark Brother and got angry all over again…

Trace: Don’t worry Brother, I’ll have you down in a bit. And then we can—!!! No…

She knew that this could have been a possibility, especially with how chaotic everything must have been inside the Sanctuary. However, there were a few people that Trace just knew that, no matter what happened, would always come out on top…

And yet here was one of those invincible family members right before her… With arrows adorning the majority of his body…

 

Trace: NonononoNOOOOOO!!! Master Festus!!! How? How could this happen to you? There’s… there’s just no way!!

Trace: You were wise, untouchable, and invincible! You were the one that taught me to embrace my magical side, to claim the gift given to me by thee Divines… You… You can’t be dead! You just can’t!!

???: Save your tears… Let them fuel you… Let them empower you to do what needs to be done… To kill the perpetrator of this atrocity…

 

Trace wiped her tears away and started walking towards the Black Door once more.

 

Trace: Master… Master Festus wouldn’t want me to cry… He’d want me to get revenge… Not to get even, but to get over…

As she approached the Black Door, she pulled out a dagger she was keeping on her person and coated it with the poison Vex had just given her…

Trace: I… Astrid… Was the Listener really worth this… Worth all of this? You were willing to throw away the lives of your entire family in order to kill a Dunmer that didn’t even pose a threat to you?

Trace: There will be no mercy for you Astrid… As soon as I see you, you will die! And this poison will make it so…

Trace entered the Sanctuary and the smell of death and burning wafted into her nostrils almost taking her aback. However, it wasn’t the smell that caught Trace off guard…

…It was what she saw…

 

Trace: By the Divines… Astrid… What have you done…

She wasn’t able to tell from before, but it was clear as day what those barrels she kept seeing contained in them, oil, and with the quantity that these agents seemed to have it didn’t matter if they were killed or not… The Dark Brotherhood was going to die on this day…

Trace saw two of the Penitus Oculatus agents in question and before she could act, she into a something similar to a daze…

 

???: Yes… Embrace the hate… Embrace your anger… And burn the agents… Burn EVERYTHING to the ground…