Gernin: It will work now. Yes.

 

 

Gernin: Heh... Heheh... It's still in my mind. So fresh.

 

 

Gernin: There is nothing more potent than this.

 

 

Gernin: Nothing more...

 

 

Gernin: ...traumatic.

 

Gernin tips the potion to his lips. He ogles the thick, blue liquid as it slides down the tube. His tongue frolics against his bottom lip, yearning for the taste once again. The vile, choking taste.

 

Yet before even a drop can reach it, the sound of a creaking door opening and slamming shut forces Gernin to lower his hand.

 

 

Gernin: Oh, come on.

 

 

Gernin: Of all fucking times.

 

Gernin drops the potion onto the table without a second glance. He aggressively stands up, causing the floorboards to groan as his chair claws against them.

 

 

Gernin grasps the door handle and yanks it open. Before the next room even comes to full view, Gernin's lips begin to curl.

 

Milly: That was fun!

 

 

Milly: Can we do it again tomorrow too, ma?

 

Einna: Of course we can! As long as you actually go to sleep tonight.

 

Milly stretches out, tugging her arms over her head and wiggling her fingers towards the ceiling. She lets her arms flop back to her sides, letting out an audible exhale. As soon as she finishes, her eyes open and she smiles with a gleeful gasp.

 

 

Milly: Pa!

 

Einna suddenly whips around. Her brows tense and she gasps much softer and hesitantly than her daughter.

 

 

Milly: You should have been with us today! 

 

 

Milly: We picked flowers and ate in the market. I even got to pet a dog! I-

 

 

Einna urgently interrupts her daughter by placing her arm over her.

 

Einna: Milly, dear, I think it's about time you got to bed.

 

Milly's excitement fades. She peers up towards her mother with puffed lips.

 

 

Milly: But I haven't talked to Pa in days...

 

Einna gulps. She shakes her head sternly before placing her hand on Milly's back and guides her away.

 

 

Einna: We've just been busy, is all. 

 

 

Einna: Now come. You need your rest for another fun day tomorrow.

 

 

Einna: So are you going to finally talk?

 

 

Einna: Or do you want this to continue?

 

Gernin keeps his head bowed. It is heavy, like a lead stone plunged into water. This is the third night in a row they've had this "talk". Not the third in a row though. Gernin wishes it could just return to them avoiding eye contact and living on opposite ends of the house. But no. Einna wants things back to what they used to be; back to the that fucking wood mill, back to giving everything for this family, back to having nothing for himself, back to-

 

 

Einna: You're grinding your teeth.

 

Gernin turns away with a grunt.

 

 

Einna sits up and lets out a loud, exasperated sigh. 

 

Einna: I'm not leaving until you say something.

 

 

Einna: We both know what you did. Why are you refusing to admit it?

 

Gernin glares at her. He tries to keep his jaw clenched shut, but the words snap out anyway.

 

Gernin: If we both know it, why should I admit it?

 

 

Einna: Because keeping secrets will only make things worse. You're going to tear this family apart if you keep at this.

 

 

Gernin: Maybe if you hadn't invaded my personal space it wouldn't be a problem!

 

Einna bites her lip. As her anger swells, a small taste of blood trickles into her mouth.

 

 

Einna: You brought it into our house. And you... you... Ugh!

 

Gernin scoffs and turns away.

 

 

Einna: I don't know how I managed to hide it from Milly. And the smell. The fucking smell!

 

 

Einna: What drove you to do such a thing? Huh? What?

 

 

Gernin: I needed something strong to remember for it to work!

 

 

Einna rolls her eyes and shakes her head, incredulously. 

 

Einna: Something strong... What's something strong enough then? How does this end? Hmm?

 

Gernin: It ends with a memory potent enough! It ends whe-

 

Einna suddenly shoots to her feet.

 

 

Her chair wobbles and threatens to tip. Einna clenches her fists at her side and glowers resolutely at Gernin.

 

Einna: No. It ends now.

 

 

Einna: You will throw out all of those damned alchemy components and tools and you will return to work.

 

 

Einna: We will never speak of this again.

 

Gernin clutches his mortar and pestle, grinding the ingredients together and delicately as he can. It is difficult. His arms tense with each push and his grip threatens to snap the pestle in two.

 

But that is a good thing. He needs to be angry.

 

 

Gernin: What drove you to do such a thing? Huh? What?

 

Surely this time it will be strong enough. He had never felt so livid; so betrayed. 

 

 

Gernin: Something strong... What's something strong enough then? How does this end? Hmm?

 

Gernin needs to hang onto this feeling. If he can just keep focused...

 

 

Gernin finishes grinding the ingredients. He carefully pours them into a vial and then fills it the rest of the way with a liquid he had prepared earlier. Capping the container quickly, Gernin holds up his finished handiwork.

 

 

Gernin: Perfect. Yes. Just... perfect.

 

Gernin slides into the seat of his desk and lets out a shaky breath.

 

 

Gernin: Okay... Cling to it... Cling to it...

 

 

Gernin: And go.

 

Gernin tips back his head and pours the potion into his mouth.

 

 

He has to suppress a cough as the taste hits him. The vile flavor of deathbell, nirnroot, his own saliva, and other ingredients is enough to make him want to vomit. 

 

He pushes himself through every last drop. As the final bit slithers down his gullet, Gernin slams down his hand and gasps.

 

 

Gernin: Ugh... uh... 

 

Gernin squeezes shut his eyes and waits. His heartbeat pulses in his chest like a ticking clock.

 

 

A moment passes. And then another.

 

Gernin hesitantly opens one eye.

 

 

Gernin: Did it...

 

He glances around his surroundings and sighs.

 

 

Gernin: Damn it. It didn't work.

 

Gernin glances at the empty vial in his hand and grinds his teeth.

 

 

Gernin: It needs to be more traumatic.

 

Einna sighs as she shuts the door behind her. She rubs her neck in discomfort, preparing for whatever this night will bring.

 

 

Einna: Okay. She's asleep.

 

 

Einna: So? Did you d-

 

Gernin: I hate you.

 

Einna comes to a halt. She stares at her husband, dumbstruck. 

 

 

Einna: What did you just say?

 

Gernin pulls up his sleeve and cocks his head, mockingly.

 

 

Gernin: I said I hate you.

 

Einna's stunned expression immediately morphs into fury at the sight of Gernin's lips, curled into a devious smirk.

 

 

Einna: Are you fucking kidding me? Is this some kind of joke to you?

 

Gernin relaxes, his expression the same. He sways a little to the side and shrugs.

 

 

Gernin: It's whatever I want it to be. I don't care.

 

 

Einna: You don't care? About me? About Milly? About this family? You just don't care?

 

Gernin just shrugs again.

 

Einna breaths in sharply. She starts to tremble and shake her head.

 

 

Einna: Get out. Get out of this house right now! Get-

 

Gernin's eyes flash. He spins around and dashes towards his lab.

 

 

Einna: No! Get out I said!

 

Einna screams and sprints after him.

 

 

Einna: Don't you dare go in there!

 

Gernin slides around the corner into his lab. He dives towards the alchemy bench, holding a potion he had prepared earlier.

 

 

He snatches the vial in his hand and a maniacal laugh escapes him.

 

 

Gernin: Ha! Yes! Yes, it will work this time! 

 

Einna comes crashing through the doorway. She braces against one of the doors, panting.

 

 

Einna: Are you serious? That's what this is about?

 

Gernin makes no notion that he heard her. He ogles the potion in his hand, breathing in random, sporadic bursts.

 

 

Gernin: This is it. This is it!

 

Einna: Drop that fucking thing!

 

 

Gernin is yanked back to attention as Einna dashes in and smacks the potion from his hand.

 

Gernin: No!

 

Milly: M-Ma...

 

 

Einna whips around at her daughter's voice.

 

Einna: Oh gods...

 

Gernin: Where did it go? Where did it go?

 

 

Milly: W-what's going on?

 

Everything else flees Einna's mind. She immediately rushes to her daughter and drops to her knees.

 

 

Einna: Milly... dear... Your Pa and I are just having a- a fight. 

 

Gernin: Where is it?

 

 

Gernin: Ah ha!

 

Gernin hollers with glee as he snatches the dropped vial from the floor. He springs to his feet. Taken by the potion in his hands, he doesn't even notice Einna and Milly staring at him in horror and bewilderment.

 

 

Einna: Hello? Do you even see what's happening here?

 

 

Einna: Or do you even care? You're just using our emotions to fuel your own!

 

 

Einna: What if this isn't "potent" enough? What then?

 

Einna's outbursts begin to fade from Gernin's hearing. He looks down at the liquid, swirling and and swishing in the vial, and everything goes silent.

 

 

Einna: Are you going to keep trying to tear us apart?

 

At this point he can no longer hear her. Only one thought plays in his head and rings in his ears. "What if".

 

 

Gernin: I'll make sure it is.

 

Grave Hound licks her lips. Her eyes scan the room. The toppled chair, the tipped bookcase, the smashed ingredients; she's seen this sight many times before. It makes her ravenous.

 

 

Her eyes come to her companion, standing stiffly next to the man, letting out the same deep, animalistic breaths he always does when angry. It's one of the few things they both have in common; it's one of the rare things Grave Hound can relate to with another human. "Human". 

 

It's been about three minutes since they came in. The whole time Oathbreaker has been just looming over the man. When they first met, she did not understand why he waited so long. They're here for one job. It's easy. Before she had a leash, Grave Hound would have it finished six times over just in the time they'd been standing here. But after a long time, she's been able to discover his reasoning. 

 

 

It's to keep himself under control. 

 

 

Because otherwise, he'd do a lot more than just kill.

 

Oathbreaker: Get up.

 

The man doesn't budge. He looks dead. But they both know otherwise.

 

 

Oathbreaker: I said get up!

 

Oathbreaker curls his fist and jabs the man under his chin. He shrieks as he wakes up and topples from his chair. When he hits the floor, he clambers about for a moment before struggling to his feet.

 

 

Gernin: Ugh... What the...

 

As the man rubs his head, Grave hound clambers down from the crates. She crawls towards the other two, taking in the smell. She may not be allowed to feast anymore, but that doesn't mean she can't get other pleasures.

 

 

Grave Hound: Nruh...

 

The man suddenly opens his eyes and gasps ecstatically.

 

 

Gernin: Wait... It worked! Haha! Yes!

 

He doesn't even appear to notice that he has guests.

 

 

Gernin: I actually relived it! The memory was traumatic enough!

 

 

Grave Hound hears Oathbreaker's familiar breathing again.

 

Oathbreaker: Monster.

 

Gernin: Imagine the possibilities now! Oh, I can do so much!

 

 

Oathbreaker: Grave Hound.

 

At the call of her name, Grave Hound pulls away from the bodies. She shifts to a squat and readies herself.

 

Gernin: It will be so simple now. So easy!

 

 

Oathbreaker growls.

 

Oathbreaker: Just do it already.

 

 

Gernin: I will be the greatest alch-

 

 

There is a loud clatter, then a gruesome pop as Gernin's head is severed from the rest of his body.

 

 

Grave Hound slides her sword away.

 

 

She drops back to all fours and crawls back to her place beside Oathbreaker. He takes out a torch and lights it with a quick burst of flame in his palm.

 

 

Grave Hound: Mruh...

 

Oathbreaker: No, Grave Hound. It has to be symbolic.

 

 

Oathbreaker holds the torch out in front of him. Grave Hound can see his arm shake.

 

Oathbreaker: He tried so hard to make sure things were remembered.

 

 

Oathbreaker releases his grip.

 

Oathbreaker: Therefore it's up to us to make sure he is forgotten.

 

The End.