As Vorn drew his dagger Kris felt an uncharacteristic red mist settle over her mind. After months of tracking the former Imperial officer, after her failed attempt on the road, this was her chance to eliminate him once and for all.

“For the Empire!” she roared and leaped towards Vorn, slashing backhandedly at one of the Dunmer soldiers, more to clear him out of her path than out of any conscious desire to attack the mer. The blade bit into the elfs arm, parting his mail and cleaving him to the bone. Blood spattered across the wall as she twisted the blade free and leaped towards Vorn. A door flew open and smashed into her face sending her staggering back with a flash of white pain. The Thaelmor she had seen on the rode strode from the door raising his hand to point at Drax, arcane energy billowed around his fist as he gathered a bolt of lightning to strike the argonian dead.

Kris scrambled to her feet, gripped her sword with both hands and swung it in a downward arc with all her strength. The blade chopped through the Mer’s wrist with a sound like a butchers cleaver. The gloved hand tumbled to the floor with a spurt of bright blood. The elf screamed and staggered backwards. Kris drove her boot into the door smashing it back into the wailing Thaelmor and sending him tumbling out of sight. Vorn struck with his dagger before she could recover, the blade slicing across her forearm with a blaze of pain. She screamed and fell back a step, cuting a clumsy arc through the air that forced Vorn to jump back to avoid being gutted. Hoping that Drax could keep the remaining two soldiers at bay she lunged after her former commander. Vorn parried the thrust with his dagger and then turned and bolted past Drax and the soldiers heading for the door.

“No!” Kris yelled, in pain and frustration. Blood ran freely from her nose where the door had hit her and from the dagger cut. She charged after Vorn hitting him from behind in a flying tackle that smashed him against the ballustrating. The impact drove the breath from Vorn’s lung and sent Kris sword clattering to the floor below. With a twist of her wrist she tore the dagger from his hand as her other hand grabbed his hair and yanked his head back.

“Wait!” Vorn screamed, “I serve the Empire!”

“So did I,” Kris grated and then sliced the dagger across his throat, spraying blood out over the railing as she felt the blade grate across his spine. She held on for a second longer, listening to the gurgling of Vorn’s breath for a moment until his body began to relax. With a yell of triumph she shoved his body over the railing, watching it turn a half rotation in the air before hitting the marble floor with a meaty thump. It was over.