Brynjolf stands outside the destroyed ruin of the Violet Rift under heavy rain. His pride, his home all turned into a mound of burnt woods and ashes. As he is looking at the ruin, the King of Beggars walks up beside him.
“Thanks for coming. And thank you for providing shelters for my people.” Brynjolf said while still looking at the Violet Rift.
“Well, us homeless folks and beggars do look after its own.”
“I need to speak to him.”
“If memory serves, you had your friend shot him off the balcony.”
“I had no choice; they held all the cards.”
“No. But who ordered the shot?”
“Corvus needs to know the threat that’s coming to him. This Lord of the Dawning Eagle is unrestrained and ruthless. The Dominion has let him off the leash.”
“Oh Brynjolf, you’re making me so teary eyed with your benevolence,” the orc sarcastically remarked. “But joking aside, why did that pompous elf let you live?”
“He knows that killing me would make me a martyr. No, he wished to humiliate me instead to show the world that I’m yet another victim who was dominated by the power of the Thalmor.”
“So, what do you consider yourself?”
“Aggrieved,” Brynjolf said with slight hint of anger in his voice.
The Dawning Eagle stands in a small elven gazebo, overlook a green field of with female altmer horse riders practicing combat on horseback while galloping around the field. As he is watching the women practicing in the field, the Thalmor Harbinger enters the gazebo.
“I fail to see how laying waste to the Shadow Continentals is getting you closer to kill Corvus Rem.”
“This campaign is not to kill Corvus Rem. It is to kill the idea of Corvus Rem. And I intend to destroy everything that idea touches.”
“The bloodshed in Vivec was not necessary.”
“The bloodshed was precisely the point,” the Dawning Eagle rebuked before the Harbinger leaves the gazebo.
The Redguard bounty hunter and his dog sits with Varyn on a bench in the Thalmor headquarter in Alinor, filled with altmers going around in their business.
“Be warned, he’ll make it your choice,” Varyn said without looking at the hunter. The Redguard turns his head to Varyn, who is still looking straight ahead. Kelurmend approaches the two.
“You, follow,” he said to the Redguard.
“Think twice before accepting,” the Blind Spider warned as the Redguard and his dog stands up. Kelurmend leads him to the top of the headquarter and into an extravagant office. Kelurmend leads him into the Dawning Eagle, who is standing and looking outside the window.
“You’re a bounty hunter, correct?” he asked without turning to him. “What’s your name?”
“No name,” the hunter responded.
“You know what I find about people using coyness, nameless hunter?” Lord Sauril rolled his eyes and turns to the hunter. “It’s that they use this pathetic trait to hide behind their ego, only for it to let it appear as bright as the rising sun. I will only ask you once, how were you able to find him?
“Pay me and you’ll find out,” the hunter said with a strong composure, not being intimidated by the altmer.
“How much, for such a service to be worth?”
“75000 gold.”
“We found him once. We’ll find him again,” the Dawning Eagle said as he turns his back to turn him down.
“Was that before or after he sends your soul to the void?” the hunter cheekily asked. The Dawning Eagle turns back to him.
“Sharp wit. I like you. 70000 gold.”
“I want more. 73000” the hunter said as he walks up to the Altmer.
“Like I said, ego.”
“Its 3000 extras. You clearly can afford it,” the Redguard remarked as he is glancing at the Dawning Eagle’s extravagant and ornate blue robes. He proceeds to take off his left dwarven gauntlet and extends his hand. The Dawning Eagle clasps both his hand to the hunter’s.
“For your service?” he asked before dragging the hunter’s left hand and slams it on a small table near them. He then grabs an elven knife and stabs him in the hand, causing the hunter to scream and the dog begins to bark aggressively. Kelurmend raises his right hand with lightning crackling in his hand as he aims at the dog.
“No no no no, girl! It’s okay! Sit. Sit,” the hunter desperately commands his dog, barely containing the pain. The dog sits but looks at the Dawning Eagle aggressively. “What are you doing!?”
“I’m presenting you a choice,” the Dawning Eagle grinned maliciously. “You can pull this knife out or your hand out. One choice shows me that you’re only committed to yourself. And the other, committed to the cause. So, which is it?” he asked as he takes his hands off the knife. The hunter looks at the knife, still holding his pain and breathing heavily. He looks back at the altmer and grabs the knife with his right hand. He begins to slowly pull his hand backward, causing the knife to create a path of wound in his hand. He groans from the pain as he tries to pull his hand out through between his middle and ring finger while the altmer watches. The hunter manages to pull his hand out as blood poured out from his hand and Kelurmend lowers his spell at the dog. As the hunter still breathes heavily from the pain, the Dawning Eagle grabs and shakes his bloody hand aggressively, causing him to grunt with more pain. “Here, if you need to contact me,” he said as he pulls out a device from his pocket and places it on the table. “Good hunting,” he said before leaving his office with Kelurmend while taking out a cloth to wipe his hand and proceeding to throw it on the floor.
(Music Soundtrack: (1) A Grave Situation - YouTube)
Corvus walks through the snow filled road of the Pale as he approaches Dawnstar. As he approaches the city, he turns left off the road to the snowy hill near to the secret entrance of the Dawnstar Sanctuary. He walks past the secret entrance and up ahead, he sees two people standing over a gravestone. Brynjolf is standing at the gravestone and next to him, someone who looks like a little girl. The girl turns and proceeds to walk back towards Corvus. He immediately recognizes that “little girl” is in fact no child at all. Babette, an ancient vampire in the body of child who happens to be the oldest member of Skyrim’s Dark Brotherhood family.
“Hello Corvus. I heard you have returned for quite some time.”
“Babette. How are you holding up?”
“I’ve been with the Brotherhood for a very long time, and I’ve seen people come and go. But Nazir’s somehow different. He has been with us since Falkreath. It’s still unreal.”
“I know…”
“Whoever did this, send their soul to the Dread Father. And don’t make it quick death,” she said. Corvus nods and Babette leaves. Corvus walks up to Brynjolf who is still looking at the gravestone.
“Brynjolf.”
“Corvus.”
“My condolences. He was my friend too. He was loyal.”
“Yes he was. Taken away for our sins,” Brynjolf said as he turns to Corvus. Corvus approaches Brynjolf as he takes out the golden eagle insignia, he looted from the Doom Herald in Vivec and shows it to Brynjolf.
“Who is this?”
“The Lord of the Dawning Eagle. Elevated by his guarantee of killing you. All the resources of the Aldmeri Dominion are now at his disposal.”
“Where do I find him?”
“Alinor,” he said without hesitation. Corvus turns around and begins to walk away. “When will it end?”
“With him dead,” he said coldly as he turns back to Brynjolf.
“Is that so? And then what? Hmm? Are you that daft? They will replace him before his body gets cold. The Thalmor will only keep replacing him until you are dead. Kill him but do it the smart way. Get him and the Thalmor to leave you alone forever.”
“How?”
“By invoking the ancient law of Queen Aryenn’s champion. Challenge him to a duel, through Ardorin’s Law.”
“Ardorin’s Law is a myth and thing of the past.”
“No! It’s a very real fact, that Queen Aryenn herself personally established with her champion, to settle dispute amongst its own members or even outside forces can invoke this law. Not even the Thalmor would dare defy this law without facing the spirit of Ardorin’s wrath. It’s also win or lose. What you say you want. A way out and get them to leave you alone for good.”
“In order to invoke Ardorin’s law, I need Ardorin’s crest. And I do not know anyone who possesses a crest.”
“Luckily for you, the Silinor twins has a crest. Speaker Parmion and Matron Koritha. Their father, Fairimo, was a council member of the Thalmor before he left them and passed the crest to his children before his untimely death. And you know they’re part of the Brotherhood. Contact them and get them to issue the challenge and offer you as a proxy.
“I’m no longer part of the Shadow Continental, let alone their family member of the Dark Brotherhood.”
“Then you better get your sorry hide to High Isle’s sanctuary and get that fixed. Or…pick a plot,” he said before proceeding to walk away.”
“What do you get out of this, Brynjolf?”
“What you were so good at getting, Corvus. Revenge,” he said as he walks off.
(Music soundtrack: Ever Now - YouTube)
A few days later, Corvus arrives at High Isle by boat and walks on the road of the largest High Isle, the largest in the Systres Archipelogo. He travels to the eastern part of the island and goes off the beaten road into the woods and finds a door hidden in a small cave. As he approaches the door, a deep pounding sound of heavy heartbeats emits from the door. He sees a giant skull on the door with the black hand imprinted on it. A skeleton lies on the left side of the door and some skulls at the bottom right with a dagger punctured on one of them. He approaches and places his hand on the door.
“What fills the endless depth of the ocean?” a faint, heavy, and slow breathing voice asked from the door.
“Tears, my brother.”
“Welcome home,” the voice responded, and the door opens. Corvus enters the cave as the door closes behind him. Outside the cave, the nameless hunter was hiding in some bushes and sees him enter the sanctuary. He opens his notebook and flips through the book until he stops at a page with a sketching of the black door in High Isle.
Corvus walks through a dark passage and sees a large hall at the end. As he the hall, he sees several assassins mingling and a few sparring with one and another. Corvus notices an elderly Breton in shrouded robes sitting on a bench by the wall.
“Who goes there?” he asked, not picking his head up.
“Greetings brother,” Corvus said cordially.
“Who are you?”
“I need to speak to Speaker Parmion…” he said but was quickly interrupted when the Breton casts a thunderbolt at him, causing him to fly backward and knocking him onto the ground. Corvus groans from the pain as the Breton approaches him.
“Nice armor,” he cheekily said as two assassins approaches and picks him up from the ground.
The hunter, still standing outside of the cave, pulls out the device given by the Dawning Eagle and holds it in his hand. The device emits a yellow color on the engravings.
“Speak.” the voice of the Dawning Eagle emitted from the device.
“He’s in High Isle, with the Dark Brotherhood family in that area. You can add the finder’s fee in the reward.”
“No.”
“What?”
“Kill Corvus Rem and you’ll get your money.”
“That’s not what we agreed.”
“The agreement was for your service. Now it’s a life for a life, nameless hunter. Yours or his. When it’s done, you will have the prize,” the Dawning Eagle said right before the device stops glowing. The hunter sighs as he looks at his dog.
“Arrogant prick,” he said to himself before they leave the bush.
(Music Soundtrack: To Get Back In - YouTube)
Corvus wakes up and finds himself sitting on a chair with two assassins in shrouded armor standing beside him. He looks around the room and sees a large group of assassins watching and surrounded around him. As he looks ahead, he sees a female altmer with short black hair wearing an elegantly designed Breton styled shrouded armor approaches on an altar followed by three figures in shrouded robes, with the elderly Breton as one of them.
“The prodigal son of Sithis returns…” she declared out loud. Suddenly, an assassin next to Corvus raises his grip and Corvus levitates in the air. “But this is not your home anymore…Corvus Rem.”
“You haven’t aged a day, Koritha.”
“And you aged terribly. Then again, it’s been a while.”
“I need to talk to him,” he said, still floating the air. Koritha ignores his request and gives a nod to the mage assassin, and he casts another spell on him, creating small green lightning around Corvus’ body, causing him to grunt in pain as if a thousand needles are piercing his body.
“You are forgetting, we are still part of the Shadow Continental. And if I remember correctly…” as she gives another nod to the mage, letting him to cast the same spell on Corvus, “…you are banished. As far I’m concerned, you have no business with us, let alone a dark brother of mine,” she said before letting the mage to cast the spell yet again, causing more pain to Corvus.
“That’s for Speaker Parmion to decide.”
“Speaker Parmion is dead!” she shouted. Corvus becomes silent as he learns of this revelation. “After you put an arrow in the Queen of the Aldmeri Dominion’s head, the Lord of the Dawning Eagle had one put in Speaker Parmion’s,” she said as she walks down from the alter and to Corvus. “And if that wasn’t enough, he made me pay for this ‘contract’,” she chuckled, trying to contain the pain in her voice. “Because of you, I was forced to kneel before the person who murdered my brother.”
“Then we have a common enemy. We can help each other,” he said, still struggling from the pain of the spell cast on him.”
“You can’t even help yourself. How do you exactly plan to help us?”
“By killing this Dawning Eagle.”
“They will only appoint another. His death changes nothing,” she said before turning back. The mage assassin casts a stronger version of the spell, causing even more excruciating pain on Corvus.
“It does if I kill him through Ardorin’s Law!” he said still as he continues to struggle with the pain. Koritha stops walking upon hearing what Corvus said. As she processes what she heard, the elderly Breton steps down from the altar and approaches her.
“He speaks of the ancient law invoked by Queen Aryenn’s champion and approved by the queen herself. To sanction the duel, he must possess Ardorin’s Crest and receive your blessing. Your father passed a crest to you and your brother. With Speaker Parmion dead, you are the only Silinor left to grant the crest.” Upon hearing his words, Koritha turns back to Corvus, who is still levitated in the air and suffering from the spell’s pain.
“How many did you kill to get out?”
“A lot.”
“You will only have to kill one, to get back in. The bastard who murdered my brother.”
“Give me the name.”
“Harbin Dubois. You will find him in Gonfalon Bay. He runs a club under the city. When he’s dead, I’ll restore your status amongst us.”
“And the crest?” he asked, but she shushes him.
“Dubois first. Then we talk. And bring proof of death,” she said as she gestures the mage to let go of Corvus. He does so and Corvus drops to the ground and two assassins picks him up and puts him back on the chair. Koritha picks up a small bottle from an argonion assassin and walks back to Corvus. “Here, you’ll probably need it. Corrosive armor melting acid. I would hide it somewhere inconspicuous if I were you,” she said as she hands it to Corvus. He places the small bottle hidden behind his hip.
“I’ll also need a way in.”
“I know a way in. Berj will take you,” she said, pointing amongst the crowd. A nord assassin steps out of the crowd of assassin and walks to Corvus, holding a thick rope.
“I am Berj,” he said before swinging the rope to hit Corvus.
“Corvus,” he said as he recovers from the rope hit.
“I am Berj!” he said the same phrase again before hitting Corvus harder this time, knocking him out.
Berj takes Corvus to Gonfalon Bay and had his hand tied. He takes Corvus into the city’s palace and as they approach the guards, they immediately let him in with Corvus. They enter the palace and passes by many goons wearing purple colored Breton styled hooded armors. Berj takes Corvus into a pathway in the palace that leads to the underground level, and they enter a large room filled with more goons standing guard and some either fiddling with weapons or counting coins. As the walk into the center of the room, they see a tall man in a suit of dark steel armor sitting in the center on a round table playing and shuffling a deck of cards, with a helmet on it as well and a zweihander leaning on the table. Berj approaches this knight and places a letter on the table. The knight stops and opens the letter. As he finishes reading the letter, he grins bearing two golden teeth.
“Please tell your mistress, that I continue in looking forward in our fruitful partnership.”
“I am Berj,” he said the same phrase yet again. He turns to Corvus and looks at him for a moment before he leaves.
“Corvus Rem, in the flesh. It’s the Sithis Incarnate!” he laughed. “Truly a lucky day for me! Forgive me, where are my manners? Please,” he said as he gestures to a guard. The guard approaches and unbinds Corvus’s hands. “Would you like a drink?” he asked as he opens a bottle of Cyrodiilic Brandy and pours it into a cup.
“You were expecting me.”
“Not me. Him.”
“Corvus?” a voice called out. Corvus turns and sees that its none other than Varyn, coming in tapping with his sheathed sword and holding a cup in his left hand. “How are you?”
“You knew I’d be here.”
“I suspected it.”
“Family,” he said to which Varyn smiles. The two sits on the table.
“It seems your family sold you out, in a futile hope of saving themselves,” Harbin said as he crumples the letter. “You see, that’s why I never trusted those shady underhanded rats. They are dirty people,” he snickered.
“This is personal,” Corvus said to Varyn, as the latter grabs his cup.
“I sense tensions here,” Harbin remarked, looking at how the two assassins looking at each other.
“Corvus here may think that I may be responsible for the death of a…mutual friend. But I didn’t kill Maryl, you did Corvus,” Varyn said coldly. Upon hearing those words, Corvus looks down as he thinks back on Maryl and his daughter.
“Whenever I see two friends become bitter enemies, it breaks my heart. Allow me to help,” he sarcastically said as he pulls out a short sword from his hip. Varyn swiftly pulls out his dagger and points it at Harbin, causing a guard behind the knight to reach for his sword.
“Stand down,” Harbin calmly commanded to his guard.
“We have a deal,” Varyn said, still holding and pointing his dagger.
“Had.”
“The Dawning Eagle.”
“I doubt he’ll care very much if its blades, arrows, or a blind elf,” the knight said without batting an eye. Varyn slams on the table but laughs a little at his remark before drinking from his cup. A guard walks in on them and places a saber on the table.
“We found him lingering outside,” before he walks to the side, revealing the hunter with his dog. Harbin grabs the scabbard of the saber.
“And what do I call you, stranger?”
“Call me the Nameless Hunter,” the Redguard responded with a smile. “And the sword is for him,” he said, causing Corvus to turn slightly to him.
“Come take a seat then, Nameless Hunter. This is exciting” he said as he was laughing and putting away his short sword and the hunter sits next to Corvus. Corvus looks at the dog, growling and looking at him. “So, you want to kill him,” he said pointing to Varyn, who is still holding the dagger. “You want to kill him,” as he points to the hunter. “I want to kill him. What about you Corvus?”
“I’m going to kill you,” Corvus responded with coldly, to which Harbin chuckles and causing Varyn to grin a little.
“Ah, for Parmion of course. It seems we have ourselves a little conundrum. A quandary if you will. A dilemma perfectly orchestrated by a Daedric Prince. So… here is what I propose. One hand. The winner gets to choose who lives…and who dies,” he said as he shuffles a deck of cards from the table. Varyn puts away his dagger upon hearing the proposal.
“Alright, what’s the buy-in?” the hunter asked.
“More than you can afford,” Corvus responded.
“I know that I’m one inch away from being a very rich man.”
“Or a dead one,” Harbin said as he lays out the cards. “Five card draws,” as the knight begins to throw the cards to the players and to himself. After they receive five cards each, the hunter trades one card and Harbin gives them another in exchange. “Corvus? Show your hand,” the knight asked. Corvus hesitates and trades two cards and Harbin gives him two new cards. Corvus looks at his cards and at Varyn, to which he points at him to letting him show his cards first. Corvus then flips his five cards, revealing two aces, two 8s, and a Queen. “Dead man’s hand, Corvus,” the knight grinned.
“Well then…” Varyn said as he tries to find his cards. “Gambling is not my pastime hobby. Let’s see,” he said as he picks up his cards and leans it towards his eyes. He chuckles, as if he forgot he was blind for a moment, and reveals his cards, four 9s and a 4. “Four 9s and a 4.”
“Quite impressive,” Harbin remarked. He then turns to the hunter, and he reveals his cards, an Ace, a King, a Queen, a Jack, and a 10. “Well well well, a Royal Flush. Pretty good for someone with no name.”
“Thank you,” the hunter smiled.
“A blind elf, a guy in strange armor with a dog, and Corvus Rem walk into the bar and take a seat at the table,” Harbin said as he flips one of his cards, revealing a 2 of spade. That either sounds like a very big joke or a very profitable opportunity,” he grinned. “One… thinks he can serve his way out,” as he flips his second card, a 2 of club. “One… thinks he can buy his way out,” he said flipping his third card with a 2 of heart. “And one… thinks he can kill his way out,” as he reveals his fourth card, a 2 of diamond. Corvus, Varyn and the hunter tenses up as they start to see the pattern of Harbin’s cards and noticing Harbin’s henchmen slowly closing in on them. “Each of them all thinks they have the winning hands. But what they fail to realize, was that the moment they took a seat on the table, they had already lost,” he said as he puts the fifth card vertically and taps it, causing it to fall facing up and showing another 2 of spade.
“Let me guess, five of kind?” Varyn said.
“Yeah,” Corvus and the hunter responded simultaneously, confirming Varyn’s guess.
“Knew you were a cheating n’wah.”
“Yeah… a filthy n’wah,” Corvus agreed.
(Music Soundtrack: Blood Code (Film Version) - John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) - YouTube
Le Castle Vania - Blood Code (From John Wick: Chapter 4) - YouTube)
“Just so you know,” Harbin interjected, not fazed by Varyn’s insult, “…Parmion wasn’t personal. Now, maybe a little,” he said standing up. But upon hearing those words, Corvus becomes furious as he grabs a card from his deck and uses it to slice Harbin’s left side of the neck and throws the card at henchwoman behind the table, slicing her left eye.
“Kill!” the hunter shouted, commanding the dog to jump over the table to attack another henchman behind the table. A swarm of Harbin’s henchmen quickly rushes at the three men on the table, and one swings a sword at Corvus, but he dodges the blade and disarms the henchman. Varyn quickly uses his dagger and quickly cuts through four henchmen in lightning speed. As the three men fight the knight’s goons, Harbin quickly grabs his helmet and great sword before fleeing into the club in the old ruins. Corvus quickly cuts down three goons with deadly precision before giving chase to the Harbin. Varyn equips a green spell in his right hand as four goons runs towards him. He casts the spell, causing the four goons to be paralyzed and they fall to the ground.
“Stiff as statues, n’wahs,” he cheekily shouted.
Corvus runs into a hallway filled with people dancing and raving, completely unaware of Corvus running past them with sword in hand. He approaches the end of the hallway and finds a waterfall covering instead, but it magically creates a path for him, allowing him to pass through without getting wet. He soon finds himself in a gigantic ruin full of partygoers who are dancing on all over floors of the ruin and waterfalls placed all over the club. Corvus walks down a step and into the crowd of dancers. As he looks amongst the crowd, he sees Harbin, whose height makes him stand out amongst crowd, running and pushing some of the dancers to the side. Corvus starts to pick up his pace as he sees the knight running into a large dance floor shaped like a circle.
“Stop Corvus! He’s behind me!” Harbin shouted as some of his goons runs past him towards Corvus. One henchman swing at Corvus with an axe, which Corvus dodges swiftly and quickly cuts him in the back with his sword. Two more goons run at him, but Corvus cuts them down as well with his sword effortlessly A fourth guard comes at him with a sword as well, but Corvus blocks his attack and effectively decapitates the goon’s right arm off and throws him down a small stairwell to the dancefloor, while the dancers are completely oblivious to the rampage Corvus created. He soon finds Harbin standing in the center of the dancefloor with the dancers moved to the side of the circle still dancing. Corvus looks up at the knight with eyes like a hungry wolf looking at its prey. Harbin locks eyes at Corvus as puts on his helmet with his left hand. Corvus walks down the stairwell onto the large dance floor as Harbin performs a flourish with his zweihander.
“You want a piece of me? Come get it bastard!” he shouted in a muffled voice from the helmet. Corvus attacks with his sword, but Harbin easily blocks the attack with his zweihander and performs a horizontal swing at Corvus. He barely dodges the attack and continues to clash swords with the knight, but Harbin effortlessly wields the zweihander to block the attacks and uses his free hand to land punches at Corvus. He gets back up and swings again, but Harbin traps his sword using his zweihander’s hilt before dragging the sword downward and lands a hit at Corvus’ stomach using the pommel. As Corvus is incapacitated, Harbin uses his left hand to grab him and throws him over his shoulder, slamming him onto the dancefloor. The knight drags the delirious Corvus across the dance floor by his chest armor with his left arm, causing some of the dancers to look at the commotion. Corvus barely breaks free from Harbin and gets back up on his feet. The two quickly clashes and lock blades at each other, but Corvus manages to slice Harbin in an exposed area on his right arm and disarms his zweihander by dragging and throwing it off the railing. Harbin retaliates by grabbing Corvus’ sword and breaks the blade in two using his hands and knocks the hilt off his hand. Harbin then performs a frontal kick at Corvus, causing him to fall off the railing and hit some stone structures on the lower floor’s ceiling before landing on the wet dancefloor on the lower floor. Corvus lies on the dancefloor and slowly gets back up as water pours onto him from above and onto the dancefloor, finding more dancers dancing in on this floor and ignoring his presence. He looks up and sees Harbin looking at him from above, shouting and pointing at Corvus. He looks around the second floor above and sees several henchmen running amongst the dancers.
(Music Soundtrack: Wetwork (Film Version) - John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) - YouTube
Le Castle Vania - Wetwork (From John Wick: Chapter 4) - YouTube)
Corvus turns around and sees already three goons on rushing towards him on the wet dancefloor. He runs to the attacking goons and dodges their swings from there axes. Corvus grabs one of them and traps him on the wall with their own axe before slamming the blade at their throat. A second goon swings at Corvus as he dodges his attack and grabs the first goon’s axe and hacks it into his head. Corvus disarms the second goon’s axe and tosses him onto the floor uses it to hack a third goon on the shoulder before using his body to toss him over. He grabs the axe again and slashes him on the groin. Corvus then throws the axe onto another rushing henchman directly into the head.
Varyn and the hunter continues to fight of Harbin’s henchmen in the same room under the palace. Varyn quickly grabs the hilt of his sword immediately unsheathing it from the scabbard leaning on a chair near a table. The Blind Spider ferociously slashes and cuts down two henchmen in unnatural speed before finishing them off by stabbing them in the chests. A third goon rushes at Varyn, but he quickly tosses the sword right into the goon’s chest. The hunter effortlessly deflects a henchwoman’s attack using Boneshaver and quickly decapitates her head. Another goon attacks him from behind, but he blocks his attack with his saber before headbutting him and grabbing his arm.
“Nuts!” he shouted at his dog, before it charges in and bits the henchman in the groin. He struggles in pain as the dog continues to bite him aggressively before the hunter approaches and quickly stabs him in the head using Boneshaver.
The wet dancefloor brawl continues as a henchwoman charge at Corvus with her staff and swings at him, but he dodges her attack and lands a few punches at her. He grabs the staff from her hand and swings at her head, effectively knocking her onto the dancefloor. A henchman rushes at Corvus with an axe, but he grabs him in the arm and knocks the axe out of his hand. He then grabs his head and throws him down onto the floor as well. As Corvus turns to another crowd of oblivious dancers, Harbin emerges from the crowd aggressively. The knight does a front kick at Corvus, pushing him backward. Corvus attempts punch him, but Harbin grabs him in the right arm and punches him in the stomach before swinging him around and violently pulls him back to deliver a haymaker with his left arm, causing Corvus spin in the air and landing on the dancefloor. Harbin then picks Corvus up with his right arm pins him onto a pillar.
“You know what your problem is, Corvus? You are unlucky. Unlucky in life, in love, in friendship,” he taunted as he delivers another punch at him in the stomach. “And now… in death!” he cackled. Corvus quickly reaches for his back hip and grabs the acid bottle. He then smashes it onto Harbin’s helmet. Harbin screams in pain as the acid rapidly corrodes half of his helmet and leaking into his neck. He lets go of Corvus and immediately takes off his helmet. Harbin swings at Corvus, but he counters the attack and quickly moves to the back to grab both knight’s arm, but his size allows him to quickly break free. Harbin tries to punch Corvus again, but he dodges the swing, and he quickly jumps in the air to tackle him, causing them both to fall under pouring waters. Corvus gets back up and repositions himself on top of Harbin to violently pummel him in the face with his fists. Corvus yells and grunts with each punch as waters pours on both men. He then grabs the knight in the chest armor and lands three more punches in the head.
(Music Soundtrack: A Long Way Down (Film Version) - John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) - YouTube
Le Castle Vania - A Long Way Down (From John Wick: Chapter 4) - YouTube)
As Corvus stands back up over the pummeled Harbin, two more henchmen come running onto the wet dance floor. Corvus grabs a nearby axe on the floor and kills swiftly kills them without trouble, this time with many dancers noticing the slaughter. He looks back at Harbin, who manages to recover and gets back up on his feet. Seeing the many bodies on the dancefloor, all the dancers’ panics and starts fleeing from the ruin. Corvus looks at Harbin with a sadistic grin, reveling the pain he brings to the knight. Harbin flees and Corvus grabs an axe before giving chase. The terrified Harbin runs back onto the upper floor as he desperately shoves some of the fleeing dancers to the side. Corvus manages to catch up to Harbin on the upper floor with some still dancers dancing and throws an axe at the knight’s exposed area on the right leg. Harbin stumbles onto near another set of stairwells as Corvus aggressively stumbles to him.
“Why don’t you just die!?” Harbin shouted with sheer annoyance in his voice. Corvus musters all his remaining strength to push Harbin off the side of the stairwell, causing him to fall and crash onto two structures before landing onto the dancefloor on the head with a violent cracking sound. Corvus walks down the set of stairwells and onto the dancefloor where Harbin’s body was. He then struggles to flip the big knight heavy corpse and finds his eyes wide open, bearing his golden teethes. Corvus punches his teethes two times and grabs one of the golden teeth out of his mouth. He puts the golden tooth in his pocket and leaves the underground club.
The hunter leaves the club through the palace along with the fleeing partygoers. He looks around to find Corvus, but the fleeing crowds obscures his view. The hunter quickly makes his way to the city wall and surveys the outskirt of the city. As he looks at the people quickly leaving the city, he sees Corvus walking calmly among the fleeing crowd. He quickly takes out his dwarven crossbow and loads a bolt before taking aim at Corvus. Before he can fire, he felt a blade touching his right cheek.
“He’s mine,” a voice said next to him, revealing to be Varyn pointing his sword at him. “I warned you not to take a deal.
“So, I guess your deal didn’t work too well either?” he relents as he lowers his crossbow. “That’s sick of them to take your eyes.”
“They didn’t take them. I gave them,” the dunmer responded nonchalantly as he takes his sword off the hunter and walks away.
(Music Soundtrack: (1) Killa’s Teeth - YouTube)
Corvus returns to the High Isle sanctuary and enters Koritha’s personal chamber, who is kneeling in front of a small shrine of Sithis. He approaches her and shows her Harbin’s golden tooth. She glances at the tooth and takes it in her hand. She clenches her hand with the tooth and looks up at Corvus, smiling.
“You’ve done well…brother. As matron of the sanctuary, I restore your status amongst us. But you’re looking for something different. Come,” she said standing up. A moment later, all the members of the sanctuary gather in the main chamber and forms a circle around Corvus and Koritha. Koritha takes out a circular seal from her pocket, depicting a figure in elven armor holding a sword and staff. Corvus and Koritha turns and face each other. “In the words of Aryenn Arana Aldmeri, Queen of the First Dominion, ‘I grant you my blessing to invoke your law. Ardorin, my champion.’” Koritha recited. The mage casts a spell, causing the seal to levitate in the air and the seal starts to glow red with fire. “Whoever bears the seal of my champion, shall have the right to invoke a duel with a member of the Aldmeri Dominion,” she said as the seal splits in half and they raise their left arms, exposed. “Repeat after me. I, Corvus Rem, bear the seal of Ardorin and challenge you to a duel.”
“I, Corvus Rem, bear the seal of Ardorin and challenge you to a duel.”
“I, Koritha Silinor, grant Corvus Rem the seal of Queen Aryenn’s champion to invoke Ardorin’s Law. Repeat after me once more. Break Ardorin’s law at your own peril.”
“Break Ardorin’s law at your own peril.”
“For you will risk facing the wrath of Ardorin himself,” she recited the words once more. The two looked at each other intensely as the seal magically flew and pressed against their arms, branding them. The two grunts from the heat burning into their flesh before pulling away from the seal. The red color fades away from the seal and drops to the floor as Corvus and Koritha looks at the brand on their left arms. An argonion assassin approaches with two cups and douses their arm with water. “You have the seal and my blessing. Now, who will be your second?”
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