Flash Fiction February 2023 Day 3: Lingering Influence (Issy)

 A/N: Where Spirits Have Lease is one of my favorite Oblivion quests so when I saw the prompt for today I knew I had to do it. This is literally just Lucien and Issy being ghostbusters, it's real fun. Enjoy! 

Prompt: Lingering Influence In House

Originally when I was approached with the offer to buy a rather large house in Anvil that had been up for sale and didn’t have many, if any, potential or seriously interested buyers I thought it was a great deal. Unfortunately for me, the seller neglected to mention the exact reasons as to why his grandfather's house was vacant, and the lack of many other potential buyers in the market. Perhaps he did mention it at some point during our discussion and I didn’t absorb it, as my thoughts at the time were primarily focused on getting a living space that was not some sort of hideout or required staying at an inn. I spend too much of my time around other people, I just want peace and quiet, and Anvil is one of the better cities to attempt to find that peace and quiet in.

After the payment had been secured and the key turned over Lucien and I decided to head over to the house and explore it a bit. He had been in Anvil anyways doing whatever it is he does when not lurking around Cheydinhal or at Fort Farragut, and we had run into each other…literally. I was running off back toward my little thieves guild related hideout outside the city by the water and he was running the other way more toward the inn where I’d been staying, neither of us particularly looking where we were going and as a result crashed into each other. After a mutual exchange of “watch where you’re going!” We realized who the other was and laughed it off before explaining our reasons for being in this part of the country. Anvil is a bit far removed from most of the territory both of us typically inhabit, being far to the southwest on the water, but it is a nice place when one can get to it for a visit. Arriving at the house and opening the front door was extremely uneventful, nothing out of the ordinary, and the first few steps into the house itself didn’t ring any alarm bells that something was out of place either. Sure, the walls are a bit gross, and the floor creaks, but that's typical of any old house. Things begin to get weird the further into the house we get. “Are you sure this is just a typical house?” Lucien asks, keeping one of his daggers close at hand and wandering through the hallways. “They didn’t tell me otherwise…” He is right though, there is something strange in the air, a lingering presence or unholy influence, and I don’t like it. However I dismiss it, the sun has gone down and it’s getting late, I’d like to sleep without giving myself nightmares about something that is probably just my imagination, it should be fine here on the upper floor, most of the creepier stuff we encountered was downstairs anyways. We decide to turn in for the night, good assassins always pack a bedroll when out and about.

During the night Lucien wakes me as the first ghosts and other undead horrors appear and begin to attack us. I now see why Lucien’s favorite dagger is made of silver, you simply never know when you’ll encounter ghosts, vampires, zombies, or other manner of creature resistant to typical steel. He could use Daedric weapons, or any material that’s enchanted, but he prefers to simply use silver. “This is why we research houses first!” Lucien exclaims while fighting off more ghosts that had popped up around him after he finished off the first wave while I stay busy attempting to cut down the zombie trying to kill me. “I thought it would be in bad shape structurally not haunted!” I yell back to him in between strikes and strategic maneuvering to avoid getting hit myself. Returning downstairs we find more ghosts along with a broken jar with a hand holding a scrap of paper, it looks like some kind of diary. This could be a good clue to explaining what is going on in this house. The diary says there is a secret door somewhere in the house, but despite our best efforts we cannot find it. “Time to go find the seller?” Lucien asks as we exit the house back into the sunlight and fresh air, closing and locking the door tightly so nothing escapes. “Time to find the buyer.” Back to the inn we go, Velwyn Benirus you better help me or I want my money back and you can take your haunted house.

At the inn we find it quieter than usual, which makes it the perfect time to ask the barkeep where Velywyn went, only to find he’s left the city and gone all the way to the Imperial City. Eugh, why is nothing ever easy? This is why we can’t have nice things, every time something goes wrong. “Well my friend, are you up for a trip to the Imperial City?” I ask Lucien as we walk toward the exit to Anvil toward the stables where Shadowmere has been having more than likely a much better time than us. “I have a contract to do there anyway.”  Lucien replies with a grin, excellent, might as well get some work done while there, make it a business trip. Saddling up my own horse and giving Shadowmere a quick pat to say hello we set off back toward the east to the capital. The trip itself does not take long, and thanks to the help of some well connected thieves guild members I find where the little bastard is staying and drop the diary in front of him one evening as he sits eating dinner. “House is haunted.” I explain, thoroughly unamused. He stammers and stutters for a few moments before finally apologizing and explaining what exactly is going on in the house, oh lovely, it has a curse on it. At least he feels guilty enough to help. With Lucien’s contract done while I was tracking down Velwyn we reconnect and return to Anvil to put these spirits to rest once and for all.

Once the ghosts and ghouls that had taken up residence since our last visit are taken care of, the three of us search for the secret door, which takes us deeper into the house. As we continue we fight our way room by room through skeletons, ghosts, zombies, and even the not undead but still annoying rat or two. Eventually we realize with some help from Velwyn as the guide that the source of all this necromantic magic is coming from the basement with a sealed gateway, almost like a portal of sorts. Velwyn opens it with some urging before running from the house in terror, what a coward. Lucien and I await what lies beyond with weapons drawn and upon investigation find a creepy altar and even creepier skeleton laying on it. Standing by the seal near the altar a voice booms out of nowhere to return his hand, it must be the spirit of the person whose hand I found upstairs. Thanks to Lucien and his seemingly unending satchel bag that had been storing the hand for safekeeping I return it, placing it on the altar…That was a bad move, as the moment I do the body of what I now find out to be Lorgren Benirus rises from it’s spot on the altar as a lich, just my luck. “This is why I rarely do favors for people.” Lucien comments as the doorway we had come through also slams shut, leaving us trapped with the lich. With a combination of silver weaponry, magic, and just a bit of teamwork we defeat the lich and the necromancer will now be dead for good.

Tired and just a little bit annoyed we return to the inn once again and report the news, to which Velwyn thanks us, and informs me that he will take care of all the repairs and cleaning needed to make the house functional again before he returns to the Imperial City again. That’s at least a relief, I would hate to have to pay for the restoration and furnishings myself especially after at least one piece of furniture was broken during at least one fight with the spirits. With the conversation finished Lucien and I decide to head down to the water to the little inn by the docks, and grabbing food to go sit by the end of the dock near the lighthouse and watch the sun set, talking amongst ourselves and watching the people and ships go by. “Cheers? To a job well done?” I ask Lucien, holding up my cup. “Cheers indeed” we knock our cups together and take a drink. “I think we did good, for two people who don’t usually fight ghosts.” Lucien points out between bites of bread. “Who needs the fighters guild anyways.” I add with a noise, I probably could have just called them, but given the fact I’m a part of the guild, they would probably just make me do it myself anyways. At least we figured out the mystery of the lingering influence in the cursed house, got a contract or two out of the way, and learned that Fo’c’s’le Inn makes delicious sandwiches?