The notion that Ulstyr possessed secret knowledge about
her and the tomb they were in began to unnerve Chance.
She made up her mind then to abandon her companion once
the treasure had been found. He had cut through the
living and undead guardians of the dungeon: if she merely
left by the path they had entered, she would be safe
without a defender.
One phrase he said made perfect sense to her: "drain
ring." At one of the manors in Balmora, she had
picked up a ring purely because she thought it was pretty.
It was not until later that she discovered that it could
be used to sap other people's vitality. Could Ulstyr
be aware of this? Would he be taken by surprise if she
used it on him?
She formulated her plan on how best to desert the Breton
as they continued down the hall. Abruptly the passage
ended with a large metal door, secured by a golden lock.
Using her pick, Chance snapped away the two tumblers
and bolt, and swung the door open. The treasure of the
Heran Tomb was within.
Chance quietly slipped her glove off her hand, exposing
the ring as she stepped into the room. There were fifty-three
bags of gold within. As she turned, the door closed
between her and the Breton. On her side, it did not
resemble a door anymore, but a wall. Walls beyond doors.
For many days, Chance screamed and screamed, as she
tried to find a way out of the room. For some days after
that, she listened dully to the laughter of Sheogorath
within her own head. Two months later, when Ulstyr returned,
she was dead. He used a rock to prop open the door and
remove the gold. |