Down Payment

### *Having accepted the Instigator's contract, Ornstein begins to experience the consequences of accepting the dark pact.*

Ornstein lay in bed, waiting for sleep to slowly take its hold. As darkness began to take his mind, his sense of body faded; yet the dragonborn's mind lingered. Minutes passed, perhaps even hours. Time lost all sense as he floated within the void. Suddenly Ornstein's mind sharpened; the vague numbness of the dreamworld gave way to an almost maddening awareness. The dragonborn felt cold. Very, very cold.

What was once a uniform, infinite blackness, a mist of other hues of darkness churned throughout the void. Whispers began to echo; but the voices were indiscernible. They sounded distant, yet Ornstein couldn't help but think that they were originating from within his own mind. A brief glimmer of golden light caught the corner of the dragonborn's eye, flickering for only a second in the distance. The young dragonborn felt drawn to it, as if he was entitled to discover its origin.

Wading through the darkness, the whispers started to become louder, and more frequent. The air continues to cool; an odd yet painless sensation. Ornstein felt as though his heart was in his head. Every beat became deafening as the whispers started to overwhelm him. Women, children, man and monster; an infinite number of voices all begging to be heard. In all his years had the dragonborn paladin never felt such dread; yet at the same time, had he never felt so determined to press forward.

The whispers began to wail, as Ornstein caught movement from the edge of his vision. Hastily glancing around, the young dragonborn felt like succumbing to the suffocating darkness, yet no one could be seen. He pressed on, and it was at this crescendo of dread and terror when another glimmer of light flickered ahead, this time only a few feet before him. All goes silent, as a single gold coin fades into view. Upon its face the profile of a human skull stares off into the darkness.

Ornstein picked up the coin, noticing a familiar red hue reflecting from its surface. He studied the coin, and an eerie light began to dimly illuminate the void ahead. The dragonborn watched on as countless corpses are revealed, stretching as far as he can see into the darkness. A chilly moment of realisation flooded Ornstein's mind. He recognised these slain bodies - the dragonborn had killed them, after all. Their wounds all perfectly reflected the manner of death as could be recalled.

The dim light continued to creep outwards, revealing the silhouette of a tall, cloaked figure standing amongst the dead.

"Welcome to the family, paladin."

The figure looks up, revealing the rotting undead skull of The Instigator. The skeleton clenches its teeth as to what Ornstein assumed to be a menacing grin. It's hollow voice echoed towards him;

"Our master has big plans for you. Do not disappoint."

The light faded, once again leaving the dragonborn alone in darkness. Only this time, Ornstein could perfectly see the blood coin firmly within his grasp.

The Instigator's voice flooded the dragonborn's mind;

"A bit of down payment for your continued cooperation..."

The coin melted away in Ornstein's palm and turned to a thick red liquid; the metallic smell was uncanny - it's blood. As the blood pooled in his hand, Ornstein was alarmed to feel a burning sensation as the liquid rapidly forced its way through his rough scaly skin. Chills surged through his body. Confused, and unaware of what exactly had just taken place, Ornstein somehow felt *stronger*.

The dragonborn's body became numb and his conscious faded. Sleep took hold once more to carry him towards the dawn.