The Accounts of Rayden Options

[redsrock]

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes place just nine days after Uriel Septim's assassination, with a unique twist. I am taking the Main Quest and I am remaking it with my own version. What would have happened if both the main-character and Uriel Septim died in the sewers, along with all of the Blades officers? What would have happened if the Amulet of Kings fell into the hand of an "innocent" but hidden bystander?


The Accounts of Rayden


CHAPTER ONE


I wouldn't even have been able to get into the sewers if it wasn't for that foolish Imperial Guard, who, after a few too many bottles of ale, carelessly dropped his heavy set of iron keys lying so temptingly upon the hard wood floor. I was sitting in the tavern, minding my own business. I had planned on settling in for the night, but when I saw that gleaming shine coming from the keys, I knew my night had only just begun.




My name is Rayden, Bosmer and freelance thief of the Imperial City. I am a mere twenty-seven years of age, yet I am capable of many things even veteran thieves cannot accomplish. What, do you think of me as a boastful young brat? I will not argue with you, I am indeed confident of my abilities, but I guess I'll have to prove that to you. Don't worry, you'll learn soon enough.




When I first saw the keys I assumed someone else would pick them up and hand them back to the officer as a sign of good will, possibly a way to kiss up to the Imperials, just like everyone seemed to be so keen of doing. But alas, my inner prayers were answered and nobody but I witnessed the keys fall to the floor. So I left my seat and walked out the door, slyly scooping down to pick the keys up on my way.

At first I wasn't sure what to do with them. There were so many keys hanging from the iron ring, more than fifteen in fact. There were hundreds of places I thought about going to in order to get my hands on whatever I wanted, but one place stood out more than any other: the sewers under the prison. I had heard many a story about how there was a secret passageway to hidden chambers, were rooms were filled with lost and hidden treasures. From my understanding the sewer was not guarded by one soul, meaning it was probably my safest option, as well as my most prosperous.

I left the tavern and headed straight for the sewers entrance, which was just a bit northeast from the city. There, I fumbled through the keys, and thankfully, just as I had originally hoped, one of them opened the large-barred gate that was standing between me and my soon to be treasures.

I stepped inside the damp sewers and walked around for a few minutes, trying to find my way to the secret chambers. The rats were making things difficult, not to mention the goblins. They were extremely difficult to sneak around. After not finding anything of interest for an hour I was beginning to think that the stories must have been false, but then I faintly heard a metal door opening to the west, and the sound seemed as if it was not too far from where I was standing.

I quietly ran to where I heard the sound, and sure enough a door had been opened, and you won't even begin to believe who I saw. The Emperor himself, Uriel Septim, was being led by a Redguard Blade, and some other person who looked to be an inmate of the prison itself. I made that assumption because he was wearing raggedy clothes, and his wrists had irons on them. But the inmate was too far in the back, making it impossible to see what race he was. Obviously the Emperor was an Imperial, everyone knows that. And the Redguard's race was certainly visible thanks to obvious circumstances. As for the inmate, I never did get a look at his face. What happened next went so fast I'm still a bit dazed...

No more than ten seconds after spotting the three, a rustled noise came from their right side. Suddenly men and women wearing scarlet red robes and hoods appeared almost out of nowhere, and for whatever reason a small battle immediately commenced.

It was all so confusing and wild. I didn't know what to do, so I simple hid around a corner, but carefully peeking my head out so that I could see all the action. The Redguard was taking on two opponents at once, and the inmate had already been slain by one of the red-robed.

Uriel Septim had attempted to run away but one of the robed shot a spell his way, hitting him square in the back. A humongous cloud of magic surfaced through the air, and somehow a necklace flew from the Emperor's body, hitting the wall right next my face. I assumed the necklace was a simple, but expensive, piece of jewelry. But, when I picked the item up, I realized it was none other than the Amulet of Kings, THE Amulet of Kings!

I looked back, expecting to see the robed men running towards me, but instead they were running towards the fallen body of the Emperor. The Redguard had taken down his own opponents, and was then rushing over to the Emperor to protect him from the two remaining opponents.

Without hesitating I picked up the necklace and ran away, but before I did that I took one last glance at the battle. The Redguard was on the ground with an axe sticking from the side of his head, and the Emperor was lying unprotected on the hard stoned floor, with both of his frail hands in the air, shielding himself from the two remaining robed men.

"Tell us where the Amulet is!" Yelled one of the robed men. When the Emperor did not respond to their commands they simply stuck a sword through his chest and into his heart, ending the long lived life of Cyrodiil's leader. I watched in horror as Uriel's hands fell to the ground and slammed against the floor. The robed men began searching the area, and that's when I finally left the place.

Now, nine days later, I stand here in an old worn-out cabin, deep in the woods west of Cheydinhal. I sit here with the Amulet of Kings in hand, and I'm trying to figure out what to do. It only took one day for a total transformation of the Empire to take place. After what took place in the sewers, thousands of red-robed figures showed up in the Imperial City, led by an Altmer who called himself "Mankar Camoran". He claimed to be the leader of the cult he called "The Mythic Dawn".

I was in that same tavern where I found the keys when Mankar and his cultists arrived. The death of the Emperor had not yet been spread, since I was the only witness to the deaths, and I surely was too afraid to tell anyone. I was trying to keep myself out of trouble, but then again that would impossible as long as I had the Amulet of Kings still in my possession.

A fight broke out in the city. The guards and citizens banded together to fight the Mythic Dawn, but it was of no use. Apparently Mankar had several men inside the Imperial City who were working for him. That and the fact that the Imperial Legion was greatly outnumbered benefited to the Mythic Dawn's easy victory. Since then Mankar has taken the throne, and his men are looking for the Amulet, which I of course have in hand.

I had left the city before I was rounded up by Mankar's men, and like I told you before, I am now residing in my hidden cabin. It is not hidden by magical powers, but the trees certainly provide help in hiding from the outside world.

I was looking at the amulet closely, examining every last detail of the famed jewel. It was rather heavy for a piece of jewelry, seemingly a little over 1 pound in weight. The gold chain was supposed to wrap around the wearer's neck, and in the middle of the amulet itself was a gigantic, red, ruby-like gem, which was absolutely stunning. Around that gem were eight smaller jewels, all different colors. The amulet was truly a magnificent item, but unfortunately it had some magical powers conjured in it as well.

I say this because when I tried to put the amulet on my own neck, it simply fell off. It never would stay on and I was getting quite furious about the whole situation. That's when I paid a "visit" to the bookstore in the Imperial City, after-hours if you know what I mean. While there I discovered a book about the Amulet of Kings, and in its contents I learned that only a legitimate heir to the Septim bloodline may wear the amulet.

And now, again I say for the third time, here I am sitting in my cabin trying to figure out what to do with my new found treasure. For a while I had thought about giving the jewel to Mankar, for I had foolishly thought he might have given me a hundred heaps of gold for it. But after thinking a bit more clearly, I came to my senses and realized the elf was way too cunning. He would never have given me anything in return; he would have simply tricked me somehow. I do not know the man personally, but I could just tell what kind of man he was by looking at the way he talked.

Ever since the Mythic Dawn's battle was won in the Imperial City, I've been here in my cabin, for fear of my life. I do not want to give the amulet up anymore, I've made that decision. To be honest with you I don't really care about anyone else, but I do not want to see Cyrodiil run by a bunch of cult members and their fanatic leader. Obviously they want the amulet for something, but I'm just not sure what. Right now I'm trying to think of who might be able to help me. Perhaps there is someone who can help me destroy the gem, or perhaps destroying the item isn't what I should do. Back in the bookstore, I read something about that the Amulet of Kings light the Dragonfires, whatever that meant. I don't know what to make of all this, but surely there is someone in this land that can help me; someone who is wiser that I in that sort of business.

At that moment I remembered hearing about an old Breton who lived in a priory south of Chorrol. I knew not his occupation, but only that he had something to do with the Empire. His identity was supposed to have been kept a secret from all, but thankfully for me I was a nosey little thief. I decided that paying this man a visit would definitely help my cause, but of course I really didn't what my cause was at the moment...

This post has been edited by redsrock: Dec 5 2007, 08:23 PM

[redsrock]

CHAPTER TWO


Before I left I made sure I had all I would need to accompany me on my journey to the West Weald. It wasn’t nothing much, because a good thief never carried more than he had to, because he, or she I suppose, wants to stay silent and move as quick and agile as possible. And the more things a thief carries, the more noise they will make and the more slowly they will move.

The only items I had where ten lock picks, a silver short sword, a silver bow with iron silver arrows, and a small pouch containing maps of every city in Cyrodiil. I used to have a huge map of the regions as well, but I lost it somewhere long ago. And of course I had the amulet, tucked safely away in my left pants pocket.

Now, if I asked you what I was wearing you would probably say a black robe with a black hood to go with it, am I right? Well you would be terribly wrong with that statement. That is completely cliché and I absolutely hate it when I hear people claim that all the best thieves wear black. There is no fact to that opinion, thus meaning “opinion”, one that is full of nothing but horse manure, very smelly horse manure.

In fact, I actually try to blend in with the people around me, because I am a thief that is not afraid to steal in the light of day. I wear whatever suits me at the time, whether it be a simple blue robe, or even an expensive doublet. Staying comfortable is what matters to me, that’s all. Right now I am wearing huntsmans leather pants, along with a dark green shirt. And finally I’m wearing an old pair of brown quilted shoes, so I can sneak around silently, and a dark brown green hood as well.

After double checking to make sure I had everything I would need, I set out to the North West, towards Chorrol. I did not bring any food with me because it would only weigh me down, plus I would have had to bring a sack with me, and I really didn’t want the burden of that. I’d just eat somewhere along the way, at an inn or something.

Just a few minutes after I left the house rain began pouring down from the gray clouded sky. It was already dark, a little after eight o’clock in the evening, and the rain was making it even more difficult to travel. I could barely see in front of me, but I did see about ten torches or so that seemed not too far ahead of me, up on a hill.

I quietly ascended up the slope until I reached the top, where I hid behind a large wet boulder, carefully poking my head out to see who the torches’ owners were. Just as I had feared, it was yet again another Mythic Dawn patrol. Ever since Mankar had taken over he’s had his men spread all across the land, no doubt in search for the amulet.

Now that I think about, I was very surprised the Council had not intervened with what was going on. Perhaps they were talking with Mankar, trying to come to a compromise with the elf, but if he was anything like I thought he was they were wasting their time. He wasn’t going to leave until he got what he wanted, and the scary part is that I don’t know what that is.

It’s not surprising that the other countries haven’t sent aid, for they are likely too afraid to do so, especially if the Mythic Dawn has not yet set foot on their own territory. Plus, the Empire’s reputation isn’t actually positive. We’ve made quiet a few enemies and unfortunately that’s going to hurt us dearly in this time of need. The other cities of Cyrodiil had to have been overrun by the Mythic Dawn. Since the Legion was so soundly defeated in the Imperial City, I would have a hard time believing one of the smaller cities could fend off the cult horde.

And now, back to the Mythic Dawn patrol. They were walking southward, thankfully in the opposite direction of my destination. I was hoping to hear them say something, possibly a clue to why they are taking over, but no, nothing but silence was what I received. So I waited for them to pass, and once they were out of sight I continued on my way.

The rain never did stop that night, and by dawn I was completely drenched from head to toe. The rain had come down so hard, and at an unusual sort of horizontal angle, the water splashed onto my face the entire time. It was a miserable trip indeed, but oh well. Nature is nature, there’s no controlling the weather. Well, actually there is, by using some sort of magical book or something, according to some crazy woman up in Chorrol I heard about. But that’s a whole different story in itself.

At about nine o’clock in the morning, I spotted a small inn. I had been traveling through the forests the entire time, rather than the road where I could easily spotted, and I was very surprised to have seen the inn in the first place. But apparently I must’ve been traveling closer to the road than I had originally thought, because the inn was on the edge of a dirt path.

I walked inside the building and saw four people, two who posed a major threat. There was a Breton inn keeper, who was busy talking to an elderly Imperial man, and then there were two Mythic Dawn members, sitting at a table in the left corner. When I saw them I immediately wanted to turn and leave, but unfortunately they saw me, and I couldn’t take a chance of leaving so soon. It would be too suspicious.

Instead, I walked up to the keeper and asked for a room for the day. I paid the Breton ten gold pieces and took my key. While I turned to walk up the stairs, I noticed the Dawn members were watching me closely, too close for my comfort. So rather than walk up stairs, I changed my mind and sat at a table after ordering a round of ale. I wanted to see if the Dawn did anything while I sat there. I wanted to see if they kept watching me. If I was lucky, they would cease with their stares, but something told me that wasn’t going to happen. I had no doubt in my mind the Dawn were going around questioning everyone in the land. And since they had not yet contacted me, it appeared my turn was soon to come.

For ten minutes I sat and drank, saying a few words every so often to the keeper and his friend. I did not want to look too fishy, so I figured talking a bit would only help. After another five minutes they were still eying me, and now they were starting to whisper. It was time to act.

I got up from my seat and walked up the stairs. Just as I had thought they would, the Dawn members got from their seat as well, and I could sense that they were following me. When I got up the stairs, I hid around the corner, waiting for the two robed men, for I already had a plan.

I quietly unsheathed my short sword and stood waiting. Then, when the first one arrived, I quickly shoved the blade through his stomach and shoved him back into his partner, and they both fell down the stairs. The man that I had stabbed was dead, and he was on top of the other. The remaining robed man was having a difficult time getting up, so I took advantage of the situation. He tried to cast a spell at me but it missed by at least two feet. Swiftly I got out my long bow and flung an arrow that hit the man dead in the forehead.

The keeper and his friend ran from their positions and examined the dead bodies, as if they had belief that they might still be alive. When they checked their pulses and realized they were dead, they looked up at me with a horror struck expression.

“What on earth did you do that for, you dumb fool? Don’t you know who you just killed?” The keeper of the inn was totally horrified by what I had done, but the old man had not a clue of what was going. He didn’t know I was holding the Amulet of Kings in my possession, but I couldn’t blame him.

I said nothing to the two, but walked down the stairs, snatching up by blade from the assassin’s stomach as I went. I was going to leave the place but the keeper grabbed my left shoulder and turned me around, rather violently I might say. The move took my by surprise and with a fast move I brought my blade up to the man’s throat, holding it in place only mere centimeters from his skin.

Again I said nothing, only because I didn’t want to compromise my position. I didn’t want to take chance on saying something I shouldn’t. Letting anyone know of what I was carrying would be suicide. Talos knows they would go to the nearest Dawn member and tell them of my whereabouts. Now that I thought about it, the keeper and his friend just might do that anyway. Great, now I had a decision to make.

Do I kill them and eliminate the chance of being ratted out? Or do I let them go and I hope they aren’t a bunch of old snitches? It wasn’t that I was afraid of killing them, I have no conscience as far as I’m concerned, hence my occupation as a thief, but I didn’t want to spill any blood that wasn’t absolutely necessary. After all, I am no murderer. I steal valuables, not life.

Ultimately I decided to let the men go; I’d just have to hope they’d keep their mouths shut. So I took the blade away from his throat, glared into his eyes for a few seconds, and then left before anything else could happen. I would not be stopping the entire day. Something told me the men wouldn’t stay silent for long, so I had to get to priory before I was caught.

I marched for nearly five more hours, through the thick trees of the forest of course, and along the way I encountered no other patrols, only a few deer and a couple of wolves, whom I was successfully able to sneak around without bringing attention to myself.

Finally I arrived at a place where there were two buildings. One looked to be a house, and the other a chapel. I read a small wooded sign that said: Weynon Priory. I was going to walk up to the building and knock on the door, but there wasn’t one. Instead there was only an open entrance leading inside.

I walked through space and saw that the place was totally trashed. Books, bowls and other items were lying everywhere. Loose leaflets of paper were taking up most of the floor, and I noticed blood stains accompanied them as well. That’s when I spotted body in the upper right corner of the room. It was a Breton man, with an iron arrow sticking out from the right side of his chest. I checked his pulse, and of course he was dead. I don’t even know why I checked. I wanted to think this was the man I was looking for, but from what I had heard, the man I was looking for had gray hair. I don’t know where I heard that from, but somehow I almost knew it.

There was a set of stairs and I walked up the second floor, and took a right. In the next room there were two Mythic Dawn members lying on the floor dead. Then, right beside a desk that was in the room, a body of a gray-haired Breton was lying on his side.

I ran over to the man and he was actually alive! I couldn’t believe it, the man, whom I assumed was the man I was coming for, was actually here right in front of me. He looked at me questionably and fearfully, as if I was the enemy.

“No need to worry, I’m not one of them,” I said, pointing over to the fallen Dawn members.

He almost smiled a bit, and then coughed, spitting up a big clot of blood that splattered against the floor and splashed back up into his face. He was too drained to wipe the sticky liquid from his face, so I did him the honors and used a nearby peace of cloth to wipe it away.

“Thank you Bosmer, but I’m afraid that won’t stop my soon-to-be-death. Who are you anyway?”

I told him my name and what I was holding in my pocket. He was very surprised to see that it had not yet fallen into the wrong hands. He told me that they came to his house yesterday morning, demanding to have the amulet, but of course he did not have it.

“What should I do? Is there anyone out there who can help me?” I asked man, whose named was Jauffre.

“Travel…travel to the city of Kvatch. Find an Imperial by the name of Martin. He will be able to help you. I…I personally sought him out just a day ago. I am the only who knows this, but…he is the last heir to the Septim bloodline. He is the son of Uriel Septim, and it took some time to make him believe me. I told him to stay in hiding for a while, because obviously the Mythic Dawn poses him a major threat. Thank…fully….they don’t yet know of his legitimacy to the throne. He alone can help you. What are your plans exactly?”

“I guess destroy the amulet so that Mankar cannot get his hands on it.” I replied. Apparently that wasn’t the answer Jauffre was looking for.

“NO, no, no! Do NOT destroy the amulet,” he yelled, and then coughed up some blood once more. “You…you must preserve it at all costs. I do not have the answers, but Martin can help you. Again I say…guard that amulet with your life. I do not know you Bosmer, but you and Martin are Cyrodiil’s only hope. Also, I do not know Mankar’s intentions…but obviously he wants that amulet. You cannot let him get his hands on it. Do you understand?”

I nodded to the man, and slowly his eyes closed, for the last time. He was dead, and I was still as confused as I was when I first arrived at the priory. So far I had yet to learn anything, only that I was now on another manhunt, this time for an Imperial named Martin. Hopefully he would be able to shed some light on what was going to happen with Mankar and his cult. Maybe then this Martin and I could come up with a plan to stop him from whatever his plans were. Too bad things never tend to work out that easily.