Redemption., Cause being evil sucks. Options

[jack cloudy]

Ok, another start. I was going to hold off on this one for a few months but the point is, if I don't switch my focus around regularly, I'll go nuts. And letting it rot on my harddisk feels like a waste. I'm also a bit worried for spoilers regarding my other stories but hey, this might actually serve to keep my interest in other stories fresh. A spoiler here leads me to ask myself 'then how did it exactly happen?'.

So umm, yeah. Let's get going.

part 2

Redemption

Chapter 1: End of the wait.

Drip….drip…..drip. Cold water dripped down between the bars and along the rough stone. The crackle of thunder roared through the chamber, the flash of lightning erased the darkness for a brief moment.
,,Bloody bad weather today.” The Dunmer who inhabited the cell mumbled. He glanced at the cell opposite his and sneered. He then walked up to the bars and gripped them with his hands.
,,I said, bad weather today.” He repeated. For a few seconds, he waited. Then he scoffed and walked to the dirty rag that was his bed.
,,Not very talkative today, are we? Well, I envy you. All that water coming in through that peekhole. Fresh water! I haven’t had fresh water in months!” He spun around and faced the bars again.
,,In months, you hear me?! Then why don’t you take advantage of the circumstances and enjoy this luxury your cell provides but mine doesn’t?!”

The man in the other cell lay on his back in a corner of the cell, hands folded under his head, legs slightly spread, feet almost lying in the pool that spread on the floor. The window of his cell lay at the bottom of a slope, which allowed a steady stream of muddy water to enter. To any casual observer, it would seem that he was asleep, comfortable despite the Spartan conditions of his surroundings.
,,Don’t get over-excited. Water isn’t the most important thing in the world.” He replied softly without opening his eyes. The Dunmer grit his teeth.
,,You and your self-righteous proclaimants. Then what is the most important thing in the world, wiseguy? Well, out with it. Show us the great wisdom of the Altmer.” He spat.
,,That is a different thing for each individual. What is the most important thing for you?” The Altmer answered calmly.

The Dunmer kicked one of the walls in his cell.
,,Answering a question with a question of your own? Well then, listen carefully. I don’t know why but I’m just going to tell you! The most important thing for me is a woman! I haven’t had my fun with a woman in five years, I’m telling you. Five years! That’s horrible!” He said.
,,But at least I’ll be out of here soon. And when I do, I’m going to enjoy it all the way. I’ve always been popular with the ladies, unlike you. A different girl each night, and then some. Makes you jealous, doesn’t it?” He gloated. The Altmer shrugged, the only motion he’d made in the last two days.
,,I don’t see any need to be jealous.” He said.

The Dunmer cocked an eyebrow and stalked back to the bars.
,,No need? The Altmer says there is no need to be jealous! Oh, but now I remember. You don’t feel the need to be jealous because your blood is so pure and there is a lass waiting back home who was born just to suit you. Born just to suit you, all thanks to the breeding program you High Elves have. All thanks to your quest for purity.” He snickered and watched his fellow prisoner intently. If he’d been expecting a sign of anger or any other emotion, he would be disappointed.
,,Believe what you will.” Was all the Altmer said.

Thunder roared again. Then, silence, safe for the soft clatter of the rain. The Dunmer had returned to his bed and watched the dark sky outside his window.
,,Believe what you will. He’s got issues. I bet his mother always beat him whenever he had impure thoughts.” He muttered to himself hatefully. He then rose.
,,Believe what you will?” He repeated, louder this time.
,,Well, I know what I believe. I believe I’ll use the cache of money I’ve stored under the loose rock in the wall. I was going to save it for later, but this place and you have gotten on my nerves, so there. I’m going to have some fun in this place, even if it kills me!” He decided and pried loose the brick he’d mentioned.
,,Be carefull what you wish for.” The Altmer warned. The pool had now crept up to his bare toes, but he did not move them. Even though the water was near freezing, he did not seem to be bothered at all by it. Meanwhile, the Dunmer scooped up the coins he’d hidden and counted them. He chose to ignore the other.
,,Fifty-four Septims. That’s enough for the guards to buy themselves a couple of bottles.” He spoke, got up and raked one of the coins across the bars.

,,What are you making all that racket for, prisoner?!” A guard inquired in a gruff tone. He’d come to investigate the cause of the noise. The Dunmer looked the man up from head to toe.
,,Tell me, friend? Have you been doing well at your card-games?” He then chuckled. The Imperial’s brow furrowed.
,,None of your bussines, Dark Elf scum! Now keep it quiet down here!” He spat. He waved his arm across, pointing at the Altmer in the other cell.
,,Take an example from him. He’s been here since before I was born, and not even once did he cause trouble.” He added. The Dunmer smiled, revealing two incomplete rows of yellow-brownish teeth. Perhaps he’d once been popular with the ladies but in his current state, popularity would need some help.
,,Just as I thought. You’ve been losing badly, haven’t you? Well, I just happen to have the solution to that particular little problem of yours.” He whispered and flashed a coin. Instantly, the guard became twice as attentive.

,,How much do you have?” He asked in a coarse whisper of his own.
,,Twenty-seven in total.” The Dunmer lied. He then leaned in as close as he could without hitting the bars with his forehead. Thunder echoed through the prison complex.
,,Twenty-seven perfectly legitimate Septims. Twenty-seven shiny bits of gold and copper. They could be yours, so very easily….for a small favour, of course.” He offered. The guard licked his lips and let his eyes slip to the coins the Dunmer now held up in his hand, yet still out of his reach. He thought of going back to the barracks and taking the keys to the Dunmer’s cell, so he could take the money by force. But if he did that, his commander would have him fired and thrown into a cell instantly on the charge of accepting bribes. He would be better off listening to what the man had to offer.
,,I’m listening.”

The Dunmer leaned in even closer, resting his forehead against the bars.
,,Good, good. You see, I’m feeling rather…lonely. While he doesn’t cause any trouble, our friend over there is a poor conversationalist. A man of few words. So I was thinking, if you could help me out, perhaps provide me with….suitable company? I would be more than willing to help out a friend who is in need of a financial boost. Rub my back, rub yours?” He whispered. The guard looked into the crimson eyes of the prisoner, glanced at the Altmer, the coins and weighed the risk. If the Altmer talked, he would still be in trouble. But the gold-skinned fellow appeared to be sound asleep, impossible as it might sound with the thunder and lightning playing outside. The Imperial grinned, a greedy grin.
,,For a friend, why certainly. It would be a pleasure, no, an honour to help. In fact, I just seem to remember that prisonblock C is undergoing renovations. We need to relocate the current occupants. I was just wondering where to move some of them anyway. I’ll see if I can send over a…better conversationalist.” He said and held out his hand. The Dunmer grinned and handed over some of the coins.
,,Half now, half upon delivery.”

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Mar 6 2012, 08:29 PM

[jack cloudy]

And I think you have the right suspect.


Chapter 3.4


Cyrodiil, Ocato’s office.

“Lord! Lord!” Ocato looked up at the sudden sound with an irritated expression. He instantly smoothed his expression down to one of stoic calm and scolded himself for showing weakness, even if it had only been for a mere moment.
“Yes? What matter would be so important that it is necessary to disturb a chancellor of the Council?” He asked in a dry monotone.

The pages all fidgeted about nervously and Ocato picked up a demeanor of considerate attention.
“Lord, we come here with important news.” One of them, an Imperial in his late forties, said. Ocato gestured for the man to continue.
“And what would this news be?” He asked at the same time.
“The Emperor, he is nowhere to be found within the palace. Servants are searching every chamber, but as of yet, they have not been succesfull.” The page continued after a short pause.

Ocato leaned back in his seat and glanced at the papers on his desk without seeing them.
“I see.” He muttered, addressing no one in particular. He looked up at the ornate clock hanging on the wall.
“Within the hour, the citizens shall flow to the palace to present their needs and issues to our liege.” He added. He calmly began to fold the papers and stack them into a pile which he then shoved to a corner of his desk. Once he was done, he stood up.
“Last night, men entered the palace with criminal intentions. The palace guard was, surprisingly, ineffective to prevent entry. As according to protocol in such an event, the Emperor was roused from his slumber and escorted to the Imperial prison where he would hide till the culprits had been caught and detained. You will find our liege there. Now go there and tell him that the threat has passed. I shall go to the palace and take his place till the moment of his return.” He ordered and watched the pages filter out of the door. Once they’d all left, he walked out himself.

Ocato had scarcely fled the office, or the air in a corner shimmered before settling into the form of a tall Altmer with grey curls reaching to his shoulders, dressed in a white robe similar to that of the pages, yet differing in the details. The Altmer leaned out beyond the doorway and peered down the hall before closing and locking the door. If any of Ocato’s houseservants came this way, they would find the door locked and assume that Ocato wished the room to remain undisturbed so that he could continue his work where he had left off upon his return. Or so the Altmer hoped.

He moved through the room slowly, with barely a sound. The first item he inspected was the stack of paper forms Ocato had left on his desk. It was about the organization of a festival next month, nothing that merited the Altmer’s interest. He placed the papers back in the position Ocato had put them, making sure he maintained the right order.

Next, he moved to a bookrack running along a sidewall. His finger skimmed over the titles till he found the one he had been looking for.
‘Financial report of private spendings. 3E 401 - 3E 431’
The Altmer placed the book down upon the desk and sat down. The first page confirmed what he’d expected. The numbers in it were about the money Ocato had donated to various organizations and individuals, on behalf of Uriel Septim VII. None of the numbers would appear in the official reports found at the palace.

He picked up an empty sheet of paper, as well as a new quill and bottle of ink. Ocato, the Altmer assumed, wouldn’t miss either since it wasn’t his task to look after the stock. The servants meanwhile, would assume Ocato had taken the items with him to the palace and would replenish the stock without a word. The Altmer allowed himself a smile of satisfaction as he began to take notes of the more noteworthy reports. Reports of unusual events, or those that stood out due to their regularity. It wasn’t long till a pattern grew.

3E 403: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.
3E 403: Expenses for investigation regarding individual ‘Cluson Alkad’ 8054 septims
3E 403: Expenses for investigation regarding individual ‘Aran Geydar’ 531 septims
3E 403: Expenses for investigation regarding individual ‘Rajn Treesap’ 531 septims
3E 403: Outfitting of Blade operatives with forged Legion equipment. 3067 septims

3E 404: Financial gift to Thieves guild infiltrant, for the purpose of aquiring a decommissioned navy vessel through illegitimate channels. 5400 septims
3E 404: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.
3E 404: Financial agreement with individual ‘Redriz Valerus.’ 16807 septims.

The Altmer tapped the paper at the last line and whistled softly. That was a lot of money for just a single agreement. He continued running down the list.

3E 404: Mage-copy designated ‘Luper Alkad’, inserted. Original placed in stasis. Financial agreement with Dark Brotherhood for the silencing of individual Redriz Valerus. 6000 septims.

Again the Altmer paused. So this Valerus had apparently been a mage, hired by the palace to forge a copy of a certain person. Then after his work had been done, Valerus had been silenced.
“Something important is going on here, but I don’t know what. I should keep my eye on this.” He thought.

3E 405: monetary gift to merchant-vessel ‘Blue Serpent’. 2400 septims
3E 405: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.
3E 405: Expenditure at Cyrodiil quality arms. 1 Elven Claymore. 1750 septims

He rechecked to make sure he hadn’t made a mistake somewhere.
“A single Claymore? Odd.”

3E 405: enchantment-costs for Elven Claymore. 7080 septims.

Surprisingly, the next few years were devoid of anything interesting, except for the regular
gift to the Kvatch temple, which was starting to stand out. Then, at 3E 427, the Altmer found something interesting again, even moreso since he knew the importance of this date.

3E 427: Agreement with Mage guild for memory-wipe of individual ‘Luper Alkad’. New memories implanted. 25970 septims.
3E 427: Prison-files altered. Silencing money paid. 4500 septims.
3E 427: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.

3E 429: Agreement with Dark Brotherhood for the silencing of individual ‘Luper Alkad’ 30000 septims.
3E 429: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.

3E 430: Financial gift to Dark Brotherhood for base reconstruction in Mournhold. 3300 septims
3E 430: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.
3E 431: Payment to Dark Brotherhood to cease threats of murder Uriel Septim VII. Hunt for individual ‘Luper Alkad’ cancelled. 20000 septims.
3E 431: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.

The Altmer stopped writing. He had what he’d been looking for, pretty much. The Kvatch temple really stood out. Why, he didn’t know. What was more important, was the fact that there had been a noticeable peak in the number of Dark Brotherhood agreements in the year before. Then there was what he called the ‘Alkad’-case. He wondered what that was about. It seemed as if the matter had been resolved, pretty much. Though the amount of funds that case had siphoned over the years was incredible.
“To survive the Dark Brotherhood for two years and actually make the order so desperate it threatens the emperor just to have the hunt cancelled. I should keep an eye out for rumours regarding this man. He could be a threat.”

The Altmer folded up the paper, closed the bottle of ink and tucked everything he’d used in his pockets. He then unlocked the door, placed the key where he’d found it. Finally, he vanished into tin air.

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Dec 30 2012, 10:30 PM