A Knight Without Fear or Blame mk. II, Yes, yes I'm trying again. Options

[TheBrume]

Well, here I go again, trying again with this story. I've completely rewritten it, it has only a few resemblances to the first incarnation (well, it actually has quite a lot, but none of you know that, because you didn't read those parts, because I didn't post them ).
I'll post the prologue now, and the first part tomorrow. From there, I'll try to stick to a schedule, with one update per week, but... I suppose it'll be ready when it's ready and the schedule will probably be out the window by Sunday so....
So, without further ado...

*******

Prologue

18th Morning Star - 3E 407

Captain Darius shivered as he watched over his men at work, it was incredibly cold, even for Morning Star, he would have liked nothing better than to return his men to Castle Wayrest. But he couldn't, he had to search this town for survivors.

They had received the message late last night.
"The town of Grimdale is under attack by an Orcish warband."
His generals had immediately dispatched Captain Darius' men to the town of course, but they were far too late.
Now, the town was a smoking ruin. Only a handful of the wooden buildings were still standing, even many of the stone ones had collapsed.
There weren't many survivors. A small group of them had been huddled in the chapel of Stendarr. It seems he didn't deign to show any of his mercy on the townsfolk.
They had dug out one or two other survivors from the collapsed buildings, but most of the people they found were dead.

Darius was just about ready to abandon the recovery of bodies and send a scouting party after the Orcs, when he heard some of the dogs barking.
He looked over towards the animals, a couple of Legionaries had started shifting rubble from a collapsed building.
One of them called over to him. "Captain Darius! We've found another survivor!"
Darius brought his horse around and headed towards the growing huddle of soldiers, all trying to clear rubble.
"What have you found?" Darius asked, putting on his best officer's voice.
"A survivor." One of his Bosmer archers said simply.
"A boy." A Nord added.
"Alright." Said Darius as he dismounted and inspected the scene. "It looks like he might be trapped underneath that beam." He thought for a moment. "You four." He pointed at a herd of four cold looking Nords. "Try to lift this beam. You two." He shot his glance at two other soldiers. "Get the boy out, everyone else back away."
The soldiers did as ordered, Darius moved a safe distance away.

He called encouragements as the Nords lifted the beam, grunting with effort, and the two other soldiers darted in and lifted the boy out.

"Excellent work men." Darius said, genuinely pleased at their ability to comprehend orders. "Get the boy to the chapel, put him in front of the fire and fetch the healer."

---

Some hours later, Darius returned to the town, his sword bloody. His scouts had found a band of Orcs at the lake not far from the village, he had taken his force down there and slaughtered them. He didn't like it and it wasn't easy, but justice had been done.

He decided to check in on the boy they had found earlier, so he made his way through the broken town and entered the chapel.
He bowed respectfully at Stendarr's altar before descending down into the priest's rooms which had been serving as a makeshift hospital.

He found the boy, lying in a bed near a crackling fire, a Dunmer woman sat nearby, crushing herbs with a mortar and pestle.
"Is he… awake?" He asked the woman.
As if in answer the boy rolled over and looked at Darius. His eyes were blue and sad, his light hair was a mess, matted and filthy. He had a large cut on his forehead, no doubt he had had a few broken bones too, though perhaps they had been healed.
"Hello." Darius tested.
"Hello." The boy said in response.
"Can you tell me your name?"
"Lucius." He licked his lips. "Lucius Andronicus."

*******

Queue musical intro...


This post has been edited by TheBrume: Oct 2 2012, 09:20 PM

[TheBrume]

Acadian
Thanks!
I'm sorry about the font, I'll just keep it as Ariel from now on, I don't really know why I changed it in the first place.

jack cloudy
Thanks. I sort of have a mechanism for revealing more of his background (though it might be sort of cliché). And I don't want to spoil it by saying a certain Altmer will eventually appear, but...

As for the swords, that's the exact line of thought I had. Great minds think alike.

Grits
I actually sort of regret putting it at three years now. I have a rough idea of whats going to happen, but I don't know how to stretch it out that long.

Colonel Mustard
Thanks, if you happen to see any particularly glaring errors, could you please shame me?
And I wouldn't bother reading the first one if I were you. It's basically an extended prologue with a disappointing ending. I'm not even sure it actually had an ending, I'd need to check, but I think I may have just trailed off and left it hanging.

In this installment:
Lucius gets his journey underway.
There seems to be a lot of sighing in this episode, but what can I say? Tamrielans are an exasperated bunch.

*******

II

Faults and Feelings
3rd Last Seed 4E 422

There was a thick morning fog blanketing Chorrol, hiding the city from Lucius as he left the castle.
He had expected more ceremony. As it was, there were just a few disinterested guardsmen loitering around the courtyard, rather than the strepitous crowd and honour guard of knights he had expected.

It wasn't cold, though it wasn't warm either. It was average. There had been rain the previous evening, so the ground was still wet. The weather could have been better, but it certainly could have been worse.

There was a handful of people just outside the castle gates, attending a cluster of horses who were attempting to graze on the sparse grass by the walls. A young Argonian approached him.

"Sir Lucius?" he rasped. This was the first time he'd been called 'sir.' And he rather liked it.

"Yes?"

"We have your horse ready." The Argonian grabbed the reigns of the nearest horse and led it towards Lucius. It was a chestnut gelding, the kind Chorrol was somewhat famous for - fast, strong and reasonably sturdy.
"What's his name?" He asked, rubbing its nose.
The Argonian shrugged in response and returned to his posse.

Lucius took the reigns and mounted the animal. He would have to think of an appropriate name, then. H waited for a few moments, expecting the Argonian to come forth with more information, but the lizard simply blinked at him.
With one last look at the Castle and an adjustment of his armour, he set off towards the city gates and out into the world.

---

Lucius looked back over his shoulder to see Chorrol being engulfed in the morning fog. He was both sad and glad to be leaving. It would be good to travel Tamriel. He still wasn't totally sure where he was going yet, he would decide once he found out where Captain Darius was.
He continued to ponder about his destination while travelling at an easy pace for a while, he wasn't sure how long, perhaps an hour. His quite contemplation was interrupted by the appearance of a familiar figure from amongst the trees.

"Hello, Breton."

Lucius heaved an audible sigh. "Madali."

She laughed "Good to see you too, Lucius." She brought her horse alongside his.

"You know, we aren't supposed to travel together or have close contact for long periods of time."

"Who would know? The senior knights are hardly going to jump out of a pile of leaves in the forest, punishing us for straying too close now, are they?"

"I would know."

"Eager to be rid of me?"

Yes. He thought. "No." He said. "Its not that, its just your so…"

She held up her hand. "Don't bother, Lucius. I don't want to travel with you either. I wouldn't be able to put up with your disgusting habits."

"My disgusting habit?" He asked, offended. "You're the one who snores. Loudly."

"Habits, Lucius, habits. Plural. And I don't snore, I… snuffle. There's a difference. What about you?" She jabbed accusingly, "You're always biting your nails and chewing your own face. And you breathe far too loudly."

"I breath too loudly?"

"Yes. And your accent is simply awful."

"What's wrong with my accent?"

"You roll your 'R's too much. And where, may I ask, are your 'H's?"

"Well…" He paused and stayed silent, unable to come up with a response. Somewhere in the forest, a crow squawked.

"Why aren't you going to Morrowind?" Lucius asked, hoping to strike up a conversation which revealed less of his perceived faults.

"Because I'd rather go to High Rock." She replied. "It's not that I don't like Morrowind, I do." She explained "I just want to go to High Rock."

Lucius nodded. "Aren't you going the wrong way?"

"I'm going via Skyrim." She explained. "Hammerfell is too hot for me and I'd never get the sand from my boots." She adjusted her hair. "What about you? Why wouldn't a Breton want to go to High Rock?" She inquired.

Lucius though for a moment. "I'm not a Breton." Madali rolled her eyes in response. "But, there's glass and ebony in Vvardenfell, which is good for swords. Maybe I'll go there."

"No doubt." She didn't quite seem convinced. "And after Morrowind? You've got a few years to waste you know."

"Maybe I'll come find you in High Rock." He smiled.

"Maybe I'll avoid you." She smiled back.

Conversation continued for some time before giving way to silence as they continued through the Great Forest.

---

"I think we should stop for tonight." Madali suggested, finally breaking a period of silence

"I'd rather not." He said. "I thin we should push on towards Fort Ash."

"Scared of the dark?" She teased.

"No." He said defensively. "I just don't want to sleep outside."

"I see. Scared of the wildlife then."

"Of course I'm not."

"No, no. I understand completely. People go missing out here all the time. There are minotaurs in these woods you know. Spriggans too."

"There aren't any minotaurs in these woods." He said, cautiously.
"Of course there are, why else do you think Chorrol's blacksmith doesn't stock any war hammers? Because the minotaurs steal them." She teased.

"Where do they get their hammers anyway?" He asked, curious.

She shrugged. "If I ever meet one, I'll be sure to ask. Now come on, we'll never make to Fort Ash tonight." She dismounted and led her horse to a small patch of ground where there was little undergrowth and relatively flat terrain.

Lucius hesitated.

"Oh, come on." She laughed. "I'll need someone to protect me when the minotaurs come."

He sighed, dismounted and led his horse over towards hers, before retrieving his tent and bedroll.

---
4th Last Seed 4E 422

The next day, as they exited the Great Forest, Lucius caught a glimpse of the glistening city, it was a little overwhelming.
It was like a wheel, a perfect circle were it not for the Arcane University, Waterfront and Legion District jutting out of it.
In the centre stood the Imperial Palace. Towering above everything, its reflection fell across the gleaming waters of lake Rumare. On especially clear days, one could see the palace from the tallest tower in Chorrol, but it was far more intimidating up close.
There was no question that the man who lived in there was the most powerful in Tamriel.

The city's walls were huge, perhaps three times the size of Chorrol's and they were made of a white stone, similar to the stone of Ayleid structures.
The city gates were beautiful, even at a distance. Their wood was dark and exotic looking. They had a metallic stylized Imperial Dragon decorating their front. They looked pristine from this distance, like they'd never been breeched.
The pair continued on their way towards the city.

At Weye they parted, exchanging nothing but smiles.

---

As he stepped off the bridge, Lucius took a deep breath, savouring the smell of the Imperial City. And then he gagged, struggling to keep down his breakfast.
It was an awful smell. Like rancid fish and sour milk and sewage all mixed into one.
Upon closer inspection, the city gates and walls weren't as impressive. The walls were filthy at the base and chipped and cracked all over. The gates seemed to be in a similar state, the metal dragons were rusty, there was a stain covering the base of the right gate, and there were dents and chips around the centre. It looked like battle damage, no doubt the gates had been breeched many times in their history.

He guided his horse towards the stable.

"How long will you be in the city for?" An Orcish stablehand asked unenthusiastically.

"A day, maybe two."

The Orc sighed. "Is it a day, or is it two?"

"Two." He said hastily.

"Fine. We'll charge you when you leave." She said, taking the reigns.

"Thank you." Lucius said, turning towards the city.
The Orc grunted in response.

The Talos Plaza district didn't smell quite as bad, it was still there, just a little less overwhelming.
Lucius decided his first stop should be the Sintav Family bank.
"Excuse me," He asked the nearest guard. "Where is the Sintav Family Bank?"
The guard was quite young and Lucius was a head taller than him.

"… The Imperial City is set out like a wheel, with the Imperial Palace at the centre. The spokes of the wheel are, going clockwise from the north, the Market District, Arena District, Arboretum, Temple District, Talos Plaza District and Elven Gardens District. We are in the Talos Plaza District."

"Right… Thank you. Not what I asked though is it?"

"Sorry about him." Another Guard had come over. "He's new to the job. The Sintav Bank is in this district, just go left from here and follow the road. There'll be a sign pointing it out, you cant miss it."

"Thank you." Lucius left the two guards, the older one was now whispering to the younger.
The district was bustling with people. Rich people, poor people and somewhere in the middle people were everywhere, going about their business. Lucius wondered just what that business was.
Perhaps the Wood Elf with the black hair and green eyes was an assassin, on his way to complete a contract.
Maybe the Nordic woman with the axe on her back was a mage who was studying enchanting.
And could the Breton with the bow be a prince from High Rock out exploring the world in secret?
Lucius enjoyed creating stories about strangers in the street. It made him feel secure and of course, it was a way to relieve boredom.

The bank wasn't so easy to spot, it stood amongst other banks and the writing of their signs was fancier than it need be, making it difficult to read. He did eventually find the correct building and entered to find a rather dull interior. The room was long, with a desk at the end which traversed almost its entire breadth. There were a few chairs in the centre of the room, and some other, shorter desks at the sides. Behind the long desk was a large tapestry, featuring a chest and key with a crown above.
At the long desk stood a single, solitary, pale looking Imperial woman. Her mouth was stretched into a smile, but her eyes exhibited nothing but lifelessness and boredom.
Lucius deigned to approach the woman, hopefully it would improve her day, though he doubted it.

"Welcome to the Sintav Family bank, stay away from the Atius bank, they'll steal your money. How may I help you?" She really didn't seem to want to help him.

"Yes… uhm, I'd like to withdraw some money from an account." He said, unfolding the scrap of paper with the details.

The woman sighed and pulled up a large, leather bound, battered book from inside the desk. "Well then, lets see… Your account number please?"

Lucius told her all the details and she spent a few minutes flicking through the ledger.

"Here we go." She said, seeming to be a little more cheery. "Your account balance was at one thousand two hundred and fifty drakes. When we add the interest you new balance is…" She whispered to herself for a few moments. "Two thousand septims. How much would you like to withdraw?"

Lucius though for a moment. It could be dangerous to take it all with him, no doubt the bandits would be able to hear his pockets ting-a-linging from miles away.
But he would need some money for his journey and he didn't have any pockets.

"Where are your other branches?" He inquired.

"There are none. Sintav Family Bank operates exclusively in the Imperial City. However," She held up a finger, "We can arrange a transfer of funds to another bank or banks." She pulled out a sheet of paper from somewhere and placed it in front of him. "This is a list of all the banks we can transfer money to."

"I'd like to transfer… five hundred gold to the Bank of Wayrest. Five hundred to the Bank of Solitude and five hundred to the Bank of Vivec, while withdrawing five hundred drakes for myself."

The woman's smile diminished slightly. "That's a lot of work. But, okay. I'll get all the paperwork ready and arrange for the transfer of funds." Her smile was back at full strength. "Your name?"

"Lucius Andronicus." He said.

"Oh." She said, looking down at her ledger. "Well, you see, the account holder's name was Antonius Andronicus. Is he…?"

"My uncle. He is… deceased."

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss." She seemed somewhat sincere. "Well then, Sir. I'll retrieve your five hundred gold now, and then you can be on your way."


This post has been edited by TheBrume: Oct 4 2012, 05:24 PM