Agent, Ebonheart's finest Options

[jack cloudy]

Yesterday was my birthday so here's my belated gift to all of you. The start of a new fanfic! (Wings of Light will be continued as well.) You may notice a shift of focus compared to my earlier fanfics.




Agent.
Chapter 1: In training.

My knees were shivering. For a good reason, I might say as the Duke towering over me looked very intimidating in his heavy suit of Ebony armour. Just to compare the two of us, the helmet would have been enough to crush me. Also, being dressed in cheap rags has never been a good source of courage. As it was, I had more than enough reasons to be afraid of him.

Who am I? I no longer use the name I was born with. I changed it upon my arrival here on Vvardenfell. Now I finally I have a name I can spell. Anyway, my name is Ro-El Frost. Sounds Khajiit? Maybe, but I am really closer related to the Nords, though without the muscles, the alcohol tolerance, the noise and without the size. Go figure.

The Duke turned to a man wearing some sort of golden armour. Probably the boss of the guard who was blocking the only way out of the room.
,,Is this the kid you were talking about?” The Duke asked with a stern voice. This did not sound well.
,,Yes, that’s the one.” Was the equally stern reply. This was one of those moments that your life would start to fly past your eyes.

How did I get here? Well, I don’t really know to be honest. People claim I must have been on the Skooma to have forgotten how I ever found myself in that mine. I didn’t like it there. The slavers forced me to do hard labour every day. I could feel my life slowly seep away with every single egg I harvested. I had to get out.

My plan took time but it worked in the end, except for one small detail. I harvested some poison one of the Kwama warriors had been spitting at the wall and mixed it with my food for the day. The day after that, I dumped it into the lake that was somehow inside the mine. The food had been swallowed by the Slaughterfish before I’d stepped away. The next part of my plan was the hardest. I’d been warned that the smell of their queen’s blood puts the Kwama into a killing frenzie. This information was meant so that the slaves were careful not to kill themselves, but it could also be used to my advantage.

So as you might guess, tapping blood from the queen is a potentially lethal act. Fortunately, I knew that by tapping just a little through a tiny wound made with my fingernail, the Kwama would not even notice. I carefully kept the blood sealed away inside a bottle till after four days, I’d finally collected enough. That night came the last part of my masterplan.

I managed to convince the slaves to go swimming in the lake, after showing them that the Slaughterfish had died through my act of poisoning. Next, I sprinkled the collected blood on the clothes of the slavers. I managed to get out to the lake before the killing started. I’d never been so glad that Kwama can’t swim. Those things were completely out of control. Which leads me to where I am now.

,,You have caused the death of three Dunmer and would have escaped if my Legionaires weren’t performing a raid at the same time.” The Duke spoke directly to me. Remember the little detail that went wrong? Well two dozen heavily armed soldiers who found a whole angry bunch of Kwama in their face, that’s what went wrong.
,,I thought they would run when the Kwama went mad. I didn’t expect them to die.” Was the weak defense I managed to whisper.

My arm was brusquely grabbed by the guard. The slave bracers I’d been forced to wear clattered on the floor.
,,Ro-El Frost, you have closed down an illegal egg mine and punished those who were responsible. You have further freed their prisoners who are being returned to their families as we speak. All that without harming the Kwama themselves, my men are responsible for that. As such, it is my pleasure as a servant of the great Emperor, Uriel Septim, to grant you your freedom and to take you into my service as an agent in the order of Ebonheart. Serius will escort you to your room.” The Duke now said with a smile and pointed at the guard who had released me from the symbol of slavery.

In a flash of inspiration, I snatched the bracers from the floor before I was dragged out of the room by Serius. We ascended many stairs before he finally threw open a wooden door and pushed me inside. ,,Consider everything in this room to be yours. You’ll be summoned tomorrow at 6 am. Wait inside your room till we come for you.” Serius ordered me before slamming the door shut. Not the nicest guy in the world.

I sat down on the bed and looked around, still unable to believe what had just happened. Instead of being branded as the bad guy and possibly executed, I had been turned into some sort of hero. Not exactly something that happened to me every day.

After I finally admitted to myself that things had turned out alright, I took a look around the room they’d given me. Apart from the bed, there was a closet, a mirror, a desk with several books on it and a sturdy wooden chest. It wasn’t big, but not small either. I opened the closet with the intention of swapping my dirty old rags with something more comfortable. It was cold this time of the year. The closet did not disappoint me. It was filled with all kinds of clothes ranging from simple but sturdy to downright extravagant and fit for a noble. There were shirts, pants, robes, shoes and even a few skirts, though I did not know what I was supposed to do with those. Men don’t wear skirts where I come from. Finally there were a few gloves on a separate rack.

I choose for a simple blue shirt with matching pants and a pair of shoes fit for indoor use. As the last action of the day, I picked up the book lying on top of the pile. ‘History of the Empire, part 1’ it said on the cover. If my idea of an agent was somewhat correct, these books had been placed here for a reason. I had some reading to do.

[jack cloudy]

Consciousness slowly ebbed back to me. The first impressions I received were that of a moving floor and some serious pain in my back. I recollected my wits and kept still as I assessed my physical situation. My arms were tied behind my back, I was gagged and wounded, not good. Fortunately, the wound wasn’t too serious. If it had been, I wouldn’t be lying there thinking about it. Still, I’d better figure out something before I was disposed off, permanently.

Some more listening further revealed aspects of my problem. I was on a cart, dragged forward by a Guar. The zombie was walking along and my not so pleasant host was in control of the vehicle. I carefully opened my eyes. That was when I finally got some good news. Apparently my scrolls had been seen as too expensive to throw away. When you are in big trouble, use anything you can. That could be my motto.

I slowly shuffled closer to the stack of scrolls till I could reach it with my fingers. I snatched one of the stack and examined the ink with my fingertips. Bingo, one firestorm spell at my disposal. If I could get rid of the gag, that was. That problem would have to be solved in the simpliest way possible.

I brought myself back into a helpless looking situation, hiding the scroll underneath me. I then delivered some inventive curses which were all muffled by the gag. That was okay, I was only trying to get Hanarai’s attention. It worked, as expected.

The Dunmer looked at me as if I was mud under her shoe. She then removed the gag.
,,What’s the matter, N’Wah? Want to beg for your life?” She sneered. I simply grinned and aimed my back at the zombie.
,,Not really, I’ve just been dying to try out one of these. COME FORTH, FLAMES OF OBLIVION!”

I wasn’t in the position to observe the results directly, though the sound of the explosion and the fire lighting up the entire area gave me an idea. Simply, I liked it. As a really convenient side-effect, the oversized fireball had also burned through my ropes before smashing into the zombie. I sprang up and threw the woman off the cart. Looking around, I saw only ash where the zombie remained. Not bad for a scrap of paper with enchanted ink.

This time I systematically made sure I’d broken all of her limbs before tying her up and putting her back on the cart. I took the reins and made the Guar turn around.
,,I believe we need to discuss the finer points about taking prisoners. For one thing, make sure they don’t get any tools with which to escape or blow up the guards.” I told her smugly with the scrolls now on my lap, safely out of reach. Though it wasn’t likely for her to do anything with her body ruined like that.

,,You killed him!” Hanarai snapped at me. I frowned.
,,Technically, I didn’t kill anything. Zombies, or Bonewalkers as you call them, are already death. You can’t kill something that’s already death.” I replied. The utter hate on her face made me check if she was properly incapacitated once more.
,,That was not a zombie. It was a man, blessed by our lord with his divine powers.” She spoke with a fanatic zeal.
,,Blessing, it looked more like a curse to me. Now shut up, you can talk all you like when I drag you in front of the Redoran council on the charges of murder and undermining society.”

We arrived in the middle of the night. Needless to say, the Redoran guards were less than pleased with allowing me and my cargo inside the city. A few quick words convinced them that I was no problem and they even gave me directions to the council.

I opened the door and practically threw Hanarai inside. The Redoran council members sat before me and eyed me with more than just a little bit of suspicion.
,,What’s this? Why do you interrupt our meeting?” One of them finally spoke. I nodded at the man.
,,Miner Arobar I presume? I would like to borrow some of your time regarding an investigation I’ve conducted as ordered by Vedam Dren, Duke of Ebonheart. Mind if I hold a little interrogation with the suspect?” I answered politely. Arobar looked towards the man at the head of the table who, after a long wait, gave a short nod.
,,Just make it quick, Outlander.” The man said sternly. Again with the Outlander thing. Really, I was wondering if there was a real difference here between the bad people and the good people. If they all behaved the same, then what was I trying to do?

,,Thank you, Archmaster. You are much too kind.” I answered instead of voicing my real opinion concerning his manners. Some flattery always worked with these stuck-up people. I pulled out one of my scrolls and turned to Hanarai.
,,Hanarai Assutlanipal, you are hereby charged with the following. Murder and placing the blame of said murder on Varvur Sarethi.” The table creaked as one of the council men tensed up and stared at us with a hint of anger crossing his face. ,,The containment of an unnatural and destructive creature under your home for the purpose of causing chaos and destruction throughout Ald-Rhun. The attack on Morvayn manor with the aid of said creature. The plotting of a political overthrow of this city through treachery and deceit. The illegal spreading of decorative objects that are believed to have a negative influence of some sort. Finally, any charges that may come apparent at a later date.” The only woman on the council had burst into tears. I instantly knew she was the widow and only survivor of the attack on Morvayn manor. On the inside, I felt sorry for bringing up bad memories but I had a duty to fulfil here.

I rose the scroll in front of my face.
,,I have a simple question to ask. You will answer with the truth.” I informed the Dunmer. My eyes took in the Daedric runes written on the scroll.
,,YOUR BODY, YOUR SOUL BELONGS TO ME!” A green haze enveloped her. The words I used to invoke the scroll of commanding left a bad taste in my mouth. Nevertheless, I leaned in closer as I fired my single and most important question.
,,Are you guilty?”

We could see her battle the effects of the scroll.
,,Yeeeee……NO, I’M NOT!” The sudden outburst caught me by surprise. I was convinced I would get a confession right now. I glanced at the scroll in my hands.
,,The effect lasts only five seconds, figures.” I noted with a grim expression.

Still, she had almost confessed before breaking free from the scroll. As such, the councilmembers were now in hot debate. I couldn’t quite follow it. Both Athyn Sarethi and Brara Morvayn insisted on interrogating Hanarai further, seeing as how they were personally involved, namely Athyn’s son and Brara’s husband. Finally, they seemed to reach a decision. Or rather, the Archmaster reached a decision.
,,You have a lot to explain, Outlander. How dare you mistreat an innocent woman like that? Truly you barbarians from the Empire know nothing about the rights of the Dunmer.” Ok, that was the wrong answer.

The door was slammed open before either the Archmaster or I could go into a debate. We all watched to see who the newcomer was. The first thing I noticed was that the man was a Redguard, a bit short for a Redguard but still a Redguard. The second thing I noticed was the power of Magicka his equipment radiated, especially his Cuirass and the Claymore on his back. The third and final thing I noticed was the man’s spirit. He showed all signs of containing a power that was unlike anything found on Nirn. Who was this man really? The only beings I’d felt who showed similar spiritual power were the Daedra though this man’s spirit was much stronger than that. We all felt it, even those who were otherwise completely unconnected to Magicka.

The Redguard displayed a smug grin.
,,Sorry I’m late, there was this Cliffracer flying around your crab so I just had to chop it up.” He joked. His face then grew darker as he saw Hanarai sitting on the floor.
,,You smell like the Corprus. What did he promise you? Power, immortality? Well, what did he promise you?” He asked her. His presence was most threatening and I had to stop my hands from shaking even though I wasn’t the one who had to face his wrath. To my surprise, Hanarai merely laughed.
,,The same things he promised you, lord Nerevar. Why do you deny your lord? Why do you fight him? He will come and all that is not his, shall be destroyed. Just like the Morvayn’s, the Sarethis and all of Vvardenfell, all that denies him shall be destroyed. Even your beloved Telvanni shall not survive. So why fight, when you can join him?” She yelled at the Redguard’s face. I must’ve looked really dumb. The only Nerevar I knew was a death Dunmer in the history books.

,,If your god is even half as powerful as you all claim he is, then why does it take so long for him to take over the world? Why do you deny me? I’m going to kick your silly Dagoth Ur’s behind and everything that is his, shall get a severe headache! Now take that disgusting wreck away.” The man known as Nerevar spoke, his last words meant for the guards. To my further surprise, none of the Redorans complained.

The Archmaster looked at me. His hate for Outlanders was apparent. Behind me, Nerevar put a hand on my shoulder.
,,Don’t worry about that old drunkard. If he tries anything funny, I’ve got you covered.” He whispered in my ear. I gave a barely noticeable nod to show I’d heard him.
,,Very well, Outlander. It appears that you have found the source behind the trouble that plagues our city. A delusional source that is evidently addicted to Skooma. You may leave.” The Archmaster said.

I did but before the doors closed behind me, I could hear how the next matter of their meeting was discussed.
,,Now, you aim for the title of Hortator?” I decided that as soon I got back in Ebonheart, I would ask Leroth what a Hortator was. My hand closed upon the letter that explained the results of my investigation. I just hoped that my little escapade would be forgiven.