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

[jack cloudy]

I like the premise. It is also interesting to notice that the Dawn here is a really powerful force that took over Cyrodiil (the city, perhaps also the province.) No sign of Daedra...yet.

I'll be watching this one.

[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.

[The Metal Mallet]

Fun stuff. This twist of just a random thief getting caught up in the Oblivion Crisis is pretty interesting so far. I look forward to the changes you plan to make to the story.

[jack cloudy]

I like it, I like it a lot.

There is just one thing that surprises me though, Rayden's choice of violence against the two Mythic Dawn. If they were just going to interogate him, he might have been able to talk his way out. Then again, maybe they 'felt' the amulet's magic or something and that's why he was being watched so closely, which makes violence a better solution. Without surprise, I don't think he would've made it. It would also explain the many patrols. While you've made the Dawn seem big, it is still a secret cult, not large enough to fill the whole province with patrols.

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Dec 6 2007, 10:13 PM

[redsrock]

I like it, I like it a lot.

While you've made the Dawn seem big, it is still a secret cult, not large enough to fill the whole province with patrols.

Ya, I've gotten that a lot. I just changed it to where they had a lot more men. It makes things easier for me.

[redsrock]

CHAPTER THREE


As I walked down the stairs and out the entrance I began to rethink what I was doing. Before, back in my cabin, I had persuaded myself that the Mythic Dawn could be easily outwitted and fooled, but now I know I was terribly wrong.

Embarrassingly I must admit that I had once taken this situation lightly, and I blame my foolish youth and overconfidence for that. Until today I figured I would not run into any problems; that I would be able to fix this catastrophic dilemma unscathed. But after my run-in with the two Dawn members, and of course the grisly scene I had just witnessed, I have now been able to fully grasp what dangerous of a situation I am in.

One small mishap by me could easily lead to an untimely death, and ultimately possibly the destruction of Cyrodiil. I used to not think about that kind of stuff, but now my pride for my country is at its highest level. I have a new found respect for Cyrodiil, and I am not about to let the Dawn take it away from me.

In order to succeed with my plans, I have to be smarter about what I do. The Dawn is truly a major threat and should be taken lightly. And I also know that my victory against those two Dawn members back at inn was luck, and nothing else. The Dawn is certainly more cunning that I had originally thought, and it’s high time I start acting more mature. I can still be confident in my abilities, but not to the extent of believing I can conquer anything.

I’ll also admit that I’m worried about what Jauffre said about this Martin person and me; that the two of us alone were Cyrodiil’s only hope. I would like to think that somebody else would be able to give us aid in our mission, whatever that may be. I’m still not exactly sure what I’m doing, other than NOT destroying the amulet. Jauffre certainly made that clear.




When I left the priory it was early the evening and the sun was starting to fade away for the night. The air was rather brisk for this time of the year and it was chilling me to the bones because I wasn’t wearing a jacket, simply because I didn’t think I’d need one. I thought about going back to grab a robe of one of the fallen, but then again I didn’t want where something with blood splattered all over it. It would be both disgusting and suspicious. Imagine what you would do if you saw someone wearing a robe with blood all over themselves…

So I braved the night, not stopping except to rest my legs once and a while, which wasn’t often because I wanted to get to Kvatch as quick as possible. It’s kind of ironic that I was now traveling to this particular city, because this place marked the beginning of my “career”.

As a young Bosmer growing up in a log cabin just west of Kvatch, my mother and I made many trips back and forth between our home and the city. I really sort of bonded with Kvatch in a way, though I can’t really describe it. I was just an amazing place to live at. The locals were more than friendly; there were plenty of shops and tons of entertainment. Even the Count, Ormellius Goldwine, was an honest man, something I can’t say about too many other counts and Countesses.

But that was nine years ago. Ever since I turned eighteen I’ve been on my own, and I put most of the blame on the shoulders of my vindictive father. When he wasn’t asleep, drunk on the floor, he was either cursing at me or beating me, most of time both. He was definitely a disliked man, both by men and the city of Kvatch. Many times he’d travel there just to get drunk, for he claimed Kvatch had the best ale in the land.

I still can’t figure out what my mother saw in that fool of a man, but it doesn’t matter anymore. He finally got up and left when I was around seventeen years of age. I doubt he’s still alive, but given my current position I guess I can say stranger things have happened.

After my father left my mother’s attitude and demeanor changed for the worst. Even though he was so abusive, my mother absolutely adored my father. For whatever reasons, my mother was always trying to keep him as happy as possible, and for him that simply met give him beer and a place to sleep. That seemed to be the only two things he was interested in. He never worked and money was always scarce around the house. If it wasn’t for my mother’s ability to weave baskets there’s no doubt my mind we would’ve been sleeping in a cave somewhere.

When he left my mother stopped traveling to Kvatch, as if she were embarrassed by my father’s departure. She blamed herself for him leaving, though I have no clue why she would even think that. Her attitude towards me also changed. Though she never hit me physically, she played the psychological game. She’d claim how much of a burden I was to her and how she realized why my father hated me. It hurt me deep, it really did, but thankfully I only had to endure the mental punishment for about a year. Once I turned eighteen I hit the road, never turning back.

I haven’t returned to home since I left. Nine years it’s been since I last spoke with my mother, and as far as I’m concerned it can stay that way for all I care. I don’t want anything to do with her anymore.

When I left home nine years ago I went straight for Kvatch, where I immediately found a job at the local bakery. The owner of the place, whose name I have forgotten over the years, wasn’t particularly friendly, but he did provide me with food and a home. I don’t think he liked elves very much, and for that I blame his Imperial back round. The Imperial’s stubbornness cause them to fear anything that didn’t look or act like them.

After a few months working I was beginning to get tired of everything. I was busting my chops for the baker, and in spite of my hard work ethic, I was barely paid five septims a week. One night I decided enough was enough and I left Kvatch, also for good. I have not been back since I left there as well.

Ever since then I’ve been in that cabin I told you about. When I found it, it was already desolate and I don’t think anyone had been there for years. That’s when my life as a thief started, and I can’t complain. I love what I do, and I don’t really care what anyone thinks. I believe firmly that a thief must have no conscience, just as I’ve told you before. I definitely fall under that heading.









At around six o’clock in the evening, after climbing a large hill, I arrived at the city to see many troops stationed outside. I had expected to see many Dawn members, but the strange part was that they were Imperial Legion soldiers. Perhaps not all was yet lost? Maybe had not been totaled destroyed as of yet?

I started walking towards the group, but then I stopped right in my tracks. Surely if I were to walk through the crowd and into the city the soldiers would first search me. Why would they let a total stranger into the city without questioning him or her beforehand? And if that were to happen, they would obviously find the amulet, and that is something I couldn’t let happen. Even though they were the good guys I didn’t want anyone but Martin to know about it.

Before I entered the city I placed the amulet under behind a large rock, and then I placed dirt over top of it to conceal it from view. I knew this was a risky chance, for anyone could happen to come across this path and step on the amulet, but it was a risk I had to take. I really didn’t see any other way.

When I walked near the troops they shifted their complete attention to me, just as I had assumed they were.

“Halt, Bosmer.”

I stopped just as the officer said, and he motioned for one of his men to search.

“These are some trying times, and I’m sorry but we must search you before you can go inside. Cyrodiil obviously isn’t what it used to be I’ afraid,” the officer said.

“Not a problem, officer, I totally understand. But I must confess, I’m surprised to see the Legion is still intact. In Cheydinhal the place is overrun by the Dawn.” I figured now was a good time to gather some information.

“Yes, the entire south is controlled by the Dawn. Kvatch, Anvil, Skingrad and Bruma are the only cities under Legion control. That is to say for now at least. Who knows what will happen in the coming days,” the officer said depressingly.

“So the Counts and Countess are no longer in charge of their cities? The Legion has taken complete control over the four remaining?”

“No, they still have the same powers as usual, but now our Legion has been divided to the four cities so that the city guard can have some extra help. The majority of our troops are stationed in Anvil and Bruma. I think controlling the only sea-port city, and the city by the Jerall Mountains, is most important strategically. Unfortunately I, Adamus Phillida, am the only remaining Legion officer left after the battle in the Imperial City. I have to admit times are not easy, but we’ll deal with it somehow. We won’t let Mankar and his cultists take our land from us!”

I wanted to believe the old man, but I didn’t agree with him at all. We are greatly outnumbered as it is, and from the looks of it we’ve got a bunch of inexperienced soldiers running the Legion. That doesn’t spell success if you ask me, but only time will tell I guess.

“Of course we will. Have a good evening officer.”

Adamus nodded and I walked through the city gates and into the city. Just as I had imagined, the streets were flocking with people. It was just like I had remembered, in that it was always packed with people, whether they are gossiping near the statue of Antus Pinder, or if they are simply going to and from work. It was absolutely magnificent, and I was now in some sort of trance. It was so strange being back here. I felt so weird, but at the same time it all felt normal.

I stood there in the middle of the street for nearly ten minutes before a nearby Dunmer lady ask me, “Are you okay elf? You look like you’re in a fantasy world or something?”

“Ma’am, if you only knew,” I said laughing.

As I have shown with Adamus and the Dunmer lady, I am a gentleman. Another annoying cliché people seem to have with thieves is that they are rude and unintelligent. That couldn’t even be further from the truth! By being a respectable person, and an intelligent one for that matter, you can create a wrong impression of yourself, leading people to believe that they can trust you. But then again, I guess you could say I’m more than a thief. I don’t know, I can’t really explain it, but I really am a bit different from most thieves. Most like to do their bidding in the darkness of the night. Me, I’ll do it when I want, where I want, how I want.

Also, most thieves are silent with there words, meaning they rarely talk to people, if at all. They prefer to be loners, where with me it doesn’t really matter. Talking, I can take it or leave it, as long as I get the job done. In the end that’s all that matters anyway.
I looked around the area at all the shops, and to my surprise many of them had stayed in business all this time. Although one store that wasn’t present was the bakery, which really surprised me. We had a lot of business when I worked there, I can’t believe it shut down.

Through all of my joy of walking through Kvatch once more, I almost forgot why I was here in the first place. I had to find Martin, though I had no idea who or what he looked like. I knew neither his location nor his occupation. The Dunmer lady was about to leave, but before she could I stopped her just in time.

“Excuse me, ma’am, I hate to keep you, but can you tell where I can find an Imperial named Martin?”

Hey eyes widened with suspicion. “You mean Brother Martin? You can find him in the chapel, praying every evening at eight o’clock, if that’s what you want to call it. What in the world do you want with him? Talos save his soul,” she said as she walked away.

Well that was certainly strange. I wonder why she gave me such a look when I asked about Martin…

I needed not directions to the chapel, for I knew this city like the back of my hand. It was kind of funny actually, because I had not been around this area for nine years, yet I still knew where everything was. The funniest thing though was that I didn’t recognize anyone just yet. Now that I think about I really didn’t meet with many people when I was here in the first place. Whenever I came shopping with my mother I never talked because I was a shy little boy, and when I worked in the bakery I always worked in the back of the shop, away from people.

So off to the Chapel I was which was located almost smack-dab in the middle of the city. When I entered the building, only two people were present. One was an older Imperial lady, who was actually leaving as soon as I was entering. The other was an Imperial man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, give or take a little. He was praying silently on his knees. I didn’t want to be rude, so rather than interrupt him I instead sat on one of the wooden pews. I waited only about five minutes, and then the man was finished. When he saw me he was a bit startled, for who did not know anyone else besides himself was present.

“Oh, sorry Bosmer but you startled me. I thought I was the only one in here.”

He spoke with a sort depressing voice, like it was him against the world or something. It was kind of irritating, but oh well.

“Sorry for scaring you sir, but I think you are the person I’ve been looking for. Are you Martin?”

Obviously the Imperial confused because he didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. “Yes, I am Martin. But I’m afraid I’m confused. What are you talking about”?

“My name Rayden and I come all the way from Cheydinhal. I have something that will be in your interest: the Amulet of Kings.”

“The Amulet of Kings you say? Well where is it, if you even have it, that is,” he said rather rudely. “You do not have it? Well I am not surprised. Please leave me alone.”

His sudden change of mood was quite surprising. Apparently I had poked at a touchy subject. He clearly did not believe me, and that made me mad. I came all this way and all I get is a rude response? I don’t care how bad of a mood he was in, I wasn’t about to just let him walk away.

“Wait, I am not lying to you. The amulet is lying outside the city, behind a large rock. I couldn’t risk bringing the amulet with me, because as you already know the Legion is searching everyone that enters and leaves the city.”

“Well, you are right about that I suppose, but why me? Why come all the way here to bother me.” He sighed and then continued. “I am not even a good priest. Why I am telling you this I have not a clue, but just listen anyway Bosmer. The gods do not favor me; they’ve shown that throughout the years plenty of times. Why in the world would you come to me claiming you have the Amulet of Kings?”

“Because I just recently spoke with Jauffre, at Weynon Priory.”

At these words Martin’s attitude changed for the better. By telling him I had spoken with Jauffre, he seemed to believe me a little bit more than before.

“Jauffre, but how do you know him?”

“Well, I don’t really. Listen, I was at the sewers when your father, Uriel Septim was killed. I was out of view and happened to pick up the amulet by chance. I went to Jauffre because I knew he was involved with the Empire somehow. But he is dead now and…”

Martin interrupted me before I could continue. “What do you mean he’s dead? I just talked to him a mere day ago? What in Talos’ name could have happened to him?”

“The Mythic Dawn attacked Weynon Priory yesterday; I guess when Jauffre went home. They demanded to know where the amulet was, and when he told them he did not know, they killed him along with everyone else that was there. I’m sorry.”

He looked at me for several seconds before continuing. “This is all so strange. He came to me claiming that I was the last heir to the Septim bloodline. I didn’t believe him at first, but I’m starting to have second guesses. If what you and Jauffre say is true, I shall be able to wear the amulet. Take me to the amulet. If it is there than I will surely believe you.”

So I took Martin and led him outside the gate, where we were first searched by the guards, just as I had imagined we’d be. Then we walked over to the large rock, and sure enough the amulet was still underneath the dirt, and actually it was still in view even with being covered up. I was a bit mad at myself for that.

Martin did not wait for me, but instead picked up the amulet and held it to his eyes to examine more closely. “Yes, by Talos this is the Amulet of Kings. I…I can’t believe I’m actually holding it right here in front of my eyes.”

He then put the amulet on, something I could not. Several things then happened. Martin now was sure he could trust me, and he was also sure that he was in fact the son of Uriel Septim.

“You were right, Rayden. I’m sorry for ever doubting you, but surely you can understand the confusion that overtook me. Everything thing has happened so fast the past couple of days.”

“Of course, Martin, but now you see that I am right, what do we do next?” I asked him.

“I’m still confused. Am I supposed to help you defeat Mankar Cameron and the Mythic Dawn?”

“Jauffre told me you were could help me because you are knowledgeable with Daedric artifacts and things of that sort. Obviously the Mythic Dawn wants this amulet for something, though we do not know what just yet. Jauffre said you could help me with that as well.”

“Yes, Jayden, I am a sort of expert of the Daedra, but unfortunately that also brings up a past that I usually do not talk about. I don’t really know what to say…fighting against the Mythic Dawn is something I would never have dreamed of doing. You do realize you are asking a lot of me, don’t you?”

“Yes, but don’t you see? You and I are Cyrodiil’s only hope. Just think of it this way, you won’t have to do much, just decipher anything I might need you to, and I’ll do the rest.”

“Rayden, what exactly do you do for a living?”

I didn’t plan on telling him my “profession”, but the situation called for it, and if I wanted him to be honest with me, I’d have to do the same.

“I am a thief, Martin, I cannot lie to you. But do not judge me just because of that, you can trust me, I swear to Talos you can.”

“Well, I never would have guessed you were a thief. But I know I can trust you. As a thief you have not sold the amulet to anyone, and you want to help save Cyrodiil. That alone symbolizes your honesty, and I commend you for that.”

He sighed a bit and then admitted that we were the only hope for Cyrodiil. I think he realized this all along, but was having trouble coming to terms about it.

“Very well, Rayden, I will help you. But not because I want to be Emperor, because I surely don’t, but that I do not want Cyrodiil to fall into the hands of Mankar and the Mythic Dawn.”

“Excellent, I knew you’d see it that way. About your past though, you can also trust me enough to tell me that. I think its better that you get it off your chest.”

“Yes, you are right, but we must find a safe haven before we do anything. I suggest Weynon Priory. The Mythic Dawn has certainly searched it a hundred times and obviously has found nothing. I think that is our safest bet for now.”

“Sounds good, let’s head out.”

As we started to leave Kvatch I remembered one thing that I had once forgotten: My mother.

“Umm…Martin, can I ask of a favor?”

“What is it?”

I told him basically everything about my childhood, and about me leaving my mother when I turned eighteen. I asked if we could visit the home real quick, before setting off towards Weynon Priory. I know I told you I didn’t care about home, or her anymore, but now that I’m close, I’m getting a strange feeling and I just have to see if the house is still there. Who knows, maybe she left a long time ago.

“Of course, Jayden, lead the way.”

We turned to the left and headed down a dirt path that I knew would lead to the place I once called home. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but I would soon find out.

[The Metal Mallet]

Yep you are certainly adding your own little impression to this story, as Kvatch still stands. Nice little back story as well, as it gives reasoning for Rayden to take up the career that he did.

Just one suggestion. This update is in some definite need of editing as there are quite a few awkward sentences where random words appear in the middle of a sentence or some words are missing. Also Martin called Rayden, "Jayden" twice. I would suggest you read your update through at least once before posting it. That way, you'll fix this distracting mistakes.

[redsrock]

I would suggest you read your update through at least once before posting it.

I do read through it, I just missed a lot this time I guess. Thanks.

[Steve]

This is a very nice story. The changes in the plot help keep me interested. I thought when he reached Kvatch he'd have to fight through the Oblivion Gate. It's nice to think of Kvatch as a real city.

[jack cloudy]

About Kvatch not being taken over, I think it also fits in with the more 'public' Dawn in this story. Seeing as how the Dawn runs around openly in their robes, no Legionnaire will let them get close to their city, let stand allow one to stick around and perform some sort of gate-calling ritual. Kvatch's gate was opened by a Dawn agent, am I correct?


While there are indeed some typos, and the odd switch between present tense and past tense at times, it's still a likeable story I'd say.

[redsrock]

While there are indeed some typos, and the odd switch between present tense and past tense at times, it's still a likeable story I'd say.

I guess this chapter was a failure in terms of grammer mistakes and typos. I'm sorry for that, I'll do better with my editing from now on.

[minque]

Interesting! I'll keep an eye on this one....knowing me I would probably read on for quite some time before I actually post a comment....but I will most certainly read!

[redsrock]

Interesting! I'll keep an eye on this one....knowing me I would probably read on for quite some time before I actually post a comment....but I will most certainly read!

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[redsrock]

I really, really messed up. At the end of the last chapter I talked about heading over to Rayden's mother's home. Well, I skipped that by accident and I just now noticed it. Please, just try to ignore that. I am terribly sorry.


CHAPTER FOUR


“Just how old are you, Rayden?”

We were walking down a paved road, just after exiting the city. The weather was absolutely amazing, with a nice cool breeze coming in from the northeast. If the situation wasn’t as bad as it was, things would be perfect right now. But then again if things weren’t as they were I probably wouldn’t even be up here in the first place.

“Twenty-nine, but that doesn’t mean I’m not worthy. Don’t think I can’t do anything just because I’m still young.”

I didn’t mean to, but I got a little defensive. Even though I am not even thirty years of age, I can still do things most veterans cannot.

“Whoa, calm down, Rayden, I didn’t mean to show any disrespect. So should I be paying close attention to the pockets of my robe, ha ha ha!”

I know he is only joking, but on the other hand perhaps he isn’t. I mean, I’m a total strange to him and I just admitted that I am a thief. To be honest I guess I would have to be surprised if he wasn’t afraid. But I really didn’t feel like talking to him about that. I’d just have to earn my trust.

“You don’t have to worry, Martin, you can trust me. I know that doesn’t mean much coming from a thief, but you’ll just have to take my word for,” and I left it at that.

We began walking towards the east when I spied the city stables lying restfully, with its owner nowhere to be seen. I’m sure you can already guess what I’m thinking, and so did Martin, most likely based on the probing look upon my face.

“Rayden, don’t tell me you want to steal two of those horses,” he said seriously.

Without responding to his comment I quietly snuck over to the house and peeked through the stained window. Just as I had hoped, the owner, who was a tall Dunmer, lay sound asleep in his cot. This was the perfect chance to help lesson the difficulty of our travels.

I turned around and started to walk towards the horses when Martin grabbed me by the shoulders. “Rayden, will you listen to me? Don’t even think about it. I’m not about to help you steal those horses.”

“Well, I don’t recall asking for any help, but thanks for the input,” I said sarcastically.

“Don’t you have any conscious whatsoever? We don’t have to do this, we can easily walk. I don’t mind it a bit!”

“But I do. Just pipe down and let me take care of things, Martin. Believe me, I don’t get caught. Now which horse is supposed to be faster, the white or the black? I always forget…”

“The black,” Martin sighed.

While Martin watched from a distance I slowly crept up to the horses, not wanting to panic them. Horses were delicate creatures and it didn’t take much to rile them up. As I inched closer and closer one of the two black horses started to neigh softly and I thought the owner was going to wake up, but as swiftly as possible and softly grasped the horse’s snout and began to rub it gently in an attempt to calm him down. The trick proved to be a success and soon I was working on the other horse. After a few minutes I brought the two horses on my side and they willingly followed me to where Martin was standing, and all the while I was smiling from ear to ear.

“Okay, I’ll admit, you’re good, Rayden. Let’s just leave before any guards show up.”

That reminded me of how lucky we were in the first place. Adamus and his men had apparently settled in for the night, which if you ask me is extremely foolish. I wondered why he didn’t leave any men to stand guard outside the city walls, but then my question was quickly answered.

“Hey, you two! What do you think you’re doing with those horses?”

A lone guard on foot was running towards us from the city gates. I felt very stupid at that moment. How in the world was I not able to see the man when we came out of city? Oh well, it was time to leave.

“Come on, Martin, hop on!”

I pointed to his horse and he immediately obeyed my request. Then the two of us rode out into the night, leaving the screaming guard to his hopeless pleas. Looking back I could see the lights of the owner’s house come on. Somebody was going to be sincerely pissed.




The two of us arrived at Weynon Priory sometime around noon the following day. Martin spoke not a word the entire time and I assumed he was angry at me. It didn’t really matter, he’d get over it soon enough, or at least I hoped he would.

After we saddled our horses in the nearby stable, which thankfully had not been touched by the Mythic Dawn, we started up the dirt path that led to the house. Even before entering we could smell the foul stench coming from the dead corpses. It was truly disgusting and Martin vomited there on the spot, into a small bush. The stench of the vomit greatly overtook the smell of the bodies, and by no means do I mean in a pleasant way.

“We’ll have to remove these bodies before we do anything,” Martin said.

Now, I took the statement to be a rather obvious, and I am not one to let such apparent comments go unnoticed.

“Oh, you think so? I wonder why?” I said, again sarcastically, which apparently proved to be in bad timing. Martin simply grumbled something and continued on into the house.

In an attempt to try and lighten things up a bit I commented, “So you’re talking to me now, heh?”

“You know Rayden, I realize it’s going to take while in getting used to your…umm…”habits”, but I must say I am appalled by your actions last night.”

He talked as if I actually gave a rat’s behind what he thought. The truth was I stopped worrying about what others thought about me long ago, before I left home even. The fact that he was treating me like a child wasn’t boding well with me either. I’d have to put a stop to that.

“No offence to you or anything Martin, but I don’t particularly care what you think of me. And I’m not a child; I’m a full grown man. I’d appreciate it if you treat me like one.”

“Well, the grown men I know don’t carelessly steal things from other people.”

He was making me madder and madder by the second. Unfortunately that anger swayed me to say something I’d soon regret.

“Are those “grown men” the same men you practiced Daedric magic with? I’m assuming that’s what you were talking about back at Kvatch. Huh, am I right, “Brother” Martin?”

He turned around faster than I would ever have given him credit for, and immediately confronted me, nose to nose. I could easily smell the horrible stench coming from his mouth, leftovers from the vomit. But I wasn’t about to crack anymore jokes. I had seriously angered him.

“I’ll have you know that those men were my friends; friends that were killed because of my carelessness and foolish youth. So the next time you want to make a smart comment, keep it to yourself.”

He turned around and walked up the stairs, leaving me alone downstairs. I suddenly felt very small at that moment. For a long time now I haven’t cared about anyone’s feelings or thoughts, but seeing the look in Martin’s eyes, I have to admit I was a bit taken back by what I did. I actually felt sorry for what I had said, which is something that hasn’t happened to me in a long time. Now I’d have to apologize.

I followed Martin up the stairs and into the room where Jauffre lay on the floor motionless. I allowed Martin to have a bit of time to his self for a few minutes while he stood next to a window right behind the desk; not because he was mourning over the loss of Jauffre, but rather he was still angry from what happened downstairs. I could plainly see that the rage was still present and I didn’t really feel like angering him anymore that I already had.

So rather than interrupt the quietness I instead began to clean the room. This daunting task proved more difficult than I had originally imagined, as there were many pieces of junk lying around. Books, scrolls, weapons, clothes, you name it. Not to mention Jauffre and the Mythic Dawn bodies. The room was an absolute mess, and I then realized it was going to take more than a mere day to tidy everything up.

I had been cleaning for nearly an hour and still Martin stood by the window, staring out into who knows what. Obviously I had touched upon something personal, and now I couldn’t help but wonder what it could be. Well, I know what it is in general, but what I do not know is any of the specifics. He said his friends died because of his foolishness. I wonder what that means.

At last the unhappy Imperial turned around to face me. For a moment there I thought he was going to attack me again with harsh words, but to my surprise he did not. Instead he just started talking. At first I didn’t know what he was talking about, but then I soon caught on.

“It all happened twenty years ago, almost to this day. I was young then, way over my head. We all were...”

He paused for a second, looked out the window once more, then looked back and then continued on.

“There were twelve of us in all, apprentices to the Mages Guild in Kvatch. Our instructor marveled at the attendance, a record according to him. He said we would do the guild proud. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Just two months into our studies a small group of us were starting to get anxious. Through some of the basic training we were given just a small glimpse of Daedric magic. Our instructor said it was an evil force bred for just that, evil. He told us that we were not to get involved with any of that or else we would be banned, and if the severity of our involvement was high enough, we could also see punishment from the Empire itself. Such warnings meant nothing to me and my group, which happened to be five people. We still wanted to know more; to learn what was forbidden; to seek out what was being held from us. Like I said before, we were young and foolish. We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into.

“One night my friends and I decided to start exploring the forbidden powers. For a while it was only reading, and to be honest with you, that’s all I wanted anyway. I never really had the desire to seek out the powers; I just wanted to read about it. Granted there were definitely times where I was tempted to practice the use of Daedra magic, but I held my tongue, literally in fact.

“But unfortunately one of my friends, Ishmier, went beyond what we originally set out to do. We had all agreed that none of us would ever practice the use of this sinister magic, and all of us also agreed only to read once a week, at a small uninhabited cabin he found in the forest. Everything was going according to plan, until one day I happened to walk past Ishmier’s house in Kvatch. I could hear strange sounds coming from inside, but when I knocked on the door I received no response. I soon became terrified something dreadful was happening to Ishmier, so I found my friends and brought them to the house, so they too could hear the noises. Soon after that we busted the door open and realized the noises were coming from the basement. We scurried down the stairs and found Ishmier reading aloud from a large book; one that was very old and tattered.

“When he saw us standing there he called for us to join him in what he called “destiny”. He claimed to have found the way to eternal life, and eternal greatness. He then began chanting words and I knew we had lost him.

“One of my friends tried to get Ishmier to stop what he was doing, but Ishmier simply grunted a couple of words and blasted my friend with a fiery ball of flame…killed him right in front of me. The other three tried to stop Ishmier as well but they too fell by the powers of Ishmier. Through all this time I simply stood in my place, painfully mesmerized by everything. I really couldn’t believe what was going on around me. Four of my friends were dead and another had gone insane. I truly thought I was dead where I stood, until from upstairs came the running of feet…many feet.

“My instructor appeared, along with several battlemages. Ishmier was no match for them and was quickly silenced forever. I was banished from the guild, just I knew I would, but for some reason the Empire did not take action on me. They must have had pity for me. I suppose I will never know. But what pained me the most was that I began that horrendous nightmare. If it wasn’t for my constant nagging my friends would never have discovered the evil ways of magic. It was I pressed their interests and it was I who led them to an early death. And for that I will forever be shamed and forever I will walk this land…a murderer. You may not see it that way but that is what I am. I killed my friends...”

This post has been edited by redsrock: Dec 12 2007, 05:14 AM

[The Metal Mallet]

It seems a difference in backgrounds is going to provide some interesting exchanges between Martin and Rayden. It's a nice change when compared to the game where Martin and your character appear to work in absolute harmony the entire time.

[redsrock]

CHAPTER FIVE


I could have sworn I saw a few tears form in his eyes, but he didn’t give me a lot of time to get a closer look, because as soon as he was done speaking he bent down and started to help me pick things up from the floor. He was silent for the first minute or so, and then I decided to the time was right to make my apology. It was rather hard, that much was for sure, but I did it, and it came from the heart. I couldn’t remember apologizing for anything in my life, but of course if I was to do that I’d be doing it everyday, if you know what I mean.

“Hey, umm…Martin, I…I’m sorry for what happened downstairs. I just let things loose when I shouldn’t have.”

“The past is not the present, Rayden. Any thief should no that,” he said while looking up with a friendly smile on his face. “Sometimes people say things they don’t really mean, even if it’s actually true, like in my case. But I’m willing to let bygones be bygones. That is if you are as well.”

I looked straight into his eyes to get his expression. He was really telling the truth, and that’s when I knew I could trust Martin. It’s not as if had not before, but seeing his face and hearing his words I was now one hundred percent he was one of the “good guys”, so-to-speak.

I shook his hand and we went back to work cleaning up the room, but at the same time we started our discussion about what to do with the amulet.

“I was thinking about the amulet on the way here, and I’ll be honest with you Rayden, I really am not sure what we should do with it. Obviously we cannot destroy, that would be utterly foolish.”

I cut him off to ask him a question before he could continue talking. “Jauffre said the same thing. Why is that such a bad idea? If we destroy it, won’t it make Mankar and his cultists leave?”

“As easy as it sounds, no, it wouldn’t work. I believe Mankar has other things in store for Cyrodiil, though I don’t know what. I also think the original plan was to get the amulet, but that’s only the first step. And who knows, maybe they want it just so they can destroy it. If that’s the case then we are doing the right thing already, but that’s the tricky part of all this, we don’t know any specifics. That’s why I have a plan, and you’re the right person for the job.”

“And just what might that be?” I asked.

“It’s no news to anyone that the Imperial City is the Mythic Dawn’s stronghold. Some citizens got out while fighting was still running rampant through the city, but because of the surprise attack, and the Dawn’s swift victory, many people are still being held there against their will, including any surviving soldiers. Of course they could all be dead by now. Mankar might have questioned them, and when he didn’t learn anything it’s definitely possible that he might have done away with them permanently.”

“What are you getting at, Martin?”

“You have to infiltrate the Imperial City and find out what their plans really are. There has to be some kind of documents, or secret letters, something. I know it sounds dangerous, but if there are still survivors in the city they can aid you I’m sure. What do you think?”

What was I to say? I was just asked to infiltrate a city where there were literally hundreds, maybe even near the thousands, of cultists walking around looking for anything suspicious. Now I’m not questioning my abilities by any means, but I’ve never been in a situation like the one Martin wants to put me in. I wasn’t so sure this was a very safe plan, but then again no plan was likely safe.

“I’m not going to lie to you and say I’m happy about this, because I certainly am not. In fact this is very dangerous and it’s likely that I’ll be caught. But, given our circumstances, this plan will also likely get us where we need to be. I’ll do it.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear it. Now, take these invisibility potions and these chameleon ones as well, and…”

“Umm…Martin…I can’t use those,” I said bluntly.

“Of course you can! Other than any survivors you might happen to run into, these are the only aid you will get during your mission. Why wouldn’t you want to use them?”

“I never said I didn’t want to use them, Martin, it’s just a matter of me not being able to use them. I don’t really have an explanation, but I can’t drink potions. For some reason my body can’t handle whatever is in them. Every time I try and drink one I gag terribly, and one time I almost passed out because I wasn’t able to breath. Plus, even when I could breath the potion still didn’t work.”

Martin gave an extremely puzzled look. “Well, I’ve never heard of that before. How do you go about your “business”?”

“Don’t worry about me, I don’t need any potions. And I don’t say that because I’m cocky, but rather I am confident.”

“You must be pretty talented.”

“I like to think so.”

We spent a little more time cleaning the house until the upstairs was totally spotless, or at least as spotless as we could get it. We placed the bodies in the garden behind the house. If we had any time later on then we’d bury them, but we probably wouldn’t have any free time.

Martin decided that we’d clean the downstairs part of the house later on, and we slept the rest of the evening and on into the night. Sleep was something I hadn’t had for a while, and I also needed to be rested up for my mission.

I woke up the next morning at around noon. Martin had already awoken and had picked some berries from outside. After eating a small portion of the fruit I got dressed and Martin and I set out for the Imperial City. I needed not directions for the place, for I had been their countless times. The city was full of expensive houses with rich owners who never seemed to lock their doors properly.

I could pick the locks they used in my sleep, and I just might be serious about that. They certainly weren’t too concerned about their belongings, and I made sure that they paid for that mistake. But I was smart with my burglaries. I took enough to insure that I was getting profit, but less enough to keep the owners unaware of my actions. They were so wrapped up in their very expensive items that they were to ignorant to notice smaller things. I say smaller things, but yet they still gave me a good amount of money. I couldn’t complain at all.

“Alright, let’s figure out the plans exactly,” said Martin. “Do you know where the Palace is, Rayden?”

“Yes, it’s the big shiny building in the middle of the city,” I said back semi-sarcastically. I didn’t know if Martin minded my sarcasm or not.

“Ha, that’s right! Now, if I was forced to give you an answer as to where any information was being held, I’d bet my life that it’d be in the palace somewhere. Mankar has most likely set up base in there and you need to sneak in somehow and find something useful. Look for notes, documents, and letters, anything that looks interesting. Also, even though it’s very dangerous, it wouldn’t hurt to eavesdrop whenever you can.”

“It’s nothing I haven’t done before. It won’t be a problem.”

“Rayden, these are Mythic Dawn cultists, not snobby ignorant civilians. Make sure you are taking this seriously.”

“I am, don’t worry about that. I know what has to be done.”

“I hope so, because if you are captured…”

“You can stop right there, I’ve NEVER been caught, and I don’t plan on getting caught any time soon.”

We rode the rest of the way and in no time we were just a couple hundred yards west of the Imperial City. I didn’t know of any secret ways inside the city, so I’d somehow have to sneak into the place undetected. When we reached the city gates I realized how difficult of a task it was going to be. A group of three cultists were standing in front of the gates, no doubt guarding the inside from any intruders such as myself.

“I have an idea,” Martin whispered as we both looked at the cultists from a far, behind a bush besides the stables.

All of the horses must have either been killed or taken away, because the place was empty and the windows to the house had been shattered. Most likely they were being used by the cultists themselves.

“And what is it?”

“We need to get one of those guards over here somehow and get them to walk behind this house, where none of the other guards can see him. Then, we he rounds the corner, you can sneak up and kill him. Then take his clothes and put them on as a disguise.”

It sounded like a good plan, but there were definitely some flaws as well. “And what if more than one of them come over here? What if they all come over here?”

“Then we stay in the shadows and think of another plan,” he said simply.

“Don’t you think that’s kind of dangerous?”

“Do you have any other plans in mind? Any way, I thought you told me that you killed two cultists at an inn?”

“I did, but that was probably all luck. I’m sure Mankar wouldn’t let a bunch of imprudent men guard his base.”

“If you ask me I think you need more confident in your abilities other than thieving. Obviously you have skill in combat as well because it was not luck that you were able to kill those two. It was wise and quick thinking. Just believe in yourself, Rayden. These are some scary times, I know, but these things have to be done.”

“I’m not scared!”

“I didn’t say you were. But I would say you’re at least a bit nervous, which is normal.”

I suppose I admit that he was probably right. I was anxious, but like he said, that was normal. But then again, I couldn’t even remember the last time I was anxious about anything, although this definitely was different situation.

“Fine, what now then?”

Martin told me to hide in the shadows under the shielding of a tree on the opposite side of the house. He walked around to where I was, picked up a rock, and threw it at a pale sitting on top a wooden fence inside the stables. The rock hit the metal pale and made a loud noise, alerting the guards. Martin quietly ran to poke his head around the corner, and then came over to tell me that two cultists were coming our way. He ran to where I was, and I readied my bow and arrows.

Soon the red-robed men came around to investigate the noise.

“I don’t see anything, do you?” said one of them to the other.

They continued to walk around and look for anything, but of course they found nothing. Then, as they were walking away with their backs to me, I fired my bow at the one in the back. The arrow hit him square in the back and he fell to the ground. As soon as I had fired the arrow I began running towards the other man. Just as I had imagined, the noise caused by the impact of the arrow made the other man in front turn around. He saw his fallen comrade on the floor, but it was too late to defend him self. I was simply too fast for him and I quickly unsheathed my short blade and lunged at the last robed man. I don’t know how I did this successfully, but I tacked the man to the ground, and as I did I shoved my blade through his stomach. I landed on top of him, and I dug blade deeper into his skin to make sure he was dead. When I realized he was I was totally silent, listening for any running feet. Through all of this I had luckily managed to not alert the other cultist.

Martin gave me the thumbs up and I took off the robe of one of the cultists. And what do you, know it was a Bosmer. This would obviously help a lot. Hopefully the other wouldn’t notice anything strange.

When I was fully dressed I laid gave my bow, arrows, and sword to Martin. I took the small dagger from the dead body and brought it with me as I slowly walked towards the remaining robed cultist.

“Judo, where is Falonius?” A Tall Altmer asked me.

Rather than talk, I instead pointed behind the Altmer. I don’t why I didn’t, because didn’t think he would look, but he did! I couldn’t believe how stupid he was. I was almost so stunned I forgot to take the elf out. When I was done slitting his throat I dragged his body behind a rock. When I got to the gates Martin was waiting for me.

“Be quick, Rayden, you won’t have a lot of time. When they realize what happened they’ll lock the whole place down.”

I nodded and walked to the gates, but before I could enter I heard Martin call my name.

“And be careful….

[The Metal Mallet]

Things are moving along nicely. Let's hope that Rayden's belief in his skills are true. He's got a difficult task ahead of him.

[jack cloudy]

Oh, an infiltration. I like the sound of that a lot. You also have some nice characterbuilding going on here.

Just some minor nitpicking though. Rayden was going to steal some robes as a disguise. But an arrow through the back or a sword through the stomach tends to rip the fabric itself. In this case, it is horrible if the chosen robe was from the guy with the sword in his guts, but the arrowhole won't be that large and barely noticeable. Of course, if it gets noticed, then there could be trouble.

The Altmer not recognizing Judo. Normally I would complain about guards not knowing their colleagues faces, but here I find it justified. Hood pulled up, and the Altmer can only look down on some red fabric. How is he to know that the face underneath that is not Judo's? Bosmer short+Altmer tall= perfect.

No guards on the walls. Three at a gate are not enough to watch the countryside. I'd put some on top of the walls just to make sure. But we can say that the Dawn doesn't have the manpower available at the IC to cover every part of the wall simultaneously.

[minque]

Nice, nice, niiiiiiiiiiiiice! As I said this is a good read.....can´t wait for next update!