The Eldest Councilor, A knight in service of a councilor... Options

[jack cloudy]

Oh yeah, now that was totally awesome!
Heh, let's hope that Deagan is a bit better at persuading the servant than the guy who was supposed not to move. And I knew that the priest couldn't be trusted.

[Kiln]

I crept silently behind the servant as she tapped gently on the door of her master, I decided not to alert her to my presence...I really didn't want to have to kill her. Damiscus opened the door and stared at the girl with a smile, I didn't want to know what he was thinking...

The lord was distracted by her and left the door open slightly as he forced her onto the bed. She did not resist him, she simply closed her eyes tightly and turned her head as he approached her.

My surroundings were rather dark, only a small candle lit the room near the dresser. I glanced around the room quickly looking for anything that Damiscus might use to defend himself if he noticed me...there were dozens of empty bottles of alcohol, a skooma pipe, and the last thing I noticed was a small dagger beside the bed.

I crouched down and slowly crept around the edge of the room behind the lord. The soft black leather shoes covering my feet allowed me to move freely across the stone floor without alerting my target of my presence. As I came up behind him I thought about all that had happened in recent times because of this man...I grew increasingly angry and grew impatient.

I made my way toward Damiscus until I was only a few feet away, close enough to grab him before he even touched the poor woman in his bed...it was hard to believe that I had once thought this man was a priest.

I slowly and silently drew my blade from my boot, leaning up slowly behind him to grab his shoulder and slit his throat. I carefully timed my breathing and exhaled softly as I prepared to make my move.

Before I had the chance to act a loud and repetetive knock came on the door I'd entered. I stepped back away from my target, back into the shadows around the edge of the room. What happened next both shocked and disgusted me, the lord left the edge of the bed and opened the door. He seemed angry that he'd been disturbed yet he still talked to the man outside for a few moments.

Damiscus stepped back inside and waved in the man he'd been speaking with. It was one of the guards from Quin's caravan. I sat there silently, unable to believe what I was seeing.

The lord sat down in his chair and my former comrade stood in front of him.

"What is it exactly that you needed to speak with me about Daren?" Damiscus asked in an aggravated tone

"I heard that your scouts have found Quin dead..." He said

"And what of it? It is done, Quin has been ruined and destroyed...I recieved word from Tamira that she has been successful in elimnating her councilor as well...and the new Black Diamonds are in training now for the next councilor on the list...all is going according to plan." Damiscus stated

It was beginning to seem like there was more behind his hatred for councilor Quin...they were planning to kill the other council members and according to Damiscus, they already had killed one of the others. I knelt in the corner and waited for the conversation to continue, I was eager to know exactly what was going on.

"Yes all is going according to your plan...other than the fact that Quin still lives." Daren said mockingly

Damiscus became uneasy and shifted in his chair, his arrogant smile had faded as quickly as he'd heard those words leave Daren.

"I had a feeling that he might be...do you know where I might find him?" He asked

"You know our agreement...money first, information later." Daren replied as he rubbed his fingers together

"Yes of course...let us go to my treasury." He said, motioning for Daren to follow

As they exited the door I looked back to the servant...soon she would no longer live in fear of her master...none would fear him.

I trailed the men a short distance to the treasury, carefully avoiding passing guards on patrol. When I finally reached the place, the doors had been tightly locked. I took a small, thin piece of metal from the pouch on my waist and inserted it into the lock.

There were several tumblers inside the heavy iron lock...it was very difficult, even for me to open...keep in mind that my ability to pick locks is among the best. I probed gently inside the lock, listening carefully to the sound of the movement of the pins inside and eventually I lifed all the tumblers, allowing the lock to pop open.

I crept inside the treasury, it was huge and full of priceless items, few of which interested me though, I put aside my instincts as a thief and remembered why I'd come here. I stood up now, it was too bright inside the treasury for crouching down to help me anyways as there were no shadows to stick to.

When I moved deeper inside I could hear whispering deeper inside so leaned against the wall and looked around the corner into the larger portion of the room where the two men were standing.

"Quin is in a small cavern about a half mile SouthWest of his estate, follow the edge of the mountain." He said as he accepted a large bag containing several coins and turned to leave the treasury

I had already plotted a way to kill the traitor when Damiscus yelled.

"Oh and Daren..." He started but stopped mid sentence, purposefully waiting for the man to turn

Daren turned to look back to Damiscus just in time to be hit with a single glass throwing dagger in the chest right between the ribs. Daren looked down at the dagger and back to the lord before falling to his knees.

"I need to tie up loose ends...like you." He said with a smile as he stepped closer to him

Blood ran from the mouth of his informant slowly as he stared blankly at him. Damiscus grabbed Daren's chin and pulled his head up to look him into the eyes since it seemed that Daren was now incapable of movement.

"Can you feel that? The slight tickle down your spine? You know they say that if it were not for the paralyzation...this poison would be a most uncomfortable experience. I suppose that you won't be telling me about it though..." He said with a short laugh before pushing him over in the floor

I heard the door to the treasury open in the room behind me, a single guard emerged and stood in front of the door, perfectly cutting off my escape route.

As Damiscus turned to wipe the dagger off and place it back on the display shelf I moved up slowly behind him after grabbing one of the poisoned glass daggers off a shelf near me.

As he polished his dagger and hummed a song I stepped beside him, bringing the dagger into his stomach. He dropped the dagger he was holding and stared at the wall before him. I leaned in close and whispered softly into his ear.

"Consider this a message from Quin...deliver it to Tamira for me will you?" I said as he fell on his back and started to spasm uncontrollably

I pulled the dagger from him, dropping it to the floor beside me. When he stopped moving completely, I removed a single coin from my pocket and placed it on his chest. I also did this with Daren's body, the septim was my calling card...though I did not personally kill Daren, there was no need for others to know that. As a final sentiment to my hatred of the traitor, I carved a "T" in his cheek...though I'd never personally seen it done, I had heard of it being done before by assassins to those who betrayed them.

I smiled, satisfied with my work...then quickly wiped it away, along with the sweat on my forehead. Now to get past the guard and escape. I picked up a bottle of brandy that looked rather expensive and took a long drink before throwing it to the opposite side of the corridor, as the guard moved closer I ran up behind him and hit him over the head with a club on one of the shelves.

That part was easy, I made my way back upstairs, broke the lock on the room I'd entered through, and left the same way I'd come in. It would've been faster to go out the front door but I couldn't take the chance of being discovered so I climbed down the trellis slowly, the storm and lightning flashes actually put my mind at ease and distracted me from the deeds I'd just done.

It was then that my plans were destroyed, a dog caught my scent and began barking loudly. Its master released it and it ran toward me, I held my dagger up in an attempt to kill it but the dog moved to the side and grabbed my arm.

The dog shook its head and ripped through the thin layer of black cloth covering my shoulder, tearing at the flesh beneath it. I dropped the dagger on the ground and lost it in the mud beside me.

I panicked and slapped the ground beside me with my free arm in search of the dagger as I half held the dog's head in the other. I gave up searching for my dagger and brought my fist into the face of the beast as it growled and continued to tear at me.

The guard started to get closer and others had been drawn to the sound, voices yelled out as they spoke back and forth to eachother, converging on my position. I grabbed the head of the animal on top of me and twisted its neck violently, it let out a loud yelp and stopped moving.

I pushed the corpse off, slowly crawled over the wall around the estate, and walked a few miles away before propping myself up against a tree. As I tore a piece of my shirt off to wrap the deep wounds the dog's razor sharp teeth had left I thought about my life...I'd undergone many changes, most of which in the past few months...it seemed that a darker side had lurked beneath my skin for some time now and it had just begun to reveal itself...the rush of taking down my target and planning my movements pleased me greatly.

Though now I was an assassin, my past had been littered with many other things. I'd been born a noble, worked as a thief, trained as a knight, and served as an assassin all within the past year. I knew that I wasn't the best or most professional of the hired blades, but it seemed that luck was with me thus far and I could only hope that whenever the time came to kill Tamira I could be so lucky.

With her it would be more difficult...perhaps I would have to serve her for some time to even get close enough. I also wondered where the Black Diamond's base of operations was...maybe I could find out through Tamira. I forced the many streaming thoughts out of my mind and sat there in the rain, staring out over the sky.

When I could sit no longer I stood and made my way back toward the cave that I now called home. I knew that I'd have to go through water first to force the dogs to lose my trail...in case Damiscus' men tracked me.

I waded through a river and then started back to the cave knowing that there would be no problems for a while, after all I had killed both of the men that knew Quin's location. Once I reached the cave I would rest for a bit...I'd worked enough for the week.
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Alright guys/gals, hope you like this bit...it took me a while to get it where I liked it.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Jul 9 2006, 11:19 PM

[mplantinga]

What a very talented sneak. I'm glad that Damiscus got what was coming to him. Now that the plot has thickened, I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next.

[jack cloudy]

Now this was a nice update. Deagan should just stay on his guard and everything will be fine.

[Kiln]

Well from the beginning of the story you know that he gets captured sooner or later so....

[treydog]

I really like the direction you are taking this story- Deagan's thought process and inner conflict make him much more 3-dimensional. A long update, with plenty of action, but which also moves the plot forward nicely.

[minque]

I really like the direction you are taking this story- Deagan's thought process and inner conflict make him much more 3-dimensional.  A long update, with plenty of action, but which also moves the plot forward nicely.

I guess treydog said it all.....I completely agree with him on this.

Mr Oven.......great work, I´ll expect more....

[Kiln]

Hello everyone, I'd like to start by offering my apologies to all of the great writers on these forums for not commenting on all the work that comes through here anymore, I've been short on time of late and I do not expect that will change for some time. For now I'll update this for anyone who might still be reading, or anyone that might start. I'd also like to mention that there is one scene that I don't think is too explicit but if anyone feels that it is I will edit immediately.
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I pulled back the thick piece of cloth covering the entrance to our camp and trudged back into the cavern where the others sat around the fire. I knelt before Quin slowly, leaning on my sword as I stuck it into the hard dirt floor of the cave.

"It is done." I said softly

Quin stood from his dirt mound by the fire and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Deagan, you have done me a great service...one for which I do not know if I will be able to repay." He said in a serene tone

"I've held this ring for years, it was a gift to me...from Damiscus. A false symbol of peace between us for the political eye. It will allow you to become faster and more silent as you move, for as long as you wear it. Your actions have proven yourself most deserving of it." He said as he handed me a golden ring with the emblem of a snake on the band, wrapping itself around my finger

He paused for a moment before continuing, "But we are not yet finished...there is still much that needs to be done."

"Will we continue our plans for Tamira?" I asked calmly

"We will continue as planned. You will go within the following week to Tamira's stronghold with Falen. There the two of you will offer your services to her in order to gain her trust. She will give you a task, one that an honorable man would decline, to test your loyalty. If you truly want to get close to her, you cannot deny the task, even if it goes against your morals." The councilor said

He glanced between Falen and myself, his two most trusted companions.

"I know that you will not fail me." He said with a fleeting smile as he put his hands on our shoulders

I stood from my place at Quin's feet and laid on a dusty old bedroll, exhausted from a day of work. I drifted off to sleep but the innocent man I'd killed haunted my dreams, I tossed and turned but was unable to find peace. All I could remember was the horrified look on his face as he tried to escape the room, and then I stabbed him without thought or remorse.

I felt heartless, for some reason I was fine with killing to serve my purpose, I guess thats what bothered me most. I was deep in thought on the matter when a splashing noise roused me from my slumber and I stood slowly, scanning the room with my eyes.

Another noise came from the tunnel off to my left. I picked up my sword and began moving down the slope to the bottom of the cave, toward the pool of water in the corner. Something continued to move in the water at the edge of the room, in the shallow section. I moved closer and realized what it was.

As I saw the beautiful woman I'd rescued, I started to look away but she motioned for me to come over to her. I walked a few feet and stuck my sword into the soft, muddy ground under me. She stood from the the pool and ran her hand across my back, a strange feeling grew in the pit of my stomach, something I'd never felt before. I admired her body as I slid into the water beside her after removing my blood soaked garments.

"I haven't had the chance to reward you for helping me good sir." She said softly as she kissed me, the look in her eyes was tender and calming

I held her in my arms and pulled her close to me as the kiss continued, we sunk a bit deeper into the pool. The water felt amazing, everything around me glowed a radiant yellow color, it was the perfect moment.

A few solid seconds of kissing went by before I withdrew and looked at her again in horror. The woman before me had transformed into a beast that barely resembled the woman I'd been with before. Her skin had turned to scales, her eyes slit like that of a snake, her hands claws, and her mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. As her jaws opened wide and bit my neck I truly awoke from the nightmare and looked around the cave. Sweat ran down my face and I wiped it with my sleeve.

Everyone slept around the main cave and I took the path down to the water, thoughts of my dream fresh in my mind. I didn't even know the name of the girl yet...I would make finding it out my goal before leaving for Tamira's palace...hopefully work there would be better than my escape from Damiscus' manor. The blood from my recent battle stained my black clothes a dark red color and the wound on my arm was beginning to bother me now.

I slumped into the pool and removed my shirt, washing it in the water around me. As the blood washed from my clothes, the water was dyed a scarlet color, the gash on my arm was looking bad now and the wrap was bleeding through. I sat my clothes outside of the pool and swam for a bit before getting out and wrapping myself in a dry blanket and hanging my soaked clothes on a line we'd strung across a small corridor of the cave.

I returned to the upper section and peered out the door, for some reason I couldn't sleep. Deciding to hunt, I put on some spare clothes, made from a cheap brown cloth that was rather uncomfortable and picked up my bow. After grabbing a few arrows I strapped the quiver to my back and exited the cave, looking to the forest nearby.

It was early morning now and the mist hung thick in the air, as I breathed in I nearly choked from the amount of humidity. I carefully placed my steps to keep from making any excess noise as I saw my target. A small Buck ahead of me, he didn't look like he weighed much but his meat would be a good change from what we've been eating.

I place an arrow onto the bowstring and drew it back, aiming at the deer. I inhaled and exhaled slowly as I released the arrow toward the deer, at that moment the deer jumped forward at the sound of a stick breaking. I dropped my bow and pulled my sword as I turned around to face whoever had come up behind me.

A quirrel...such a small rodent had come between me and my dinner for the night. I did as any man in his right mind would, began to yell and throw rocks at it.

"Damn squirrel, you cost me dinner!" I yelled

I think I might've been on the verge of losing it when I turned to pick up my bow, I hadn't been that angry for some time now, I smiled and nearly laughed before turning back toward the direction of the squirrel. It was about that time that a leather glove hit me in the face, causing me to fall backwards. My vision blurred from the surprise attack and I began to lose consciousness.

"How much you think he's worth?" One asked

"I don't know, I hope this is the right guy." the other replied

"Looks like the guy on the poster to me...he's a little older now though." he said

Damn bounty hunters.

Darkness closed in around me and I woke what seemed like minutes later, being dragged by the leg, I was still disoriented and couldn't really tell what was going on.

"He's wakin' up again." The fat one said

The other let go of my leg and kicked me in the side of the head, instantly making me lose consciousness again.

(There is a small note at the bottom of the page that appears to be written after the rest of the page above.)

Though you might think that this is where I was captured, it might surprise you to find out that this is not the same instance...sadly I was captured several times by different people, in this case it was two lowlife bounty hunters named Urlyn and Aspen.
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Sorry its rather short but I can't start the next part yet, I have the next part written but the folder is in the car, which isn't here at the moment. Also this may have several errors and I'll go over it again later.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Aug 8 2006, 12:28 AM

[The Metal Mallet]

Yay! An update from Kiln! And a strong one at that. It's nice to know that Kiln is having troubles over killing an innocent man, necessary though it was, his guilt shows he's human.

I'll patiently await your next update.

[mplantinga]

A good update. I always enjoy a good bit of introspection, so I was glad to see some from Deagan.

[jack cloudy]

Yes, it was good. The nightmare was scary. And like everyone, I really enjoyed his guilty conscience.

[Kiln]

Chapter 4: A Meeting with the Past...

As I regained consciousness once again I bounced up and down atop a few bags of grain in the back of an old wooden wagon. I tried to move my hands but they had been bound tightly with thick ropes just as my feet had been tied in the same way. I took a few deep breaths as I stared up at the trees around the road, it was near dark. One of the men sat beside me to make sure I didn't escape and the other sat at the front of the wagon, turning the horses.

"Wakin' up are ya?" The man beside me said with a smile

I tried to curse and say something witty but the thick piece of cloth in my mouth hindered my ability to speak. All that emerged from behind the gag was a series of angry, inaudible mumbles.

"Whats that? I can't understand you...why don't you spit that thing out and talk to me proper?" he said mockingly

He slowly removed the cloth from my mouth so I could speak.

"Do you know who I am?" I asked angrily

"Do I know who you are? Hah! Everyone knows who you are...I mean a bandit like you can't just wander off into the woods and expect for people not to hunt you." He said

"You're after me because I'm a bandit?" I said as things started to make since for the first time since my capture

"Yes bandit now shut up and stay that way." He said as he wrapped the cloth around the back of my neck and pushed a portion of it into my mouth once again before tightening it

These men did not know about my work for Quin, the killing I'd done in his name...they only knew me as a bandit that had plagued the roads of Cyrodiil not so long ago. I'd nearly forgotten about my bounty here for the crimes I'd committed and when they captured me my mind feared the worst, that I'd been discovered as an assassin and was being brought for trial.

For those of you who don't know, if you are discovered operating as an assassin in Dark Brotherhood turf, you're as good as dead unless you have important political friends...like the Black Diamonds had and apparrently still have.

As night came we stopped to make camp for the night, after my captors built a fire they picked me up by the arms and legs then threw me off the side of the wagon. The stiff impact on the ground knocked the wind out of me but as I struggled to breathe again I saw a man in dark clothes and a hooded face peering around a tree at the fire the mercenaries had just created. He held a finger in front of his mouth, signaling for me to stay silent and then dissappeared back into the darkness.

I remained calm and quiet, acting as if I hadn't seen him. Though I wondered who he was, his demeanor told me that he was with me, that he was going to help me. I kept an eye on the forest around us and it became even more apparent that the man was not alone, there were several others around the camp as well.

Urlyn and Aspen enjoyed their meals and chatted merrily, oblivious to the fact that their camp was not so secure as they thought. I looked to the tree as a man swung from a rope and dropped down in the dust not ten feet away from the mercenaries, a cloud of dust formed around his feet but quickly receded.

"Release the prisoner to us, or there's gonna be trouble..." The man said in a completely calm voice, as if he was sure of his safety

Urlyn stood and drew his blade swiftly and Aspen tried to draw his blade as well but he struggled to get it out of the sheath because it was hung on his belt.

"Need some help with that?" The man said, nearly laughing

The man seemed so familiar, his voice, his personality...like someone I'd knew but I couldn't see who because the majority of his face was masked by the hood over his head and the shadow it cast upon his face.

"I tell you what, you give us half your money and your equipment...we'll let you live." Urlyn said in a sinister voice

"I have a better idea." The hooded man said and seemed to pause for a moment

At least twelve men revealed themselves by stepping from the darkness, most of which with bows pointed toward my captors, a few others with swords. Urlyn and Aspen looked incredibly uneasy now, they glanced nervously around them at the armed men with the tips of their swords following the direction of their eyes.

"You give us all your money, release your prisoner to us, and join us...and in return we'll let you live, while sharing any profit we might make." The man continued

Urlyn stood with a depressed look on his face for a moment then made a quick hand motion to his partner. Aspen sighed before walking over to me, he then cut my binds, removed the cloth from my mouth, and helped me to my feet.

"Who are you people?" Aspen asked before pushing me toward the men

"We call ourselves the Band of Brothers...and Deagan is our founder." he said

A numb feeling surrounded me, finally I understood who these people were...the bandits I'd worked with before my service to Quin. I smiled and walked over to the masked men. I shook hands with my old friends and they led me, along with my former captors, back to their new hideout in an old Ayleid ruin less than a mile from the road.

Teris led the way through the ruin, there were several traps set near the entrance that he pointed out and warned us of as we navigated through the place. It was large, with strange glowing objects all around, mixed with torches that the bandits had brought in. There were many more bandits inside, I hadn't seen their full force outside at the camp.

"Alright men, take the two mercenaries and show them around, set up an initiation mission for them...Deagan, you come with me." He said

He led me into his office and sat down, it was exquisitely decorated with silverware and all sorts of expensive brandy.

"Like what I've done with our legacy?" He said humorously

"Its amazing what you've done in the last few months." I replied, still somewhat entranced by how the small bandit operation I'd created had progressed

"We now have a base in Morrowind as well, the drug trade is much more profitable there." He told me

"How did you get so many to come?" I asked

"Money...we're bringing in alot of gold now that we have more members. We all pool our profits and split them among everyone...I call it, organized crime." He said as the look on his face showed that he'd accomplished a dream

"How much are you making?" I asked in a somewhat astonished voice

"Alot...I can reinstate you as my second in command if you like...gods know you have the experience...I mean think of all the people we robbed together...which reminds me...where have you been?" He asked

"Its a long story on where I've been mate, alot of fighting and killing behind me now...and some ahead of me still. On your offer of reinstating me, I'm afraid that I must decline at the moment...there are still many matters that I must attend to. I must be off soon." I said

"Of course, if there is anything I can do to help you then don't hesitate to let me know. My offer will still stand if you should choose to return to us." Teris told me

"Thank you Teris, may business be profitable and your luck be with you. I must be going now." I said

He shook my hand and led me back to the entrance where I waved farewell to him. He handed me a bag of gold, it was only a small amount of what he'd made. I could tell that he was dissapointed that I was leaving but I still had a few things to do before I would set off to kill Tamira, the path to restoring honor to Quin was nearly at its end now...or so I believed at the time. For now I would head to the nearby town to get the latest gossip and catch up on events...perhaps a visit to the tavern as well...these past months had taken their toll on me and a few glasses of liquor would do me good.
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Alright everyone here's the next bit, shakes things up a little and sets up for the next part. Keep in mind that this has not been edited in any way so there is a large chance that there are many errors within it. Anyways comments are welcome, thanks to those of you who comment when you can, and I hope you all enjoy.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Aug 13 2006, 04:07 AM

[jack cloudy]

It's good to have friends. Somehow I have the distinct feeling that Deagan is going to cash in a favour someday. Maybe Tamira is bad for bussiness and it would pay to attack the baddie's place in full force? Feel free to continue.

[The Metal Mallet]

Definitely enjoyed this one, it's nice to see that Deagan still has friends on the outside, despite their unlawful ways. I hope Deagan doesn't run into any snags in his mission, but he'll likely will. Ohwell, I'm sure it will be fun to read

[Kiln]

As I walked through the woods leading to the Imperial city my mind was tainted with thoughts of where my life had gone wrong. In my younger years I never would've thought that I might end up doing any killing...causing the death of another was the last thing I ever would have expected back then, yet so much had changed. I guess things don't always work out as you'd expect but the best you can hope for is that the path you take leads you where you want to go.

The city gates were in sight now, the giant wall made me feel incredibly small and insignifigant, even more so than I'd been feeling of late. I approached the guards outside the gate, they stood silently staring straight ahead.

Knowing that I was wanted made me rather uneasy about approaching them directly so I followed the road away from the city to seek out a carriage. I would pay them to help me enter the city without causing trouble with the guards.

A small carriage came in my direction slowly, guarded by armored men on horseback. I stood in the path and held up a hand in order to signal for them to stop. I approached slowly with my hands visible...I didn't want to cause any suspicion among the guards.

"Hello good sir, my name is Deagan and I seek your help." I said boldly to the noble man inside the carriage

He slid across the seat and hung an arm out the window.

"I'm not sure that I can help the likes of you..." He said nervously

"I see my reputation precedes me...I assure you that I intend you no harm." I replied

"What do you ask of me, knave?" He said

"I seek passage into the Imperial city by way of your carriage. I'm sure we can come to some sort of mutual agreement." I said, flashing the bag of gold Teris had given me

He stared at the gold for a moment, considering it briefly before speaking with the guard inside the carriage with him. The man stepped out and stood before me.

"My liege wishes that you surrender your weapons as a symbol of your good faith. They will be returned to you once we've entered the city and his payment has been recieved." The armored man before me said

I thought carefully of this proposition weighing the possible outcomes. I didn't want to hand over my weapons but perhaps it was the only way that I would gain entry to the city. If there was trouble I could use the dagger I had hidden in my boot.

Against my better judgement, I handed over all my weapons other than my boot knife and then looked to the noble once again.

"Alright sir, now what?" I said

"Arrest him." He said plainly

I had noticed the guard trying to sneak around behind me but hadn't thought anything of it before. He grabbed me and put a blade to my neck as his partner tied my hands in front of me. They then tied me to the back of the carriage and took off again slowly. Two guards walked at my sides making sure I wouldn't be able to escape.

We stopped in front of the gates and the guards there approached the carriage. I could hear them talking to the noble inside.

"What do we have here sir?" The guard asked

"We've captured Deagan and request entrance into the city to collect the reward." He said

The guards looked me over and then opened the gates. I should've known better than to trust the nobles. My mind assumed the worst given the circumstances and I began to plot my escape, carefully planning all the ways that I might be able to get away.

The carriage navigated carefully through the city then turned off into an alley and the noble stepped out slowly. After a moment he walked over beside me and flashed a faint smile before taking a dagger from under his belt.

"You looked a little worried back there, one thing I always do is keep my word." He said as he cut me loose with the dagger

I knew then that I had not been betrayed at all and for that I was thankful.

"I wanted it to seem as real as possible and obviously with the look on your face how could they have known that I planned to release you? Betrayal is as common as thievery in these parts Deagan, you'll do well to remember that. Now about that payment..." He said with a soft, lucid voice

"I will pay as we agreed...how about one hundred septims?" I asked as if I was bartering

"It is a dangerous crime to bring a man such as yourself into the city...perhaps two hundred septims would suffice." He said

"150?" I asked

"180." He said without missing a beat

"Will you accept 165?" I asked

"That will do, Alsen, retrieve his weapons." The noble ordered

After a few moments we shook hands and concluded our transaction, now a hundred and sixty-five gold pieces lighter, I returned to the road and walked through the town. The cobblestone streets glowed with an almost angelic look as I inched closer to the tavern. As I entered a drunk man fell through the door, grabbing onto me and then continuing on.

I sat and ordered a mug of ale along with a few shots of their finest brandy. Tonight would be a night to remember...or maybe it would be a night not to remember...either way I was going to be drinking again.

I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about all this, something told me that I would be unable to complete it but I continued to tell myself that nothing could stop me...it was likely my youth that kept me feeling immortal. The task that lay before me would be a troubled one even without taking into consideration the possibility of a failure on my part. It was hard to relax knowing that Tamira was still out there plotting...the details of which I did not yet know. I tried to put these thoughts aside as I took another drink.

After a few hours of drinking the chatting around me meant nothing, even thought it was about the events that had taken place in recent times mattered little to me. I could hear the words but they made no since.

"I've heard that another councilor has been killed." A man said

"Another one? So many unexplained deaths since Quin was killed in that bandit raid on his estate." a woman replied

"Burned his whole castle to the ground they did...then Ocato was killed in that hunting accident..." he said

"Damiscus was killed in a rebellion...then the last of them was killed yesterday...Tamira has called an emergency meeting tomorrow morning in the town square to speak about these issues." She said

"If only the Emperor hadn't been killed he would sort all of this out...everything was fine when he was around."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about this much longer...in times like these its only so long before someone makes a mistake and throws us into civil war...if that happens all bets are off." He stated

The talking continued as I crawled upstairs and entered the room I'd paid for earlier. I laid on the bed and stared at the wall beside me until I drifted to sleep.

My dreams were the clearest they've ever been, I saw myself laying peacefully on a small wooden platform covered in twigs and oil. The open building was atop a grassy hill, many people stood inside and around it as if it were a wedding, but there were no smiles or tears of joy. It was a ceremony dedicated to my death, the burning of a warrior. The priest softly spoke a few words as Quin, Falen, and the servant girl I'd rescued stood in front a crowd of people watching. Everyone around me seemed sad, even the ones I'd never met seemed broken by my death. The priest gracefully dropped a torch onto the wooden platform I rested on and flames surrounded me. As I burned all those around be knelt excluding Quin who stared into the fire, a single tear rolled down his wrinkled face.

As the people dismissed themselves Quin stood quietly as Falen walked away, leading the beautiful girl beside him with his arm. Quin was the last to leave, as my body was consumed by fire he whispered a few words and began a seemingly depressed walk back to town. Guards surrounded him as if to protect him on his walk and he continued along his path.

I could see the town off the mountain, it was bright and people filled the streets as if the entire city were having a party. Their cheers and cries of joy filled the night as people shifted about throughout the city.

I awoke calmly and sat up slowly. It was morning now and there was yelling outside the tavern. I shook off the after effects of the liquor and stumbled downstairs.

"Tamira is in the square making a statement...she's called the entire town to address recent events." A voice said

I walked outside and shielded my eyes from the light, looking to the stone platform in the middle of town where Tamira stood. A large crowd gathered and even more had come, this couldn't be good.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Sep 8 2006, 03:08 AM

[jack cloudy]

Vision, or just a dream. Who knows? Only time will tell. Till then, I shall wait.

[The Metal Mallet]

Hopefully Deagan won't try anything at this gathering. It would be difficult to do with a thousand eyes that could possibly see you murdering someone. Then again, this announcement isn't looking good....

[minque]

Oh Mr Oven......my apologises for being a lazy commenter.......So today I´ve been on here reading fanfic till my eyes are bleeding.....

And this story is outstanding as usual......very interesting I´d say and I´m planning to try and be more active in commenting..at least after next weekend!

[Kiln]

Well its been a while since my last update and I doubt that many of you are still interested in this after such a long time but here it is, just doesn't seem right not to continue it.
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I plotted out every possible way that I might kill her but no matter which scenario I pondered, it always turned out with me being overwhelmed by guards and falling in combat. Though a valiant way to end my life, it was not the most desirable and so I decided to do something I hated doing more than anything...waiting. There was no viable reason for me to sacrifice my own life for the greater good, especially considering everyone would think I was little more than an assassin and I would receive no credit for my efforts. If I were to kill her now without explanation, my cause would be lost.

It was also possible that if I killed her and then died shortly after, she would be replaced by someone as bad if not worse than herself. That is why I would do it carefully, allowing Quin to take her place and let him reveal her dark intentions to rule Tamriel and the evil plans I'd foiled.

I slowly walked toward the platform and pushed my way through the crowd to listen to her speech. Atop the wooden stand that had been assembled next to the fountain was a beautiful woman with long black hair, an extravagantly designed black dress, and a voice like that of an empress, truly one that could sway the people with little more than words. As she spoke I felt nearly entranced, like I'd never felt before.

"My brave citizens of Cyrodiil, we have been through some difficult times as of late, tragedies that will be remembered in our history for years to come. The assassinations of my fellow councilors came as a great surprise to me, and an even greater cost to our beautiful nation. Without leaders like the wise men and women that counseled this place after the emperor fell, I fear that the world we know is in great peril."

She paused, her soft voice washed over the crowd as the ocean washes onto the sand of a beach, the attention of all those within the audience lost at sea. I had heard of public speakers that seemed to have a magical way of grabbing the attention of the people before them but this was amazing even for the most diplomatic Imperial. Such simple words seemed like so much more and even I almost felt like supporting her. After all, she did not look like one that would be willing to kill those around her for power, but the sources of evil worked in strange ways that I could never understand.

"The ways we once knew, of emperors and councilors running the government is gone now...and a new leader must be appointed. A strong leader, both in mind and spirit, to help us through these difficult times. I would like to ask you, the people of cyrodiil, for your permission to take control of this dreadful situation, to right the wrongs in this nation, and to lead us into a brighter future than that which currently lies before us."

The crowd began to clap and cheer after a moment, suddenly starting with one man's applaud and spreading like a plague among the countless others that had gathered there. Among the crowd I noticed a hooded man with an almost familiar look about him...he looked to me and motioned for me to follow him to a nearby building.

I cautiously followed behind the man with my hand near my blade. We entered an old warehouse, lined with crates and dust, seemingly abandoned. He pulled back the hood and before me stood my companion, Falen.

"I was afraid you wouldn't be here...I mean after you disappeared in the woods outside of camp I worried you'd abandoned us." He said

"It wasn't my fault...I was...captured." I stated plainly

"Captured? Well I'm glad you made it here in any case, here's our equipment." He smiled as he picked up a crowbar

We both worked to open the old crate next to us marked "tools" and slowly lifted the lid off of it, revealing our supplies. Among the large amount of hay inside the container were several carefully stashed bottles of poison, a few arrows, and a small silver dagger.

"You take the dagger, I prefer my own." I said calmly

He nodded and took the dagger, putting it through the loop of his belt. We split the arrows and took one bottle of poison each.

"Right, here's what we do...approach Tamira after the ceremony and convince her we're assassins." He stated with a smile

"Shouldn't be too hard..." I said looking at myself in a dusty old mirror nearby

A strange smile crossed my face as I looked at the dark clothes I wore and my sinister appearance. It wasn't likely that Tamira would doubt that I was an assassin, I looked like the worst scum this side of Morrowind...or the best if it served your purpose to hire one such as myself. Hell I wouldn't have trusted myself with a dagger or money back then.

I left the warehouse with Falen at my side, approaching Tamira slowly to avoid angering her personal guards...I knew that walking quickly would cause the guards around her to think I was an assassin, and they would likely attack.

"Excuse me miss." I said calmly

Her guards looked at me uneasily...almost like they wanted me to try something. I bowed to her to show my respect and she motioned for me to follow. We walked toward the edge of the forest nearby, her guards followed but stayed out of earshot, knowing better than to listen in on her private conversations.

One guard split from the rest when we stopped and stood close enough to hear, he was her personal bodyguard...fairly important I suppose.

"Is there something I can help you with sir?" She said in a serene tone

"Me and my partner here are looking for work...we heard you might be the one to talk to." I said, as if I were desperately seeking a job

"I might have something...tell me, what can you do?" She asked

"Well I'm a very talented negotiator...you'll find that I can be quite persuasive when it comes to dealing with stubborn politicians and those...undesirables that might cause trouble for you." I said, trying to be as much like an assassin as I could be

"What is your name?" She asked, seemingly genuinely interested in me

"They call me Deagan." I said truthfully, knowing that it wasn't likely that she would mention me to any of her political friends...after all I was an assassin

"I like your company Deagan, meet with me at my estate and we shall discuss a job I might want you to do...if you truly are interested then you can find your own way." She said in a seductive tone and placed her hand on my shoulder as she walked away behind me

"My lady are you sure you want scum like that coming to your home?" One guard asked quietly, unaware that I could still hear him

"Don't worry about him, I think we'll find a some use for his skills...men offering those types of services are hard to come by." She said in a whisper

Knowing that I'd apparently impressed her, I smiled at Falen as we walked away. We would have a drink at the bar and then go to her estate shortly after. I didn't know when the opportunity to kill her would appear but in case it was soon I would have one last drink at the tavern before heading out...it wasn't likely that I would be able to escape the palace if it was a trap.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Oct 30 2006, 03:59 AM

[The Metal Mallet]

just doesn't seem right not to continue it.

I couldn't agree more, Kiln. Your stuff is always a great read and with this update we get more good stuff.

It'll be interesting to see what goes down at Tamira's estate, especially given her talent at speaking and seduction. Hopefully our would-be assassins are strong-willed.

I don't think I'll be going anywhere soon, so I'm sure I'll be here the next time you decide to update. Which is totally up to you.