The Dragon Throne
Chapter 1
I'm going to start this tale with a quick lesson and introduction. My name is Crown Prince Vipsanius Falavius, son of Quintus Falavius, Emperor of Tamriel. The year is 4E 165. A hundred and sixty five years ago at the end of the 3rd era the last emperor of the Septim dynasty Martin Septim died in the Battle of the Imperial City after he shattered the Amulet of Kings and bound himself with Akatosh and sent the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon back to Oblivion. Martins close friend and champion whose name has been lost through the ages was named Champion of Cyrodiil. After nine years of the Elder Councils Regency, the High Chancellor Ocato named my Great Great Grandfather General Seutonius Falavius, Emperor of Tamriel. In the year 4E 44 the Champion of Cyrodiil disappeared into the strange door on the island of Madness in the Niben Bay Also the Champions wife gave birth to a son Vibius. The baby boy was hidden, because the remnants of the Mythic Dawn were still out there and possibly wanted revenge for all the things the Champion had done to their cult.
Now one hundred and sixty five years later me and my father were leaving the Imperial City with a contingent of the Emperor's Dragonguard, the personal guard of the Emperor seeing as the Blades refused to provide protection for my family as we are not Dragonborn as the Septims were, to Bruma for I was to be married to a princess of Skyrim, we just got to the ruins of Fort Empire when a single arrow sailed from the old keep, we were attacked by robed Bandits, the Dragonguard drove them off but my father was struck in the shoulder by the arrow I still remember his last words " Find the shards, awaken the dragon, it's your only hope." Then he died. I was 19 years old and my father was dead and I was Emperor of an Empire that spanned a continent. The head of the Dragonguard that was escorting us, Captain Gellius said we'd better retreat to the Imperial City. I didn't say anything on the way back. I was silent as I rode through the streets with my father on a cart I saw people weeping because he was a popular emperor. When I arrived the captain of the Palace Guard Nikitus Galdramus greeted me.
'My lord you have my condolences, your father was one of the greatest emperors since Uriel V.'
' I thank you for your kind words Captain, but right now we have to find out what my father meant by "Find the shards, Awaken the Dragon", we may need to open the Imperial Library' I said.
'Of course my lord, we will get right round to it, but may I suggest that you take some rest till tomorrow, you should not be rushing around like this your father was just murdered' High Chancellor Aulus said.
So I went to my father's old quarters and tried to sleep and wondered why I didn't weep, but I fell asleep at 12 am. At 3 am I was woken by a great crash coming from the city, I quickly got out of bed and ran to the window and I saw that most of the city was on fire and these great battering rams were attacking the gates to the palace, but the gate to the Market District was left untouched so we could retreat through the Imperial Prison. I went to find Captain Nikitus and Captain Gellius and they were just outside the doors of the Palace.
'Where in Akatosh's name is the High Chancellor' I shouted.
'He was one of the first to get out of the city my lord.' Nikitus said gloomily.
'The coward, right then with him the Imperial Watch probably went as well. Nikitus, Gellius you are to get your men and rendezvous with me at the entrance of the escape tunnel in the Imperial Prison you will wait there and if I don't show up in 30 minutes you go without me I won't ask you to sacrifice yourselves for a dying dynasty'
'Yes my lord' they both said proudly and ran to find whatever men they could find including their own companies. I ran back into the Imperial Palace went up the stairs into my quarters and pulled on the Armour, it was made of Mithril Silver, forged by the Altmer, my father had made for me, I felt a catch in my throat as I pulled it on as I remembered that he was dead.
I left my room and hurried down the stairs to be greeted by a group of Imperial Watch who had not fled and a few townspeople.
'What do we do my lord' one of the Watchmen said.
'We go to the Imperial Prison, there's two hundred of the Dragonguard and Palace Guardsmen there, we will escape out of the tunnel,' I shouted loudly, 'let's just hope I get out better than the last Emperor to go through those halls'.
The last Emperor being Uriel Septim VII who was murdered by the Mythic Dawn whose description fitted the men who attacked my father.
'My lord' the Watchman said nervously.
'Yes'
'The High Chancellor didn't escape, he joined the enemy with most of the Imperial Watch' he said 'he betrayed you'
'What is your name' I asked gently.
'Watch Sergeant Constantinius Praetorius, my lord' he said proudly.
'Watch Captain Constantinius Praetorius now' I declared.
'Thank you my lord' he said happily
I led my ragtag Company to the Prison to find Nikitus and Gellius waiting for me.
'It's been 40 minutes, you should've gone by now' I said.
'Alas we lost track of time my lord, who are all these people?' Captain Gellius asked.
'This lot will be coming with us, they thought they could find shelter in the palace and Watch Captain Praetorius has reliably informed me that the High Chancellor has betrayed us' I said quietly.
'Why that traitorous son of a who-' Gellius began
'Now Gellius, there are children and ladies present I advise you to hold your tongue'.
'Sorry my lord'
'Well lets go then, I will be the last to go through you will all go through before me'.
I waited for all to pass through the entrance and just as I turned to go through myself I heard something behind me and turned to see a member of the Imperial Watch, 'My Lord I think its best you come with me.' He turned around and I saw a rising sun on his shield, the symbol of the Mythic Dawn, 'Of course.' I said but quickly turned around and slit the man's throat, I leant down to get his sword and felt a blow to my head and my world went dark and fuzzy as I collapsed. I woke up some time later and the first thing I saw was Nikitus trying to see if I was still alive.
'Lord, your still alive, praise Akatosh' he said happily.
'What happened?'
'You were attacked by the enemy and took a nasty blow to the head, we realised you had not followed and we found the enemy rifling through your pockets so we killed them and brought you here' he said slowly.
'Where is here?'
'We are on the northern shore of Lake Rumare, we found 3 boats and sailed across, by the Nine!' the last imprecation was because, as I saw to my horror, that the Imperial Palace had caught fire, the White Gold Tower was ablaze, I saw my banner of the Septim Diamond surrounded by the Falavius Dragon on a black field burning as it flew at the top of the tower, it seemed as if the entire city was ablaze and it was the enemy had burned it with their mages best spells, the Imperial City which had stood as capital of the Empire for four eras, defeated thousands of enemy's was at last destroyed by the same people who attacked it over a century ago, the Mythic Dawn. I swear I saw that some of the enemy were following a banner that looked like mine except it had the Mythic Dawn rising sun on the bottom but I think it was my imagination.
'Nikitus send a messenger to Chorrol, we go there, Gellius send some scouts ahead to make sure the woods are safe we go through there and stay away from the roads. Praetorius you and your men will guard the women and children.'
'Yes my lord! All three men said.
We rode to Chorrol through the Forest, as the roads were dangerous. When we arrived, the Count of Chorrol, Quintus Valga greeted me with a smile.
'Lord Emperor we welcome you to Chorrol but we also wonder what all the smoke in the direction of the Imperial City is, and may I also say that you have my deepest heartfelt condolences I was a good friend of your Fathers and you don't remember me for I haven't seen you since you was born, I comforted your father when your Mother and Brother were killed by pirates on the Abecean sea.' he said with misery in his voice. He was speaking of when my mother and brother's ship was captured by the pirate Fang and they were both killed.
'Thank you, Count I hope we can be friends as you and my father were, now that smoke in the direction of the Imperial City is the Imperial City.'
'What happened? Was it a fire?'
'No. The Mythic Dawn attacked it. We are the only survivors I know about. High Chancellor Aulus betrayed us and let them in and he got his men to join the looting inside the city'.
'By the Nine, are you sure it was the Mythic Dawn? Because if they are planning to open Oblivion Gates then they are doing it in vane, the barriers are impenetrable. Well in the coming war you have Chorrol's support and no doubt you have the support of all the other cities as well.' He declared loud enough for all the people to hear.
'Thank you Count, I will now make a speech if that is fine to address your people.' I asked politely.
'Of course my Lord you don't need my permission I am just your representative here, these are your people, you are their Emperor.' He said.
'Well okay then, People of Chorrol the large plume of smoke in the South west is in fact the Imperial City, last night at 3am it was attacked by the Mythic Dawn.' A disgruntled growl went through the crowd, so I held up my hand to still them. 'But they think to make us lose hope when we find out our capital is destroyed, well I will tell them now that I have not lost hope! They should have learnt, the last time they tried to attack the people of Cyrodiil, It didn't end well for them, it won't end well this time. I hereby pledge that I will not rest until we have hunted down the Mythic Dawn, we will kill them all! When we rebuild the Imperial City, we will remember this war! We will remember how our men sacrificed their lives for the Empire. So I ask do not lose hope!'
They cheered. They didn't lose hope.