Sunlight peered through the small skinny window and landed directly onto the small breton woman's eyes. Her bones ached and tongue was drier than she could believe. She took in her surroundings; a jail cell, nothing more than a table, stool, bedroll and some human remains. She stood up and felt the blood rush to her joints. Cautiously she made her way over to the barred door.
"Pale skin, snotty expression." A dark elf across the way said, "You're a Breton! The masters of magicka, right? What's your name little breton?" He asked.
"E-Ella." The breton replied.
"Hmph. You're nothing but a stuck-up harlot with cheap parlor tricks. Go ahead, try your magicka in here. Let's see you make those bars disappear. No? What's the matter?" The dark elf taunted Ella. She ignored him and produced a healing tome and rubbed it on her wrists where the cuffs rubbed her skin raw. "Not so powerful now, are you Breton? You're not leaving this prison 'til they throw your body in the lake. Oh, that's right. You're going to die in here, Breton! You're going to die!" At that last remark Mai's head snapped up and stared into the red eyes of her Dunmer neighbor. "Oh hear that? The gaurds are coming, for you!" He laughed a terribly evil laugh
"What's this prisoner doing in here? This cell is supposed to be off-limits!" A sharp female voice cut through the silence.
"Usual mix up with the watch, I-" A deep voiced Redgaurd replied.
"Never mind. Get that gate open." The female shot back. "Stand back prisoner, we won't hesitate to kill you if you get in our way." The gate to Ella's cell swung open. The woman, the Redgaurd, another man, and an older man dressed in extravagant robes entered the cell. Mai stood nervously beneath the window. She fiddled with the cuffs on her wrists.
"You." an ancient voice spoke to Ella as her eyes looked to the source. The older man. "I've seen you. Let me see your face." Ella stepped closer and looked at him. He looked into her golden eyes with a meloncholy look. "You are the one from my dreams. Then the stars were right and this is the day. Gods give me strength."
Ella's eyebrows were deeply furrowed in confusion. "What's going on?" She asked, her small voice chiming.
The man swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them and kept the dead-lock stare into Ella's eyes. "Assassins attacked my sons. And I'm next." He motioned to the men and woman around him dressed in heavy armor and said, "My Blades are leading me out of the city along a secret escape route. By chance, the entrance to that escape route leads through your cell."
"Who are you?" Ella asked. She figured he was some type of cult leader and his bodyguards were escorting him from the law.
"I am your emperor, Uriel Septim." Ella immedietly felt small. "By the grace of the Gods, I serve Tamriel as her ruler. You are a citizen of Tamriel and you, too, shall serve her in your own way."
"Why am I in jail? I was attacked and just because I won the brawl doesn't mean I should be in jail." Ella defended herself.
"Perhaps the Gods placed you here so that we may meet." Uriel replied back, "As for what you have done... It does not matter. That is not what you will be remembered for."
"What should I do?" Ella asked, quizzical.
"You will find your own path. Take care.. there will be blood and death before the end." Uriel spoke in a bone-chilling tone.
"Please, sire, we must keep moving." The female Captain said in almost a desperate tone. She played with the bricks on the wall for a moment. Suddenly the stone step where the bedroll layed began to shake and slowly slide downwards, sending up dust and dirt. The brick wall began the same quivering motion and slid slightly backwards before descending into a chamber below. It revealed a secret passage. "Better not close this one, there's no way to open in from the other side." Three nobles began to make their way into the passage way.
The Redgaurd looked at Ella before entering the passage, "Looks like it's your lucky day, prisoner." Ella scurried in behind them, keeping a safe distance. Down a few stairs and corridors, they entered a large chamber with enormous pillars. Sudddenly the sharp sound of a sword being unsheathed echoed throughout the space. Three warriors dressed in great red cloaks that were swifly changed into armor with some magical tome that enveloped them in a red swirl. The gaurds unsheathed their Katanas and attacked the mysterious red figures. The six moved like blurs and Ella couldn't keep track of what was going on. She stood with the Emperor as the fight was quickly ended. The Reguard and other man approached Uriel.
"Are you alright, sire?"
"I'm fine Baurus." The Emperor adressed the Redgauard, "Captain Renault?"
"She's... dead sir." Baurus replied with a certain type of sadness, "I'm sorry but we have to keep moving."
The small group kept moving to the next gate. "Don't worry, sire." Baurus reassured the Emperor, "We'll get you to safety. They won't underestimate the Blades."
"I'll take point!" The other unnamed man announced as he opened the gate. "Let's move."
"You stay here prisoner. Don't try to follow us." Baurus warned Ella.
She stood there, and noticed the chill that had fallen upon the room as she looked upon Captain Renault's dead body. She shuddered. What was her next move? The only way out was through the gate. Just then some stone crumbled from a far wall and two rats scurried out. Ella let out a scream and quickly reached for Captain Renault's Katana. As the rats approached she kicked one away and sunk the blade into the other rat's neck. The second one limbered back and Mai ended its life very quickly by slicing his neck. Ella stepped back and sighed. She walked towards the new hole in the wall.
It opened up to a dark chamber with a dirt floor. The smell of dead bodies lingered in the air, most likely due to the dead goblin and skeleton resting in the premesis. To her great enjoyment she found a bow, some arrows, and leather armor resting near the skeleton. She made her way through the dark and dusty way killing the occasional rat and discovering small bits of gold. There was a constant eerie feeling throughout the area. If Ella didn't look where she stepped there was a good chance that he foot would connect with a skull or something similar. She was not sure where she was going but something inside her knew this was the way out.
Her heart soared when she finally found a door. Ella opened the door just to find almost the same type of area but no ceiling, just more dirt. She took no more than three steps into the natural caverns and heard a blood-boiling screech. Goblins. The dead one she saw at first was almost a premonition to more to come. Mai crouched down and began walking on her toes, trying to make every step silent. She held her breath. Slowly she reached the goblin, back to her, facing a fire she removed an arrow from her quiver and positioned it against the bow. Her arm pulled back on the string, making the angle more and more acute. The Breton took her aim and released. The arrow buried itself deep in the neck of the goblin. He stiffened up and fell into the fire. Ella stood back up and released her breath.
As Ella moved on through the caverns she found more and more goblins and killed them off with the same precautions. Eventually she reached a huge cavern with a shallow pit in the middle filled with rats in a small enclosure and some type of goblin shepard. She immedietly stepped back and attempted to hide herself. A second goblin waltzed by no more than three feet in front of her. Before he took another step an arrow found a new home in his neck.
Still trying to remain invisible, Ella crept into the cavern, noticing two more goblins along with the shepard. One played dumbly with a tankard and one stood in front of a large cauldron doing some type of magic. He was definetly the leader, the Skirmisher. Ella drew her bow and took out the dumb goblin. He lazily fell to the side, dead. She next killed the goblin shepard. He fell into the small herd of rats, who tore apart his body.
Ella hid herself behind a natural pillar and prepared herself to take out the leader. She stayed low and drew her bow. She turned quickly and shot the Skirmisher square in the chest. He stuttered for a moment then started to gingerly make his was in Ella's direction. She quickly sunk another arrow right into his eye, knocking him back and ending his time.
She scurried over to where he landed and pulled out the two arrows. In his small pocket he held many gems. Topaz, sapphire, ruby. Ella was excited by her finds and made her way to his cauldron. It was filled with skulls. Ella could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up. A chest caught her eye. With a few tries with a lockpick, she used her swift hands and adept hearing to open the chest and find it almost completely barren, besides a few more small gems that rested on the bottom of the chest. She swept them up and slipped them into her pocket.
Ella began her way along the straightforward path until it started to slope upwards and she came to a door. This had to be the way out. She opened the door and her stomach shot up to her throat. She was in a glistening chamber again, similar to where she stood maybe an hour ago. Quietly she made her way through until she came to a loft. Ella waited there for a few moments, until she heard voices.
"We are almost there." A deep voice said. Baurus. Ella identified. Baurus, the Emperor and the other bodyguard came into view. From a loft across the way two more of the assassins dropped down and began attacking. Baurus and the bodygaurd took them down with only a small struggle.
"We must keep moving." Baurus instructed.
"Just a moment; let me rest." Uriel requested. Ella decided that her time was now. She jumped down from the loft.
"It's that prisoner! She might be working with the assassins!" Baurus walked towards Ella, Katana drawn.
"No-" Ella started
"Stop." Uriel demanded. "She's not one of them. She can help us. She must help us." Ella stepped closer to him. "They cannot understand why I trust you. The haven't seen what I've seen. How can I explain? Listen. You know the Nine? How They guide our fates with an invisible hand?"
"The Nine guide and protect me." Ella responded.
"I've served the Nine all my days, and I chart my course by the cycles of the heavens. The skies are marked with numberless sparks, each a fire, everyone a sign. I know these stars well, and I must wonder... which sign marks your birth?"
"The Warrior."
Uriel nodded sadly. "The signs I read mark the end of my path. My death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."
"What about me?"
"Your stars are not mine. Today the Warrior shall prove a stolwart companion when fortune fades."
"Can you see my fate?"
"My dreams grant me opinions of success. Their compass ventures not beyond the doors of death." Uriel stopped for a moment. "But in your face, I behold the sun's companion. The dawn of Akatosh's bright glory may banish the coming darkness. With such hope, and the promise of your aid, my heart must be satisfied."
"Aren't you afriad to die?" Ella asked in an ancient voice. The question was asked too much.
"No trophies of my triumph precede me. But I have lived well, and my ghost shall rest easy." Uriel's tone seemed to get brighter and brighter. "Men are but flesh and blood. They know their doom, but not the hour. In this I am blessed to see the hour of my death, to face my apportioned fate, then fall." Ella was astounded by his calmness.
"Where are we going?"
"I go to my grave." Uriel's eyes seemed glazed, like he was looking into the beyond. "A tongue shriller than all the music calls me." His eyes snapped back to reality. "You shall follow me yet for a while, then we must part."
The Emperor turned and started walking away. The bodyguards drew their blades, ready for the fight to come. The ventured through the chambers, fighting the assassins as they came. Not a finger was lain on Uriel. The finally got to an area where there was only one gate to go through; and it was locked.
Baurus, enraged, slammed his fist into the gate and yelled, "It's a trap!" Him and the other Blade drew their swords. "Maybe there's an opening around here." They all made their way into a smaller room, with no way out. Ella caught a glance at Uriel. He seemed to have stiffened, and had that 'looking into the beyond' look glazed over again. "Shit." Baurus cursed. He pointed at Ella. "You stay here with the Emperor; protect him with your life." Baurus demanded. The two Blades exited into the larger chamber leaving Uriel and Ella alone.
Fighting began outside in the chamber. Uriel unclasped his amulet and handed it to Ella. "I can go no further. You alone must stand against the Prince of Destruction and his mortal servants. He must not have the Amulet of Kings!" Uriel demanded. "Take the Amulet. Give it to Jauffre. He alone knows where to find my last son." Ella nodded furiously, besides the fact she was beyond confused. "Find him and close shut the jaws of Oblivion." Just then, the wall behind Uriel began to shake and drop down, just like the wall in her cell.
"Sire!" Ella yelled, her eyes enormous. An assassin was emerging from the wall. Uriel turned around to face him, and before another breath was taken, the assassins blade sunk into the center of Uriel's chest.
The assassin began attacking Ella and she did her best to block him with her bow, but he got a few hits at her arm. She had a moment when he backed off and drew her bow, sending an arrow flying at his eye. It staggered him for a moment, but he fell to Baurus's blade.
Baurus looked at Ella. "We've failed. I've failed... The Blades are sworn to protect the Emperor, and now he and all his heirs are dead." Baurus shook his head and took a second look at Uriel's body. "The Amulet! Where's the Amulet of Kings? It's not on his body."
"The Emperor gave it to me." Ella said.
"Strange. He saw something in you. Trusted you. They say its the Dragon Blood, that flows through the veins of every Septim. They see more than lesser men. The Amulet of Kings is a sacred symbol of the Empire. Most people think its the Red Dragon crown. But that's just jewelry. The Amulet has power. Only a true heir of the Blood can wear it, they say. He must have given it to you for a reason. Did he say?"
"I must take it to Jauffre." Ella knew Brother Jauffre already. She grew up in Chorrol and visited the Priory often.
"Jauffre? He said that? Why?"
Ella swallowed. "You didn't completely fail. There is another heir."
"Nothing I've ever heard about. But Jauffre would be the one to know. He's the Grandmaster of my Order."
"Of the Blades?" Ella asked. She knew Jauffre as the quiet, monk at Weyron Priory.
"Yes, you wouldn't think so, huh?"
"No, I would've never guessed."
"How do I get out of here?"
"Through that door must be the entrance to the sewers, past the locked gate. That's where we were headed. It's a secret way out of the Imperial City. Or at least it was supposed to be secret." He handed her a small, dirty key. "Here. You'll need this key for the last door to the sewers."
"The sewers?"
"Yes. There are rats and goblins down there... but from what I've seen of you, I'm guessing you're an experienced scout. Am I right?"
"No, I'm more of an adventurer."
"Well I was close. Still, I don't think you'll have any trouble with rats and goblins."
"After the sewers, then what?"
"You must get the amulet to Jauffre. Take no chances, but procede to Weynon Priory immedietly, got it?"
Ella nodded. "Yes, I understand."
"Good. The Emperor's trust was well-placed."
Ella sure hoped it was.
Yay. Please review and what-not (: I'll get the second chapter started soooooon