Note: The majority of the first chapter will be strongly based on the game. Most dialogues will be straight from the game, so sorry if it bores you. That changes later on as I start making up random things to write about. Also, it's been a long time since I've written anything, so most likely the first chapters (and perhaps the whole story) will be kinda crappy. Also, sorry this chapter is so long. I probably should have split it up. Maybe I still will. I don't think the other chapters will be as long, but I'm sure yet.
Disclaimer: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion belongs to Bethesda.
Chapter One: The Task Ahead
"And stay in there, criminal scum!" yelled the guard as he threw a young woman into a cell. The sound of iron rang out as he slammed the door shut and locked it. He stood and scoffed for a few moments before walking off, looking pleased with himself. After catching such a dangerous criminal all by himself, he was sure to be promoted.
The woman sat up, after having lost her balance when thrown in. Looking around her cramped, dirty cell, she slowly stood up and walked to the iron barred door. The door was found to be securely shut and locked upon testing. Looking into the hallway beyond the door, the woman saw a cell across from hers. There appeared to be someone in that cell, but whoever it was seemed to be asleep, lying on a dirty sleeping roll that could be found in any cell. From her viewpoint, it seemed as if all the other nearby cells were empty. This being the Imperial City, surely the cells would be full of thieves and others who committed petty crimes and could not pay the fines.
"Must be in the dungeon for people who have committed a lot of big crimes. People they want to keep locked away for good," the woman muttered to herself. "Just... how exactly did I land myself here? I came to the City just a few hours ago; for the first time in my life. Surely I haven't done something so wrong yet... Though perhaps I did lighten a few coin purses along the way," she mused. "The guard didn't even take me before his superiors. He just threw me straight in here. Maybe he got me confused with someone else..."
Across from her cell, the other occupant of the dungeon stirred at the sound of her voice. As the person stood, she could see that it was a Dark Elf male. He grimaced and walked to the door of his own cell.
"Oh, look, an Imperial in the Imperial prison," he mocked. "I guess they don't play favorites, huh? Your own kinsmen think you're a piece of human trash. How sad. I bet the guards give you 'special' treatment before the end." The woman was scowling at him, but kept silent. "Oh, that's right. You're going to die here, Imperial. You're going to die." The Dark Elf grinned maliciously. It was too bad, really. Even if she was an Imperial, she was still a pretty thing.
"I'd really like to kill him one day..." the woman thought silently as she glared at the elf.
After a moment of silence, the man continued, "Imperial scum like you give the Empire a bad name. You're an embarrassment. Best if you just... disappear." At that, there was the sound of a door opening, banging on the stone wall behind it, and footsteps began to come towards the two cells.
"Hey, you hear that?" jeered the Dark Elf. "The guards are coming. For you." Laughing insanely, he made his way to the back of his cell, hoping he was in for a show.
As the footsteps grew louder, voices accompanied them. "Baurus! Lock that door behind us!" barked a woman's voice, a Redguard by the sound of it. "Yessir!" replied the voice of a male Redguard, and sound of the door being closed was heard.
Yet another male voice echoed in the stone, a voice that carried much grief with it. "My sons... they're dead, aren't they?"
"We don't know that, sire. The messenger only said they were attacked," The female Redguard attempted to comfort him.
The man took no comfort and replied, "No... they're dead. I know it."
All the while, the footsteps and voices grew louder until they were outside the cell of the Imperial woman.
"My job right now is to get you to safety," stated the female Redguard and looked into the cell. A look of surprise was followed by a look of anger. "What's this prisoner doing in here? This cell is supposed to be off limits!"
A second Redguard male appeared. He replied hurriedly, in an attempt to make his excuses and apologize, "Usual mix-up of the Watch. I..."
"Never mind! Get that gate open! Stand back, prisoner. We won't hesitate to kill you if you get in our way," the woman commanded.
The second male, in an attempt to redeem himself, took charge. "You! Prisoner!" He barked. "Stand aside! Over by the window. Stay out of the way and you won't get hurt."
Hissing softly, the Imperial backed up until her back was against the cold stone. "I have a name you know," she murmured as the group of three Redguards dressed in full armor marched into her cell. The one named Baurus took another quick look outside and rejoined them, reporting to his captain, "No sign of pursuit."
"Good. We're not out of this yet," the female captain replied, as she and the other guard stood in front of the prisoner. An Imperial male walked in between his group of armed guards, and Baurus closed the cell door and relocked it. The Imperial man was old, but still seemed to be strong for his age. He wore extravagant robes, and a large red-stone hung around his neck on a golden chain.
The prisoner eyed the necklace, her thief instincts kicking in. "That must be worth a fortune," she silently considered, before noticing that the man was looking at her as if he had seen a ghost.
"You... I've seen you..." He said quietly, coming forward a few steps for a closer look.
The woman looked at him strangely and thought, "Well, I've never seen you before, gramps. Must have me confused with someone else... again. What's with the people in this city?"
"Let me see your face," he commanded, coming forward another step. "Yes... You are the one from my dreams..." His face took on a grim look. "Then the stars were right and this is the day. Gods give me strength."
Still confused, the prisoner finally asked, "What's going on?"
The man looked at her for a moment before answering, "Assassins have attacked my sons, and I'm next." Oddly, he was slightly smiling as he spoke. "My Blades are leading me out of the City along a secret escape route. By chance, that escape route leads through your cell."
The woman shook her head, still confused. "Who are you?" she asked, in another attempt to gain information.
"I am your Emperor, Uriel Septim. 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."
Mouth hanging open, the woman gaped at the Emperor. Was this real? Was she really meeting the Emperor and speaking with him? She always thought the Emperor was too high and mighty to speak with common peasants. Yet, here she was, with the Emperor speaking to her as if to a friend. Pulling herself out of her faze, she realized there was still one thing she wanted to know.
"Why am I in prison?" she asked angrily, still outraged at having been arrested for no reason, or, at least no reason she was actually caught for.
Uriel shook his head. "Perhaps the Gods have placed you here so that we may meet. As for what you have done... It does not matter. That is not what you will be remembered for."
"I go my own way," the woman replied.
The Emperor smiled at her, "So do we all. But what path can be avoided whose end is fixed by the almighty Gods?"
The Captain interrupted quickly, "Please, sire. We must keep moving." Flipping a switch, a part of the stone wall swung back to reveal a passageway. "Better not close this one. There's no way to open it from the other side." She stepped through with the Emperor falling in behind her.
The so-far nameless Redguard glared at her and threatened, "Don't try anything. I'm watching you." He walked in and Baurus followed suit, calling back, "Looks like this is your lucky day. Just don't get in our way."
The Imperial woman stood in disbelief as the four vanished into the passageways. Grinning, she gave one last look at the dumbfounded Dark Elf still in his cell before going into the passageway herself. The passage lead into an odd area full of stone pillars and steps. She stayed behind the group of four, hoping to not bother them.
Suddenly, out of no where, four men dressed from head to toe in red and silver armor appeared with swords drawn.
"Protect the Emperor!" the Redguards yelled as they drew their own swords and ran to meet the attackers.
"What? What is this?" the woman whispered as she watched the fight. The Emperor was a few steps ahead of her, with his own short sword drawn. He turned at her voice.
"Protect yourself," he told her grimly, and turned back to the fight.
The Redguard Captain went down, slashed by one of the red men. Nevertheless, soon all four of the strange attackers were also cut down, their armor turning into nothing but red robes and hoods upon death.
"Captain Renault?" asked the Emperor as his two remaining guards approached him.
"I'm sorry, sire. She's dead," Baurus answered sadly. "We have to keep moving." The Emperor nodded and the other guard immediately claimed he would take the lead. As the remaining members of the group moved on, the guards discussed how "they" could have known about the secret passage. It was too late for them to turn back now, so they had no choice but to press on.
The woman turned and poked at a dead red-robed man with her foot. This must be "they", the assassins after the Emperor's life. "Well, I guess these guys won't be needing their items anymore... And I do need them." She began rummaging through the dead bodies, taking what potions and other useful items she could find. Eventually she made her way to the dead Captain Renault. The Captain carried two swords and a torch. "A sword would really be useful now..." The woman muttered.
As she bent down and took a sword off the dead Captain, two rats broke through a weak spot in a nearby wall. They ran viciously towards her, but she knew how to handle a blade and made short work of the overgrown rodents.
Attempting to follow the Emperor, she found they had closed and locked the gate behind them. "Great," she muttered. "Let me escape, then just trap me again anyway. Guess there's only one option..." Crawling through the hole the rats had made, she found herself in a series of rooms full of rotted crates and chests.
While exploring, an oddly shaped object caught her eye. Upon further inspection, she found it to be the body of a dead goblin. He had a couple of lockpicks on him, which were useful to the young woman who had made her living on thievery. He also had a small iron key, which fit perfectly into the lock of the door near him.
"Maybe I'm not stuck in here after all," she smiled to herself. Beyond the door were more rooms similar to the ones in the previous room. She found many useful items for herself or for selling in the rotted crates and chests. There were several more rats nearby, but the pesky rodents were nothing more than a small nuisance.
She actually was quite happy to find some heavy armor in some of the chests. Even though she was a thief and preferred stealth, she always felt more comfortable in heavy armor, as most Imperials did.
Eventually she came upon another door in the winding passageways. This one lead into a cavern area where more rats lived, along with some goblins. The goblins were old and weak, not making much of a challenge. After clearing the cavern of them, the Imperial looted the area, finding many jewels to sell off when she got out and back to civilization.
Continuing to follow the path, she found herself at yet another door. This one lead back to the stone areas similar to where she had started at with the Emperor. Creeping to the edge of the wall she stood on, she looked over to see the Emperor and his guards. "Must be my lucky day..." she murmured.
More assassins appeared in front of the Emperor, but they were no match for the trained guards. Baurus walked around the perimeter of the room, looking for more assassins.
The Emperor looked weary from the traveling. "Have you seen the prisoner?" he asked his other guard.
"No. Do you think she followed us? How could she?" he asked, looking perplexed. He had made sure to lock her back up in there so that she wouldn't cause them any trouble.
"I know she did," replied the Emperor shortly.
The Imperial woman sighed from her perch on the walls. "Guess he's waiting on me, then." She jumped down near Baurus, landing on her feet like a cat.
The guard near the Emperor shouted in rage, "Dammit! It's that prisoner again! Kill her! She might be working for the assassins!" He drew his sword, walking towards her. Baurus was closer to her, but he made no attempt to attack or threaten her. Backing away, she raised the shield she had found earlier to try and protect herself, but the Emperor spoke as the guard was about to reach her.
"No." He raised his hand and the guard stopped his advance. "She is not one of them. She can help us. She must help us."
The guard turned, still looking confused, but he sheathed his sword and returned to the Emperor's side.
The Emperor beckoned to the woman, "Come closer. I'd prefer not to have to shout."
Slowly and cautiously, she made her way over to the Emperor, with the two guards watching her closely. As she came, the Emperor began to speak once more, "They cannot understand why I trust you. They've not seen what I've seen. How can I explain?"
He thought for a moment before continuing, "Listen. You know the Nine? How they guide our fates with an invisible hand?"
The woman considered before answering, "I'm not on good terms with the Nine." She was a thief after all, and had made her living by stealing since the age of ten. Though never caught for her crimes, if the Nine existed, they would know her deeds and not be pleased with her.
The Emperor smiled a bit, saying, "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, and every one a sign. I know these stars well, and I wonder... which sign marked your birth?"
Again the woman had to stop and consider. It wasn't something that had ever really mattered before, or so she thought, but she could still remember if she tried hard enough. When she did remember, it was not surprising as all. "I was born under the Thief," she replied, smiling.
The Emperor nodded and continued once again, "The signs I read show the end of my path. My death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."
"What about me?" the woman asked, curious to know how much the man could see.
The Emperor smiled again. "Your stars are not mine. Today the Thief shall guide your steps on the road to destiny."
"Can you see my fate?" she asked cautiously.
"My dreams grant me no opinions of success. Their compass ventures not beyond the doors of death. 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."
"When did I decide to help?" the woman thought, and as he seemed to be waiting for her to ask or say something more, she asked, "Aren't you afraid to die?" The man seemed oddly calm knowing he was to soon die. He smiled and answered, "No trophies of my triumphs precede me. But I have lived well, and my ghost shall rest easy. 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."
The woman shook her head, thinking, "Seriously now, is it an Emperor's gift to turn every response into some grand speech?" Finally she asked one final question, "Where are we going?"
Uriel's face hardened. "I go to my grace. A tongue shriller than all the music calls me. You shall follow me yet for a while, then we must part." The Emperor turned away and the guard who had tried to kill her took the lead again. As Baurus passed, he handed the woman a lit torch. "You may as well make yourself useful. Here, carry this torch, and stick close." Holding the torch out, she followed behind the Emperor and his guards.
Along the way, they encountered more of the assassins, but they still proved to be no challenge against the professional guards. It was as if these particular assassins were not trained very well in their trade. Although some of them had to have some sort of skill, if they were able to hunt down the Emperor's sons and dispose of them, and to track down the Emperor in this underground place. Once upon finding a group of assassins, Baurus cried out to the woman, "Prisoner! The Emperor needs help!" He seemed to be relying on her help now that she was a part of the group, unlike the other guard.
"Fine, fine," the woman muttered, rushing forward with her short sword drawn. She attacked the nearest assassin and the force of the blow knocked him into a nearby wall. As he slid to the floor, blood smeared across the gray stone behind him. The man was only stunned, not killed. Baurus stabbed the man through the chest to finish the deed. The guards took out the rest of the assassins before the woman had much of a chance to do anything else. It didn't seem like they needed her help after all.
Upon reaching a room called "The Sanctum", which was stated by an old worn sign, the lead guard became wary. "Hold up," he raised a hand. "I don't like this. Let me take a look." He walked on ahead to check things out. Reaching the next doorway, he motioned back to the group to follow.
"Dammit!" the guard growled as he tried the door, which wouldn't budge. "The gate is barred from the other side! It's a trap!"
The guards pulled out their swords, looking about anxiously. "What about that side passage back there?" Baurus suggested, pointing slightly with his sword.
"Worth a try. Let's go!" the lead guard replied bitterly. The group advanced to the side passage, only to find that it was a dead end. "They're behind us! Stay here, sire!" the guard yelled as more assassins appeared in the room behind them. The two guards ran forward, with Baurus calling back to the woman, "Wait here with the Emperor. Guard him with your life."
As the fight progressed, the Emperor pulled the woman to him, dropping the red-stone necklace into her hands. "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! Take the Amulet. Give it to Jauffre. He alone knows where to find my last son." Uriel Septim flashed the woman one last smile before his face hardened once more. "Find him, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion."
The wall behind the Emperor swung back to reveal an assassin. Before the woman could react, the emperor was cut down. He slumped to the floor, dead.
"Stranger, you chose a bad day to take up the cause of the Septims," said the assassin that stood before her. As he was about to attack, Baurus ran up behind the red man, shoving his sword through the assassin. Seeing the Emperor on the stone floor, he gasped. He leaned over the body of his fallen Emperor, checking for any signs of life.
"No... Talos save us..." he whispered. He stood, faced the woman, and spoke quietly as if in a daze. "We've failed... I've failed. The Blades are sworn to protect the Emperor, and now he and all his heirs are dead." Baurus snapped out of it and looked sharply at the woman. "The Amulet. Where's the Amulet? It wasn't on the Emperor's body."
Pulling out the red-stone necklace, the woman asked, "This thing? The Emperor gave it to me."
Baurus looked at her with a strange look on his face. "Strange. He saw something in you. Trusted you. They say it's the Dragon's 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 of 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 why?"
"Yes. I must take it to Jauffre," the woman nodded.
"Jauffre?" Baurus looked surprised. "He said that? Why?"
"There is another heir," said the Imperial, matter-of-factly.
The Redguard shook his head. "Nothing I've ever heard about. But Jauffre would be the one to know. He's the Grandmaster of my Order. Although you may not think so to meet him. He lives quietly as a monk at Weynon Priory, near the city of Chorrol."
"How do I get out of here?" inquired the Imperial.
"First, you need to get out of here. Through that door must be the entrance to the sewers, past that locked gate. That's where we were heading. It's a secret way out of the Imperial City. Or... it was supposed to be a secret. Here. You'll need this key for the last door into the sewers." Baurus reached into a pouch hanging from his belt and handed her a small key.
"The sewers?" asked the woman, disgusted by the thought, and wrinkled her nose.
"There are rats and goblins down there... but from what I've seen of you, I'm guessing you're an experienced Pilgrim. Am I right?"
The woman laughed. It was a common mistake. Truth was, she was of no common class people knew of; she was in her own class. She explained this to Baurus, who looked slightly surprised.
"I wasn't far off. In any case, rats and goblins won't give you any trouble. After the sewers, you must get the Amulet to Jauffre. Take no chances, but proceed to Weynon Priory immediately. Got it?"
"Yes, I understand," the woman rolled her eyes.
"Good," Baurus smiled at her. "The Emperor's trust was well placed.
"What will you do?" asked the Imperial, feeling bad about leaving the Redguard alone in an underground passage full of dead bodies. It seemed quite depressing to have to stay here. She looked around for the other guard and saw that he had fallen to the assassins as well.
"I'll stay here and guard the Emperor's body, and make sure no one follows you. You'd better get moving. May Talos guide you." He nodded to the woman, and she took off down the passageway that the Emperor's assassin had opened.
Making her way through the stone corridors, she found the door that required Baurus' key. Using it, she found a room with a pothole to the sewers.
"Ugh. Here we go," sighed the woman. She made her way down the ladder and into the sewers, which stank horribly. Holding her breath as much as possible, she continued along her way.
There she did find rats and goblins, but they were no trouble. She quickly found her way through the reeking tunnels and reached an iron gate much like the one on her old cell door. Through the bars she could see sunlight.
"Ah, fresh air at last!" she exclaimed excitedly, pushing open the gate and running outside to stretch in the sun. Looking around, she decided to ignore Baurus' warning and head for the Imperial City first. It was much too late to make it to Chorrol before nightfall. She would spend the night in an inn in the City before continuing her journey...