Chapter 1

A distant drip could be heard, echoing around me. I couldn't see anything, nor could I feel myself, I tried to remember what had happened last but nothing came, only a dull pain in the back of my head. My consciousness drifting in darkness, I heard a voice, muffled, far. Who was it? I tried to call out but couldn't. All I had were my thoughts. Then I heard a more distinct voice, his voice.

Dovahkiin, wake up.

I opened my eyes and saw a bright window up in the distance, I blinked away the haze from my eyes and as everything became clear I began to feel anxious. Where was I? I could see a strange cobblestone wall and a wooden table, with it, a stranger's silhouette. Then I another heard a voice, becoming clearer with each word.

"...No matter what the law says, no matter what they told you. Your going to die in here. You're going to-" I didn't let the voice continue, I cut in sharply.

"Would you shut your face, jeez. Your annoying." I said as I pulled myself up to sit. I could feel a dull pain in my head still, I seemed to have startled the stranger at the table. I couldn't see their face that well but this stranger addressed me.

"Where did you come from?" She stood up but didn't make any move to come closer or back away. She was being cautious.

"If I knew that I wouldn't be here... Where ever here is..." I didn't bother peeling myself from the floor, the guy in the other cell started shouting nonsense again. Ugh, it hadn't even been five minutes and this guy was giving me a headache.

"If you don't shut up, I swear, I will break my way out of here, go over there, and shut it for you!" I pinched the bridge of my nose and that's when I heard the other voices.

"My sons... They're dead aren't they..."

"We don't know that Sire. The messenger only said they were attacked."

I stood up and looked out at the source and soon saw armed guards coming closer along with someone else behind them. I looked behind me to the stranger who shared this cell. She looked just as confused, suddenly I heard one of the guards yell fiercely.

"Who put these prisoners here, this cell is supposed to be off limits!" She huffed and spoke again, more collected, "Stand back prisoners, or we wont hesitate to kill you." She threatened. I quickly back away with my cell mate, both standing up against the wall.

"You... I've seen you..." The person behind the guards was the emperor, and he seemed to recognize my cell mate. I was confused, not just by this random occurrence but this emperor. This wasn't Titus Mede II, and yet they still held the title of emperor. Who were they? They seemed to know my cell mate from a dream. Because that's not weird...

"What's going on?" I asked. He looked over at me confused.

"You, I've not seen you, yet I sense something in you. You have the dragon blood coursing though your veins."

"Yeah, I get that a lot being dovakiin and all. Uhmm... Sire?" I was being disrespectful talking so casually but I wanted answers. The emperor furrowed his eyebrows, the guards told the emperor there was no time to waste, they needed to keep moving. The very wall moved out of their way and I couldn't help but be a little impressed. Wasn't this lucky, I looked back over at the prisoner at the cell across from me and gave him a smug smile before leaving with everyone. I couldn't get a good look at what the other prisoners face was like but I hoped he was seething. Serves that annoying bastard right.

There was a point when a strange robed enemy appeared and attacked, killing one of the emperors guards, not long after the remaining guard cut me off from following, I was slightly annoyed but found another tunnel, I decided to try my luck and go that way with my cell mate who had also been left behind. We ran into a few rats, some goblins, and a zombie... Strange, I had never seen goblins in Skyrim before...We soon caught up to the emperor and his guard, I decided to keep to the shadows as I followed them, the dunmer did the same but she was not a very good sneaker.

"Dammit, it's those prisoners again! They might be working with the assassins!"

"No, they're not. They could help us."

"Whoah whoah, you might be emperor but you can't just volunteer me to do your bidding. No offense." I was then nudged hard by my cell mate, who I could now identify as mer. She glared at me with such intensity, if looks could kill I'd have died a thousands deaths in a single second as she walked past me towards the emperor. It was still too dark to really tell much about her.

"You would so well to watch your tongue!" The guard warned me. I suppose I should behave better for now, it wouldn't be ideal to be left behind again.

"Please, come closer." The emperor addressed me. I came over to him, all others' watched me wearily.

"Earlier you said your name was, Dovahkiin."

"No that's not my name, my name is Astra. Astra the Dragonborn. Dovakiin for short." I crossed my arms, this seemed to shock the guards and the emperor. Although the guards quickly replaced their surprise with skepticism. I continued. "Honestly, I thought everyone in Skyrim knew this already." I tried not to sound smug but I'm sure that's exactly what it sounded like when the dunmer spoke.

"This isn't Skyrim, this is Cyrodiil." Now it was my turn to exchange a look of skepticism. Only with how this catacomb was looking, I was beginning to think she may be right.

"Who told you that you are dragonborn." The guard asked wearily.

"I was in Helgen, and a dragon named Alduin attacked-" Before I could even finish my sentence the guard cut me off again.

"Dragon? There haven't been dragons for thousands of years. Sire this woman is clearly ill. We should keep moving." With that everyone began to go again. I simply shrugged off their insult and followed. They were now all weary of me.

Another robed assassin attacked, I wasn't armed and without really thinking I used my thu'um when one of them knocked me down and brought a mace down on me.

"Yol!" a flame came forth and burned the perpetrator badly. Siring they're clothes and face into ashes. I quickly pushed their burned body off of me and stood up, alert. I noticed there was another slain body on the floor.

"What was that?" said my cell mate, I still couldn't see her very well but judging from the accent, she must have been a dunmer.

"You know, not to sound smug but, I told you earlier before you all called me ill." Everyone only stared at me befuddled. A look of realization hit the emperor. I shrugged it off and moved forward, until we hit a dead end. Everyone panicked and more assassins came out from every corner it seemed. The emperor called to both my cell mate and I. I went over and he first addressed the dunmer woman, explaining to her of his unavoidable death and to take his Amulet, he then quickly turned to me and spoke.

"I do not know where you came from, but I see you are lost. Stay with her, and help her close shut, the jaws of Oblivion." Just as he finished an assassin came from a portal and cut him down where he stood. This shocked the dunmer woman and she hesitated, I on the other hand acted quickly and used my Thu'um once more. I watched him turn into ash, his last words.

"Paradise awaits me..." from the pain the assassin sounded like these words were meant to assure himself that his death was not the end. Pitiful really.

Then the last standing guard came to see what happened. The dunmer woman quickly explained what happened, she was still in shock, I watched her with a strange sense of nostalgia, I feel like, I had seen her somewhere before, but I couldn't quick put my finger on it. I don't think I've ever met her before, but her face... Why was it so familiar?

I was quickly brought out of my thoughts as this guard, Baurus, introduced himself to me. He also mentioned he was a blade. He then began with his questions.

"That shout, are you really dragonborn?" He looked less doubtful this time around.

"Yes... You say your a blade? I've met one of you once, they invited me to join them at Sky Haven Temple. Didn't much care for your little group, we had a bit of a disagreement, so I left. I suppose I will help this lass find this Jauffre he spoke of, but after that I will go my own way."

"Fair enough. I'll take care of things here, just take the sewers and you'll find the way out." He handed the dunmer a key. "It was supposed to be secret but..." He trailed off as his eyes met the emperors corpse.

I looked away awkwardly, I was never good with death so I left the room promptly, waiting for the dunmer woman to come. I listened to their muffled voices exchange incoherent words. More information of where to find the Jauffre I assumed. She seemed to be in shock still, I chose not to say anything and just followed her through the sewers, disposing of the rats and goblins that littered the place. We came upon the exit fairly quickly and once we were greeted by the midday sun I was able to take in her features much more clearly. Her face was still familiar but I couldn't understand why.

"I never got your name." I said quietly, maybe a name could help me figure out who she was.

"...Ilazki." She looked over at me as she introduced herself. Ilazki? Her name was strange, memorable too, yet I didn't recognize her.

"That's an unusual name for a Dunmer." I nodded to her awkwardly as she shot me a harsh look of disdain. I brought my attention to the task at hand, honestly I wanted no part in this little mission for the emperor, I didn't take orders from anyone. Not anymore.

A/N: I got this random idea and decided to roll with it and see where it takes me. Hope you like it!