It was a typical saturday morning, mall was booming and packed with teens all chating about who was dating who, parents buying clothes for reluctant todlers, and Three seemingly ordinarry friends who decided to hang at the mall that day, John and Cathy were waiting on Mark to finish his shift at Best Buy. John was a slim boy, A bit short for his age, and wore glasses that had the affect of making him look like a sterotypical "geek" He had black hair and Blue eyes. His friends often joked saying he should cosplay as harry potter. John also happened to be interested in fastasy stories so the joke fit moreso. Cathy Was An inch taller than John With brown Hair matching her auburn eyes. She had a natural beauty to her, and often went without makeup and still rivaled some of the girls who had to cover thier face in various creams. "So potter, up for some Lord of the rings." cathy said with a sly smile. "Stop calling me that," was all john could say. John secretly enjoyed this nickname, as it made him feel somewhat connected to the world he longed to explore, the world he wished was real.
"What's taking mark so long? He should have been here fifteen minutes ago." Just then Thier friend mark arrived carring a shoping bag and with a look of anger and relief on his face. "Well I'm fired, Finnally snapped at petterson today and you know what? I'm glad." Mark Had short brown hair, A firm muscular build and Green eyes. He was in short a chick magnet. His chizzled features Made him the target of almost any girl in town, except cathy. Despite this Mark wasn't A thick Headed Jock, though he joking acted like one at times. John and Cathy Both knew that mark needed a job for his mother who lived with him. The only other income they had was her disability from the druck driver who made her a quadrapolegic. John On the other hand had money to spare, so if mark needed a loan he could spot him for a year at least His parents lived accross town from him and he had saved most of his life, but mark wasn't the Mooching type and would only borrow if push really came to shove. and John was willing to help his friend. Cathy Wished she could help Him as well but her studant loan and cost of books left her days where she could barly get the cost to get to her classes.
The three friends walked the mall and talked. "Mark Seriously you need a job, I can loan you the money, no problem for me." mark sighed "I can't I Can find a job right away I just need a chick to take my interview." Mark couldn't help play the jock at times. only his friends knew the real him. John Was quick to retort "Take some time off, I'll spot ya. And take care of your mother 24/7 and give the maid a break." The maid was What John Called mark's sister she treated the group like they were scum and thought she was to good to work. The group treated her with the same respect. "Na that'll only make the witch happy." Just then Nathan bumped into john and almost knocked him over. Nathan was a goth type who kept to himself and wore mostly black. He and John had been getting into problems with each other since birth.
"Aw son-of-a, Guys I left My waych back at Best buy, I gotta grab it." Mark then took of. The watch was given to him from A week before his father died. It was the last thing mark had of his fathers. "Hey cathy lets sit down here I'm not feeling to good." John said as sweat began to poor down his face. "Sure," replied cathy "It seems to be contagious I'm feeling off to." Just then both John and cathy fell over in the food court cluthing thier sides in pain. then they passed out.
John awoke, slowly coming back to conciousness he blinked to clear thee bluriness from his eyes. as he sat up he felt strange. Upon standing he realized he was taller. Mark came to and sat up seeing a beautiful yong woman in front of him. It took him a few moments to realize that the young woman had long pointed ears. he touched one and the woman awoke screaming. He jumped back in surprise. "I'm sorry I scared you mam" he said surprised at what had happened. "It's okay she said feeling her ears seemingly surprised at thier odd shape. she she took a good long look at him, as if head had 3 heads. "What is your name?" She asked. Mark simply replied mark, although for some strange reason he wanted to awnser Marcus. The woman looked in surprise "mark? It's me cathy!" Mark realized that the strange woman across from him was indeed his friend.
"Why do you look so differnt?" He asked her and her awsner surprised him. "ME!? Look at you." mark moved over to the table and looked into the pitcher of water. Looking back at him was a humanoid tiger. It had a tiger head over a humanoid body from what he could tell. It also had fur covering every inch of the body. "What have I become?" He screamed in surprise. John watched his friends who had yet to notice he was in the cell. Yes he recognized the cell from various imaged of midevil prisons. "Guys" He said and the finally noticed him. John now stood at Six feet, While still slender he no longer had the glasses he had moments before. His hair was in a ponytail that reached the middle of his back. Cathy was essentially the same except she had an orange tint to her skin and the elongated ears.
"Well Look at this bunch of misfits enjoying the imperial dungeon." Said a voice from the cell opposite. "A nice Kajiit to catch the rats for you," By the rats comment mark knew he was the Kajiit "A lovly Altmer maiden to play with" Cathy knew she was the altmer because she was the only female. But how did she know that also meant high elf? "And an imperial rat bastard to wrap things up. You know guys you really should enjoy her before the end. Oh thats right, your all going to die down here, Your all going to die." Just then an upstairs door opened "Hear that the guards are comming for you, Heh heh heh"
The aproaching footsteps frightend the group, first taken from home to this dungeon in who knows where, changed some how and then executed? And for what? The voices got more distinct as the got closer. "the messenger said they only were attacked" came a female voice A male voice full of sorrow responded "no thier dead i know it." "right now my job is to get you to safty, What are these prisoners doing here? this cell is supposed to be off limits." Said the female guard who was obviously in charge "Unusual Mixup with the watch I ah" Said a flabergasted second in command soldier. "whatever get this gate open, stand back prisoners we won't hesitate to kill you if you get in our way." The three backed up quickly. the guards came in and they were to scared to move. "stay put prisoners" said the second in command" After the three guards came in they were followed by a peculiar man.
The man wore a beautiful red robe, the kind royalty would wear, a beautiful red pendant hung aroung around his neck. gray hear framed his aging face, a face showing shock as he saw his unexpected guests. "you, I've seen you!" He said, and they recognized the voice as the man who lost his sons. "Let me see your faces. You are the ones from my dreams, then the stars were right and this is the day, gods give me strength." John asked a queastion on everyones mind, "What's going on?" The elderly man replied with a grim finality "assassins attacked my son and I am next. 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." Mark was next with a question, "who are you?"
"I am your emporer uriel septim, By the grace of the gods, I serve tamriel as her ruler. You are a citizen of tamriel and you to shall serve her in her own way." Catherine asked the most important question of all "Why are we in prison?" 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." catherine then asked the emperor what they should do. You will find your own path, take care there will be blood and death before the end."
The captain saw this as a chance to interupt "Please sire we must keep moving." she said as she opened a secret passage leading into a dark corridor. "better not close this one no way to open it from the other side." as the guards passed to enter the passage one of them said "looks like this is your lucky day." "guys" said john, "I could swear that guy was patrick stewart!" "His friends gave him a blank stare "Patrick stewart? Picard? are you crazy?" Replied cathy "He's nothing like Picard!"
The three friends followed and heard the captain call. "close up men protect the emporer" soon bandits attacked and the captain fell, three of the bandits attacked the guards, and even the emporer drew his sword knowing it was not his time yet. the last bandit charged the prisoners. "End of the road!" he said with a snicker as he drew back his blade. John stood in front of his friends and acting on instint held up his hand and shouted "flare!" A ball of fire exploded from his hand hiting the assassian in the head. The dead body of thier attacker fell before him and his armor vanished, leaving only a cerimonial red cloak. JOhn was stuned at what he had managed to do. the guards had dealed with the remaining attackers and sheathed thier swords. mark and cathy had searched the bodys and found a shortsword and dagger respectively.
"Are you all right sire?" asked one of the guards. Uriel was however more concerd about others. "captain renault?" "she's dead." there was a moment of scilence of thier fallen comrade. "dont worry sire, we'll get you out of here. They won't be the first to underestimate the blades." The guard turned to the prisoners "Yous stay put. don't try to follow us." they left into an adjoining room and locked the door behind them. "Dammit! what do we do now?" Yelled mark still a little surprised at his new kajiit voice. "I don't know mabey..." said john as he spied a wall. the wall seemed to have a crack in it and looked like thier were tunnels beyond it. John grabbed the brick and began to pull, but the prick would'nt budge. "Let me try" mark said as he attempted to remove the brick, soon a man sized section of the wall was about to crumble and the three backed up, as a new door was made just for them. Two rats the size of small dogs charged through and catherine took charge, she swiped the first causing a large wound that was certainly fatal for the creature. the second lunged for her but she kicked it and a sickening crunch could be heard and the creature fell dead.
Cathy and mark were about to move forward when they noticed thier friend john was sitting near a wall, catherine approached Jonathan and asked him what was wrong. "I killed him, I know he was going to kill us but the look in his eyes just before he dropped, I keep seeing it in my mind. I'm a murderer. I'm a murderer, just go. Let me stay here and make this place my tomb." Marcus sat beside him. "Look John, I have a feeling we are in for a long haul here. this battle, for lack of a better word, is just the start. I can feel it. and if it means taking human life then i may as well stay here too." Cathy sat next to John as well. "Well I am not going in there and leave my two best friends behind, besides, that guy was going to murder us and then the emporer, you saved four lives! Were gratful!" John sat there for a while. and some time passed before he stood up and said "lets go"
Inside the cave Marcus found the skeleton of a long dead adventurer. Also there was the body of what apeared to be a goblin. Cathy found a bow and twenty arrows. Mark looted the goblin and found lockpicks. Cathy aimed her arrow and managed to hit a bucket from 20 feet. "Nice shot" called mark John cast another spell that he learned to open a chest hidden in a corner. "hey guys!" ,he called, "check this out!" In the chest lay 24 gold pieces. Neither of the friends ever saw real gold before but each new that there was solid gold in the chest. they each took 8 gold and moved to the door at the back of the cave. they all hoped that the door would lead them out of the caves.
The next room was simply more caves, they were in a barren room and to the left was a seperate passage. strange noises came from up ahead. "