I
Fynix Nylim sat on a sad excuse for a bed in the prison cell. He looked at his surroundings; the small, dark, dank, dingy, and drab little cell that had been his home for the last year. Fynix hung his head and rubbed his temple with two fingers as he recited several alchemical formulas in his mind. He held out his hand and lit a small magical flame in his palm that he quickly extinguished. The guards didn't notice if you kept in practice with small spells, but if they caught you practicing bigger magic, they didn't take too kindly to it. Fynix was a powerful battlemage and alchemist, a Dunmer born in the exotic land of Morrowind, but shipped to the Imperial Prison of Cyrodill. He'd been charged as a criminal for reasons he didn't know, and now his days were filled with practicing small spells and reciting alchemical formulas to stave off the boredom that was starting to gnaw at his sanity.
The Dunmer mage turned his head to look when he heard the cell door rattle hard. Arken Dralkes was once again practicing unarmed combat on the door. The Dark Elf thief unleashed a series of punches against the metal gate, following it up with a pair of chained linear kicks. He finished the chain with a solid elbow-strike to the door frame.
The guard leaned over as he walked by, "Keep it down in there, scum."
Arken punched the door one more time out of spite before turning around and walking further into the cell. He flexed his hands open and closed several times before running one hand through his matte black hair. He worked his arms around to relieve some tension, emphasizing his chiseled physique. Arken preferred to go shirtless rather than tolerate the itchy sackcloth tunics the prisoners were issued.
Fynix shook his head as his friend walked by, "Arken, will you please calm down?"
The Dunmer thief leaned on his arm against the far wall and hung his head, "Easy for you to say. You haven't lived your whole life dodging jails."
The mage looked over at him, "Look, Ark, I don't enjoy being in here any more than you do, but there's also nothing I can do about it. So you might as well make the most of what you have."
Arken turned and barked at his friend, "Well, maybe we have nothing to make the most of!"
Fynix shook his head as he stood and walked over to Arken, "Ark, I understand that you hate being caged like this, but I don't think that accounts for why you're so restless right now. What's wrong?" Arken only responded with a silent glare.
The Dunmer mage put his hand on his friend's shoulder and looked him in the eye, "Arken, it's me. You can talk to me. What's bothering you?"
Arken finally broke Fynix's gaze, looking away at the dark stone wall. He stood silent for several more moments before his shoulders heaved in a deep sigh. He walked to his bed and sat down on it, resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing his forehead.
"I can still see her, Nix. I can still see her just lying there, bleeding on the floor."
"So that's what this is all about." Fynix nodded understandingly, "Merrenda."
Arken gave a resigned nod, "She's haunting me, Nix. Those beautiful eyes of hers are haunting my every waking moment. I miss her so much." He breathed a sharp sigh and looked up at his friend, "It should've been me, Fynix. That arrow was aimed at me. It should've killed me; not Merrenda."
Fynix sat down next to Arken, "When I was a boy, one day, my brother and I were playing in our father's alchemy shop. He'd told us many times never to play in there, but we did anyway. We were having fun, until I knocked over a shelf full of expensive sorcery potions. It broke about half the bottles. We both knew father was going to be furious with me when he found out. But just before I could tell him, my brother came in the room and said that he'd knocked the potions over. He knew that father would be more lenient with him than he would with me, because I'm the oldest. Father gave him a good tongue-lashing and grounded him for a couple of weeks. If it'd been me, the cost would have come out of my earnings, and those were expensive potions." He looked at Arken, "My brother did me a favor that I'll never forget. You know why? Because my brother loves me." The mage leaned closer to him, "Merrenda did the same favor for you because she loved you so much, Arken. She felt the same way you do now. She would rather have died in your place than stand by and watch you die."
The Dunmer thief stared ahead blankly as he shook his head slowly, "It's just so cruel, to let me hold her as she died in my arms." He took an unsteady breath before looking at Fynix, "Right before she died, she said to me 'Live free, my beloved.' I can't even fulfill her last request because I'm stuck in this fetcher's stink hole."
Fynix smiled and nudged Arken's arm, "Someday we'll get out of here, Arken. Then things will be different. You'll see."
Arken shook his head slowly again, "I wish I knew how you always keep such a bright outlook on things, Nix."
The mage simply shrugged in return, "Well, I just try to ignore the bad parts. They say 'ignorance is bliss', right?"
"Awe, what's the matter?" An all too familiar voice came from the cell across from theirs, "Is the little Dunmer boy crying about his little dead wifey again? You're pathetic, you worm."
"Shut up, Dreth," Arken snapped toward the other cell, "Or they'll be keeping me in here longer for killing you."
"Oh, they'll be keeping you in here long enough, whelp. Don't you worry about that. You'll have plenty of time in here before the end." Valen Dreth leaned on his cell door, "Oh, didn't you know? You're going to die in here, Dunmer; both of you. You're both going to die." He looked up the stairs when a noise echoed down into the hall, "Hey! You hear that? The guards are coming. For you." He let out a maniacal cackle as he walked back into the darkness of his own cell.
Fynix shook his head as Arken stood up, "Just ignore him, Arken." He paused briefly before looking at his friend, "You know, maybe we should…"
"Quiet!" Arken turned his head to listen to the noises coming down the stairs, "We've got some activity here. Someone's coming down." Fynix stood up and crowded around the door to listen. They caught a portion of conversation that was progressively coming closer.
They heard an older man's voice first, "My sons…They're dead, aren't they?"
A younger-sounding woman answered him, "We don't know that, sire. The messenger only said they were attacked."
"No. They're dead. I know it."
A quartet of people came down the prison stairs, three wearing an ornate type of armor and an older man wearing royal robes.
The short and armored woman appeared to be the one in charge, "My job right now is the get you to safety." The group stopped at Arken and Fynix's cell and the woman's eyes widened with surprise when she looked in, "What're these prisoners doing here? This cell is supposed to be off limits."
One of the soldiers looked at her and shrugged, "Usual mix up with the watch? I…"
"Never mind. Get that gate open." She looked into the cell at Arken and Fynix, "Stand back, prisoners. We won't hesitate to kill you if you get in our way."
"You, prisoners!" One soldier, an Imperial, pointed at them, "Stand aside. Over by the window. Stay out of the way, and you won't get hurt."
Fynix took several steps back while Arken turned with a sarcastic huff, "Well, since you asked so nicely…" They both stood over beneath the window, keeping their hands visible to avoid suspicion. Once they were clear of the door, the soldier produced a key and opened it. They filed into the cell, but the old man stopped and stared at the two Dunmer.
He pointed a bony finger at them, "You…I've seen you two." He motioned them closer, "Let me see your faces." Arken and Fynix gave each other a nervous glance before cautiously stepping into the light from the window.
The old man's eyes widened, "You are the ones from my dreams." He looked away from them, "Then the stars were right, and this is the day. Gods give me strength."
Fynix looked around and shrugged, "Wait a minute. What's going on here?"
"Assassins attacked my sons, and I'm next." The old man looked at the soldiers around him, "My Blades are leading me out of the city along a secret escape route." He motioned to the cell around them, "By chance, that escape route leads through your cell."
The Dunmer mage furrowed his brow, "Who are you?"
The old man nodded respectfully to them, "I am your emperor, Uriel Septim. By the grace of the gods, I serve Tamriel as her ruler."
Fynix's eyes widened as both he and Arken dropped to one knee before the Emporer.
The Emperor shook his head, "Please, there is no need to stand on ceremony at this time." He made an upward motion, ordering Arken and Fynix back to their feet, "You both are citizens of Tamriel, and you too shall serve her in your own ways."
Arken glanced at Fynix briefly, "You do know why we're in here, right?"
The Emperor shrugged casually, "Perhaps the gods placed you here so that we may meet. As for what you have done; it does not matter. That is not what you'll be remembered for."
Before Fynix could speak, Arken cut his hand through the air, "I make my own destiny, and neither the divines nor the daedra have any say in that. I go my own way."
The Emperor simply nodded, "So do we all, but what path can be avoided whose end is fixed by the almighty gods."
"Please, sire, we must keep moving." The woman Blade urged the Emperor on as she walked over next to the bed and pushed an inconspicuous stone in the wall. It sank inward and mechanisms in the wall started working as the bed sank down and the wall opened into a cavern tunnel.
Arken's jaw dropped and he pointed at the door, "You mean I've been sleeping six inches from an escape door all along and never even knew it?"
Fynix just stared, "There's some bitter irony for you."
The Blade captain ignored their comments and turned to walk down the tunnel, "Better not close this one. There's no way to open it from the other side." The Emperor and his Blades all moved to enter the tunnel.
The rearguard Blade, a Redguard, snickered as he passed Arken and Fynix, "Looks like this is your lucky day. Just stay out of our way."
Fynix watched them go down the tunnel, "Do we follow them?"
Arken worked his fingers under his wrist irons and tripped the locks to open the cuffs, "Does a guar poop in the woods? I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Come on." He tossed the irons aside as he and Fynix headed into the dark tunnel following the Imperial entourage. They followed the group around a corner and down some stairs before coming to an open room.
They struck when they entered the chamber. Hooded figures wearing glossy black armor jumped down from several high alcoves in the walls brandishing weapons. The Blades all stood to the Emperor's defense, drawing their swords and forming a wall in front of him. They charged forward, taking them head on. Arken stepped back into the shadows and Fynix by the collar of his shirt to drag him in with him. They were both unarmed and unarmored; no condition to be facing trained assassins.
The fight was short, but messy. The captain felled one assassin before another came from behind and struck her across the back of the head with a mace. The two remaining Blades took the rest of the assassins from the flanks and eliminated them without further incident.
The Redguard Blade sheathed his sword and turned to the Emperor, "Are you alright, sire? We're clear for now."
The Emperor nodded to the captain's body, "Captain Renault?"
The Blade shook his head, "She's dead. I'm sorry, sire, but we have to keep moving."
Arken released Fynix's collar as he stepped out and looked at one of the assassin's bodies. The assassin was wearing a blood red hooded robe, which he found odd considering that just a moment ago he'd been dressed head to toe in armor.
The Imperial Blade walked over to a grated door and looked back as he unlatched it, "How could they be waiting for us here?"
The Redguard shook his head, "Don't know, but it's too late to go back now." He looked at the Emperor, "Don't worry, sire. We will get you out of here."
The other Blade nodded, "They won't be the first to underestimate the Blades." He turned around and pushed the door open, "I'll take point. Let's move."
The Emperor followed the first Blade, but the Redguard turned to point at Arken and Fynix, "You stay here, prisoners. Don't try to follow us." Without another word, he turned and walked through the door, closing it behind him.
Fynix looked around the room they were in, "So now what? We can't follow them and the only other way leads back to the prison."
Arken started searching the bodies, "I'm not giving up a chance for sunlit freedom when I'm this close. We just have to find a way out of here." He finished searching the body the Blade captain and held something up, "Now we're talking."
Fynix turned and looked, "What's that?"
The thief spoke as he fastened the belt and scabbard around his waist, "If my knowledge of weapons serves me well, which it always does, it's an Akaviri katana. The Akavir knew how to make some good weapons in their day." He drew the katana and slashed it through the air a few times, "And this blade, in particular, is very well cared for." He picked up a steel shortsword and tossed it to Fynix, "I found this on her, too. It's not a longsword, but it's better than nothing."
"It'll do for now." The mage caught the weapon and fastened around his waist, "You wouldn't happen to have found a map or a key on her anywhere, did you?"
Arken shrugged as he stood, "Nothing along those lines. But those assassins got in here somehow. Their entrance can be our exit."
Both or their heads turned when they heard the sound of grinding stone. Something on the other side of the wall was quickly making its way through. The stones bulged outward as it pushed. Arken and Fynix both drew their respective weapons. They didn't know what it was and they wanted to be ready for it.
Both Arken and Fynix were visibly relieved and somewhat disappointed when the stone wall gave way only to reveal a pair of rats that came through the hole. The rats were hostile, but they were practically no threat. One jumped at Arken, but he casually raised his sword in defense. The rat bit down in the blade and fell to the ground, chomping its jaws to get the metal taste out of its mouth. Arken quickly ended its life by staking the weapon straight down through its neck. The other rat never even got that far. Before it could attack, Fynix lit off a small fireball that fried the rat where it stood.
Arken sheathed his sword and motioned toward the hole the rats made, "There's our exit. I'll lead." They proceeded cautiously through the hole, but the only thing to worry about in the chamber beyond was another rat. Arken took the time to remove some old leather armor from a dry old skeleton lying in one corner of the room. It was still in good condition, if not a little rough, making it good for some basic armor protection. Fynix found an old iron cuirass with greaves and some boots in an old crate nearby that he donned for his own protection. Arken also recovered a rusty old iron bow and some dirty arrows that were still usable, as well as an iron sword for each of them. A little more properly equipped now, the two Dunmer carefully made their way through the chambers and caverns. The only resistance they faced was the occasional rat until they happened upon a small group of goblins, but the dirty creatures were little threat to a skilled swordsman and a mage who could throw fire from his hands. After dealing with the goblin threat, they proceeded further through the dark caverns and passages. They came to a ledge overlooking a larger ruin chamber with a sunken pathway through the middle.
"Wait." Arken held his hand out to stop Fynix. He pointed into the chamber below them and then to his ear as the signal to listen. They waited silently as noises in the halls became voices and drew closer.
The first was an Imperial voice, "…find a defensible spot and protect the Emperor until help arrives."
The second voice was an irritated Redguard, "Help? What makes you think help will get here before more of those assassins? We need to get the Emperor out of here." Arken peered over the ledge to find the Emperor and his two remaining Blades moving through the chamber below.
As if on cue, several more armored assassins jumped down from higher places in the walls. The Blades drew their swords and moved to protect the Emperor, but they were outnumbered two to one. Arken and Fynix glanced at each other, knowing that they needed help. Arken drew back an arrow while Fynix unleashed a fireball. The fireball hit one of the assassins, engulfing him and throwing him against a wall, while Arken's arrow pierced the chest of another. Arken noticed the air around the assassin rippled and his armor vanished when he died. Some kind of conjured armor maybe? The Imperial Blade finished off the assassin he was fighting and started looking around when he noticed Arken and Fynix up on the ledge.
He pointed at them and started walking toward them, brandishing his blade, "Blast! It's those prisoners again. Kill them. They might be working with the assassins."
Arken was about to stand to run back into the caverns when the Emperor held up his hand, "No. They are not of them. They can help us." He looked up at them, "They must help us."
"As you wish, sire." The Blade sheathed his sword immediately upon hearing the order.
The Emperor nodded and motioned for Arken and Fynix to come down, "Come closer. I'd prefer not to have to shout."
The two friends gave each other nervous glances before jumping down to the floor and approaching the Emperor.
He looked them both in the eye, "They cannot understand why I trust you. They've not seen what I have seen." His eyes darted away for a moment, "How can I explain? Listen. You know the Nine? How they guide our fates with an invisible hand?"
Fynix nodded, "The Nine guide and protect us."
"Yes." The Emperor returned the nod and looked at Arken, "And you?"
The Dunmer thief frowned bitterly, "I'm not on good terms with the gods right now."
"A shame, that." The Emperor looked at them both, "I've served the Nine all my days, and I chart my course by the cycles in 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 signs marked your births?"
Fynix shrugged, "The Apprentice."
The Emperor looked at Arken and he smirked, "The Thief."
He nodded and continued, "The signs I read mark the end of my path. My death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."
Arken glanced at Fynix briefly before looking at the Emperor, "What about us?"
The Emperor smiled and shook his head, "Your stars are not mine. Today, the Thief and the Apprentice shall be your guides on the road to destiny."
Fynix furrowed his brow, "Aren't you afraid to die?"
The Emperor shook his head again, "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…" His eyes went misty and he looked up, "…to face my apportioned fate, then fall."
Arken arched an eyebrow, "Can you see our fates?"
The Emperor shook his head once more, "My dreams grant me no opinions of success. Their compass ventures not beyond the doors of death. But in your faces, I behold the sun's companions. The dawn of Akatosh's bright glory may banish the coming darkness. With such hope, and with the promise of your aid, my heart must be satisfied."
Arken looked around the Emperor's shoulder to the door behind him, "Where are we going from here?"
The old man breathed a shallow sigh, "I go to my grave. A tongue shriller than all the music calls me. You shall follow me yet for a while. Then we must part." He nodded to them and turned away toward the door.
The Redguard tapped Arken's shoulder to get their attention, "I'm Baurus of the Emperor's Blades. Since you're here, you might as well make yourselves useful." He lit a torch and handed it to Fynix, "You carry this torch and stick close to the Emperor." He pointed at Arken, "You, up front with Glenroy. Can you wield a sword at all?"
Arken smirked and rolled his eyes, "Can I wield a sword? I'm insulted." He turned around to take his position.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Baurus looked around the room, then at them, "Just stick close and let us do our job. You'll be all right." The group advanced cautiously through the dark passages, the light from Fynix's torch only illuminating a few feet in front of the Glenroy and Arken. They didn't get far before encountering more assassins. Fynix lent his magic while Arken lent his blade in the Emperor's defense. They dispatched the first group of assassins easily, but couldn't go much further before encountering a second group. The Blades took them head on and eliminated them quickly. Once the threat had been neutralized, the party made their way through a small wooden door to a large chamber with descending stairs and several columns.
"Hold up." Glenroy held up his hand, "I don't like this. Let me take a look." The Imperial advanced further into the room and Arken drew his sword. He looked around, but couldn't see far into the darkness. He had a bad feeling about this.
Glenroy waved everyone forward, "Looks clear. We're almost through to the sewers." Arken kept his blade in hand as the group made there way deeper into the room. The torch started to flicker before Fynix relit it with a quick burst of flame.
The group came to a metal gate and Glenroy pushed on it, rewarded with only a rattle. He looked at the gate and pushed again, getting only a metallic clanking for his efforts. He examined the lock and cursed as he drew his sword.
"The gate is barred from the other side. A trap!"
Baurus drew his sword and looked around the room, pointing out a small alcove, "What about that side passage back there?"
Glenroy nodded, "Worth a try. Let's go." The Blades led the way with Arken and Fynix bringing up the rear as they moved to a thin passage off to the side. They walked in and looked around, but found no other tunnels or doors out of the room.
Baurus looked at Glenroy, "It's a dead end. What's your call, sir?"
The senior Blade started looking around, "I don't know. I don't see any good options here." A sound of voices and weapons came from the room they'd just left and Glenroy turned to look, "They're behind us!" He looked at the Emperor, "Wait here, sire."
Baurus looked at Arken and Fynix, "Wait here with the Emperor. Guard him with your lives." With a shout of "For the Emperor!" both Blades charged out of the room to engage the assassins. Arken and Fynix waited as they heard shouts and clashing metal coming down the passage. As they waited, the Emperor became more and more restless. He started breathing heavily and looking around at the room as though he recognized it.
Finally, he looked at Arken and Fynix, "I can go no further. You two alone must stand against the Prince of Destruction and his mortal servants. He must not have the Amulet of Kings." He pulled off the large red gem hanging from his neck and thrust it into Fynix's hands, "Take the Amulet. Give it to Jauffre. He alone knows where to find my last son." He leaned closer to them, "Find him, and close shut the Jaws of Oblivion."
As the Emperor stepped back, the stone wall behind him opened to reveal another assassin brandishing a dagger. Before the two Dunmer could react, he grabbed the Emperor's shoulder and sunk the blade deep into his back, ripping it out before turning his attention to the two in front of him. Arken half-sworded his weapon and raised it to block an overhand strike. He spun to slide the blade off his own and continued around to smash the pommel into the side of the assassin's head. He staggered to his right, falling right into Fynix's low slash. The blade played across his unarmored side and he collapsed dead on the floor, the air rippling and his armor vanishing as he fell. Baurus rushed into the room mere moments after, his armor spattered with blood and his shield broken.
He dropped his sword and broken shield and fell to his knees over the Emperor's body, "No…Talos save us." He hung his head, "We've failed…I've failed…The Blades are sworn to protect the Emperor, and now he and all his heirs are dead." He leaned forward to look at the body and looked up at Arken and Fynix, "The Amulet! Where's the Amulet of Kings. It's not on the Emperor's body."
Fynix held up the Amulet to show him, "He gave it to me."
Baurus furrowed his brow, his eyes darting between them for a moment, "Strange. He saw something in you two. Trusted you." He looked at the body, "They say it's the Dragon blood that flows through the veins of every Septim. They see more than lesser men." He stood up and looked at them, "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?"
Arken glanced at the Amulet and shrugged, "He said to give it to Jauffre, whoever that is."
Baurus' eyes narrowed, "Jauffre? He said that? Why?"
"He said that there's another heir."
The Redguard nodded, "Nothing I ever heard about, but Jauffre would be the one to know. He's the grandmaster of my order, although you would not think so to meet him. He lives quietly as a monk at Weynon Priory, near the city of Chorrol."
Arken looked at tunnel the assassin came through, "You know how we can get there from here?"
Baurus looked around, "First, you two need to get out of here. Through that door must lead to the entrance to the sewers past the locked gate. It's where we were headed. It's a secret way out of the Imperial City, or it was supposed to be secret." He reached into a pocket on his belt and pulled out a key that he handed to Arken, "Here. You'll need this key for the last door into the sewers."
Arken accepted the key and Fynix arched an eyebrow, "Sewers?"
The Blade nodded, "There are rats and goblins down there. But from what I've seen of you two, you're both experienced warriors." He pointed at Fynix and Arken respectively, "Battlemage and Assassin. Am I right?"
Fynix nodded, "Yes, that's right. I'm a battlemage."
"I thought so." Baurus looked at Arken, "And you?"
Arken started glancing around the room and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Actually, I'm a…" He cleared his throat, "…a thief."
Baurus' eyes widened, "Really? I would never have guessed. Still, I don't think either of you will have any trouble with rats or goblins."
The Dunmer thief nodded, "What's after the sewers?"
Baurus pointed at the red gem in Fynix's hand, "You must get the Amulet to Jauffre. Take no chances, but proceed to Weynon Priory immediately. Got it?"
Both Dunmer nodded before Fynix spoke up, "What about you?"
Baurus looked down at the body at his feet, "I'll stay here to guard the Emperor's body, and make sure no one follows you. You'd better get moving. May Talos guide you." The Dunmer pair was about to leave when Baurus spoke up again, "By the way, thanks for recovering Capt. Renault's sword. I'll see that it's given a place of honor in the halls of the Blades."
Arken shrugged as he untied the Akaviri katana from his back and handed it to Baurus. He had switched to an iron longsword earlier and was planning on selling the katana, that is before Baurus preempted his plans. The two Dunmer bid farewell to Baurus and left the room through the secret door the assassin used.
Arken held a torch up to light the passage and looked at Fynix, "Can you believe this? He's trusting a couple of convicts to transport the most valuable relic in Tamriel."
"Maybe the hand of Fate is working here somehow." Fynix shrugged and looked at the Amulet of Kings, "Maybe I should wear this under my armor for safekeeping." He fastened it around his neck, but as soon as he let go, it unlatched on its own and slipped off. Arken lunged forward to catch it before it hit the ground.
He stood and handed it back to Fynix, "He said something about only a true heir of the blood being able to wear it, Nix. You have a 'Plan B' for carrying that thing?"
Fynix accepted the Amulet and slid it into a pouch, "I guess I'll just have to pocket it, then." The two friends made their way down the passage, unlocking the door to the sewers and delving into a chamber of some of the most rank and disgusting scents imaginable. The rats and goblins were hardly a sturdy workout for two experienced warriors, as Baurus suspected. After several minutes of navigating the sewer passages, they finally saw the light of day beaming through the final tunnel.
Arken opened the gate and squinted in the harsh sunlight. The only times he'd seen it for the past year had been during the open yard times in the prison, and those times didn't come often. He raised his arm to shield his eyes and looked around. They were standing on the beach of a large lake, Lake Rumare if he remembered correctly, with a large Ayleid ruin across the lake from them.
Fynix stepped into the sun and raised his arm to block it, "So where do we go from here?"
Arken pointed at the pouch where Fynix kept the Amulet, "You head to Chorrol and get that Amulet to Jauffre. Just get to the main road and follow it northeast. There are road signs at most of the intersections if you get turned around." Arken turned and started heading the other way.
Fynix looked after him and furrowed his brow, "Wait a minute. Where are you going?"
Arken turned back to face him, jerking his thumb up the hill to the tall tower in the center of the island, "To the City. I'm going to ask around, see if I can get some information." Arken's nose wrinkled when he smelled something and he sniffed his leather armor, "And a bath."
