He was dead. Lying on his back motionlessly as his still warm blood began to pool around him, ruining his royal robes and dying his white hair crimson. Baurus stood over him, having charged back into the room in time to save me from the assassin, but not Uriel. The Emperor of Tamriel was dead, at the time I had no idea how serious the situation really was, all I felt was guilt.
Baurus turned to me finally, I was leaning against a wall for support as my legs wobbled beneath me. My hands were firmly clenched around the Amulet of Kings as I clutched it to my chest, the pain of the metal and gem digging into the flesh of my palms and fingers the only other feeling that rivaled my guilt. There was a third feeling as well though it was not as strong, disgust, I felt some of the Emperor's blood splash onto my face as the murder took place.
"Talos save us." The royal guard muttered in defeat as he looked upon his majesty once more. "The amulet, where is it?"
"He gave it to me... Before... And he said to go to Jauffre, he said he knows where the heir is." I answered just louder than a whisper.
"He said that? Really?" I nodded. "He did see something in you that we didn't. If he trusted you... I think I can too. Jauffre is the grandmaster of the Blades, the Emperor's bodyguards, he and the Emperor were very close friends and I'm sure that he does know something about this heir. He lives at Weynon Priory south of Chorrol, right outside the gates, I need you to take the amulet to him. He'll know what to do next. I have to wait here until back up arrives to claim the Emperor's body. Can I count on you to do this?"
I wanted to say no, I still occassionally wonder what would have happened if I had said no, but I knew that I couldn't. I felt as though I owed the Emperor this last favor for failing him, though I knew my guilt was nothing compared to that of the Blade before me.
"I'll do it."
Through the secret passage the assassin had used was a room that led to the sewers, it was also connected to the previous room with the locked gate, obviously part of the trap they set. The sewers were a familiar part of the Imperial City to me, they were a great way to get around and avoid guards while on a thieving spree, but this part of the sewers hadn't been touched in ages much like the ruins I had previously exited.
The rancid smell, giant rats, and ankle pinching mudcrabs were the few things that reminded me of the normal city sewers. There were goblins down here too, I was able to catch most of the off guard and take them down with a simple arrow to the back of the head. How they got down here in the first place was beyond me.
Soon enough the gate to the exit was in view, midday sun pouring in through the bars and a fresh breeze softly blowing in. I couldn't get out fast enough, fresh air filling my lungs and my nose happier to be cleansed of the foul odors that previously assaulted it. I knew exactly where I was, right behind the prison district near Lake Rumare, and the Ayleid ruins of Vilverin just a short swim away. The water was refreshingly cool, and I splashed it all over my face and scrubbed at the grime and blood with my fingers and palms. I felt the pocket of my worn leather armor, which I found in the ruins, to make sure the Amulet of Kings was still there before making my way back home.
Since it was noon that meant that Hieronymus Lex would be eating his lunch in the Temple District and wouldn't be around to bother me, and hopefully the other guards wouldn't either. The Waterfront was just as I left it, and I was greeted by Puny Ancus, the local beggar and one of my closest friends.
"I thought you was in the prison, Al, someone pay your fine?" He asked with his usual warm smile.
"Yeah," I lied, "costed quite a bit. Have you seen Methredel?"
"I think she's at the Bloated Float fer lunch."
I thanked him and took my leave for the Bloated Float, one of our usual hang out spots. It was a small ship that an Altmer gentleman named Ormil had turned into a restaurant, it was mostly occupied by dockworkers, pirates, and other Waterfront dwellers. Methredel was seated in the corner, sipping on mead as she stared out the window. Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw me approach, and her rosey lips curled into a shy smile. She was wearing a dress today rather than her usual leather armor, it was a dark olive color and hugged her curves beautifully.
"You got out of jail, didn't escape did you?" She teased.
"No, no. Look I need to talk to you, can we go somewhere more private?"
"Is something wrong?"
"I can't tell you, not here anyway."
She finally obliged and we wandered to the small cemetary a short distance away. There were five gravestones side by side, their stone faces cracked, aged and unreadable. Two of the stones were broken to pieces, and the dry grass surrounding the graves was almost as tall as the stones themselves. We sat under the tree nearby for shelter from the summer sun that mercilessly beat down upon the City, when I knew the coast was clear I began to tell her everything. I started with my false arrest, then how Uriel came to my cell to escape his attackers, and then how we were seperated for a while until crossing paths again. I mentioned the things he told me about the stars and fate, and then I finished with his fate and how the young Blade had waited behind. She was silent for a few moments, her gaze was downwards towards her lap, obviously unsure of what to say to such events.
"I... Um... Well..." She started.
"You don't believe me, I don't exactly blame ya." I said with a sigh.
"I do. I do believe you, it's just, how could that happen? Do you think it was the... ya know... Dark Brotherhood?"
"I don't know. All I know is that I have to go to Chorrol and find this man and tell him what happened and give him the amulet." I said as I slid it out of my pocket slightly, the gems shimmering in the small beams of sunlight that peered through the branches above.
"You're actually going? Let me come with you!"
"What? No!" I nearly shouted. "You can't, I don't want something bad to happen to you."
"What if something bad happens to you?"
"I'll be fine, I promise. I just wanted to tell you, to see you before I leave Methredel."
"Alvin..." She said softly.
I couldn't help but glance at her lips, full and plump and painted a reddish color, I quickly looked away.
"I'm sorry but I need to get going. I just have to grab some stuff from my home first." I turned to head to my shack, which was right next to Armand Christophe's, one of the Thieves Guild leaders, and that's when I turned and added. "Also, please don't tell Armand. If he asks about just lie and say I went to Bruma to see Ongar so I could sell some goods. I'll be back soon. I promise."
"I won't tell, Alvin. Shadow hide you."
After packing a few things, adjusting my headband, I was ready to go to Chorrol. I walked along the outskirts of the Imperial City to avoid running into a certain Watch Captain and to avoid drawing any attention to myself. Chorrol wasn't so far away, though the way the sun beat down on me made it seem so much farther, I was light headed and practically drenched in sweat by the time I made it to Weye on the outskirts of the City. I kept walking, thinking of the Amulet still in my pocket the whole time, the sooner I got to Jauffre the better.
After an hour of walking I came across a khajiit on the side of the road trying to fix his broken wagon wheel. Despite the smouldering heat he was wearing a long sleeved tunic and pants, and also wore a hood that covered his face, and he was also under a large parasol for shade as well. When I approached him to assist he wouldn't even look in my direction, he simply asked me to hand him various tools from his toolbox nearby. Twenty minutes or so later, his wagon wheel was fixed.
"I thank you for your kindness, stranger. What is your name?" He asked as he began to put his tools away.
"My name is Alvin, sir. As for you?"
"I am S'Rassa. Nice to meet you." He said with a smile as he turned to me, allowing me to see his face at last. His fur was dark brown, with framed his pale red colored feline eyes, however his eyes was not what scared me, it was his long fangs that protruded past his lips and dark mustache that made me back away in fear. His fanged smile only grew bigger and he began to chuckle, and when I finally fled I heard his chuckles turn into wild laughter.
The horrific incident was soon behind me once I stood outside the door to Weynon Priory. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door, and shortly after a man with short hair and long brown monk's robes answered.
"What brings you here, child?" He asked softly.
"I need to see a man named, Jauffre sir." I said as politly as my exhausted state could muster.
"Come inside, he's right upstairs to the right at his desk." He said as he allowed me enterence, and I thanked him and ascended the stairs to find an older balding man in the same robes reading at his desk. He looked up as soon as I approached and I took the amulet out of my pocket and placed it on his desk in front of him.
"The Amulet of Kings? How did you get this? Who are you and what is going on?" He demanded, his brows knitted together in anger. So then I told the same story I told Methredel, and I told him the Emperor's last words and what Baurus said. Hearing Baurus's name and about the heir seemed to calm him and proved my story was legitimate, and he was silent for a moment afterwards and held the amulet in the palm of his hand.
"Uriel's illegitimate heir now lives in the city of Kvatch, blissfully unaware that he is the Emperor's last living son. His name is Martin, and when he was born, Uriel called me to his chambers and gave me a baby boy lying asleep in a basket and asked me to deliver him somewhere safe. Although he would not tell me any more about the child, I knew it was his son, and when he would sometimes ask about how the child was I knew I was right."
"Where in Kvatch?"
"He is currently a priest at the Chapel of Akatosh, I'm sure that is where he would be found."
"I'll find him and bring him back here." I said boldly, and Jauffre, though still suspicious of me, agreed it would be a good idea. I'm still not sure why I agreed to go without being asked or provoked otherwise, perhaps it was fate pushing me in the right direction, but regardless someone had to get him. I had expected that I would just walk into the city and find him and bring him back to Weynon Priory, sounds simple right? Little did I know that my trip to Kvatch that day would be anything but simple.