A/N: Oh, this is longer than I intended. Ah well. Hope you all enjoy. Read. Review. Enjoy.

Fate

Promises

I crept down the tunnel, staring in surprise at the stone of the Ayleid ruin before me. I knew, as did others, that the Imperial City was on top of these ruins, but to actually see it… I heard the Blades talking, the woman speaking; "Close up left, protect the Emperor!" Battle cries. Swords clanging. I darted forward, not knowing whether I'd be welcomed or struck down myself, but this was the Emperor, I couldn't just stand by.

"Captain's down," the gruff Blade yelled as another sword clanged and a body fell with a thud. I came forward in time to see the red-robed, black-armored assassins fall and the Blades sheath their swords.

"Are you alright, Sire? We're clear, for now," the nicer Blade said.

"Captain Renault?" the Emperor asked. I saw that the female Blade lay dead, blood pooling around her. I felt pity for her, somewhat, but also no real remorse; she'd been condescending towards me, which I disliked.

"She's dead. I'm sorry, Sire, but we have to keep moving." Sympathy, and determination, from the younger Blade.

"How could they be waiting for us here?" the gruff Blade asked, sounding very frustration. It was a very good question; I'd certainly read many texts and had certainly heard many rumors, and had never heard of this place having an entrance or an exit.

"I don't know. But it's too late to go back now. Don't worry, Sire. We'll get you out of here. They won't be the first to underestimate the Blades." Confidence. A little arrogant, actually. No, the cockiness of youth. I wondered how cocky Captain Renault had been, right before she'd fallen.

"I'll take point. Let's move," the other said as they went towards a door. I moved to follow, making enough noise to gain attention, but the young Blade shooed me away.

"You stay here prisoner. Don't try to follow us." And they were gone. I grit my teeth, cursing. Where was I to go now? Why couldn't I go with them, perhaps even help out? Not that I particularly wanted to, mind you, but they knew the way out, which was pretty much where I wanted to go. Rustling, and bricks tumbling behind me, and I spun around. Two large rats had pushed some wall down and were lunging at me. I yelped and rolled to the side, landing near Renault's body. Her weapon was still there, and clumsy though I was with a sword, I swung it at them. One flung against the wall, then lay in a heap, and the other bit my arm. I cried out again, and bashed in it's head with the hilt. Panting, I waited for more to attack. None did.

I stood, and examined my arm. It was bleeding. I tore some of the cloth from the prisoner's garb I was in and bandaged myself. I knew a minor healing spell, but I wasn't very good at it. I eyed where the rats had come from, and smiled. A passage. Possibly even a way out. Turning, I searched the bodies of both the assassins and Renault. I left her armor on her; she deserved some dignity, even if she'd held herself with too much. She had a torch and a steel shortsword on her, and the others had potions. One of them for healing. I sent a quick prayer to whomever might be listening, preferably not the Nine, but I'd accept their help if they deigned to actually give it. Perhaps Azura or Nocturnal or some other Daedra was; I certainly was a follower when I could make it to a shrine. Or even the Night Mother, not that I necessarily worked for that particular faction. But I did have contacts, and like I said, I heard things… But she wasn't exactly a deity I wanted help from. It might not end so well.

I shook my head. I was rambling to myself; this is what happens when you get caught up in things, I berated myself. I crept from the ruins into the caverns, and smiled wryly when I saw the skeleton off to my left. I sincerely hoped it wasn't a sign from whomever had heard my prayers. I moved to it and took what I could from it; a dagger, a bow and arrows, a few lock picks, and some gold coins. Score. I was better with a dagger than I was with a sword, and even more so with a bow. As for the lock pick, well, there was a locked chest next to the corpse, and lock picking was a skill of mine…

A jewel and more gold. Awesome. I could sell when I got out of here. I eyed the leather armor on the skeleton and debating putting it one. The dead had worn it, but the sack clothing I wore wouldn't do me much good. I donned it, though I wasn't comfortable with armor of any kind. I didn't wear it; I preferred to talk first, then maybe stab in the right spot if things got to bad, but I didn't think that'd do me too well down here. A pity.

I tested the bow on a bucket hanging from a well, and my aim was true. Good. Pinarus had taught me well oh so long ago, another lifetime, and the bow was in good shape. I heard scraping, and ducked down and notched an arrow. A rat moving towards the arrow. Easily taken out, and I went forth to retrieve the arrows; I might need them. I eyed the bucket, looking towards the light above it. But I doubted the rope would hold me; it looked ready to snap already, and the hole way up there was small, too small for me. Damn,

I explored further, and there was a door. And a dead goblin. I froze. Goblins were dangerous. Did I mention that I'm not an adventurer? No? Well, I'm not. I prefer cities. Not monsters. I gulped, and inspected the corpse. A key, a worthless ax, a lock pick. I left the ax; I had an eye for valuable items, and didn't want to weigh myself down with things that weren't worth the hassle. The key worked for the door, and I walked through, staying crouched. If there was one goblin, there'd likely be more.

I was met with several rats, and down the passage they'd fled from, a headless zombie. That frightened me as well; zombies meant more zombies, and possibly someone controlling them. Ew. But their flesh was worth something to alchemists, and in a nearby chest, I found more armor, even if it was iron. I didn't put it on, but I was sure Thoronir would buy it. He owed me, anyways.

Several turns and rats later, I found a door that led me to a goblin invested cave. The first one was easy; I had found a chameleon scroll, and had stabbed him with my knife (he'd gone around the corner before I could get a shot off with the arrow. More cautious, I'd peeked around the corner and saw the tell-tale sign of a trap. R'azi had told me all about the different ones she'd encountered. I sniped it with an arrow, and heard a thunk and a goblin-esque scream, and when I looked, I saw the dead body, and three spiked things on ropes. I felt rather proud of myself, and looted his body.

After that were four more goblins in a large cavern, with rats in a cage. I managed to snipe them all, and again felt proud. Maybe when I got out of here, I'd herald R'azi and Issa and the others with my little adventure. If I got out of here. Now there was a sobering thought; I'd traveled quite a bit, and hadn't seen an-oh, wait, another door. And this one led to more Ayleid ruins.

I paused and listened. I heard voices. Assassins? I crept towards the ledge, and no, it was the Blades again. Wonderful, they'd know the way out.

"We should find a defensible spot and protect the Emperor until help arrives," one spoke. I rolled my eyes. Oh, yes, because help was definitely coming down in this shithole. Someone of course knew how to navigate and that the Emperor was down here. Well, the assassins did, but they weren't going to help.

"Help? What makes you think help will get here before more of those bastards? We need to get the Emperor out of here." The younger one. He was sensible, smart. I liked him. I moved behind a pillar, looking down on them, preparing to leap down when more assassins attacked, and a battle ensued. I had to admit, the Blades were very skilled and quickly dispatched of the two attackers. "I think that was all of them. Let me look around," he said as he made a pass around the chamber.

"Have you see the prisoner?" I gaped in surprise down at the old man, the Emperor.

"Do you think she followed us? How could she?" the other Blade asked, and I heard a hint of a sneer in his voice. Ass. "Sire, we have to go now," he urged. The Emperor shook his head, clearly tired.

"Not yet, let me rest a moment longer." Now was my chance. I leapt down, weapons sheathed and trying to look as harmless as possible. The Blade drew his sword.

"Dammit, it's that prisoner again! Kill her, she might be working with the assassins!" he snarled, and I backed up, eyes wide, hands up

"Whoa, no, I-I'm not, I just…" I stammered, and the Emperor held up a hand, stopping the Blade.

"No, she's not one of them. She can help us. She must help us." I didn't entirely appreciate that he was saying that I had to help, but there was a tired and wise look in his eyes. I stayed backed against the wall, just in case Mr. Let's Kill Anything That Moves decided to defy his master. Unlikely, but I didn't want to get stabbed.

"As you wish, Sire," he said, backing off but eyeing me, distrusting and disliking. That was fine. I didn't trust, or like, him either.

"Come closer, child. I'd prefer not to have to shout," the Emperor asked, and I hesitatingly stepped closer, staring into crystal blue eyes that held a trace of something familiar, something ancient and knowing. "They cannot understand why I trust you." I gave a wry smile.

"Honestly, neither do I. I was in a cell. Not," I glared at the Blade, "that I did anything really bad to be in there, Sire. Just a little drunk and disorderly." Ok, it was a lie, but I had been drunk, and I suppose pick pocketing can be seen as disorderly. Right?

"They, and you, have not seen what I have seen. How can I explain?" I shrugged. I'd heard that those of his line knew things Men and Mer did not. "Listen. You know the Nine? How They guide our fates with an invisible hand?" he asked. I bit my tongue against my original answer; while I'd pray to whomever would listen, in truth I did not believe in, or at least worship or respect, the Nine. The Daedra, yes. They played a hand in the world, made themselves known. Even the Night Mother and Sithis had tangible influence. The Nine were… at best, wonderful ideals to live by for those that needed faith, and at worst, kids with glass holding it between the sun and us ants, one at a time.

"I'm… not on good terms with Them," I finally answered, suddenly tired myself. He smiled knowingly.

"I've served the Nine all my days, and I chart my course by the cycles of the heavens," he told me. I nodded; now the stars, and the signs, I definitely knew. "The skies are marked with numberless sparks, each a fire, and every one a sign. I know the stars well, and I wonder… which sign marked your birth?" he asked. I was taken aback. It had been awhile since anyone had talked of birth signs with me, or even asked. I again smiled.

"The Lover."

"The signs I read show the end of my path. My death, a necessary end, will come when it will come." That surprised me as well. He truly was going to die? And, if I'd heard correctly earlier, his heirs were dead as well already? What would become of the Empire?

"Aren't you afraid to die?" I asked, somewhat sad that he was going to die. He seemed a likeable old man, and had been a good Emperor as far as I could tell.

"No trophies of my triumphs precede me. But I have lived well, and my ghost shall rest easy." There was a resignation, no, an acceptance in his voice that struck me. He was… calm about his death, that he would die, and likely soon. How… serene he was. "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." So much wisdom. And he spoke with an eloquence that I was used to in a bard like myself, not a noblemen who normally were known to spout nonsense.

"What about me?" I asked. He'd mentioned having seen me in his dreams before; what role was I to play.

"Your stars are not mine. Today, the Lover shall sweeten your journey as you confront your fate," he answered. I felt taken aback again; my fate, my journey? No, I didn't want to be part of anything. Maybe getting him out of here, preferably alive, and get some fame for it, but to be part of something more? I shook my head.

"Can you see it? My fate?" I asked, not wanting the answer but needing to ask. It was something I'd often wondered at myself, what my fate, my purpose, was in this life, and not liking what life had chosen for me, but at the same time… at least I was surviving. Wasn't that what life was about?

"My dreams grant me no opinions of success. Their compass ventures not beyond the doors of death." I had to think about that for a moment. If I interpreted correctly… he couldn't see the world past his own coming death, and knew not what would happen to me. I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried. "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 with the promise of your aid, my heart must be satisfied." That I didn't understand completely, either, and didn't much like. I didn't want to be part of something, didn't want to aid anything.

"Where are we going?" I asked with a sigh, wanting to be gone from his mess.

"I go to my grave. A tongue shriller than all the music calls me. You shall follow me yet for awhile, then we must part," he answered. I raised an eyebrow.

"Ever think of being an entertainer, Sire? Your eloquence is worthy of a bard," I asked. He laughed and turned away. The young Blade tapped my elbow, and I turned. He handed me a torch.

"You may as well make yourself useful, prisoner. Here, carry this torch and stick close," he said.

"My name is Skye," I said, holding the torch aloft. He grinned.

"Baurus. Drunk and disorderly?" he asked with mischievous eyes. I flashed him a grin I normally used to charm my targets.

"Really drunk, and really disorderly. I think I made the guards blush with my talk; he was a raw recruit, you see, and I think I stunned his delicate senses," I said with a wink; another little lie, but I was so good at them. He laughed. "So, a Blade, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah. We're the Emperor's bodyguards. Our job is to get him out of situations like this." That earned a raised eyebrow, and he added sheepishly, "Although, I admit, things are not going according to plan."

"Apparently," was my only reply as I turned to follow as the other Blade decided to get things moving again. I brushed him by, and he turned to glare at me.

"I've still got my eye on you, prisoner," he snarled. I blew him a kiss, but backed up behind him. Let him dash towards death, then.

We ran into more assassin, and I earned another scowl, now of hatred, when the Blade decided to run into the path of my arrow as I loosed it at an assassin. But I caught two, one as he was jumping from a ledge, the other as he went to strike down Baurus.

We reached a hall, and the Blade held up a hand. "Hold up. I don't like the look of this. Let me take a look," he said as he walked slowly forward. As I said before, let him go first. His funeral. But I was starting to feel cold, and didn't like the feeling. It rarely happened that I felt this type of cold, and bad things happened when I did.

The Emperor and Baurus decided to follow, and I took up the end, watching our backs. They faced a gate now, and I eyed the ledges and walls. "Dammit! The gate is barred from the other side. A trap!" the Blade yelled. I shot him a scowl; must he be so loud? Baurus looked around, and found a passage.

"What about that side passage?" he asked. The Blade nodded.

"Worth a try. Let's go!" he exclaimed. Again, I felt annoyed. They went in, and I walked slowly backwards, arrow notched, cold fingers crawling up and down my spine. Something bad was about to happen, I knew it. I'd felt it before, when the bandits had attacked, when the Pale Lady had drank from me, when R'azi had killed a man in anger, and I'd helped her clean it up. I felt anxious, eyes searching all the corners, and I listened with dread as Baurus announced that it was a dead end.

"What's your call, sir?" he asked.

"I don't know. I don't see any good options here," the Blade said, frustrated and weary. I saw movement, and turned my head to hiss at them. They looked up. "They're behind us! Wait here, Sire!" they ran out towards the attackers, and I crept backwards to be in front of the Emperor.

"Wait here with the Emperor. Guard him with your life!" Baurus yelled to me. I ground my teeth; I wasn't any good at guarding anything, and most especially not this royal man. I heard chains moving, and I turned to see the Emperor removing his Amulet. I gaped.

"I can go no further. You alone must stand against the Prince of Destruction and his mortal servants," he told me urgently.

"Wait, what? Sire, I can't, I'm not a hero-type. I'm a bloody thief! You want Baurus to do this, or that other Blade, or… or…" But he was still talking, faster now.

"He must not have the Amulet of Kings! You are more than you think you are," he said, then shoved the Amulet into my hands. "Take the Amulet. Give it to Jauffre. He alone knows where to find my last son. Find him, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion," he told me. I stammered, panicking.

"Emperor… What? Close what? I'm not anything, Sire, I can't do this…" I choked out. He gripped my hands.

"You can. You must. Promise me!" he demanded, an urgency lighting his eyes. I stared, and he asked again. I nodded.

"Yes, alright… I… Ok…" I looked down at my hands, then turned to glance where the Blades were fighting. I heard stone moving, and turned in time to see one of the assassins step out from a sliding wall. "Sire!" I yelled, pushing him aside and notching an arrow. It chinked off his armor, and he raised his weapon, a club I think, and swung it at the Emperor. I smashed my bow against his arm, throwing his aim off, and the blow glanced off the Emperor's shoulder, bruising it but not killing. I dropped my bow, ruined now, and reached for my dagger to attack, but he was faster, and the club caught my head, knocking me aside and dazing me. Blackness came for me, but I fought it, and struggled to rise. I heard a sickening crunch, a cry of agony, and looked to see the assassin pounding at the man I'd tried to protect with a fanatical intensity. I closed my eyes and tried not to vomit, sickened by the blood and gore of what used to be the Emperor's head. The assassin turned, saw that my leather helmet I'd been bright enough to don had saved me from death, and lunged.

"Stranger, you chose a bad day to take up with the cause of the Septims!" he screamed. I rolled away, and he swung again. I held my hand up to shield myself, when he stopped, a sword piercing through him, blood coating it. He fell as Baurus yanked it out. He turned towards the Emperor, and I glanced at the dead man, then found that I couldn't control myself anymore. What little was in my stomach was purged from my system violently, and I found tears were streaming down my face. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and flinched, but it was only Baurus reaching to help me up.

"I'm sorry…" I cried. "I'm so so sorry, I tried, but…" he shook his head mournfully, the humorous light gone from his eyes.

"We've failed. I've failed. You couldn't have done more, I should have stayed. The Blades are sworn to protect the Emperor, and now he and all his heirs are dead." He looked away, guilt gnawing at him as surely as it was eating at my stomach. He suddenly looked at me intensely. "The Amulet, where's the Amulet of Kings? It isn't on the Emperor's body," he exclaimed. I held it up.

"The… Emperor gave it… to me…" I said. He frowned, and looked at me more closely.

"Strange. He saw something in you. Trusted you." Lot of good that had done him. I couldn't even fight off his assassin properly. He'd known he was going to die, I'd known it, I'd seen the assassins, I'd even see the sliding door in my cell. Why hadn't I guessed it would happen here, too? I should have, should have… "They say it's the Dragon's Blood, that flows through the veins of every Septim. They see more than lesser Men," he told me. I shook my head.

"With me, what you see is more or less what you get. That, or it's what I want you to see so I can pick your pocket, Baurus. I'm not… I'm not good, not anyone important or special." He only shook his head.

"There's more. I trust the Emperor, and he saw something, so there's something there," he said. I was quiet, and he decided to tell me more about the Amulet. As if I hadn't already read the book on it. "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 saw." And no one would wear that Crown again, I thought mournfully. As for power, I could feel it humming through the Amulet. "He must have given it to you for a reason. Did he say why?" he asked. That sparked to mind what the Emperor had told me. Hope rekindled inside me.

"Jauffre. He said that I must take it to… someone named Jauffre."

"Jauffre? He said that? Why?" he asked, frowning. I bit my lip, then told him, hope shining in my eyes.

"There is another heir," I answered. He looked surprised.

"Nothing I ever heard about. But Jauffre would be the one two know. He's the Grandmaster of the Order. Although you may not think so to meet him. He lives quietly as a monk at Weynon Priory, near the city of Chorrol," he said. Light was back in his eyes.

"How do I get there? I've never been to towards Chorrol," I said. Which was true. Anvil, Kvatch, Skingrad- that caused a shudder- Bravil -a haze of wine and skooma-induced fog, and Leyawin, but not Chorrol, Bruma, or Cheydinhal.

"First, you need to get out of here. Through that door must be the entrance to the sewers, past the locked gate. That's where we were heading.. It's a secret way out of the Imperial City. Or it was supposed to be secret." I nodded at that part. Some secret escape route this had turned out to be. "You'll need this key four the last door into the sewers." He gave me a key, and I looked up sharply.

"The sewers?" I asked, somewhat dreadfully. He nodded.

"There are rats and goblins down there… but from what I've seen of you, I'm guessing you are an experienced Thief. Am I right?" I grinned, not as much charm as normal, but good enough.

"Close enough. I prefer Bard; singing, stories, dancing, entertaining in general. But… yeah, kinda a thief when I want to be," I said, biting my lip coyly. He smiled.

"See? I wasn't far off. In any case, rats and goblins won't give you any trouble." True enough; they were what I'd fought earlier with not too much trouble.

"After the sewers, then what?"

"You must get the Amulet to Jauffre. Take no chances, but proceed to Weynon Priory immediately. It's along the Black Road, through the Great Forest. Just follow the road signs. Got it?" he asked. I sighed,. Closed my eyes, then opened them.

"Yes, I understand. But I hope that you understand that I'm not doing this to play hero or because you're asking, or even because it's the right thing to do," I told him sternly. He looked at me in surprise.

"Then why are you doing it?" he asked.

"Because he asked me to. And because I should have done better," I said, grief coursing through me. He was a good man, he didn't deserve to have his skull bashed in by some fanatical assassin. He smiled sadly.

"Good. The Emperor's trust was well-placed."

"And you, Baurus. What about you? What will you do?" I asked. He shrugged.

"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," I nodded to him and started to go, when he grabbed my arm and grinned. "By the way, thanks for recovering Captain Renault's sword. I'll see that it is given a place of honor in the halls of the Blades," he said. I laughed and handed him the blade I'd strapped to my back. I wouldn't need it.

With that, I made my way through to the sewers. There were only three rats and two goblins, easily dispatched of. I didn't have my bow now, so I'd had to use the dagger, but it was good enough. And there, finally, was sunlight. I ran towards it, grateful for the fresh air.

But I was also exhausted, physically and mentally; it'd been nighttime when all this began. I didn't have a place of my own in the City, but I had a friend who wouldn't mind me crashing for a few ours with her.

I made my way towards the Waterfront, intending to go to this Jauffre in the morning. I didn't want this quest, but I could feel the winds changing, and the sense that there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Besides, I'd made a promise. And worthless though I am, I still keep my promises.