CHAPTER 3: THE ESCAPE TOWARDS DESTINY

Uryu notices the group ahead as he is walking down the tunnel. He carefully watches his step, wanting to keep space between him and his official liberators. The group turns left, and Uryu keeps walking. He maintains his distance as he follows the group through an underground catacomb. As the group winds around a hallway, so does he. Moments later, he hears swords being unsheated. Curious, he hurries along the corridor and stops along a wall. He steps forward looking. The Blades have their swords in hand, as well as the Emperor, who produces a hidden blade from his robe.

"What the…"

Uryu sees a disguised attacker seemingly appear from the wall and jump down, smashing the female's Blade's face as he lands. Upon this, three more red-clothed armored assassins appear from a doorway.

"Damnit," Uryu thinks to himself, "Assassins, probably the ones the Emperor and these 'Blades' referred to. I have no means of defending myself right now."

Uryu looks on to see what happens. A fight ensues, and immediately becomes intense. The assassins outnumber the Blades, but both Blades officers show their superior experience as they team up on one assassin, running him through, and then each take on another assassin. It doesn't take long before each remaining assassin is down.

"The strange thing is," Uryu says to himself, perplexed, "When they were defeated, the assassins' armor seemed to blow up in a cloud of red smoke and disappear. I wonder what causes that."

Uryu walks up to the scene of the fight, finding the Emperor looking over the remains as the blades check on their fallen comrade, seeming to pick up any personal effects left behind. The Dark-skinned blade walks up to the Emperor.

"Are you allright, sire?", he asks. "All is clear."

"Captain Renault?"

"Dead, sire. I'm sorry, but we need to keep moving."

The group moves on ahead to a gated door. Uryu walks towards the bodies, seeing if he can find any weapons. He finds two vials which he is unsure of, but pockets anyway.

"I feel bad taking from the dead, but I need anything that can be useful to my survival of this predicament."

He shuffles around. He picks up a shortsword from the body of Captain Renault, the female Blade that was in charge. The group exits through another door and Uryu looks on. He walks down a small flight of stairs and notices something that none of the others did. He touches it, noticing as he slides his finger along it that it's a hilt of a familiar weapon.

"Wait! Is this a Zanpakuto? Here in this realm??"

He picks up the sword, only to find by trying to detect spiritual pressure that it isn't a zanpakuto. He walks down the stairs, and stops, looking at the blade, thinking to himself.

"It isn't a Zanpakuto. I wouldn't use one anyway, as I wouldn't be caught dead sullying my name by wielding the weapon of my mortal enemies, the Soul Reapers. Regardless, a Zanpakuto would be useful right now, and this isn't one, Just a regular Katana sword. Well, it will still be useful."

Just as he thinks that last thought, he hears a noise, and sees a weak-looking wall panel crumble. A giant rat appears from the other side, and attacks. Uryu, out of instinct, blocks the rat's pounce with the sword. Reeling back, the rat is open to attack. Uryu does a quick downslash, instantly slicing the rat's head off, killing it. Uryu shakes some blood off, but not all of it. He looks at the katana.

"How brutish," Uryu says to himself, and walks to the door that the Blades and the Emperor entered. He tries to open it. "Locked," he says, "Figures. I'm still a prisoner to these Blades, after all. Looks like I'll have to see whats on the other side of that wall."

Another rat appears from the space in the wall. It attacks Uryu, who blocks this attack with ease and stabs the rat in the chest, killing it. He wipes the blade clean and sheathes it as he walks through the wall-space. He finds himself in a dirty area with little light. He looks all around the area, picking up whatever he can that may be useful or tradeable. He finds a rusty war axe, an iron dagger, an older-looking bow, lockpicks, two spare torches, and a leather cuirass and boots, among other things. He stops to put on the cuirass and boots, throwing aside the dirty shirt, shackles and sandals he was given. He picks the lock on a chest with ease and finds a quiver of arrows inside as well as two gemstones. He slings the quiver on his back and picks back up his look.

He looks at himself as he holds the bow in his hand.

"Well, this isn't a replacement for Quincy powers, but it'll have to do. At least I'm a skilled archer."

Uryu nods to himself and continues on through the pathway. He notices another door and walks up to it. He notices the body of some kind of creature lying by it.

"What is that, Some kind of Goblin or something?"

Uryu carefully looks through the clothing on the goblin and finds several things; more lockpicks, another vial, two scrolls, and most important of all, a key. He looks at the key, and then at the door. He tries the key on the door. Perfect fit. He opens the door slowly and proceeds on, careful with each step.

Uryu does well at defending himself as he walks through the lost caverns and subterrane, killing all sorts of beasts, such as more giant rats, goblins, and even a zombie he saw along the caverns. He was able to experiment with one of the types of vials he found, finding out that the potion he drank heals his wounds. He picks up and drops many items to make sure he doesn't have more than he can carry, collecting more armor pieces, more weapons, repair hammers, other miscellaneous items, and even a staff which he found could shoot lightning when he concentrated his spirit into the staff. This all went on until he finally emerged from the cavern more armored, and more prepared for battle.

He drops down from the opening and appears in the catacombs again. Hearing voices, he hides behind a pillar. From the pillar, he observes the two Blades and the emperor again walking through the escape route. Wanting to not get caught he remains hidden observing until...

"More assassins."

Uryu notices more of the armored assassins attack the Blades. Surprised, the Blades can only manage to block the strikes against them.

"Heres my shot!"

Uryu sidesteps from behind the pillar, and quickly nocks an arrow. He pulls back, and with as much accuracy as he can on a quick draw, he fires the arrow straight through the chest of one of the assassins. The other is stunned. One of the Blades takes the opening and slashes down the assassin, who falls dead on the floor. The Blades and the Emperor look up towards the direction of the arrow. Uryu stands on the ledge, looking on with a smile. He hops down, expecting a nod of respect and gratitude. What he gets, however is the lighter-skinned Blade having him on point with his katana.

"Damnit it's that prisoner again! Kill him! He might be working with the assassins."

The Blade is interrupted by the Emperor, who lowers the Blade's katana, gesturing to the other Blade to yield.

"No, he's not one of them! He can help us. He MUST help us."

The Emperor walks up to Uryu, much like he did upon seeing him in the prison cell and speaks quietly to him.

"They cannot understand why I trust you. They've not seen what I've seen…"

Uryu pays attention with confusion written on his face.

"How can I explain… Listen. You know the Nine? How they guide our fates with an invisible hand?"

"I don't know. I don't think about it."

"I've served the Nine all my days, and I chart my course by the cycles of 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 sign marked your birth?"

Uryu, not knowing the answer, doesn't say anything. Sensing something, the Emperor reaches out with his hand and touches Uryu's forehead with his fingers, and closes his eyes, concentrating. Uryu is even more confused now at this strange behavior. The emperor, after a few moments, seems to "awaken" from his concentrated state and looks at Uryu with a smile.

"I knew it. I saw from my dreams and from looking upon you now that there is something otherworldly about you. I felt that you came from a different realm, and my divine bloodline was able to sense your identity now. You possess the qualities of one who is born under the sign of the Atronach, or if that is an unfamiliar term to you, the Golem."

Uryu, astounded, thinks to himself "How was he able to do that? Royalty or not, this man is STRANGE. He said himself that just by 'sensing through his diving bloodline' he was able to tell that I come from a different realm." Uryu's thoughts are only interrupted by the Emperor's voice.

"The signs I read show the end of my path. My death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."

"But what about me, Emperor?"

"Your stars are not mine. Today the Atronach shall aid you with your appointed burden."

"Wait. This doesn't make sense. Can you REALLY see my fate?"

"My dreams grant me no opinions of success. Their compass ventures not beyond the doors of death… 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."

"Aren't you afraid to die?"

"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… to face my apportioned fate, then fall."

"You confuse me Emperor. I thought the Blades were helping you escape so you DON'T get killed, and here you are, talking of seeing your death happen today, contradicting what your guards are working so hard to prevent! Where are we REALLY going??"

"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."

The Emperor and the light-skinned Blade turn and begin to walk down the next hallway. Uryu, dissatisfied with the answers he was given, looks on with frustration, until he gets a tap on the shoulder. He turns around and sees the dark-skinned Blade pointing to a torn still lit, lying next to one of the assassins, who was carrying it.

"Might as well make yourself useful. Carry that torch and stick close."

"Yes… but wait, I want to know more about "The Blades." Can you quickly explain what it is you all do?"

The Blade sighs in frustration but answers.

"We're the Emperor's bodyguards. Our job is to get him out of situations like this, although I admit things are not going ACCORDING TO PLAN."

"What is going on with the Emperor right now? He seems a little off to me, talking about his death."

"My job is to make sure the Emperor gets out of here alive, and I intend to do it."

"Very well. I intend to keep him alive as well, and maybe he can tell me what I need to know to get home."

The Blade smiles.

"I see, so I trust that you have my back then. I can see that you're friendly enough… my name is Baurus, pleasure to make your acquaintance."

They exchange greetings.

"Uryu Ishida, and likewise."

"Then let's go, Uryu. Stick close. We'll be allright."

Uryu and the Blade Baurus continue on to catch up with Emperor Septim and the other Blade. The group heads into another corridor and enters an open area, where more assassins ambush the group. Baurus, the other Blade, and Uryu make quick work of the assassins, while the Emperor watches on. The Emperor focuses on Uryu and his superior marksman skills, and knows that this warrior is unique in every sense. As they are attacked again in another area, the group handles the assassins even more quickly than the last time, being able to predict their movements. Uryu does most of the work, impressing the Emperor, Baurus, and the other Blade. Soon the attacks become more rapid, as the Blades, Uryu and the Emperor fight each assassin off successfully. Uryu works in synchronization with Baurus and the other Blade, who he finds out is named Glenroy through attack formation calls.

The group then heads into another open area in the catacombs. This part is quiet, too quiet for the others, who expected nothing more than another charging attack. They walk carefully, eyes panning every side, when suddenly, Glenroy, whos in front, puts his hand out, halting the others.

"Wait… I don't like this. Let me take a look."

The others wait on as Glenroy walks down the stairs ahead and looks around. After a tense moment of waiting, Glenroy motions for the others to follow again. They walk along the hall, and follow as Glenroy turns toward a gated door. He walks up to and tries to open it.

"Damnit, the gate is barred from the other side. We're trapped!"

"What about that side passage over there?"

"Worth a try, lets go."

The group moves to the other passage. The gate is open, and while Uryu is suspicious of another sneak attack, he follows the rest into it. As they enter the enclosed space, Glenroy hears muffled footsteps.

"They're behind us! Wait here while Baurus and I confront them!"

"Wait here," Baurus acknowledges, "and protect the emperor. GUARD HIM WITH YOUR LIFE."

The two run off to engage in combat with the assassins. Uryu looks on, helpless at not being able to do anything, but focused on standing by Emperor Uriel's side, not letting anyone get to him. Uryu hears blades clashing, and while the noise frustrates Uryu, he is focused on his task. His focus is only broken by the Emperor putting something in Uryu's hand. Uryu turns sharply and looks at his hand, which now possesses the amulet the Emperor was wearing. Uryu, startled, looks at the Emperor, who wears a face of determination. That same determination is present in the Emperors words as he now speaks.

"I can go no further. You alone must stand against the Prince of Destruction and his mortal servants. He must not have the Amulet of Kings!"

"But..."

"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."

Glenroy, in the other room, yells, having been seriously wounded by one of the assassins.

"GLENROY!"

Uryu takes a few steps forward, trying to find Glenroy and Baurus and help them. He prepares an arrow. Meanwhile, a part of the wall opens and an assassin appears, charging at the Emperor. He slices the Emperor's throat and is about to attack Uryu. Uryu, having heard the previous attack, turns and dodges the attack. Putting his bow aside, he takes out the shortsword he picked up earlier and fights the assassin. Despite not specializing in melee attacks, he makes quick work of the assassin and goes to help the Blades. Two are fighting Baurus, and Glenroy lies dead. Uryu takes on one of the assassins and kills him, while Baurus kills the other. After they confirm the kills, Baurus and Uryu walk back to the Emperor's body. Baurus, in shame and grief, checks the Emperor's body, and confirms his death, while also checking the robe for something. Baurus stands back up, looks at Uryu.

"We've failed. I've failed… The Blades are sworn to protect the Emperor, and now he and all his heirs are dead."

Baurus takes an alarmed step towards Uryu

"The Amulet, where's the Amulet of Kings? It wasn't on the Emperor's body!"

"The Emperor gave it to me."

Uryu produces the Amulet from the pocket of his Cuirass.

"Strange," Baurus says, "He saw something in you. Trusted you. They say it's the Dragon Blood, that flows through the veins of every Septim. They see more than lesser men. 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?"

"He said I must take it to a man named Jauffre."

"Jauffre? He said that? Why?"

"Apparently there is another heir and Jauffre knows where to find him."

"Nothing I ever heard about. But Jauffre would be the one to know. He's the Grandmaster of my Order, although you may not think so to meet him. He lives quietly as a monk at Weynon Priory, near the city of Chorrol."

"I see. How do I get there, Baurus?"

"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."

Baurus reaches into his armor and produces a key.

"Here, you'll need this key for the last door into the sewers. There are rats and goblins down there… but from what I've seen of you, I'm guessing you are an experienced Archer, am I right?"

"No. I'm not just an archer, despite what you've seen of me this far. I am a Quincy, and in my realm, I am the LAST Quincy. I work to purify the world of dark spirits, which are called Hollows in my realm, and protect the innocent. I guess to you I'm some sort of oddity, though."

"Well I was close enough. Still, I don't think you'll have any trouble with rats and goblins."

"After the sewers, then what?"

"You must get the Amulet to Jauffre. Take no chances, but proceed to Weynon Priory immediately. Got it?"

"I might need to stop in a local shop and trade what I have so I can prepare myself, but yes, I understand."

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

"What about you? What will you do?"

"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."

Uryu is about to leave through the small secret opening when Baurus stops him.

"By the way, thanks for recovering my comrades' swords. I'll see that they are given a place of honor in the halls of the Blades."

Uryu nods, gives Baurus both katanas and leaves the room. As he walks around the secret passage, he sees the door that was barred, and shakes his head. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Emperor Uriel Septim, you set me free and included me with you on this journey, and as you said, you died today, and have left me with a tremendous responsibility. I can't leave my friends in Karakura and Soul Society behind, but how could I think of getting back when you've trusted me with your sacred amulet? I swear on the honor of the Quincy that before I leave, this amulet will reach Jauffre, and I WILL find your last living heir!"

He continues on, unlocks the door Baurus mentioned, and walks down the hallway. He takes a deep breath, calms his nerves, and climbs down the manhole.

LAS NOCHES, HUECO MUNDO, 1 HOUR AFTER URYU ISHIDA'S BANISHMENT IN TAMRIEL

Sosuke Aizen sits on his throne in the darkness, turned out and overlooking the sand dunes of Hueco Mundo. Seemingly lost in thought, he stares off into the horizon, a smile on his face. A strange, humming noise is coming from his general area. The sound comes from the darkened, round stone Aizen holds in his right hand. The stone has a glowing yellow aura surrounding it, almost as if its alive. Aizen takes a look at the stone, admiring its form. He is distracted by quiet footsteps from behind him. He smiles.

"Gin. Welcome back."

A person emerges from the shadows and approaches the throne. It is Gin Ichimaru, with the same sadistic grin that others have come to know him for.

"Hello, Aizen. I've done as you asked, and taken care of the fallen Quincy."

"And the Sigil Stone? Did it work, Gin?"

"Yes, it worked marvelously. I just had to plant it on the ground and a portal to Tamriel opened right up. After that it all the Quincy needed was a gentle push."

"Excellent. Well done, Gin."

Silence. Aizen gets up from his throne, continuing to look out at the land of Hueco Mundo. He looks down again at the Sigil Stone in his hand. Ichimaru looks on, noticing this.

"Pardon me, Aizen, but was it really necessary to send the Quincy to that Realm? He had no powers after all, and besides, there are others who warrant your attention."

"You are correct Gin. That Quincy has no powers, and he wouldn't be a threat for us or the Arrancars. However, he has a strong will, as strong a will as that Orange-haired Ryoka who rescued Rukia Kuchiki, so it is safe this way. Besides, you find it as fun as I do the prospect of him trying to survive on his own in a strange universe, filled with all manner of beasts and the spiritual power that is called Magicka in that realm."

"I knew somehow you were enjoying this, Aizen. And what of your deal with that tall elf you met earlier… what was his name again, Mankar Camoran?"

"The deal between me and his God, Mehrunes Dagon, is still on, but he nor his worshippers, the Mythic Dawn, know of my true intentions. As long as I provide the resources and support his takeover of the Tamriellic nation known as Cyrodiil, he will support us in our eventual invasion of Soul Society. But I want more than just the Soul Society. Ruling the realm of Tamriel and all its nations is my ultimate goal, and the power I gain will be unimaginable."

"I see what you plan to do now, my Captain." Ichimaru says, his smile growing wider.

"Yes Gin, after Dagon is worn from his invasion of Tamriel, I will destroy him and absorb his essence, transforming myself into a God. And with that power, I can create my secret weapon, my ace-in-the-hole against the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Now Gin, I must ask you to leave. I have a private meeting with another man from the realm of Tamriel, a representative of the Assassins' Organization known as 'The Dark Brotherhood.' I trust that you will look into the 'Shivering Isles' matter in Cyrodiil? Don't forget to take the Sigil Stone I gave you when you leave. You'll need it."

"I will indeed look into that 'Daedric' realm. But I'm curious, Aizen, why meddle in the affairs of the other deities and realms when you only need the power of Mehrunes Dagon?"

Aizen, perturbed but amused at Ichimaru's query, walks up to him, and talks quietly into his ear.

"Dagon isn't the only deity I plan to absorb the power of."

"I see…"

Ichimaru turns and begins to walk out of the Throneroom. Aizen smiles, looking past Ichimaru towards the entrance.

"Speaker of the Dark Brotherhood, I'm ready to see you now."

A man in a pitch-black robe and hood appears from the entrance and begins walking towards the throne. Ichimaru glares at him with his eyes wide open as he passes him, and then closes his eyes, smiling again with satisfaction. Ichimaru leaves as the Dark-robed man approaches Aizen, bowing in respect.

"Greetings, Lord Aizen. On behalf of my Dreadlord Sithis, I am Lucien Lachance, Speaker of the Black Hand, ruling body of the Dark Brotherhood."

"Greetings, Speaker Lachance. I've been expecting you. We have much to discuss…"