I was in the bar, enjoying a bottle of sujamma, a bit of skooma mixed in. I had been there most of the night, drinking away my troubles. They said I was wanted. Me, an old man with a skooma problem! What could the vampire, whoever he was, want with me?

Things hadn't been going so well lately. One of my agents, an Argonian who'd been sent by the Emperor himself, had failed to return from one of his missions. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, the Blades lost low ranking members all the time. But his past was shrouded in mystery, and he'd been sent because the Emperor had thought him to be the Nerevarine. I'd been doing some research into this myself, and I was now certain of it.

If this agent had died because of me, not only would there be no one to stop the Blight, but it would be my fault!

"Another bottle of sujamma," I called softly to the inn keeper. It was late, most of the rowdiness had settled down, there were only a few people left, most of them like me; bitter old heroes, alone, drinking away their sadness.

By the bar was a dark haired Bosmer, bent low and drinking bottles of flin. He'd been there most of the night. Three tables away was a Dunmer, drinking mead from a flagon the size of his head. I'd watched him, he had only been here an hour or two. There was a small, wiry, Kajiit in the corner. He was wearing a set of Chitin armor and there was a wakasashi hanging from his belt. Probably an assassin.

The tavern door burst open. Two men strode purposefully in, an Orc and a Redguard. They strode toward me. Their eyes were strange, but I didn't get a good look. The Orc grabbed me and dragged me towards the door, knocking over tables and chairs. I kicked and fought, but it was no use. Leaning against the doorway was an Argonian in fancy clothes. He seemed familiar, but then the Redguard cracked me over the head with my bottle of sujamma, and all went black.

I woke up as they were carrying my out the city gates. I had a dagger on my belt...

In one fluid movement I grabbed the dagger and slashed the Orc across the face. He dropped me, and I ran.

"Heal that wound, Azuk." I ordered, watching Caius Cosades sprint pointlessly away, "Stargel, when he's healed, you two catch up."

I broke into a run, jumped and morphed into a bat and began pursuing Cosades. He was running, but was rapidly tiring and his steps became more and more out of line, until he simply collapsed, panting. I dived, transforming back seconds before I landed in front of his weak, pitiful body.

"Caius Cosades..." I said slowly, "It's been a long time."

He raised his head and saw who I was, "Shadows!" he gasped, "You're the vampire that's been terrorizing us! Please... we can cure you..."

"Silence you old fool! You cannot cure that which is not a disease. I have become greater than you could ever imagine! Achieved things you though impossible!"

"No... No, Swims-In-Shadows, you haven't." he said, his voice filled with a new strength, "You've brought pain, misery and death. You are evil!" his voice rose to a scream, "You are the Nerevarine! You are the chosen one! You-" I smacked him across the face, knocking him back down. He spat out a mouthful of blood. "How dare you?" he said, trying to get back up, "I saved you. I took you in. I gave you a home, I gave you work, and you disrespect me like this? I ought to kill you right now!"

"Kill me? In case you haven't noticed, old man, I'm the powerful one here; you're the pitiful, decrepit slug, I'm a fucking vampire!" I unbuckled my rapier and threw it at his feet. "So do it! Kill me! Stab me through the heart, slice off my head!" I ripped off my cuirass just as Azuk and Stargel approached. "Kill me, you swit!" Cosades picked up the rapier and pulled it from its scabbard. Shaking, he pulled himself to his feet and readied the sword. Stargel and Azuk went to kill him, but I stopped them, striding towards Cosades.

"You want to kill me? Kill me!" I roared.

There was a clatter as the Blademaster dropped my sword, weeping,

"No mortal can kill me." I told him, "The gods would not allow it."

I knocked him out. "Keep him in the basement until I decide what to do with him." I ordered, picking up my rapier and cuirass and striding back home.

The Nerevarine? The Chosen One? What was that drunk old man talking about?