Chapter 25: Helping out a damned city Part 25.1: The burning city

In left the sewers, it was good to feel the sun on my skin again. I walked to the water and washed the grime and dirt from my face. I looked around, the world was green, the water clean and the animals seemed not mutated. I looked on my compass and walked in the direction where Chorrol should be. After a day walk I reached the city gates. I knocked it and 2 guards opened it. "Hey excuse me sir, do you have any idea where I can find a man named Jauffre?" I asked one of the guards. "He lives in Weyon priory just down the road." He answered, I thanked him and left. I arrived at the priory and knocked on the door. A young monk opened the door. "Hey, I'm send to find Jauffre, I have a message for him." I said. The monk told me to follow him and he took me to a desk and walked away telling me Jauffre was on his way. A few moments later, an older man who was almost completely bald. "You're Jauffre?" I asked. "Yes I'm father Jauffre why did you ask for me." He replied. "Well there isn't really an easy way to say this so... the emperor has died, I have been tasked to deliver his amulet to you." I explained handing him the amulet. Jauffre looked at it in shock and turned his attention to me. "You must rest we will discuss what has to be done tomorrow." A monk walked over and took me to a room with a small bed. I lay down and feel asleep.

I woke up with the sound of my communicator. I turned it on. "Darkhart do you hear me over?" A voice called over. "Hey Armstrong, yeah I here but I have some news." I replied."Tell me." He answered. "Well first of all I'm going to have to save this world, second and this is depressing, I lost Amata, she's trapped in a cell." I explained. "That's too bad to hear, don't worry you'll get her out." Armstrong tried to cheer me up. "I hope so, well got to go, there's a monk listening on my door." I said and pulled open the door. There was indeed a monk eavesdropping on me, after a quick apologize from him, he took me to the desk where Jauffre sat behind. "Sit down my friend." Jauffre said offering me a chair. I sat down. "Have some breakfast son, we have much to discus. First the amulet, how did you get it in your possession?" Jauffre asked. "Well, I was in the cell through which he passed and he took me along." I explained. "Why were you in jail if you don't mind me asking?" "I appeared with my girlfriend in a chamber from some high guys in the city." I explained. "Wait are you the one that appeared in the council room?" Jauffre asked surprised I confirmed and asked him to continue. "Now, I don't know if you are aware of certain things but we need to find an heir for the throne or this world will come to its end." Jauffre said. "Where do I find this heir?" I asked. "Well, the official sons of the emperor have been killed but there is one adulterate son in Kvatch." Jauffre told me. "Then Kvatch is where I'll go, where is it?" I asked. Jauffre showed it on my map and I left. I ran for a few hours until I found the way up to the city, as I got closer the sky colored red. I met a man on my way up who told me I had to run away. I now was getting a little concerned. I climbed up further and reached a camp, I asked around and found out the city had been attacked by deadra. I looked for the priest but didn't find him. I walked further and reached the defensive setting of the city guards. "Hey, listen guys I'm looking for the priest is he still in the city?" I asked the guards. "What are you doing here! Get back to the camp now, there's more of those beasts coming through." A guard yelled and pointed at a large red portal. From inside the portal came knights running, they were dressed in red armour and wielded vicious looking swords. I jumped over the barricade and pressed the first knight to the ground, pulled of his helmet and smashed his already ugly face with my fists, the guards fought some of the deadra off and I finished mine off, seizing his blade and jumping a new one. I disembowelled the first knight and kicked the second one in the groin before decapitating him. The guards pulled back and I followed them behind the barricades. "You know you're pretty talented for a peasant, what's your name?" A guard asked. "It's Darkhart and is there a way to get into the city? I really need to get the priest out." I said. "Well the only way in is, through the front gate, but that blasted portal is in the way, if you could close it we would move in and try to secure the city." The guard said. "Sure no problem." I said and jumped back over and rushed to the portal.

Part 25.2: The dark planes

I looked around, the place I ended up in had a close resemblance to hell, all around the place looked scorched, what had to be water turned out to be lava. I saw a beast coming at me, it looked like a death claw only smaller and without the vicious claws. I stabbed the beast in the mouth and it fell down. I looked around again, on a bridge in front of me I saw a man fighting of several beast. I ran to his aid and together we killed of all the beasts. The man introduced himself as Savlian Matius. He was the captain of the guard, he and some men went in to close the gate but they were all killed except for him and his superior: Menien Goneld. He was captured and taken to a tower, I send Savlian back to lead the troops outside. I went on my way. I fought my way through this despicable piece of hell, finally I reached the tower where Savlian said they kept Menien. I kicked in the large door and looked around. The base level seemed empty. I walked through the passages around it and took the stairs up. Thanks to some traps I hadn't seen coming, my shirt was ripped to shreds. I kept climbing until I was just under some sort of membrane. It was too hard to stab through so I went in through a door, I walked on and ended up on top of the membrane. Above me was a cage, inside was am an screaming in agony because he was being tortured by another of the knights. I ran up the stairs and drew the knight's attention. He came running for me swinging a veracious looking mace. I dodged his strike and pushed my own sword in his chest. The beast fell down and I wiped my sword with his hair. "Quick, you've got to get the key and close the gate, just take the door to you left and get the sigil stone." Menien yelled. "I went through the knight's pockets and found a black iron key. I got up and turned to Menien. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine now move!" He yelled again. I followed his orders and ran through the door. On the others side was a small catwalk over the scorched fields. I ran over trying to keep my balance. The fall down would certainly kill me if I fell. I finale reached the other side and pushed open the door. I saw that I was in a similar room as the room where Merien was, the only thing different was that now a bright red beam went upward through the membrane. I climbed the stairs but I was met halfway by another knight but this one wielded a shield and a sword. He launched forward and I blocked his strike the only thing I didn't expect was that he wouldn't use his shield in an offensive way but he did. Whit a hard swing of his shields I tumbled down the stairs. I got back up and swung out against the knight, he raised his shield and blocked my strike, in response he swung his blade lower at my chest, I jumped back but the strike left a cut on my chest. I kicked the knight in the chest and he didn't seem to expect that because he stumbled back and fell on the stairs. His shield fell from his hand and so did his blade. I jumped at him and pushed my sword through his chest killing him. I picked up his shield and strapped it to my bare back. The knight's sword I took along to. I climbed back on the stairs and saw the stone. I walked over to it and grabbed in the beam. I took the stone but as soon as I did the tower shuddered and rocks came down. I jumped down and teared through the membrane taking a part with me. I moved quickly I dropped the stone and turned the membrane till it was above, the membrane swelled up and I started to fall slower. Finally I touched the ground. I moved quickly because this tower was coming down. I snatched the stone from the ground and burst out the doors and headed for the portal. Right after I stumbled through the portal closed. I walked over to the defences. "You did it. You actually closed the gate now we can liberate the city." Savlian said. "Yeah but before we go, does anyone have an extra shirt?" I asked.

Part 25.3: Freeing the city of Kvatch

About half an hour later all the guards and me were waiting behind the defences. I was wearing a new shirt and held my 2 swords. Savlian gave the order and we ran at the gate. Behind the gate was Kvatch, it looked completely destroyed the tower of the church had blocked of our way to the castle and more rubble blocked a way around the church. "Head for the church!" Savlian ordered and I ran at it cutting down several impish beasts in the process. I cut a path to the church and waited until everyone was inside, in the process of getting to the church we had exterminated every single beast around. Inside the church was a fire burning. I looked around there were a little over 20 people inside. Savlian walked over to some guards and I went looking for the heir of the throne, I was kicking myself for not asking his name or appearance. I looked around and asked around. In the end I found the heir, he turned out to be the priest. Before I talked to him, I was asked to help out liberating to entire city. I joined in and we ran out the other door, The city was burning here as well. We ran on killing beasts but when we reached the castle the gate turned out to be closed. I had to run back go under the church and open up the gate. I opened the gate and we were free to storm the castle. We rushed in and I was send to find the count, I found him inside his quarter but not alive. I searched his body and took a ring that looked important. I ran back and told Savilian the sad news. I handed him the ring and because I had helped him in saving the city he gave me an armour of Kvatch I took it and walked back to the church to pick up the priest and get to Jauffre.