Caius Cosades

I sat at a desk in the census and Excise warehouse in Seyda Neen, ignoring the pathetic figure shackled to the bars in the holding cell before me.

"Kill me," Han lu begged. I winced, but didn't look up. If there is a scenario where I can still manage to salvage Han lu's loyalty, I know it won't be easy to arrange. I'd pushed the young man too far. It was the Blades job to turn people against their own causes, their people, and even their own self interest. Make no mistake, I'm one of the best, but there are limits. I just don't have anything Han lu wants. How can you blackmail a professional blackmailer? Every avenue had been explored. The only family he knows are dead or in hiding. I sent agents to find the families of Han lu's parents here on the island and they had been found, but Han lu has no personal connection to his grandparents and their families.

On the desk in front of me was a detailed list of Han lu's movements. Since he'd come here, the only person I know that Han lu has been close to was the Khajiit from the mages guild, but she had not been recovered from the shipwreck. That detail alone would make Han lu blame the Empire for his only friends death making cooperation less likely.

After Han lu had left the House of Earthly Delights, I had an agent thoroughly interrogate the courtesan Marelle about his time there. I pinched the bridge of my nose in place of screaming in frustration. Han lu couldn't even be tempted by worldly addiction. Even after a deadly dose of the highly addictive skooma, Han lu had never, to the best of my knowledge, taken another dose. Being a user myself, I found this impossible. I could feel the shakes coming on as I craved a hit, yet this young Dunmer had never once given in to temptation.

Giving in to my anger, I stood up angrily and took a vial of the sticky concoction from my own pocket, uncorked it, and waved it in front of Han lu's nose. He actually recoiled.

"Get that stuff out of my face," he shouted angrily! I pocketed the vial, and glared daggers at the boy. Han lu glared back. "Why are you keeping me alive? For the second time, I've been imprisoned for a crime with a blanket death sentence. What do I have to do to prove that I'm an enemy to the Empire?" He paused, trying to find any logic. "What in Tamriel makes me so important?"

I almost shouted back, letting loose my temper. Instead, I took a deep breath, walked deliberately to my desk, and sat down. "You're not important Han lu."

Han lu scoffed. "I don't believe you. I keep hearing voices. Seeing visions in weak moments. You aren't the only one clamoring for my attention. Caius, what's the big picture here? Any beggar on the street could have been sent to do the jobs you've sent me to do. You have other agents. Why put so much effort into me?"

I ignored him, still sifting through his thoughts. Han lu lowered his voice. "Hasphat told me I wasn't the first."

This caught my attention. "Did he now?" There was a pause while I gave Han lu a stressed insincere grin. "Well, now that that rabbit is out of the hat."

I searched through my papers, deciding it was time to let him in on some details. "This is the first correspondence I received from the Emperor on the subjects I've had you researching, two years ago." He cleared his throat and read from the sheaf. "His Majesty would like you to look into a legend that has recently come to his attention. Some Dunmer believe that an orphan and outcast, a youth born on a certain day to uncertain parents, will one day unite all the tribes of the Dunmer, drive out the invaders of Morrowind, and re-establish the ancient laws and customs of the Dark elf nations. They call this orphan and outcast Nerevarine, and say he will be a reincarnation of the long dead Dunmer General and first councilor, Lord Indoril Nerevar."

I dropped the letter to the table. "Yes, I've been investigating these legends long before you were sent to me. I've even had other agents sent to me and fall short of their mission." I again walked in front of Han lu. "If it isn't obvious what your role in this is, then you haven't been paying attention. Think boy! What could it possibly be?"

Han lu blinked several times. "You can't think… that I'm the Nerevarine."

I took another letter from the pile. "This is from the encoded package that you first brought to me. 'Han lu has the appearance of meeting the conditions of this local superstition. Therefore, it is His Majesty's desire that Han lu shall, insofar as is possible, satisfy the conditions of this ancient prophecy, and shall become the Nerevarine. Though the prophecy is indeed only an ancient local superstition, his Majesty has taken council on this matter with his most expert informants and confidants, and he is persuaded that the prophecy is genuine and significant, either in its entirety, or in its several parts, and he earnestly demands you treat this matter with the utmost seriousness.' It goes on, but you get the point."

I backed up and sat on top of my desk, leaning forward to look Han lu in the eyes.. "Of course I was skeptical at first, especially of you. It felt like the Emperor had given me a wild boar and told me to train it for a horse show. You are without a doubt, the most reckless and dangerous agent ever assigned to me. Yet, be it far from me to question the Emperor. So I did as I was told and started you on a path of prophecy to fulfill the role of this ancient hero. A hero who, if successful, would become very powerful in the provinces politics. A hero who hates the Empire with every fiber of his being. A hero with no morals or honor. I can't understand how this plan could possibly benefit the Empire, or at least, I couldn't then."

"I won't," Han lu promised. "I'll resist you every step of the way, just as I've been doing."

"You idiot!" I snapped in what I now realize to have been a wholly unprofessional manner. "This isn't about the Empire. I see that now. By betting on you fulfilling this prophecy, the Emperor is addressing something larger than the welfare of Morrowind. You brought me the puzzle pieces that make it all make sense. The rise in influence of this Dagoth Ur. The rumors of the Tribunal's failing power. The sleepers. I know the Emperor sees more than an average man. He must have seen a threat. Something so powerful and destructive that he's willing to put you in a position of leadership in an already rebellious province. These gods of the Dunmer have held each other in check for a thousand years or more and the stalemate is slipping. These ancient powers have never been considered a threat because they've always been pitted against one another. When the status quo changes, these beings will turn on others. I believe the Emperor thinks to stop that from happening, but in order for it to work, I need you to see the Empire through my eyes. Not as the entity that killed your father. Not as the puppet masters who control you, but as the defenders of peace, order, and prosperity for all peoples. I can't have that though. You only seem to care about your own self interest. So let me give you one more chance. One chance to do the right thing and be something more than the scum of the earth your father was."

I was furious now, ranting freely. "Will you give up your pathetic, selfish, childish quest to go back to mommy and instead take on a position of honor and selflessness, or should I just kill you and hope a better actor comes along to pretend to be this long dead hero before Dagoth Ur is released upon us all?"

There were so many things Han lu wanted to say, but he knew the only things worth saying were the topics at hand. He stared me down with a gaze both fiery and ice cold while he decided how to reply. He spoke in a low, even tone, belying his self assurance and hatred. "I have no family... and no friends. The people I get close to end up dead or leaving me and that will only get worse if I pretend to be a resurrected Saint, ostracized by the authorities of the land. In fact, the only thing I do have to live for is my hate of the Empire, even as I realize, my family were not the most moral of people. So if I took up your worldview as you wish and forgave the Empire, I could look forward to a future of personal suffering for honor with no significant relationships under the fear of bringing death on anyone I cared about." Han lu met my gaze without any sign of remorse or penitence. "I don't see how you could possibly trust me. I don't see anything there worth living for. Honestly, this whole world can burn in Oblivion for all I care. You go to Red Mountain and face whatever monsters lay there. You're right, I can't be controlled, so I'll inevitably turn on you at the soonest possibility." His red eyes seemed to pierce my soul. "You'll just have to kill me."

I looked away dismissively. "Well then, I just have to find something worth you living for." I gathered my papers and left Han lu chained painfully to the wall. In the next room, with the door closed behind me, I looked out on an Imperial warehouse with eight people loitering, seven of whom were my agents. I first turned my attention to a kneeling Argonian, bound and bagged. A short, well muscled Bosmer woman stood behind him with a short sword ready to strike.

"Who is this Gildan," I asked the Wood elf?

"I found him at the camp where we captured Han lu. He was pulling a crate out of the ocean."

"Ah, and what was in this crate, pray tell?"

"A lot of gold and gemstones." Gildan took a strange looking red clay statue from a crate beside her, holding it out to me. "And this."

I cautiously took the curious thing. "It doesn't look like anything I've seen before," I admitted. I crouched in front of the prisoner and lifted the sack off his head. "What's your name friend?"

Blue blinked several times. He'd fallen asleep in the bag. "Huh?" He asked gracelessly.

"Your name?"

"I am Blue."

I grunted. "What's your profession Blue?"

The Argonian cracked a smile. "I'm recently unemployed. If you want my resume, I spent nineteen years as a slave, mostly in animal husbandry and several months as fisherman, mercenary, you name it. I don't suppose you're hiring, whoever you are."

The assembled Blades agents chuckled at the prisoners candor, myself included. I couldn't help but like this lizard. "Well, I'll keep you in mind. First though, I need to know your relationship with Han lu Urshar."

"Who?"

Gildan smacked him over the back of his head with the flat of her blade. "The Dark elf who's camp we found you at!"

"I hardly know him," Blue claimed.

"Did you meet him on the smuggling ship?" I pressed. "And don't lie. Telling the truth won't make this any worse than it already is."

The Argonian groaned. "Yes yes, he was a passenger. I was in the crew. We were the only survivors."

"How did you survive," asked a burly Nord named Sjorvar?

Blue turned to look at him. "I swim better than others. The Legionnaires shot everyone else. Han lu fell off the ship near the start of the fight and the warship passed him by. I dragged him to the coast."

Rithleen, a Redguard woman in bonemold armor and long dreadlocks chimed in. "Why? What's he to you?"

Blue muttered, "The Dunmer paid a fine price to get aboard the ship. He rode a horse. A fine horse. That's a rare thing here on Vvardenfell. I figured this Han Lu might be a good person to owe me a favor. It's a tough economy, especially for an Argonian." His levity again earned a few chuckles.

I held up the short statue. "What can you tell us about this?"

Blue looked at it in surprise. "I thought I'd emptied those out. I don't know what they are, only that my Captain made big money on them. We delivered them to lots of ports, especially to the mainland." Blue hesitated for a moment. "It may sound silly, but I don't like those things. If I tried to sleep while we had any of those on board, I... heard things." I raised a brow, waiting for a further explanation. "I heard whispers," Blue continued, "never loud enough to be discernible. Just enough to keep you from falling asleep."

I turned to my agents, none of whom had anything to comment. "Well Blue, you've just admitted to some pretty serious crimes," I mentioned lightheartedly. "What are we to do with you?"

Blue gave a winning smile. "You'll be happy to know, I've decided to turn my life around. No worries, I'm scared straight. Only honest labor from now on. Scaleback's honor."

I stood, stretching my stiff legs. "Well, I don't know about all that, but I may have a job for you."

Blue's eyes widened. "Truly?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "It's not glorious and there's no direct pay, but it could end up quite rewarding. Besides, our other option is to kill you now."

Blue nodded emphatically. "Yes yes, I'll take the job."

"Good choice," laughed another Argonian from across the room.

I helped Blue to his feet, leaving his hands bound behind his back. "For the time being, you will act like a prisoner, which will be easy, because you'll be locked up. The real challenge will be making friends with your cellmate. You seem a personable sort. Gain Han lu's trust. One way or another, he'll get out of here eventually and when he does, you better have found an excuse to stick together. You give him a reason to keep you around. If he asks, we only questioned you about the smuggling operation. Mention that we asked you about the statues and tell him what you told us. The fact that you may have intelligence for us should act as some explanation for why we didn't execute you for your crimes."

Blue didn't seem to understand all of what was being said, but he nodded at appropriate intervals to assure us all that he was unquestionably on board. When I finished, Blue dared to venture just one question. "Who are you people?"

The agents around him shared knowing grins before waiting for me to answer.

I leaned forward, close to Blue's face. "Nations have armies to guard from other nations. Cities have guards to protect against criminals and bandits. We are the ones who protect Tamriel from dragons, Daedra, and the secret magics that nobody knew were a threat to begin with."

Blue chuckled nervously. "Surely you jest with me. Even hatchlings know there are no such things as dragons."

"You're welcome," I said, stone faced. The Blades all chuckled again as Gildan led Blue to his cell. I waited for her to return to address my agents. When she rejoined us, I hopped backwards to sit on a crate. "It's not often we're all together, so I feel you should all be brought up to speed."

The rag tag team of individuals all scooted in closer to hear me. "Unlike the last two candidates, Han lu has survived all his missions thus far. The problem is that he's uncooperative. He's been trying to play us this whole time. The trust we had, which was shaky as it was, is now gone. We cannot count on him to fill the role as he is."

"So we find another candidate," Elone suggested. The Redguard woman had forsaken her bartender attire for a light Imperial mail shirt and she had a mace at her belt. "I suggest we expand past Dark Elves. The prophecy doesn't specifically mention that the Nerevarine would be reincarnated as a Dunmer. Besides, Han lu doesn't even fit the prophecy. He grew up with his parents and one of them may still be alive. His parentage is supposed to be uncertain."

Tyermailin, a tall golden skinned Altmer interjected. "As it would happen, that may not be so."

I motioned at the healer. "Tyermailin has been looking into Han lu's mother's family for me. Would you report your findings please?"

The Altmer bowed gracefully. "Of course. Virisa Urshar's family is surprisingly well connected in House Telvanni. They are known for their isolationist policies so naturally, they are difficult to get accurate information on. Fortunately, they are from Tel Vos, one of the more progressive Telvanni strongholds. They may not involve outsiders in their inner politics, but unlike other Telvanni Nobles, Master Aryon employs some non Dunmer in his palace and I've been able to make informants of a couple of lower ranking members. Rumor has it, Virisa met Adairan when the young man left home and traveled to Tel Vos. He courted her against her parents wishes and they married. Virisa was disowned and the couple traveled Vvardenfell, but would return to visit friends. After being away for no more than two months, one of their friends said they returned to visit with a newborn infant. They claimed it was theirs, but there were rumors to the contrary. Nobody can remember her ever becoming pregnant."

Sjorvar lost his patience. "Well I'm glad to hear you've been successful in collecting wives tales elf, but it still leaves the problem of Han lu not being a viable candidate out of unwillingness. No matter his heritage, he's out of the running, so we need to concentrate our efforts on finding another candidate."

This opinion split the group in two, resulting in a war of murmurs. I cut them off, holding my hands up to call for silence. The room fell quiet and I took a moment to think before addressing them. "This feels, different." I paused again, drawing confused looks from the agents. "Please understand, I truly value each of your opinions. However, I'm afraid we may not have time to find another candidate. Besides, I'm not sure we should be looking for a 'candidate' in the first place."

The agents looked to each other for confirmation, unwilling to speak out of turn. Finally, the Argonian, Nine Toes, stepped forward. "Spymaster, this has been our goal since you received this mission. What makes it different now?"

"Han lu has been having visions. The other candidates never had that. It feels like tensions are mounting, especially in the Temple. There have also been rumors that the ghostfence has been faltering." I ignored the worried looks and continued. "We started this with the intention of finding a candidate that could mimic the requirements of the prophecy, but…" I pressed my hand to my temple. "I don't know how else to say it, but... I believe Han lu is the Nerevarine. The Emperor saw something in him." I met the gazes of my agents. "We need to devote all resources to Han lu. Whatever it takes to make him care about this mission."

"And what happens if he fulfills the prophecy," Tyermailin interjected, breaking the stunned silence? "You realize we are the invaders whom the Nerevarine is prophesied to drive out, right? A united Dunmer race could be a powerful force to be reckoned with and a threat to Imperial interests on many many fronts."

I rose to my full height, adding a note of finality to my voice. "You mirror my own thoughts Tyermailin, but I've made my decision. I will trust the Emperor's judgement. He surely sees everything we see and more. I took an oath to defend the dragon bloodline with my dying breath and if he believes giving great power to his mortal enemy is the best decision, I will honor it." I clenched a fist and pounded it to my chest in a Legion salute.

My agents just stared for a moment. Sjorvar was the first to reciprocate. "I've always been a simple man and this isn't the first time your plans have sounded mad to me. You're crafty Caius. We'll make this work. Somehow," he added in an undertone.

Rithleen sighed. "Caution to the wind. So be it."

One by one, the Blades each pledged their support, some more enthusiastically than others. Their oaths made my chest swell with pride and brotherhood, making me feel like I had to leave them some parting words. "We are the Blades. Despite constant vigilance, it is the nature of our work that we are always racing the hourglass. With Talos as my witness, I swear I'll not fail and I'll do my best to be deserving of such fine agents."