Thump. Thump Thump
Three bodies fell in quick session as a figure made its way through the city. One was a merchant that had smuggled the figure into the walled city. It was too risky to let such a man live as they could betry the figure without hesitating for a reward. The other two were guards, on one of their person was a key needed by their killer.
The figure raced through the city, pausing to avoid being seen as they made their way deeper. Coming to a sewer grate they popped open the covering before slipping inside. From there the individual made way to the Aylei tunnels and catacombs. She was on a mission of importance that required all her skills and stealth to get done, plus some help from her fellow Thalmor.
Slipping into a crack in the walls she found herself inside the building where somewhere was her target. Casting magelight and clairvoyance she made her way downwards, avoid traps and guards on the way. The sounds of construction from above helped hide her footsteps and the shadow's cast by touch and light blocked by rumble gave her plenty of cover.
The Thalmor agent paused in her search in the ruins of the old Ayleid tower. Once it was known as the white-gold tower, seat of imperial power throughout all of Tamriel. Now it was a shadow of its former glory, scared and battered from the war being her people and the empire. In many aspects it was like a symbol of the fall of the empire after the oblivion crisis, a becon of hope and strength against all that dared before challenge it.
While she did enjoy a history lesson and exploring, she had a job to do. Jumping over several stones that once braced the wall she made her way deeper inti the crypt. After the bladed were outlawed the Aldmeri Dominion raided much of what were the emperor's guards former sanctuaries. While much was destroyed or fled with by the blades who went into hiding, an old battered journal survived that showed something that was a concern. While Martin Septim did die nearly four hundred years ago, he was not the last Septim.
Apparently the Mystic Dawn failed in killing the imperial family. Uriel Septim VII had a daughter who vanished during an assassination attempt on the border between Skyrim and Cyrodiil. The blade writing the journal stated that she was alive and had attempted to escape via portal but something went wrong in the spell. The book then on was too damaged by fire to get anything else.
Yet the discovery was not one that those leading the Dominion wanted to hear. While the worship of Talos was banned causing strife to break out in skyrim because of the Nords' devotion, the appearance of a legitimate hair to the throne and legacy of Tiber Septim would be a rallying call that many across the continent would answer. To know if this was true she was sent to look for anything that could verify another living Septim. Documents, records and magical items could all tell if a heir still lived.
That was why she was here in the ruins of the tower. To discover the truth hidden away in the depths after the crisis. Gripping her sword she leaned into the shadows as footfalls came from ahead.
'Guards?' She wondered as she began to cast detect life. Nothing glowed in the dark other than a skeever in the pipes in the gap between the floors. 'Not guards. But-'
A pair of skeletons appeared in the junction ahead of her. The high elf narrowed her eyes as the dead walked away from her in a patrolling manner. Sheathing her blade she instead exchanged it for casting an enhanced fireball and took aim. Launching the ball of fire she paled when she realized she made an error. While it blasted apart the skeletons, the blast also created a shock wave.
"Faethar you Glan'nt!" She cursed as the floor gave way from underneath her. To make it worse the mage light she had cast had gone out so she had no idea how far she would fall. Attempting to recast in free fall wasn't something she would do under normal situations but she knew that light meant nothing to a fall. Instead she quickly cast Ebonyflesh to avoid any... unforseen hazards.
Then she hit water with a loud splash as stone and timber fell around her. A few that did hit her weren't as bad as they could have been, but they tested her wards until they broke. Kicking to the shoreline Faethar took not of where she was. While it was known that there was extensive catacombs beneath the tower, she did not expect anything like this. The area she was in was large, maybe the size of an average tavern that dotted the land.
Large crystals emited a relaxing blue glow that spouted from the roof, floor and sides of where she was of different heights. Looking up she could see the hole she fell from start to fill in a hazardous fashion that prevented her from attempting that way out. Reaching inti her pouch she was happy to find that most of her supplies still were intact, with a few bottles broken.
"Well Faethar, you really made a mess of it this time." She said to herself as she poked the cork of a health potion, followed by a stamina. "If I'm lucky those Imperials will believe there was just a cave-in or an explosion caused from a rune from the war that went off do to a skeever. If it wasn't for this portal scroll i would be in trouble."
While she would have liked to call it quits, Faethar was not one to give up so easily. Before joining the Dominion, she was an adventure who lived for this sort of life. That is, until she discovered her family had perished in the war and now found herself the heir to one of the more prestigious houses in Summerset.
'Ironic, the child who was denied a place in the family inheritance and had to make her own way now finds herself one of the most powerful young eligible bachelorettes in all the isles.' She thought. Casting clairvoyance to see how much magic she had left, she found herself shocked when the spell began to move away as if trying to lead her somewhere.
"... curious," she said as she followed the trail of light around the body of water. It twisted and turned around the glowing crystals and Faethar had to recast the spell thrice. But as she followed the air began to dry out before becoming dusty. Unassuming bedrock changed into a chiseled Hall with decorations appearing more elaborate and complex as she pressed on until an iron and stone door blocked her path.
On it was a map of Tamriel surrounded by the constellations, the moons, sun and symbols for each of the Daedric prince's domains of oblivion. Several major cities, landmarks, and the various provinces appeared at random, mostly the oldest ones that have existed since the second and third area. A sheen covered the door revealing the presence of powerful wards and protection spells placed on it. There was no keyhole to pick and had no visible hints on how to pass but Faethar was prepared.
The agents of the Thalmor in High rock were suggled a map from the Bangkorai Pass by a khajiit mercenary when an earthquake struck the region. Ot had belonged to a nobleman from the Imperial Council who left when the province seceded from the empire. The old man died during the quake and no one was wiser when his belongings were searched in order to find 'next of kin'.
"Let's see... Nocturnal, Secunda, Clavicus Vile, Whiterun, Warrior..." Faethar listed off as she began to press each of the symbols in order from the book she took out of her bag. The foolish noble had no idea what he had, to think that his brother was a moth priest and had given it to him. With a final push a click came from under her palm before the doors slowly opened.
Slipping inside Faethar frowned at the nearly empty room. Shelves full of dust greeted her with the occasional cobweb. Summoning a light she moved through the msze of shelves wondering if this was a foolish mission after all. That was until she saw it.
An elder scroll.
"Here I thought I would be empty handed." She said as she made her way forward only to stumble. "What the-?"
A rumble from a patch of earth quickly became a summoning circle, where three storm atronachs appeared with a vengeance along with a frost variant that thundered towards her as the three storms moved to flank her. Growling at her luck she attempted to banished the four atronachs only for her magic to fail. In response to her attempts lighting was flung her way.
Summoning a ward to block the attack, Faethar ran into the shelves to try and take the advantage of the confined spaces to limit the direction of assault from them. It was only party successful as the storms veered inti different paths. The frost atronach, however smashed its way though, following her even as she planted fire runes and launched a fire ball or two to slow it down.
The storm atronachs weren't doing nothing however as blasts of lighting raked across the shelves with small fires breaking out do to the dry old wood igniting from the strikes. The shelves were helpful in preventing the atronachs from hitting her, but she had to reduce the incoming magic attacks.
As Faethar ran she took out two summoning scrolls she had gotten from a mage merchant. Using the scrolls would summon a wolf each. Not strong enough to take down the summoned defenders but enough to cause a distraction. Jumping up and forward while twisting her body, Faethar avoided several arrows that were sprung by a trap that she activated.
'What in the name of Mehrunes Dagon's ass?! She cursed/wondered as an arrow ripped her sleeve. She was a stealth expert, trained in the art by pick pockets and thieves, not some amusing amateur wannabe thief! She was a former member of the guild known for her abilities! Just where was her luck when she needed it!?
...
Huffing and puffing, Faethar looked around from the wall corner she slumped against as her tired body tried to relax. The room was a disaster, with the charred shelves and scorched walls, to the broken and smashed vases and jars, to even the ethereal wolves foot prints that criss-crossed along the dust. She winced, yeah no one could deny that someone had been here.
But she had her prize. The elder scroll would be a boom that none of the authorities in the Dominion could deny even if she had found no proof so far of a Septim being alive. In her daze she lifted the scroll up, only to have eyes widen in horror as the scroll unraveled itself to her. She had heard the tales of the price and tried to look way... to see a figure.
It was clearly a child, as no man or mer was that short, even the wood elves were taller. One with green eyes and tuuswd up hair that refused to be tamed. His face was devoid of features other that the hair and eyes yet Faethar's attention was soon shifted to the large golden dragon that wrapped itself around the boy like a snake.
"Akatosh." She whispered in awe in realization. This child was claimed by the dragon god of time. Then she knew what see was seeing. The boy was claimed by the god to be the next ruler by the blessing of the dragon-god.
The vision shifted as two possible futures were shown to her. Her eyes burned as one showed the Aldmeri Dominion banner across all of Tamriel, with the boy sitting on a throne with advisors from Summerset guiding him. An honor guard of Khajiit, Bosmer and Thalmor protected him from harm as a battle waged against magic casters using sticks and men with strange weapons.
Then there was the future of the boy now man with a renewed empire, leading a fleet to the shores of the Akavir in an invasion of the ones whom had attacked peoples of Tamriel so many times in the past. A portal appeared in the sky unleashing a horde of Dremora and Daedra. The imperial forces and the forces of oblivion fought on the beachs and then to a city were a mighty roar struck the gates...
With a jolt she was flung from the vision. Her eyes burned bit she could still see and madness did not lay claim to her mind. While it was possible that the scroll had given her an insight to two possible futures, she did not know if they were truth or lies. As it was the nature of the scrolls. She swiftly took the scroll and placed it in its sheath and read its title. Elder scroll of Septim dynasty.
"Of course he has one." She muttered as she placed the scroll into a hidden pocket in her adventuring gear. She preferred it over the Thalmor uniforms as they felt wrong compare to her free spirt. Black was not her color after all, it crashed horribly with her golden skin and silver hair. Her custom leather and ebony armor were much better at protecting her while providing defense. And the deep purple and browns did wonders for stealth.
A series of footfalls came from the lone entrance and exit made her quickly pull out the portal scroll to Summerset. When the doors finally were breached, she would be long gone, taking the valuable content inside the vault to her homeland. Titus Mede II would spend whatever resources into finding what was taken to no avail. He would no say what was so important until at end of his life, but that is another tale to be told.
That's a wrap. Hope that this chapter was enjoyable for you and I hope you have a happy holiday season wherever you are.
Till next time and review
