Warning: Mild violence related to the Elder Scrolls Franchise. Terms from the game are included on the bottom of each chapter.
Disclaimer: Bethesda Softworks owns The Elder Scrolls franchise, and I created Osulf Valien for the purpose of this fanfic.
"I am a hunter! Did not you hear me out? I would go out to hunt my own dinner, no that you and your Imperial Officers fellows treat me like a toddler on a crib, piece of shrimp in leather outfit!" I threw a bronze bow against his cell's bars. I wore sack cloth shirt, pants, and sandals along with wrist irons.
"You seem quite upset today, Osulf Valien. Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll?" An imperial officer asked to me before walk away to inspect other cells.
"I hate bread! You do not know anything about survival in the wilderness. You were all spoiled with riches and power." The Imperial officer left holding a torch, he left in the darkness after I talked back.
Valen Dreth, a Dunmer prisoner in the cell opposite to me, started a spiteful speech when the Imperial prison guard left to my annoyance.
"Pale skin, snotty expression. You're a Breton! The masters of magicka, right? Hmph. Nothing but a bunch of stuck-up snobs with cheap parlor tricks. Go ahead, try your magicka in here. Let's see you make those bars disappear. No? What's the matter? Not so powerful now, are you Breton? You're not leaving this prison 'til they throw your body in the lake. Oh, that's right. You're going to die in here, Breton! You're going to die!"
"Just shut out your mouth, red-eyed piece of clay! You will die before your wife from Vvandderfell come to visit you. Don't underestimate a witchhunter!" I demanded followed by a thunder that scared aviary creatures; the Dunmer retreated speechless to the corner of his cell to cry.
The Ruby Ranks arrested me for unknow reasons. I think it been a few weeks based on what I carved on the bars. I don't care either the reason, I suspected a hidden agenda. I wanted to go out again living wild and free like a horse running on the prairies. My magicka had not been helpful otherwise I was out from the first dawn at the prison with Imperial soldiers behind me while my summoned Clannfear outran them.
I glanced the moon through my cell's window, "Tonight is Hunter's moon, mmm," I contemplated, "Winter's coming, so I shall be out there getting ready for the harsh weather in the woods instead wasting my time in this Imperial crib."
"Tonight, is your time, witchhunter," an unfamiliar voice from nowhere interrupted my moment of silence.
"Who is? I will summon a Clannfear if you get closer!" I shouted finding the speaker, "Don't ever mess up with a hunter, did you hear me out?!" I exclaimed.
"No needed, I am releasing you now. Blades, please, release the prisoner." The three bodyguards approached holding torches, showing their faces and of the man who interrupted my quiet time.
"Please, back off and stay by the window, prisoner, we are going to release you." Glenroy, one of the bodyguards ordered.
"Ugh? Why I should trust you?" I asked while looking at the guards; they point to the man with crown and a cloak.
"Orders from Emperor of Tamriel, Uriel Septim VII", Baurus said, glancing at the old man.
"Emperor of what? I have no Emperor; I am as a lone wolf that roams by himself."
"Can you tell me your birth sign, gentleman Breton?" Uriel Septim VII cleared his throat, and the guards opened the cell when I backed off, and unbounded my hands to move.
"What does it have to do with my birth sign? I was born under the constellation of Mage. What do you want? I have nothing but…" I chose on no telling them I possessed a lockpick I found this morning," my low reserves of magicka."
"Let me have a closer look at you, "He gets closer, but I step back," Oh yes, you are! I saw you on my dreams," a chilled air passed paused everyone for a moment when the Emperor said. He seemed delusional to me.
"Your dreams…? I am not buying it, I am out!" I crossed my arms.
"Please, sire. We can't stay here. We have to go" Glenroy demanded.
"Prisoner," Baurus, an Imperial knight, looked with firmness at me, "please, cooperate with the Emperor unless you want a prolonged time on a colder cell without view of moon and stars."
"And who are you three? His fairies?" I mocked them annoyed, releasing a slight laugh.
"Prisoner, are our orders clears? Are no you grateful for the opportunity that Emperor is offering you?" Interferes the leader of the 3 bodyguards, "I am Captain Renault, a Blade; we are the personal bodyguards of the Emperor."
"I am a man without pack and will be until the day you walk over my grave. I do no seek riches and power. All of you from the Imperial Army are a bunch of greedy as vicious Daedrot," I pointed out.
"Like I said, we are Blades, an independent fraction from the Imperial Army. We're an Imperial Intelligence Service that sworn to the service of the Dragonborn. One of the duties is to defend the Dragonborn Emperors." Captain Renault explained with a calm tone.
"You are telling me that you're the bodyguards of the Dragonborn, really?" I asked looking on them. Was this man sitting on a red throne the real Dragonborn? Dementia was my first thought.
"Yes, and we have orders from Emperor Uriel Septim VII to help you get out of here, so please do as you are asked," Baurus added, unlocking the cell, then they got inside, locking the cell to my surprise.
"Wait a minute, didn't you said I am being released?!" I did shake the bars of my cell.
'No, we don't need to get everyone's attention," Captain Renault ordered her subordinates to open a secret passage in the cell, and two rats came through when the wall crumbles. The Blades slashed them with their swords.
The emperor pardoned me of any crimes I committed; I thanked him with a slight nod. Well, freedom finally, I thought to myself.
"Follow us on this way, this is a secret passage only known by the Blades" Baurus warned to Osulf Valien, "And don't try to sabotage us, I am keeping my eyes on you."
I looked at the Blades with annoyance, "Well, that's better than listening to that spiteful Dunmer crying for his own misery," I grinned, what a such good grief.
We walked through the passage that lead out of the Palace to the Imperial Substructure. In the next room, a rat ran over me. I got rid of it thanks to my Clannfear, then it faded because my magicka didn't recovered on its maximum capacity, and I had been quite rusty from no using it for a time. On the other side, they stop to discuss the plan.
"Let us proceed with caution on this alternate route. If you see one of those red hooded agents, use the best that you got," The Captain Renault instructed us.
"Mythic Dawn Agents?" I interrupted, "One of my clients tasked me to track those profane sorcerers but I declined thinking the commissioner was nuts." I missed a great opportunity, shot!
Baurus sighed, "You're in luck because as my subordinate I would have taken disciplinary measures on neglecting the safety of others!"
"I'm so sorry I broke your dreams" Sorry man, we both missed an opportunity, so get over it.
"Gentlemen, please, we must focus on leaving the palace before those assassins takes our guard down and…" Captain Renault's voice was cut when a Mythic Dawn Agent kicked her out followed with a stab using a poisoned dagger.
"The Captain is down!" Glenroy noticed, and we focused on surrender the red-hooded fella. Another assassin made his appearance, but I landed an electric spell on him, I did let Baurus to finalize him, "For the Emperor!"
"How did they found out about this passage," Glenroy worried, while Baurus was examining the next entrance.
"I don't have any clue but is better keep going than be slaughtered by those parasites of Mankar Camoran," Baurus reassured him, and I added, "I heard rumors that this Altmer mage is allied indirectly with necromancers, my former client informed me." The survived Blades looked at me with inquiry before the Emperor reminded us to get out of here.
"Who was your last client?" Glenroy shouted while we ran after Uriel Septim VII.
"Who cares, less talking and more action. We need to head to the sewers. For the emperor!" Another assassin met us on the other side of the Imperial Substructure to make our way to the sewers.
Man, I did not know that getting out of here was be such a drag, but I excited to eat a boar when I am out of this mess. For the Emperor! I summon with success my Clannfear to aid the blades and I grab a short sword from one of the defeated assassins.