A/N: Hi you guys! So I had a bit of a creative frenzy and decided to upload this chapter early! Let me know what you think! This is a little different from the previous chapters but I really enjoyed writing it. Another question: What do you guys think about the chapter titles? Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy reading this chapter!
*Disclaimer*
*As always, I own only my OCs. The main plots and recognizable characters are from the brilliant minds of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls franchise writers.*
Chapter III- I Love the Smell of Inescapable Doom in the Morning
"FEIM ZII GRON!"
Jauffre nearly fell out of his chair in shock as the woman in front of him turned into what could only be described as a ghost. She was a semi-transparent, pale blue spectre, lounging languidly across her seat. Despite the lack of color, Jauffre swore the Nord woman's eyes were sparkling with barely suppressed mirth over his reaction. She was dragonborn. He could scarcely believe it. The older texts kept by his predecessors spoke of the Thu'um, and how Tiber Septim could channel it. Everything that they wrote on shouting fit what this raggedy Nord had just done. His mind was racing in a thousand different directions. Could she teach Martin? An Emperor who could actually shout would be a strong display of power after the Empire was nearly destroyed in a single day. It would also keep the Emperor safer…
"I believe that I owe you an apology…" He began, before realizing that he didn't know the woman's name.
"Lumi." She replied, sensing his hesitation.
"You are truly Dragonborn, to harness a full shout effortlessly. I give you my word that any resources needed in protecting Martin will be yours." Jauffre was a man of honor. When he gave his word, it was kept. The woman, Lumi, seemed to sense this and nodded appreciatively, a stray curl bouncing on her forehead.
"Thank you, Grandmaster. But more to the point, where can I find Martin? And what are the plans for the Amulet? The group that murdered the Emperor will be searching for it. It must be kept safe until Martin can use it." Lumi said, her face serious.
He felt a chill race up his spine at the mention of the cowards that started this mess. What he wouldn't give to be able to fight them.
Jauffre reached into his robe and took out a special ring. Walking past the now-visible woman and to the bookcase he kept against the wall, Jauffre made a show of taking out a book on Akatosh. Behind it, barely visible, was a small metal indentation in the shape of a dragon head. Pressing the ring into the indent triggered the back panel of a nearby wardrobe to open. The Grandmaster replaced the book and walked to the wardrobe, opening the door and pushing back clothes to reveal the hidden doorway. He chuckled slightly as Lumi all but ran into the secret room, her energy reminding him strongly of the local children when they were playing with one another.
"It should be safe here. The only way to access this room is through the process that I just showed you. My ring is the only one that can open this door and it has been passed down by Grandmasters for generations." The weight of the ring was both a comfort and a reminder of the responsibilities he had as the leader of the Blades. With a shake of his head, he moved back into the main room and grabbed the amulet and katanas.
Walking into the secret room, Jauffre secured the amulet in a lockbox that he then placed under some furs in a chest by the door. The two katanas were placed upon a weapon rack in the corner of the room, beside an old staff. Together, the Imperial and Nord made their way out of the room, settling back into their chairs.
"You will find Martin at the Chapel of Akatosh in Kvatch. We will outfit you in whatever way is necessary but you must hurry. If it is as you say and other forces are after the amulet then there is no time to waste." Time was of the essence, he could feel the weight of it beginning to gather upon his shoulders.
"Thank you. If there is trouble when I am securing Martin, what should I do?" The seriousness from before was back, making Lumi's back straighten and face regain its previous sternness.
"Avoid shouting as much as possible. As I am sure you are aware, having two dragonborns, one of whom can shout, is a major boon to our cause. The enemy cannot know that you have the dragonblood. Not yet. Dagon would not rest until you have been killed and can no longer pass your knowledge on to Martin. Disguise yourselves if you can. Anything that will keep his followers off your scent until you can ensure the last Septim's safety." It was imperative that they not draw attention to themselves. They needed Martin secure so that they could move him to either the Imperial City or Cloud Ruler Temple. I need to message Ocato, we must be ready to move.
They had a chance now, to potentially avoid the coming bloodshed. If Martin could learn how to shout from Lumi, if they could get him safely to the Temple of the One so that he could light the dragonfires… So many ifs. The woman in front of him held their hope for the future. She had to get to Martin and defend him. There was no other way.
"Follow me, I will take you to our armory." He commanded, rising to move toward the door.
Lumi nodded, and followed as he made his way out of his office. The path to the armory was full of his fellow Blades agents. Brother Piner stood by the entry to the priory, hands casually tucked into his robes. The man was the picture of peace but Jauffre knew that the he was likely was fiddling with the knives they all kept hidden on their persons. When a Blade retired to the Priory they no longer used their katanas in public. The presence of Akaviri blades would draw far too much attention to them. Instead, they switched to a combination of daggers, throwing knives, and shortswords. The smaller weapons were more easily concealed and allowed them to fully commit to their disguise as the Order of Talos.
The two made their way down the stairs and into the basement of the house. The room was lit by several torches, their glow throwing the crates and barrels kept in the space into a discordant mass of flickering shadows and orange light. Another doorway stood in the corner of the room farthest from the stairs. It lay guarded by another Blades agent, Sister Tevera, who straightened into attention as he approached.
"Father Jauffre, it is a pleasure to see you." She said, gaze sweeping over him and his company.
"And you, Sister Tevera. I'm afraid there is little time for pleasant conversation, unfortunately. I need to outfit our young friend here for a job."
The Dunmer woman nodded and opened the door for them.
"Of course, let me know if there is anything you need sir." She said, one of her hands moving unconsciously to a sheathed blade.
"Thank you, Sister Tevera. And remember to keep on the lookout for prying eyes. The day grows late and trouble often approaches in the night."
Jauffre led the way into the armory, mentally calculating what would be necessary to outfit the Nord woman. She was smaller than most of her race, eyes barely reaching his own where her kin would easily tower over a Breton man. Her frame was solid but he saw how Lumi favored quick movements in her stride. He figured that she was probably a user of light armor or a mix between light and heavy. As for her weapon of choice, she currently carried a steel shortsword but he hadn't seen her wield it so it was anyone's guess if she preferred it as her primary weapon.
Turning to face the Nord, he noted how her eyes were sweeping across the armory. The room itself was impressive. He remembered his own awe when he first saw the space. The walls were lined with mannequins holding different sets of armors, some light, others heavy, and some so old they were not meant to be worn any longer. Beside them were cabinets holding extra armor and the necessary supplies to maintain them. The center of the room was filled with different weapons racks. Each rack was devoted to a specific type of weapon, ranging from glass bows to the rare ebony swords, and even a single dragonbone dagger. Another room off to the side was outfitted to serve as a small training area, where the Blades could practice with their weapon of choice in peace. The armory of the Order of Talos was truly a sight to behold and every member of the group took great care in keeping the weapons and armors maintained.
"Lumi, what armor and weapon do you prefer and how much experience do you have with them?" He asked, hoping that she had experience with a weapon they carried.
"Before I came to Cyrodiil, I had been using an ebony bow and dual shortswords for the past year but I am comfortable with the longsword too." Lumi replied promptly.
Jauffre grunted in response as he walked over to where the bows were kept. They didn't have an ebony bow but they did have a number of elven, glass, and imperial ones. He gestured for the woman to pick out a bow, mildly curious about which would have the best draw weight for her frame. He was amused when she went straight for an elven bow and pulled it back easily, earning the bow a look of vague annoyance before she replaced it with one of the glass variety. It still looked to pull back fairly easily but not in the same effortless way and earned a look of satisfaction from the woman, who kept it in her hand.
Moving to the arrows, Jauffre handed her a matching quiver full of glass arrows and a set of spares in case she ran out that she could strap to her side. Together they made their way to the armor. Most of it was sized for men but there were a still considerable number of options for the female Blades. Tevera might have a better eye for this than I do. The two women were roughly the same size, with the dark elf being only an inch or two shorter. She would be able to help Lumi find armor faster while he spoke to Prior Maborel about borrowing his horse… Mind made up, Jauffre called to the Blade still patiently guarding the door.
"Sister Tevera, would you please help our friend here pick out armor and a blade? I must speak with Prior Maborel."
"Of course, Father Jauffre, I would be happy to help. Let me get Brother Bregus to take over my watch and I will join you both shortly." The Dark Elf replied, her voice slightly muffled by the door.
While they were waiting, he watched in bemusement as Lumi began walking through the armory, looking very curious as she peered at all of the weapons. She was standing by a bookcase full of training books when the door opened and Sister Tevera returned, moving to stand beside Jauffre.
"Brother Bergus has taken over my watch and I will replace him when I have finished helping her pick out armor and supplies."
"Thank you Sister Tevera, your help is greatly appreciated. Please send her to my office when you are done and make sure that Brother Bergus has the watch refreshed outside the house. It would not do for them to miss intruders because they are tired."
"Yes sir." The younger woman nodded, walking over to the Nord who was watching them, face slightly confused.
Jauffre left the two women in the armory, heading back up the stairs and out the front door, stopping beside Brother Piner on his way out.
"Get one of the other Blades to replace you and head to my office. Something important has come up that must be discussed. I will be there shortly with Prior Maborel, expect the Nord woman from earlier to join us." He whispered to the fellow Breton agent before exiting the building.
The last light of the day shown weakly as he made his way to the garden at the back of the property. Prior Maborel enjoyed tending to the plot of land and he knew that the man would likely be finishing up his chores there for the evening. A breeze ruffled his hair as the older man reached Maborel's garden. It was a pretty place, full of herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, and flowers in innumerable shades of green and gold. The air was thick with the scent of the soil and growing things.
He found his quarry kneeling between rows of tomatoes, gently checking the leaves for insects and disease. Prior Maborel was the official head of the Order of Talos, and he played his part well. No one in Weynon Priory outside of the monastery knew who Jauffre was, and the true nature of their group remained cloaked. Clearing his throat, he called out to his companion.
"How fares the crop this season?"
"Would that it be so humid all the time. My tomatoes and peppers are practically singing with joy." The younger man joked, wiping the dirt from his hands as he stood to face Jauffre.
"What brings you out here, Father Jauffre? As I seem to recall, you carry a distinct dislike for the smell of some of the flowers I grow."
He shuddered, remembering the cloying scent of the bergamot flowers that Maborel had grown last summer. It had taken days to get the smell out of his clothes and the itch had persisted for far longer. Shaking his head, he replied.
"Yes, that is true. However, there is something we must discuss inside. It is important."
Maborel's face turned grim as he agreed.
"Allow me to gather my things and we can depart at once."
Nodding his assent, Jauffre watched as Maborel picked up a small basket filled with a few gourds and some shears before gracefully weaving between the rows of his plants to reach the grandmaster. Together, the two men made their way back to the door of the house, passing Brother Bergus who had taken Piner's place as guard. Prior Maborel quickly handed his basket of goods off to one of the younger Blades and followed Jauffre up the stairs and into his office.
Waiting for them was Lumi, Brother Piner, and Sister Tevera. The Dunmer woman greeted the men softly before heading back down the stairs to the armory. With his two trusted advisors present, Jauffre sat back down behind his desk, signaling for the rest of his company to take a seat.
"Prior Maborel, Brother Piner, thank you for coming. Our situation is dire. The woman you see before you has brought the katanas of two of our shield-siblings and the Amulet of Kings to us, on the request of Blades Knight, Baurus, and the late Emperor Uriel Septim VII himself. She has agreed to help in recovering young Martin from the Chapel of Akatosh in Kvatch post haste and will require the use of your horse, Prior Maborel, if you are alright with her borrowing it."
The faces of the two men barely changed as he told them the news, a testament to their trust in him and an example of the unflappable nature that made them such brilliant Blades in their youth. Behind them, Lumi stood still and silent, save for the quiet tapping of her fingers against a sheath on her side. She looked much more formidable in the armor that Tevera had outfitted for her. It was a combination of leather, chainmail, and cloth that looked protective but still good for light movement. Poking out from behind her was the hilt of a longsword. I dread that she may need to use it. His gaze was drawn back to Prior Maborel as the man spoke.
"I do not leave the priory very often. I have no problems with this woman using my horse. Divines know that it could stand a ride out in the country more often. I will inform Eronor immediately." Jauffre nodded, giving the man permission to leave the meeting.
"We will speak more on the situation privately, Prior Maborel."
Maborel nodded before leaving the room. Jauffre turned his attention back to the two people still in the room, specifically his fellow Blade.
"Now, Brother Piner, I have called you here to ask what your watchmen have seen today. Please report."
"My agents see little beyond the main road traffic. However, there is a feeling of unrest and fear in the travelers. They sense something is coming, but do not realize yet what it is." Brother Piner looked troubled by the reports, but not surprised. Change races towards us, whether we face it or hide. Its nature remains uncertain but it is inescapable. May the Divines help us all.
"Evil stirs in the countryside. Rumors of bandits grow, despite the increase in legionnaires patrolling the roads." Lumi added, gaining a look of agreement from Piner.
"Then we must find Martin as soon as possible. The Empire needs a Septim on the throne, now more than ever." Jauffre reached into his desk and pulled out a small bag, pushing it across the desk.
"Take this, Lumi. It should be enough to see you and Martin back here with some cushion if something goes wrong and you're delayed." While he had no doubt that Tevera had given the woman supplies and Maborel was probably directing his horses saddle bags to be filled, extra coin never hurt.
Lumi smiled gratefully, looking rather uncomfortable with so much aid but appreciative nonetheless.
"Words cannot express how thankful I am for the aid you have provided me. I will leave and try to return with Martin as soon as possible."
It was time for the Nord to go. Brother Piner would have reached Eronor by now and given leave for her to borrow his horse.
"Stay safe and remember what we discussed earlier. It is imperative that we retain the element of surprise for as long as possible." He reminded her, ignoring Brother Piner's look of confusion. He would fill his advisors in on the full situation later.
Jauffre hoped beyond all hope that she would be able to teach Martin how to channel his thu'um into true shouts. They hadn't had an emperor capable of such in generations. If there was any time to recover the ability, now would be it.
Lumi nodded, storing away the little bag of coins before reaching down to pick up a leather pack and slinging it across her back.
"Yes sir. Keep watch on the amulet, it cannot be allowed to fall into enemy hands." She reminded him, face grim.
With one last look at the two men, the Nord woman left the room, intent on finding Martin Septim before their enemy did. Brother Piner shifted in his seat, looking warily at the Blades Grandmaster.
"Sir, what do we do now?" He asked, worry writing new lines upon his face.
Jauffre sighed, looking around his office. Nothing was going to be the same.
"We pray, Piner. And when we don't pray, we fight so that when the time comes, others don't have to. Oblivion opens her jaws, ever hungry for the suffering of men and mer. She reaches greedily for our souls, pushing at a now thinning barrier between the planes. If we do not secure Martin and the Amulet of Kings, life as we know it will cease to be. All we can do now is pray to Akatosh, Talos and any Aedra who will listen to keep the borders intact for as long as possible and hope that it will be enough."