Fahiil
Thera
Fires raged in the city of Whiterun, with silly little humans running in terror every which way. I saw a projectile of stone and flame fly through the air to crush a mother desperately trying to protect her daughter. It was like animals led to the slaughter. "We need to push onward through the city," the commander of the attack said. The hulking Nord brandished his two handed ax in a single hand to point towards Dragonsreach and the Cloud District. "There are two paths. The Unblooded elf will take one prong, and I the other as Lord Ulfric commanded." The Nord slammed his shoulder into an incoming Imperial Soldier. The soldier tumbled to the ground, dazed. By the time his senses had returned, his last vision was of a huge ax slicing his head in half. "GO!"
I nodded to the Nord and ran through the city, a few of the Stormcloaks following close behind me. I pulled the blue scarf tighter around my face – I couldn't have my free rein in the Imperial zones of Skyrim tainted by my temporary allegiance to the Stormcloaks. A good agent is welcome anywhere.
"Hide around these buildings until my say so!" I commanded the soldiers under my command. The soldiers grunted uneasily but did as the 'she-elf' said. I stood my ground and faced the squadron of Imperial soldiers that advanced towards me in the streets.
"Die, rebel filth!" one of the soldiers screamed. He rushed towards me, swinging his steel mace wildly. I ducked under the first blow and slammed my armored fist into the man's kneecap. He screamed in pain and fell to the ground, his mace clattering uselessly behind me.
I stood up before bringing my blade into the throat of the soldier. "Now!" I shouted, ordering the Stormcloaks out from their positions. The Nords roared with powerful bloodthirst as they charged the squadron of Imperials. The blue-clad soldiers made short work of the Imperials, so that soon all that was left of the puny humans was blood and brain matter that flowed like red rivers through the cobblestone streets of Whiterun.
"Well, looks like the elf isn't so bad," I heard one of the soldiers whisper to another. His friend laughed lightly, then the entire squad turned to look at me.
"Keep going," I commanded sternly. I walked past the Nords and prepared my twin blades to further quench their thirst for Imperial blood.
Jul
Lucius
The party with the dignitaries in the Thalmor court was incredibly stressful. I was deeply worried that Thera would have reported on me enough so that Elenwen and her soldiers would be on the lookout for me. I had to sit through three – three – hours of Elven speeches and cheap, nasty alcohol before the opportunity to make my way into the back rooms presented itself. "Youse can't shut me offs from the ale!" a Redguard man slurred. He slapped lazily at the server who was pulling the tray away from him. "You elvsh and yur cheapnesh."
"Sorry for my friend," I said. I grabbed an ale and pulled the man away to sit down. "He's had... too many."
I pushed the man onto a bench and smiled down at him. It was the same Redguard who had arrived concurrently with me. "What wash thath for?"
"You looked like you needed some help," I noted as I pulled the ale out from behind me. The man's eyes lit up and he reached for the ale. I pulled it out of his reach and shook my head. "Can you do something for me if I give it to you?"
"Anyfing!" the man half-shouted.
"Good... can you, I don't know, get everyone's attention for a few minutes? I have something I need to do," I said as I passed the ale to the man.
"Oh, you came to the right place, friend," he said. He downed the alcohol and smiled. "Just wash and learn!"
I watched the Redguard walk towards the center of the room. "Toast! Toast!" he screamed, drawing the attention of the entire room. I turned to the serving counter, and Malborn, and nodded. The Wood Elf nodded back at me and I rushed as quietly as I could to enter the kitchen with him.
"Hope no one saw us," Malborn said, worry and annoyance passing through his voice. "I don't want to be hunted to Oblivion by the damn Thalmor for the rest of my life."
"Don't worry, you'll be fine," I said. "Did you bring the stuff I gave you?" The Elf nodded. "Good, then let's get going."
Malborn opened the door into the kitchen and froze. I bumped into him and peered around his shoulder. "What's this, Malborn? You know Tsavani does not like strange smells in her kitchen."
I have to give Malborn credit, he was fast on his feet. "A guest, not feeling well. I just brought him back for a few herbs."
"You know," Tsavani hissed, "that guests are not allowed in the back rooms."
Malborn gritted his teeth and went right for the blackmail card. "Last I checked, neither was moon sugar – so keep it quiet," he stated, drawing a hiss of defeat from the cat woman. To me: "Follow me."
Malborn walked through the kitchen, me following close behind. We passed the Khajit woman who hissed again at me before returning to her duties. Malborn opened another door and pulled me close. "Your stuff's in the chest," he whispered. "Good luck and, to be honest, I hope I never see you again."
"Good luck yourself, friend," I said earnestly before walking through the door and opening the chest. Malborn shut the door quietly behind me and I was suddenly alone in unfamiliar territory. I pulled my armor and weaponry out from the chest and grimaced. "Here goes."
Jul
Lydia
The Dragonborn's housecarl deflected blow after blow from the invading Stormcloak military. Her Thane's letter, along with General Tullius', had warned that an attack by the rebels was imminent, but to have begun so soon? Lydia buried her steel blade between the ribs of her nearest attacker before slamming her shield into the head of another. The soldier's neck snapped around quickly and his body hit the floor, limp and dead. "We have to get the Jarl out of here!" Irileth screamed. The Dunmer's blade pierced the throat of an incoming Stormcloak as she shouted.
"I will not abandon my Hold and my people!" Balgruuf shouted back. He slammed his two handed sword into the chest of a Stormcloak and continued the blow, bashing the body and blade into another two of his enemies. "That is not the kind of Jarl they deserve!"
"They won't have a Jarl they deserve if you end up dead, Balgruuf!" Irileth shouted back. She lashed out with her blade once more and the hand of a Stormcloak hit the ground, quickly followed by the rebel woman's head.
"It doesn't seem to matter, we are defeating them in our home," Balgruuf's brother shouted as he bashed the skull of a Stormcloak in with his blade's pommel. "We'll destroy this rebel filth before they can even think of hurting our city further!"
Lydia deflected the blow of another Stormcloak and the blade ricocheted into one of the Stormcloak's allies. Crimson blood rushed from the blue-clad man's body to join the ever deepening pool of Nord blood that was bathing Dragonsreach in the sins of its people. Lydia knew that the battle was far from over, but she had to partially agree with Hrongar – despite the setbacks, the tide of the battle was still in the favor of Whiterun and the Empire. Lydia herself had taken the lives of nearly two dozen invaders, and Irileth nearly twice as many.
Lydia decapitated the other invading Stormcloak, then deflected another attack with her shield. Her sword arced through the air, slicing off the legs of the belligerent. His body hit the ground with a slorp-thud and the sounds of screams. "Divines save us all," Lydia murmured. She thought of her Thane. "Talos guide us." Her blade entered the chest of the fallen soldier and she returned her attention to the battle. Despite the skill of the city's defenders, the battle seemed endless. No matter how many Stormcloaks the Jarl's court killed, more seemed to flood into Dragonsreach. An ocean of brown and blue armor that threatened to drown the freedom of Whiterun.
She could not give up, however. She scanned the room, quickly locating the bear-skin clad warrior that commanded the other Stormcloaks. She nodded to a nearby Imperial to aid her, and the two rushed to attack the man. Lydia carved her way through the thickest area of Stormcloaks, her blade singing a song of death and destruction that eventually left it coated with brown leather and crimson blood. She slammed her shield into an oncoming blade and threw her steel blade forward. The tip of the weapon pierced the Stormcloak officer's chest, and the man coughed and gurgled blood. He soon fell to the floor, dead. The invaders around him suddenly became fearful, and Lydia felt the tide of the battle surge in the favor of Whiterun. Stormcloaks began to run from the hall, terrified and confused. Lydia was sure, at that moment, that victory was within their grasp.
Then the air seemed to shift, heralding some great darkness that had entered. A single warrior, shorter than the other Stormcloaks and clad in elven armor with a single blue scarf, entered the reach. Lydia knew, at that moment, that Whiterun was lost. No strength could save them, save perhaps the Dragonborn. The warrior's blade slashed through the throat of the nearest Imperial, quickly spinning the momentum to impale another. "Get the Jarl!" the warrior – a woman – commanded. Her attention then turned back to the battle. Her Elven blades slashed through the bodies of the Imperial defenders. Lydia knew that, while her skills were like a song, this new invader's abilities were almost like a symphony of death and destruction. Imperials fell to the blades of all around the Elven-clad woman, who advanced slowly, menacingly, terrifyingly towards Jarl Balgruuf.
"Prepare to die, Jarl," the warrior said.
"Not today, Traitor!" he retorted. He raised his blade to defend himself, but his weapon and body were quickly tossed aside.
"FUS-RO-DAH!" the warrior woman screamed, her words taking form and throwing the Jarl through the air. The battle around the room suddenly stopped, and Lydia watched in horror as the woman approached the Jarl.
"This cannot happen. I have failed my Thane..." Lydia said, downtrodden. Then she lifted her head and gazed at the attacker. "Not yet, though." Lydia lifted her blade and screamed mightily, drawing the attention of the warrior.
"Ah, Lucius' pet," the elf-clad woman said. She raised one of her weapons lazily, deflecting the incoming blow with minimal effort. "It shall be fun to kill you."
"Run my Jarl!" Lydia screamed. Her blade and shield collided with the woman's twin swords. "I beg of you!"
"Balgruuf!" Irileth barked. "Run!" She grabbed the Jarl and dragged him through Dragonsreach. "We can still get you out through the tunnels!"
"We cannot leave her! We cannot leave Lydia or the city!" Balgruuf shouted, struggling against Irileth and the Imperials that dragged him away.
"We have to!" Irileth shouted before slamming her fist into the Jarl's face. He went limp, unconscious. "We... have to..."
Fahiil
Thera
Lucius' pet was stronger than I expected. Nothing compared to me, of course, but a warrior nonetheless. Her skill with the shield and blade was astounding and, if she had not met me, perhaps capable of becoming the best in Tamriel. Unfortunately, she did meet me. My blades batted her attack away with an almost cruel amount of disinterest. Her attacks were stopped before they even began, at times. The steel sword in her hand bashed into my deflections, sparking as metal dragged against metal.
"How do you know of my Thane!?" Lydia commanded as another of her attacks was put in its place.
"Oh, we've met. I'm the one who is going to kill him," I said, venom dripping from the last words I spoke. The woman's eyes lit up with rage.
"You cannot kill him! He is the strongest, kindest man in Tamriel. I am proud to be his Housecarl, and I will defend him from any threat. You included, Stormcloak!" she screamed at me.
I laughed and deflected her attacks. "I am no Stormcloak," I whispered as our blades struggled in a lock. "You may remember me – Thera, the Thalmor. And your master? He was also Thalmor." Lydia's eyes went wide, and I seized my moment. I angled my two blades forcefully, snapping the steel weapon cleanly in two. My helmeted head collided with the Nord woman's unprotected crown, drawing blood that clouded her vision. "Now die." My twin blades stabbed through the woman's closed eyes and erupted from the other side of her skull. I pulled my blades from her head, and her form fell to the ground, dead.
"We – We've won!" a Stormcloak screamed. "We won!" The room screamed in approval and victory, joy and wonder filling the souls of every Stormcloak fool present.
Oh, you only think you've won, I thought with a grin. Really, I won.
I looked down at the body of the Nord housecarl, whose blood and brain began to leak out of the holes in both the front and back of her skull. What kind of human fool could even hope to compete with the superior breeding and skill of an Elven agent? Obviously, one that had a death wish. I spit out blood onto the woman's body and turned away. The war would now continue, even more brutal and vicious than before. I smiled – I had been looking for a good human bloodbath.
Jul
Lucius
I buried my blade hilt deep into the chest of a Thalmor guard before quickly turning to decapitate another incoming soldier. A barrage of fire erupted from my outstretched arm, igniting the flesh of another four incoming elves before I turned my attention to the Thalmor wizard and his Lightning Atronach that kept firing blasts of magickal lightning at me, draining my magicka reserves. "Just give up, you worthless human!" the wizard screamed as his atronach continued to fire at me.
"Not a chance, you filth," I sneered. I launched a powerful fireball at the atronach with the last of my magicka, and the summoned Daedra disappeared in a shower of magickal sparks. I stalked towards the wizard, who backed up through the courtyard in terror. Snow fell lightly around us, mixing with the puddles of blood and destruction around us. I grabbed the wizard by the collar of his robes and lifted him into the air with one hand. "Where is Elenwen's study – her information center?"
"I'll never tell you!" the Thalmor shouted.
I narrowed my eyes. "Yes. Yes you will," I stated before channelling an electrical storm through my left hand. The sparks flew through the Thalmor's body and he writhed in incredible pain.
"Let him go, Lucius Atmoran. He will tell you nothing," a woman's voice stated behind me. I snarled and electrocuted the wizard into unconsciousness.
I turned around slowly, my snarl still etched onto my face. "Elenwen. Looks like you found me – too bad for you."
"Oh, you won't kill me, will you? Not like your masters," she said.
My heart began to race and terror froze my veins. She – she knew. But how? "What are you talking about?" I asked, the weak lie already giving way to Elenwen's icy stare.
The Thalmor's face took on a sinister grin. "I've read the reports on you. You're wanted dead, aren't you?" she asked.
I narrowed my eyes. "If you know that," I said, taking a step towards her, "then you know what I've done." The elf woman took a frightened step backwards as I neared her in the courtyard. I smiled – her fear was good. If I could play up her fears that I was a terrifying monster, I could escape without a scratch. "You will tell me where your information is on the Dragons and on anything else you have. Especially on me."
The woman backed away for a moment longer until her back collided with the iron cast fence that surrounded the courtyard. "Ayrenn!" the she-elf shouted.
My legs suddenly refused to obey me. Ice and fire ran in turns through my mind. "Y-you... Bitch," I said. She knew the word that the Dominion had used to send me into a killing frenzy. My mind flashed back to the dark room once again, a man kneeling before me in a black execution mask.
"Ayrenn!" the handler had screamed.
I had woken up twenty minutes later drenched in blood and surrounded by the organs of the man I had been ordered to kill.
I had broken that conditioning through incredible effort and time. Still, though, I...
I turned and ran from Elenwen, making my way into the building across from the main embassy. I slammed the door shut behind me, blockading the entrance with whatever furniture I could find. I ran through the building, eventually stopping in what looked like a study. I tore open the chest, the tattered remains of my rationality reminding me of why I was even there. I flipped through the books. One was on dragons and a man named Esbern. Another on the state of the war – Thera's name was mentioned once or twice. Finally... I flipped incredulously through the pages. "Gods," I breathed. The information in the notebook had scared me back into sanity. I returned to the first page and read through the short report again desperately. "Ulfric Stormcloak... is an Aldmeri asset?"
