Jul
Octavian
"Just... wait here," I commanded Brynjolf and the others as we neared the front gate of the palace. The Blades were standing at attention in front of the gate, their Akaviri naginata held at their sides, planted firmly against the ground. They stood watch with the attentive eyes of hawks gleaming out from beneath their helms.
The one eyed thief smirked. "I could just head in by myself, Lad. They wouldn't catch me," he stated simply. He raised one hand and gestured at the door. "I've made it into places with more security than that."
"As an official guest?" Tora inquired.
"Eh... No," Brynjolf admitted. He grinned. "Doesn't mean I couldn't do it."
"It just means it would be a bad idea," Athyn stated simply. "You do wish for an official audience with the Emperor, do you not?"
"And why is he getting one?" Niramo interjected, a little insulted. "We've never gotten to meet your dad and we're your friends!"
Fen piped in as well, appearing at Brynjolf's right. "It does seem a bit odd, him being a thief we just met, after all."
"Because he -" I cut myself off before I could say anything stupid. The Bow... I hadn't told any of my friends about it. Ever. It was one of the things I had learned from my father at a very young age, to always hide the existence of the Bow. Knowledge of the relic was incredibly rare, and if knowledge of it grew too widespread, then so too would knowledge of what it could do. Better to hide the truth from allies than to reveal it to enemies. Being my friends already made them targets, no reason to add another reason atop that. "Because he knows something very important, and my father needs to hear of it." I turned away from the group. "Just wait here until the Blades come to get Brynjolf, then... I don't know. I won't be back for a while." Then I stalked towards the front gate.
The Blades raised their weapons the moment that a newcomer they didn't recognize came close. "Halt!" one of them commanded, brandishing his spear at me.
"Step aside, by order of the Secundus," I commanded, summoning as much of my 'Imperial' voice as I could, something that still bothered me following my childhood with the Skald. I reached into my pocket as one of them began to laugh about how 'the Secundus is in the party' and pulled out my Royal Insignia, the Dragon of the Empire burned into stone.
The naginata fell as they dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. "Secundus Octavian!" they shouted, my name leaving their mouths with the reverence that should be kept only for heroes or gods.
"Okay, okay, Yes. Of course, um rise. Please," I muttered, already tired of this. I gestured at the door. "Take me to my – to the Emperor."
"Of course, Secundus," one of the guards responded, surging to his feet and clapping a fist over his heart. His partner also stood up, bowing slightly to me before taking up residence beside the door. The first motioned for me to follow and, with a barely restrained sigh of discontent, I followed.
We moved through the palace for a few minutes, every step full of purpose as this Blade clad in ceremonial armor led me through the halls, turning left and right through the empty pathways. Soon, however, we arrived at the doorway to the ballroom. "I will retrieve your father, Secundus," the guard said with a quick bow before turning away from me. He placed the naginata on the wall so as to not scare the guests and dignitaries, then entered the room. I waited for a while in silence, tapping my toes to count the seconds for my father to arrive. It got high.
Eventually, it became too long of a wait for me. I walked over to the naginata and picked it up, idly twirling the spear around me. I pictured the face of that Vampire and snarled, driving the spear forward to cleave the image in two. The Bow, after so long, the Bow had appeared again. My father had spent all of its Divine magick years ago during the conflict with Miraak. For it to come back so soon... I I placed the spear over my shoulders and rested my arms atop it, the weapon's presence "Secundus." I turned my head towards the voice, catching sight of my father and the guard who had led me here. I lifted the spear off of my shoulders and held it out to the guard.
"Thank you," I said, offering him a smile as he took it back.
"It was my honor, Secundus." He bowed again. Bowing...
I sighed and watched the man leave. "What did you want to speak with me about?" my father asked, his voice hoarser than before. He'd been speaking with dignitaries all night, losing much of what remained of his vocal ability. He looked my garb up and down. "I take it I'll be paying for another arson charge?"
"It didn't burn down," I growled back. I sighed and shook my head. "And... no. It's more important than that." I placed one hand over the bridge of my nose. "Father..."
He scoffed, a dry wheeze. "It must be important if you're calling me 'Father,'" he remarked dryly. He shook his head. "Tora isn't... pregnant, right? I'd hate to explain that to Elisif."
"I – No!" I snapped. I got close to him and grabbed his shoulder, bringing him in even closer. "It's been found. Someone found me and my friends. He's waiting outside."
The shoulder beneath my hand stiffened and I could tell my father's entire spine had gone straight as a board. I knew what words came from his mouth even if I could not hear them, for his voice had gone so hoarse that it was no longer audible in the slightest. "The Bow has been found?"
He cleared his throat, and I could tell that it had caused blood to flow down the back of his throat. "Go get Delphine from the gala," he commanded, his voice somehow far less hoarse than it had been. He almost sounded... back to whatever 'normal' was for him. "You and she will bring him in, and your friends will wait outside of the war room." He paused for a moment so as to emphasize his next words. "All of them."
I sighed. "Yes, My Emperor."
Zuspein
"I need you to wait here," I told my friends.
"Why? We found him with you!" the still drunk Tora growled. She marched up to me, pouting. "This does not make me happy."
"I'd listen to her," Fen suggested, smirking at me.
"Emperor's orders," I whispered to Tora. I grabbed her hand and looked between the four of them. "If I'm right... everything will become clear, very soon. And... I'm glad we got to spend one more night together." I ran my thumb over Tora's knuckles. "I'll see you all soon."
"What could be so important that we are not allowed to hear of it?" Athyn wondered with a frown. "You are hiding something." He looked over my shoulder at the war room, seeing his father standing between Delphine and Dorthe. "As is my father..."
"It's important. I have a feeling I'll be able to tell you when this is over." I let go of Tora's hand. "Just give me some time."
Niramo scoffed. "You'd better follow through" Then he patted Fen's back. "We'll be waiting for you."
I nodded in thanks, then turned towards the war room. I entered and cast one last glance towards my friends before the doors were slammed shut behind me. "So, Lad, get a good luck kiss from the lass?"
I sighed and turned towards Brynjolf. "Can we just get on with this?" I muttered as I approached the table and stared down at the map of Tamriel. "Where is it?"
"Oct," my father cautioned, shouting in his quiet voice.
He turned towards Brynjolf, who grinned and turned towards Delphine instead. "Del. Long time no see, Love. What's it been? Almost forty years, eh? You still look ravishing."
Delphine shook her white haired head. "And you still have the tongue of a snake, Bryn," the head of the Blades remarked dryly. She placed her hands, draped in ornate, purple leather gauntlets, on the map table. She looked towards my father. "What are we here for, Emperor?"
He looked towards Brynjolf. "Nightingale?" my father inquired.
Brynjolf laughed. "How'd you know?" he wondered with a smirk.
My father placed his hand on the table and pointed at the purple, glowing symbol in the its frame. The symbol of Nocturnal. "This wood was enchanted to recognize anyone with connections to Daedra."
Brynjolf considered the table for a while, then grinned and pointed at one glowing a bloody red. "Which is why your son makes that one glow," Brynjolf said, pointing at the red, grinning skull. I clenched my fists and glared at the thief. "Ah, don't give me that look, Lad. We all have family we don't like to talk about."
"Get to the point," Dorthe cut in, slamming her fist on the table.
Brynjolf glared at the woman for a while, the scoffed. "First I want some... assurances. Payment, if you will. Reward, if you'd prefer," he said. He grabbed his left arm with his right hand and knocked on the map table's wooden outline with his free hand. "Or you'll get nothing out of me."
"You would interfere in the fate of the -" Dorthe began, voice echoing with rage.
Only for Delphine to shake her head and cut her off. "What the payment be, Bryn?"
The thief grinned. "You always knew the right things to say, Love. Sexy," he remarked. He sighed and shrugged. "I want two things. The first, you're already gunning for. Her head. Physically, I want her head. Which leads me to payment number two. I want to go with you. If I'm going to have her head, I'd prefer if it was cleaved off her damn body by yours truly, if you could manage. I'll settle for just the head though, and being there to watch."
"Why do you hate her enough to kill her?" I asked before a decision could be made. I needed to know he wouldn't run when the armies clashed with hers. The thief cast a glance at me with an eyebrow raised as if to ask, 'Who doesn't?' "I know why I do, why everyone here does... but why do you?"
He cast a glance towards me. He placed one hand on his unkemptly bearded chin and stroked it for a few seconds, as if sizing me up and wondering if I was worthy. "Lad, there's only one reason anyone would want to kill her. You and I, bit the same," the thief explained, dropping his hand slightly to hold up his index finger. He shook his head and his finger lowered towards the glowing, purple insignia. "She and I, we're Nightingales. That means she promised her soul to a Daedra for power. Then she betrayed that oath of loyalty. She tried to kill me, and she did kill my partner. Now, from what I understand at least, she promised her soul to every malignant Daedric prince. I don't just hate her enough to kill her, Lad. I want her soul torn apart as every Daedric prince tries to get their piece of the pie."
"A hatred I understand well," my father responded. He clasped his hands in front of his mouth and thought for a moment. "Does Nocturnal aid us in this fight?"
"With Luck? Well, it came back to me fifteen years ago. Whatever happened, she lost... any favor she had." The Nightingale sighed and shrugged. "But she doesn't usually care about wars. I asked her, and I didn't get an answer. Doesn't mean she doesn't... hinder her personally."
"That's at least an improvement..." My father glanced between his generals, ending with Delphine. "Do you trust him?"
The Blades' grandmaster looked at the thief with a smirk that hinted at a history I really did not want to hear. "He's a scoundrel, and a terrible influence. But... in this you can trust him. Only thing he loves is the Thieves' Guild, and if she betrayed Nocturnal then she betrayed the Thieves' Guild."
Brynjolf grinned evilly. "A woman who understands me... you're after me heart, Love."
"Then I grant your request. You will battle with us," my father said. He gestured at the map. "Where are we going?"
"Gods are nothing if not poetic, eh?" the thief asked as he sauntered up to the table's northern edge and placed his finger atop the largest mountain on the continent's model. "Ready to head back home?"
Fahiil
Thera
My fingers curled around the arms of my throne as I barely heard the words of the spy. The Fool's armies were moving north, to Skyrim. I had learned about it virtually immediately, and had sent this spy northward to find out why. Moving alone was much faster than the army that had barely started its advance, and as such I now knew exactly what he was seeking.
"The Bow has been found..." I muttered, barely able to contain my excitement.
"Empress..." Babette muttered from my side. "This is Skyrim. We would need to march an army across an entire continent."
"For the Bow, Babette," I growled, whirling on her. The Spy had gone silent, glancing fearfully between the two of us.
The child Vampire sighed and shook her head. "It would be wiser to take Cyrodiil while the human Emperor is distracted. He is taking much of his forces northward, and -"
"I have waited too long already for godhood, Babette. I will not wait another day longer than necessary," I snarled, surging to my feet. I glanced at the guards. "Gather the armies. We sail for Skyrim."
Babette grabbed my wrist. "Empress, I urge you reconsider," she hissed. "His armies have been defeating ours as of late. We should claim Cyrodiil then ambush his army when it returns to attack us. Then the Bow can be claimed from his corpse -"
"I will not wait," I snarled, pulling my hand from her grasp. "Now... tell the generals we sail for Skyrim. All of them."
Babette didn't move. "You would leave all of our territories un -"
"Now."
Babette glared at me for a moment before bowing subserviently. "As you wish, My Empress."
I glared at her for a moment. She was getting too uppity. I'd have to kill her soon. "Tell the harbormaster to get my ship ready, as well," I said before sitting in my throne again. She remained bowing. "You are dismissed."
She stood up. "Yes, My Empress." Then she turned on her heel and walked silently through the door, the spy and guards following to carry out my commands. I watched them go and sat still until I knew they were well enough away.
At which point I stood up and walked to the north facing window, the spire overlooking the Dominion's capital city. I gazed across the ocean, towards where I knew he stood. Waiting for our final conflict. I would not lose again.
Jul
Octavian
My father had sent away all the generals to ready the armies to march for Skyrim. It was only the two of us, now, standing across from one another on opposite edges of the map-table. "I suppose you will want me to remain here?" I asked, crossing my arms and glaring at my father.
He stared at me, a sad frown crossing his features. "Son, there is something I have not told you, because I could not tell when this nightmare would be over. But now I know that it either ends here, or we lose," he began, placing his hand on the edge of the map and walking towards me. "I could not risk you losing yourself in an effort to save her."
I narrowed my eyes. "Who?"
"A Daughter of Colharbour. She resides in a plane of Oblivion known as the Soul Cairn, and has for centuries," my father explained sullenly. He soon stood beside me, at the northern edge of the known world, and placed his hand on a small island off the northwestern coast of Skyrim. "In this castle, where our enemy birthed her Empire first."
"Where my mother was born," I replied. I stared at the island, torn between regret and rage. This place was why I existed... and what tried now to kill me. "You've told me that much."
"The castle has been empty ever since her crusade began, and -" My father entered a coughing fit, forcing him to lean against the table with all of his weight. I frowned as I watched him and looked away. It continued for a minute or two, the room filled only with his coughing. Finally, he regained control of himself and took a breath to steady himself "I'm – I'm sorry, but... where was I? Oh, yes, I – The portal to the Soul Cairn where she resides is in this castle, and it dangerous. But, with everything coming to a head, you deserve to know."
"What? Just... get to it," I sighed. I ran a hand over my face, stifling a yawn. It was late, and on top of that... "I'm tired of waiting."
"She is your grandmother, Valerica."
I froze. "Mother's mother. She's still there?" I hissed. I felt my blood boil and I jabbed my finger in his face, accusing him of a great crime. "You never rescued her!?"
"And expose her to Thera's hunt? Somehow, she remains safer in Oblivion than on Tamriel," came his response. He shook his head. "Besides, I.. I promised her I would keep your mother safe. I could not face her, not when I already see that -" His eyes locked with mine and he looked away. It was a while until he answered my first question, ending the conversation we had been having. "No, you will be coming on this campaign."
I shook my head, confused by that statement. "You're taking me to war?"
"This is it. Either we win and you are safe, or we lose and you are doomed. I would spend that time with you regardless, Son." He moved towards the wall of the war room, towards a pair of ancient blades glinting in the candle light, the pair crossed over in an 'X' with their sheaths encircling the pair. I could tell he wanted to say more, but I could also tell that he had used all of his voice that he could summon. He lifted from the wall a sword crafted from Dragon bone and magickal steel, the weapon gleaming with the energy of enchantments long forgotten. He held the weapon gingerly, then pulled its sheathe from beside the other weapon's hilt, and placed the weapon back in its scabbard. He sighed as he held the blade, memories flashing behind his now closed eyelids, before he began to return to me. The blade was offered to me, my father grabbing my hand and wrapping it around the curved scabbard of the weapon.
"Dragonbane? For me?" I was stunned. This weapon was... literally one of a kind. He trusted me with it, he – I swallowed my anxiety and lowered the weapon to my side. I would need it, he knew. "She has control over many Dragons." My father nodded.
I shut my eyes. "Thank you, Father. I will make you proud." I looped my belt through the scabbard's leather strap and became accustomed to the weight dangling from my hip. The hilt itself, crafted from Dragonbone as well, was heavy. Strong enough that I could, in theory, use it as a weapon of its own. I remained silent for another moment, then: "What about my friends?"
My father took a deep breath, trying to calm his burning vocal cords. "Do you trust all of them with your life?"
"Yes," I responded, no trace of hesitation. I'd trusted them with it earlier tonight, after all, not to mention all the times throughout my life as well.
"Then do as you wish. The Bow is your life, after all."
I nodded and turned to leave, only to stop myself. I looked at the solemn emperor over my shoulder. "Father, after all of this is over... You and I will rescue my grandmother. Together."
He cocked his head to the side and smiled, the scar along his throat bright against his pale skin. Everything that had happened... he was scared. "I wish the same."
I bit my cheek. "Hmph." Then I turned and left the room.
"So what happened? What's going on, when the General walked out we said we were part of his army and he just said we had to report tomorrow morning," Niramo said, rushing up to me as I left the war room, Fen and the others not far behind him.
"Guys, I..."
"Nice sword," Tora said, leaning close to my hip. "Dragonbane? ..." She palled and stood up, momentarily clear of mind. "We're going to war."
I nodded slowly, eyes locked on Tora's. "An ancient artifact that the Aldmeri Empress wants has been found." I sighed. "In Skyrim."
Tora's eyes widened. "H-home? Are mother and father -"
"The Throat of the World. Nowhere near your parents," I clarified, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"What's there? Besides old men who can't talk?" Fen inquired jokingly.
I opened my mouth and shut it. "What is wrong?" Athyn asked quietly.
"It's connected to me. This artifact, the Bow of Auri El." I bit my lip. "If she uses my blood with the Bow, she can become a Divine."
The others went silent. Understandable, the fear. It seemed like a myth, one better to ignore than believe. Just as I was about to leave, to turn and let them go, safe far from me, they broke the silence. "So... Prisoner Gambit?" Fen suggested, his serious, worried stare turning into a wide grin. The others all smiled at that.
"I think it could work," Niramo offered earnestly. "Perfect bait."
Tora shook her head. "I need another drink if we're trying that one again."
Athyn nodded. "A sentiment that I echo."
"You're not... worried?" I asked them, confused by their reaction.
"Why would we be? We're coming with you after all," Tora said, looping an arm around my neck and another around Athyn's, who looped his arm around Fen, who did the same for Niramo, who did the same for me. "Besides, now I can play host to you instead, can't I?"
