CHAPTER FIVE: A FATHER'S LOVE

Baurus

Three weeks had passed since the death of his wife. Baurus still couldn't believe that Constance was gone, despite having buried her body himself. He had thought that he would be the first of the two to die, considering his job required him to defend the Emperor's life with his own.

But I failed the Emperor too, didn't I?

Baurus was more than grateful that he had another chance to prove his worth by being Martin's personal guard. The former priest reminded Baurus of Uriel VII in many ways. Both men were very devoted to their work, often missing meals and sleeping for only a couple of hours at a time to get more done. Both men rarely initiated a conversation, and when they did speak it was with a calm tone, regardless of the topic or situation.

Martin chuckled quietly to himself. It was the same sound that Uriel used to make whenever he had done something that he had believed nearly impossible to accomplish. "I believe I've found the next step in reaching Camoran's Paradise."

Baurus stepped closer to examine the Mysterium Xarxes, the Daedric book of Mehrunes Dagon that Martin had been reading nonstop. The book was, of course, written in the Daedric language, so he couldn't read it himself. Make me wonder where Martin learned the language.

"What's the second step?" Baurus asked. He remembered that the first step to retrieving the Amulet of Kings was had been to obtain a Daedric artifact, which was supposedly made with the blood or essence of the Prince that had made it. Mikhail, after having uncovered Mythic Dawn spies hiding out in Bruma, had volunteered to hunt down an artifact.

"According to the text, we need the blood of an Aedra to open a portal to Paradise," Martin said.

Baurus sat down at the table Martin occupied. The feat would have been more difficult had he been in his normal heavy set of Blades armor, but Baurus had decided to try out a lighter set that was made of leather with some steel plating so that he could be faster on his feet. In case assassins come here for Martin. "The Aedra? As in the immortal gods that are unable to interact directly with Mundus?"

To his surprise, a grin appeared on Martin's face—though it did look half-hearted. "I suppose their blood will be harder to come across than the Daedra's. I'll ask Jauffre if he has any clue how we could acquire some."

At that moment, the door to the West Wing opened. Baurus turned around, happy to see that it was his young son, Kole, and his dog, Wolfy. The boy immediately rushed over to his father, hopping onto his lap in one swift move; the dog disappeared under the table. "Good morning, Daddy."

Baurus kissed the top of Kole's head. "And good morning to you, too."

The three weeks of mourning had been hard for Baurus to handle, but it would have been next to impossible had Kole not been there. Or if he had died as well. For a second, Baurus forgot that his son hadn't escape from the Daedra without injury. But when Kole glanced up with a smile on his face, the scar on his cheek was clear as day. I suppose the damage could have been far worse.

Kole quickly turned to Martin. "Good morning, Mr. Septim."

"Mr. Septim?" Martin repeated. "I'm not that much older than your father, you know."

"I'd beg to differ," Baurus said to himself.

"Daddy told me that you were gonna become the new Emperor." Kole said. "So I thought that's what you'd wanna be called."

Martin nodded. "What your father says is true, about me becoming… the Emperor. But if you do not mind, just call me Martin."

"Okay." Kole's attention moved to the Mysterium Xarxes. "What's that book about?"

Baurus didn't know how much Martin would tell him, if anything at all. Kole was a smart boy for his age, but his youthfulness and naivety blinded him from seeing that the Oblivion Crisis as the threat it truly was. Baurus preferred it that way; else Kole might realize that Constance wasn't ever going to arrive.

"It's… about how you can kill the Daedra better," Martin said slowly. He'll have to work better with coming up with things off the top of his head. It's a skill that Uriel had mastered long before my time.

"Really?" Kole asked in a fascinated and curious tone. He moved closer to the open book. "Why does it look so funny?"

"It's written in the language of the Daedra," Martin answered.

Kole leaned back with a defeated expression. "I don't know how to read that."

Baurus stared down at his child. "Do you know how to read in the Imperial tongue?" Kole nodded. "Did your… mother teach you that recently?"

Kole shook his head. "Mommy taught me last year."

Baurus mentally kicked himself. He felt terrible for knowing so very little about his own son. It was surprising to learn that Kole could read at such a young age; Baurus, having been an orphan that had lived in the Waterfront District of the Imperial City, hadn't been able to teach himself how to do the same thing until he was eight-years-old.

"Do you have a book that I can read?" Kole asked eagerly. "That can teach me to kill the monsters?"

"From what I hear, you seem to be able to handle yourself well with the monsters quite well," Martin said.

Baurus had forgotten about telling Martin the reason behind Kole's scar. According to Kole, he had received it from a 'monster' that, based on his descritption of it, had likely been a scamp. After it had scratched him with its claws, he had used the wooden sword Baurus had got him two months earlier to kill it.

Still, he thought it might be a good idea for Kole to learn how to fight, especially during a dark time like the one that all of Tamriel was currently in. "Perhaps it's time that the boy learns how to use a proper blade, should the time come that he needs one. The courtyard would be a good place for his first lesson."

"Not a bad idea," Martin said. He closed the Mysterium Xarxes and wrapped it up in the same cloth that Mikhail had covered it with when he had stolen it from the Dagon Shrine. He rose from the table, the book under his arm. "I haven't been outside in a couple of days. Mind if I join you two?"

"Nope," Kole answered faster than Baurus, though the response would have been the same. Kole jumped back down onto the floor and ran towards the exit to Cloud Ruler Temple. Wolfy emerged from underneath the table, following right behind his young master.

Martin smiled. "He's a spry one, isn't he?"

"That he is," Baurus said, finding himself at Martin's side as the two of them headed for the open doors.

The sun was directly overhead, warming the secret base of the Blades more than usual. Kole and Wolfy were standing on the platform in front of the East Wing that was the usual place for combat training. A weapon rack was near it, filled with an assortment of bladed, blunt, and ranged weapons.

He made his way over to the platform, stopping a few paces away from his eager son whose puppy now watched in silence next to Martin. "This one is for you," Baurus said, handing Kole the weapon.

Kole took it with confusion in his eyes. "We aren't going to use real swords?"

"Real swords are much too dangerous for your first lesson. Besides, there are no weapons here suited for a child; they're all too heavy for you."

Confusion was replaced with momentary discouragement, but not even a second later a smile appeared on his face instead. "Did you learn how to fight like this, Daddy?"

Baurus nodded, though it wasn't true. Most of his skills he had gained from his training to become an Imperial guard at the age of sixteen. Rapid promotions in rank had landed him a job as an undercover agent for the Blades. The mission had not only led to his induction into the Blades, but it had also been through it that he had met Constance.

Kole smiled, happy to hear the false similarity between father and son. "Then I'm gonna be as good as you someday!"

I'm not that good. If I was, your mother and the Emperor would still be alive...

Kole raised his weapon. "Come on! Let's fight!"

"It's not a healthy tactic to challenge someone head-on," Martin said. "Especially the Daedra. With your small stature, you'd be able to move quicker and strike faster than your opponent—an advantage that a wise warrior would use when unnoticed."

Baurus thought it was odd that a priest of Akatosh was giving fighting advice to Kole. He remembered Mikhail had mentioned how well Martin had been able to handle himself when the two of them had returned to Weynon Prior in the middle of a Mythic Dawn attack. There's always more to the Septims than what meets the eye.

"I think that before we jump right in to fighting," Baurus said, "you should first learn how to dodge. Perhaps the only thing more important than subduing your foe is being able to avoid their blade. Or, if you're fighting an archer or a mage using spells from afar, it is important to dodge their projectiles so you can get in close for the kill."

Baurus took one step closer to Kole. "Now, I'm going to run towards you and try to hit you. Anticipate where the blow will be dealt then move accordingly." Baurus though he might have to rephrase his words so that Kole would understand them, but to his surprise the boy nodded. He's smart for someone so young.

Baurus ran at Kole with only half his potential speed, his eyes trained on Kole's head. He swung slower than he would in normal combat, half-expecting his son to not realize where he had been aiming for.

But Kole ducked perfectly, moving backwards with his wooden dagger and eyes on Baurus the whole time. Not bad.

"Again," said Baurus. This time the Blade moved and struck a little faster, wanting to see how far he could push his son. He swung at Kole's abdomen, but the child easily sidestepped the attack and launched his own, aimed at the small of his father's back.

Baurus had no difficulty in protecting himself, but he was impressed how quickly Kole had retaliated. "Good, son. However, you should look for unprotected areas in your opponent's armor, otherwise your blade would just bounce off of them; some metals can cut through steel though, then you would be in trouble."

"With his speed, I'd say he'll be better off with light armor," Martin said. "Leather or one of the lighter metals would suit him more than armor that would encumber him. Like what you are wearing."

"No doubt," Baurus said, continuing to be impressed by Martin's knowledge of the art of war.

"Again!" Kole said eagerly, his dagger out and ready for another go. I guess he's already forgotten Martin's advice of not challenging someone directly.

Baurus accepted the challenge with another increase in speed. He feigned for Kole's legs, tricking his son into jumping, but then moved to his chest instead. Kole moved too slowly to defend himself, causing him to fall to the ground on his back.

"Are you alright?" Baurus asked, kneeling down to his son's side.

Kole rolled onto his feet with expert-like maneuverability. A second later he had his dagger aimed at Baurus's unprotected throat, a sly grin across his face. "Was that good?"

Baurus laughed, pushing the dagger away as he stood up. "That was excellent."

"I agree."

Baurus turned and was pleasantly surprised to see that Mikhail was back. The Nord sat on his black horse a couple of feet from the platform, equipped with a new ebony helmet and greatsword that had been purchased to replace the ones he had lost in the Deadlands. That must have cost him a great deal of money, but I suppose being the Grand Champion of the Imperial Arena likely pays well. On his back was another weapon, a staff of sorts.

"You should be happy that your father is being so gentle on you for your first lesson," Mikhail continued. "The drunken bastard that raised me had decided to toss me into the wild completely unarmed for my first lesson."

He waited for Mikhail to reveal it was a joke, but no such revelation came. "Are you serious?" Baurus asked.

Mikhail nodded after he got his helmet off. "I suppose in the long run it proved successful, but that didn't stop me from hating him for that." He dismounted his horse and led it to the stable.

"Am I gonna go out in the wild?" Kole asked.

"No son, you're not going out there. I wouldn't do that that to you, at least not without you being properly trained and armed to handle anything out there.

Mikhail returned a moment later with the staff that had been on his back now in his hands. He stopped in front of Martin and handed it to him. "Here's one Daedric artifact, as you requested."

Martin took the staff with an uneasy expression. "The Wabbajack, if I'm not mistaken."

Mikhail nodded. "You wouldn't believe what I had to do in order to get that."

"I wouldn't have chosen Sheogorath, had I been in your place." Martin examined the peculiar staff with a careful touch, as if expecting it to do something horrible to him. "Azura or one of the more benevolent princes would have been a better choice. The Mad God is rather… unpredictable, to say the least; as are the artifacts bound to him."

"He didn't seem all that bad to me," Mikhail said. "Besides, his shrine was the only one I knew the location of. We don't have the luxury of time, or else I would have gone searching for a closer one."

Baurus decided it was time for him to step in. "All that matters is that we have a Daedric artifact, and that we are one step closer to retrieving the Amulet of Kings."

"You're right," Martin said. "From what I can tell, the artifact will need to be destroyed in order to perform the ritual. Setting back an evil Daedric Prince is better than doing the same to a more neutral one, I suppose."

"Speaking of the ritual, what is the next step in reaching Paradise?" Mikhail asked. "Or have you not been able to decipher anymore of the Mysterium Xarxes?"

"You arrived not a moment too soon; I uncovered the next step not even ten minutes ago."

"And it is…?"

"Obtaining the blood of the Aedra."

Mikhail donned an expression of defeat. "Shor's bones! How are we supposed to find the blood of an Aedra? They don't have artifacts like the Daedra, except for maybe the Amulet of Kings."

"I was hoping that Jauffre can provide a solution to our problem," Martin said. "But first we came out here for some fighting lessons."

The defeat in his eyes lessened as a grin formed on his face. He looked to Kole and said, "lessons that seem unnecessary, from what I saw. Quick little bugger, aren't you?"

Kole smiled. "Daddy said I fight good."

"You fight well," Baurus corrected him. "Though that doesn't mean we won't have more training sessions in the future. I do hope that you won't have to put your training to the test anytime soon."

"Should he have to, he'll need a blade. Next time I go to Bruma, I'll hire a blacksmith to make him one. Elven metal, most likely, since it is the lightest," Mikhail said.

"You don't have to do that," Baurus told him. "He's my son; I should be the one to provide for him."

"You can provide him food and shelter," Mikhail said. "Let a Nord handle the weaponry."

Baurus saw that this was an argument he wasn't going to win, so he elected to relent. "If you insist. Kole, what do you say?"

"Thank you, Mikhail." Kole pretended to be in the thick of battle, using his wooden dagger like an instrument of death, killing any and all imaginary foes that dared to attack him. "I can't wait to kill more monsters!"

"Perhaps I'll take you on a trip to the Deadlands, where the monsters live, once you're older," Mikhail said.

Baurus was about to interject about how horrible an idea that was but Martin spoke before he could. "Hopefully the Oblivion Crisis will be over long before he comes of age. We should go to Jauffre's office and speak to him about the blood of the Aedra."

"Baurus and I will meet you there," Mikhail said. "I need to speak with him privately."

Martin nodded and started towards the entrance to Cloud Ruler Temple. Baurus wasn't too keen on the idea of leaving Martin alone, but he was much safer he than his father had been in a Mythic Dawn-infested sewer. "Go with him, Kole. I'll be inside in a bit."

Kole scurried to catch up to Martin, apparently forgetting that he still had the sparring weapon in his hand. Wolfy ran with him. A doubt I could have found a more loyal companion for him.

Mikhail waited until all three of them were inside the temple before he spoke. "When do you plan to tell Kole the truth?"

"The truth about what?" Baurus asked, desperately wanting to avoid the topic.

"Where does he think his mother is?" Mikhail's eyes revealed that he was trying to tread as careful as he could without backing down.

"I told him that Constance was visiting her sister in Chorrol to see if it would be safer for the both of them there than here."

"And how long do you plan to keep up that lie?"

Baurus wanted to keep it up forever, not only to protect Kole from the truth, but also himself. "Until I decide to reveal what really happened."

"I think you should tell him now. If I were in his place, I'd not want to be lied to."

"But—"

"He's a smart lad; he'll realize something is amiss eventually. What would be worse: to learn that your mother is dead, or to know that your father lied to your face about it?"

Baurus wanted to turn around and leave Mikhail in the courtyard, but he knew that his words rang with wisdom. "Give me some time. If I think it is for the best, I'll tell him."

Mikhail sighed. "I suppose that's all I can ask for. Let's go; the sooner we get the blood of the Aedra, should such a thing exist, the sooner we can get our Septim on the throne."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow. Took me quite a while to give this story an actual update. Real life can be a drag, especially when it requires me to write a paper in English class. Oh well. I'll try to return to my normal schedule of updating my stories at least once every two weeks.

I am sending out a request for a beta-reader for, preferably, both of my stories. I'd prefer someone with experience doing it, but fear of numerous spelling and grammatical errors does not make this a requirement. Should you find any errors (which I am sure there are some), let me know so that they can be fixed.

Leave me a review, if you don't mind. They inspire me to continue on with both stories.