Chapter 2: The Demon Inside

Night had fallen onto the city. Roylat awoke from unsettling dreams to hear merry singing coming from the tavern down the way. He knew he would not be able to sleep again for a long time and his thirst was intense. So he decided to rise and go for a pint of mead down at the The Winking Skeever. He slid his dark leather boots on and slipped a silver dagger into his boot just in case. The cold damp feeling coming from his shirt clinging to his chest made him uncomfortable. The nightmares had gotten to him again and drenched his shirt so he decided to change into a green shirt and put dark brown vest over his outfit.

His leather boots made almost no sound as he walked down the stone staircase into the war room. The general and his legates were nowhere to be found so he proceeded out into the cold night of the city.

The night was a little chilly but nothing the imperial couldn't handle. The only light in this part of the city was coming from inside the tavern. As he approached it he could smell the scent of roasted bird and deer. That was almost as intoxicating as the thought of the mead. As he walked in he immediately recognized what the bard was singing. She was singing a true imperial song, Age of Aggression. To hear it so far north to Roylat was surprising even though Skyrim was technically an imperial providence.

He took in his surroundings like he always did when he entered a new place. Low lighting of candles and a fire, all races drinking together, then at her own table he saw Daphne wearing a low cut blouse and a cut off dress. But before he even started to go near her three drunken men surrounded her. One was probably the largest nord Roylat had ever seen wearing fur armor and had a huge iron great sword strapped to his back. His two friends were both redguards wearing some ragged sell-sword armor that they probably scavenged off of dead soldiers.

He could tell that Daphne was getting very annoyed with the three drunks advances and he could tell that the three drunken men were getting very annoyed with her rejections. Drunkenly one of the redguards grabbed her by the shoulder and tried to force her into a back room with the others trailing behind. Roylat jumped into action but before he was even half way across the tavern three bodies laid on the ground, all three dead, and all three with blood still spurting from the fatal neck wound.

It happened as fast as lightening, Daphne unsheathed a dagger hidden on her thigh, cut off the redguard's hand that was holding her and slit his throat, without the other redguard knowing what was going on she stabbed him in the jugular. By this time the nord was trying to bring his hands up to defend himself but her blade easily slipped through his defenses and found its place in the side of his neck.

The singing had stopped and a silence had fallen over the tavern. All that remained standing was Daphne holding her dagger with it still dripping ruby red blood onto the floor. She cleaned her blade on the clothes of one of the dead men and walked over to the man behind the counter. In the silence Roylat could hear her apologizing to the owner and giving him a few gold coins for the mess. When she turned she saw Roylat, she rushed over and grabbed him by the arm "let's get out of here". With a sigh he complied and they both walked out.

Outside it was still silent but the fireflies had started to come out and dance around. They walked a long while without a word, until Roylat asked "where did you learn to fight like that? I mean those definitely were not moves that a normal imperial soldier would have known. It actually reminded me of how the khajiit fight in close quarters."

"Thats exactly where I learned it from, I used to live in Elsweyr when my father, General Ilse was in command of the imperial forces in that region."

"You would definitely be a challenge up close." Roylat inched closer and pulled her in.

Daphne whispered, "You have no idea." Roylat felt the tip of a blade pointed at his abdomen and smiled, "very sneaky of you but so am I." Daphne suddenly realized Roylat had a dagger pointed at her back the entire time.

Daphne winked and withdrew her blade, lifted her cut off dress, and placed it back in her sheath, all while Roylat was admiring her smooth, tan legs. All of a sudden they both heard a shout from someone running towards them. "Commander, General Tullius must see you immediately!"

"Did he say why?"

"No, just that it is urgent."

"Alright thank you, soldier." Roylat turned to Daphne, "let's go" she nodded and they started to run back to Castle Dour.

When they arrived they saw Tullius illuminated by a handful of candles reading a letter. A grave look was on his face when he looked up to see the two young warriors. "They just found the body of Amaund Motierre's body in Skyrim; he was a member of the Elder Council."

Roylat remembered seeing him a few times at one of the emperor's parties or when the emperor actually attended a council meeting, which was very rarely. "Where was he found? And why was he in Skyrim, shouldn't he have been in the Imperial City?"

"We don't know; that's the problem. We have our theories but I think it would be a good idea for you to go investigate. You will be heading to Whiterun as soon as possible, he was found in a room at The Bannered Mare."

"How far away is Whiterun?"

Daphne finally chimed in, "I can take you there, it's a four day ride from here on a good horse so we better get started. Get what you need and meet me by the stables in one hour."

She walked out to prepare for their journey. Roylat waited to hear the door close and finally said, "I know what you are worried about; you think he is connected to the assassination of the emperor. I thought it too. That's why we might have just lost our best possible lead."

"Look for any clues you can and report back here."

"I must go get ready, goodbye general."

*******

Daphne was already loading her things onto her white horse Snowfall, when General Tullius came walking into view. He wore a heavy fur robe made of bear and wolf hide from the wilds of Skyrim. He had a very concerned look on his face when he got close enough for her to see him in the torch light.

His tone grave when he began to talk. "I want you to be very careful your father entrusted me with your care..."

"I have made this trip a hundred times and I know how to protect myself from bandits you don't have to worry."

"I'm not worried about bandits... There are something's you don't know about Roylat. I have known the boy since he was young, I have watched him grow. But there is a dark time in his past and I'm not sure he has completely recovered from the trauma of it."

The fear growing in her voice "what trauma do you mean?"

*******
4 years ago

"Roylat are you paying attention to the plan? You and your men are to attack the bandit camp from the south and move up to meet the fourth battalion in the center, is that clear?" Legate Rommel spoke quickly for the element of surprise was slipping from their grasps, he didn't even wait for the young captain's answer before he was organizing his troops.
Even in the spring time the Valus Mountains were wintery and snow capped. Being just west of Cheydinhal, Roylat was somewhat familiar with this mountain range. What worried him was the fact that the bandit camp was far too close to home. Roylat had just married Terra, a gorgeous imperial woman with strawberry blonde hair, and glowing gold eyes. They had a home in the Imperial City but during the summer or when Roylat was serving as the Emperors Hand, she would go to their manor in the Nibenay Basin, only a few miles south of Cheydinhal.

In a normal situation Roylat would have had Terra go back to the Imperial City but this was supposed to be a quick and easy job. If she remained at the summer manor then he could be with her even more quickly after the battle had been won. He couldn't stand being away from her but his duty to the crown came first.

Roylat's trance was broken by the shouts of the other battalion leaders rallying their troops so in the cool morning air he commanded his troops to march into position. As they reached the south side of the encampment, the Legate's troops unleashed there wave of arrows and rushed in. Roylat ordered his troops to storm the camp, and that they did but only to find the sick and elderly left behind. Unknown to them the bandits had retreated during the night.

It smelled of death and disease, it made him ill. When Roylat made his way to Legate Rommel he was interrogating one of the few surviving bandits. Normally bandits remained surprisingly loyal to their companions but Rommel's Cheif Battlemage had a gift for making people talk. He would bend and warp their minds until they begged for death, and they knew the only way to make the pain stop was to tell the Legion what they wanted to know. It was an art really, that Mage could do impressive things with the school of illusion. Roylat even admired him for his indispensable gift.

But when he heard where the bandits had run to his heart stopped, any admiration, any other thought had been erased from his mind except for one. He must rescue Terra; she is right in their path.

He said nothing only ran for his horse. The Legate was booming with anger, "Where are you going? Comeback here Roylat! Follow him now!" He pushed the horse to its limits then pushed it even father. He didn't care how the Legate would react to his desertion, nothing would stop him now.

After a hard ride the manor rode into view just as the sun was setting. He couldn't see movement; the servants weren't washing clothes or tending the garden, he rode up to an eerie silence. He burst inside only to see a truly horrific site, bodies dismembered and the walls coated in blood. He didn't see a trace of Terra so he rushed up the stairs to their room and there she was laying on the bed, her clothes torn off and a blade sticking into her heart. Horrified Roylat slowly walked over to her still, lifeless body and upon seeing her golden eyes still open, began to uncontrollably weep.

When Rommel and his personal guard arrived after the sun had fully set they saw a sight none of them would forget, a devastated warrior still crying with his bride of not even a year curled in his arms. His tears streamed down his face, they were the essence of pure sorrow. His cries echoed through the thin night air.

Terra was buried under a tall oak tree, like she wanted. She had always loved Nirn and wanted to rest for eternity in her forests. Roylat only let close family and friends attend her funeral for he felt unstable and he didn't want any officials to see him weakened so much by a single death.

Days turned to weeks and yet Roylat still mourned the loss of his beloved. The only thing that could wake him from his daze was the budding idea of revenge. He knew the Legion would be tracking the bandits and they would soon be found. So he waited until Legate Rommel informed him that they have found the stronghold and they were to take it in two days time. They had moved to the shores of Lake Canulus in a small fort.

Just as the moon was about to give way to the sun, Roylat saddled his horse and rode to the wooden walls of the bandits encampment. When he reached the walls he dismounted his steed and stared at the hard, unyielding door. He did not know much of magic but he knew what he had been taught in the academy. So he summoned all his courage and fury and created a massive ball of flame and hurled it into the main gate. The explosion was loud enough to wake the Imperials in their camp, three miles away. Anyone around the entrance was turned to ash or their lungs burned from the inside out due to the super heated air. When the dust settled there was no hope for mercy in this camp. Roylat was blind with rage, killing everything and anyone who dared stand in front of him. He would have cut down the Divines if they chose to interfere but he knew they wouldn't for these lowlifes did not deserve any Divine help only, death by Roylat's hand. His bloodlust knew no bounds.

Startled by the intense explosion, Legate Rommel ordered his men to take the fort. When they arrived the gate had been blown open already and the sound of screams and dark laughter pierced the air. They walked in expecting to see a dragon of myth to greet them from the total destruction they saw. However, the only thing they met was Captain Roylat Victinus slaughtering men, women, and children. Once they had gathered their wits, six strong Imperial soldiers tried to restrain Roylat but he knocked them away and continued on his path of ruin. The way he was smiling and laughing with a face covered in blood is a vision of nightmares. He came to a young girl, no older than 15, muttering and laughing hysterically to himself, he brought up his sword and was about to end her but then Chief Battlemage Ulic intervened and took control of Roylat's shattered mind for a fraction of a second. This was long enough for a group of soldiers to beat him to the ground and into unconsciousness.

*******
12th of Evening Star 4E 201

"When Terra died, something inside Roylat died with her. I fear his mind is broken beyond repair so you must be wary of him on your travels."

Daphne's face had grown pale with fear. "How could he have done this?"

"Men can do terrible things when something as valuable as love is lost."

End Chapter 2