The Imperial City.
Carolara had never seen its equal. Even Wayrest in all its glory could not compare, and it put Mournhold to shame. A circular city of stone surrounded the impossibly tall White-Gold Tower in the center; said to have been built by the elves in the First Era, it housed the Imperial Palace and the Elder Council. Massive, magnificent, it was all she could do to remember her business and not be distracted by every amazing sight. A statue of a dragon with wings outstretched greeted her just inside the city gates, encircled by the well-kept gardens that could be found in every district.
Arriving in the mid-morning, the Breton found herself maneuvering through crowded streets, the air alive with conversation. People were going about their usual business but she could sense the pervading air of unease. Couriers handed out news leaflets to anyone with an empty hand, nearly every headline about either the Emperor's assassination, the destruction of Kvatch, or both. The sky above was covered in a thin layer of greyish-white; it seemed to threaten rain, but Carolara wasn't picking up the telltale scent. Perhaps the city was blocking it.
There was no room at Luther Broad's when she found it, in the midst of the crowded lunchtime there was barely enough space to squeeze in and find Baurus. So she opted to wait, taking a seat in a smaller tavern just off one of the back roads. The clientele here was quite different; at Luther Broad's it had been mostly Imperials but in this place Carolara was one of a handful of humans in a room full of Dark Elves, Khajiit and Argonians. There was foreign food available but she had no good memories of Dunmer cuisine, ordering a plate of fruit instead. The elves beside her were engrossed in conversation, and she found herself listening in.
"I think she's still there in Morrowind," the male beside her was saying. "Living as a commoner, maybe in a disguise, you know?"
The woman beside him shook her head, downing her drink with considerable speed. "You would think that, Sathas, but I know what I heard."
"What, just because your sister's friend's cousin might have heard it, it's true?" Sathas scoffed. "What possible business would the Nerevarine have in Akavir? It doesn't make sense. And it still doesn't explain where Lord Vivec has gone."
"I guess you're right," the elf woman shrugged, conceding his point. "None of the supposed 'sightings' in the last few years have given any real proof... so it's just another worthless theory in the end. Who knows." There was a tinge of despair in her voice as she said, staring into her empty cup, "Maybe they've given up on us."
The names rang familiar to Carolara but just vaguely; she knew only that they were very important people of some kind, mentioned often by her Dunmer jailors during her Mournhold incarceration. She was never clear on what purpose they served but Dark Elf society was a strange and alien thing to even a well-traveled sort like herself. The two elves didn't speak much after that, just ordering a fresh round and drinking in sullen silence. When she finished her meal, Carolara was not eager to remain in their company. It was not doing her spirits any good.
The hours after the rush of lunchtime found the Boarding House almost vacant. The innkeeper and a couple of others were going from table to table, gathering up dirty dishes and cleaning up the mess the patrons had left behind. Only a few remained, and there was Baurus, sitting at the bar in civilian clothing with a mug, an inkwell and a journal. Carolara casually sat beside him, smirking when he raised his head to regard her with muted surprise. He didn't immediately speak, turning back to his writing and the Breton noted how tense the air felt, ordering herself a drink to avoid suspicion.
After a few moments of writing he slid the book a little bit her way, and she looked over to see, written in the margin, 'Trick, then walk out. Man in corner with book will follow. You follow him.'
Carolara was careful to give no indicator of acknowledgement, raising her cup to her lips and leaning back a bit as she drank, searching the corner of her vision. She dared not turn her head to look but she saw the man he was warning about, face buried in a parchment-wrapped book. But Baurus had begun his aforementioned ruse, resting an elbow on the bar and eyeing the Breton with a sly smirk.
"Well, well, well. Aren't you a lovely little thing," the Redguard chuckled in feigned egotism, "You look like you could use some company, and I guarantee you've never had better."
He was a pretty good actor, Carolara noted in amusement, but so was she. Putting her best scowl on her lips she narrowed her eyes at him, "Oh, is that so? I'm sure my lover would just adore the way you're talking to me right now."
An overblown dismissive gesture, "Well he's left you all alone, my dear." He began to lean in, slipping one arm around her shoulders, eyes meeting with hers solemnly; she felt this was her cue. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him..."
The swiftness of her strike made it seem much harder than it actually was when she brought her loose fist against his nose, but he reeled back as if hit with full force, cupping his hands over his 'injury' and glaring at her. Carolara just tilted her chin up and returned to her drink.
Baurus growled, "You're not all that pretty anyway," a scoff. "Bitch." With that he turned away and made his way over to the innkeeper, pretending to plug up the blood flow from his nose. "Hey, Luther," he addressed the man, "Are there any clean rags in the basement?"
The innkeeper just nodded, and the Redguard disappeared down the steps, not shutting the door behind him. For a few minutes, which ticked by agonizingly slow thanks to her tension, Carolara heard and saw no sign of movement from the man with the book. She was beginning to wonder if Baurus had the right man when he got up, folded his book under his arm, and slipped into the basement as well thinking he hadn't been noticed.
The Breton rose from her chair as soon as he was out of sight, getting her bow in hand and nocking one of the poisoned arrows. Her nerves were on edge as she peered down, only the light of a single lantern illuminating the darkness below. The suspicious man, from his height probably a Breton like she was, set his covered book down and straightened back up, taking a deep breath. He was going to make his move, she could feel it.
Nothing could have prepared Carolara for what she saw next. The man raised his hands into the air and spoke a strange word- one she couldn't identify or attribute to any language she knew- and over his clothes there formed a set of ornate red and black armor. It was difficult to see well but she could see it shining metallic in the dim light, and it bore an unmistakable resemblance to the robes of the previous cultists. A mace materialized in his hand as well. She'd seen the workings of Conjuration magics before; powerful wizards were able to summon Daedric creatures to do their bidding and some could even summon weapons, but this was different. There wasn't much time to think about it. Her target disappeared around the corner before she could fire and she scrambled down the stairs after him.
The Redguard was locked in combat with the man when they came into view again, and Carolara raised her bow. Their target didn't know she was there and never would, her toxic arrow deep in his spine and Baurus's katana through his chest in a matter of moments. As the life faded from him so did the summoned armor and mace, dissolving into thin air.
"You think on your feet pretty well," Baurus nodded her way, using a rag to wipe his sword clean. "I am glad to see you, by the way. You just caught me at a bad time."
Putting her bow back over herself, Carolara stepped back to pick up the book the man had been carrying. "Let me guess, you're waiting for a Blades agent?" The smirk returned.
He regarded her with brief suspicion, "...really? You?"
"I've only been in the Order for a couple of days," she nodded, "but I'm on assignment from Jauffre to help you. Name's Carolara, by the by... I don't think we were properly introduced before."
The Redguard frowned as the memory of that day returned, but it was only for a moment. "Not surprising. Well." A shrug, and he proceeded to brief her. "Here's what I know. The assassins who killed the Emperor were part of a Daedric cult known as the Mythic Dawn. Apparently worship the Daedra Lord Mehrunes Dagon. I've been tracking their agents in the Imperial City... I guess they noticed." His brows knitted as he noted the book in her hand. "That our friend's reading material?"
As if just remembering she was holding it, Carolara looked down at the tome. "Yes. He set it down to attack you. I wonder..." She dug her fingernails into the parchment that concealed the cover, peeling it away to reveal to them both the gilded title.
Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes: Book One