Chapter Two: A Twist
Quirinus slowly opened the door to the only exit from the courtyard, an adjoining shack to the main census complex.
Inside, he found a well decorated room with a roaring fire, and in the shadows to the left of the fire, sat a rather plump imperial templar in ill-fitting armor.
"Fuwst, let me take your identwification papers, said the reclining imperial.
Quirinus gladly gave him the papers, noting the man s strange accent.
Thank you. Word of your awival only weached me yesterday. I am Sellus Graivus. But my backgwound is not important. I'm hear to welcome you to Mowowind."
Quirinus politly bowed to the templar and smiled, he counldn t repress how comical he found the soldier's accent.
Still, he was curious about several things, Captain, do you know anything about a letter, or of why I m in Morrowind? "Yes. You're in Mowowind. I don't know why you're here. Or why you were weleased fwom pwison and shipped here. But your authorization comes diwectly from Emperor Uwiel Septim VII himself. And I don't need to know any more than that. When you leave this office, you are a fwee man. But before you go, I have instwuctions on your duties. Instwuctions from the Emperor. So pay cawful attention."
The Emperor? Uriel Septim? Gasped Quirinus.
"Yes, Uwiel Septim is still the emperor. According to my instwuctions, he personally authowized your welease from pwison and your delivery here, The captain placed special emphasis on the next part, shaking his head, and his double chin in the process, It's all very mystewious. But that's the way the Empire works. Silence. Secwecy. Let not the left hand know what the wight hand is doing."
Quirinus cocked his head to the left, "I heard something about a letter, can I see it?"
The templar rummaged through the papers on his desk, cursing, until he found a tea-stained document, "This package came with the news of your awival. You are to take it to Caius Cosades, in the town of Balmora. Go to the South Wall Cornerclub, and ask for Caius Cosades - they'll know where to find him. Serve him as you would serve the Emperor himself. I also have a letter for you, and a disbursal to your name."
Quirinus s head was spinning, why would the emperor care about him? He was just a simple street urchin until he tried to steal from the imperial palace. A nothing that should have been forgotten in the imperial prison.
Instead, he now found himself in a strange land with a letter from the emperor.
The templar handed him the letter, and motioned him to read it, chuckling to himself. Quirinus read the letter, but was nothing but even more confused after reading it. He didn t even know where this Balmora was, lest where this strange Caius was.
The templar must have sensed his confusement, because, after a long sigh, he said, "Balmora is nowth of Seyda Neen. The woad passes Pelagiad village and Fowt Pelagiad, cwosses a deep ravine, passes Fort Moonmoth, then turns west acwoss the Odai river and into Balmora. The South Wall cornerclub is in southeast Balmora, on the east side of the river. For more detailed diwections, talk to Elone the Scout at Arille's Twadehouse here in Seyda Neen. But take my advice. You're new here. Take the silt stwider to Balmora. Fast, cheap, safe. Cwoss the bwidge and head east. Can't miss it."
The templar smiled, and patted Quirinus on the back.
"You ll be fine kid. Just stay low and nothing will huwt you. Oh, and I nearly forgot, here is the disbursal!"
The templar reached into his desk, and pulled out a small poach of coins, and handed it to him.
Quirinus tried to smile back, but he was far too overwhelmed to even try.
The same single question kept on running through his mind, what importance does the emperor think I have, I m a nobody. He stood there, staring at the templar, still confused. The templar began to tap his fingers on his desk, and he began to frown. He motioned Quirinus to leave.
Quirinus swiftly left the office, and, while relieved that the rain had subsided, found himself faced with an oddly imtimidating feeling.
He was alone, unknown in a strange land he had never even dreamed of seeing.
So this is Seyda Neen, he thought, looking around the small town surrounded by massive mangrove trees. He noticed it was very dark, well, darker than it should have been for a stormy early morning. He looked up, and saw that a light canopy of thick branches and lush leaves arched across the small clearing the surrounded the town.
The distant rolling cry of a strange creature caught his attention.
It seemed to be coming from behind the tower directly before him, so he walked slowly to the left.
He jumped when he saw a massive creature standing next to a hill, with a harness on its top, and its belly hollowed out. A rickity gangplank connected the large, artificial looking mound to the strange looking monster.
A silt strider, he said in awe, he had heard stories of such creatures from his life on the streets of Cyrodiil, but he never thought they actually looked it that. Like a giant flea!
Quirinus was so awestruck, he didn t notice the wood elf standing beside him.
Greetings, Cyrodiil He said in a squeaky voice.
