A Nord's Tale

Slowly, Sanyue poked her head through the wooden door, stepping through when she was sure that there were no goblins waiting for her. The air had a slightly sweeter flavor here; not quite as horridly moldy as the caves she had left behind. Turning the corner, she had to let her eyes adjust to the light spilling through the grates in the ceiling, bathing everything in warm sun light. She had almost expected night to have fallen before she made it out. She carefully crawled out of the hole, following the raised wall until she came back to the path through the stone subterrane. She turned her head as she heard voices coming closer. Inching back into the shadows, she waited.

"We should find a more defensible spot until more help arrives." Glenroy came into view first, his eyes scanning the surrounding area quickly as he slowly walked toward the door at the other end of the room. Both he and Baurus looked as though they had not seen a peaceful journey.

"Help," Baurus scoffed. "What makes you think help will get here before more of those bastards?" Baurus was just behind the Emperor as all three made their way slowly toward the door. "We need to get the Emperor out of here!"

Sanyue let out the breath she had not realized she was holding. Emperor Uriel was still alive. She smiled, watching as he cautiously made his way between his blades, short sword drawn. She had heard stories of the strength and courage of the young Uriel Septim. The strength that had expanded the empire further in ten years than it had in a hundred. Though that bravado had been seared out of him during his time in Oblivion, leaving him cautious and methodical. The three passed under the alcove she hid in, so focused on the hall ahead of them they did not see her. Nor, to her alarm, did they see another assassin who had taken advantage of a small void across from her in the hallway.

Sanyue notched an arrow to her bow and fired. She caught the assassin in the arm just before his sword could run the Baurus through the back. "Here they come again!" Glenroy ran another through as Baurus dispatched two more, one sprouting an arrow in his chest as he fell, armor disappearing in a cloud of red smoke. Glenroy rounded on Sanyue, sword leveled at her chest. "Damn it! It's that prisoner again! Kill her! She might be working for the assassins! Sanyue drew her short sword, not sure how she would defend herself against two well trained Blades. Just as Glenroy moved forward, the Emperor put a forceful hand on his sword arm, calling the two off.

"No! She is not one of them. She can help us. She must help us." The two Blades sheathed their swords mumbling 'As you wish, sire', though they kept their eyes on Sanyue. She slowly stepped closer as the Emperor beckoned her toward him, not wanting to raise his voice among so many enemies. "They cannot understand why I trust you. They've not seen what I have seen." Sanyue wondered just what the Emperor had 'seen' of her to make him trust her. She had heard of the Dragon's blood of the Septim line enabling them to look into others and see their true purpose, however she still did not understand any of what was happening. "How can I explain?" Uriel took a breath, his brow furrowing before he found words acceptable enough to use. "Listen. You know the Nine? How they guide our fates with an invisible hand?"

Sanyue nodded. Although the Nords used different names for their gods, the Nine were the same between Imperial and Nord cultures. "Yes. The Nine guide and protect us."

The Emperor seemed satisfied by her answer. "I have served the Nine all my days, and I chart my course by the cycles of the heavens." He looked up as though he could actually see the stars through the stone above them. "The skies are marked with numberless sparks. Each a fire, and every one a sign." His gaze came back to Sanyue. "I know these stars well, and I wonder - which sign marked your birth?"

Sanyue was taken aback slightly. She had heard that line many times in the tavern she had worked in when she lived in Sky Rim. But never had she heard it asked so eloquently. She blushed at the idea that had popped into her head, scolding herself for even remembering the only time she was ever lured by such a well spoken man. "The Warrior. I was born under the Warrior sign."

The smile on Uriel's face told her that he had suspected as much. "The stars I read show the end of my path. My death, a necessary end, will come when it will come." Sanyue's face slackened, feeling as though she had been punched in the gut again.

"Wha - What about me?" She almost did not want to know the answer.

Uriel chuckled, patting the side of her face with a calloused hand. "Your stars are not mine. Today, the Warrior shall prove a stalwart companion when fortune fades."

"Aren't you afraid to die?" Sanyue wondered if the Emperor knew something she did not. The past few hours had made her more afraid of death than ever before.

Again, Uriel seemed to be amused at her questions. "No trophies of my triumphs precede me. But I have lived well, and my ghost shall rest easy," Uriel seemed to get a far off look in his eyes as he paused, one corner of his mouth coming up in a smile as his hand squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. "Men are but flesh and blood. They know their doom, but not the hour. In this, I am blessed to see the hour of my death - To face my apportioned fate, then fall."

Sanyue still found this hard to accept. She had not personally known the man for more than a few minutes, however she felt a connection that made it difficult to accept that he would soon die. Though a part of her wondered if his gift had allowed him to see her future as well.

Sanyue spoke in a whisper. "Can you see my fate, as well?" She almost did not want anyone to hear her question lest the Gods make her life any more interesting.

Uriel shook his head, sadly. "My dreams grant me no opinions of success. Their compass ventures not beyond the doors of death." His hand came up to her face again, almost reverently touching her cheek. "But in your face, I behold the sun's companion. The dawn of Akatosh's bright glory may banish the coming darkness. With such hope, and the promise of your aid, my heart must be satisfied." He seemed to take her confusion in stride.

Sanyue furrowed her brows, thinking of anything to say. Her head hurt after that short exchange, she understood nothing, though her intuition told her enough to make her as scared as she had ever been. "Where are we going." The question seemed juvenile to her own ears.

"I go to my grave." Sanyue gulped. She had been afraid of this answer. "A tongue shriller than all the music calls me. You shall follow me yet for a while, then we must part." Uriel turned from a stunned Sanyue and signaled that he was ready to proceed.

Sanyue was saved from an awkward silence by Baurus as he thrust a lit torch into her hands. "You may as well make yourself useful. Carry that torch and stick close." She sheathed her short sword, which, to her dismay had been out all the time she had spoken to the Emperor. She nodded, suddenly reminded of the assassins they were trying to evade. Baurus harrumphed in amusement. "Stick close and let us do our job, and you'll be alright." She followed the group out of the wooden door into another stone hall. They turned to the right and filed into an area with stone columns lining the hall. She held the torch as high as she could, her eyes finding a door at the far left side of the hall. Though just beside the door, Sanyue thought she caught the faint glimmer of metal.

She stopped, squeaking a warning just as the first assassin lunged out of the shadows and straight toward the Emperor. The two blades and Sanyue closed in around the Emperor as three more assassins came running at them from the door they were headed to and the shadows all around them. Glenroy felled his first with a simple thrust to bury his sword deep into the assassin's chest. Baurus had his hands full with two more while the last went after Uriel. The Emperor was no slouch in a fight, however he was not a young man any more. Sanyue was stopped from running to the Emperor's aid as one of the assassins disengaged from Baurus and went after her. The Nord woman drew the katana she had gotten from the Captains body and dropped the torch to wield it with both of her hands as the assassin's blade came crashing towards her head. She blocked it, one hand holding the hilt of her sword and the other supporting the tip of the blade as she kept the assassin from splitting her in half.

His strength was greater and Sanyue was left with no choice but to block them all. Instead of chancing opening herself up for a strike, as soon as the assassin reared back for another blow, she lifted her leg and landed a blow of her own. The assassin's sword hit the ground as Sanyue's boot hit his crotch. She finished him off with a sweeping cut to slit his throat. She was about to run toward where the Emperor was being attacked only to watch the Emperor stride toward her, cleaning his sword with a piece of an assassin's robe. She tried to not look shocked, but was unsuccessful, making the Emperor chuckle. "Give an old man a little credit," he whispered softly before following his Blades. "Not much farther," Uriel seemed to say this as much for himself as for his Blades. Sanyue shook her head, sheathed her katana, picked her torch up and followed.

The path turned toward the left into a series of columned hallways. Beyond the columns the room lay in shadow, hiding everything from view. She held her torch higher and nearly had her arm lopped off as two more assassins charged them from the shadows behind them. Sanyue could not draw her sword in time to defend herself against one of those assassins. Two more ambushed from the front, taking up Baurus and Glenroy's attention. The assassin in front of her swept his blade from side to side, driving her away from the Emperor who was fighting the last. Though he was a skilled swordsman, he was tiring faster with each fight. Instead of drawing her sword, Sanyue thrust the torch into the assassins face, her ears ringing from his screams. She quickly drew her sword and ran him through quickly before going to the aid of Uriel.

The last assassin blocked the thrust Sanyue had aimed at his lower back. He turned to his side, now fighting two people. The assassin's bravado had left him as he fought to keep his head from being lopped off or being gutted. The mace he wielded was not made for fighting two sword wielding opponents. He was trained for bashing and smashing things, not blocking. His mace was much too heavy to be swinging it from one place to another and blocking. His entire attention was focused on the Emperor and Sanyue that he completely forgot about the two Blades still with them. So he seemed utterly shocked as two katana blades sprang from his chest, taking from him his strength and then his life as his armor disappeared and he fell to the ground.

Uriel took a deep breath, sheathing his short sword. He nodded to his Blades and they silently turned toward the brightest part of the hall. Sanyue watched the Emperor as she followed them, holding her torch high as she kept watch for any more would be assassins. At the end of the last bend stood another wooden door. The two Blades went through first, followed by the Emperor with Sanyue holding up the rear. The next room was also lined with columns, however a set of stairs descended down to a wide area. It seemed perfect for an ambush, and Glenroy signaled for them to stay where they were while he had a look around. After a few minutes of searching, Glenroy seemed satisfied that they were safe, and motioned for the others to follow. "Come on. It looks clear," Glenroy motioned to his right. "Were almost through to the sewers." Sanyue's eyes widened. Sewers? She groaned silently, rolling her eyes. She could almost smell them right now.

Glenroy led them to the gate to his right, however when he tried to push it, it would not budge. He drew his sword when he saw the debris piled up on the other side of the metal gate. "Damn it! The gate is barred from the other side. A trap!"

Baurus backed up, eying another opening to their left. "What about that side passage back there?"

Glenroy followed Baurus' gaze, nodding to himself. "Worth a try. Lets go." Sanyue watched as the Emperor's face turned grim. All of the strength he had possessed before seemed to leave him. He followed slowly behind his Blades as they entered the smaller opening. Sanyue held her torch high, though she could already tell that they were not going any where. "It's a dead end," Baurus turned to Glenroy. "What's your call sir?"

The Nord Blade turned around. "They're behind us. Wait here, Sire!" Baurus nodded and began to follow.

"Wait her with the Emperor," Baurus pointed directly at Sanyue. "Guard him with your life!" She nodded as the two Blades rushed outside to meet the ambush. She stayed close to Uriel as she heard the sounds of battle outside.

Sanyue started as the Emperor grabbed her hand and placed something warm and heavy into it. "I can go no further," He seemed to look all of his eighty-seven years, his eyes tired and his shoulders sagging. "You alone must stand against the Prince of Destruction and his mortal servants. He must not have the Amulet of Kings." Sanyue looked down at her hand, almost not believing what she held. Uriel had given her one of the most prized possessions of the Emperor. She tried to protest, but he put a finger over her mouth to still any words. There just was not enough time. "Take the Amulet, give it to Jauffre. He alone knows where to find my last son." The Emperor brought Sanyue's face close to his and he kissed her forehead as any father would his daughter. "Find him, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion."

With the last of his strength, the Emperor thrust his arms out and pushed Sanyue away as a hidden door opened behind him. She fell to her rear end, helpless as she watched the assassin bury a poisoned dagger between Uriel's shoulder blades. Sanyue watched as Uriel's face winced once, sinking to his knees and toppling to his side. A last sigh escaped him as he lay still, his face untroubled. Sanyue stared at the Emperor's body, snapping out of her shock as his assassin drew his mace and advanced on her. She drew the short sword, the Amulet held tightly in her other hand as she charged. In her anger, she swept the assassin's mace aside and plunged her sword in his belly. Not yet satisfied, she yanked it out and with one slash, separated his head from the rest of his body.

Sanyue knelt down beside Uriel's body. She pulled the dagger out of his back and laid him flat, putting his hands over his stomach in a somewhat dignified position. Baurus rushed in, his sword still covered in blood. Though the look on his face turned to anguish as he saw the Emperor laying still on the ground. He knelt beside the Emperor, lowering his eyes. "We've failed. I've failed. The Blades are sworn to protect the Emperor and now he and all his heirs are dead!" He shook his head, looking down at the body again. "The Amulet," he exclaimed, his hand going to the Emperor's neck. "Where's the Amulet of Kings? It isn't on the Emperor's body."

Sanyue held out her hand, showing Baurus the blood red amulet framed by gold and jewels hanging from a golden chain. He shook his head, staring at the Amulet. "Strange. He saw something in you. Trusted you." Baurus stood up, Sanyue following. "They say it's the Dragon blood that flows through the veins of every Septim. They see more than lesser men." Sanyue looked back down at Uriel, wondering what he had seen in her to make him trust her on first sight. "The Amulet of Kings is a sacred symbol of the Empire." Baurus smiled at Sanyue's shock. "Most people thing of the Red Dragon Crown, but that's just jewelery. The Amulet has power. Only a true heir of the Blood can wear it, they say." He sighed. "He must have given it to you for a reason. Did he say why?"

Sanyue nodded, running her finger over the warm blood-red gem in the middle of the Amulet. "He told me to take it to Jauffre."

Baurus seemed surprised. "Jauffre? He said that?" She nodded. "Why?"

"He told me there was another heir." Baurus' eyes widened at Sanyue.

"Nothing I ever heard about. But Jauffre would be the one to know. He is the Grand Master of my Order. Although you may not think so to meet him." Baurus seemed mildly amused at this. "He lives quietly as a monk at Waynon Priory, near the city of Chorrol."

Sanyue nodded, placing the Amulet gently into one of her pockets on her belt. "How do I get there?"

"First, you have to get out of here. That door," Baurus pointed toward the passage the assassin had used to sneak up behind the Emperor. "must be the entrance to the sewers, past the locked gate. That's where we were heading. It's a secret way out of the Imperial City. Or at least it was supposed to be secret." Baurus sighed, shaking his head. "Here," Baurus dug into his armor and took out an old key. "you'll need this key for the last door into the sewers."

"Sewers?" Sanyue had hoped that there was another way.

"There are rats and goblins down there - but from what I've seen of you, I would say you are an experienced Rogue. Am I right?"

Sanyue smiled, shaking her head. "I was trained as a Warrior, mostly. I have some Alchemy training though."

"I wasn't far off," he chuckled. "In any case, rats and goblins won't give you any trouble."

She nodded. "After the sewers?"

"You must get that Amulet to Jauffre. Take no chances, but proceed to Waynon Priory immediately, got it?" He seemed to relax at her understanding. "Good. The Emperor's trust was well-placed."

"What about you - where's Glenroy?" Sanyue looked back toward where they had come from.

"He is gone. I will stay to guard the Emperor's body, and to make sure no one follows you." Baurus clapped Sanyue on the shoulder. "You'd better get going. May Talos guide you." She nodded and turned to leave when she remembered the sword she still carried. She withdrew the katana and handed it to Baurus, handle first. "Thank you, for recovering my comrade's sword. I will see that it is given a place of honor in the halls of the Blades." Sanyue nodded and took Baurus' offered hand, before she turned and climbed through the small door.

She tried to hurry, but she felt weighed down by the Amulet in her pocket. She still could not get the image of the Emperor falling to the ground out of her mind. She shook her head as she turned the corner and hurried toward the wooden door. She inserted Baurus' key and turned the lock. There was no use taking it and he might want it locked again, so she left it in the door. She held her breath as she lifted the cover to the entrance and climbed down the ladder into the damp and dark sewers below.