User:Moses/The Story of Sesom/Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Petty Thief

I stayed hidden from Dreth for weeks. Surprisingly, he never questioned why the guard put food in the "empty" cell across from his. I would reveal myself, however, when I heard a voice from down the hall, a faint voice that somehow drew me to it. I felt a strong desire, almost a depraved need to hear what it had to say. I rose, walked to the door of my cell and listened. I couldn't make out what was being said, but I knew the voice was approaching. Dreth noticed me then, and began to taunt me, further preventing me from hearing the voice. I ignored him, waiting for the voice to come to me.

Four people approached. One wore high class robes of some sort, and the other three were some sort of soldiers. The soldiers saw me, and their leader, a Breton woman seemed angry that I was in my particular cell. I spoke up, angrily. "Blame Phillida," I said.

"Shut up, and get back against the wall!" she yelled, glaring angrily at me. I followed the order, and she opened my cell. Was I being released? I could only imagine the look on Dreth's face. I moved to thank my liberators, and leave my cell, but the soldiers all drew their blades. "Stay back or you die!" the woman yelled, angrier than before. I jumped back in surprise, and cowered back into the corner. The four then came into my cell, and the old man gasped as he looked at me.

"I've seen you," he said. It was his voice that I had heard before. He spoke to me, and even in my fright I could not help but converse with him. He was the emporer, Uriel Septim and the soldiers were blades, his personal bodyguard. His sons had been assassinated, and he feared he would be next. He claimed to have seen my face in a dream. Apparently there was a secret passage in my cell that led out of the city, and he planned on using that as his escape route. Eventually the woman hurried him along, citing that there was no time to waste talking to criminal scum like me. They left the passage open behind them, and one blade acknowledged that I was free. I debated on following them, but eventually decided to lag behind, fearing that one of them might reincarcerate me somewhere down the line.

I kept hidden, but close enough to hear what was going on. Red robed assassins appeared, but were quickly disposed of by the blades. The woman, who the emperor addressed as "Captain Renault" was slain in the attack, however. I heard a door open and close, followed by the click of it being locked, and left to survey the situation. Renault's corpse had been left behind. Her armor wouldn't fit me, but I took her blade, a fine katana, and the robes from one of the assassins, just to get out of the dirty clothes I'd been wearing since my first day in the imperial prison so long ago. I was attacked by two rats, who I quickly disposed of. I cut some of their meat off and ate it raw, the first meal I'd eaten in likely more than a week. It made me sick soon after, but it was better than starving.

Upon further inspection of my surroundings, I found a hole in the wall which led to a storage room of some sort, where I was attacked by another rat. I quickly found that I was unskilled with any blade larger than a dagger, and dropped Renault's sword and killed the rat with my bare hands. Sadly, the only useful things I found were on the corpse of a goblin, and in a locked treasure chest. The goblin held a key to the only exit, which led into a similar room with yet another agressive rat. I stored the meat for later and took a few lockpicks from a chest by a pillar. I found three more rats, but they all seemed to be running from something, which I found to be a zombie. I killed them all and took their meat. If I didn't eat it, I figured I could sell it whenever I found my way to civilization.

The rooms continued on in this fashion for some time, greeting me with rats and goblins as well as providing me with meat as and a few coins and lockpicks. There were a few potions, and mushrooms grew all around. Eventually I removed the robes for a flax tunic I'd found. I figured it'd be a bad idea to look like the group trying to assassinate the emperor.

Working my way through the caves, I eventually found myself climbing through another hole in the wall, and into an area built like the one the emperor left me in. He and his two remaining guards were there too, and the blades moved to kill me. I raised my hands to defend myself, but the emperor stopped them. He told me he needed my help, talking about the divines, and fate. He said he was fated to die that day, and told me to accompany him and his guard. I accepted. One of the blades, Glenroy, was distrustful of me, while the other, Baurus, seemed glad to have another guard for the emperor. He handed me a torch, and we continued. The fact that I was unskilled with a weapon meant I served as little more than a distraction for the robed assassins, but I remember feeling back then that I was doing my part.

We fought through another assault, then came to a mostly open room. Glenroy seemed cautious, and I volunteered to scout ahead. Still distrustful of me, he went out himself, and the rest of us waited for his signal to follow him. He found that our intended route was blocked off, and there was nowhere else to go. Baurus spotted more assassins, apparently attempting to corner us in the dead end. The blades ran to them, telling me to guard the emperor with my life. I nodded, and stayed close to him, eyes fixed on the only exit from the room.

As soon as we were alone, the emperor spoke to me of the "Prince of Destruction", and how he must not get the Amulet of Kings. He then gave me the amulet and told me to take it to someone named Jauffre, who knew of another heir. Confused, I pocketed the amulet and kept my eye back on the door. I saw Glenroy fall as an assailant bashed his skull in with a mace. Suddenly, a scream and a thump behind me. I looked to see another assassin, who had apparently come from a hidden door, and killed the emperor. Baurus ran in and disposed of him, then turned to me. I told him what the emperor said, and showed him the amulet. He directed me through the sewers to Weynon Priory, outside of Chorrol. "I'll look after the emperor's body," he said. "You should be fine on your own. You seem to be an experienced knight, am I right?" I simply laughed. "Me? I'm just a petty thief," I replied, and turned towards the sewer entrance.

Prev: Chapter 1: The Beginning

Up: The Story of Sesom

Next: Chapter 3: To Cheydinhal and Back Again