Chương 488: Legends (4)
A Double Chapter!
~~~~~~~~~~
(Part 1)
The largest city on Tamriel was home to a boundless population of humans that was restless since the day the Great War started. The truth is that the Aldmeri Dominion has spent numerous resources to keep the city in check relying on many policies to tame the public.
The people were between the upset and the mindless. Those who didn't care who sits on the Ruby Throne were either the Beast folk or the Elves but the Humans were the tough nut to crack in terms of controlling. Despite the Humans having the numbers, the Elves subdued all revolts with the power of their Magic sometimes crossing the lines to committing atrocities to the innocent Imperial that varied between public execution by archer squads or the "Aiming to Cripple" policy which rendered many innocents missing limbs or with unhealable deformities.
This was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to being remorseless towards the Imperials, the Prison was expanded not because of being too small to hold prisoners normally but because of being too small to have packs of prisoners in one cell. Imagine a prison cell with nothing but walls and a door holding to its fill a pack of humans who were forced to crowd together in the most humiliating fashion, none of them could sleep except while standing. Forget about the food which is actually some leftovers from the garbage that gets delivered every two or three days. Even those who die in prison were left to rot for days before taking them out of their cells.
Life in the prison was as if taking a hike into Oblivion. Oblivion! Even Oblivion wasn't this unpurposely tormenting.
Yet despite having all that cruelty they wanted to vent, the Dominion Elves found the best method to rule is using the "Carrot and Stick" policy. Their stick was brutish and remorseless as everyone could tell but they were also brilliant in controlling the carrot. They deprived the populace of many principle needs for long periods of time before offering them as gifts from the High Lords of the Dominion.
Despite how sly the elves were, this didn't stop the Imperials from resisting and getting involved in politics. Sadly, the Imperials were chaotic when it came to politics and some Imperial Nobles agreed to work with the Dominion to secure their positions while those who revolted were branded as terrorists. Many resistance groups were formed around the Imperial city but the Dominion used the terrain of the city effectively to prevent those groups from becoming one front. That's why those freedom fighters used the city sewers to roam and freely oppose the Dominion underground.
Returning to the "Stick and Carrot" policy, the Dominion had a trump card to use when they want to quill the tension of the public and that was none other than the Imperial Arena. It served as a good method to divert the public from the inner workings of politics. Also, it was used to cover big events as for example, a week ago, the city witnessed a heinous public execution when a resistance cell was found and the Thalmor Justiciar in charge of rooting it out used the families of the so-called terrorists to force them to surrender before killing every one of them as well as their families. This was to be handled behind closed doors but the Justiciar was too hot-blooded leading to a massacre. The situation was covered by the next day by announcing a grand tournament that the Imperials can attend.
[ > A/n: I know I spent 591 words talking about the situation of the Imperial City but there are some real-world references up there, stuff that happen for real and I just felt obligated to just mention.]
"Good people, by the grace of our liege Lord Naarifin, I welcome you back to the Arena! Because nothing unites man and mer like the spectacle of glorious bloodshed!"
The Imperial Arena was bustling with cheers despite the gloom that lurked around the city for those who were invited in to spectate were the hardcore all-time fans of the Arena and the ones who move with its hype.
In the Bloodworks, Tyr and Glemt were preparing for the fights. Their party has infiltrated the Imperial City two days ago as fighters who want to participate in the arena. Going through the process was easy because the Dominion Authority was desperate for good fighters and once they gained access to the Arena, they had to at least fight one match to be able to roam freely in the Bloodworks. The best fighters in the party were Glemt and Tyr who joined the Blue team.
Tyr stood before the Arena waiting for his match to come and sighed deeply.
"This is not bringing back happy memories." He complained.
"Come on! It'll be fun. Just like old times." Cassia teased him.
"What happened in the old times?" Glemt asked.
"Not of your business." Tyr retorted.
"Well, I'm glad you asked." Cassia, on the other hand, answered truthfully and without missing details about the last time Tyr entered the Arena when he tried to he was younger as he won many matches only to beaten in the Final Match by a masked knight who happened to be his cousin Jonrad.
Tyr seemed upset about remembering the bad days but later when the match started, he charged in, picked weapons from the wall and stormed through the yellow team almost by himself to vent off the bad memories that just resurfaced.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. All hail the combatants from the blue team!"
The announcer called for the victorious Blue Team as the fighters greeted the spectators and withdrew quietly back to the Bloodworks.
"Great. Let's get out of here while they're collecting their winnings." Tyr whispered to Glemt and the two slipped away from the Arena silently leaving the rest of the Blue Team to take the limelight.
"Swims-at-Night has found a way to the sewers and contacted the resistance. We will be guided to the White-Gold Tower." Cassia met them and explained the situation.
"Good. Let's go."
The party of five regrouped at a certain spot after gaining access to the sewers through the Arena's Bloodworks. From there, they traveled silently in the vast network of the sewers.
"Are you sure these crypts will lead us right into the White-Gold Tower?" Laaneth asked as she felt disgusted by the place.
"Are you doubting the greatest smuggler in Tamriel?" Swims was offended.
"It's crawling with the undead." Cassia retorted.
"Well, if they were safe, everyone would use them." Swims found a fast excuse as he took out his saber to deal with the crawling dead.
The sewers of the Imperia City were known to be dangerous and the undead were just the welcome. It was said that during the second era, this place was crawling with the Reachmen (current day Forsworn) who once ruled the Empire under their emperor Durcorach of the Longhouse Dynasty. Those Reachmen used their Dark Magic to fortify the Sewers when their Empire was crumbling after the defeat of Durcorach.
Returning to the horde of the undead, it seemed that they were provoked once the seal on their area was opened and decided to crawl at whoever came towards them. After examining the walking dead, Laaneth learned that the undead were aiming at a certain altar outside the sealing chambers.
"I sense mystical power within that altar. Perhaps it can quiet the dead." Laaneth said.
Indeed as she said, the altar had a spirit of a woman tied to an object hidden inside it. This haunting spirit controlled the undead to free herself from the Altar.
Glemt broke the Altar and from within it, he took out the object that housed the haunting spirit.
***
"Amidst the broken bones of the fallen, the hero spotted an ancient grimoire, filled with the dread secrets of necromancy." (Kellen)
"Dared they meddle with such foul magic?" (Isha)
"Come on! Foul magic? This is the Fourth Era for heaven's sake." (Jon)
"No one is talking to a Magic freak like you! Necromancy is the wrong tool in the wrong hands." (Isha)
"Okay, boomer." (Jon)
"Well, some gifts carry too terrible a price. And as the hero was blessed by Kynareath for destroying that grimoire later on." (Kellen)
**********
(Part 2)
"Swims-at-Night had been as good as his word. The tunnel led the adventurers straight into the White-Gold Tower." (Kellen)
***
The group reached the White-Gold Tower that was crawling with Thalmor Guards, being the Imperial Palace and the center of the world, the Tower held great importance to the ever so arrogant High Elven Thalmor and they focused their operations in it.
It was hard to sneak in but with Cassia's knowledge of the interior and Tyr's sneaking abilities, the party of five reached the innermost section of the Palace.
"This must be Lord Naarifin's study." Tyr said as he opened the door to a very large and wide library were a lot of objects were lying around.
"Here we will find a clue for the mysterious Dominion Superiority. Split up and look everywhere. Don't make a sound if you detect any magical artifact, leave it to Laaneth." Cassia, as the officer in charge of the operation, passed down the commands.
The five split up in the large study searching every corner. At the western corner, Glemt found a strange glowing orb that showed images of other places. It was not hard to imagine what is the power of that Orb.
"Laaneth, come take a look at this." Glemt called.
She came to him and once she saw what he was pointing at, she almost freaked out. Swims-at-Night and Cassia came to see what he found and listened to Laaneth who explained things.
"The Orb of Vaermina." Laaneth exclaimed.
"What does that little thing do?" Swims asked.
"It's an Orb that was named after its Patron, the Daedric Prince of Dreams and Nightmares, Vaermina. Its ability is Scrying and as puny as it sounds, it is not your simple Scrying. It is Omni-Scrying. You can basically look anywhere and see anything, even a few seconds in the future."
Laaneth's explanation was enough to portray this artifact as the most dangerous weapon any army can have. Such a thing can turn an utter defeat into a complete victory, let alone an army as strong as the Dominion's.
"So that's how they were tracking the army." Cassia stomped with anger.
"Urgh!" A sound came from the other side of the study.
"So it is. And I'd like you to step away from it very slowly."
Across the room, three figures appeared. The first was a High Elf was a baleful presence followed by a towering Dremora who was holding Tyr under his sword. That Dremora was Reive.
"You!" Glemt recognized the man as the commander of the force who assaulted his caravan and killed his friends before this whole ordeal starts.
"Naarifin!" On the other hand, Laaneth recognized the High Elf as Narrifin, Warlord of the Aldmeri Dominion.
"Hmph! And you are the one who escaped from my temple." Narrifin recognized Laaneth.
Glemt hurriedly jumped into action and snatched the [Orb of Vaermina] from its pedestal holding it up in the air.
"You Dare!" Narrifin was infuriated by…
***
"The Bastard!" (Jon)
"…" (All)
***
Narrifin was infuriated by Glemt's action regardless of what he may have said to express it. Either way, he also had his leverage.
"Give me the orb, please... or your friend dies now!" Narrifin said as Reive's blade started to cut through Tyr's skin.
"No! Don't do it!" Tyr struggled to break free willing to give away his life.
Glemt had to make a terrible choice.
He looked at Tyr, his friend who taught him how to fight like an expert and faced danger together with him. It was simply impossible to sacrifice Tyr for the blasted Orb. But this Orb had the fate of the world relying on it.
Glemt made his mind.
He extended his hand to give the Orb to Narrifin yet as he was doing it, he smiled slyly at Tyr.
The two had a good synergy to their styles and once Tyr saw Glemt moving slowly, he stopped resisting giving Reive the impression that he was giving up but in the next second, Glemt tossed the Orb towards Narrifin.
"Careful!" Narrifin tried to catch the delicate Orb from crashing but…
"No!"
"Rraagh!"
Tyr struggled free from Reive for a second and charged at the Orb mindlessly hitting it to fly across the room and shatter on a marble pillar.
*Crash*
Yet that didn't go without a price, Reive charged with his sword behind Tyr and slashed at him causing a very deep cut to appear on Tyr's back that darkened as if it was burning.
"You fool!" Narrifin was horrified after seeing the Orb shatter.
He turned with anger at the party of five and gave his order.
"Now you will die. Reive, kill them all."
Cassia grabbed the wounded Tyr while Glemt, Swims, and Laaneth faced Reive and Narrifin.
"My Lord! My Lord! The Imperial Legion is attacking!"
From outside the study, a justiciar came running. The scene in front of him caused him to draw his sword and jump in front of Narrifin.
"Dammit! Reive, handle this." Narrifin said as he retreated from the fight leaving Reive and the Justiciar to handle the situation.
"We need to hurry, he is wounded." Laaneth called.
Meanwhile, Glemt and Reive were already clashing blades with one another.
"Lord Boethiah has granted me [Goldbrand], her greatest weapon, to end your miserable life!" Reive was swaggering with the blade in his hand.
It was [Goldbrand], the sword of Boethiah. A Golden Katana that was created by the Dragons themselves.
Glemt didn't back down and carried an aggressive assault against Reive. Once, this Dremora was his jailor and controlled his life when he was but a captive, he defeated Reive once thanks to Tyr's help but now, he has to fight it all by himself.
Minutes later, seeing Rieve lying on the ground with wounds all over his body, Glemt realized how far he has come. The next sword swing was all what it took to send Reive back to Oblivion.
*Tink* *Tink*
From Reive's hands, the blade fell on the ground and simply remained there. All those who are around looked at the blade as Glemt picked it up.
[Goldbrand], the Legendary sword, was now in the hands of Glemt. Boethiah didn't retrieve her sword by force.
"Let's get out of here, how is Tyr?" Glemt returned to the others.
"He's hurt, but he'll live." Cassia said as she supported Tyr.
"He's in no shape to travel." Laaneth added as she cast her best healing magic.
"Glem… Leave me… You need to get back to the Emperor… hurry!" Tyr tasked Glemt with returning back.
"Ever the tough guy. Come. Naarifin will have roused a hundred swords by now." Swims said as he took the lead to return back to the secret passages in the Tower.
Cassia and Swims supported Tyr while Glemt and Laaneth rushed back through the sewers. They managed to get out of the city and took a boat across lake Rumare. From there, they prepared horses to run across the heartland and reach the marching Imperial army in the south.
Tyr was left in a safe house on the road and the other four entered the Emperor's camp on the borders between the Heartland and Bruma.
"Look! The Emperor's Guards… someone killed them."
At that moment when they approached the camp, they noticed a large number of Imperial Soldiers fighting strange assassins that kept coming from the shadows. The Emperor's tent itself was caught on fire and the Emperor was fighting among his soldiers.
At that moment, Glemt interfered using his new blade [Goldbrand]. He waved it across the shadows and every assassin hiding there turned to ash. [Goldbrand] was no ordinary blade as it let out waves of fire that can easily render anything to ash.
As the assassins' were slain, the Emperor collapsed from a poisonous arrow stuck in his thigh. A healer specialist was brought to him and he was rescued by a hair's width.
"Thank the Divines. The emperor will live. Thanks to you." The Healer skillfully expelled the poison.
"He's in no shape to lead the assault." Laaneth said.
At that moment, the Emperor rose from his rest supported by Cassia.
"No. The troops... must believe the emperor is strong… we can't quit here."
Titus Mede II was determined to stand up but he was too weak to even move properly because of the effect of the poison. Hopeless, the Emperor made his choice. He turned to Glemt with hopeful eyes.
"Stranger. You have proven a mighty warrior. Here, take my armor. In my helm, none will know who you are. Lead the battle in my stead. The fate of the Empire is in your hands."
***
"Free from prying eyes, the Imperial forces launched a surprise attack from the West, followed by a similar attack from Cheydinhal. The hero would then lead the charge to the city gates. The Gates fell to the might of the Red Legion and the Hero charged in the Imperial Palace, there Lord Narrifin started the ritual of the Culling, many innocents were sacrificed throughout the year that the Imperial City. A showdown occurred between the supposed Emperor who was wielding Goldbrand and Lord Narrifin who open a Gate of Oblivion with many Daedra pouring through it. Thankfully, the Culling was premature and the might of the Hero ended the grim prophecy.
And so the city was saved. The people hailed the Emperor as a hero, little suspecting who their true savior was. The Forgotten Hero quietly left the city, little realizing that even greater adventures were yet to come. But that is a story for another evening." (Kellen)
"How is this supposed to help us? Our War Chief is dying. We need more than stories. We need…" Said Isha who was on the verge of slapping Kellen for wasting her time.
"What you need is hope. I saw your War Chief fight today in that ferocious mask of hers. As I think of it, it could have been anyone out there… It could have been…"
"Me."
Isha realized the moral of the story.
She stood up with a tranquil face looking at her companions around her. Mirren and Miranda may have had that thing going on so they were not available at the moment but Jon was sitting there meditating with the Ansei Ward of his. He smiled and gave her a wink both knowing how the Battle will be from now on.
"So… our deal is over?" Kellen asked.
"Indeed." Jon replied, "You helped to inspire Isha and read the scroll. I am ever thankful."
"Then we can leave, right?" Nagh asked carefully.
"Yes, my fluffy friend. You can go and take the scroll with you. My fate is already ruined enough, I'm not risking it for a fourth scroll." Jon said.
Kellen and Nagh looked at each other before standing up.
"It was an honor coming to know the Hero of Winterhold, Thane Jon Dare." Kellen bowed and left.
Jon smiled and shook his head. To think he would come across such an interesting story at this particular time. Fate was indeed mysterious. Glemt started as a normal man with no skills whatsoever but because of Fate, he grew to be a very capable warrior in just a few months. This meant that most of Jon's struggle thus far could be skipped once his Fate takes a turn and the Wheel turns on him.
Not just that but to think his uncle Tyr, his teacher Laaneth, and General Cassia had just history. Who would have thought!
Meanwhile, Kellen and Nagh met with Isha. Kellen spoke to her.
"Let's you and I pay our respects at the command tent. I have the strangest feeling that the War Chief is about to make a miraculous recovery."
~~~~~~~~~~
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