I woke up in a filthy, dusty cell and looked around. My wrists were covered with chains and my clothes replaced by sackfashion - well, all facts indicated that I was in prison.
I turned my head in order to localisate the murmur from the left and I suddenly wished I hadn't. In the cell next to me stood a displeasant man, grinning dirtily and showing a remarkable lack of dental hygienic while doing so. 'Hey, young lady - I could arrange a double cell for the two of us, one of the guards still owes me a favor'. I stood up and got near him - he should see that I am the last person he could talk to like that! I just opened my mouth to give him an answer he wouldn't forget when we heared footsteps nearing. Sudenly he went quiet and even I forgot my rage and stepped instinctively into the shadows of my cell. It sounded like a whole procession was coming down the corridor.
'Stand back, prisoner and don't move until we say so!'
These words were adressed to me. I stood paralyzed - were they coming to kill me? What had I done that earned me the death penalty? The soldier that he was repeated the order and finally I moved back to the small table in the back corner of my room. I intended to grab my jar and resist until my last moment here on earth if they were up to kill me. No one should say that I, Shaera M'ae Féroce, could have been killed like a puppy, not even trying to fight for her life!
The group which consisted of four people entered my cell and I stood quiet, but aware..the slightest sign of a preparation to attack and I were ready to hit! But it shouldn't come like that. To my big surprise they only wanted to take passage through my room. Of course, now I saw the subtle lines indicating a secret passage - I hadn't noticed it in my first shock of awaking in prison..The oldest man of them, dressed in red velvet and fur, suddenly turned to me while walking to the door that the female soldier had opened in the meantime.
'You're the one of my dream!'  Oh noes, what else? First the incorporated scum in the neighboured cell who undressed me with his looks, and now I was the subject of one of an old man's last wet dreams? I could just stop myself from telling him where he could stick his dreams to as another thought came up to my mind: perhaps he could explain me several things..
He got on to tell me that he had dreamed about me and that this must be a sign of the gods. Yeah, that suits - those religious old dogs *always* are the worst! He babbled on about him dying soon, being chased by the Dark Brotherhood and that he didn't have the time to explain everything but that I should follow them wherever they would go to. Well, even if I felt the heavy urge to take a bath now, that a 87-year old excentric and paranoid guy who claims to be Uriel Septim dreams of me, it came in very handy. I didn't even have to make me a lockpick out of the small ratbones that lay around like usual! Happy me, I thought and followed them, not without sticking out my tongue to Mr.Nice Guy next door, shaking my butt provokingly  and wishing him a nice day back in his cell. May he rot there!

The soldiers urged me to hurry up and I unusually obeyed. It was fascinating what large catacombs were connected to my small and now luckily already so far away cell! I felt like new-born, sneaking behind the soldiers and Uriel, trying to make no noise. Of course I saw much more than they did - they only had eyes for their beloved leader, those slaves! But I screened all areas we came through carefully, picking up some gold here, finding an old chest there...there must have been other people storing their goods there after a succesfull outbreak, I guess - at least I could restore my amount of lockpicks - who knewed when I would need them again?
The walk went on until I heared some fighting noise from the direction the four had gone to. What a luck that I fell back due to my explorations of the caves! When the rumors died, I hurried to follow and I saw a massacre. Several bodies laid slain on the floor, blood dripping from the walls and covering the stairs. The survivors seemed to have already continued their way, wherever it might lead to. One of the deads was the female soldier that guided the group. Didn't she had this nice katana? I only felt a little bit sorry while browsind through her inventory, since she had cast some particularly angry looks to me, back in the cell. I found some gold and equipment and - of course - her wonderful katana which I happily equipped. The other deads were all dressed in red robes - I have to admit that I found them very handsome and also grabbed some of them - who knows if I don't have to sneak one day unrecognised into their headquarters? I had experienced too much in my, admittedly, not that long life, to let such an opportunity pass!

After having equipped myself with everyhing that seemed to be worth it's weight, I finally tried to close up to my guides. They weren't far away from me since they had lost their orientation. The ancient stone halls we actually were in surprised them with some closed gates they couldn't open. They were talking about taking a sideway-passage when I arrvied and they commented my survival of the attack surprisedly. I tried to take a glimpse on Uriel's face - wasn't there also a little sign of relieve? One of the two guards left gave me a torch and commanded me to follow them, now closer than the last time. After several minutes we reached a dead end and the one of the soldiers who has been more nice to me than the others told me to wait there with Uriel, They wanted to find a secret mechanism that opened a passage that would lead us into safety. I was slightly surprised by them trusting me so much that I should stay behind with Uriel - at least this guy was their ruler and, as far as I understood, some kind of incarnated supernatural being, like an avatar. My considerations about the neccessity of guarding someone who could surely do some effectful tricks because of his religious connections and about the potential the dream about me had to open some doors for me in the local high-society, were roughly disturbed by the harsh advice to guard Uriel with my life. Me? How should I do this? Of course I had this flashing katana, but I felt merely like a child, swinging his wooden sword to show-off a bit for his friends than like having a real weapon..all I had slain so far were some stupid rats! But it was too late to argue, the two soldiers had already run away. I stared down on my sword and than back to Uriel. As if he'd red my thoughts, he started to speak. But this was not the light and fluffy smalltalk to pass the time until we could go on with out journey I expected, he prefered to talk straight.
He told me something about the royal family all dead except for him, what would be changed soon, and an unknown heir I should find. He repeated to know about his soon coming death and made the conclusion that the gods (yeah, again those folk - but I considered making a note about this as insensible, even if my urge to tell him to get a more scientific point of view, regarding his age arose) must have led our ways together - and that he therefore had to entrust me with the secret about the heir. And with a task.  He gave me an amulet which I should bring to the place the myterious heir lived in order to find the true future ruler of the Imperial City.
'Go and find him! You're my only hope!'

I still stood there lost in thoughts about this amount of new information as well as in guessing the value of the amulet which both made my head swirling as suddenly the wall behind Uriel opened up to reveal another one of the red killers! I have to admit, dear readers, that I was so perplexed I could only stare at him, how he bursted out of the niche and jumped on the floor. He rose his longsword and it was like in slowmotion - I saw the light of the torches reflected on blank steel..steel that was moved with such a grace in a perfect bow..he started to stroke, reached the curves max, then getting faster and faster, the seconds seemed to stretch, nearing infinity, until..until it was all over. The sword had cut through the throat of Uriel. I felt like dreaming, I couldn't even move when the last soldier ran into our small passage. I just looked at the red blood on the sliverish white steel, sparkling in the vivid light of the torches. I still couldn't move when the soldier, the guy who had devoted his life and service to his King, Uriel Septim, felt onto his knees, sobbing in disbelief, but still showing his dead master respect by not letting any tears drop onto his red velvet cloak that was now covered with darker red traces of the ruler's blood..

Finally I lowered my katana. This was the moment the soldier noticed Uriel's amulet missing. I told him shortly what had happened and he somehow changed his mood. He looked very strong now and..well, it must have been hopeful, I guess. He told me to do the last wish of his master honour and I promised to do so, even if I don't like promising things I'm already up to. But these were special circumstances - and I felt sorry for him. I'm not very used to being involved with people. I'm more a person for her own, but somewhere deep inside I could locate some feelings of longing for such a deep connection to someone who deserves it that I felt with him, perhaps because of envy.

These feelings were soon over when he claimed the katana of his female compainion back. He said he wanted to keep it in a place that does it's price and history justice..well, I hoped to find this place when I finally got out of here - who else could do it more justice than the person who witnessed the emperor's dead? I spoke some last words to him and headed for the exit of this hall - the soldier said it was still some way to got - a way inhabited by rats and goblins.But this shouldn't be anything I couldn't deal with.

So I  turned towards the passageway the assassin had come through, shivering at the thought of what creatures I might encounter in the near future and cast a last look on the dead emperor and his loyal guard.

It was a shame he was dead.. now that I just started to like him.