The
rainstorms that occur in Cyrodil often feel like they are endless downpours of
rain falling from the darkest of clouds, or that is how it felt as I left The
Imperial City on my way towards Weynon Priory. I was on foot with only a few
essential items: my cloak, my bedding, rations of food (enough to last me a
week in the forest), my bow and two quivers of arrows, my dagger, and the map
that would guide me to my newest of destinations. The cold from the rain seemed
to be soaking into the very depths of my soul as I crossed the Imperial Bridge.
As I ventured into the small village just beyond the bridge I took a moment to
look behind me at the end of my new beginning. This was just the very beginning
of whatever adventure had already grasped me in its clutches.
My map showed me a winding path that
would take me through the forest to Weynon Priory which is near the city of
Chorrol. The walk to Weynon Priory was painless with. Surprisingly there were
no wolves or bandits to give me any trouble. I made it to Priory within a day
of leaving The Imperial City. The sun had set several hours before I made it to
my destination, which meant that Jauffre would more than likely be asleep by
the time I ventured inside the establishment.
I opened the front door to what I
assumed was their sleeping quarters. To my dismay the door creaked loud enough
for a whole horde of goblins to hear and awake at my entering. Thankfully there
was a kind monk who greeted me. He inquired upon my needs with the monks and
specifically asking if I needed anything for my adventures since I clearly
looked like one. I explained to him my needs to speak with Jauffre and the
urgency upon my request. He kindly took me upstairs where another monk slept on
a bed that was located in the loft of the quarters. The kind monk awoke the
sleeping monk and briefly explained who I was and what I needed. The first monk
gestured for me to have a seat at the table located in the room and took his
leave. Jauffre arose from his bed and clothed himself fully, then he took the
seat across from me at the table. There was an uncomfortable silence as he
stared at me, taking in every inch of my person.
“Um,
name is Talisa and I need your help if you are willing.” I stammered and
stumbled over the words as I tried to muster the courage to speak to a monk.
Pathetic.
He
shifted in his seat, eyes still not leaving mine, got up from his seat and went
to a chest. He took out of the chest a map and a journal and brought them over
to me.
“If
you are who I think you are then you will need these two items to complete the
next journey you must take.” He stated calmly as he took his seat again.
I
skimmed over the material he had placed before me. The map showed several
places around Cyrodil that looked like there was an O placed besides them. Not
sure what that meant I turned to the journal. Inside I found that the journal
had once belonged to Uriel Septum and the last few entries spoke of a son that
he had taken away to be raised elsewhere in Cyrodil in case his death was
sought by those consumed by evil.
“I
have the Amulet of Kings. Uriel gave it to me right before he was murdered by
assassins.” I pulled the Amulet out from one of my pockets and showed him. “He
told me to find his last son and close the jaws of Oblivion. One of his
bodyguards instructed me to find you because he thought you might know where
that son is today.”
“His
name is Martin and I do know where he currently resides,” Jauffre informed me.
“You have been set upon a quest that will be full of death, blood, and terror.”
“I
have no time for a quest. I only want to find Martin and give him the amulet.”
“It
is too late for that. You will have to put aside your personal endeavors and
give yourself to this quest. All of Tamriel looks to you to save her.”
“No
one in Tamriel even knows who I am, much less care if I complete some quest.” I
was beginning to become irate with this old, helpless monk.
“You
must find Martin, give him the amulet, tell him who he is, and bring him to
me.” He added, with a bit of ferocity, “If the assassins and the death of the
Emperor have already occurred, then it is absolutely crucial that we act
quickly. All of the lives of Cyrodil are at stake. Oblivion must not be allowed
to gain full access to our world here.”
Jauffre
took a minute to calm his nerves, arose from the table, approached yet another
chest, and opened it.
“I
have few supplies that may assist you in finding Martin and we can acquire a
horse for you to help speed up your travels.” He rummaged through the chest
pulling out potions, weapons, and armor. “Take whatever you need. I will be
downstairs.” With that last bit he ventured down the stairs, leaving me alone.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts before looking through the chest and taking the necessities. He had two quivers of silver arrows, a silver bow, and a silver dagger contained within the chest. I took all that I could carry and all that a horse could carry comfortably. I inhaled my next breath deeply preparing my nerves for the inevitable journey I was about to embark on and to quench the fear rising within me.
My feet and legs took me, slightly
unwilling, down the steps as my brain tried to wrap around what I was planning
on doing. The fear continued to rise from deep inside of me, my hands shook,
and I started to perspire. I was unsure if I was capable of such an adventure,
if perhaps the Emperor had gotten the story wrong and I wasn’t supposed to be
the one to help. How could someone like me be the person who would save
Tamriel?
A vision flashed before my eyes just as I reached the base of the stairs.
A
hunter moving lithely through a lush forest seeking its prey. I (the hunter)
took my bow from off my back as I approached a bear off in the distance. I
could feel my heart pumping fast with adrenaline coursing through my veins. I
nocked an arrow in my bow and pulled the string quickly back.
I aimed.
Took a breath.
Exhaled.
Let loose the arrow.
The arrow cut through the air
and burrowed right through the bear's skull.
The vision faded leaving a sense that
it was less of a vision and more of a memory. Perhaps there was more to my
abilities than what I thought possible. I knew then that I had to find some
kind of connections to my past as I possibly could.
The monks stood not far from me with
inquisitive expressions as they watched me snap out of whatever had taken hold
of me. Shaking my head I approached the monks and informed them that I was as
ready as I would ever be. They told me that a horse was outside tied to a post.
“Head
to Kvatch. Martin is a priest of Akatosh. You will find him in the church
there,” he told me. “Good luck. We will see you upon your return.”
I thanked them, pulled my hood over
my head, and went to mount the horse they had given me. Before riding off for
Kvatch I took my map out and marked the city on it. The journey would take me
about a day and a half. I needed to get there as soon as I could. The sooner I
finished this the sooner I could get to finding out who I was and who I was
supposed to be.
The wind started to gust as though a
storm was fast approaching bringing with it a danger no one had ever
encountered before.
