Elder Scrolls: The Assassin's Dark Tale
#1 of Elder Scrolls
3E 433...
The year of many disasters and chaos in the world of Tamriel, all overseen by the Oblivion Crisis-the destructive return of the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon after the grim assassination of Emperior Uriel Septim VII-but this story doesn't depict the heroism of the Champion of Cyrodiil. This story tells the dark retelling of a driven Argonian slave who've escaped the bonds of Morrowind's slavery before finding himself imprisoned in the chains of Imperial Prison for his murderous madness. However, a darker force retrieves its future agent before the coming crisis. Sithis calls Swift-Knife for a destiny that will bring the best and worse of him...and the Dark Brotherhood will be in his claws.
Prologue
Sitting in a damp, dark cell of the infamous Imperial Prison for an unknown time period, with a shred of natural light beaming into his cell and torches from the other end of the cell-lined hall, the Prisoner have long lost track of time here.
Then again he has lost much in his life, but he will gain freedom very soon. That was certain.
Finally, a visitor comes, easily indicated by the slamming of the door leading to the outside world and the sounds of clanging metal boots. A hiss slipped out of the Prisoner's fanged maw. It must be one of the guards and from the smell in the air; it was the arrogant Imperial, Trakus Dovaniis.
Besides himself, there was another prisoner, a Dumner fool by the name of Valen Dreth. Just the name made the Prisoner's blood boil like a volcanic-heated cauldron. He hated Dunmer, he despised possibly everything about them. He hated them all.
Valen's smell haunts him every day and night; madness had already taken his mind long ago. He was but a beast now.
A beast with intelligence...
Then the sounds of metal drew close until the large Imperial guard appeared infront of his cell. "And finally the Argonian." The Imperial said with a scorn on his chubby face. For before him, in this dark cell, was a large crocodilian that have been deprived of water for a long time and his pale dry scales showed it, even though it was hard to see anything but the Argonian's glimmering yellow eyes.
"I don't see the point of keeping you in here," Trakus scoffed, "You are nothing but a filthy beast. A beast that should have been put down the moment the others caught your tail in the sewers."
The Argonian was quiet, not a noise came out of him. Standing up, he slowly approached into the torches' light to show his malnourished yellow scales, thick iron bonds around his wrists. On clawed feet, the Argonian stood a foot taller and was bulkier than the heavily-built soldier.
Hunching over, his claws gripped to the cell, and his cold eyes met with the Imperial. There was an intense silence between the two before a harsh and dry voice snarled out of the Argonian's long maw,
"You be first to die."
Never had the Argonian spoke until now and it disturbed the guard, but he was determined to prove his superiority-as all Imperials do-and drawn his sword threateningly.
"Is that so, Killer Croc?" Trakus asked with a worried face and pitiful excuse of a smile. "Maybe if I cut some limbs off, maybe your thoughts would be different."
"No." The Argonian croaked. "It be already too late."
At the last word, Trakus gasped and groaned. He stared in despair at the Argonian as blood started to seep through his mouth. Looking down, he saw the Argonian's thick tail stabbed into his stomach. His cuirass ripped through like paper.
The Prisoner's eyes were last thing he seen before death took him. Managing to pass a thick arm through the bars, the Argonian kept the heavy body up as his claws grabbed the dangling keys. Slipping them through and tested each one till the final unlocked his cell.
Satisfied, he tore his tail back from the Imperial's body before stepping out. Flipping his tongue, the crocodilian walked down the hall with weary footsteps. It has been too long.
Just then he heard another voice. Valen's voice.
"Hey, hey, friend. Do you mind..." The Dark elf tried to say before the crocodile suddenly went wild, and thrusted his head at the cell bars. His muzzle started to push through bars some but he could pass through. Roaring and snarling like a wild beast, the Argonian scared the Dumner into the back of his black cell.
Reforming back to a calm mood, the Argonian continued on, and the Dumner remained quiet, watching till his long bloody tail slipped past his cell.
Walking up the stairs, with no care for any guards that awaited his approach, the Argonian pushed open the heavy wooden door to see another guard turning to greet, no doubt, Trakus, but looked absolutely horrified to see the Argonian murderer out of his cell.
An armored hand about to fall on his sheathed sword and mouth ready to scream, the Argonian snarled and backhanded his captor's face, throwing him clear across the room. Slamming his helmed head onto the stone wall, the Imperial guard was quiet and still as the Prisoner continued his calm escape.
Pushing open the door, he was greeted with the fresh smells of outdoors and beautiful bright sunlight. Just this alone was bliss of heaven to the Argonian, especially the smell of the surrounding water.
Purring at the feeling of heat hitting his scales, the prisoner walked in ecstasy until he heard a small chorus of metal rumbling.
Aware of the several guards moving towards him, the Argonian snarled and roared before running with beguiling speed. Coming to an end of the courtyard as the guards started to shoot arrows, he found what he was looking for...a manhole.
Ripping the heavy lid out of the ground, the escaping convict barely ducked under a flurry of arrows, throwing it at the coming guards hard, hearing the sound of intense pain and bone crunching before jumping to the sewers.
This time the guards did not follow, the crazed Argonian has escaped them, and he will not be caught again in their own city's sewer.
Swift-Knife has escaped into the civilized world once more...