Page for the outline/draft of The Trials of a Samurai fanfiction. Please, if you have any suggestions or corrections, don't hesitate to tell me.
A Fated Delivery
It was a crisp morning in Bayerwood. A bird flying to its nest. A squirrel rushing through the grass. A flag drooped silently, as if it's spirit had been removed. These were the things Julius Arkav noticed. He was trained to sense every sound, sight and smell. The Imperial nearly jumped as he heard a voice coming from inside the house. "Julius! Breakfast has arrived!" Ugh, not porridge and blackberries again, he thought. As he walked in, his eyes brightened at the sight of a roasted pig, covered in herbs and spices, along with fruits and vegetables. "Where did you get all of this?" Julius inquired. A portly man of about 50 chimed in, "Your brother was going into town to try and sell some things, and ran into a group of Argonians. They gave it to him and said they were grateful for the services our family has offered the citizens of Leyawiin." "That was nice of them" "Indeed, now are we going to let this hog rot or are we going to dig in, huh?" At that instant, chaos broke loose. People left and right were trying to get a slice off the beautifully cooked ham, courtesy of Julius' wife, Fey.
Many belts were loosened that morning. "Wow, I haven't ate that much in a long time" said the portly man. "So, Daimyo. What is the schedule for this week?" asked Julius. "Nothing special really, the only thing that stands out is that we are scheduled to send a cart of iron back to Leyawiin." "Iron? Since when did we acquire iron?" "Well, ever since you cleared the Ratdust Mine, I've been exploring, looking for anything we might be able to sell. I stumbled upon quite a vein of iron, and it seems to run deep." "That's great! But how did the Committee find out so soon?" "Ah, well you know, they make sure to find out about any new ways to get more money." The Committee of Leyawiin was established a few months ago. Ever since then, collectors came to every house, demanding to be paid in some sort of way for "government expenses". No one believed this, but since the Committee had military support, there was nothing anyone could do.
"Anyway," said the daimyo, "Could you make sure the cart of iron ore is in the stables? I told the officials that's where we would leave it." "It would be my pleasure." A rustle in the leaves. Julius whipped around and unsheathed his weapon, ready to protect his daimyo at any cost. Nothing. He slowly sheathed his katana again, peering around for any sign of the noise. "Don't worry, it's probably just the wind." assured the daimyo. "Yeah," as Julius turned back around" That's what they always..." He was cut off. A look of terror was masking the daimyo's usual laid-back face. He fell forward into Julius's arms. "Daimyo, are you oka...NO!!!" screamed Julius as he noticed two knives in the daimyo's back. He looked up at the roof to see an Argonian looking at him in surprise. Julius drew his bow . He was about to fire an arrow when...rustling in the leaves. He rolled out of the way in time to see a knife fly past his face. He looked back and saw another Argonian before he disappeared. He looked back up to the roof and noticed the other Argonian wasn't there. "HEY!" a voice shout. He then looked at the doorway just as his wife fell back with a knife in her heart. "NOOOOO!!!!" yelled Julius. He rushed over to her, trying to keep her breathing but it was too late. He couldn't find the Argonians, so he had to call for help. "Uncle!! Brother!!" No response. He rushed through the different rooms, looking for signs of either of them. He screeched to a halt as he saw his uncle on his bed with his neck slit. His breathing was increasing rapidly, hoping that his brother had not suffered the same fate. Julius ambled into the common room. So many thoughts were racing through his head. Where was his brother? Why had his family been killed? Who were those Argonians?
As he was in his own state of mind, he heard a creak in the rafters above him. He pulled his katana out and thrust it upwards into the ceiling. He looked up and saw his brother, the sword stuck between his arm and side. "Whew, you gotta be more careful bro!" "Sorry, I'm just a bit jumpy is all." "Yeah, I would be too..." There was an uncomfortable silence. Julius could begin to hear his uncle's blood dripping onto the wooden floor. Trying to cover the sickening noise up, Julius talked first. "So..." "Yeah I know, they're all dead." Silence again. Julius remembered something. "Hey, did you happen to catch the names of those Argonians who gave you that pig?" "No, but I clearly remember one of them having a sickly-green skin tone." "Did the Argonians that attacked us look anything like the other ones you saw." "I didn't see them. I heard uncle shout them I jumped up on these rafters. I saw your wife going to the back door when we heard you shout. As she opened the door, I yelled at this shrouded figure that was leaving the house." "Well," Julius said, deep in thought, "I guess it isn't safe to stay here anymore. Let's get some supplies and head out to the Mitsuteri House. It's pretty secluded." Julius' brother had a solemn look on his face. "I don't think it will matter anyway. If they wanted to kill us, I think they would have." "Let's...just hold off on figuring this out until we get to safety. We'll go in a second, I just need to...take care of some business." "Burial?" "...Yeah..." "I'll be waiting." After about a half an hour, Julius trudged into the house. His brother had gotten everything set up. "I even got us the two horses from the stables for easier travel." "Wait..." Julius got a bad feeling in his gut. He rushed outside to the stables. "I thought so..." He looked at an empty stable. "Hey, wasn't there a cart of iron supposed to be delivered? I was sure I saw it when I came in this morning." "Yeah. Me too..." Julius looked out onto the horizon. A dark sun, he thought. Fitting for today. He got onto his horse and rode into the distance.
Delving Deeper
A tankard slammed onto the table. Two apples rolled off and onto the floor. Julius was inconsolably sad. "You know, you really shouldn't be drinking that much. "Let me grief in my own way, okay?" "Sorry..." More silence. Julius' brother went upstairs to practice his alchemy. They had picked up some ingredients on the way to Mitsuteri House. This was a 106 year old house, owned by Julius' ancestor, and the years had been cruel to it. Planks in the floor were rotting, the wallpaper was peeling off, and the cabinets were filled with mold. Julius' brother came back down with a few potions. "Here, this should fill you up. You need nourishment with all that beer you've been drinking." Julius looked at the vial of brown chunky water. He looked at his brother with doubt. "I know, it's not the most attractive mix, but the only other food we have is currently already being eaten by ants." He could see his brother's sadness, and knew he had to be there for him. He sat down quietly. "Look, I know what happened yesterday will never go away, and I honestly can't say that you will get over it. That's up to you. But I do know that if you want to figure this out, we have to work together, and we have to work quickly. Those assassin won't be sticking around." Julius looked up. "I...should have...protected him..." he muttered. His brother was not amused. He got up out of his chair and just walked away. "It boggles me that you would just sit around while your family's killers are still out there. I thought the first and only thing you would do would be trying to figure out who and where they are." He walked outside.
Around sunset, Julius' brother came back with a basket of ingredients. Julius was still sitting at the table. His brother didn't even look at him while he put away the food. "They shouldn't have known it was there." "Huh?" His brother turned around. "They shouldn't have known I put the cart of iron in the stables. You said it yourself, the cart was still there when you came back with the pig." "Well that's true..." "So how did they know about it? Any even more important, why did they even want it?" "Well, maybe they were petty thieves..." "Petty thieves don't assassinate people for a cart of iron. If they were truly poor, why didn't they just take the cart if they knew where it was?" "Well I'm glad to see you finally taking an interest in this." his brother said with heavy sarcasm. "Look, sorry if I couldn't move past my family's death as fast as you. I guess I'm just not as good of a person as you huh?!" Julius stormed off into the training area. He started slashing at the training dummy, taking swigs of beer in his other hand. His brother walked in. "I guess the best place to start our investigation is in Leyawiin, huh?" "We leave at 6 A.M. tomorrow."
Underground Sewer
???: So he was of use then? The family is dead?
???: As you said sir. It was terribly easy.
???: Good. Send this missive to him. He should be waiting in the same place.
???: Right, sir. And we send word to arrest him?
???: Of course. Make sure you have the right man.
???: Of course, as you wish sir.
Back in Leyawiin
The city was bustling as always. Merchants tried to sell Julius new swords and armor, but he just ignored them. He and his brother decided the best place to stop first was the castle to speak with Leyawiin's count, Marius Caro. As they walked into the castle, Julius was immediately tackled by the guards. "ARREST HIM! ARREST HIM!" a voice shouted. He was then struck on the head with the butt of a guards longsword, knocking him out cold.
3 Hours Later
Blackness. A single flame penetrating darkness' shroud over the world. Julius sat up, rubbing his throbbing head. He found himself in a jail cell with ratty clothing dressed on him. His brother was waiting outside the cell. "Oh good, you're finally up. I've been waiting for an hour." "Heh, sorry to keep you." "It's okay. How's your head?" "Feels like it's going to crack open. But other than that fine. Did you find out why they arrested me?" "Well, I tried, but all they said was he needs to apy for his serious crimes. Also, there's someone here to talk to you." He showed a figure to Julius' cell. The single flame made it hard to see the man's face, but he could tell he was a Altmer, quite old at that. "Greetings, friend. I am Finnegan Gremlock. I am the head of the Committee of Leyawiin." "Oh, of course," Julius said still rubbing his head. "About that iron ore..." "Oh, no worries, boy. We heard what happened. I am very sorry, by the way. It must be hard to see things like that." "Yeah, but we'll be okay." "Ah that's good." The old Altmer smiled. He had a very warm smile, in fact, he seemed in whole to be a very caring person. "So, to get to the point, I came here because the Committee wants you to testify." "Testify?" "Yes, we want you to help us convict a suspect of murder." "But what has that got to do with me?" "We suspect he killed one of your family members. Your uncle, was it?" Anger rushed through Julius' veins. He could get his revenge. The only problem was..."But how am I going to get out of here?" "Oh, don't worry about that, I've gotten it taken care of." He pulled a rusty old iron key out of his expensive robes. Quite the clash, Julius thought. The door opened. "Thank you sir." "Please, call me Finnegan." The three walked up the old stone stairs, and were greeted by a guard. "Hey, what's he doing out of his cell?" he demanded. "Damien, don't worry. I can vouch for him." Finnegan told the guard. The guard peered at Finnegan, then Julius, then back to Finnegan. "Alright, have a nice day." The guard stepped out of the way.
Underground Sewer
???: What?! You let him go?!
???: I had to, it was the only real way to get him out of there without raising suspicion.
???: You do as I say, you filthy cretin! You never disrespect me like that! We had a plan, and it would have worked just fine!
???: I would have been caught, sir. He would have blown my cover.
???: Idiotic piece of...If he's that much of a hazard to you, send the assassins in and kill him!!
???: Yes sir. My mistake. It won't happen again.
???: Good. Now, is Julius and his brother headed back to house?
???: No, they've been hiding at some other house in the forest.
???: Find out where. Get details I want them by tomorrow. GO!
Betrayed
Julius had had enough investigation for one day. His head was aching so much he couldn't walk straight. As they reached the door out of Leyawiin, they were greeted by Finnegan. "Ah, boys. I forgot to ask. Where are you living nowadays? I need to tell the Committee so they know not to charge you boys for a while, you know, until you get back up on your feet." Julius and his brother looked at each other. "Um, well you know, we're just living everywhere, just trying to find a new place." "Ah yes, the wonderful hunt for a house. Well, good luck!" he chuckled brightly as he wandered off. "I think he's a bit off, don't you?" "Eh, all old people are." As they left Leyawiin, they heard another voice behind them. "Hey, you two, over here." They looked around, trying to find where the voice had come from. "Psst! Behind this tree" They found a giant oak tree, and checked behind it. They found a familiar guards hiding behind it. "Aren't you the guard that..." "Shh!" I'm not supposed to be here! Meet me at the Five Claws Lodge in 2 hours, that's when I get off my shift. It's of the utmost importance! Now leave and don't look at me!" He ran off back into the city. "What do you think?" Julius asked. "I think we should listen to what he has to say. He might know something..."
Two Hours Later
Julius and his brother sat a table in the corner of the inn. They heard the door open and saw the guard come in. He saw the, and trying to act as casual as possible, made it to their table. "I guess we haven't been properly introduced. My name's Damien, and I gave you that lump on your head. Sorry 'bout that." He had a heavy Breton accent, though he looked Imperial. "No problem..." Julius muttered as he rubbed his head. "So, I came to talk to you about Finnegan." "That crazy old coot?" "He much more dangerous than you think. You know he's the head of the Committee of Leyawiin, right? Well that Committee definitely isn't doing what's best for you. I know for a fact that they were the ones to hire those assassins to kill all those people. Why? I don't know, but know this: The Committee has been receiving tons of information on you, but they aren't using it for themselves." "But why? I thought that they would do whatever they can to get money." "Exactly. And do you know why? The Committee isn't actually run by the County of Leyawiin, it's an independent group that came out of nowhere. For some reason the Count decided it was legal for them to collect taxes from everyone. The truth is though, that money isn't going to them, it's going to some other group, like repaying a debt. Unfortunately, I have no other information besides that. Just know that the Committee of Leyawiin is dangerous, but there's another group out there looking to kill you two, so be careful." "Well, thanks for the info...You know, Finnegan asked me to testify against a suspect in my family's murder" "Yeah, well, that suspect is me..." "WHAT?!" "No, no, no, this is just Finnegan's way of getting rid of annoyances. I wasn't even in the County of Leyawiin that day, I was sent to deliver some weapons to Bravil. Look, please understand that I am on your side, I want to see Finnegan and that whole Committee go down as much as you, but we can't do this alone." Julius was doubtful, but he didn't feel he had much of a choice. If he had followed Finnegan, he would probably end up dead. "Alright, I believe you. I just don't understand why they would want to eliminate us now. I mean, we were at the house when they killed our family, so why didn't they kill us too?" The guard looked around. "I don't know, but....oh no..." Damien's face froze with fear. "What?" They looked around, and their heart nearly stopped. There, sitting not more than two tables away, was Finnegan Gremlock. He did not look very happy.
"Oh man I gotta get outta here!!" Damien yelled. He crashed through the tables and ran out the door. Finnegan calmly walked up to the two brothers. "Know this:' he said in a voice that would shrivel up a head of lettuce, "There is no way you can save him now." Then he walked away. The two brothers looked at each other, then looked at Finnegan, who just left. "We have to get out of here!" said Julius. "Right in front of you!" They ran outside into the night.
Underground Sewer
???: YOU PIECE OF WORTHLESS TRASH! DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!?
Finnegan: Sir, do not worry, the problem has been taken care of. I personally killed Damien, he won't be of any more trouble to us.
???: DO YOU NOT COMPREHEND THE SITUATION HERE?! JULIUS IS OUR PROBLEM, NOT THAT COCKY GUARD!!
Finnegan: Sir, if you could give me more time...
???: YOU'RE OUT OF TIME! I'VE GIVEN YOU ENOUGH CHANCES AND YOU'VE FAILED ME EACH ONE...The time has come, Finnegan. You are no longer of any use to me...
Finnegan: No sir....please...NO!!!
...A knife...a scream...a life...
Pitch Black
An eerie calmness shrouded the night. The wind was still, yet the trees still seemed to wave back and forth, leaves falling here and there. Crunching. The two brothers were running as fast as they could, but they're armor was weighing them down. Of course, they didn't dare take it off in case they got into a fight. "Do you think Damien will be okay?" asked Julius' brother. "I don't know, I think the look Finnegan was scared than dad's when he caught us fighting with his prized swords." These words came out in huffs and puffs. Julius couldn't run much longer. His mind was still trying to comprehend everything Damien told him. But was it all true? Julius felt he had no choice in these times. Even guards, with their recent increase in corruption, were more trustworthy than the Committee. "Wait, why are we going back to Bayerwood?" asked Julius' brother. "I left some stuff there that we could use, and right now, I think it's safer to go to the place where they aren't keeping an eye on us." replied Julius. "But don't you think they would..you know...keep their eye on us everywhere?" Julius remained silent and kept running.
Once they reached Bayerwood, Julius knew exactly where he was going. "Hey, get some of the lockpicks in the house. They should be in a small jewelry box in the common room." "Okay, but why?" "You'll see. Julius ran out the back door, trudging through the mud, being careful not to step on his family's burial site. He brushed some branches and bushes aside, until he found a familiar lantern hanging on a cave wall. "Wait, why are we at Ratdust Mine?" Julius quickly lit the lantern and went inside. "Julius? Where are you going?" "Listen, the day the assassins attacked, I heard a rustling back here. Back here. The only way they could have gotten back here is through the house, right? Well, they couldn't have gone through the house, otherwise my wife would have seen them. So where's another place they could have gotten here through?" "...Through the mine? But that doesn't make sense, you cleared it out thoroughly, so where could they have hidden?" As they walked through the mine, Julius was brushing his feet across the floor, looking for his only hope. A clink. There it was. "You got some lockpicks, right?" "Yeah, but what..." Julius swiped them from his brother's hand, madly trying to pick the lock. The sound of tumblers falling and rising filled the mine, which was already silent except for the dripping caused by the rain earlier that day. Success! Julius pulled the handle of the trap door as hard as he could. Years of mold and erosion had lodged it in the rock. Pulling with all his might, he finally managed to open it. He peered inside. The mine may have been dark from the night, but what lay underneath the door would suck whatever light was still around from the mine. The brothers looked at each other, neither wanting to go first.
Underground Sewer
The sound of an opening door pierced the sound of silence. Two figures looked up from the table at which they were sitting.
???: What the hell was that?!
K'sharta: You're not expecting any visitors are you?
???: I never allow visitors. Go see what made that noise. If the door to the mine is open, tell me immediately."
K'Sharta: Yes, sir. Shall I kill him?
???: NO! There is a certain way he has to be killed for this to work out, and murdering him in a cave with all this evidence is not it. Just check, and if they are coming, run back!
Back at the Mine
Unfortunately, there was no ladder or steps down the hole. Julius picked up a rock and dropped it. Luckily, it only fell for half a second. "I think it's safe to jump down. I better go alone. Go into Leyawiin and get some help." "What?! I don't think so, Julius." "Listen, whatever is down there, it could be dangerous. But it could also lead us to figuring this mess out. If we both die down there, who's going to tell someone that we did?" His brother looked at Julius for a while, then reluctantly turned around. "I know you won't die, I'm 100% sure. But if that's how you feel..." "It is. I don't want my brother dying for something that's my problem." His brother turned around sharply and gave him a look closely resembling Finnegan's when they were in the bar. "Sorry if I'm concerned about your life. I'll try to work on that." He kept walking, until he disappeared into the night. Julius sighed, then jumped down into the hole, trying to create as little noise as possible. It was pitch black down here, but fortunately Julius had removed the lantern from the hook outside the mine, but the weak flame did not give out much light. It was enough to see about 2 feet in front of him. He walked through the tunnel, noticing it was more wet and that an odor was hanging around, one that would not be in a mine. Must be some kind of sewer, Julius thought to himself.
The slight tapping of a claw on the cave wall. Julius drew his katana and trying to figure out where it had come from. No more tapping, but now he could hear the distant sounds of running, getting fainter and fainter. He tried his best to follow where they were going, but the tunnel branched out in many directions. Julius took a deep breath and knew he had no choice except to move forward. More running. He must be getting closer. He stopped in his tracks. Two figures were at a desk, both of them looked up. One ran away, while an intimidating Khajiit pulled out a bow, and before he could get out of the way, fired an arrow at Julius' shoulder. "ARRRRGHHHH!!!" A scream flooded the many corridors of the underground sewer. Julius looked at his shoulder to find a barbed arrow going right through it. He looked up, but the Khajiit had disappeared. Julius was breaking out in a cold sweat. He was severely injured, and without medical attention, the wound would get infected, and he would probably die. He turned around, but remembered he had no idea how he got here. His only chance was to go further in, hoping it led back outside. He clutched his burning shoulder with a look of grief on his face, even though no one could see it. It would be a long night.
The Unfolding
The pain in his shoulder was searing. His vision, already impaired by the darkness, was clouded even further. He couldn't even think straight. He knew he would need something to stop the bleeding for now. He look in the cupboards set up around the table that was in the middle of the room. The creaking of the doors did not alert Julius. His ears were ringing, but he knew he had to be strong. He finally found a piece of cloth in one of the cabinets. He quickly bandaged his shoulder and made a cast out of the cloth and some wooded he found on the floor. He almost turned around when a glistening in the cupboard caught his eye. He looked closer to see it was a small bag of iron nuggets. If his jaw wasn't clenched from the pain, it probably would have dropped. He would have stuck around longer, but he had to get out and get help before he could go off investigating again.
After an hour of walking through the seemingly endless tunnels, a breath of relief passed through Julius' lips. There was a light shining from above one of the corridors. He ran to it, and saw it was a wooden grate. He was about to break it open, when he heard some voices coming from above. "How did he find the hideout, you imbecile?" "I don't know, I guess he got lucky sir. You know I would never let something like that slip." "Slip? You've been slipping for a while!" Julius struggled to hear the words. A rug must have been covering the grate. "It seems you minions haven't realized that since Finnegan's "accident", I am number one on the list or being installed as the new Head of the Committee, and I don't want that to happen! It would draw too much attention, and people may start catching on. I need one of you to get recommended to be the new Head." "It was my fault this happened, I'll do it." "No, you fool! Julius has seen you! As soon as your face is plastered over the city our cover will be blown!. Look, I'll worry finding a replacement. Just make sure all of you stick to your positions." The sound footsteps and the faint noise of an opening door let Julius know it was safe to get out. He grabbed the planks of the grate, but he realized he could only pull with one hand. He took his katana out, and like a crowbar, forced it in between the rock and the grate, and pulled down, pooping the grate off. He climbed up, pushing the rug out of the way.
When his eyes finally adjusted to the light he had been yearning for, he was nearly blinded again; armor and weapons were stacked everywhere, with light shining off of them, sacks of gold where spilling onto the floor, and in the corner, a familiar cart of iron in the corner. Julius walked over to it, and found the Arkav insignia carved on the handle. Tears started welling up in his ears, but he quickly wiped them away. Quickly remembering the pain he had sustained, he quickly ran out the door, but froze as soon as he was outside. He was in Leyawiin. He looked up the sign suspended on the building and saw "Committee of Leyawiin Headquarters". He looked back down, and things started clicking together. He finally had a good idea about what happened that fateful day. He had to tell his brother, but first, he needed some medical help.
Somewhere in the Outskirts of Leyawiin
K'Sharta: Sir, we've received reports from our contacts that Julius has been seen in Leyawiin.
???: Wh...WHAAAT?! He should be dead! You good-for-nothing Fetcher!
K'Sharta: And sir...our contact also said...he saw him...coming out of...the HQ...
???:I swear on my mother's life I will kill you in the most painful way if you are joking!!
K'Sharta: I'm afraid not...the HQ was inspected and the rug was moved. He came from the sewer.
???:...Farados, Kyser. Up here. Now.
Farados: Yes, sir?
???: We have no choice but to invoke the plan now.
Farados: Understood, sir.
???: Did you hear that everyone? GET TO YOUR POSITIONS!! NOW!
The group broke out in chaos. Each person was getting all their equipment. Hatchets, rope, nets and weapons were being snatched up left and right. The room was quickly emptied, save three people.
Kyser: So how will this work out?
???: Farados will send Julius out of Leyawiin with a letter. During his trek to Bravil, K'Sharta and Gylum will be weakening trees. Kyser, you know your role.
Kyser: Distract him long enough for the net and rope to come into action.
???: Right. Leston will be in charge of the trappings. Remember, as soon as he's dead, you remove the net and run. Now, GO!
Farados: Yes, sir.
The two captains left the room. The shadowy figure sat down, flipping an iron nugget in the air.
???: Your time has come Julius.