Chapter 1: To Become a Knight

After the Legion deployed my father to Skyrim to fight in the civil war, I began my training as a recruit of the Bruma Guard. I was the first underaged member and, therefore, the youngest. The Captain was reluctant at first, but my father vouched for me, and I proved myself in combat. “He is young and reckless, but he has a good heart,” Dad told the Captain. He assigned me to the Eastern Watchtower under Ereia Snow-Fist. “I don’t want to be stuck babysitting the brat,” she said, but it was a direct order from her superior, so she didn’t have a choice. Ereia did not make life easy for me, and one day during training, she pushed me so hard I got upset and blasted fire out of my hands right at her face; she dodged it, though. That was the day I discovered I have a knack for fire magic, just like my mom.

I didn’t know my mom; she disappeared after I was born. My Dad, Artemus, would tell me stories about her. He told tales of how she was a great knight from a faraway land and a master of fire magic. She would scorch the battlefield and incinerate her enemies. He also told me that she was half-dragon and that I’m just like her, which is friggin cool. I want to be just like my mom when I grow up, an excellent knight who protects people, and I’ll join the Imperial Legion and fight for the Empire just like my dad. First, I have to get stronger and master my fire powers. When Dad left, I told him I would protect our home, Bruma, until he returned, and I won’t let him down!

It’s been a few days since Dad left for Skyrim. I know I said I would protect our home, but we haven’t seen much action at the Watchtower. The Timber Wolves steer clear, and bandits usually don’t come this close to the city. Damnit! I’ll never get stronger at this Rate! I’ve been practicing on my own since Ereia won’t train with me anymore, not after the fire incident. Speaking of which, I’ve gotten pretty good at controlling it. I can release a steady stream from the palm of my hand, but it’s not that strong, though. I asked Ereia if she had any new orders, but it was the same, “Guard the Watchtower,” she says. I’m getting bored just sitting around watching trees all day. “I can’t take this anymore!” I screamed and left. “Where do you think you’re going squirt!” Ereia called to me, “To talk to Captain Vilius!” I yelled back as I continued to walk away.

Cyrodiil may be home to us Imperials, but Bruma is a Nordic city. From what I heard, it’s more upscale than the cities in the Nordic homeland Skyrim. I was born and raised in the Imperial City with frequent visits to County Bruma, so I’ve never been to Skyrim. I arrived at the castle and managed to catch the Captain as he left. He didn’t look too pleased. “What’s going on, Captain? Did something happen?” “A thief managed to steal Count Carvain’s Akaviri Artifacts,” he replied. “Really, how?” I wondered, but he was just as clueless as I. ``I’m tired of sitting around doing nothing at the Watchtower; let me look for the artifacts,” I begged. “Well, frankly, I’m far too busy to investigate this matter, and since you seem to need something to do…” “Well,” I said in anticipation. “Fine, but be careful out there and report to me if you find anything.” “Yes, sir!” I was so excited.

The Captain suggested that I start at the Restful Watchmen, a haven for Bruma’s more unsavory folk, and I can question the Steward if I want more details on what happened. I decided to talk to the Steward first so I could get a better idea of what happened. When I told him I would be investigating the stolen artifacts, he couldn’t help but wonder why the Captain would assign a boy like me who just became a guard to handle such an important matter. I assured him that I was more than capable of handling the situation. He decided to trust me and told me what he remembers. The Steward didn’t see the thief, but he said that every night when he passes the armory, there is a gleam in his eye from one of the amulets, but last night, it wasn’t there. He decided to take a look, and the artifacts were gone. “What exactly is missing?” I asked. “Some amulets, some rings, and a katana, all very important to the Count’s collection,” he responded. “Thanks, I’ll look into it,” “Good luck on your investigation,” he said as I left.

My next stop was the Restful Watchmen, run by a rough-looking guy named Bentior. He was very uncooperative. I had to give him 100 Septims just to tell me the thief’s name and a letter from the Captain to show me where the guy went. The thief’s name is Atienne, and he took the artifacts to Capstone Cave to strike a deal with the bandits hiding out there. The cave is south of the city, a few ways off the path. When I entered, a bandit confronted me. I’m guessing he was guarding the entrance. He got me in the side with an arrow, but I managed to take him down. I went a little further, and there were two more bandits, even better than the last one. I almost died, but I was able to get rid of them. Deeper in the cave was a large group, way too many to fight on my own but still no Atienne. I decided to search the corpses for clues, and on one of them was a note. It looks like Atienne was trying to get in with the Cutters, the most notorious group of bandits in Bruma, but his plan failed. He was lied to and told to meet a contact in the Bruma Caverns. I returned to the city to report back to Captain Vilius, but something was going on.

A thief snuck into one of the citizen’s homes, a fellow named Botram. I told the Captain that Atienne was in the Bruma Caverns and that there happens to be a secret hatch in Botram’s house leading to that very place. “Well, it looks like we can kill two birds with one stone,” Captain Vilius exclaimed. We entered Botram’s house to find that the thief who broke in was no other than Atienne himself. As I expected, they double-crossed him. The second he handed over the artifacts, the bandits attacked him. “I barely made it out alive by escaping back through the hatch!” he exclaimed. “You should have known better than to trust bandits,” I said, “regardless you're under arrest for stealing Count Carvain’s artifacts,” the Captain followed. He arrested Atienne and left it to me to retrieve the artifacts. I departed down the hatch, where I discovered a room filled with valuables and a locked gate. I don’t know how to lockpick, not that I own any lockpicks, so I smashed the lock with my sword, and the gate flung open. I went down the corridor where there was an uncanny number of bear traps blocking the way. I came face to face with three bandits, two were Khajit, and one was a spell slinger. They were tough, but I isolated them and took them out one at a time.

I retrieved the artifact and returned to the castle where Captain Vilius and Atienne stood before the Count. The Captain gave me all of the credit for getting the artifacts back and catching Atienne. The Count thanked me and called me “Friend to Bruma,” he also paid me for my trouble. Afterward, Captain Vilius wanted to talk to me. He congratulated me on a job well done and gave me my pay for accomplishing the mission. He also told me that I would be better off if I’m not bound to the duties of being a Bruma Guard. I think he was right. I want to be a great

Knight, one who is strong enough to protect the people I care about just like my mom was. I can’t do that if I’m stuck on guard duty. To accomplish my goal, I need to travel, explore new regions, and help as many people as I can. My enemies are only going to get stronger from here, and I need to be ready. First, I have to get out of this guard uniform and into something more sturdy and more Knightley. Dad is still out there fighting, and I won’t let him down!