Balmora is a nice town, but now that I have a bit of cash on hand and a little liquid security in the form of potions from the Fighter's Guild, I feel it's time to stake out and explore a little, get a feel for Vvardenfell, at least as far as my legs will take me, before returning back to fulfill my duties to the guild.
First, I head north, to Caldera. Suffice it to say, I don't spend much time there, other than to browse the local wares, to find most of it utter crap. I pass straight through, northward, to what, I'm not quite sure.
Eventually, however, I think I can just make a giant enemy crab in the distance. I'm mistaken, of course it's just a building made out of a giant enemy crab. Ald'ruhn.
Of course, the second I dare to step foot in the city, a horrible duststorm kicks up. I think I've changed my mind; Vvardenfell Sucks. I poke around halfheartedly, but book a ride on the next silt-strider to Balmora. The quicker I'm out of here, the better.
When we arrive, I immediately resign myself to another job from the Fighters guild. It promises to pay out enough to almost double my current funds. I accept quickly. It seems a bit more risky than the previous ones, though; four Telvanni agents in a cave north of the Caldera Ebony mine.
No big deal. I passed by the place, earlier. Incidentally, I think all this mindless running around is getting me moving a little faster. Maybe it's my imagination.
In any case, I set out for Caldera again. I'd rather show up during the day, so I poke out a place outside of Balmora to rest for the night. I don't make it all the way through before I wake up to find a rat gnawing on my foot. As I sit up to grab my blade and knick it away, a loud 'Thowng' sound reverberates through the air from where my head was only moments prior. In the midnight darkness, I can see a figure running towards me, brandishing a small dagger. Holy shit, I'm being assassinated!
He knocks me around pretty bad, but somehow, I get a lucky shot in, and he flies backward, his chest ripped open. I stand, shaking, over my assassins body, only just having the mechanical presence of mind to search his body for clues... Hey. This is light armor. Really, really good light armor! I don't think he's going to be missing it. I take it from his body, but decide it best to clean it before wearing it. I hurry back to Balmora, feeling safer there than Caldera and, report the incident to a guard, who recommends I travel to Ebonheart to seek aid of the Empire directly. I may just be in over my head.
I check into the South Wall Corner Club, get a bed for myself, and sleep profoundly through the night... I feel different somehow, when I wake up.
Every day of my life leading up to this dawn was just a fleeting shadow, meandering, without guide or purpose. The Dark Brotherhood, for reasons I cannot possibly even begin to fathom, wants me dead. The general response from the guards is shock that I am actually still alive, and a recommendation that I not get comfortable with that. Something about this kind of situation makes a person change inside, makes one focus, realize what's important. As I dawn the Assassins' armor, and make muddy tracks through the rain for the Ebony mine, I realize that, for the very first time,
I am alive.