25 Last Seed, 3E330

Caius was still asleep when I awoke. I told a guard what had happened and he said it sounded like the work of the Dark Brotherhood, an assassin’s fraternity. He said it was serious and to speak to Apelles Matius in Ebonheart about it. I think I can take care of myself for now, I’ll just be more cautious.

At the Council Club I queried Savor Trandel about the key, and he said he didn’t know what I was talking about. I got a bad vibe from him, so I bid him farewell. As I was leaving I purposely fell into him and pickpocketed the key off of him. He was none the wiser.

I received 500 drakes from Habasi and a promotion to “Footpad.” She gave me another job. A Khajit named “Ra’Zhid,” stole some Dwemer artifacts from her, and Habasi wanted them back.

Hla Oad was a one day trip. I was sleep deprived by the time I arrived at Ra’Zhid’s place. I questioned Ra’Zhid about the Dwemer items and he played dumb, of course. I knew he was hiding something.

I rested in his house for a day to prepare for my trip back to Balmora, all the while trying to figure out how to open that chest in the back of the room without Ra’Zhid noticing. I decided to go for it when him and his buddy weren’t looking. They caught me. I heard the draw of a sword and I whipped around and slit Ra’Zhid’s throat and charged at his friend with my shield, knocking him down, and put my sword through his head. I opened the chest and put the Dwemer artifacts in my bag. That was when I noticed there was a trap door near the chest. I went down.

There were 5 slave traders in the underground cave. There is nothing I hate more than slave traders. One of them asked me to help bring a slave to some place. I refused, took out my sword, pulled him close, and stabbed him through the chest, and sprinted across to the sophisticated looking one and sliced his torso open. I calmly walked across to the other side of the cave and killed another. He dropped throwing stars, and when another came for me I threw one and hit him in the eye. I charged at the last one, but she managed to stab me through my armor in my gut. I stabbed her back 3 times and grabbed the keys off her, stumbled toward the slave and freed him. He thanked me greatly and I told him to run. I was bleeding profusely and collapsed. I rummaged through my bag and drank as much of a potion as I could before passing out.

I’ve just awakened, two days later.