Entry 6: Last Seed 30, 3E433

Another victory has been blessed to us, but it was not without sacrifice. It is after 11:00 PM now as I am writing this entry from the encampment outside of Kvatch. Martin has finally fallen asleep and although I am tired from the day’s events, I feel that I must record how the mission to retake the castle of Kvatch from the damn daedra, was a success. This is how we won:

Shortly after 11:00 AM, Savlian Matius, myself, Martin, and the remaining Kvatch soldiers charged out of the Chapel of Akatosh and ran forth to the castle. When we arrived at the gate however, it was locked. With little time to spare, I was sent back to the chapel to acquire the help of Berich Inian. Thankfully for all of us, four Imperial Legion soldiers accompanied Martin and I as we fought our way through the devastated city.

After I managed to raise the gate, nearly a dozen soldiers stormed the castle. Savlian Matius and his men stayed behind to hold the great hall, while my forces pushed deeper into the castle in search of the Count. The deeper that we went into the castle, the worse the outcome looked. The dining hall, servants quarters, and even the Count’s private quarters were all in flames. Stepping into the flaming room, I saw that Count Goldwine lay dead in a pool of his own blood. Again, I had arrived too late to make a difference.

Taking the Count’s ring, I returned to the great hall and gave the signet ring to Savlian Matius. I could see in his eyes that he was just as frustrated as I was. With the city retaken, albeit a destroyed city, Matius thanked me for my efforts and he gave me his enchanted Kvatch cuirass as a gift.

Martin and I then traveled back through the burning city and took the long walk back down to the encampment. Much blood had been spilt over the day and my armor reflected that. We sat down and ate dinner in silence and the refugees left us alone. As we ate, I kept looking at my travel sack and I could hear the faint whispers coming from the strange stone inside.

Unable to take it anymore, I opened my sack and a soft orange glow bathed me in its light. Reaching inside, I pulled out the strange smooth Sigil Stone that I had removed in the black tower in Oblivion. Martin watched as I cupped the stone in my hands.

From my studies with my late great grandfather, Jaleel, I knew that many stones held magical properties. And just by examining the Sigil Stone, I knew that this stone was indeed magical. After I tried the method in which Jaleel harnessed the power within his magic stones, nothing initially happened. But then, the stone suddenly crumbled in my hands. As I let the blackened rocks fall to the ground, I noticed that one of the rings on my hand now faintly glowed orange.

As I sit here in the darkness finishing this journal entry, I am reminded once again of my calling. Many lives have perished here at Kvatch, but it will be up to me to make sure that those lives did not die in vain.