"Chancellor Ocato!" he shouted, "The city is under attack! Oblivion Gates have opened, and daedra are inside the city walls!"

I looked at Martin. "They're here already!" I said.

"Your Highness, what are your orders?" asked Ocato. "Shall the Guard fall back to the Palace?"

Martin made a quick decision. "No." he responded. "If we let ourselves get besieged in the Palace, we're doomed. We must get to the Temple of theOne immediately."

"As you command, sire!" replied Ocato. "Guards! Form up and protect the Emperor! To the Temple of the One!

"Sorry, I'm not properly dressed for battle, Your Highness." I quipped to Martin.

"Neither am I, it seems." he replied. "We'll have to make do as best we can."

As the guards took their orders, the doors to the council chamber flew open! Suddenly, daedra were in the council hall. It was a sword fight, as I could not use my usual spells to defeat them. The blast from God's Fire would have killed several of the guards, as well as Martin.

"Quickly!" shouted Martin. "The Temple of the One! Before more of them come to stop us!"

Martin was right. The group that came into the chambers intended to stop Martin from lighting the Dragon Fires.

"Wait for me!" I shouted, bumping into a guard.

We made it outside, but there were daedra everywhere. The guards kept several of them busy, distracting them from Martin and myself.

We needed to make it to the part of the ring that would take us to the Temple area. Sure enough, more daedra where there, waiting for us. I wanted to use my summoned creatures, but realized that this would be useless. The guards wouldn't know which ones were the enemy and which ones were summoned by me.

Around another part of the circle, two more daedra tried to keep us locked within this part of the city. I managed to hit one of them with a paralyze spell, giving the Captain of the Guard a fighting chance against them.

Meanwhile, Martin and a few of us were making it through the graveyard, ducking between headstones. A fight would indeed be a glorious undertaking, but Martin's death would mean the loss of the war, and we wouldn't risk it. Quickly, we made our way to the door leading to the Temple quarter.

I caught Martin, looking back at the men fighting on his behalf. There was a sadness in his eyes. All this death on his behalf.

I knew he felt responsible.

"Martin, there is no time. We must go." I said.

"Yes, you're right." he said.

We turned and headed into the Temple quarter.

The Temple quarter was no better off than any other part of the city. There were daedra everywhere. I used my spell of summoned armor and went to work. I had to clear a path for Martin. If any of these creatures managed to engage him in battle, he'd fight them to the death. The problem is that he might be the one to lose his life, and I couldn't risk that.

This one put up quite a fight! I had to use a potion that restored my life constantly, as well as another one that doubled my strength. He finally fell just before my spell of summoned armor gave out.

I had to use another potion just to enhance my magica. I could see I was going to be doing this a lot.

I looked down the street. Right there in the middle of the street, an Oblivion Gate was open, and one monster after another came through. The city would soon be overrun with these creatures.

The Temple door was just a few yards in the other direction. I re-summoned my armor and brought down two more citizens of Oblivion. A blast of God's Fire brought down another. We were nearly at the Temple Entrance. There was blood and death everywhere around me. To my left, a valient guard lay on the ground in anguish, clutching his leg.

Apparently he had taken an arrow to the knee.

As we made it two thirds of the way towards the Temple door, we came upon several guards staring in awe at something just around the bend in the road.

As we came closer, we could see what they were staring at!

We were too late! The barriers between the Mortal world and Oblivion had been destroyed.      

Mehrunes Dagon was here!