1: A Life Worth Living
Defeating the World Eater was no small task. That was my life for months last year. Returning from the Nordic paradise Sovngarde to a relatively peaceful Skyrim gave me a sense of unease.
Months after that, I wandered around Skyrim doing odd jobs to help others that were in dire need. I avoided the civil war at all costs; mostly because I didn't care. I owed allegiance to neither side.
On the 3rd of Morning Star, 4E 202, I left Candlehearth Hall in Windhelm. As the Dragonborn, I had free reign in most of the cities. Even as a Breton, my short stature and skinny frame set me apart from the native Nords. Surprisingly, I wasn't harassed in this city. Even though I was a human, a lot of the Nords here were suspicious of outsiders. Anyone who wasn't a Nord was cause for unease. I was overlooked now, mostly because I knew they all feared me. Whenever I walked by, most would keep their eyes downcast. Because of this, I led a solitary existence not taking anyone with me on my journeys anymore.
I had just dealt with the man responsible for killing all the women in Windhelm, and in exchange, Ulfric's steward Jorleif talked to the Jarl on my behalf, allowing me to roam the city without fear of persecution.
I left Candlehearth Hall clad in my signature Dragonscale armour, when I was approached by two tall men. They were wearing very strange masks, different from Dragon Priest masks, and brown mage robes.
"You there! You're the one they call Dragonborn?"
I fingered the hilt of my Dragonbone mace, and started to summon a fireball in my left hand. I had a bad feeling about this. "Yes, I am Dragonborn," I replied.
"Your lies fall on deaf ears, Deceiver. The True Dragonborn comes…You are but his shadow."
"Oh really?" I sneered, drawing my mace. I was short, but quick.
"When Lord Miraak appears all shall bear witness. None shall stand to oppose him!" The man shouted.
They started to attack me then, using magic to try to devastate me. "Tsk," I clicked my tongue, holding up a ward. "You know I'm a Breton right?"
Surprisingly, the guards of Windhelm helped me take the strange men down. "Why were they after you Dragonborn?" A heavily accented Nord guard asked me after the masked men were dead.
I shrugged, and started to search the dead bodies. A piece of folded up parchment paper entitled "Cultist's orders" was found in the pocket of one of the so-called Cultists. With a raised eyebrow, I gingerly opened the paper.
Board the vessel Northern Maiden docked at Raven Rock. Take it to Windhelm then begin your search. Kill the False Dragonborn known as Brii before she reaches Solstheim.
Return with word of your success, and Miraak shall be most pleased.
I crumpled the paper in my fist. Now I knew what I had to do. This was just what I needed; a revenge quest to keep me busy. Maybe Solstheim would be a better home for me. Skyrim was bleak and lonely. I knew that I never belonged here; my joy in solidarity was proof of that.
The Windhelm guard looked at me expectedly. "These men won't be a threat to you. They're after me, but I do need to get to Solstheim. Is the Northern Maiden docked?" I asked.
"Yes, Dragonborn. Please, I must ask you to leave Windhelm as soon as possible. We don't want another attack on our city." The man was joined by a few of his coworkers, probably for a defense in case I became hostile from his request.
I felt a surge of anger flash through me, but it was overcome by my understanding. I knew why they feared me. They had good reason to; I could kill every one of them with a whisper. No matter how much I helped others, I would be ostracized.
That was my destiny.
"Don't worry, I'll be leaving shortly," I said to reassure them.
(~~)
After I gathered some supplies from the journey, I proceeded to the Windhelm docks. I asked around for Gjalund Salt-Sage. When I found him, he put up his hand to stop me from talking. "If you're looking for passage to Solstheim, too bad. I'm not going back there anymore."
"I was attacked by the cultists that you brought over," I said, getting straight to the point.
His eyes widened. "Now hold on! That wasn't my fault! I didn't know they were going to attack anybody. I don't even know how I got here."
"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow.
"It's hard to explain. I remember those people with the masks coming on board, then next thing I remember I was here and they were gone. That's not right, losing whole days like that. There's been something strange going on there for a while, but after this, I'm done. I'm not going back to Solstheim."
"Well, it's too bad you feel that way. But, I need to go there. You owe me," I said in a low voice. "You brought those killers over."
He cowered. "Alright, you have a point. Taking you back to find out who sent them is the least I can do. Besides, maybe you can put a stop to whatever's going on there. I owe them a bit of payback myself."
I exhaled with relief. "Thank you. I certainly intend to stop this."
(~~)
I wasn't sure how long I had been on that boat, but it felt like forever. I discovered that the boat life wasn't for me. When we finally docked on Raven Rock Gjalund was laughing at me, and made a comment about how I needed to "find my sea legs".
I had never left Skyrim. I always thought my home province was beautiful, but Solstheim was infinitely better. It was already a lot warmer and a lot more pleasant. The houses were different, but they looked like they were better built and more civilized than Skyrim. I could get used to this.
I was leaning over the dock trying to fight a wave of nausea, when a male voice spoke from behind me. "I don't recognize you, so I'll assume this is your first visit to Raven Rock, outlander. State your intentions."
I looked up for a second to glare at him. "Can you wait a second?" I hissed.
The Dunmer did not seem amused. I noticed he was wearing rich clothes. "You are speaking to the Second Councillor, outlander."
And I'm supposed to know what that means? I took a deep breath. I think I'm okay. "My name is Brii. I'm looking for someone named Miraak. Would you happen to know where I could find him?"
"I am Adril Arano. As for your question…" He squinted his eyes in thought. "I swear I know the name, but I cannot place it."
I frowned. "Please. This is really important. Can you remember anything at all?"
"I think…The name has something to do with the Earth Stone. It's just west of the docks. You should check there first," he smiled. "Just remember, Raven Rock is sovereign territory of House Redoran. This is Morrowind, not Skyrim. While you're here you will be expected to abide by our laws." He walked away.
"Yes Sir," I mumbled.
I walked along the path that Adril pointed me to. The Earth stone looked like some kind of shrine. What was strange was that the people who were gathered around it were apparently building something. But what?
That's when I realized that they seemed to be inside a trance. They were chanting the same thing over again:
"Here in his shrine, that they have forgotten. Here do we toil, that we might remember. By night we reclaim, what by day was stolen. Far from ourselves, he grows ever near to us. Our eyes once were blinded, now through him do we see. Our hands once were idle, now through them does he speak. And when the world shall listen, and when the world shall see, and when the world remembers, that world will cease to be."
I watched them in fascination, trying to make sense of the mantra. Now this was interesting. It was certainly something that I had never come in contact with.
"You there," a male voice said behind me. I turned to find a tall Dunmer looking down at me. He was wearing fancy yellow and brown robes. He had a funnel shaped beard and a shaved head. His blood red eyes were full of ancient wisdom, and it was like they were staring through my soul. I wondered how old he was. I could see lines on his face from age, and his hands were scarred from working with the arcane arts. Still, his body seemed young, but his eyes were ancient. I had this strange feeling that he was trying to figure out my secrets. My heart leapt from his gaze. I hadn't been so curious about someone in a long time.
"Yes?" I asked, staring up at him. I hated being so short sometimes.
He smirked. "You don't seem to be in quite the same state as the others here. Very interesting. May I ask what it is you're doing here?"
I sighed, taking my gaze off of him to stare at the Earth Stone. "I'm looking for someone named Miraak. He sent some men to kill me, and the Second Councillor said I should start here."
The elf stroked his beard in thought. "Hmm…Miraak…Miraak. It sounds familiar, and yet I can't quite place…Oh! Wait! I recall. But that makes little sense. Miraak's been dead for thousands of years."
My eyes widened. "What does that mean?"
He looked down at me curiously. "I'm not sure, but it is fascinating, isn't it? Perhaps it has some relation to what's going on here. Quite unexpected. I'm afraid I can't give you any answers. But there are ruins of an ancient temple of Miraak's towards the center of the island. If I were you, I'd look there."
I sighed. "Thank you."
He cocked his head to observe me. "I wouldn't go there now. Get yourself a room at the Retching Netch in Raven Rock. It's safe enough for a fragile thing like you I'm sure."
I raised an eyebrow. What did he just call me? I was literally wearing the scales of dead dragons. "And who are you then?" I asked in annoyance.
"Neloth of the House Telvanni," he said proudly.
I stared at him in utter confusion, and he snorted. "Ignorant woman. In short, I am a Master Wizard."
"Oh." There was silence for a while, and the workers began their chant again. Neloth and I watched them, both completely fixated on what was going on. "What exactly are they building?"
Neloth shrugged. "Something, clearly. And yet they don't seem to have much to say about it. I'm very interested to find out what happens when they finish." He turned his eyes to me and looked me over like some kind of experiment. "I have gone to some pains to ensure that I am immune to many forms of control. But, I wonder what it is that is protecting you. Who or what are you?"
I sighed. "My name is Brii. I'm the Dragonborn. My soul is strong, granting me near immortality. Perhaps that has something to do with it."
"Dragonborn eh?" Neloth smirked. "I sensed something was different about you. You radiate power. Not as much as me per say, but certainly a lot more than the average human."
I flushed a little, and fixed my hair nervously. I kept my red hair in a braided bun on top of my head, and I wore the Aetherium Crown to accessorize. "I have a lot more power than you realize. There is nothing fragile about me either," I stated.
"Hmm. Perhaps," was all he said. He looked up at the setting sun. "It is time for me to go back to my laboratory. I have a feeling we will meet again Brii." He didn't wait for a response before he walked away.
I stared at the wizard's retreating figure until he was out of sight again. "Strange day," I mumbled to myself. I headed back into town and got directions from the Redoran guard to the Retching Netch. Those guards made the ones in Skyrim look like children in comparison.
I found the Retching Netch quickly after that, opening the doors with trepidation. The first floor was an open room with a set of stairs leading underground. I loved the architecture of that concept.
I descended the stairs to find a taproom, with tables for patrons. It almost reminded me of the taverns in Skyrim. I approached the counter and a friendly Dunmer smiled at me. "Welcome to the Retching Netch, outlander. What can I get you?"
"I'd like to rent a room," I smiled back. "And buy a meal," I added.
He laughed. "Nice to meet some new faces around here. I've seen many visitors come and go, but you…There's something about you that I like," he winked.
Am I being flirted with? I grinned. "What's on the menu?"
"For you? I think you would benefit from Horker and Ash Yam Stew." He started fixing a bowl for me.
"What's in it?"
"Besides the horker meat, garlic for flavour and ash yam."
"What in Oblivion is ash yam?"
"They grow in the ashy areas around Solstheim. They're quite good," he promised.
(~~)
The meal was the most delicious thing I had eaten in a long time. I found out the man's name was Geldis Saldri, and I left him a generous tip for his meal, plus the cost of the room for the night.
He showed me to my room and then left me to make myself at home. The room was a lot nicer than a lot of the places I had stayed in. Unfortunately, the bed was a slab of wood.
I buried my face in my hands. This would be a long night.
A/N: I have been working on this story for a couple of years now. I absolutely love Neloth, Miraak and Solstheim. I hope you guys like it!
