Chapter 2: Mainland

Our time at sea has finally begun its ware. Fights between members of the crew began to become commonplace. The conditions of the sea did not help the situation either. As we neared the shores of the mainland, the sea grew violent. The sea was no longer calm as we neared our destination: it seemed at times that she was trying to capsize us, as if the sea held a grudge. The nerves of all The Kraken's passengers, including Zela, Hui, Varon, and myself, were beginning to get the best of us.

Thankfully, on the morn of our fifty seventh day at sea, through the thick fog to the West, a beautiful sight laid before us: land. The fishing port of Karthor Oale presented itself before us as if it was a gift from Azura Herself. No word could describe the joy we all shared.

o0o

With seven strikes of the bell, The Kraken was officially docked in the Karthor Oale harbor. Immediately after, the unloading of the ship began. A constant stream of workers was set into motion, loading and unloading supplies. As this work commenced, Hui, Zela, Varon, and I took what were our first steps onto dry land in around two months.

Varon was the most ecstatic of us all.

"Thank the Gods!" he exclaimed as he stepped onto the wooden pier. "No longer shall I suffer that dreaded sea sickness! Never again shall I set foot onto another ship for a long as I live!"

"Glad to see you in such good spirits," chuckled Hui. "Zaden, what are our plans now that we have made landfall?"

"Once the ship is situated, we should go into town for supplies. Then, if all are ready, we can head off for Cyrodiil. It will take a few days to reach the providence's boundaries, then, if we are lucky, a few days to get through." All but Varon laughed from my joke.

"I do not understand," said Varon with a confused look upon his face. "Why would it take days to cross a boundary?"

"Do you not know, Varon?" I asked. "The providence of Cyrodiil is enclosed on all sides by a monumental wall dubbed The Great Cyrodillic Wall', or, to put it simply, 'The Wall.' It was built sometime during the second era and has survived countless siege attempts. I joke in saying that entering will take days because the immigration authority the operates the entrances into Cyrodiil are notorious for being strict in their practices. The legal process of moving from an outer providence into Cyrodiil are said to be a lengthy process."

"Are you not worried that you may be denied entrance, Zaden?"

"Not at all," I replied. "After all, I am a natural born citizen of Cyrodiil, so entering should be no hassle at all."

Just then, Captain Hasphat emerged from the ship, escorting a stable worker that held in each hand the reins of one of our horses: my white stallion, Apoc, and Hui's black stallion, Kalak. He limped over on his wooden peg leg with a look of relief upon his face (probably to have ended the voyage at sea.)

"Well," said the captain at length, "it would seem that our paths must split. While we have had our differences, Nerevar, I would like to say that it has been an honor to serve as your captain."

"And likewise," I replied, "it has been an honor to serve you, Captain. What will become of The Kraken, now that her maiden voyage is complete."

"The Kraken will forever more serve as a cargo ship, bringing trade goods between Vvardenfell and the mainland. I shall remain as her captain."

"And the crew?"

"They are under contract by the Blades. They shall remain servants of the ship as well. Oh, before you head off, I have a gift for you." The captain reached into one of the many pockets of his coat and retrieved what appeared to be a compass and placed it into my hands. As I examined it, I found major flaws. It was without cardinal directions and, furthermore, it did not point North, but rather, Northwest.

"I thank you for the gift," I said, "But I believe this compass is broken."

"It is not broken," said Captain Hasphat with a grin. "This compass, rather then pointing North, points to what your heart desires the most. What is it you seek here in the mainland?"

"My place of birth," I replied, "and my family. My parents."

"Then that is where it shall point."

Little did the captain know that his gift was more beneficial then he knew. Until this moment, I was essentially blind to the location of my family. Now, with this enchanted device, finding my place of origin would be that much easier. Before I had the chance to thank him again, a ground shaking crash sounded from near the ship. Apparently, as we four and the captain spoke, a crew member who was operating the pulley system that loaded supplies onto the deck failed to pay attention to his duties. In doing so, a number of wooden barrels came crashing down onto the main deck, some being successful in punching strait through the planks.

Needless to say, the captain became enraged.

"You butterfingered malcontents!" he scolded toward the person at fault. "Have you the brain of a fucking Scrib! Your job is fucking simple: make sure shit does not break the fucking ship! Yet you have succeeded in doing just that! If we were out at sea, I would have thrown you right over the railing. I cannot believe the incompetence that you-"

Before I could listen on further to the captain's ranting, Hui walked up beside me and advised that "It would be best to leave now, before his anger, for whatever reason, turns on us."

o0o

As it turned out, Karthor Oale was one of the largest ports on the eastern shores of mainland Tamriel. It seemed like, at all times, a ship was either entering the docks or leaving. Apart from the docks, little more than an eight of a mile away, was the village of Karthor Oale itself. Due to the amount of trade from the docks, the village was a melting pot of different cultures and peoples.

As Zela, Varon, Hui, and I walked through the crowded market of Karthor Oale, we quickly established what was of primary concern to purchase. With our money split evnly between us, we assigned each other a specific task: Zela and Varon volunteered to shop for food for the travels ahead. Hui and I, however, had a much more liberal shopping list but were limited to only purchasing "essentials."

So, naturally, the first place Hui and I stopped off at was a smoke shop, so that we could stock up on pipe tobacco.

After indulging ourselves in that luxury, filling the bowls of our pipes and lighting the leaves, we continued on into the market for actual shopping. In actuality, though, there was not much that needed buying. All that truly needed replacing was our cooking gear, which had turned blackened and charred through much use. Replacing that was easy enough. So, with that singular job out of the way, Hui and I decided to head to our rendezvous point early: the local tavern.

Rather then head inside, we smoked our pipes and waited patiently outside for Varon and Zela to return. As we waited, we watched as the myriads of people walked by: mothers and fathers walked together as their children circled ahead and behind them, playing their game of tag without a care to be had. They seemed so content with themselves, both the children and their parents.

I wondered to myself if my previous life was as such…

As Hui and I waited, peacefully smoking our pipes, I spied from the corner of my peripheral, to my right, two suspicious characters. Both dressed in dark green dusters and with wide brimmed straw hats atop their heads, the pair strode together, scanning the crowd like a hawk would in search for prey. I told Hui telepathically to keep an eye on the two for any sudden movements. Then, as the two passed in front of us, they suddenly came to a halt.

One of the two, without making eye contact, asked me, "Are you he that bares Moon and Star?"

"Who is he that asks?" I asked in reply.

"Allies, perhaps. Why so suspicious? Are you two acquaintances of Moon and Star?"

"… You could say such a statement were true."

The first of the men looked toward his accomplice and gave a light chuckle. "Did I not say he would be as suspicious as a Khajiit on skooma?"

"Indeed you did," the other replied with a nod, "though that is not necessarily a bad thing."

I rose to my feet, Hui joining me shortly after. "What is this about?" I asked.

The eyes of the dusters returned to me. "Nerevar," the first said, "let us be the first to welcome you to the mainland."

Thank Azura they were allies.

With an outstretched arm, I shook hands with both of the Blades and thanked them. "We understand that the providence of Cyrodiil is your homeland, is it not?" he continued. I nodded. "Well, you will find that the influence of the Blades, while still secret, is much stronger. If for whatever reason you need to seek us out, the Blades hold a stronghold located in the northern Jerall Mountains: Cloud Ruler Temple. There, you may seek shelter, food, quests to complete, and whatever we may offer."

The second man reached into a pocket of his duster and retrieved a mint condition map of Cyrodiil. Spreading it flat upon the ground, he marked off a spot near the northers border of the providence. "That is where the temple is located," he explained. "The path to the temple leads to the frozen lands. It is highly recommended that you dress warmly."

With that, I accepted the map, gave them a farewell, and the two left together. Just as they did, Zela and Varon Varvur returned from their shopping. All the food they bought was packed away neatly in the saddlebags of our horses.

"Zaden," said Zela, "who were those men you were talking to? Friends?"

"Members of the Blades," I replied. "They merely gave Hui and I a welcoming to the mainland, supplied us with a map of Cyrodiil, and went on their way."

"Well," said Varon, "if all our supplies have been purchased, are we to head off to the Cyrodiil border now?"

"If we head off at this moment, we will reach it by twilight and, if extremely fortunate, spend our first night in the mainland within the borders."

o0o

With that somewhat "pie-in-the-sky" declaration, we mounted our horses and followed the westward trail out of Karthor Oale. The lands near Cyrodiil were a drastic change of scenery. In place of great mushroom trees were tall evergreens that reached toward the sky, in place of the dreaded Cliff Racers were feathered birds of prey, such as hawks and falcons. The predators of these lands were no longer the Nix-Hounds, but were now mountain lions and wolves.

Yes, this was definitely my homeland. Everything seemed so familiar, so right. For many years, such memories were purged from me. Now, they seemed to come flooding back with every step forward of the horse's hoof.

It would be half-a-day's journey to the borders of Cyrodiil. The sun fell toward the eastern horizon, its warming rays to our backs. We all took this as a good sign, one that foretold a quick entrance to the providence. All previous fears were effectively erased in that instant. As we rode west, our eyes held sight to the splendors that were the mainland forests. One hundred year old pines seemed to touch the sky with their tremendous height, low hanging clouds grazed their needles. I seemed that the more we rode west, the more the geography seemed to rise, climbing at a slow, but steady pace.

After many hours of riding, the sun finally hide behind the horizon and, before us, a monumental construction stood in mour path: The Great Cyrodillic Wall. Built upon the height of a natural ridge, The Wall was optimally placed. The Wall was constructed of mortar and stone, glazed over with a sandstone finish, making it glow a faint orange in the setting light. It reached fifty feet toward the sky and father than we could see to our left and right. Cyrodiil was completely enclosed within this fortification, something The Empire saw as a "necessary step in the protection of their culture.

I saw it as nothing but a monumental waste of stone. No one has dared attack the providence of Cyrodiil for over two centuries, so maintaining such stone seemed a waste of energy, energy that could be used to improve what was contained within.

The dirt trail led to a tall wooden gate, the only through point for many miles. As we approached the gate, the two guards the stood watch there halted us. "Hold!" demanded one of the steel clad guards. "State your business."

"I am a natural born citizen of Cyrodiil," I replied. "I merely wish to return to my home." I was trying to evoke sympathy on my part.

"What of the others? Are they of Cyrodiil?"

"No," I replied, "but I am willing to fill out the necessary immigration forms to allow them entrance."

"… Very well, Imperial. I shall allow you access. Bring your horses to the stable within, then meet with Ontus in customs. He will supply the necessary forms." The guard then turned his gaze toward the top of the wall, where crossbow armed guards had been looking down upon us for the entire ordeal. "Open the gate!" he demanded.

A few moments later, the heavy wooden gates began to creep open upon their massive steel hinges. Within, we surrendered the horses to the stableman and we were escorted to the customs room. There sat Ontus, an elderly Imperial male with deep rinkles upon his face and gray hair, behind a desk, scribing away upon a blank sheet of parchment. About him were many guards that looked to be on break, conversing and carrying on in an informal manner. All were Imperial (save one Dunmer who sat silently in the corner.)

As we four approached the desk, Ontus lifted his head from his work. "Welcome to Cyrodiil, Imperial and friends. I am Ontus, head of immigration customs here in The Wall. Before we can allow you four entrance, you must fill out the necessary forms." With that, the man handed each of us two sheets of parchment. There, we had to fill out what seemed basic information on ourselves: descriptions of ourselves, guild affiliations, occupations, reasons for entering Cyrodiil, and so on. When completed, Ontus reviewed each of our profiles.

When he reached mine, a interested look came upon his face. "It says here… Zaden, that you are a member of the Blades. Is that true?" I nodded. "My family has a history of members of the Blades. The only reason I did not join was because, as you can see, my calling was of a more political nature. Tell me, what is your rank?"

In truth, I had no true rank in the Blades, other than… Nerevar.

However, that was something they could not know. If I revealed my status, I feared the disposition toward me from the Imperials would be non-contusive to my entrance to Cyrodiil.

"I am… an Operative," I lied. It was a fairly middle rank. I did not want to paint myself too highly.

The Imperial gave me a suspicious eye. "Truly?" he asked. "If such a statement is true, then you must know the Code of the Blades by heart by now. Go on, let me hear it.

Shit.

Though a member of the Blades I was, I was never involved in guild business. I was always Nerevar, off on his own quest, a quest independent of Blades rules and regulations.

"… I do not know such a code," I regretfully admitted.

Ontus's face turned from interested to angered in a mere moment. "Then you admit to being an imposter?!" In an instant, the guards about us, as quickly as one can blow out a candle, turned hostile toward me, their hands resting upon the hilts of their weapons.

I quickly raised my hands up in a show of submission. "No!" I replied. "I am of the Blades, but my position did not involve learning the intricacies of their rules and regulations."

"And what possible rank would allow such a claim?"

There was no escaping it now.

"Nerevar," I replied.

It is strange, really. When I first arrived in Vvardenfell, the Dunmer treated me with hostility. Now that I have returned to my homeland, my own people treat me with the same disrespect (though given a different motive for doing so.)

With that declaration, Ontus, with a stern look upon his face, slowly rose from his chair, walked around his desk, and approached me. "I know of Nerevar," he said threatenly. "I have heard stories from Vvardenfell. They say that Nerevar wishes to rid Morrowind of the "mongrel dogs of the Empire." His words seemed to echo that of Dagoth Ur. "I will not allow such an obvious enemy of the Empire walk upon Cyrodillic grounds!"

"Please, sir, you are mistaken," I pleaded. "Those stories are false. I am not here to rid anyone from anywhere. I am merely here to seek out my family and-"

"Enough!" Ontus commanded. "I will not hear anymore of your lies." Ontus then pointed to a pair of guards. "Take these enemies of the Emipre away from The Wall this instant!"

o0o

Forced to mount our steed, we were escorted under the points of Imperial cavalier spears back into the providence of Morrowind, in the opposite direction we wished to go. They led us far away from The Wall until it disappeared behind the western horizon. Once there, the guards began to gallop back, leaving us with a single threat: "Return and die."

We four were left speechless. Our only entrance into my homeland seemed an impossibility now. With nothing left to do, we decided to set up camp for the night. Perhaps tomorrow we could enter… though that seemed unlikely.

We sat silently around our fire for what seemed an eternity. Everyone's thoughts were the same: we are helpless in this situation. If we were to return to the gate, our expulsion would be cemented. If we retaliated, the outcome would be the same. Nothing seemed in our favor.

Suddenly, from the silence, Varon made a rather shocking exclamation. "Fucking Imperials!" he yelled. This might have been the first time I ever heard Varon sware. "They are just like my people: minds warped by their beliefs! Is it me, Zaden, or are you somehow a magnet to the prejudice and the ignorant?!"

"It sure seems that way," I replied.

"Why did you tell them that you were Nerevar?! You knew nothing good would come of it."

"He had me caught in my own lie," I explained. "There was nothing to do but confess."

"You could have lied again, at the least attempt to recite that code."

"I feared the outcome would have been more severe if I took such a course of action."

"At any rate," interrupted Hui, "we must devise another plan to enter Cyrodiil."

"Such as?!" Varon taunted angrily. "You heard their warning. If we return, they will try to kill us!"

"Be patient," Hui advised. "I believe our oppertinity will arise shortly."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked.

"Because… some approaches to the West."

As soon as he said that, the snap of a twig sounded from the west. Everyone save Hui jumped to their feet, resting their fingers on their weapons, ready to use them at a moment's notice. "Who goes there?" I called out into the darkness. While no response was given, we could all hear the sound of armored footsteps approaching. "Reveal yourself now before we attack!"

A male Dunmer, clad in Imperial guardsmans armor appeared from the darkness and into the light of our fire. His hand were raised above his head, fear in his eyes. "Do not attack!" he pleaded. "I am a friend."

I recognized his face. "You are the Dunmer from The Wall," I exclaimed. "What brings you here? We have already been removed by your peers."

"I wish not to ridicule you any further, Nerevar. I am here to aid you."

Hands lifter from their weapons and anxieties were instantly lifted. "How so?" I asked.

"Though the main entrances may be denied to you, there are ways to enter undetected. I have been a guard in The Great Imperial Wall for over twenty five years, longer than most people. I know things about this section of the wall that most are not aware of…

There is an old abandoned mine about a few miles to the South. I know for a fact that, if traveled far enough, it leads to an exit on the other side of The Wall. I will lead you to the mine, but unfortunately, I can not show you the way through. I have taken a big enough risk coming here. If I am away from my post for much longer, the others will grow suspicious of me. We must head off now."

With quickened haste, the Dunmer led the way South. Even when fully clad in his armor, the Dunmer was able to run the entire distance to the mine, which turned out to be around five miles. At first glance, the supposed mine entrance looked to me nothing more than a tall rock outcropping, covered in a thick carpet of moss. However, by simply lifting a section of the moss away, the Dunmer revealed an old, wooden door, its hinges rusted to the point of near failure.

We thanked the Dunmer for his aid and prepared to enter. Hui retrieved his wizard's staff from a loop from Kalak's saddle and, with a display of magic, illuminated the crystal placed at its head with the intensity of a campfire. Before we entered, I asked the Dunmer as to why he was helping us.

He simply replied, "Where Blades meet, aid is given."

His only other advice was to "Head into the wind."

o0o

Abandoned can only begin to describe what this mine was. Not only was it devoid of life, but of light as well. Were it not for Hui's staff, it would have been darker that the center of Nirn. The mine was as dry as a bone, a fine dust hung in the still air, chocking those who breathed deep. A strange, pale mold grew on the cavern walls, sucking up what little moisture remained in the dirt. The air was hot enough to cause beads of sweat to form on everyone's brows.

With each step we took, loud echoes rang off the walls and down into the seemingly endless labyrinth. I could see a visible look of fear on Hui's face for, after all, he disliked the dark. The horses were the hardest to calm down. Apparently, they do not take well to being below ground very well. As we crept through the tunnels, I asked Hui what he thought of the Dunmer's final advice.

"It is quite simple," replied Hui. "You see, spelunkers often employ the services of a mage during their work. There are two reasons for this: one, to help fend off any hostilities, and two, to help find their way out if they become lost. When winds and breezes from the outside find their way into and underground cavern, they are able to blow throughout said cavern." Then, Hui held out his right hand and summoned a simple flame that bathed everything around us in an orange glow. "With that in mind, fire dances and shifts when touched by the wind. If we see which direction the flame shifts, we can follow the source of the breeze and locate our way out."

With his hand held above Hui's head, we stared at the tiny flame, waited for it to shift in any way. For the first minute or so, it did not shift an inch. Then, a sudden breeze swept through the tunnel and the flame began to point in the direction we had just been.

"We continue forward," Hui confidently declared.

Hui practiced this trick throughout the mine, summoning a flame and continuing in the opposite direction it pointed. This made finding our way through the mine much easier. After about thirty minutes of creeping through this abandoned place, we finally reached the exit: another moss-hidden door.

Finally stepping outside, we were instantly cooled off from the midnight air. The two moons were full, casting a pinkish light upon the landscape. A look of relief could be seen on everyone's face (including my own.)

"Welcome to Cyrodill," Hui joked. "I must say, from one who has lived in Vvardenfell for all his life, this place is strange to me."

"The presence of The Empire is strong here, Zaden," said Zela, "and I fear that your identity of 'Nerevar' may complicate our travels (as was evident at The Wall.) Please, my love, if you can, refrain from referring to yourself as 'Nerevar.'"

"That may be a difficult request," I replied. "That would be like asking you to stop referring to yourself as 'Zela.'"

"Well, at the least, please try, Zaden."

"Ok, I will."

"Zaden," said Hui, "where it now? You hold the Compass, after all. Where does it point now?"

I quickly retrieved the Compass from one of Apoc's saddlebags and replied, "It points to the North-northwest."

Retrieving the map, Hui studied it for a brief moment before saying, "That would lead us into the Jerall Mountains, in the frozen North. It becomes quite cold during the day and frigid during the nights. We will need to obtain animals skins to wear. Do you think you can accomplish such a task?"

I look down toward my waste, to the two powerful shotguns that sat holstered. I then looked over my left shoulder, where the butt of Blunderbuss peaked over.

"Not a problem," I replied.