Chapter Seven

Interlude Three; What Karethys Didn't See


Wayrest, High Rock, Last Seed, 3E 399. It is thirty years before the present day. Morgiah is twenty-three.


As Karethys' shadowy silhouette stole quietly ahead, so Morgiah stole quietly behind. The main streets of Wayrest were brightly lit with shielded oil-lamps, but they were out of the town centre now. The tutor was hurrying and her pupil could barely keep up, but Morgiah did not call out. Because Karethys did not know she was there, and Morgiah was spying on her.

Since uncovering the meaning of the cloak-clasp rune, Morgiah had watched her tutor like a hawk. She had noticed that on several evenings a month Karethys would leave the castle and not return for hours, sometimes days. Tonight, Morgiah had slipped out behind her.

It wasn't just simple curiosity, she knew. Since reading the name Worm King a month ago, some strange fire had been lit in her. Who was he? What was he? And what was it that made thousands of Tamriellans call him their leader?

She ducked behind a brick wall as Karethys turned her head, scouting around before crossing a wide courtyard.

A lot of things had happened that month. There was uproar in the Imperial city as the 'Emperor' had been discovered as the impostor Jagar Tharn, revealed and defeated by a Altmer hero. His bizarre behaviour of the past year now took on crystal clarity – Tharn had imprisoned the real Emperor in some Daedric plane for the duration of his usurpation, and assumed his likeness in the coup. Morgiah was interested in the debacle for a particular reason; she was sure that there was a connection between this Altmer hero and the rumours that the Ogmha Infinium had been found.

She hurried to keep up as Karethys turned a dark corner.

The trouble was, any lore to be found on the subject was profoundly unhelpful. The palace library at Wayrest was fairly well-stocked for a provincial collection, but any references to the Infinium were frustratingly unvaried. A brief paragraph stating the name, its governing Daedra, and the fact that it had been written by a mysterious 'Ageless One' by the name of Xarses. Of Xarses himself, Morgiah could find not a crumb of information.

She was feeling the limits of Wayrest more strongly than ever. It was true the town was wealthy, sitting as it did on the conveniently taxable trade-routes of the Bjoulsae river – but it still had not grown to the size of Sentinel or Daggerfall, the other two major powers of the Iliac Bay. It was not as old, either. Perhaps those cities would yield the information she craved…

Suddenly Karethys stopped and looked directly behind her. In the shadows, Morgiah froze with her heart in her mouth. It was not so much the fear of being caught, but that she would not get to the bottom of Karethys's mystery that made her fists clench and her jaw tighten…

But Karethys visibly relaxed as a rough-looking stray cat appeared from an adjacent alley, and continued on her way. After a moment, more cautiously, Morgiah followed.

Though she hadn't meant to, she had found herself expressing her frustrations to her mother at supper. To her surprise, Barenziah had seemed almost verbose on the subject.

"This library has been adequate for your studies so far," she had said with a thoughtful look, "but you seem to be exceeding expectations in that respect. If you want a decent collection, most people would immediately think of the Imperial Library in Cyrodiil… the Elder Scrolls are kept there, of course… but for your sort of interests, I would look to the Altmer. Their lore goes back a long way. Alinor, perhaps, or Firsthold."

She knew the Ogmha Infinium was a ridiculous fantasy, but she told herself she would look into the matterof Altmer libraries, if only to humour her own whims.

Karethys was slowing down. Out of the darkness ahead, a large and comfortable two-storey house became visible. It looked plain but affluent, clad in timber with a veranda on one side. Karethys stole up to the door and knocked. Voices drifted across the street, too faint for Morgiah to decipher. Someone spoke from the other side of the door, Karethys replied softly, and was admitted.

Morgiah hung back. What now?

She crept around the side of the house. It was clean and expensively finished, like many of the houses in Wayrest. All the curtains were shut. She dug her fingers into her palms in annoyance. Surely this wasn't it? There must be some way for her to find out what was going on inside.

As she scanned the building, she saw a faint glow between the curtains on the first floor fronting the veranda. All the other windows were dark. She examined the cast iron railings round the edge of the building and found them climbable.

After a few near-disasters due to the fact that royal gowns are not designed for scrambling up walls, Morgiah arrived on the veranda relatively intact and with a rather good view through the gap in the curtains.

The glow that had seemed comparatively bright from the ground was actually a dim illumination from two candles. Seven people stood in the centre of a large empty room, arranged in a circle around a pedestal upon which lay a tightly-bound scroll. Morgiah's heart beat rapidly with excitement. She recognised Karethys, but only just. The cloak she wore covered her face and was identical to those the other six figures wore, making them almost indistinguishable. As she watched, the scroll began to unravel.

Karethys stepped forward, touched it, and vanished.

Morgiah's eyes were aglitter.

One by one, each of the remaining company followed suit. Soon the room was empty, and though the light of the candles bathed the pedestal, the scroll remained unilluminated.

Morgiah waited, holding her breath. Would they reappear…?

After five minutes, she sat on a convenient plant-pot that afforded a reasonable view.

After ten, she became impatient.

After twenty, she occupied herself by pulling stray threads out of her hem and weaving them into a bracelet.

After three-quarters of an hour, she put the bracelet down and began to think about her next move.

She looked at the position of the moon. Almost the first hour of the morning. For all she knew, Karethys and her companions wouldn't be back until light, and she couldn't stay on the veranda until then – she would have to answer some awkward questions. She must be back inside the palace by five 'o clock at the latest, when the maids would be getting up. So the question was, should she wait on the off-chance that the group would return, or cut her losses and leave?

She tried to recall Karethys' past absences. She lived in the palace for the most part, but when Morgiah had no lessons scheduled she would often disappear. Of course, that was perfectly normal. But was it a clue to what was happening wherever the scroll had transported her?

Morgiah couldn't think of a single instance where Karethys had been out for the evening and returned the same night. It was always at least a day.

So she decided partly by logic, partly by guesswork and partly by the fact that the plant-pot had become very uncomfortable, that she would return to the palace and keep a very sharp eye on exactly when Karethys put in her next appearance.

That taken care of, she climbed (more carefully this time) down the iron railings and made her way back to the palace, feeling exhilarated but annoyingly unsatisfied.


Palace South Wing, Mournhold, Morrowind, 10th First Seed 3E 429, Present Day.


Morgiah looked up from her desk as the study door swung open to reveal Barenziah.

"What is it?" Morgiah asked, seeing the expression in her mother's face.

"Helseth left Mournhold twenty minutes ago," said Barenziah, "and is, so I'm told, heading to Vvardenfell in a very inconspicuous manner."

Morgiah put her quill down, thoughts beginning to form.

"Though you'd like to know," Barenziah said mildly, bowing out and shutting the door with a quiet click.


Facility Cavern, Red Mountain, Morrowind, 11th First Seed 3E 429, Present Day.


"An intriguing hobby," Helseth remarked. "Master Fyr was certainly… unique. Although I am not sure he'd approve of the use his patients will serve."

"I believe not, your Majesty," said the black-robed mer by his side.

The vault of the ruined Facility Cavern stretched above them. Abandoned Dreamers had flanked Helseth six-deep through the pathways to the centre of the volcano, but there had been no need. Nenya had done her job well; it had taken the better part of two years, but not a single blight-creature remained on Red Mountain.

"I am hugely impressed," Helseth continued. "When I conceived of the idea I didn't think it could be put in motion so quickly, or that the Corprusarium patients would be so… effective."

Above them stretched a massive and forbidding figure. No longer a ruin; it was now a construction site. A hundred Corprus victims, transported from the cellars of Tel Fyr, swarmed over its tarnished surface like ants.

"They work at a tremendous rate, your Majesty," commented the Abandoned Dreamer Master. "I believe it gives them a focus rather than the agonies of their infliction. Of course," he went on conscientiously, "their work is set to meticulous instructions given by Bagarn. Who could supervise the reconstruction better than an actual Dwemer? Tel Fyr really has been a gold-mine to us."

"It is a shame Ser Divath himself could not participate. Although I must say I find myself confused – surely Bagarn is in no condition to be, ah, issuing instructions?"

"He has invented a rather ingenious method of hand-signalling, your majesty."

"I see. Best to keep an eye on that – you impaired his speech for a reason, I beg you to remember."

"Of course, your Majesty."

Helseth cast a critical eye over the project. The progress was more than satisfactory. Only one thing remained…

"What is the news on the assembly of the two artefacts?" he inquired.

"The first is all but finished, your Majesty. The second has presented more of a challenge, but Vivec and Bagarn are making good advancement. I would estimate a month, perhaps a little more, before it will be ready for the final stage. The inclusion of a soul."

"Yes," murmured Helseth, his eyes narrowing. The problem of suitable candidates still hounded him, though he was not without a plan. "I trust Vivec has not been problematic?"

"He believes he is constructing a talisman to protect his people from the invasion of outside enemies, my lord."

Helseth almost laughed. "How ironic."


Wayrest, High Rock, Last Seed, 3E 399. It is thirty years before the present day. Morgiah is twenty-three.


It was the next evening before Morgiah looked up from her book to see a familiar figure opening the library door.

"Hello, Karethys," Morgiah purred. "Have you passed a pleasant day?"

"Thank you, yes," her tutor answered in her normal curt tone. "I thought tonight we might study stealth and concealment spells, what do you think?"

How auspicious, Morgiah thought, and picked up her quill with a smile.


A/N: Your reviews have had the effect of a pint of vodka on me. You are all so nice!

So, with that in mind, some questions answered:

Guarhunter: All your predictions have been spot-on so far! Thank you for your lovely comments :) There will definitely be more of Caius, Crassius and the other recruits - they all have big parts to play.

Leth: I'm glad you like Morgiah! She's a strange character, quite remote, but I find her likeable too. Hopefully, she'll live up to your expectations as the story goes on :)

Ordinator's Hand: What can I say? Thank you so much! That was exactly what I was aiming for - making it detailed enough but not getting bogged down in prose. I'm also insanely pleased about you descriptions comment - I really have been trying to give as little physical description of Morgiah as possible, because I don't want her to turn into a Mary Sue. Plus, what's worth knowing about her is in her personality. I'm so pleased it came across how I intended.

Also, thanks to everyone who put me on their favourites!

If anyone's interested, googling "Karethys Daggerfall" will bring up her in-game portrait. In the worldspace, she was standing in the dining hall in Wayrest Castle behind the Throne Room. Like all the Dunmer NPCs in Daggerfall she had human skin due to an art mistake that was later corrected by patch, but she had the characteristic red eyes.

Til next time!

xxx