Cosades leaned back in his chair and let out a long, low whistle.

"So, from what Sul-Matuul and Nibani Maesa said, it sounds like you could really be the Nerevarine. That's incredible. Just incredible."

I returned to Balmora, and the spymaster, with the news of what was said at the Urshilaku Camp. To my surprise, he seemed to be taking it better than expected. And perhaps better than I myself had.

He laughed and shook his head, continuing, "But I suppose I'll just have to get used to the idea. Let me try to get word to Mehra Milo. Maybe she can find out whether the Dissident Priests really do have any of these lost prophecies."

I handed him a piece of paper and a quill, and he took them with a nod. As he began scrawling out his note, he added, "In the meantime, I have tough assignment for you. Do you think you're ready?"

"At this point, I think I may be ready for anything," I told him.

"Don't get cocky. But it just so happens that I agree — you're ready. Before you head out, make sure you have whatever you think you'll need. I think this one will be rough."

"What do you want me to do?"

He dipped the quill in the inkwell again and kept writing. "Fort Buckmoth sent a patrol to Gnaar Mok, hunting smugglers with Sixth House connections. In doing so, they found a base; A Sixth House shrine, along with a priest named Dagoth Gares. Speak to Raesa Pullia at the fort. Hopefully she can steer you in the right direction. Find that base, kill the priest, and bring me back a full report."

Fort Buckmoth was situated roughly halfway between Ald'ruhn and Gnaar Mok, the latter of which was situated directly on the marshy coast. The fort itself sat atop a dusty hillside at the very edge of the Ashlands, its Imperial towers yet another shade of gray against an already bleak backdrop. Asking around the amongst stationed legionnaires for Raesa Pullia, they directed me to the fort's main interior hall. There, an Imperial woman in full legion armor was waiting, hands clasped behind her back.

"You're Talise, aren't you?" Pullia asked me. When I nodded, she went on, "I've been expecting you. Caius says you're the one to handle this Sixth House base we found."

"I am. Now, what happened? Cosades left out the details."

"Only one trooper returned. He died soon after, horribly disfigured with corprus, and out of his wits. In his ravings, he spoke of a cavern on the coast — he called it 'Ilunibi.'"

"Then that's the base Cosades spoke of. What is it?"

She shrugged. "No clue. A cave, maybe? It's not on any of our maps. If I were you, I'd try asking some of the locals in Gnaar Mok. They may have a better idea than we do."

"Noted. Is there anything else you can tell me? This trooper for instance… you said he came back with corprus."

"He did." Beckoning for me to follow, she led me over to a quiet, isolated corner and said in a hushed tone, "Apparently, somewhere in the base the troop ran into a half-man creature named Dagoth Gares. He slew the rest of the patrol, but spared the one trooper and old him he was being spared so he might pass a message."

"What message?"

She looked around to see if anyone was listening in. "The trooper barely responded to our questions — just kept rambling on like a madman until he died — so we only have pieces of it. What we could make out was, and I quote, 'The Sleeper Awakes,' 'The Sixth House has Risen,' 'Dagoth Ur is Lord, and I am his Priest,' and 'All will be One with Him in the Flesh.'"

I felt a chill go through me. Those words sounded like what that Sleeper told me that day on the streets of Balmora.

"I'd never seen it in person before," Pullia said. I noticed that she barely suppressed a shudder. "Corprus. His flesh was swollen and covered in growths. His bones twisted and lost their shape. He spoke to himself, as if in a dream. We didn't even recognize him at first, save his clothing and armor. The chaplain tried everything — spells, potions, you name it — but it couldn't cure him. Didn't realize until then how fast corprus can kill. It sure wasn't pretty. The troops seem shaken. To tell you the truth, I'm a little worried myself."

So was I. Who knew how many more cases like this one would crop up? Gnaar Mok wasn't even in the Ashlands, where most of the serious cases of the Blight seemed to crop up. That meant it was spreading, and far too quickly at that.

"I don't want the details getting out any more than they already have. Enough of the men here know, and I hate to think what would happen if it got out to the general population."

She was right to be worried. It would be chaos.

"I'll find Gares, and I'll end this," I told her. "You have my word on that."

From Fort Buckmoth, I headed southwest across the rugged terrain toward the town. Gnaar Mok was a small town, the buildings perched on wooden stilts above the marshy ground that lined the western edge of Vvardenfell's coastline. The residents all seemed skittish, what few of them were on the streets, and I couldn't exactly blame them. One of the womer outside caught my eye as I passed. I stopped.

Before I could ask her anything, she looked me over and said, "Never seen you here before. First time in Gnaar Mok, then?"

"It is."

"Let me give you a little advice," she said as she gave me a tight smile. "We aren't used to visitors here, and we don't like what we aren't used to."

"So, where would I need to go if I were looking for directions?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow.

She looked me over again, lingering over my armor. "You seem like an okay sort, so that would be me, I suppose. Go ahead."

"I'm looking for a place called Ilunibi," I said, and the change in the womer was immediate. Just like that, her expression shuttered, and she looked away from me. I slipped her some coins from my purse. "Let's try this again."

Pocketing the coins, she said, "That's what they call the old sea cave up on the north end of the island, right on Khartag Point. Don't be poking your nose in there, though. Someone might object."

I was sure they would.

"I'll keep that in mind."

After teasing out some more specific directions from her, I headed north from the town into the marshes. Sure enough, at the furthest northern point of the island, I found the massive boulder she'd referred to as Khartag Point. Nearby was the half-hidden mouth of a cave. Drawing my sword, I plunged inside.

A series of rocky ledges led down past a waterfall thats flow lurched with the movement of the tides. I passed it, heading through the knee-deep water further into the caverns. Before long, I caught a glimpse of something in the distance. Red candles. They were just like the ones from my dreams, the crimson wax oozing down over the stones beneath them. If they were there, I figured I must have been in the right place. When I rounded another corner of the tunnel, I saw two mer ahead, dressed in tattered clothing. Their eyes locked on me an instant later and they drew their weapons. So much for the element of surprise.

There was nothing for it. Raising my own blade in turn, I charged at them.

I fought my way through the caves, cutting down more of the cultists as I went. At the very bottom of the caverns, I found a door surrounded by a halo of those blood-red candles. I pushed it open and stepped across the threshold.

On the other side of the door was a chamber that looked to be the shrine proper. Off to the side was a set of strange, cylindrical, black bells. Directly across from the door, twin braziers flanked an altar covered with those odd ash statues. Between it and me was a strange, humanoid creature. He was dressed in tattered white robes, and had the pointed ears and gray skin of a Dunmer, but his face…

Where the upper part of his face should have been was instead a long, tentacle-like appendage. As I walked forward, it turned in my direction before the rest of the creature did. Then he swept into a low bow.

"The Sixth House greets you, Lord Nerevar." A slow smile spread across what passed for his face. "Or Talise, as you choose to call yourself. I am known as Dagoth Gares; priest of Ilunibi Shrine, and minister to Sixth House servants. My Lord, Dagoth Ur, has informed me of your coming."

My grip tightened on the hilt of my blade and I kept my steps cautious. "If you knew I'd come here, why set out the guards?"

Despite his monstrous appearance, his tone was pleasant enough. "Forgive the rude welcome, but until you have declared for us, we must treat you as our enemy. And Lord Dagoth would far rather have you as a friend. He bids you come to Red Mountain."

"Did he say anything else?"

"He did. Lord Dagoth gave me these words to say to you, so you may give them thought."

He straightened himself up and spoke in a voice that was not his own.

"Once we were friends and brothers, Lord Nerevar, in peace and in war. Yet beneath Red Mountain, you struck me down as I guarded the treasure you bound me by oath to defend. But, remembering our old friendship, I would forgive you, and raise you high in my service."

It sounded like him, Dagoth Ur, and I wondered if it actually was him speaking through the priest. Then he shifted back to his prior stance once more.

"For the friendship and honor that once you shared, he would grant you counsel and power, if only you would pledge that friendship anew." Dagoth Gares put a hand to his chest and bowed his head as he continued, "I am not your Lord Dagoth, yet I, too, would say to you... Do you come with weapons to strike me down? Or would you put away your weapon, and join me in friendship?"

I stood there, silent and unmoving. The priest raised his head. He seemed to be watching me, though I did not know how he could without any visible eyes. Then, quietly, he said, "I believe I already know your answer. A pity. I wish that this time you had come to honor your Lord's friendship, not to betray it."

His hand shot out and I barely stepped out of range of the red blast of the spell that rushed toward my head. I heard a low boom from behind me as it crashed into the chamber wall. Dodging a second spell, and a third, I rushed at him. He swatted my blade away as it were nothing and reached out for me with clawed hands that glowed red with power. I sent an arc of electricity at him that sent him staggering backward. As he tried to right himself, I ran my sword through his gut. He fell to his knees before me and I ripped the blade back out again.

With a wheezing, coughing laugh, he said, "Even as my Master wills, you shall come to him. In his flesh and of his flesh."

Before I could stop him, he reached out and pricked my left hand with one sharp finger. I felt it pierce through my glove. Staggering away from the monstrous priest, I ripped it off to see a black mark blooming across the palm of my hand. A cold, sick feeling dropped into the pit of my stomach. I knew what that was.

When I looked back at the priest, frantic, he lay still on the cavern floor. There was a letter grasped in his clawed hand. Reaching down, I hastily snatched it from his grasp. Reading it could wait. I had to get back to Balmora, and I had to get back now.

Wrapped up to disguise the spread of the blackening infection across my flesh, I staggered up the steps of Cosades' house and sagged against the door. I didn't even have the strength to knock. Frankly, I'd barely made it back to Balmora at all. Instead, I called as loudly as I could manage, "Cosades. Cosades, are you there?"

The door opened and I fell inside. Arms caught me before I could hit the floor and pulled me up. Through my bleary gaze, I saw the spymaster's face above me. He was staring in horror at the left side of my face. My scarf must have fallen.

"What happened, Talise?" he asked me in a rush. "Is that—"

"I'm sorry," I gasped as the world rushed up around me and everything went black.