The soft sound of water being agitated by Sellus' oar accompanies us during our short journey out of the bay. He, Ellory, and I weave our way underneath the leafless trees arching above us atop a small, wooden skiff. To our right, the sea stretches out into infinity, its only feature the reflection of the full moons casting a line of white over its roiling surface. That surface is deceitfully calm, its stillness lulling me into a false sense of security that almost makes me forget the danger of our current mission.
Ahead of us, on the approaching shore, our target can be seen. The innocuous wooden door of Sarys Ancestral Tomb comes into view, and, upon seeing it, something tells me that we are finally at the right place. After conducting a thorough sweep of Nimawia Grotto, Thelas Ancestral Tomb, and Aharunartus, this is the only place on our list that the three of us have yet to check. Sarys was always the most likely candidate in my mind to be the lair of the madman attacking Seyda Neen, but there is something else about this rarely visited spot that makes me think that we're finally on the right track.
Silently, we make landfall, the curved surface of the boat driving gently up the small island's shore and coming to a stop.
Sellus disembarks first and helps Ellory and I out of the vessel. He and the woman tie the boat to a nearby tree, while I conduct a brief survey of the area. The island is tiny, allowing me to complete my task in under a minute.
On my way back, I fix a pair of nervous eyes on the village in the distance. Ten soldiers stand guard over Seyda Neen at this very moment, several armed with Detect Life scrolls to maintain their watch even in the darkness. Between that, the abundant light from the moons above, and the Grand Pharos, I hope that the village will remain safe in our absence.
Even from here, the yellow pinpricks of light from the lanterns hanging outside the titanic cantons of Vivec can be seen. From the land around those structures in the east to the base of the mountains to the west, my teams are searching everything from caves to egg-mines looking for our quarry's hideout.
I intended the searches to be carried out at night so that they may be done in stealth. The sheer number of soldiers active in the area, however, would tip off even the most inattentive enemy. Even as far away as I am now, I can see teams D and E making their way toward Samarys Ancestral Tomb and that old shipwreck inside the mouth of the Odai River. Hrisskar and Ganciele are with both of those teams, and it is due to their presence that I pray for the teams' safety.
"Ithaca," Ellory whispers, placing her hand upon my shoulder. I turn to her, her heavenly face a light shade of blue in the twilight. "We're ready."
I nod to Sellus who awaits us by the door, and he returns my gesture.
Flicking the latch, he slowly opens the door and steps aside.
With a creak, the construction swings inward, and a tunnel appears inside. Reluctantly, we enter.
A dim, golden glow fills the narrow passageway that we walk down. The light originates from the many enchanted, perpetually burning candles lining the walls. All of us remain silent, keeping watch for the undead which can always be found inhabiting such halls.
These ancestral tombs are a common sight in Morrowind. Many native Dunmer, after interring the remains of their deceased in a City of the Dead like Necrom, construct such places to house those remains and their owner's worldly possessions. The constructions are often quite extensive, with many passages and levels that reach far into the ground. Undead guardians are a common sight in these places — spirits made to roam the halls for eternity to defend against grave robbers.
I lead the team while Sellus brings up the rear, both of us with swords at the ready. Ellory is in a place of protection between us, but there is something in her eyes that tells me that I should not be as worried as much about her safety as I am. The woman has exhibited no fear during our sweeps of the other target locations tonight, and has helped Sellus and I out on several occasions with a few well-placed shock spells. Even with two highly-trained soldiers to defend her and some moderately powerful spells at the ready, however, these places are beyond creepy. Still, the girl exhibits no fear. Whether that is due to ignorance or assurance, I do not know. Regardless of the reason, I am happy that she has proven an asset on the mission. Neither Sellus nor myself were particularly happy about her insistence to tag along, and we both had doubts about her arguments that she would be useful.
The passage quickly opens up into a large room, its centrepiece a circle filled with gravedust out of which sticks a half-buried skull. We have yet to encounter any undead that seek to block our way, and their absence is as unsettling to me as their presence.
Sellus walks over to a pedestal near the far wall and picks up an object that rests on its surface. He lifts it to a light for examination.
"Moon sugar," he says, holding the vial of the illegal substance up to us. He shakes it. "Half-empty, too. You know what that means, don't you?" "Signs of habitation," I respond.
"Or a ghost that knows how to have a good time."
Both Ellory's and my eyes roll.
I angle my sword toward the door in the corner of the room. "This way."
My companions follow me through the indicated door. What we see in this next room makes my suspicions about this place being the right one ever so slightly rise.
Equipment, furniture, and supplies are strewn all over the floor of this chamber. Axes, maces, swords, and pieces of cheap armour lie broken all over the floors, in amongst the remnants of what were once tables and chairs. Food is scattered all over the place, and shattered bottles lie in puddles of the liquids they originally contained. Based on the scene before me, it is obvious that this seemingly deserted ancestral tomb was once home to a great many people. All of these former inhabitants were armed, and whatever made them leave was powerful enough to make them do so quickly, forcing them to leave much of their equipment behind.
The three of us all exchange glances, before turning our attention toward the far corner of the room. There, the entrance to an unexplored hall beckons. Trying to conceal my gulp, I step over the rubble, and make my way toward that entrance.
This passageway is much darker than the others, something owed to the many enchanted candles which have been ripped from the wall. I tug at one of the sconces on my way past. Even when I put my full-force behind the motion, it does not budge. Whatever removed these candles from the wall possessed incredible strength, far beyond that which I would have thought possible of an average human.
The hallway terminates in another room containing a second circle and shrine. A familiar scent hangs heavy in the air.
"Skooma," I whisper, and Sellus nods in agreement.
Indeed, inside several of the many boxes in this room, several vials of skooma and moon sugar can be found.
"Must have been a storage room," I say, allowing the volume of my voice to reach a normal level. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how one looks at it), this place is clear. There are no other exits. This is the end of the line, and we have encountered nothing.
"Smugglers must have been using this is a base," Sellus theorises. "It's a good idea; once you clear out the undead, this place'd be perfect, if not a little irreverent."
I sit upon one of the boxes, trying to sort between my feelings of relief and frustration. "Let's hope the other teams have found something."
Sellus sheathes his sword. "Only one way to find out." He indicates the hall we just came down.
I stand and support myself on my sword. "Very well."
As Sellus and I begin to exit the room, however, a voice stops us.
"Guys." Ellory's deep, sing-song voice reaches our ears and we rotate to face her.
On the far side of the room, the woman kneels beside a large square of carpet, one corner in her hand. Underneath that carpet is the outline of what is, unmistakably, a trapdoor!
"Good work, Ellory!" I whisper, redrawing my weapon and joining her.
Together, we lift the heavy slab of metal. Inside there is nothing but a darkness that could go on for eternity down into the earth. A ladder descends into this darkness, inviting us down.
"I don't like this," Sellus says, and I very much agree. "Shame we don't have any Night Eye potions on us."
Ellory stands and looks down into the depths. "I could toss a light spell down there, but there goes the element of surprise."
Wincing, I realise that, eventually, one of us is just going to have to suck it up and go into that tunnel. As the leader of this party, that burden falls to me.
Placing my foot on one of the first rungs of the ladder, I feel a gentle grip on my arm. Ellory stares at me, eyes wide with concern.
Her arm does not linger long, and slides away. "Be careful," she says.
"Thanks," I reply.
I glance down into the ominous void beneath me. "I don't know how deep this is. How far do you think your light spell will reach?"
"Miles. Why?"
"Wait three minutes, then toss it down into the tunnel."
"Will do."
I plant the sole of a shaky foot on a lower rung, and then repeat the process until I am enveloped by darkness. The cold metal is rusty; definitely part of the original structure.
Soon, the faces of Sellus and Ellory are far in the distance.
The air here is thin and laden with humidity, shallowing my breaths and causing my skin to itch. I can't imagine anyone being able to spend too much time down in this place.
Continuing my descent, a horrible smell forces its way into my nostrils. I recognise the scent immediately.
It is the smell of death.
Eventually, my foot does not find a lower rung. Instead, it comes to rest on a smooth floor.
Sword in hand, I await Ellory's spell in the pitch, evil black.
Never have my ears been so devoid of stimuli; only the sounds of my shallow breaths penetrate the silence.
I have little idea of what I will see when my surroundings are revealed; someone or something could be standing right next to me and I would have no way to know.
My grip around the handle of my sword tightens, and I brace myself to meet whatever horror may be in here to greet me.
My mind conjures images of monsters I have never wanted to imagine, along with a thousand different scenarios resulting in my death, each more terrifying than the last. Whatever the reality is, it'll have to pretty shocking to top some of the thing's my brain is coming up with right now.
Just when I believe I can take the anticipation no more, it comes.
A blinding flash of light illuminates the entire tunnel, and a large room before me is revealed.
When it does, I cannot contain my scream.