28th of Hearthfire, 3E 428
"Sit," Helseth instructed, and I did so.
Shortly afterwards, he did the same, and began to speak.
"As I'm certain you know, Mournhold is one of the seats of power for the Tribunal," Helseth began.
Oh, yes, I did know that.
"The goddess Almalexia resides here in her Temple, surrounded by her High Ordinators."
"I'm well aware of that," I replied bitterly. "We've met."
I couldn't help but think back to the time I had gotten to finally meet Almalexia. That was some months ago now, and despite the fact that she herself had said she wanted to see me again, I had no burning desire to do so. Being in the same room as Almalexia made the hairs on the back of my neck rise and my heart beat wildly.
"You have?"
Helseth seemed surprised by this news.
"Yes, while I was doing some tasks for the Temple," I explained, purposefully leaving out the part where his mother had been the one to send me on that particular route.
"Then you will understand when I say that I have no great love for Almalexia, her Ordinators, or the Tribunal of which she is a part," Helseth said, practically spitting out his disdain as he did so. "If you've met her, you probably know what's she's like for yourself simply from meeting her.
I mean, I had no great love for him, either, but...yes, I guess so.
"In light of recent events, I believe it is time to gather more information about them."
"Are you talking about the attack?" I asked.
It had been months, but neither Mournhold nor its inhabitants had completely recovered yet. I don't think they ever would.
"Because, with all due respect, that's not exactly recent anymore…"
"It's recent enough," Helseth replied, before he sighed heavily. "The attack on Mournhold was as unexpected to me as it was destructive to the city. And I make it my business to remain forewarned of this sort of event."
How could he have been forewarned of such a thing? I thought. Before I had the chance to ask, Helseth sighed heavily and continued speaking.
"Many believed the attacking creatures to have been Dwemer constructs, but we both know now that this is not the case. These creatures were beyond anything dreamt of by the Dwarves…creatures it would take the power of a god to create."
I raised my eyebrows for a second. Helseth spoke of the creatures as if he had seen them in person. That was sort of...odd.
"How do you know, Your Majesty? If I am not mistaken, you were not present."
I thought I could detect a twinkle in Helseth's eyes for a split second.
"I do not spend all my time in this Palace, Ulina," he explained. "There are affairs I need to take care of myself, on a personal level. There are some jobs that one can only take care of themselves. Maybe, perhaps, I was present at Plaza Brindisi Dorom on the night of the attack? But you would never know. Because no one would. I don't exactly advertise my presence."
Did Helseth just tell me he goes about Mournhold anonymously or...? I tried to come up with a clever response, but I had none.
"But that is not what I wanted to talk about," Helseth stated. "I would like you to learn more about the attacks."
"How?"
"I believe that the only person who might shed more light on this situation is Almalexia herself," Helseth spat that last word. I couldn't say I blamed him. "All indications are that these creatures must be the constructs of Sotha Sil, and only Almalexia is likely to have information about him."
"Sotha Sil?"
I thought back to the last time I had spoken with Vivec. If what he had told me was true, then Almalexia wasn't that likely to have that much information, either. The Tribunal didn't communicate. And Sotha Sil was supposedly the most silent out of the Three. Out of sight, out of mind.
Until now, it seemed.
Why on earth would he want to attack Mournhold? Was it he - rather than Almalexia - who was going mad? Did he somehow notice his loss of divinity, and was now choosing to take it out on his followers?
"Yes, he's one of the Tribunal," Helseth said. "None have seen the Tinkerer in centuries, from what I understand. I distrust these...man-gods, especially ones I cannot find."
He scoffed, and then continued.
"I wish for you to speak to her, learn what she knows about the creatures, and report to me," Helseth said. "It shouldn't be too hard to get an audience with her again, especially if you've already had one. There is no reason for the goddess to suspect that you and I may be allied. Use this to your advantage."
"What do I get out of this, then?" I demanded through gritted teeth. "Because I'm getting quite sick and tired of doing both yours and the Temple's dirty work, Helseth."
Helseth didn't reprimand me, despite the fact that I had been quite disrespectful. Instead, to my great surprise, he gave me another smug smile.
"I understand you have been going through the City Records," Helseth's smile widened as I showed him my shock. "Don't look so surprised, Ulina. I make it my business to know what happens in this city. Especially recently. Especially if it involves you. I still had my doubts about you, and I needed to be sure you wouldn't use anything against me."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
Really?
"So you had me spied on!" I suddenly barked.
Gods, this man really was paranoid. Just who had hurt him so much to make him so afraid of losing any power?
I had a good idea, based on what Fin had told me, but I didn't want to be wrong, so I kept my mouth shut.
"You must understand," Helseth continued. "I had to be sure. But you weren't looking to use anything against me. You just want to know who you are."
He made eye contact with me. His expression became unreadable. Again.
"You really have no idea who they are, do you? Your parents?"
"No…" I said, slowly, failing to see how this was relevant.
Helseth sighed.
"That is a shame," he said. "But that can be easily remedied. Rest assured, Ulina, for I think I know who they are."
No…?
"You're lying," I snarled.
"You would accuse me of lying?"
"It's not like you haven't done it before!" I snapped. "You lied about your mother being in danger so you could try and have me killed! Again! You -"
Helseth up a hand.
"Ulina, I advise that you cease this immediately, for if you don't, I will have you tried with treason," Helseth's voice was dark and cold. "I advise you to listen to me. I admit, I am not above lying to protect my interests. But I swear, I am not lying to you now."
He looked at me again.
"I could be wrong," he admitted. "I could be making a grave mistake. But from what I know, this is the truth."
He paused.
"You look like her," he admitted.
"Like who?"
"Your mother," Helseth said those words as if he was saying some of the worst profanities he knew. "I do not know her too well, but she's been nothing but an absolute nuisance; but, alas, I cannot simply be rid of her. She knows too much."
"So who is she?" I demanded.
I wanted anything...any possible link between me and any identity I may have.
Helseth shook his head in disgust.
"She does not want you to find her," he warned. "She's tried to bury all evidence that she and your father ever so much as had a child. But, unfortunately for her, she cannot hide everything."
Helseth chuckled darkly. I hated just how much he was enjoying being vague.
"Who's my father, if you know that?"
"I do," Helseth replied, in a cool tone. "He is dead. He died a fool. But other than that, I cannot tell you who they are now. Not until your task is complete. When you have news of Almalexia, the Temple and Sotha Sil…"
He looked at me.
"...then, and only then, will I tell you," Helseth finished. "There's no point looking in anymore of the public records, for you will find nothing. Like I said, your mother tried to bury all evidence you so much as existed."
I didn't buy it.
"Who. Is. She?" I demanded.
Helseth didn't answer.
"Do not approach me again until you have learned all that you can," Helseth finished in a warning tone. "It would be unwise for any Temple officials to see you or any of your friends around the Palace. I suppose that includes my own flesh and blood too, but that has to be done."
I knew he was referring to Fin.
"Now go," Helseth commanded.
Later that night, after we had all arrived back at our apartment, Julan and I retired to our room. While we were lying on the bed together, I began describing what Helseth had told me to do and Julan sighed in exasperation.
"You mean you'll be working for the Temple and their false gods? Again?" He shook his head. "For what?"
"Because Helseth says he knows I've been looking for my parents," I said.
"You mean he's be spying on you? That sneaky, lying n'wah," Julan spat.
"That's not just it though, Julan. He says he knows who they are."
Julan raised an eyebrow in response.
"You know, he could be lying," he told me, and then rolled his eyes when I said nothing. "I mean, can you really believe anything he has to say after he tried to have you murdered again?"
"I know it seems insane, but...what if he isn't lying?" I asked. "What if he really knows? I need to find out for myself if it's true, and even if it isn't, the people of Morrowind are in danger. I need to find out from what, and the source seems to be Almalexia."
Julan said nothing; he merely snorted and turned over so he was facing away from me. I scowled heavily.
"So that's how it's going to be?" I demanded.
When Julan said nothing in response. I threw myself down into the bed and tried to get to sleep.
Gods knew Julan had always been a little stubborn, but I seriously disliked how strained our relationship was becoming.
It was almost two weeks later before I went to go see Almalexia, as there was a waiting period involved for such a thing. Barging into Almalexia's chambers whenever you pleased simply wasn't allowed; in fact, I guessed that if I so much as tried, I'd be arrested on the spot.
Almalexia hadn't changed at all from when I had seen her last. She looked the same, still sat in the same location, and still gave off that creepy glowing effect that I highly disliked. She smiled in my direction as soon as she saw me, instantly making my heart feel as if it had suddenly stopped.
"Greetings, Ulina Therayn," Almalexia began. "It is good to see you again. I have been looking forward to it."
For some reason, the fact that she had been expecting me bothered me immensely.
"Now, I'm afraid I need your help," Almalexia stated. "Since the horrendous attack on the city, there have been some alarming developments. One of the most troublesome has been a cult that has recently formed, led by a young Dunmer named Eno Romari. They call themselves the End of Times. In these troubled times, I fear the cult is gaining in popularity."
"Why is this bad? What do they do?"
Almalexia's smile faltered.
"Very little is known about them yet, but there is one very disturbing fact we have learned: many of their members have been found dead."
I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, what with a name like "End of Times." Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy.
"Really?"
"At least seven of them have been found so far," Almalexia revealed sadly. "All dead, all in their homes. It appears they ingested a strong poison, and not even my magicks could revive those who were found."
Well, considering she had lost her divinity - which was what she relied on for her powers - I wasn't surprised her magicks were failing her. Almalexia's pale eyes met mine for a second, and I resisted the urge to shudder.
How I hated being in her presence again. It was worse than the last time.
"We must find out what drives this group, and rid my city of their presence," Almalexia insisted. "Speak with Meralyn Othan at the Great Bazaar; her brother Sevil was one of those found. Learn what you can about them, Ulina, and of this Eno Romari. Take care with him, though. The words of a martyr cry louder than those of a zealot."
With that, Almalexia waved a hand, indicating my clear dismissal. I turned around and left. Julan and Aiden were both sitting on the Temple. Julan wrinkled his nose and scoffed, and I saw why. In the gardens ahead, there was a prayer circle being held.
"Look at those fools," he sneered. "They really believe their false goddess will save them."
"Keep your voice down, Julan," Aiden warned. "I'd rather none of us be arrested for blasphemy today. The Ordinators don't really take that stuff lightly."
Julan pointedly ignored Aiden, and then turned to me.
"So what did she want?"
"To put a stop to some cult called the End of Times," I explained quickly.
Julan snorted.
"As if Almalexia - of all people - has the right to complain about anyone else's cult!" He snarled. "What was that about the End of Times?"
"She says seven people have been found dead in connection to them," I replied.
Julan's eyes widened at this.
"Wait, people found dead?"
I nodded.
"Surprisingly, there are worse things than worshipping the Tribunal, Julan," Aiden interjected.
In response, Julan shot him an incredulous look, before he turned back to me.
"Well, I suppose that does sounds nasty," Julan paused for a moment, before speaking again. "All right, let's see what we can find out."
"Well, we can start by meeting with a woman named Meralyn Othan," I told them. "Apparently her brother was one of those who ended up dead because of this."
Eventually, after asking around the Great Bazaar, we managed to find Meralyn Othan on her way to work. She seemed vaguely familiar. I must have seen her about the Bazaar before. I wouldn't be surprised if she was one of my neighbors. She was outside the Clothier's, sweeping up some of the mess that had been left there with time.
Meralyn wasn't terribly old, but not quite young, either. Her clothes were quite old and tattered.
"Hello," I greeted. Meralyn looked up from the floor to focus on me.
"Aren't you the ones who live above the Trader's?" She asked.
I nodded, quickly. And then she smiled slightly.
"Well, greetings then," she said. "Do you need me for something? You'll have to make it quick I'm afraid, as I'm quite busy."
"I'm afraid that this is quite important," I said. "I've come to ask about your brother, Sevil."
Upon hearing this, Meralyn's smile completely disappeared, and a hard, cold expression was in its place.
"You've heard about my brother?"
I nodded again.
"It's…" she hesitated, "it's really...hard...to imagine he's gone. All would be well if he hadn't fallen in with Eno Romari and those End of Times….lunatics."
Meralyn spat the last word with almost visceral anger. I say almost because her anger was perfectly logical, even if it didn't seem like it.
"Sevil was a lonely man," she explained. "Always a bit lost, but he was hardly stupid. It was that cult that caused his death!"
Meralyn started gripping the broom so hard that both she and it were shaking. She took a deep breath, and then continued.
"They are a suicide cult, plain and simple. Their beliefs are destructive, heretical, and frightening to me. I don't know how my brother ever got involved with them! I mean, my brother was no fool, but he was a trusting person, always looking for someone or something to believe in. He probably thought he had found that in the End of Times, but I can't be sure. He wouldn't tell me anything."
"Do you know where I can find this Romari guy?" I asked.
Meralyn let out a noise of disgust.
"He is a lunatic, my dear. But if it's really that important to you, then you'll probably find him outside the Winged Guar, spouting his nonsense to passersby, and to the drunks stumbling out of the tavern."
I nodded.
"Thank you," I said.
On the way to Godsreach from the Great Bazaar, Julan and Aiden talked about it, while I mostly kept silent. I had nothing to say, really. No words could properly articulate my disgust.
"Ugh... a suicide cult?" Julan grimaced as he said those words, and then turned to Aiden. "OK, fine, you win, Aiden. There are worse things than worshipping the Tribunal."
"I'm still surprised you thought there weren't," Aiden mumbled.
We found the guy exactly where Meralyn said he'd be; pacing back and forth in front of entrance to The Winged Guar, while whistling to himself. Romari wore plain white robes and nothing else. Not even shoes. I turned to Julan and he took a deep breath, clearly bracing himself for whatever we had to deal with here. Romari quickly spotted us, and waved, and then started to approach us while smiling at us in a warm, friendly fashion.
Given what I knew about him, I found this unnerving.
"My greetings and blessings upon you three," he began. "I am Eno Romari. How may I help you in your journey through this life?"
"You can tell us what you're doing with this suicide cult of yours, for starters," was my agitated reply.
Romari merely sighed, making it clear to me that this wasn't the first time someone had confronted him over this...mess.
"I beg your pardon? We are a peaceful group, Sera," Romari stressed on the word 'peaceful' for emphasis, practically spitting the words.
Peaceful group? Yeah, if they were peaceful, then I had two right feet.
"We are dedicated to relieving the suffering of all who are feeling stressed in these troubled times," Romari finished.
"Troubled times?" Julan asked incredulously. "What are you on about?"
Romari turned to him with the same smile. I now found the way he was smiling not just unnerving, but quite creepy, if we're being honest.
"I teach my followers the way to enlightenment, through understanding of what is happening in our world and what is to come in the next. All of my people know the importance of preparedness for the coming troubles, and many are willing to make great sacrifice for our cause."
"Sacrifice?" Aiden asked.
Romari nodded.
"Our beliefs are very simple, my dear friends," Romari continued to explain. "The blessed Tribunal -" (at that, Julan snorted his contempt and disbelief, something Romari ignored) "- though once filled with glory, are no longer the gods they once were. As with the tides and Tamriel's moons, all cosmic powers will wax and wane. But, when gods die, it creates ripples throughout the lands. The passing of the Three will be a prelude to the end of this era, and the beginning of the next. The followers of the End of Times are making ourselves ready for this to happen."
"Ready for, what, exactly?" I asked cautiously, already dreading the answer.
Soon enough, I found I was right to.
"We realize that the end of the era will bring many changes," Romari replied. "We believe that the gates of Oblivion will open, and the multitude of daedra will roam this world freely. Some might tell you that this is a good thing; that we are descended from the daedra and it will be a return to the natural order of things. I know differently, though. The coming age will be a time of great horror."
Well, this was just creepy. And it wasn't just that he was stated insanity, it was the way he said it, too. Romari's tone was calm; as if we were discussing the weather. I resisted the urge to shudder.
"The Daedra Princes are not our ancestors, nor are they our allies," Romari continued in a warning tone. "They will wash over the land, destroying all that man and mer have built over these thousands of years. The only protection from this scourge will be our true ancestors that have gone before us and watch over us even now. Many of our followers choose to participate in the Cleansing, to prepare the way for the rest of us. It is a sacrifice to be sure, but it is for the greater good."
Honestly, I had no idea why Romari was convincing his...followers (if you can even call them that, as I wasn't certain everyone involved in this nonsense was even doing it of their free will) to commit suicide. At first, I thought maybe he was lying to them for his own sick amusement. But I could see right now that he believed in this himself.
He himself was probably sick.
And I had no idea how to respond to this.
"And...this cleansing?" I asked, slowly.
Romari smiled.
"It is a glorious ritual, my friends," he replied. "Our followers cleanse themselves of all of their troubles...all of their burdens here on this earth. They send themselves ahead to the ancestors, spreading our word, making ready for when we shall all join them in our fight against the daedric hordes."
Suddenly, Romari looked up, and then, so did we. Two High Ordinators were making their way towards The Winged Guar. While I took a wild guess and would have said they were off duty and were likely going to get drinks, Romari made his way to leave anyway. The Ordinators would likely arrest him as a threat to public peace, given the amount of complaints people had made within the past two days.
Romari have have been crazy, but he wasn't an idiot.
"I'm sorry, my friends," he said. "But I'm afraid I must take my leave. It was nice having this discussion with you. I hope we meet again soon."
As soon as Romari was gone, the three of us exchanged looks.
"What a lunatic," Julan let out.
Aiden shook his head in disbelief.
"Daedra roaming the earth? Does he seriously believe that's...actually going to happen?" Aiden said those words with immense disbelief. "He's crazy! The entire thing is crazy!"
Julan shrugged.
"Look, I agree that the Tribunal are on the verge of collapse. But it's disgusting that someone would use that to exploit vulnerable people and gain power over them."
"I don't he was exploiting them, Julan," I said. "He sounded like he actually believed in those things."
"Ugh, that's even worse, somehow," was his response.
I noticed Aiden nodding in agreement.
"And I thought the Temple worshipers were crazy!" Julan yelled.
Almalexia wasn't exactly pleased when I returned to relay what Romari had told me. In fact, she was absolutely livid.
"A suicide cult?" Almalexia spoke those words in a low and deadly tone. "In my city?"
It's more likely than you think, I thought, but said nothing.
"They would dare...?" She hissed, before stopping and looking towards me.
Within a split second, she no longer looked angry. I couldn't really tell what she was feeling exactly, as she didn't exactly have pupils, but the smile that appeared on her face sent a cold chill down my spine.
"So, the Tribunal has lost its power, has it?" She demanded.
It was clear to me that it was a demand not meant to be answered.
"These fools would dare question Almalexia's power, here in her city! I will give them a lesson in power, Ulina, and you will be my agent."
I didn't like the sound of that. And I mean I really, really didn't like the sound of that at all. I also didn't sign up for it, but whatever. No one ever cared about my opinion on things.
"What does that mean, exactly?" I asked in a cautious tone.
"These fools must be reminded of the true power of a god. Since the attack on the city, much of my own power has been spent caring for my people."
I seriously doubted that.
"The number of wounded has been astronomical, and caring for them all has been taxing to even me," Almalexia continued. "Still, I must demonstrate to these people what it is to mock the will of a god. You will travel to the ruins of Bamz-Amschend and activate the Karstangz-Bcharn."
"The...the what?"
Alright, so the first thing was clearly the name of a Dwemer ruin. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was the name of the ruins discovered beneath the city after the attack (I mean, I'm still not entirely certain how Dwemer ruins get their names, but there wasn't another ruin nearby). But the other name? While it was clearly Dwemer, I didn't recognize it. At all.
"The Karstangz-Bcharn. It means 'The Weather Witch' in Dwemer," Almalexia explained.
She said those words as if I ought to have known this, and that it was a great tragedy that I did not. I resisted the urge to scowl.
"At its height, the Dwemer civilization was masterful in the use of machinery. In a time of drought, Dwemer scholars were commissioned to create a machine that would bring rain to their lands. They created the Karstangz-Bcharn. Its existence was little more than a myth until recently, when the ruins opened beneath my city. I wish for you to activate the machine, make it create ashstorms in Mournhold. Then, these heretics will know the power of Almalexia!"
I took an involuntary step backwards. Surely I misheard something she said, because what I thought I heard sounded insane, even by Almalexia's standards.
"I'm sorry, but did you just say...ashstorms?" I asked, incredulously. I didn't even bother trying to hide my shock and disbelief. "Here? In Mournhold?"
Almalexia smiled in what seemed to be cold glee.
"That's correct," she replied.
What?
I had spent a great deal of the year last year making sure there would be no more ashstorms. Not only would doing this task make those efforts essentially useless, but what purpose would it serve?
I don't think anyone - and Julan, especially - was going to be very happy with this.
"While these storms may be common on the island of Vvardenfell, they do not occur here, so far removed from the Red Mountain. Now, though, they will, and these heretics will understand the power of the Tribunal. The power of Almalexia!"
Yet again, I could help but think back to the last time I had seen Vivec. He himself had said that she took her divinity very seriously, and would possibly do herself and others harm.
Could this be how Almalexia was going to cause harm? With an ashstorm?
But I had to do it. I had no choice. It was the only way I would get her to trust me to tell me what she thought about the attacks on Mournhold.
Suddenly, after Almalexia cast a simple spell, an old Dwemer cog appeared before me, seemingly out of thin air. I examined it for a few moment, before looking to Almalexia again.
"Take it, and use it to activate the machine," Almalexia instructed. "You will have to divine its workings on your own, Ulina, but I believe you are up to the task."
She waved her hand at me, a sign of dismissal, and I made my way to leave, still trying to process what Almalexia wasn't me to do. I wasn't sure if I wanted to quite believe it.
Almalexia had just asked me to use some old Dwemer construct buried deep within recently discovered Dwemer ruins to cast an ashstorm in her city.
All this because of one damned suicide cult.
I mean, The End of Times were absolutely insane, but were they really worth this much energy?
And just as I predicted, Julan was not at all pleased in the slightest.
"Explain something to me," Julan began, after I had told him what Almalexia had asked me to do. "How is filling Mournhold with ashstorms supposed to convince people the world isn't ending?"
He made a very good point.
"I'm just as confused as you are, Julan."
He snorted.
"I really don't think she's thought this one through," Julan said. His expression hardened. "I don't think you have, either."
"Yes, I know it's not exactly a normal Tirdas, Julan, even by our standards. But it has to be done. Almalexia needs to trust me. Will you come with me?"
Julan sighed.
"Ai, of course I will, Ulina, it's just...I don't like this," he said.
I should have expected that.
Aiden didn't go with us to the ruins the next morning. It was just me and Julan. We took a quick route through the Temple Gardens into The Plaza. As I had expected, barely anyone was there except for maybe a few Royal Guards and Ordinators. Once again, Julan and I climbed into these ruins, preparing to go further in.
Navigating these ruins was more than simply irritating. They were an architectural nightmare, and as they had never been explored before in recent memory, it wasn't like Julan or I could consult a map. I only had a vague idea as to what we were looking for. But I knew that this...weather device (I forgot what it was actually called by this point) was likely to be in the very depths of the ruins, as it was an important device. The Dwemer likely didn't want anyone just playing around with it. Including people like Almalexia - or I guessed, me, seeing as I was working on Almalexia's behalf.
Eventually, after what seemed like hours of searching, Julan and I managed to find what we were sent to find, while getting lost more times than I could count (and finding plenty of loot to sell off later). The Weather Witch was alone in a large room with a dome ceiling. There were detailed pictures ahead of us, depicting rain and a grey sky.
The current weather, I thought.
There were three levers, and on the wall across from them, a large stone panel.
Julan instantly made his way to try and pull the levers, but failed. He let out a loud cry of frustration, but while this was occurring, I went through my rucksack, trying to find that Dwemer cog Almalexia had given me the day before, and then placed it in the stone panel.
Suddenly, I heard a low hum, and then the familiar sounds of running Dwemer machinery. I turned to Julan. He looked up.
"Just what did you do?" He asked.
"Activated the machine," I replied, then made my way to the lever. Julan watched as I pulled one, and then the other, watching as the image ahead of me signifying rain changed from that to one signifying sunshine, and then a blizzard, and then -
And then one which was clearly an image of Red Mountain. I turned back to Julan, and we exchanged the same worried expression.
We emerged from the ruins to be greeted an ashstorm. While Julan and I were used to the effects of such a storm by now, the inhabitants of Mournhold were not. It was clear as day, from the shock on their faces to the panicking I saw from others.
"Ashstorms in Mournhold," Julan began, disbelievingly, while trying to keep the ash out of his face. "Ashstorms. In Mournhold…"
The loud sound of coughing rang in my ears at this point. I'd say it was probably making some of the residents of Mournhold ill. I'd just have to hope it wasn't severe.
"Yes, I'm well aware I may have made a huge mistake, Julan," I snapped at him.
He shook his head.
"When will we stop enabling that deluded wreck of a goddess to cause more damage?" He muttered angrily.
I didn't have a clever enough response to that question. All I could do was sigh.
As we passed through The Temple Gardens, we passed by Eno Romari, who I had barely recognized at first as he had covered his face so only his eyes were visible with a thick, white cloth. I could see he was just as disturbed by this as everyone else was.
"Ah, it is you two," he began. "This weather is unbelievable! What can it mean? This isn't supposed to happen here! Not again!"
"I don't think Almalexia is very happy with you, Romari," I stated.
At this, Romari's eyes widened in what was seemingly fear.
"The goddess has created these storms to teach my group true power, hasn't she?" His tone was dark. "They will come to me in droves! This madness is surely another sign of the troubles to come. Take care, my friend. You have been warned."
And with that, he ran.
"You go home," I told Julan. "I'll bring Almalexia the news."
With that, both Julan and I went our separate ways, both trying to keep the dust out of our eyes in a newly ashfilled city.