From beneath the hood of the robe I stole from the Imperial Cult Shrine, the bustling markets of Tel Vos can be seen. We make our way through the crowd, avoiding the people clambering to see the latest potion demonstration, while pretending to be oblivious to the shouting traders trying to lure us to their stores.
I look up the night sky, silently thanking the stars for their presence. If it were day, things would have been much different for us. As it is not, we have been able to make our way out of the fort with little trouble. All we need do now is make it through these markets and out to the lonely plains of the Grazelands outside, and it will all be over. At least, this part of it, anyway.
Several Telvanni guards patrol the perimeter of the marketplace, underneath the giant walls of stone and roots that is this city. We pass them without incident, Ellory and I appearing to them as a pair of mere Imperial Cult monks out on an evening stroll. Sellus accompanies us as we walk, his mostly enclosed helmet disguising his face.
It does not take us long to reach the arched openings in the stone walls. The two guards stationed there do not say a word to us as we pass through. Once we reach the bottom of the hill below the city, I breathe a sigh of relief.
"Thank the gods," Sellus says, removing his helmet.
I lift the hood of my robe and run a finger through my matted, sweaty hair. Then, I look back up the hill; from here, only the mushroom peak on top is visible. If it weren't for Sellus, I muse, both Ellory and I would still be up there in Neloth's grasp.
"It is almost feels too easy, doesn't it?" I say, unbuckling the sword from beneath my robes and tying it over the top.
"Tell that to my heart," Sellus grumbles. The man does look quite shaken.
I approach him, and place my hand upon his shoulder. "Thank you," I say to him earnestly. "Thank you."
He smiles then. "No problem." The man turns to Ellory. "What are you going to do now?"
"We are going to go home," Ellory announces, in a tone a bit too certain for my liking, looking at me.
"Home?" Sellus asks.
Ellory looks out over the Grazelands. The moons above cast their soft light over the rolling hills and grasses of the plains, as well as the range of mountains in the distance. It is quite beautiful, but, looking at this place, so far from my home, I feel little other than dread.
"To my clan's base," the woman clarifies.
"Ithaca?" Sellus looks to me. He raises an eyebrow, and if asking me 'what is it you want to do?' I wish I had an answer.
Ellory then begins to look at me the same way, and their expectant, seemingly competing glares, begin to stress me out.
"Can we not proceed to Bal Ur directly?" I ask Ellory.
The woman's face hardens. "Bal Ur is a week's walk south at least, and I am not in the best of shape as it stands. I require rest, and we require supplies. I also have business to attend to. I wish to return home first. Then, we can go."
I turn to Sellus. "What are you going to do?"
He looks out over the Grazelands as well, and speaks. "I will return to the Ascadian Isles. Round up my men. We will continue as before."
"Carrying out those plans you mentioned, huh?"
The man smiles. "Indeed." His face grows serious. "There will always be a place for you with us if you want it, Ithaca. We have ways of protecting you from the Legion."
"As do I," Ellory states, almost as a challenge to Sellus' generous offer.
I look out over the hilly plains myself now. The dark horizon holds no clues as to my future. I have no idea where I am going; what will happen to me after Bal Ur. As an enemy of the Empire, there are few places on Tamriel that are safe. Not even my old home in Cryodiil is an option for me now.
Sellus and Ellory continue to watch me, waiting for me to make up my mind as to what I am going to do.
"I will go with you."
My words are addressed to Ellory.
Sellus nods.
I approach him, and wrap my arms around the man. "Be safe," I tell him.
"You as well."
I release Sellus from my grasp. He nods at Elorry, then walks away.
I feel the vampire's arm wrap around my waist.
I turn to her, and notice that she looks at me with concern. "Are you okay?"
"I do not know," I answer frankly. "Where are we going?"
Ellory points to a spot at the base of the mountains in the distance. There, I can make out indistinct shapes. While I cannot be sure at this distance, it appears to be a Dwemer ruin.
"Nchuleft," Ellory confirms. "Come."
The vampire takes me by the hand, and leads me down the path.
Before I can get too far, I look down the road toward the position I expect Sellus to be, hoping to catch one last glimpse of the man before he leaves us forever.
He is already gone.
We walk for an hour, under the moons and stars. The night is quiet; aside from a few Golden Saints wandering around in the distance, we are alone.
Neither of us speak as we travel. Talking doesn't feel right to me at the moment, and I believe Ellory feels the same.
The strange towers of the ancient Dwemer fortress comes in view. Vvardenfell is littered with such structures, abandoned centuries ago by their mysterious inhabitants when the entire race vanished in circumstances unknown. I have had the misfortune of wandering into a Dwemer ruin on only one occasion. All I remember of the place is heat, stone, and death — a perfect place for vampires, I suppose.
"Is that it?" I ask, pointing toward the towers.
"It is," she says, watching me take in the impressive sight before us.
"What of the animunculi?" The Dwemer left behind many mechanical guards when they left this realm, most of them still charged and highly dangerous.
She laughs. "All destroyed long ago."
We proceed further toward the tower in silence, Ellory guiding me with one hand behind my back. I cannot help feel strange at the role-reversal. All this time, I have felt like the one who was in control — an Imperial Legion garrison commander leading an investigation against a great evil in the name of good. I was in charge — of men, of Ellory. Now, I am not in charge of anything, and my fate in is in the hands of another. This is going to take some getting used to.
We make our way through the forest of stone and into the heart of the ruin. There, we come upon a sphere lodged halfway into one of the ruin's wall. This sphere, about as tall as I stand, is a Dwemer door. From what I can recall, these doors are opened by the actuation of a nearby lever. I survey the area around us, but there is no such lever to be found.
Seconds pass, and Ellory does nothing. She merely stands by the door, and waits as the wind tousles her hair. Just as I am about to say something, the great sphere begins to open. The object moves sideways with a great sound, and recedes into the wall. The open half of the circle reveals the presence of a second, regular door. We proceed through that door, and enter the ruin.
Inside, it is deserted.
"This way," Ellory instructs, guiding me down the dimly lit passages of the ruin.
The heat radiating from the metal floor beneath my feet is almost unbearable. The Dwemer, I've read, generally built their fortresses and cities in highly volcanic areas, in order to tap into the geothermal energy present there. Here, near the base of the largest volcano is Tamriel, is definitely a good spot.
The passages down which I am being guided eventually terminates at a round, stone door. Ellory approaches the door, and, as she did at the one outside, waits.
In a few moments, the door opens. When it does, several dozen pairs of glowing eyes are revealed on the other side.
The fear hits me immediately, and I turn to Ellory for reassurance.
She smiles at me, and wraps her arm tighter around my waist.
"Welcome, Ithaca Caecilia, to the House of Clan Quarra."