AN: Is it weird that I need to write more words in order to push the scenes forwards when writing in first person?
Anyway, I reread my last chapter, and figure that maybe the most important problem lies in the bridging between the past tense and present tense in first person perspective part. Since it's only a minor role, I don't really want to put too many words on his background introduction and past tense is a must. So I decided to revise it a little, making the narrative more natural. (At least I think more natural, that is.)
The other problem is in characterization. Again, it is hard for me to develop the character fully in such a short chapter, but I tried to make it a bit more clear in the revision.
Overall, no big change story-wise in the rewriting. The only thing of note is the personality of the adventurer (which I hope I made it apparent enough) – an overthinking self-centered immoral prick that only interested in fame and reward.
Finally, as I said, the first person part is getting a bit too long for my liking. My usual chapter is a little more than 2000 words, and to make something happen here, I wrote more than 3000. But I manage to finish it in this chapter. So the next one, the perspective will return to normal.
Saitama was not surprised when the stranger did not lead Saitama to find Genos and the eight vampires, as the man claimed he would, but lead Saitama before a shrine in the mountains.
There were also some bandit-like cultists, or maybe cultist-like bandits, resided in the area, standing idly or sparring noisily.
Saitama had already found the man suspicious in their first conversation, for the man looked pretentious, tended to avoid certain topics and often made long pauses between the sentences.
Since the stranger was peculiarly eager to get Saitama to a goddess, Saitama did not expect the man to give up easily. So it made sense that all these were just a boring ruse.
From both what Saitama had heard and his personal experience, the god-like beings tended to give mortals some ridiculous tasks in exchange of some useless items. Moreover, Saitama once tried to sell one of those, but ended up being treated like a thief when the shop owner refused to believe Saitama got it through proper means. So Saitama was not at all interested in this reward from the goddess.
Then again, it did not hurt to check it out, at least for someone like Saitama. He could always reject the offer later.
Besides, if by following the stranger he could actually found his group, it would be great; if not, Saitama could always run to Winterhold instead of walking. Therefore, this was a riskless bet, and Saitama had no reason not to take it.
Perhaps one reason – it was painful for Saitama to follow a man who walked slowly and fidgeted nervously.
Now the stranger stopped again, lost in his thought maybe.
Saitama decided to point out the obvious. "This is the shrine you want me to go, isn't it?"
"This is the shrine you want me to go, isn't it?"
That sentence from the bald man interrupted my thought, when I was considering how I could get him to touch the Pillar of Sacrifice, so Boethiah's magic would ensnare him.
Damn. This man has figured it out.
But he could not know of my intention to sacrifice him in the altar. So I still have chance.
To avoid his suspicious, look innocent is necessary.
"Oh my. Yes, indeed. I must have made the wrong turn."
I might have overdone it, since the bald man seems more suspicious than before.
"Uh-huh." The target stares at me blankly. "Just admit it. You have never seen my group, right?"
Damn. This man has figured out more than I expected. How should I play this? At least he is not angry, is he? Or maybe he has facial paralysis condition?
"No. Sorry. I haven't seen them." I force my most sincere apologetic expression. Honesty here would be better, in case he should ask me to describe the group. "But this matter is of utmost most importance. Since you are already here, you ought to talk to the goddess. It won't take long."
The bald ignores my pleas and tries to walk away again, but this time I rush in and stand on the path leading down the mountain, blocking his way.
I am so close to get this done. Giving up now will just be stupid. Failure on such critical mission in my career is not acceptable.
Do whatever it takes.
Leveling a glare that matches his, I unsheathe my great sword on my back and point it at the man. "Go touch the pillar and talk to the goddess, or else…"
The man narrows his eyes, more menacing than ever. "Are you threatening me?"
The atmosphere around the man thickens, and I shudder at that. My heart is pounding hard when I meet the man's eyes.
The two handed weapon is trembling with my hand. Why does it feel so heavy?
Is this feeling… fear?
By Talos! This cannot be right. How is this possible?
No, no, no. I am overreacting, or just imagining things. There is nothing terrifying about this man. He is just an unarmed civilian, nothing more.
But if he is the one Boethiah specifically wants…
Damn. Should have stuck to my initial plan of playing it safe.
There is only one method left…
Losing face is not of my concern at the moment.
Immediately, I drop my sword and go down on my knees. "Please don't leave. I beg of you. You must activate the pillar. Or the goddess will be mad at me."
"Hey. Don't you think your attitude changes a little too fast? A big man crying like this is embarrassing…" The bald man sighs. "Fine. Whatever. I'll do it as long as it's quick."
Yes! I got him. All of the hard works are paying off. And the task will be accomplished flawlessly. Boethiah will definitely reward me greatly for my effort and this will be a giant step to fame and glory.
I jump to my feet when the man turns around to face the pillar.
The Breton looks to the altar. "You said activate the pillar. It's a pillar. How do I activate it?"
"That is easy. Just put your hand on it. Then the goddess will speak to you."
Good. The man follows what I said, walks to the pillar, and put his hand on it.
It is done. I have finished the most difficult parts of my quest, the only thing left to do is…
"It's not working. Where is that goddess you are talking about?" The bald man retracts his hand from the stone as nothing happens. "If she is not coming, I'm leaving."
What does he mean it's not working? This is not right. He should be trapped by the magic of Boethiah, not walking away unharmed. The pillar does not look activated either, standing there lifelessly.
So I put my right hand on the pillar.
I should not have put my right hand on the pillar.
Damn. The pillar and the carving patterns below it are glowing now?
This is very bad. I can't pull my hand away from it.
There is something, some invisible force, dragging my whole being towards the pillar - a strong and irresistible force.
And I am stuck with my back against the pillar and arching backwards as all of my limbs pull back. My foot is also off the ground.
This is very very bad.
Worse still, no word escapes my mouth when I try to talk.
This is not supposed to happen. I am the one luring the prey, and the bald man is the sacrifice. Why did I end up trapped by the pillar?
Damn. I messed up.
Or maybe… this was Boethiah's plan all along…
She is the Daedric Prince of deception… So maybe I am the one to be deceived?
This bald man… What is his relation with Boethiah?
"Is this normal?" The man blinks at me, confusion on his face.
Perhaps he really has no idea what is going on. This means he probably is not on the side of Boethiah. So maybe I still have a chance to survive.
The bald man frown at me. "Hey. Are you listening to me?"
Yes, I can hear you, but the magic of Boethiah has stolen my voice. And I cannot speak or ask for help.
The bald man inspects the pillar without touching it. "I think the pillar is broken."
Then he picks up something on the ground.
Wait. That is the Blade of Sacrifice, with which I am supposed to strike down the man when he is stuck on the pillar.
Like the way I am now.
Oh no.
The bald man waves the dagger. "Is this yours? It's called Nettlebane, right?"
What? What Nettlebane? What is this man talking abou…
There! The priestess, the priestess who sent me to kill, is coming up too.
Is she here to convince the man to kill me with that blade?
I don't want to die, I am too young, and my career has just started. This will be a tremendous loss to the whole Tamriel! I can't die here! I am sorry I lied to you. Please don't kill me…
"Hey. You know what's wrong with this pillar?" The bald man is facing the priestess.
Everything is wrong. Everything…
"Nothing is wrong. You are chosen by our Lord." The priestess is looking at the bald man solemnly. "Now, drive the blade firmly into the heart of the sacrifice, and our Lord shall reward you."
I close my eyes, feeling my face wet with something – something salty by the taste. Am I crying?
"What? Why are you cultists so violent? No. I don't think killing the man will solve the problem. Breaking a pillar does not entitle a death sentence. You see, the problem is with the pillar. Do you have some tools or magic that can fix it?"
I open my eyes at the man's words, and feel less nervous.
So the man does not intend to kill me.
He just wants to fix the pillar I broke. That doesn't really make any sense.
Hold on, even if the man does not strike me down, there is still a cult around. They can easily kill the bald man and me with their superior numbers.
If only I can warn the man…
The man and the priestess are currently glaring at each other in silence. Something bad is about to happen, isn't it…
What is that?
There were always noises coming from the lower part of the mountain, where lies the fighting pit we passed by. But this time it is different. It is much louder.
I cannot see what is happening from this angle, stuck on this blasted pillar.
The priestess is running down the hill, probably to check out the din.
The bald man… the bald man is unaffected, and is looking at me again. "I think she is going for the equipment to repair the column. Just hang in there."
The probability that the priestess is looking for equipment is lower than the probability that this bald man is a… is a Dragonborn.
There is nothing wrong with the pillar, alright? I just made a mistake of touching it.
Wait. In that case, the pillar cannot be fixed… Does it mean I will be trapped here until someone kills me or I starve to death? Things are never going to turn good for me, aren't they. This is…
Someone is coming up again, not the priestess. No, there were more than one person – it is a group. It is not the cult I saw earlier either.
And the noises downhill have died down also.
The blond Nord leading the group stops in front of the bald man. "Sensei, we finally found you. We were asking around everywhere, and the owner of a stable near Windhelm gave us the direction you went. We did a blanket search and eventually arrived at this place."
So they know each other?
Hold on. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, nine persons. This must be the group the bald man was seeking. It would also explain why they look nothing like the cultists.
The cultists, where are they now?
"Oh. Genos you guys are here. That will save me some troubles." The bald man does not seem too excited about finding his companions. "Did you see a bandit-like priestess down there looking for tools?"
Bandit-like priestess. Sounds weird but quite precise… And she is most likely not looking for tools.
"No." The blond looks serious. "We only took out a group of bandit-like cultists because they attacked us without warning."
Does it mean I am saved? With the cult demolished. But I am still stuck here…
The bald man suddenly point his finger at the only path leads here. "Never mind. The priestess is coming up."
The priestess is somewhat different. Her stance is more stiff and steady than before, and…
"The priestess is no more. I am called Boethiah. Many names have mortals given me. But I am not interested in names. I am interested only in deeds. Your deed is more than interesting…"
By the Eight! It's Bo- Boethiah.
Her voice makes me shiver even when she is only talking through the priestess' corpse. And why does she sound so ominous… so venomous? Especially with that last sentence.
Oh, the bald man used her book as toilet paper. That is probably why.
We are all going to die, aren't we.
"Boethiah." The blond newcomer knows the name. "The Daedric Prince of deceit, conspiracy, treachery and sedition."
Then he should know the best option now is to beg for her mercy, though it probably will not work, since Boethiah is not merciful…
"You desecrated my books, drew those Molag Bal's despicable creatures to my altar, and decimated my worshippers. How dare you, little mortal? I should slay you for such insolence!"
Books? The man destroyed more than one book of Boethiah?
And Molag Bal's creatures… What does she mean?
Wait, the eight hooded persons following the blond… They are vampires, aren't they…
What are these men thinking?! Molag Bal and Boethiah are rivals! Adversaries!
Why on Nirn would someone think it is a good idea to bring a group of vampires to the Sacellum of Boethiah!
"Okay… " The bald man blinks blandly at the thrall of Daedroth, as if not noticing the severity of the situation. "Maybe you should calm down, and fix your pillar first… There is man stuck on it."
The man stuck on it is now willing to settle for a painless and quick death… Oh, Boethiah enjoys the suffering of mortals…
"Your fearlessness is foolish, out of naivety. But your will is strong and your prowess remarkable. It's something I can use. And I shall grant you pardon for a proving. My previous champion displeases me, using my gift for his own amusement. It is time he is replaced – in the traditional fashion."
The bald man stays quiet, maybe confused at the Daedra's offer.
The blond Nord is not. "Sensei, I believe she is making an exchange. She wants us to do something about that champion. In return, she will fix the pillar."
No… I don't think that is what she means.
"But I am not the one who broke it!" The bald man starts to protest. "She should ask the man on the pillar to pay for the reparation."
Please don't drag me into this…
"Besides, if it's true that she is some prince of deceit." The bald man is with a thoughtful look on his face. "How should we know she is not lying to us?"
That… actually makes some sense, probably should have thought of that before I took this assignment…
However, at this point, mortals do not really have choices before a goddess.
The blond taps his palm with his other fist. "You are truly insightful, sensei. She could be lying to us all along! Maybe she has no intention to carry out her deal. Maybe the deal is lure us into a trap. Maybe she is not displeased at her champion at all. Maybe her blame on your insolence is but a ruse. Maybe she is not interested in you from the beginning. Or maybe she is not Boethiah, but actually the priestess."
What? The blond cannot be serious.
"Oh the follies of the mortals. The dimness of your wit prevents you from perceiving the true greatness. For I am the one they call Boethiah, and Boethiah am I."
The blond man is not paying attention to the Daedroth. "But if she were not Boethiah, she is not the Prince of deceit and was likely not lying to us. No, it is still possible that she is not Boethiah, and is serving Boethiah. Then it would make sense that she is lying to us because the Daedra told her to. And now she is deceiving us into believe she is Boethiah…"
That does not make sense at all. Why would Boethiah command her worshipper to do that?
On a second thought, most of the things Daedric Princes did don't really have good reasons. They just did them for amusement.
So if Boethiah is amused in deception, maybe she did order the priestess?
If that is the case, the priestess has some brilliant acting skill.
The blond man seems to be the talkative type. "… If the one talking to us is a priestess ordered by Boethiah to convince us she is Boethiah herself, it is still possible that Boethiah was also lying to her priestess. However, since the priestess worship a Daedra of deceit, how do we know she was telling us the truth about admiring deception? She is possibly lying about being a liar. Then she is not a liar. Then she is telling the truth. But the truth is she is a liar, so she must be a liar. How can she be not a liar and a liar at the same time? Then… "
My head… It hurts… What is the man talking about? The complex logic here is so perplexing…
"Genos! Stop!" Thankfully, the bald man cut in. "Get to the conclusion."
The blond pauses and lower his head, perhaps deducing his conclusion.
What can he possibly get from this lengthy line of thought?
"Your impudence will not be forgotten, mortals."
The blond levels his eyes towards the bald man again, ignoring the priestess yet again. "I believe the altar is ownerless."
What? How did he get that conclusion?
"Oh. Alright." The bald man… He is agreeing?
Wait. Why is the bald man coming towards me?
He walks past me and stops behind me at a place out of my eyesight.
What is he doing?
A loud thump comes from my back, along with the violent tremor of the pillar.
A waft of cool air meet my sweaty back, and I fall down to the ground on my all fours.
What just happened?
I turn my newly freed head around to check the situation. The pillar is gone. The only thing in the place it once stood is a clutter of shattered stone.
The bald man broke it? How? He does not even have any weapon on him.
And now the group is stepping away. But the priestess is blocking the path.
"Don't overstep your position, mortals. I shall send my..."
The later part of the priestess' speech is interrupted by the bald man as he shoves the woman aside.
"Stop the role playing, priestess." The bald man does not halt, leading his group with him. "You should really get a better hobby other than lying to people and trying to scare them."
Pushing myself up from the ground and ignoring the stiffness caused by freezing in position, I scramble after the departing group.
Staying here is definitely a bad idea. It does not matter who the woman is - a priestess or Boethiah herself, she surely gives me the creeps.
Daedric Princes and their followers are all bizarre and menacing. Their quests? I'll pass in the future. It's not worth risking my life.
And probably the same goes for the quests with deception… For my body still trembles from being deceived and my head still aches from considering the blond's words…
Trailing behind the group down hillside trail, I can hear the blond Nord keeps talking. "… Since Boethiah is the Daedric Prince of treason. Maybe she is pleased at her champion for betraying her, which is the greatest treason a cultist could ever done. Maybe she even nominated the person as champion because of the betrayal… "
Please stop…
Just don't listen to him, and I will be fine. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't…
...
There were some other people listening and thinking about what Genos said.
As it turned out, part of the cult did survive this unexpected disaster falling upon them. And some of the survivors managed to overhear fragments of the conversation taking place around the shrine and witness the destruction of the altar.
While some of the cultists considered this as the ultimate disrespect to their lord, and believed wholeheartedly that Boethiah was speaking through the priestess, the others took the scene as a sign.
The result was a division in the cult.
The former resumed their old ways of worshipping Boethiah, yet the latter felt the need to overhaul their method.
The cultists supporting change had a central idea – the shattering of the altar and the safe departure of the intruders were both evidences given by Boethiah, and though the group of strangers that smacked them down did not follow Boethiah, their words were admitted by the Daedroth. The priestess was indeed pretending to be their goddess, and such action was approved by Boethiah as an admirable deception. The betrayal of the champion of Boethiah was actually the best exemplar of treason. The above two deeds were the pinnacle of worshipping and should be done by a cultist when the person truly readied oneself.
Much later, the two sects would become rival and fight violently for another trait of Boethiah was her favor in destruction. And the culprits of this great division would remain unknown of what they had done, since they had more pressing matters to do.