Chapter Six: Balmora

As Caius and Merlac were walking across the bridge to the other side of the town, Caius gave a laugh.

"Oh boy, this is Balmora, my friend. Though Balmora is not the biggest city in Vvardenfell and not even a harbour city, this town might be the centre of trade and travelling on this island. As you saw yesterday, we have a silt strider service in here", Caius said while pointing at the huge insect and waving to the caravaner as they walked past the city gates. "Silt strider is the most common way of travelling, after your own feet of course. Only about half dozen cities in Vvardenfell have a silt strider standing next to their walls, so were very lucky to have one here."

"If only few cities have a silt strider, does that mean we have to walk to everywhere else?", asked Merlac.

"No no, we have other ways of transportaion as well. Between coast cities, you may travel by boats. The fishermen usually ask for same size of payment as the caravaners for taking you to the next city. While travelling between inland cities, the fastest way is to ask a mage in local mage's guild to magically transport you to another mage's guild. The journey is almost instant, and magicians usually take very low payments."

"Mage's guild?", repeated Merlac.

"There are numerous guilds of groups here in Morrowind. One of them, magically orientated of course, is the Mage's guild, like here in Balmora. This is their house.", said Caius, pointing at a two-storey building next to them. "I suggest that as part of your training, you should try to join the guild as an apprentice, and maybe during some time, learn some spells yourself too. I'm sure you will find different sorts of spells very useful while you do the tasks I give you", Caius grinned. "This identical building next to the Mage's guild, is the Balmora's Fighter's guild, and that is where we are going next, because I believe a good friend of mine might be able to help me in few things, so after you let's ste…."

Suddenly, somebody grabbed Merlac from his shoulder, turned him around by force and rose him high above the ground with one bare hand. It was a huge, two-meters-long orc with big yellow teeth who squeezed Merlac's throat so that he was barely able to breath. All this happened so fast that Merlac hadn't had the time even to open his mouth before he was already hanging in the air.

"Again, a new outlander in our beautiful town! You come here and believe you belong here, you come and think your pathetic worm-like imperial race is better than the others! Would you like to see how you speak after I have ripped off your jaw, huh? DO YOU!", the orc bellowed.

Suddenly, the Mage's guild's door opened, and a blond half-elvish woman rushed out. She walked straight to the orc and rose his right hand. She looked the orc with furious eyes, as his hand started to glow blue. Her fingers sparkled and the air around her crackled as she pointed at the orc with her hand and spoke with anger in her voice.

"Let him go, Gargoull, let him go NOW!", she screamed.

"Not until he apologies, leaves our town and never returns!", the orc bellowed.

The wizard's hand sparkled even more as her hand caught fire and started burning with big, bright blue flames.

"Let him down!", she said again with controlled fury and determination in her voice.

"No! Leave us, you wench, this is not your busin…"

Before the orc was able to finish his clause, a huge blue fireball flew from the wizard's hand and struck the orc's chest with enormous power. Gargoull's body flew across the street and hit the opposite building's wall.

"Is he… is he dead?", asked Merlac, as Caius helped him to stood up.

"No, just stunned. We Mage's guild's wizards are not allowed to use deadly spells without being threatened, or unless our jobs require it.", said the half-elf with calm voice.

"Thanks, thanks a lot, I bet I will never learn how to cast spells of that magnitude", worried Merlac.

"It's not really that hard, if you're dedicated enough you will eventually learn almost any spell at all. My name is Galbedir by the way", the half-elf introduced herself.

"How do you do, Galberdir, and thanks again for saving my skin back there", grinned Merlac.

"Don't mention it, old Gargoull is nearly always in flin-drunkennes and asking for trouble. But now I must excuse myself, I was just enchanting a pair of boots for a customer as I saw you from the window. If you're interested, you should come and talk to Ranis Athrys, he might let you join the guild."

"Thanks, we put that in mind", said Caius. "Merlac will pop in later today, but first we must visit the building next door."

"Oh, you mean the fighter's guild… those fools who believe that a long, sharp sword is the answer to everything… oh well, duty calls, see you later.", said Galberdir and walked back inside, leaving Caius and Merlac watching as two guards dragged still unconscious Gargoull away.

"So what are we doing in the fighter's guild?", asked Merlac as they walked up the guild's stairs and knocked at the door.

"Like I said, I'll have to ask for help from a good friend of mine, Hasphat Antabolis."

At that point, a long, beautiful woman came and opened the door. She was dressed in a shining yellow bonemold armour set and she carried a sharp-looking sword with silvery hilt in her belt. Whe she saw Caius, her smile stiffened a bit.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want, old man?", the woman said.

"Ah, Merlac, I'd like you to meet Eydis Fire-Eye, the guild master of Balmora's Fighter's guild.", said Caius. "We're here to meet Hasphat, is he around?"

The woman stared at Caius few seconds looking a bit annoyed, but made way eventually.

"He's downstairs.", said Eydis.

"Oh, and I have another request as well.", remembered Caius. "Could you take Merlac as your apprentice, teach him the skills of basic combat and stuff, he's new in here and those skills will be useful for him."

Before Merlac could even say a word, Eydis grabbed his jaw and turned his head from direction to another.

"He's a skinny one, are you sure he learns anything?"

"Hey! I'm not sk…", said Merlac but Caius interrupted him.

"I'm sure he will do fine. He will pay for his own armour and weapons, so do we have a deal?"

The woman looked at Merlac lazily, and then nodded her head.

"Very well", she said. "I will train him, but I doubt he will become a good fighter or anything."

"Excellent, it is settled then. Now let's go and see Hashat", said Caius, smiling widely.

Caius and Merlac walked downstairs, meeting several guild's members on the way. Most of them greeted Caius friendly, but some of them just stared at him, looking annoyed. Soon they reached the bottom floor and came to a big room, evidently training room, as there were some wooden dolls standing next to the wall, and some of them had target-signs painted in their chests. In the middle of the floor, were a long-haired man and an orc with with big mustards, fighting each other. The man had an iron imperial shortsword and the orc was fighting with a weird-looking tanto. The man's gauntlets clattered against his imperial silver cuirass, as he repelled orc's furious attacks.

As Caius and Merlac stepped inside the room, the orc took a short look at them, but that time was long enough for the man to attack. The man stroke the orc in his stomach with the flat side of his sword and the orc bent and collapsed to the floor and gasped for breath. The man laughed and helped the orc to stand up again and sheathed his sword. The orc laughed as well, walked to the corner and started grinding his sword with a small stone. The man turned to Caius and Merlac.

"Caius, old friend! What can I do for you old buddy?", the man greeted.

"Hasphat, you old man, looks like you haven't lost your edge with swords.", replied Caius and grinned.

"I try to keep on my skills, but well well, who is this young man you brought with you?", said the man and shook hands with Merlac.

"He's Merlac, helps the old man to do his daily tasks", said Caius and winked at Merlac. "But look, I didn't come just to say hello to you, I have real business this time."

"Well let's talk about it then", said the man and guided Caius and Merlac to sit down to a pair of wooden stools. "What can I do for you, old buddy?"

"I was wondering, if you could tell me something about a cult called the Sixth House."

Merlac listened the men carefully, as they started talking.

"Ah… the Sixth House… I have to admit I've heard some worrying facts about it. You and me should have a little talk. But first, I need a bit help, in case you might be able to help…?", Hasphat said suggestively.

"Anything you need, my friend."

"My cousin in Ald'ruhun is looking for a certain item of dwemer origin and I heard that an adventurer saw one in Arkngthand, a dwemer ruin not so far away from here. I was wondering if you could go and pick it up for me?"

"Certainly. Merlac can go and get it while we have a little afternoon talk.", Caius smiled.

"Me? Alone?", said Merlac with suspicion.

"That's right. There is a smith on the other side of the street, go and buy yourself something that protects you in a hand-to-hand combat, just in case. I suggest buying at least gloves, it can be a bit chilly deep under the ground."

Merlac couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was told to go into a ancient dwemer fort with no combat experience or knowledge of spells of any kind. Caius had to be kidding.

"Don't look so terrified", laughed Hasphat. "The box was seen in a room not too deep under the ground level and the dwemer robots usually patrol in deeper levels, guarding the important devices."

"And that should make me feel comfortable? 'Should be' patrolling deeper? I've never been in a combat before, I don't know how to use a sword, which reminds me of that I don't even have one!"

Hasphat looked Merlac a moment, then rose up and walked to the other side of the room. He picked up a short, rusty sword from a wooden stand and threw it to Merlac.

"Here, you may borrow this. Just stick the sharp edge into anyone that either attacks you first or in other way prevents you from taking the box."

The only thing Merlac was able to do was to stare Caius and Hasphat by turns. He looked at the rusty sword in his hand. It wasn't very sharp but it would probably be better than nothing.

"You leave Balmora and walk along the road which leads east, but when you reach the Moonmoth fort, go left instead of right and walk up the hill. There should be a bridge leading to the ruins. Then find a doorway, enter the biggest building and start walking downwards until you find the box. I heard there should be few doors in the entrance hall, leading to right place, so don't continue wandering deeper to the tunnels, or you might get yourself killed or lost in the labyrinths."

"If the guarding robots are patrolling the deeper levels, then why do I need a sword?", asked Merlac, sounding a bit afraid.

"Because bandits or other outlaws usually use the upper levels of ruins and caverns as hideouts. They will try to kill you if you reveal their hideout, of course."

"Great. So how do I recognize this… what do you call it?"

"Dwemer puzzle box. It's a small box made from yellow dwemer metal, and it has some dwemer markings on it. If you find many items that match that description, just bring them all to me.", Hasphat smiled.

"So… I guess I'll leave then… wish me luck?"

The men waved their hands to Merlac shortly and then started talking with each other, and Merlac had no choice but to walk out with his rusty sword.

As soon as Merlac had left the room, Hasphat's appearance became worried.

"Err… Caius, are you sure about this? You just sent a young kid into a dwemer ruin with nothing but a rusty sword and no skills to use it? Are you trying to get rid of him or something?"

Caius sighed. "Well, if he is the one who I believe he might be, he'll be okay. If he is not… I'm sorry to say this but then he is just an unimportant minor criminal who has lived most of his life in a prison. All we can do now is to wait and hope for best…"