Chapter Sixteen: The Secret Monastery
Merlac and Achen spend their night in a room of a small cornerclub in Vivec. After only few hours of sleep, they paid the host for the room and left together towards Ebonheart. At the time of sunrise, Merlac walked through the large stone gate of Ebonheart and glanced at the enormous dragon statue in front of him.
"So, you said something about a boat."
"Yeah, let's head for the eastern docks.", said Achen.
Though it was just an early morning, the docks were already full of merchant ships from the mainland and other harbour cities in Vvardenfell. Achen led them to a long wooden wharf which swung slowly as they walked along it. On the right side of the wharf a large merchant ship was unloading its cargo, barrels full of spices and booze.
As Achen didn't walk in the merchant ship, but continued towards the empty end of the wharf, Merlac began to wonder.
"Umm… I can't see any more ships docked at this wharf… where are you going?"
As Achen did not answer, Merlac was just about to ask again, as he saw a very small wooden ship with its sails lowered appearing behind the large merchant ship.
"Ahoi there!", Achen yelled to a woman sitting in the boat, tying a small bag of fish.
"Ah, it's you Achen. How are you?", the woman replied with smile.
"Fine thanks."
"What brings you here?"
"Well, actually I've come to ask for a small favour. Could you be so kind that you borrow us your boat for one day?"
"Oh… sure, where are you heading?"
Achen hesitated for a second and then interpreted right the look on Merlac's face.
"Umm… I'm sorry but we would like to keep our destination in secret."
The woman looked a bit confused, but before she was able to say anything Achen interrupted her again.
"…and we can't take you with us I'm afraid. Just the boat."
"Well, I guess it's ok, but just for this one time, and make sure I get my boat back without a scratch, not like last time!"
Merlac glanced Achen with a suspicious look, but he just grinned.
"Don't ask, a long story", he whispered to Merlac.
Merlac and Achen helped the woman to unload her fishnets and bags out of the boat and then set sail towards the sea. They followed the coastline to east, until around noon they arrived to a small archipelago.
"So", began Merlac. "Where is that island of yours?"
"Well, we passed Tel Branora's cape about two hours ago, so according to that book, we should now head north and look for an island directly east from Mount Assaruiibibi."
"Not very precise instructions, are they?", sighed Merlac.
"Don't worry, we'll find it."
All afternoon Merlac and Achen spent exploring islands in the Vvardenfell's coast. The day had already began to darken, as they went ashore to a medium-sized island with a small hill on it.
"This has to be it, all other islands are too far away from Mount Assaruiibibi."
"Let's hope for the best.", replied Achen without much hope in his voice.
They stepped out of the boat and looked around.
"Ok, circle around the island from right and I go to left.", said Merlac.
"Umm… no.", replied Achen.
"And why is that?", asked Merlac, turning towards him.
"Because there is a stone stairway leading up the hill ahead of us."
Merlac turned towards the hill and looked up. For few moments he couldn't see anything, but then he noticed it. There was indeed a half-buried stone stairway all the way up.
Once they reached the top of the stairs, exhausted, they saw a small, wooden door sunken in the hill's side.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Try it.", said Achen.
Merlac carefully walked to the door, put his hand to the rusty handle, and pulled. Nothing happened.
Just when Merlac was about to try to break the lock with a magic, a loud female voice echoed around then, without any certain source.
"The door is locked, and will not open. The star is the key"
Merlac and Achen stood quiet and waited for more instructions, but the voice didn't say anything anymore.
"What was that supposed to mean?", asked Achen, sounding confused.
"This is the right place. That was the voice of Azura."
"Azura? Nice friends you've got. So what about the riddle about the star?"
"No idea."
As they didn't know what to do, Merlac and Achen set up a camp outside the doorway. As the night came, they were lying on their backs, watching the night sky.
"I've never been good in riddles.", said Achen.
Merlac sighed and stared at the black sky, as first stars began to appear and the moon of Tamriel slowly rose above the horizon.
"The star is the key…", muttered Merlac to himself.
"What if you just take one from the sky and stuck it up to the door's lock?", joked Achen.
Merlac gave a laugh but then the look on his face went pale.
"The star…the star! That's it!", yelled Merlac in joy, while jumping up so fast that Achen was almost scared to death.
"What?", asked Achen.
"This just might work!", said Merlac and walked to the door, closely followed by Achen.
"What might?", Achen asked again, sounding very confused.
"The star is the key. Perhaps it doesn't mean we need a star as a normal key, but that the door will only open while the stars are visible."
Merlac carefully put his hand to the rusty handle again, gave a short look at Achen, and pulled.
This time the door opened so easily that Merlac startled a bit. The female voice echoed loudly in the air again.
"In the dawn hour, under Azura's star, the door is now opened."
Merlac and Achen quickly lighted their torches and walked inside a stone corridor, leading downwards deeper inside the hill. There were several fresh footprints in the dusty floor, so this place was clearly actively used, but still neither of them drew out their swords.
Soon they arrived to a warm, homely, room filled with bookshelves, a large fireplace and three corridors leading to different directions.
"What weird place is this?", whispered Achen.
Suddenly a giggling happy female voice screamed from one of the corridors and Milo ran towards them. Achen was about to draw out his sword, but froze as he saw the woman hugging the startled Merlac.
"You found here, you finally found your way here!", Milo yelled in joy.
"Great to see you too, Milo", said Merlac. "But next time you should give a bit better advice."
Milo giggled again.
"So, what is this place anyway?", asked Achen.
"It's the headquarters of the dissident priests, the ancient monastery of Holamayan", said a male voice behind them.
Another woman and a rather old man appeared from the same corridor as Milo.
"And you must be Merlac", the man continued, looking towards Merlac. Merlac nodded.
"I offer my thanks for rescuing my young priestess, Milo. And now you have come to seek for the lost prophecies, yes?"
"Yes, have you found them?", asked Merlac.
"I have.", the old priest said. The woman next to him handed Merlac two very old scrolls, who accepted them carefully.
"Take these to the Ashlander wise woman and find out the truth whether you are the one or not. For the sake of us all, for the sake of whole Morrowind, we hope you are the one."
Merlac started at the scrolls in his hands for a moment and then looked at the old priest.
"What if I'm not?"
"Then…I'm afraid, Dagoth Ur has already won."
Slowly, the skies of Morrowind darkened and the rest of the stars became visible, covering already depressed minds under its heavy burden…