Chapter Eighteen: The Third Trial
Achen stared at the old woman and her sharp knife, which was at the moment a bit too close to Achen's throat.
"Hold still", the old woman said.
"What.... no... don't touch me, somebody help me!", Achen yelled as he felt the cold steel against his throat.
The old woman sighed.
"No no, don't move, I don't want to rip your throat."
"No...wait...you don't? Then what are you doing?!"
"I'm shaving your beard."
Achen stared at the old woman and the woman indeed started shaving Achen's cheeks.
"But... I don't have a beard...", Achen mumbled still feeling a bit fuzzy.
Achen touched his other cheek and felt it, he indeed had a short beard.
"But... I just shaved yesterday...", Achen said to himself. None of this was making sense.
"There you go", the old woman said and cleaned Achen's jaw with a soft animal skin.
"Where... where am I? And where's Merlac?"
At the same moment, Merlac walked inside the tent.
"Ah, I thought I heard some talking", Merlac grinned and kneeled next to the old woman.
"Could you please explain why I am almost naked under a stinking animal skin and wake up with a sharp knife on my throat?"
"I'm afraid that is all my fault", the old woman said softly.
"And you are...?"
"She is Nibani Maesa, the wise woman of the Urshilaku, and we are in her tent in the Urshilaku camp in the northern part of Vvardenfell.", Merlac answered.
"But... how did we get here? I thought we were still five-days-travel away from the camp?", Achen stuttered.
"Well, we were, yes, and it took us about five days to get here."
"Five days... what a... err... how long have I been unconscious?"
"Almost three weeks now", Nibani answered.
Achen just stared at the old woman again.
"Err... what?"
"Yes, you've been sleeping for almost three weeks now. Look, it wasn't up to me, the Urshilaku warriors found our campfire soon after you started sleeping and they had to drug you...", Merlac began.
"DRUG ME?!", Achen yelled.
"Heh, don't worry mate, I didn't understand that either at first, but there were some tasks I had to do, trials for the prophecy, and I had to do them alone."
"Are you saying you've been wondering around Vvardenfell for almost three weeks without me, and I've just been sleeping here?"
"Well... yeah. Sorry..."
Achen stared at Merlac and then at Nibani. Both of them were trying not to laugh.
"All right then, can I even hear what you've been doing.
"Ah, Merlac followed my guidance and acquired some... items... to the leader of our tribe. It's called the Test of Warrior", Nibani explained.
"Items... test of warrior?", Achen wondered and then he noticed a large bruise in Merlac's arm.
Merlac noticed Achen's look and covered the bruise with his other hand.
"Don't worry about it, it's nothing", Merlac said and grinned.
"It's nothing? Where were you actually?"
"Well, I had to visit some abandoned Sixth House shrines and stuff... nothing special..."
"And what else was there than just rats?"
"Well, an ash vampire from Dagoth family didn't like me wondering around there..."
"An ash vampire?! So no big deal, huh?"
"Well, he wasn't as bad as Dagoth Gares back then..."
"God damn you Merlac, you got corpus disease from Gares and now you are telling me this other ash vampire wasn't as bad?"
"I've been practicing after that Gares incident, you know?"
"Wait, wait, wait!", Nibani interrupted them. "Merlac, did I hear you right? You got corpus?"
"Err... yeah", Merlac said to the old woman.
"...and found a cure?"
"Well... yeah, or I wouldn't be here."
"Ah, that explains..."
"Explains what?", Achen asked,
"The curse of flesh before him flies", Nibani answered. "That is a part of the lost prophecies you brought me. Until this, that part has been a mystery to me, but now I understand what it means. It is the part where the Nerevarine becomes immune to the worst and incurable disease."
"So you have read the lost prophecies? Well? Am I the Nerevarine reborn or not?", Merlac asked sounding impatient again. Achen also stared at the wise woman, waiting.
"With the lost prophecies, much is revealed. You, the Outlander Incarnate beneath the Red Mountain, must face Dagoth Ur to lift the seven curses of the Sixth House; Curse of Fire, Curse of Ash, Curse of Flesh, Curse of Ghosts, Curse of Seed, Curse of Despair and Curse of Dreams. To remove these curses, you must go to the Red Mountain and defeat Dagoth Ur and all his hosts. It is an unspeakable task, but perhaps, with Azura's blessing, at least we have hope."
Achen and Merlac were quiet. So this was it, that was the task Merlac was meant to success in before he was even born.
"So... I just go to the Red Mountain and..."
"No, no.", Nibani interrupted again. "Only the destination is written, not the path. You must still become the Nerevarine before attempting to succeed in such a terrible mission."
"Right... the Seven trials... so what is the fourth trial then?", Merlac asked.
"I cannot tell you what is the fourth trial, as you have no yet passed the third. You have proven yourself to be a great warrior, yes, but the Test of Wisdom still waits you."
Merlac nodded.
"Can Achen help me with this one?", Merlac asked sounding a bit worried.
"Yes, now that you have passed the Test of Warrior, it is up to you who you choose with you in your journey."
"Let's hear it then", Achen said, while dressing his shirt.
The wise woman closed her eyes and spoke from memory.
"The eye of the needle lies in the teeth of the wind,
The mouth of the cave lies in the skin of the pearl,
The dream is the door and the star is the key."
Nibani smiled when she saw the expression on Achen's face.
"It's a riddle." Merlac said.
"Yes, it is a riddle which will lead you to the Cavern of the Incarnate. I cannot tell you what you will find, or what you must do there. To be honest with you, I don't even know myself.", Nibani said.
"The eye of the needle lies in the teeth of the wind...", Merlac repeated.
"Teeth of the wind... a mountain?", Achen suggested.
"Yes... yes, maybe. Hmm... I heard there are two sharp mountains near the Ghostfence east of Red Mountain, called the Airan's teeth.", Merlac said and looked at Achen.
"Airan... that sounds familiar..."
"Airan was a prophet, a friend of Azura's. Those mountains were named after her."
"A sharp mountains, named after Azura's friend... that cannot be a coincidence!", Achen smiled and finished bounding up his boots.
"I'm sure it isn't.", Merlac grinned
"Let's go then!", Achen said.
The two friends said goodbye to Nibani and left the Urshilaku camp after packing up their gear. The wise woman stared long after them, even after Achen and Merlac had already walked behind the endless sand dunes.
"He is indeed resourceful", a man's voice said behind Nibani.
"Yes... and his companion is loyal, he will follow Merlac to the deepest caves of Red Mountain if he has to."
"Still you are worried?", Sul-Matuul asked from the old woman.
"No incarnate so far has reached the Test of Wisdom, I cannot help Merlac much more."
"But you can show him the way, and I believe he will walk it with great honor.", the tribe leader said.
"May he be blessed by Azura...may he be blessed by the gods..."