Chapter Nineteen: The Cavern of the Incarnate
It took over a week for Merlac and Achen to get over the gray wastelands surrounding the Red Mountain. Though they were still far away from the Ghostfence and the volcano itself, it was already impossible to see the sun behind the ash clouds above them.
"I don't think this is normal", said Achen as the companions walked along a large path between two high cliffs.
"What isn't?"
"The ash clouds... they usually don't spread this far away from Red Mountain."
Merlac turned his head and looked at the horizon. Though they were surrounded by high cliffs, he knew at which direction the volcano was.
"It has been more active during last few months than it used to be when I arrived to Vvardenfell."
"Should we be worried?"
"No...and yes. Somewhere beneath that mountain lives the Dagoth family and Dagoth Ur himself hides there."
Achen sighed sounding worried. He knew that sooner or later Merlac's path would lead them both there. Or at least Merlac, there was nothing forcing himself, but no, he had made and oath and he would rather die than let Merlac go there alone. Achen would never leave a friend behind.
"The wind is getting stronger", Merlac said.
Achen listened carefully as the wind whistled louder and louder above the cliffs.
"Looks like a blight storm, we should find cover before the wind changes direction and starts blowing along this path."
"Yes, we should.... no, wait!", Merlac said suddenly.
"What is it?"
"Look, there! Ahead of us!"
Achen screw up his eyes and tried to stare in front of him despite the flying sand. Then he saw them; two high, sharp rock formations right in front of them, on the both sides of the path.
"It's the Airan's teeth!"
"Come on, let's go!", Merlac yelled through the wind.
"No, we should wait until the storm settles down, it's much stronger up there!"
Merlac looked once more through the flying sand, but then agreed with Achen and they started building a small cover under the cliffs.
---
Some hours later, Achen was sleeping under a small cliff, as somebody touched him in the shoulder. Achen woke up in a second and was ready to cut the intruder's fingers off with his dagger, but before he hit the man the dagger was already missing and he found himself looking at the blade himself.
"It's just me", Merlac said smiling and gave Achen back his dagger.
"Oh... sorry, but it's still night, can't we sleep a bit more?"
"No, the blight storm is gone and we have to continue now when the stars are visible."
"Err... why?"
"Do you remember the end of the riddle?", Merlac asked as they packed up their gear again.
"Err.. something about a dream and stars?"
"The dream is the door and the star is the key", Merlac reminded Achen.
"The star is the key... but... ah, it's the same thing as in Holamayan, the door only opens when the stars are visible."
"Yeah, well... not actually, it opens only when Azura's star is visible."
"Oh... err, how did you know that?"
"Because I had a dream few minutes ago, and look", Merlac said and pointed at the sky. Achen looked up and saw cloudless night sky and directly above them a bright, light blue star, which blinked slowly.
"The dream is the door, and the star is the key", Merlac repeated and grinned.
"Why I never see any cool dreams", Achen wondered and Merlac couldn't help laughing.
They walked up the steep mountainside of one of the Airan's teeth, looking for something that might be a door.
"There's something glittering over there!", Achen rejoiced, but startled as he saw the expression on Merlac's face.
"Merlac...Merlac! What's wrong? You're pale as a kwama egg!"
Merlac sat down and scratched his head with his hands.
"Merlac? Are you alright?", Achen asked and kneeled next to his friend.
"Yeah, I'm fine... I just... I had another vision."
"A vision?"
"Yeah... I've been seeing dreams ever since I arrived to Balmora some years ago... more often when I met Nibani Maesa... but this was the first time I saw one while I'm not sleeping"
"Dreams like the one you saw about this door and star stuff?"
"No... dreams about past times... dreams about dark caverns.... dreams of Dagoth Ur...", Merlac said and sighed.
"What did you see this time?", Achen asked sounding very worried.
"I saw a Chimer city in flames... bodies all over the streets... then suddenly I was in a large cave, standing on a cliff or something, and in the bottom of the cave was an entire lake of lava."
"An underground lake of lava... must be somewhere inside Red Mountain."
"Achen... I saw it... I saw what Dagoth Ur is building. I saw the enormous robot made from dwemer steel, and it's almost finished!"
"You mean... you mean the new god Dagoth Ur is rumored to be building?"
Merlac nodded.
"Dagoth Ur has the Heart of Lorkhan, I don't know how but he has it."
"How much time we have?"
"I don't know... days... weeks...months, I don't know. I could have as well been a vision from the past, from the time before general Nerevar invaded the Red Mountain last time."
"Then we should hurry, just in case. Let's move on, I think there is something up there."
Merlac nodded again and rose up. They followed the glittering light for few minutes and arrived to a rather small, wooden door, that didn't look like it fit there.
"It looks like it was build five minutes ago", Achen said.
"It kind of was, it wasn't here when we weren't. I saw it appear in my dream last night."
"Well, the star is still blinking so give it a try", Achen encouraged Merlac.
Merlac took a deep breath and grabbed the small, golden handle in the door. At the same moment, the bright star died from the sky and both Merlac and Achen disappeared in a bright flash of light.
---
Merlac and Achen stared around them. A quiet sound of water came from somewhere in front of them.
"All right, I can't see any stars, and though it's completely dark in here, it at least sounds like a cave."
Like as an answer, a familiar female voice spoke somewhere around them.
"Under Azura's star, the door is now open."
Merlac stared in front of them, as few candles suddenly lit up in the ground, and barely gave enough light for them to be able to see a large statue in front of them. It was a statue of a beautiful woman, kneeling on a large stone. The statue's hand was pointing at Merlac and Achen with palmside upwards.
Merlac and Achen walked carefully closer to the statue and saw a small, extremely beautiful, golden ring floating in the air above the statue's palm.
"I think it's for you.", Achen said.
Merlac looked at Achen and then the ring. He took a deep breath and touched the ring.
"It's rather warm."
"Can you feel anything?"
"No... not yet... should I?"
"I don't know, you're the one who is the incarnation of a dead general!"
"Oh... right... maybe I should put it on then?"
"I'm not sure if it's a good idea", Achen said.
"Why not?"
"Because there are many items in the world that might even kill you if you just wear them."
"But that is Azura's statue, I don't think this is a bad thing."
"Well, give it a try then."
Merlac looked at the small ring. It had golden shapes in it, representing a small crescent and a star. He swallowed and put the ring into his right ring finger.
Suddenly, the cave was full of light, as dozens and dozens of candles lit up all around them. They were in a very small cave, filled with beautiful flowers and small waterfalls, everything decorated with colorful candles. The Azura's statue started glowing faintly and quiet ashlander music echoed from the stone walls. Merlac and Achen stared in astonishment, as six glowing ghosts appeared around the cave, standing behind them, sitting on a small rock, walking from behind the statue, everyone smiling at them.
To Merlac's surprise, Achen wasn't scared or pulling out his sword, just staring in astonishment. Finally, when the six ghosts had formed a circle around them, a seventh ghost appeared in front of the statue; a beautiful, ageless woman. Merlac recognized her as Azura herself.
Before Merlac or Achen were able to say anything, the ghost of Azura spoke.
"Nerevar reborn, Incarnate; Your first three trials are finished. Now, two new trials lie before you. Seek the Ashlander Ashkhans, and the Great House Councils. Four tribes must name you Nerevarine. Three houses must name you Hortator. My servant Nibani Maesa shall be your guide. And when you are Hortator, and Nerevarine, when you have stood before the False Gods and freed the heart from its prison, heal my people and restore Morrowind. Do this for me, and with my blessing."
After Azura had said this, her ghost vaporized, but the six other ghosts stayed and smiled at them.
"Four tribes must name you Nerevarine...", said Achen.
"...and three houses must name me Hortator. Nibani can explain that better I hope.", Merlac continued.
Suddenly, a ghost of an old ashlander man approached them.
"Welcome, Incarnate. I am Conoon Chodala. I was not the one. But I wait and hope. Ask, and I shall tell you my story."
"I was not the one...", Merlac repeated to himself. "Hey, Achen, these people, they are those who have tried to become the Nerevarine reborn before I did, or their ghosts I mean."
"Oh... that makes sense... all right, what's your story?", Achen asked from the old ashlander.