The doors to the palace were opened and Seraph practically thrown in. As he stood up the doors shut and he saw a neon pyramid shaped... thing hovering over a platform. Inside the pyramid was a dark elf deep in meditation. He was wearing nothing but a pair of pants that had many small sarongs hanging down beneath him for he was hovering. He opened his eyes, looked at seraph, and put his legs down so he was then standing on the platform. "You are here for a reason more than you tell others. Aren't you?", said Vivec very calmly with a bit of curiosity in his voice. "Yes my lord. I have come here to seek the truth about the prophecies", replied Seraph, his voice cracking out of nervousness. "You are very smart for such a young age. And very powerful. But it seems as if you are lost within yourself. Like you have no meaning in life." Seraph looked at the lord, shocked at what he just said. Then he looked down at the ground and uttered "Yes lord. I honestly don't know what my path in life i meant to be. I know I can save us from eternal pain, but I know that I can be the one to cause it too." He looked back up at the now smiling Vivec and got a confused look on his face. "Why is he smiling? I just told him a deep, dark secret and he smiles? What kind of lord is this!", thought Seraph quickly before the god said "Good. You have found some truth in the lies of your life. We all live on lies, it's just a matter of being able to see through the thick fog that surrounds us. Once you can do that you will be able to do and see things that you have never been able to see before."
Seraph looked at him in amazement that a lord just shared some fatherly type advice with him. "I request of you a short mission to test your skill and might. You must do this on your own for I am not able to deal with innocents getting killed", said Vivec as his face went serious again. "What is it my lord?"
"There have been a rash of killings. People say it's by feral warriors wearing armor. In my studies I have learned that they live within my city some where and if you can track them down and kill them I will be most pleased... And possibly reward you." Vivec turned and sat in a throne that was exactly where the platform had just been. "Wait a.. what happened to... how..." Seraph was amazed by this sudden switch of objects. "Wondering about the platform? It is gone. Possibly in the puzzle canals", replied Vivec in a non-chalant tone.
"Anyways. I believe I know who have pulled out these murders for they are the same way that murders have been done in the past. They were carried out by a group that is now commonly known as the Feral Four. I want you to travel to the foreign quarter, go to the mag es guild and look for an Altmer named Azazel. Question her about the murders. Her reaction should give us some clues. And remember, get through the fog to see the truth." All of the suddenly all of the torches went out and Seraph was pulled out of the doors to be greeted by a dusky sky and an Ordinator, not wearing his helm, with long black hair and a black scruffy beard that accentuated his dark Dunmer skin. "What happened? How come it's so late?", asked Seraph sounding very confused. "It's called time walking. Vivec cast a spell in his palace after it was first built so that in different areas of the palace time goes by faster or slower than we know. But since mortal bodies con no handle this powerful of magic, they usually black out. But you just collapsed, you were still conscious." Seraph got a look of contempt on his face and walked down the stairs. "Your friends are waiting for you in the mages guild like you said. They wanted me to tell you."
As Seraph walked into the mages guild Kela, Holly, and Sango all ran up to him. Holly gave him a hug and she seemed like she never wanted to let go, but she did. "What happened? Why were you gone so long?", said Kela in his usual quick, curious manner. "It's called walking through time. Some sort of spell in the palace", replied Seraph in an unhappy sounding tone. "Have you guys seen an Altmer? Possibly wearing some sort of ebony armor?", asked Seraph quickly. "No but there's an Altmer downstairs in chitin armor. Why?", asked Kela. "I have to talk to him."
As he walked downstairs he noticed the only Altmer in there was a very beautiful Altmer women. Until she turned her head he thought she might have been flawless. "Excuse me ma'am! Are you Azazel?", asked Seraph walking up to the Altmer women. "Yes. I take it you're here to purchase an Ekoshes Locksplitter scroll?"
"No. I'm here to ask you a few questions actually", replied Seraph slowly, trying to be nice. "Regarding what might I ask?"
"I will ask the questions!", said Seraph quickly and sounding angered again. "After all, that is why I'm here", he said, trying to regain his composure. "Have you heard of a Feral four?"
"Who hasn't! They're the sickest killers I've ever heard of!", said Azazel almost happily. "Here's my second question. And I'm not trying to offend you or anything but where did you get that scar? The one that is above your eye-brow?", he said pointing to it. "Ah that ol' thing? I got it when my ex-husband tried killing me. I managed to get the blade out of his hand and get him a good one in the arm", replied Azazel in a way that seemed like she was trying to boast about it. "Well, I think I'm done here for now", said Seraph. He started to walk away when he turned on his heel and said "How much are those Ekoshes Locksplitter scrolls?"
"Haha! That was very random and very fun sir. They're two thousand septims a piece, but I like the way you smile, and your girl obviously must have a good man, so I'll take a whole thousand off. So one thousand septims for you."
"Okay I'll take two then", said Seraph pulling out a bag of gold that seemed to appear from the middle of no where.
As they exchanged money and scrolls he walked back up the steps and out of the door with Holly and met up with Kela and Sango and they walked out of the main doors and down the walkway that would take them to the bottom level of the foreign quarter. As they crossed the bridge to reach the rest of the group and the pack guars Seraph finally broke the silence. "I think as four should go to Balmora and spend the night. The rest can travel through the Azura's coast region and reach there in no time." Holly looked at Kela and said "Father, please? It will be fun and he's right, it won't take the guar pack that long to reach just outside of the city." Kela looked at Sango who was shaking her head in agreement of the suggestion and so he looked back at the other two and nodded his head in agreement. As they approached the rest Kela got everyone's attention and told them the plan. After that they walked up the hill to the silt strider port, paid the driver and were on their way. The whole ride there a cliff racer seemed to be following and watching them. Finally they reached Balmora and the cliff racer seemed to have disappeared so, and they all went to check in at the eight plates.
Authors Note: I'm not very happy with this chapter. But I felt I should try and bring Vivec and the Feral Four (which I've been giving very subtle hints to through out the story and have been planning on for a while) in in this chapter. I've already figured out what the next three Ferals are going to be but if you want to make ANY suggestions, even about different characters that will play a key role later one (such as one of the guar handlers), please feel VERY free to. Please review!