Chapter 10 – Enter Mannimarco
Dark Fissure, just after midnight, the 13th of Rain's Hand
The four had followed Camri's lead to the top of a small ridge, where they had a clear view of Dark Fissure. At the stroke of midnight they had witnessed the incredible phenomenon of a ray of purple light lancing down from the heavens, from some unknown cosmic source, and shining down on the altar that lay outside the cave. In the distance, they could see similar purple lights betraying the locations of the other sites where the Shade of the Revenant occurred.
"I wonder why it happens?" Camri asked, almost to himself.
"Dark arts" Assurrani replied. "Probably something we'll never understand, but I'm guessing that getting rid of this crystal will stop it. It seems to serve no purpose other than to aid evil. You got a plan yet, Glorious Leader?"
"Let's just see what happens. If in doubt we attack hard, and let Mannimarco know what he's facing"
"Look at that!" Staada whispered loudly, pointing towards the cave. Two figures in black necromancers' robes had just emerged from the entrance carrying something with them – it appeared to be a large wicker basket. Areen, with the most gifted sight of the four, examined closer and saw that the necromancers were also carrying a huge piece of silvery fabric and a small metal furnace. Quickly, the Argonian realised that it was a hot-air balloon. Mannimarco's escape.
"We'd better get closer" Areen suggested.
Camri tested the wind. "Southerly. He's heading north. If he plans on using a hot air balloon to get to the necromancers' temple, he will be following the precise direction of the wind. We can use that as a bearing to pinpoint the location of the temple"
Quickly, Camri pulled several things off surrounding trees and plants that he would need to test the wind direction later, then followed the other three as they ascended the remainder of the ridge and began to move along the top of the valley towards Dark Fissure. Areen constantly watched the entrance to the cave, stopping the group when a third necromancer emerged from the cave carrying another strange object – it was a soul gem.
An enormous soul gem, at least the size of a human head.
Areen anticipated that the necromancer was going to place the soul gem in the altar, but he did not, instead stopping a few paces short, being careful not to expose the soul gem to the mysterious light shining down from the night sky.
Eventually, the group reached a rocky outcrop overlooking the Dark Fissure, where they remained hidden by shadows cast down from the mountains above them, and stopped. Necromancers were beginning to emerge from the trails leading up the mountains to the Dark Fissure with increasing frequency – soon there was a crowd of at least twenty of them assembled around the altar.
"I'm going for the balloon when Mannimarco gets in it" Camri whispered. "If we get split up, we regroup at the Foaming Flask at noon tomorrow"
--
As 1am came and went, the necromancer carrying the soul gem finally approached the altar, a black cloth covering the gem. Instead of placing the soul gem in the altar like the four expected, he placed it on top of the altar, exposing it to the full force of the intense Shade of the Revenant.
There was a blinding flash of purple light. The Shade of the Revenant stopped. Darkness fell momentarily until torches and magical lights were lit outside the Dark Fissure. The furnace was lit beneath the huge silvery balloon, which slowly started to inflate. And, standing on top of the altar, was a tall, threatening-looking Altmer in signature black necromancers' robes, his black mane-like hair billowing menacingly behind him in the wind. The Necromancer's Amulet was visible around his neck. Mannimarco.
"Kinsmen, you have witnessed a great birth!" Mannimarco said loudly and grandly. "The time of the undead, the time of the immortal is upon us. I have returned to Tamriel to carry out the Bloom"
"Bloom?" Assurrani whispered. Camri motioned for him to be quiet.
"Now that I am here, the plan can finally go ahead. You all know what you must do. Return to your lairs. Prepare every body you have for re-animation. We have one week exactly until the Bloom begins. Leave now. I have private matters to attend to. And I thank you all for your aid and participation."
"Clever" Camri whispered. "They all know the plan but it was not written down. It was not among Relmyna's notes – it was spread by word of mouth"
By now, the hot-air balloon was fully inflated, held down by a series of sturdy ropes with anchors at their ends. Mannimarco climbed into the balloon.
"Macator, do you have the map?" Mannimarco asked of an Altmer necromancer. The necromancer nodded and handed a scroll to him.
That's what I need.
Camri motioned a forward chopping action with his hand. Go.
--
Imperial Prison cells, earlier that day
Ariel hadn't moved or spoken since being incarcerated in the Imperial Prison. She had stood completely still next to the cell's barred door. Attempts had been made to get her to speak by the prison warden and another prisoner had failed. Not even the reassuring presence of Halisman in her cell helped. But then she saw a figure approaching down the corridor, an Altmer dressed in an elegant red robe. High Chancellor Ocato. The look on the face of the warden betrayed the fact that a visit to the jail by Ocato was not a regular occurrence. Ocato stopped at Ariel and Halisman's cell, looking the young Breton woman in the eyes with a look of pity and guilt.
"Ariel, you must understand that I had no idea that this would happen to you"
Shortly after it had been reported by the City Guard that Camri, Assurrani, Areen and Staada had left the City, four guards had entered Chancellor Ocato's chambers in White Gold Tower, arresting Ariel and Ocato under Emperor's orders – as the Emperor was the one person who had authority over Chancellor Ocato, he was powerless to stop them.
"For some reason he seems to think you will be safer here" Ocato continued as he spoke to Ariel. "The fact that both his predecessor and a Dunmer prisoner were both assassinated in here within a month of each other does not seem to concern him"
"Can't you get us out, Chancellor?" Ariel asked, speaking at last.
"I'm afraid not. I want to keep my position as Chancellor. Someone needs to keep the Emperor under control so that things like this don't happen again. Can you not break yourselves out?"
Ariel held up her wrists. They were bound with heavy irons which glowed with a red enchantment. "They've completely drained my magicka"
Ocato shook his head meekly.
"You have to find Areen" Ariel suggested, lowering her voice. "He knows how to break people out of here"
When Ariel had first been placed in the jail, she had found herself situated opposite a cell with a small, open doorway mounted into one wall. It was the cell that the Emperor and the Champion of Cyrodiil had used to make good their escape from the jail. More recently, Camri had told Ariel the story about how Areen had broken him out of the Imperial jail, and Ariel had deduced that, poignantly, she was standing in the cell that had been Camri's home for many years, until Areen had broken him out in exchange for Camri's aid in an Argonian quest to a ruin called Morahame – a ruin where Camri, Ariel and Assurrani had all encountered each other for the first time. This cell was where it had all begun.
--
Once Chancellor Ocato had returned from visiting Ariel, he turned his attention back to his current task – along with Ariel he had been sorting through the hordes of documents that had been obtained from the group's raid on Vilverin. Most were obscure, fanatical or senseless texts on necromancy, or maps of Cyrodiil with various locations marked upon them. One, however, was a map of what appeared to be a large temple, titled 'Outer Extremities of The Temple of the Throat of the World'.
Ocato, a keen amateur historian, had cross-referenced this with other mentions he knew of of the Throat of the World with Ariel's help in finding the correct books quickly, and found a book detailing a huge, impenetrable volcanic crater in Skyrim. Its huge vent had remained dormant for aeons and was believed to be unimaginably deep – hence the Throat of the World. Then, when he had read a copy of a letter sent to Blades Grandmaster Jauffre by King Jararka of Black Marsh, it had mentioned reports of necromancers being sighted at a mountain range known as 'Snow Throat'.
On his way back to his quarters, Ocato had paid a visit to the offices of the Imperial Cartography who had confirmed that Snow Throat and The Throat of the World were the same mountain.
Checking the map found in Vilverin again, Ocato noticed that the structure depicted was circular – it was built over the huge vent in Snow Throat's caldera. Only the outer parts of the temple were mapped, essentially showing a maze-like ring of rooms and corridors surrounding a large empty space simply marked as 'Hallowed Ground'.
The centre of the temple. The tower containing the stone that gave Mannimarco his power.
--
Camri and Staada raced down the hill, as Areen and Assurrani stayed back, holding their bows. It didn't take long for them to get spotted, and several necromancers turned and hurled a volley of magic at the pair, who dived to the ground to avoid it. Two arrows shot overhead from behind them, one going wide but the other striking one of the necromancers in the chest.
It had bought Mannimarco the time he needed. He was airborne.
"We need to go after that balloon!" Camri shouted as he leapt to his feet and began scrambling along the mountainside, heading north parallel to the path of the balloon. Mannimarco spotted him and hurled a colossal bolt of lightning at him, missing Camri by inches and ripping a large crater in the hillside, a loud crack echoing around the mountains. Behind him, Staada made the leap and managed to grab onto one of the trailing ropes that had previously tethered the balloon to the ground. Staada began to climb the rope as quickly as she could, but knew she wouldn't make it. Mannimarco appeared at the edge of the gondola, looking down coldly at the Golden Saint as he placed his hand on the rope and a lick of flame cut through it. Staada plunged to the ground.
Camri had to make a choice. A choice which could have enormous ramifications. Go after the balloon, or help Staada.
Taking a deep breath, Camri stopped and slid down the steep hillside on his back until he arrived at where Staada had landed. She had landed in a thicket of bushes, and was badly cut, but alive.
"You alright?" Camri asked.
"I'll be fine" Staada said hurriedly. "Bring that damn balloon down!"
Camri grabbed his bow off his back and loaded an arrow into it…
"Necromancers!" Staada cried as she got to her feet.
"Hold them off" Camri said coolly, taking aim. He fired his bow in a great arc up into the air – his aim was immaculate, the arrow striking the balloon near its top… and bounced harmlessly off and fell to the ground. In an instant, Camri realised what the silvery fabric that the balloon was made from was. Mithril.
Behind him, Staada let off a bolt of lightning, simultaneously ducking as a fireball roared over her head, then plunged her sword into a plucky necromancer.
Think, Camri.
How could he bring the balloon down?
How was it remaining airborne?
Camri knew the basic principle of a hot-air balloon's operation – the furnace heated the air inside the balloon, making it light enough to provide enough lift to overcome the balloon's weight.
So what if the balloon was heavier?
Why hadn't he thought of it before? The balloon was raising slowly, and by the roar emanating from it it was clear that the furnace was running at full power. It would only need a bit more weight added to it.
Camri rammed an arrow into a small open phial of poison on his belt and fired. All the arrow had to do was make contact with the balloon…
It did. The effect was instantaneous. The balloon's air speed plummeted and it began to lose height. Camri cast his bow to the ground and bolted for the balloon, aiming for a large rock outcrop he could see. He would have to time this perfectly…
In front of him, he could see Mannimarco casting a spell at his balloon. It was a dispelling spell, something he had seen Ariel cast many times before, but it had no effect. A look of visible panic spread across Mannimarco's face.
I've just outwitted a divine being, Camri thought to himself. Reaching the rock outcrop just as the balloon sailed past it. Camri executed a terrific leap, grabbing the edge of the wicker gondola. The balloon rocked wildly but Camri never lost his bearings, heaving himself up as Mannimarco raced across the gondola. Camri could see what he needed in Mannimarco's hand. Bravely reaching across, Camri punched Mannimarco in the wrist, causing his grip on the scroll to loosen, then grabbed it.
"I used a poison of burden on your balloon" Camri said nonchalantly as Mannimarco looked at him in surprise. "You need to get your lift back before you hit the mountainside"
With that, Camri let go of the edge of the gondola, gripping the scroll tightly as he skilfully grabbed a tree branch – it snapped off instantly but slowed his fall. Landing in a diving roll which plunged him into a thick bush, Camri steadily got to his feet, and examined the scroll, revealing it to be a map of Tamriel with a particular mountain in Skyrim marked with a cross.
Camri triangulated the position of the cross and committed it to memory, in case he lost the scroll. It was south-west of the town of Whiterun and directly due south of Dawnstar.
Now to get out of here. He could not risk dying, not with the knowledge he now possessed.
But Staada, Assurrani and Areen were still out there, fighting for their lives.
I stood before an entire battalion of Legionnaires and survived.
Camri drew his sword and plunged into the fray.
--
Chancellor Ocato met with his old friend, Grandmaster Jauffre, on the steps of Cloud Ruler Temple. The time was just past 1am, and it was a clear, starry night.
"A late visit from yourself, Chancellor" Jauffre said warmly. "What can I do for you?"
"Jauffre, who do you serve, the Emperor or the Empire?" Ocato asked.
Jauffre hesitated. "Why?"
"Under the Emperor's orders, Ariel Lasaille has been imprisoned in the Imperial City, apparently to keep her safe. She had a vision about the future of Tamriel and the Emperor does not want harm coming to her until this vision becomes more complete. It's pointless though – her visions come to her in dreams and the poor girl probably hasn't slept at all since she was incarcerated"
"You want me to get her out?"
"No, I would not put you at risk like that. But if someone were to break her out, I want you to pull some strings and make sure the Emperor is convinced that it wasn't Camri and his friends"
"I can do that, Chancellor. But do you think this is the best thing for Ariel?"
"I trust Camri. I know very few people do, but you must think what he has accomplished in his life…"
"Alright, Chancellor. Leave it with me…"
Suddenly a terrific rumble echoed through the air.
"What in Talos' name was that?" Jauffre asked nervously.
"Thunder?" Ocato suggested.
"Look around you, Chancellor. There's not a cloud around… What was that?"
Jauffre spun Ocato around to give him a view of the distant Valus Mountain range, which ran along the border of Cyrodiil and Morrowind. Repeated blue flashes could be seen on the mountainside, as well as a faint purple beam of light that seemed to be shining down from the heavens.
"Send the Legion up there!" Ocato ordered. "Now!"
--
Falas Assurrani had long lost sight of Camri and Commander Staada. He knew that Areen was somewhere in the undergrowth nearby, fighting his own battle. As soon as Camri had gone after Mannimarco's balloon all hell had broken loose. The twenty or so adept necromancers assembled outside the Dark Fissure had turned their sights on the other three. Assurrani had taken a couple down with his bow, then drawn his sword and made a break for the base of the mountain. It was every man for himself.
Having descended a steep slope, pursued by necromancers, Assurrani had ended up in a valley filled with bushes and small trees, where two bandits trying to defend their camp had also leapt into the fray.
Assurrani was parrying with one of these bandits, who was armed with an axe. It didn't take the skilled Dunmer long to disarm his opponent and run him through with his sword.
"Areen!" Assurrani called.
"Over here!"
Assurrani spun round to look for the source of the voice, and spotted Areen, difficult to pick out among the necromancers in his black leather armour and overcoat, and made towards him. A summoned skeleton burst out of the bushes in front of Areen, but the Argonian bashed the skeleton in the skull as hard as he could with his staff, causing the skeleton to vanish in a puff of magic.
"You seen the other two?" Areen asked when Assurrani reached him.
"Camri went after the balloon and Staada went with him. I suppose we meet them tomorrow"
"If we make it. Have you seen what we're up against?"
Areen pointed back up towards the cave entrance – several necromancers were running out of the cave entrance. They had backup inside the cave.
"Areen, I suggest we get out of here," Assurrani said as he drew his bow and took a pot-shot up at the cave entrance.