Chapter 7 – Tranquillity
"You're up early" Varo said as he reached the gates of Moonstar, where he had arranged to meet Marconi, Hermidius and Jurard. Only Marconi was there so far.
"I couldn't sleep" Marconi replied. "I thought some morning air would do me good. I had… well, I suppose you could call it a dream"
"What happened? Was it Dagoth Ur?"
"No. I know what his dreams are like. This was different. It was almost… like I was actually there"
"Tell me about it"
"I was in Vivec, far into the future from now. The city wasn't a ruin anymore, it had been rebuilt. All your friends were there. Fariel was taking someone up the palace steps, who'd arrived on your ship. Your men, Sten and Levisson, were guarding the door. And Commander Hermidius was the Emperor. Everyone was there except you"
Marconi momentarily paused and looked Varo in the eye. "Varo, I think you're going to die"
"It was only a dream, Marconi. Don't let it worry you. Besides, even if I do die and your dream comes true, it sounds like everything turns out for the best. Vivec is rebuilt, all my friends are alive, my daughter is safe, and we finally have a proper government in place"
"What if it is true? Aren't you concerned at how you're going to die?"
"I don't care how it happens. Maybe I'll be killed in battle. Maybe I'll fall into a volcano. Maybe I'll die of disease. But as long as everyone else is safe, I do not fear death"
"You're a brave man, Varo" Marconi said, smiling.
"You know, when you said it was like you were actually there, I almost believed you"
Marconi said nothing.
"Dagoth Ur told me about you. He says he knew you personally. That sort of explains why, after I haven't seen you for ten years, you don't seem to have aged a day. Anyway, he also mentioned that you are trying to find a key for me"
"I am. I don't know where to start looking though – all I know is that long ago the key fell into Dagoth Ur's hands and he entrusted it to Dagoth Vemyn"
Varo laughed softly to himself. "Dagoth Vemyn was also entrusted with Sunder. It's a good job you're coming to Kogoruhn with us. It will be a long journey – we need to leave as soon as the other two arrive"
--
Selvio Drath raced to the gates of Moonstar and approached the guards.
"Commander Sinclair. Has he left yet?"
"He left about an hour ago with Commander Hermidius and two others, Mr Drath" one of the guards replied. Selvio swore to himself.
"Something I can help you with, Mr Drath?" the guard asked.
"Just be particularly vigilant from now on" Selvio said, turning around and briskly making his way back to Tel Indarys.
As Selvio arrived back at the tower, Father Indarys introduced him to the Breton he had been speaking to when Selvio had arrived.
"This is Laurent Getenne of the Guild of Mages" Father Indarys said. "Mr Getenne, this is my steward, Selvio Drath"
"I know of you" Selvio said, shaking Laurent's hand. "You were the ones attacked in the cave"
"That's right" Father Indarys said. "We are following up on what happened there. Now, the issue of the Sixth House presence and the inscriptions on the wall"
"Yes. You said you had an idea?" Laurent asked.
"Varo told me that Dagoth Ur had, in a way, led him to the final conflict where he defeated Drothan Indoril and his men in Vivec. It may be that he is once again directing us to victory over our new enemy – the Almsivi Cult. You said that the inscription detailed a spell?"
"Yes. It was exactly what one would find written on a scroll, but carved into the cavern wall"
"So maybe Dagoth Ur sent one of his followers there to transfer what was written on a scroll to the wall. Paper perishes – rock does not. Whoever did it wanted it to be a permanent record"
"A clue. But why?"
"So someone – you – would be able to deduce that a sorcerer once lived in that cave, and that the crystals grow only where there is a strong presence of magicka. Whatever is going to happen in the coming times, the crystals play a large role in it"
"Alright. But what of the Telvanni agent who got away – Vanur Aryon?"
"This concerns me. One of our followers, an Argonian agent who calls himself Tranquillity, said he had captured him and was supposed to be meeting me at the shrine yesterday, but he never arrived"
"I may as well go there and wait for him now" Selvio said. "Perhaps he was just delayed"
--
Tel Branora, two nights ago
"Nothing left, just as I expected"
Tranquillity gazed north to where the huge organic tower of Tel Branora had once stood. Like all Telvanni towers it had died soon after being abandoned by its occupier, in this case the eccentric Telvanni wizard Mistress Therana.
Tranquillity turned to the others. "We need to keep moving. Hopefully we can make Moonstar by dawn"
"It is not far away. I can see the light of the Lady from here, but the going is not easy between here and Moonstar"
The Argonian and his captive were accompanied by Emmis Gunnison, an Imperial Telvanni kinsman. Tranquillity had met him when it transpired they were both trying to capture Vanur Aryon. Gunnison had been seeking passage to Vvardenfell for some time, wishing to inquire as to why other Telvanni housemen had been on the island.
Gunnison had been right – the only way to Moonstar from Tel Branora was across shallow seas then north-east across rocky ground.
Tranquillity led the three on regardless – Vanur Aryon was blindfolded and had his hands bound, being led by Gunnison. Tranquillity, his bow in his hand, kept watch whilst leading. Soon, they reached the northern shore of the island Tel Branora had once been situated on.
"Wait…" Tranquillity whispered, firing his bow high into the air. A split-second later, there was the characteristic 'thwack' of an arrow hitting its target followed by a loud squawk.
"Cliff racers" Tranquillity explained. "Emmis, look out for them. I'm going to find the crossing point"
Gunnison nodded as Tranquillity began to make his way quickly along the shoreline. He was looking for a chain of small islands that had been visible on the map he had seen of Vvardenfell, the islands which formed a series of stepping stones connecting Tel Branora to the mainland.
Soon, Tranquillity saw a series of shapes protruding out of the sea. Through the darkness he could make out that they were stump-like rocks…
"Tranquillity! We're under attack!"
Tranquillity turned round and bolted back the way he had come from as soon as he heard Gunnison's voice. The sound of drawstrings being released echoed through the air as Tranquillity saw an arrow that had gone wide sail overhead. With his keen eyes he had spotted that the arrow was made of a rough, pale brown material – bonemold. Loading an arrow into his bow, Tranquillity reached the other two just in time to see an arrow slamming into Gunnison's forehead, killing him in an instant.
"Aryon, get down!" Tranquillity shouted. The Dunmer prisoner leapt to the ground as Tranquillity located one of the archers, little more than a shape in the darkness. The Argonian quickly took aim and fired, the arrow finding its mark. The archer toppled over, dead.
"They're probably after both of us" Aryon said. "If you free me I will help you fight"
"You think I'm going to trust a Telvanni?" Tranquillity retorted as another arrow shot over the pair, missing by inches. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt"
Tranquillity pulled off Aryon's blindfold and undid the binds around his wrists. Aryon leapt to his feet, casting a bright light high into the air. Two archers immediately became visible, having previously been using the shadows cast by rocks to hide themselves from the moonlight. Without missing a beat, Tranquillity loaded another arrow into his bow and fired, striking one of the archers in the chest. Aryon hurled a fireball at the other archer, who leapt to one side to avoid the fireball as it hit the rock, exploding in a bright fireball.
Tranquillity ran for the archer he had just hit. He had to find out who his attackers were. To his side, a bolt of lightning lanced past him, hitting the other archer. Tranquillity picked up the archer's shield, which bore the emblem of a Great House of Morrowind, but not one he recognised.
"Aryon, get over here" Tranquillity called. The Dunmer ran to his side as he held the shield up. "Who are they?"
"House Dres" Aryon replied quickly. "That cannot be good. They are the house supposedly backing the Almsivi Cult"
"You know about this?"
"Everyone does. I hear the guards in Mournhold have been placed on high alert just in case anyone tries to restore Almalexia to her throne…"
"I won't bind you again" Tranquillity said. "You helped me. I trust you to follow me to Moonstar. If you try anything, though, I won't hesitate to kill you and tell my superiors that the soldiers got you"
Aryon smiled wickedly. "You wouldn't do that. You know how valuable I am to your people"
"Well, I now know that House Dres are on the island. I'm sure if I tell them that they'll forgive my… failure to deliver you to them"
--
The shrine's grand door swung open and a weary Tranquility staggered in, dragging Vanur Aryon behind him.
"Thank Azura, you made it!" Father Indarys exclaimed. The shrine was empty apart from himself, Selvio Drath and the huge statue of Azura that stood in the centre of the chamber.
"We were attacked" Tranquility said ominously, regaining his breath. "It was House Dres. They're here"
"Fear not, Vivec is surrounded by soldiers" Selvio said. "That is surely where they will attack first"
Father Indarys walked over to Aryon and looked him in the eye. "We see no reason to make enemies with your House, Mr Aryon. If you tell us what we want to know we will let you go free"
"Fine" Aryon said. "With all the war going on here, I doubt anyone from the mainland is interested in this wretched island. What do you want to know?"
"Firstly, why were you in Ashirbadon? And why did you attack the mages?"
"We were securing whatever lay in that cave for ourselves. Or, at least, trying to"
"And Gavas Sevil? Who was he? Why did he help you?"
"I do not know who he is, or why he decided to side with us during the fight. He is not one of us"
"Now onto important matters. The crystals"
Aryon hesitated before speaking. "I will tell you what I know. They are of much more interest to you than they are to my master on the mainland. I'm sure you have worked out that they grow wherever magicka can be found. But we have found that their distribution is neither random nor uniform – it has a pattern. A truly skilled wizard will be able to not only detect natural magicka in the air, but also its intensity"
Father Indarys nodded. "The ability comes from years of discipline and knowledge of magic. Arcana flows strongly in this shrine"
"Well, you may be interested to know that there are several points on the island where the natural magicka gets more present as you near them. Vivec City, a Dwemer ruin on the north coast, the ancient fortress of Kogoruhn and Caldera mines. What we don't know is the connection between these places"
Father Indarys threw a knowing glance at Selvio Drath.
"Finally, what do you want with the crystals?" Father Indarys said, turning back to Aryon.
"The same thing that the Telvanni always want" Aryon replied. "Power"
"That is all" Father Indarys said. "You are free to go"
Aryon turned around and ran out of the shrine.
"Charming" Selvio quipped.
"Tranquillity, how did they find you?" Father Indarys said suddenly.
"Who, the soldiers?" Tranquillity replied. "I don't know. We chartered a boat to drop us at Tel Branora specifically to stay out of the main shipping routes. We left from a tiny fishing village on the mainland for the same reason. Perhaps they found us by chance?"
"You were in a distant, inhospitable part of the island" Father Indarys said. "I don't see why soldiers would have been there for any other reason than if they were looking for something – or someone"
--
Red Mountain, northern slopes
The four made their way quickly towards the cave. Varo had spotted it from the ridge they had used to access the valley, and it fitted the description Romanus had given him of the location of the secret entrance to Kogoruhn – behind them, directly to the south, the peak of Red Mountain loomed.
"We are not alone here" Marconi said suddenly. The other three stopped.
"What do you mean?" Varo asked. Marconi pointed to the ground – a series of footprints could be seen in the ash, leading towards the cave.
Varo examined the footprints. "Boots" Varo said. "Lots of them. I don't like the look of this"
Suddenly Jurard pointed towards the mouth of the cave. A figure was standing just inside the cave, dressed in bonemold armour, wearing an ash-mask across their face. They seemed to be unarmed.
"Hermidius, Jurard, come with me" Varo said quietly. "Marconi, watch our backs. Don't take your aim off him"
Marconi took his bow off his back and nodded, drawing an arrow from his quiver. For his troubles, Varo had presented the Altmer with an officer-issue field bow, one of the most powerful and longest-range bows found in Tamriel.
The man in the cave entrance still did not move as the three approached him. Varo stopped fifty yards away from the cave.
"Who are you?" Varo called. The man slowly approached the three, stopping ten yards away from them, and removed his mask, revealing a Dunmer. He looked old – Jurard guessed him to be at least sixty.
"I am here to finish what I tried to start long ago" the Dunmer said. "Commander Hermidius knows what I am talking about"
"I don't" Hermidius said under his breath.
"Did it never occur to you that one of us would survive?"
Hermidius' heart skipped a beat.
"The last time you saw me, Ralix Hermidius, I fell overboard with an arrow sticking from my shoulder. I couldn't swim. You saw me disappear below the waves and presumed me dead"
"Kill him!" Hermidius shouted. "He's here for Sunder!"
A split-second later, an arrow shot down the valley and slammed into the Dunmer's forehead, killing him instantly.
"The Cammona Tong" Varo said. "This is worrying. Do you think they're here because of the Almsivi Cult?"
"It would look like it" Jurard said, picking up the Dunmer's shield. It bore the emblem of House Dres.
"Come on, we don't have much time" Varo said, running towards the cave. "We cannot let Sunder fall into the wrong hands!"
--
A strange document found beneath Vivec Palace by Father Indarys of the Sun and Moon Cult
Almsivi, I come to you not as an enemy but as a mother. I created the people you rule over. I gave them a sufficient grasp over arcana to allow you to achieve this rulership – in essence, I created you.
But ever since then, I have seen you abuse this power. The Imperial Cult, even my followers, use religion as a tool to promote peace and tolerance, but you have not. I have watched Ordinators, born from a house bearing the name of the hero Indoril Nerevar, Ordinators bearing the face of Vivec, oppress and kill those who would speak out against you. I have watched them massacre innocent worshippers just because they believe in something different.
And can you blame them? The people of Vvardenfell know that Nerevarine can be the only one to save them, yet you insist on hindering him at every stage. You capture, imprison and kill those who follow and aid him. You have placed a death warrant upon his head and forbid him from setting foot in your temples, should he wish to worship those who he serves. I am aware that Vivec has met Nerevarine but this is not through respect or tolerance, it is through necessity.
You cannot win against Dagoth Ur. He is the rightful ruler of these lands and you, you false gods, shall be driven from Vvardenfell for the evil you have brought to these lands. The Almsivi shall fall.
If the fallen Almsivi should ever set foot upon Vvardenfell again the wrath of Azura will rain down upon them.