Chapter 10 – Apotheosis

Wearily, Varo, along with Jurard, Hermidius and Marconi, stumbled into Caldera. Soldiers and guards patrolled the streets, on high alert. But one figure standing in the streets of the small town was not a soldier.

"Varo?" a voice called. Varo looked for its source.

"Galmina!"

Varo ran over and embraced his wife, then kissed her gently on the lips.

"I told you I would come back" Varo said softly.

"Where have you been?" Galmina asked. "We were told that danger was coming. We were ordered to Caldera where we would be safer"

"I have been gathering the tools I need to end this" Varo said. "I got Sunder, then Ralix and Marconi were kidnapped. Myself and Jurard went after them. I wish I could have told you why I have been away for so long. And I understand why you might be angry with me. You think I am neglecting my people to pursue a personal crusade"

"Varo" Galmina began, looking Varo in the eyes. "Whatever is about to happen, whatever has been happening these last few days, I know one thing to be true – I have been worried about you. You… You just don't seem to know what you're doing anymore. What is going to happen now?"

Varo hesitated. "I don't know. But will you come with me? For old times' sake?"

Galmina smiled warmly. "Of course I will, Varo. And I know someone else who will want to"

At that moment Varo saw his daughter Fariel standing at the base of one of the guard towers helping the guards load arrows into their quivers, and beckoned her over. Then, he took the large, ancient key he had found in Kogoruhn from Marconi.

"It's time to end this"

"Varo, let me come" Hermidius said, running over to Varo.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I've risked my life helping you these last few weeks and I want to see what it has all been for"

--

Varo, Galmina, Fariel, Marconi, Jurard, Hermidius and Erdora, the elderly Altmer soldier, all made their way quickly out of Caldera, through the rough grasslands to the north then back south down the rocky path that led into the volcanic crater which contained Caldera mines. Varo led the group down into the main mineshaft, following its twisting passageways further and further underground until they reached it – a huge, ancient Daedric door.

Cautiously, Varo placed the key in the lock and turned it. There was a loud clack as the lock's mechanism sprung open and Varo pushed gently on the door.

Bright purple light shone from beyond the door, overpowering the light of the torches carried by Galmina and Jurard. Varo pushed the door the rest of the way open and led the group inside.

The chamber that lay beyond them was large, not as big as the huge cavern they had encountered years ago beneath Vivec palace but still sizeable. It was roughly square in shape, with a golden metal floor carrying the telltale signs of Dwemer construction. The floors and ceiling were bare rock, from which purple crystals sprouted from almost every exposed inch, causing the room to be lit a pale purple, almost as bright as day. And in the centre of the room was an enormous square pool of lava.

"The natural level of magicka in this room is incredible" Jurard mused. "Can't you feel it?"

Varo tried casting a weak fireball, the only spell he knew, to see what Jurard meant and an enormous burst of flame leapt from his hands and shot across the room. Varo turned back to face the group.

"I think we have found our power source"

"So what does it do?" Hermidius asked. "If the rumours are to be believed, this room contains enough power to create a god…"

"Remember the Tribunal never were gods as such" Marconi said. "Simply mortals elevated to a great position of power, both physical and political…"

"I am afraid I don't know what to do now we have found this room" Varo said, interrupting Marconi. "I need to know Arlen Saroth's precise intentions to be able to stop him. Or…"

"What?" Hermidius asked.

"We find a way of safely disposing of the energy locked up in these crystals. We do not need this power source. We have survived for twenty years without any need of such thing. If we can get rid of the energy we prevent it being used for any sort of bad practice…"

Varo stopped as the brightness of the ambient light shining from the crystals dropped slightly.

"What was that?"

"It was power from the crystals being used" Galmina said. Varo turned to face her – something wasn't right. Her voice had sounded lower and more threatening than usual.

"Galmina? Are you alright?"

"You are not speaking to Galmina any more, Varo. I have just made the simple leap from spiritual energy to physical form"

"What?"

"You do not know who this is? We have spoken in dreams many times but we have never met face to face – until now"

"Galmina, this isn't funny…"

A bolt of lightning shot out of Galmina's right hand, hitting the ground between Varo's feet causing him to leap back in shock.

"What's going on, Varo?" Hermidius asked.

"It's Dagoth Ur" Varo said, with barely-concealed anger in his voice. "Get out of her! I order you!"

"No, Varo" Galmina said. "I have been waiting far too long for this moment. Finally, I have managed to get a person into this room, this field of energy strong enough to draw me out of the spirit world"

"You had this planned all along, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. I have you exactly where I wanted you all along, Varo Sinclair – at my mercy. Have you never noticed how fate constantly leads us into meeting? But it is not fate. It is carefully planned action on my part. When your friends found the amulet of my follower, Dagoth Endus, in Ashirbadon, it is because I had sent him there. He wrote that message on the wall so that you would deduce that a wizard had once lived in the cave, and therefore that the crystals are linked to magicka. Through a long chain of events, that has led you here, to me, to unlocking this room and allowing me to come to life again. You are capable of great things but you are content to be at peace. Why? With my help, you have the ability to be the greatest power in Tamriel?"

"Rephrase that so it's true. With my help, you have the ability to be the greatest power in Tamriel"

"Correct. Especially now you have brought Kagrenac's Tools to me. I can use them on this power source, and use the energy for whatever I want"

"Which is?"

"To bring the Sixth House to power again! I will resurrect the Seven once again and we shall rule over Tamriel! No legion in the land will be able to face my army of ash creatures, driven by the immense divine power this island can provide!"

Varo held up his left hand, displaying Wraithguard.

"And what if I was to destroy the power source?"

"Then you would destroy Vvardenfell and everything you hold dear. The source, the island and myself are now all irreversibly linked. If you destroy the source you will destroy me, but you will destroy Vvardenfell too. Would you do that to your people? The hundreds you have brought here with promise of safety? No, Varo, you are under my command now… Varo, don't listen…"

Galmina's voice changed suddenly, returning to normal, as a look of pain shot across her face.

"Varo, I can't hold him back…"

Galmina began to stagger towards the lava pool in the centre of the chamber.

"Galmina, no! I can save you!"

"It's too late, Varo!" Galmina bellowed, the deeper voice returning. "If you attempt any resistance I will discharge the power source across the whole island. Last time that happened, Kagrenac caused the discharge"

Varo stared at Galmina in disbelief.

"Yes, Varo. That is how the Dwemer people disappeared. They meddled with the heart of this island without knowing what they were doing. Is that what you want to happen to you? Complete and utter destruction of everything you have worked for?"

Varo shook his head. "You have had this planned all along, have you not? You built this power source, waiting for someone who you could manipulate to come along"

"The crystals have always existed in Vvardenfell. But ever since the end of the War of the First Council, when I became Dagoth Ur, I have been at one with the island. My energy has flowed through these crystals for years, building in strength until now. It has been on the verge of setting itself free for hundreds of years, and all it has needed was a trigger"

"So now what?" Varo said, stepping towards Galmina. "What are you going to do?"

"Firstly I will help you dispose of our common enemy. The Dunmer people fear me. I am the enemy of the Almsivi. As soon as they know I fight alongside you, they will surrender. If they do not surrender I will kill every last one of them"

"Then what? I doubt you are going to shake my hand and congratulate me on victory"

"No. I will infect the six of you, and this woman, with the Divine Disease and grant you with some of my power. You will become the Seven Ash Vampires reborn. We will leave this cave and claim Caldera for ourselves. Then, onwards to the rest of Vvardenfell. The Sixth House shall rise again"

Varo drew his sword. "You will not infect us all with Corprus, Dagoth Ur. Begone!"

Galmina held up her hand and a bolt of lightning shot from it, slamming into Erdora and sending him flying backwards. He crashed into the crystals lining the wall, which pierced through every part of his body and killed him instantly. The others gasped in shock at what had just happened but something changed inside Galmina – emotion, triggered by seeing what she had been forced to do to Erdora.

"Varo…" Galmina said weakly. "I'm sorry…"

"This is not your fault, Galmina" Varo said, reaching out and tenderly touching Galmina's face. Galmina began to stagger further towards the lava pool. In a horrifying instant, the others realised what was about to happen.

Galmina reached the edge of the lava pool and, with one final, longing look at Varo, she let herself fall off the edge.

Varo leapt to the ground next to the pit and reached down in a vain attempt to grab Galmina, watching her fall in a hellish slow motion until she plunged into the lava, dissolved in an instant.

The light from the crystals grew brighter again.

Silence fell over the room until Fariel burst into tears. Hermidius walked over and helped Varo to his feet.

"I am so sorry, Varo…" Hermidius began. Varo held up a hand to stop him.

"She did the right thing" Varo said softly. "She took her own life to save us all. We could not allow Dagoth Ur to come to any sort of power again"

Varo walked over to Fariel and allowed her to bury herself in his arms. Still, no-one spoke, through sheer shock at what had just happened.

"That should not have worked" Varo said eventually. "Surely destroying Dagoth Ur's physical form would have unleashed the energy from the crystals?"

Fariel looked Varo in the eye. "Mother realised that if Dagoth Ur can draw power from the island, the island can take it back. That's why… the lava…"

"She was always clever, your mother" Varo said softly. "Now I can see where you get your intelligence from!"

Fariel smiled weakly at her father.

Suddenly a Legion soldier ran into the chamber.

"Commander Hermidius! The guards have seen soldiers from House Dres approaching, a mile away if that!"

Hermidius turned to look at Varo. "I have to go and help defend the town, Varo. I understand if you wish to stay here"

"We know why Arlen Saroth is here" Varo replied. "If you should encounter him, tell him where this chamber is. I wish to talk to him, and persuade him not to use this power source. We have seen that it does no good, only harm"