Chapter 14: Mythic Shrines under Cyrodiil

The chilly, windy day blew Nightshade's short, red hair into her face. She attempted to put it up in a ponytail a few times, but it was too short for her liking. Ice said she was crazy, but he didn't understand. It seemed like the coldness was melting between them, although Ice was still unsure if Nightshade liked him anymore like she did before. She talked to him and had arguments, but she got angry and gave up earlier than she used to. Elyon talked a bit to him, but not much; he didn't remember them really having a connection; and Crow continued to stay silent.

After the discovery in the books, Jauffre had them immediately travel back to the Imperial city—the third time in a row. Martin waved good-bye from the top of the fort wall with Baurus, who was teaching him how to handle a sword. Nightshade had attempted to read the Destruction book, but gave up when the wind started to pick up. Instead, she practiced what she could remember and, as Ice put it, "was a natural" at fire spells. However, her frost spells were weak. Elyon was confused after trying to help.

It was, indeed, past sun high, and sundown, by the time they reached the city. They stayed in the same place Nightshade had gotten hit in the nose with the door: Luther Broad's Boarding House.

Morning came too quickly for Nightshade's taste, her dream, once again, left forgotten. She washed up and met Crow and Elyon downstairs at the bar. They were talking casually and stopped at her presence.

"We have about five hours to kill," Crow looked out the window where people were starting to walk. "Have any suggestions on what to do?"

She shook her head. "Ice's still asleep?"

Elyon nodded. A pause made Nightshade bit her lip. She thought about things to say, and a question popped into her head.

"How do you two know each other again?"

Crow looked down at an empty plate where his breakfast must've been. Elyon blinked and grinned. "I told you, we met in Solsthiem."

"I think we need more food," Crow interjected quietly. "I'll check the Market District. I'll be back." He walked out, leaving the girls together.

Elyon sighed. "He's still touchy about the subject. I don't blame him."

"Why?"

She was thinking. Richu, Nightshade noticed, was asleep in a corner.

"Well, you see, I was in Solsthiem due to an outbreak of werewolves. I wasn't Lyze's apprentice anymore, but I still worked at that same Mages Guild hall in Balmora. She had a daughter; we were great friends. I invited her there, but I ditched her at a fort. Crow was in the East Empire Company; they were making a colony at Raven's Rock. She signed up and became his partner. In her letters she always seemed annoyed at him because he was so sour and mean, but over time she seemed to start to like him. We crossed paths every now and then, and one day we found we were mixed up in a sinister plot threatening Solsthiem.

"When we thought it was over, they moved to the Raven Rock colony and fell in love there. But it wasn't over. I woke up one night to find myself and Crow in front of a castle, an ice castle that I had been in before, but this time the inside had changed. We had to fight in a maze of werewolves. At the end, there was a portal, and I told him he could go first. When I went in, he wasn't there. Later, I found out he had been transported into a different room than me. He never told me the details, but she was dead. He completely melted down after that."

Nightshade frowned sympathetically. "So that's why he took up necromancy."

She didn't expect such a rash reaction from Elyon. She turned to her, eyes wide. "What did you say?"

"He's a necromancer. That's why we met him in Cheydinhal. We had to find him to get a recommendation."

She stared at the floor, clearly furious, but she stayed calm. She breathed, but her face betrayed nothing.

"You… didn't know?"

"No."

Nightshade was speechless. All this time she thought she knew, but she didn't. And then a new question formed in her mind.

"Elyon, why does Ice hate Jauffre?"

She looked at her. "That I'm not really sure about. Remember, I was unconscious at the time."

"Oh yeah," Nightshade had forgotten about that.

Ice came groggily down the stairs, rubbing his eyes like a child. "Why are all of you up so early?"

Sun high had everyone appear at the Green Emperor's Way. They split up, looking at every grave in the large place, until Elyon came across a rather large tomb the size of a small door. A symbol of half a sun above a line glowed red in front of their faces.

"Prince Camarril: assassinated by the men in red, by… by… I can't read the rest." Elyon frowned, confused. "Clearly the Mythic Dawn sign, but what good is it?"

"No good," Ice said pessimistically. "It's a dead end."

"What now?" Nightshade seemed as hopeless as Ice and leaned on a pillar. Crow was thinking, but nothing came to mind. Ice, not realizing it, leaned on an opposite pillar. His arm suddenly sunk into an indentation. He stumbled and got up. "Well, thank you dumb luck."

The front with the glowing symbol suddenly started to move downward into the ground. They looked into it to see darkness behind, and as soon as it was completely down, they climbed in, Crow first. Faster than it went down, it shot back up, and they were covered in darkness.

"Where are we?" Nightshade's voice rang and echoed, and suddenly both Crow and Ice started reciting spells. They glowed, Crow's glow bigger and brighter.

Surrounding them was a dirt tunnel, round in width and clearly dug out. The dirt was compacted and tight, especially the ground beneath them. They started to walk, hearing small sounds like distant steps above them and the occasional scuttle of a bug. Soon, the steps sounded no more, and the tunnel sloped downward into damp soil. "We're under the lake," Elyon muttered. There was a feeling of quietness and the need to be silent.

After an hour or two, the tunnel gave way to a cavern. Limestone started to cover the walls and ceiling with stalagmites and stalactites. They head voices at the entrance, so Crow dispelled his light and Ice's.

"…I mean, who does he think he is, the boss? Oh yeah, give the low life guard duty. I've been here for thirty years and I'm still not respected."

"Rich snobs."

"Yeah."

"I told that Harrow that he was too big for himself and would be stomped on like a bug. Seriously, he was bossing me around too. He thinks he'll take Camoran's place when he leaves today."

"Yeah, you'd think we'd be able to see him go, but no, 'Guarding is more important'."

In a swift move Crow appeared and banged their heads together. They were knocked out without knowing what hit them.

"Ok, there're two robes. Oh, wait…" two other people were coming, and this time Elyon hit them in the back of their heads. "Make that four."

Nightshade reluctantly took a robe off a body; luckily, they had clothes underneath and all they needed to do was wear the robes over their armor. Still, wearing someone else's clothes felt weird.

The hoods draped over everyone's eyes, especially Ice's. He pulled it far down his face and ended up with a red cloth face. He laughed, but Crow elbowed him to knock it off.

"Ok, we're to have fake names. I'll keep with mine: Ashen Kinaswlaki. Elyon, you'll be…"

"Ginhi. Just Ginhi. I won't talk at all."

Ice went next. "I'll be Casito Hlaalu."

All eyes went to Nightshade. "Uh, I'll be…. Be…"

"Frisha Takano." Ice seemed to just make up the name on the spot.

"Fine."

"Don't forget to take a knife; they'll want weapons."

They walked to the other end of the cavern where a small, wooden door with a large, burned-in symbol of a sun on the horizon was being guarded by another red-robed man. He smiled. "Hello. Names?"

"Ashen Kinaswlaki. These are Ginhi, Casito Hlaalu, and Frisha Takano. We're new."

"Really? New people? I heard Raven went to get a new recruit, but I don't remember him coming back." The doorman frowned and scratched his head.

Crow shrugged. "He left, said it would be all arranged."

"Really?" the doorman repeated his action. "I don't know…"

"How do you think we got these robes?" Ice couldn't help himself blurt it out. Crow glared.

"Good point, little one. Ok, I'll let you in. But not much is happening today."

"Why?" Crow wanted to squeeze out as much information as possible.

"Haven't you heard? No, 'course you haven't. Harrow will tell you and show you your barracks and stuff." He unlocked the door and let them pass.

"Harrow, wasn't he the guy those two guys were talking about?" Nightshade whispered. Both Crow and Ice nodded. Elyon stayed in character and pretended not to be listening.

"Welcome, new members," a Dark Elf with slick black hair greased back. His skin was dark without the sun. "I'm Harrow, the warden. I'll be your guide to the place. First, all weapons must be placed in this box."

Crow's prediction was correct. Each deposited different knives from their robes. Harrow gave a phony grin. "Right. Barracks are to the right of the shrine and the offices are to the left."

"What's going on today?" Crow seemed uninterested.

"Ah, today's a most exciting day. Our leader, Mankar Camoran, is planning to make important history. You'll have to see for yourself. After that, you four must pass the initiation."

"Initiation?" Nightshade couldn't help but question.

"Yes, initiation. Didn't Raven tell you?"

"He mentioned it," Crow stated blandly. "Are there other Camorans?"

"One other. They're all High Elves except Ruma, his other child. She's part Imperial; her mother died when she was born. She's very tough. Everyone gives her a hard time. However, once Mankar leaves, she'll be the leader. Her brother doesn't like her, though. That Raven can be sour. Here we are," Hallow opened a stone door with the same symbol chiseled into the front.

Inside was a large room made of limestone. The room was filled with red robes and hoods looking up towards a raised stage. A man in a blue robe shouted and waved his arms, an Altmer with a large, white book in front of him on an alter. Behind him were a black robed girl, shrouded in a hood and a staff strapped to her back.

"Hey, what's that on his chest?" Ice pointed to the Altmer.

On Mankar's robe was the large, red diamond-shaped amulet outlined in gold. "It's the Amulet of Kings," she breathed.

"… with the emperor's gone, there is chaos, and no rules. Now, with the Dragonfires in our hands, we can go to paradise. The time of Cleansing draws nigh. I go now to Paradise. I will return with Lord Dagon and the coming of the Dawn!"

With a shouting of odd words Mankar waved his arms in a circular motion and a glimmering blue portal appeared. He stepped through it, taking the amulet with him.

"Damn, I missed practically all the speech. They move me to tears." Harrow wiped his eye. "Now, go up there and talk to Ruma. She'll tell you your initiation."

The four pushed their way through the crowd. "What thick-heads," Ice snickered.

Ruma seemed as cold as her brother, perhaps even more. Her hood hid her messy reddish-gold hair. Her scowl showed clear suspicion. It was clear she was no thick-head.

With a wave of her hand, two pillars suddenly lit with flame and a large statue appeared out of the darkness. It was huge, reaching to the ceiling. Mehrunes Dagon's legs bulged with muscles and he wore a cloth with spikes. His torso was naked except an arm brace on his lower left. His lower two arms reached to his face while the top two reached to the ceiling. His face was blocked by his hands.

Below him, in front of his feet, a stone slate had an unconscious Argonian lying on top, almost like he was asleep. Ruma turned back to them. "Kill the Argonian and you will be part of us."

Crow said nothing as Ruma handed him a dagger with a blood red sphere on the handle. He didn't look at them, and Nightshade really thought he was going to do it. She looked at Elyon, and it looked like she turned away. She was looking at the book.

Up close, it wasn't just a white book. It had a symbol. It wasn't the sun on the horizon, but a black symbol Nightshade had never seen before, and yet it was familiar. It was a flat line on top with two curved lines on either side, like a pair of uneven fangs, and in between was a dot.

Ruma eyed them with distaste and turned her attention to Crow. Most of the people below the stage had left and only a handful stayed to watch, Harrow included.

In an instant, Crow had turned on Ruma, knocking her down. Elyon ran to get the book, but she stopped, almost like a force had grabbed her.

The handful had come up now. Ice was fighting his best, using his knives. Nightshade was trying to get the Argonian to wake up. Elyon had been overcome by fighting three men. Ruma was in fierce combat with Crow; she didn't throw taunts like her brother.

"Nightshade! Get the book!" Elyon shouted. Nightshade finally slapped the Argonian awake. "Quick! Get up!"

He held his head and looked around at the action. "Am I still dreaming?"

"No. Quick, find an exit and get out of here!"

"Thanks," he said breathlessly, and ran.

She sprinted past the others and grabbed the book. For a moment, she felt dizzy and faint, but she was getting used to the feeling. Simultaneously, a rumble occurred under their feet, and the statue started to crumble. The men were suddenly screaming like little girls and running off the stage. Large clumps of rock tumbled down. Elyon and Ice were the first to jump off. Nightshade tripped and fell down. She would've fallen on her face if Crow hadn't grabbed the back of her robe. He let her fall a much shorter distance, and he jumped.

"This way," Ice hurried behind the stage to a door, dodging the last bits of stone falling. Nightshade took off her robe to reveal her armor. Elyon followed suit, and soon Crow and Ice were back into their black robes.

They continued down a passageway until they ran up a steep slope and reached a tattered door. Panting, they opened it to be blinded by the afternoon sun. Water gently lapped at a small beach.

"Where are we?" Nightshade looked at Ice. He frowned. "We're at the eastern shore of Lake Rumare. That tunnel led right under the lake."

"So, we're right next to the Imperial City?" Crow looked around.

The place was shrouded in rocks, except a hole where the sun beamed through. "A hidden door," Nightshade sighed.

"Well, we didn't get the Amulet back," Ice seemed hopeless.

Elyon was looking at the rock. "We'll have to climb out."

They started to climb up the mountain of rock when the door swung open. Ruma, followed by Harrow and several other red robed men, appeared. Sneering, she took her staff and shot lightning at Nightshade's feet, narrowly missing.

Elyon heaved Ice up, and Crow practically pounced up. Ruma shot again while the men were trying to climb up in vain. Nightshade slipped and hung of for dear life. If she didn't die falling, Ruma and Harrow would certainly tear her apart.

Crow seemed to have a look of panic in his red eyes. Crow reached down and grabbed her hand and with enormous strength he pulled her up so hard she flipped in midair and landed on her feet.

"Uh, I don't think we're at Lake Rumare…" Elyon was looking out where Nightshade expected to see the large lake and the island with the city. Instead, she saw a puny lake surrounded by trees and shrubs.

"I think we're in the Heartlands."

"How can you tell?" Ice asked as he pushed a face down the rocks.

"The flora looks like the Heartlands around Cheydinhal. I've been here looking for ingredients," Elyon continued to survey the land. "Yes, it looks familiar. I think the road's…. that way."

"Then let's get running!" Nightshade held the book in her hands and ran. They ran through the brush.

After a few minutes, Ruma levitated herself and looked around. Harrow and the others had given up already. She didn't trust the little beetle. She smirked. "They'll be back. All's going according to plan."