Chapter 14

Beras rolled over and opened his eyes. He smiled and sat up, looking around at the bedroom in Cloud Ruler Temple. Stretching his arms, he turned to see a figure standing in the doorway. After a moment, he recognized it as Gylas.

"What are you doing?" Beras asked him, for it was unlike the boy to be still or silent. It was somewhat alarming in fact.

Gylas smiled, a cruel and evil smile that made Beras' insides squirm. A drop of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Beras jumped back, flinching in alarm. He blinked, and within the duration in which his eyes were shut, Gylas' head had vanished. Beras screamed in horror as blood bubbled up from the stump of his neck.

Suddenly, something began forcing it's way out of the exposed windpipe. First hair, then a nose, and a face erupted from the stump, the neck growing longer and longer until the head of Inyen was inches from his. The arms began to lengthen too, and they snatched Beras from his bed, holding him still a few inches above the ground.

Beras cried for help and struggled, but to no avail. Inyen laughed at his futile squirming, and held him even tighter. The Temple around them was burning, ashes and chunks of the walls falling away. The demonic Inyen spread her lips to reveal long, sharp fangs. She lifted Beras up to her opened mouth, blood already dripping from her teeth and a wolfish look in her eyes.

Screaming, Beras sat up like a triggered bear trap. He was breathing heavily, a thin layer of cold sweat coating his body. His heart could be felt easily, banging against his ribcage. He swallowed. It was a dream.

He collapsed back onto the bedroll he was lying on, and shut his eyes, trying to block out the pain and fear of the last few days. He didn't know where he was, but he was safe. That was one thing that he was sure of.

Sitting up again, Beras decided to look around the room he was in. It was very small, more like a large closet than a room. There was nothing in it but the bedroll he was lying on and a door. Standing up, he looked down at himself. He was wearing brown linen clothes. He realized with horror that someone had changed his clothes.

His face turning red, he ran his hand through his hair. It was clean. Someone had also bathed him. He smacked his hand onto his eyes, trying to block out the mental image he was creating.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to compose himself. He wanted answers because things weren't adding up in his head. He flapped his arms and shook his head, trying to brace himself, because he knew that the moment he stepped out of that door, people would be looking at him. He slapped his face and took another deep breath before making his way to the door.

As he pushed it opened, the door creaked unfortunately loudly, and by the time it was opened the same two people who had been in the sewers below the prison were looking at him. It was a fairly large room, a somewhat circular area made of stone. All around the walls were various plants which gave the enclosure a natural feel. In the center was a large pool of water, a few feet deep.

Standing in the middle of it was a large statue, maybe ten feet tall. It depicted a winged woman wearing long flowing robes, with sleeves that hung down to her ankles. Her arms were held above her head, and floating between her hands was a bright light. She seemed to simply radiate power, and looking at it gave Beras a strange feeling of humility.

"Oh," Alix said, delighted. She was sitting on a stone bench in front of a fire. Neither she nor Sabona was wearing the robes they had been before. Instead, each was wearing the same set of plain clothes Beras was. "Thank goodness you're awake!" She beckoned for him to join them.

"Show some restraint, Alix," Sabona called. He was laying on the floor with his legs crossed and the back of his head resting on his hands. "He's just woken up, and he doesn't seem to be the social type." His eyes were shut, and he was clearly thinking hard about something. Beras glanced at him. There was definitely more to the argonian than what met the eye.

Alix rolled her eyes at Sabona. "My apologies," she said sarcastically. Turning back to Beras, she continued from where she left off. "Anyway, we need to talk."

Beras crossed the room and sat down opposite from her on another bench. Fidgeting madly with his hands, he tried and failed to make eye contact. "Um… w- who, uh, who are- who are you?" he stammered.

"I'll tell you," Alix said quietly. "But you need to let me explain first before you get alarmed or anything." She took a deep breath. "We're Daedra worshipers."

Beras' eyes widened with fear. Daedra? The demons from the world of Oblivion that tried to topple the Empire all those years ago? What did these people have to do with them?

Alix shook her head. "You're getting it all wrong. I can tell by the look on your face that you immediately thought of Mehrunes Dagon and the Oblivion Crisis. We aren't like that." She held out her hand, and Beras saw little sparks of golden magic fly around in her palm. "You see, we're acolytes of Meridia, Daedric Lord of the infinite energies. She gives life and guidence, and is not at all malevolent."

Beras held his fingers to his temples and shook his head. He still didn't understand. They worshipped a Daedra, a good Daedra, and that was fine, but what did he have to do with it? Why did they go out of their way to rescue him?

"Meridia needs you," Sabona said, as if he could read Beras' mind.

Beras blinked rapidly. Needed him? Surely there must have been some sort of mistake. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered. "It can't be me. I-I'm no use at all." He swallowed, trying to block out the tears that were forming again. He had let everyone down. They had all died and he was too weak to do anything about it.

Sabona sat up and looked Beras directly in the eye. Beras felt like he couldn't look away, like those deep aqua pools were pulling him in. "Well," the argonian muttered. "She clearly thinks otherwise. "We were told that a new prisoner would be taken to where water is stored after the massacre of fourteen swords, and that prisoner would be the champion of Meridia."

"We figured out that where water is stored is Riverhold," Alix chimed in. "Not literally, but river and hold. River being water, and hold being stored. The fourteen swords, well that's obvious. Fourteen blades."

"Anyway," continued Sabona. "We sent Mithelye, our Thalmor double agent, to Riverhold and waited. It didn't take long, just a few weeks, before your group of Blades came along. Mithelye called us over, and we broke you out as soon as we got there." He lay back on the floor and shut his eyes again.

Beras stood up, his fists clenched like a child's just before throwing a tantrum. "So," he whispered. "You knew. You knew they were going to die." Clenching his teeth, he shot the floor a nasty look. "You let them die. You knew they were going to and you could have stopped it, and you let them die."

Sabona glared over at him. "Don't be foolish. There is nothing we could have done."

Alix nodded in agreement. "We're only good at battling the undead. We would stand no chance against the Thalmor, and if we had fought we would have died as well. Then there wouldn't be anyone to save you."

Gritting his teeth, Beras mulled this over. He knew that they were right, but he couldn't help but resent them. They were treating the death of his friends, the people he would have called family, like some sort of letter or notice that what they wanted had come.

"Why should I help you?" Beras mumbled.

Alix pursed her lips. "Maybe," she suggested. "You should listen to what we want you to do before you decide that you are reluctant to help us. Because I'm assuming your goals will align with ours."

Beras sat down again, looking somewhat disgruntled. "Fine," he decided. "What do you need?" This wasn't fair. He needed to get back to the Temple and tell everyone what happened. That is, if they hadn't already been told. Their heads had probably been given back like Tennsa's. Meaning his head wasn't given. Then maybe they would know he was still alive.

Sabona had stood up. He walked a few steps until he was standing above Beras. Again, Beras felt his gaze being drawn somehow to that of the argonian's. "Alright," he said, looking Beras up and down. "It looks like we can work with you."

Beras looked puzzled. "Work with me to do what?"

The argonian smiled gravely. "To hunt a necromancer."