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A crowd was gathering outside of the opened doors and a handful of the windows as the pilgrims and travellers came to gawk at us despite the insistence of the monks for them to go away. |
"We would like to request to stay the night." |
She nodded, clasping her hands in front of her as she did so. "The faithful are always welcome here." |
Together, Viconia and I walked back through the camp, leaving the wounded Knights to the care of the followers of Kynareth and their Squires. Viconia’s mood was dark, as she knew already what was going through my mind and what I intended. It didn’t stop her from asking though. |
"What do we do now?" She asked as we moved back to our steeds. |
"We take this opportunity to rest up for the evening, and come tomorrow morning we try to retrieve the boots." I replied, meaning every word. "Then, no matter the outcome we leave tomorrow by lunchtime for Leyawiin." |
"And what is stopping you from ending up like those two knights back there?" she asked angrily. "Just what makes you think that we won’t get injured or even killed from this? You’re not exactly at your peak." |
With I nod I began to unstrap my travel bags from Trygve’s side. "We have to try. I got these wounds from not being able to use my full strength and those two knights were injured by an animal. An obviously powerful animal maybe, but an animal nonetheless." |
"So you are just going to revert back to being a vampire?" She said with a lowered voice lest anyone nearby heard us talking. "Even after what great pains you went through to prove that you are human?" |
I nodded, groaning with pain as the wound in my hip flared angrily at the way I twisted with a saddlebag over a shoulder. "When I spoke to the Knights before we left the priory they have been leaving me thinking differently about who and what I am. I’m going to be a vampire for the rest of my life whether I die in my ... |
"So you’re going to go out biting everyone’s throats and satisfying your carnal desires with every whore in a dress who catches your eye?" |
My grimace twisted the bruising of my face and I could feel my embarrassment growing even as she moved closer. "I didn’t mean it like that." |
"I know you didn’t Mrimmd’ssinss." She pulled in close and my arm wrapped around her for a moment. "You are however still as gullible and foolish as we first met and so, so easy to bait." |
The wolf yellow eyes gazed at me for a moment before she turned and began unstrapping her saddlebags and saddle from Ultrin. "I know that no matter what you will always have some core within you that you will never release and that is comforting... Especially after seeing what that core really is. Just... think before... |
We made camp for the evening, along the edge of the collection of pilgrim shacks and lean-tos where we both would not be disturbed. Each night it appeared, those staying within the area around the shrine seemed to come together around the large firepit near the priory, and both Viconia and I found ourselves sharing sp... |
The mood however was extremely sombre. One of the knights had died of his injuries and his death had been announced by his squire who looked as though his world had come to an abrupt end. In some ways it had, and the other two squires had also come to the realisation that their master would not live through the night.... |
The young squire, only just out of his teens had sat heavily by the fire as silence descended from a combination of sorrow and the fact that many present were eating. It took everyone by surprise when he started singing, a deep mournful chant accompanied by the rhythmic thudding of his hand on his chainmailed knee and... |
It was a tradition that I had seen several variations of amongst the Dumner, especially the Ashlanders when one of their number fell. They would recount the tale of the deceased’s life and accomplishments with their tribe and remember who they were. The young squire did just that, telling the tale of his master’s vict... |
After the squire had finished, it seemed to have broken the measure of calm among the pilgrims and travellers who had also travelled so far to find themselves in the depths of Cyrodiil’s heartlands. Some had journeyed from as close by as the nearest village, others had come from every corner of Tamriel on a journey th... |
One of the travellers pulled out a well-worn flute seemingly from nowhere, and another was a poor troubadour who returned to his tent and retrieved his lute. Their songs uplifted the spirits of all those present, but it wasn’t long before Viconia and I found ourselves pressed for tales of our exploits and journeys. |
Viconia spoke of a land deep within the bowels of the earth, of deep caverns devoid of light and filled and danger. She told of great battles between the Drow cities and while her stories were infinitely darker than of any surfacer bard or poet I knew that she was toning them down for the benefit of the audience. In o... |
When my turn came I spoke of my time in the Legion, the skirmishes against Nordic Pirate bands and Ashlander insurgent parties, some of the more notable patrols I had been on before talking about some of the famous victories of the Legions during their long and colourful histories. I also spoke of our recent adventure... |
The evening drew on as the fire began to dim and the wood turned into glowing coals our audience left, one by one or a few at a time until Viconia and I too left to sleep. Viconia soon curled into my side with an arm over me and while I was bone wearingly exhausted from the journey and my injuries I suffered through a... |
When it did come, my sleep was filled with strange and alien dreams, filled with visions of the wild and of nature. Waterfalls cascaded down cliffs thousands of kilometres high and vanished within the rolling cloudbanks hiding their peaks from view. Grass swayed in the gentle breeze, refusing to be bent under the heav... |
A tremble rolled through the ground, as though a giant had taken his first step of an age and the land seemed to recoil from the impact. The strange sensation of sickness seemed to swirl through the land, being mirrored by my own feelings as the land itself seemed to lose its lustre and vibrancy to the growing sensati... |
Thundering through the air and ground, I could only watch helplessly as animals of all kinds and descriptions ran from the growing threat on the horizon, crushing dozens of their own kind in their panic and trampling the greenery into the ground. The growing sensation of wrongness had now reached the point of turning ... |
As the sky paled and turned into darkness so foul that I could not bring myself to gaze upon it, I could feel the growing presence behind all the desecration looming within my sight. There was nothing before me other than blackness and doom, but I could feel the eyes of the being watching and tearing my soul to shreds... |
I caught the flash of gold metal, seeing the ridged and spiked plate of a being using one of the most holy of colours and lustres to announce its sins and evil nature. A howling helm of golden blades and spear points consumed all light entering its soulless eye sockets, hiding the entity that wore it from view. I grow... |
Just as the serrated gauntlet reached out to crush me whole, I found myself jolted awake and sweating profusely in the early dawn air. It was dark but the sun was slowly rising to the east and leaving the seemingly eternal twilight of predawn to light up my surroundings. |
Despite the coolness of the air it took some time for me to stop sweating as much and I was deeply troubled by my dream. There was once a time where I regarded dreams with indifference and discarded them from my mind just as easily, but of late and fuelled by my vampiric side they had been gaining a more realistic qua... |
Carefully, so no to disturb Viconia I detangled myself from her embrace. As we normally did, we would fall asleep in a collection of limbs and flesh on flesh under our travelling blankets but as the night progressed we would shift into our own positions. There was a proximity and closeness to the way we slept together... |
The dream and the many others like it I had suffered over the previous months were still playing through my mind even as consciousness stripped them of potency as I dressed myself. Soon I was prepared for the day ahead, both clad in my clothes and my armour and it was only when Sunchild was at my side once more than I... |
Fully dressed and armed, and with a momentary glance over Viconia’s sleeping form I turned and made my way through the collection of tents towards the towering statue of Kynareth. For a short time, I felt as though I was the only person awake as many of the travellers and pilgrims were still sound asleep within their ... |
For what seemed to be an age I stood there, looking over the age-worn marble and almost being able to count the centuries engraved into its form. It had been there for an incredibly long time, and despite the lack of attention and care that it had received from the generations of priests that had made the shrine their... |
Movement from within the lines of tents and from the priory house grabbed my attention and the shrine’s priests and priestesses were moving in a small group towards the edge of the clearing and the views of the Nibenay Valley. They moved slowly but with distinct purpose as they made a rough semicircle the east and the... |
Their words were softly spoken as they murmured in prayer, their robes flowing in the slight breeze and totally oblivious to anything or anyone around them. I watched as they stood there, almost swaying in time with nature’s own rhythm, softly chanting to themselves and I was suddenly struck with how much they resembl... |
The ceremony was over quickly, and was surprisingly simple compared to many of the other religious ceremonies that I had witnessed before. There were no offerings, no sermons or grand speeches, just the simple acknowledgement of the wonders of nature and giving thanks. |
As the priesthood broke up and the individual members moved away to conduct their morning routines and other activities that required their attentions, Avita came over to me where I was standing at the base of the statue. She smiled warmly as she got close, clasping her hands in front in greeting. |
"Good morning Sir Desin. I hope that you and Madame DeVir slept well." |
I bowed slightly in respect and smiled warmly. "Viconia is still asleep, and I would like to say that I rested peacefully but I’d be lying." |
"Troubled sleep?" |
My nod answered her question and she motioned for me to follow. |
"Everyone is troubled, and I know and understand why someone such as yourself is. You have weight on your shoulders unlike many have ever experienced." |
"Saving the world tends to do that." |
She laughed and I couldn’t help but do the same. "You both have accomplished much, but now you find yourselves here, seeking that which has claimed hundreds, if not thousands of lives over the centuries. The Boots cannot be retrieved." |
"They have to be." Her expression was quizzical but she let me continue, "The Whitestrake’s ancient foe is returning and the relics have to be reunited." |
"Do you truly believe that Umaril is returning?" Avita said softly, but it wasn’t fear or disbelief that filled her voice but a pained hopelessness that could only have been brought on by many similar conversations and arguments. |
"I know he is. I also know that Viconia and I are the only two who have much chance of success in retrieving Pelinal’s relics." |
"Oh to be young and to have such confidence." She said simply with less sarcasm than she probably had intended. "What makes you think that you can retrieve the boots. Better yet, what makes you think that you both will be the ones to wield them against Umaril." |
"We’re not the ones to wield them, and so far I doubt that anyone else has had as much luck retrieving the other relics as we have. The Cuirass and the Helm have already been recovered." |
Judging by her expression and the way she sat quietly looking at me she had initially believed that I had been lying or fabricating stories to increase our fame. There must have been something in my manner that convinced her that I was telling the truth, and I could almost hear the way that her breath quickened. |
"From all the stories that I have heard about the two of you I would have expected a lot more bluster and pride, not humility." Carefully, her hands found their way in front of her and I could see the nervous energy that made her wring them together. "Just last week the Bishop from Bravil had come and told us all to i... |
There will be many more to come to try to retrieve the boots. Even if Viconia and I don’t succeed." |
"I know." She admitted sadly. "I have been the High Priestess here for seven years, and have lived here for five more before that. During that time, I have honestly and ashamedly lost count of how many have tried and failed the retrieve the boots. So many knights and travelling warriors of great skill and equal renown... |
"Few like those two yesterday are simply found at the edge of the woods over there." Her hand gestured to the far end of the clearing where an obvious path snaked into the forest where it was noticeably thicker and denser than the surrounding woods. "Kynareth returns only a few who attempt her trial, and I don’t remem... |
"What is the trial?" |
Moving over to one of the crudely carved benches arrayed like pews before the towering statue, she lowered herself into it and motioned for me to do the same. "I honestly do not know. When I first came here I too was seeking to test myself, but I could not bring myself to take those steps along the path. The day that ... |
"You have seen battle?" |
Her smile seemed to lighten up her features and underneath the aging frame there were the hints of the strong woman she had been in her youth. "You could say that. I once served in the Legion." |
"You don’t look like a legionary." |
"I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m not sure my honour could withstand being compared to one of those slow footed brutes." She shook her head and lifted the loose sleeve of her monk robes to reveal an arm covered in sword scars and the legion brand on her bicep. "I was once Primus Lanceae of the 6th." |
"First Lance? Well you certainly outranked me, I only made it to Praefect in the 14th." |
"You’re a lot younger than I was." The eyes glanced over my armour and clothing for a moment and narrowed. "Although you are very young to be retired from the Legion." |
The months since deserting and since my "official’ pardon had been sent to the Legion from Jauffre, I had spent a considerable amount of time considering my options when that question eventually arose. To leave the Legion was either old age, death or medical invalidity. I certainly wasn’t the first two options which h... |
"Caught black lung during my service in Vvardenfell. It’s going to kill me one day but I couldn’t simply sit down and wait for my end to come." |
"So you started roaming the world and throwing yourself into Oblivion portals and getting a Knighthood as a result. I suppose from what I’ve heard of the Vvardenfell Legions, a portal to Oblivion is a holiday." |
"What about you then? You don’t seem to have reached retirement age." |
The smile I received from my half-disguised compliment turned into a laugh. "No. I still have a few years left before I would have reached that age. I too was deemed invalid, but not from a disease." The sigh killed the laugh almost as quickly as a sword stroke and her face softened at old memories. "I was thirty-nine... |
Her fist rapped against the side of her head and the smile was grim and yet revealing none of the pain or sorrow she still experienced. "I woke up three weeks later and was told that my helmet had been crushed and had shattered my skull. Still got a chunk of metal in there. The first fits started a few weeks later and... |
"So you were forced to retire." |
"Indeed. I wandered around for a bit before finding my way here. I thought that if I did something like retrieve the Boots of Kynareth that the Legion would let me back in. Ha, if my skull had been as thick as my stubbornness I wouldn’t have been injured in the first place. Instead when I arrived here I felt... I don’... |
"We’ve both come long ways it seems." |
"It’s not the distance, but the journey that I’ve found that is long." She motioned to my bruised face and the way that I had been limping before we had sat. "My role these days is a guide for those on their journeys, even if this place is the end of it." |
"You are not going to try to stop me from attempting the trial?" |
There was a shake of the head and the sorrow appeared in full force. "I can’t. It isn’t my place to stop those seeking Kynareth’s Relics, only to guide them. When I became a priest here I swore an oath that I must fulfil, even if I know it will only lead to your death." |
She must have seen the way that I turned and looking back to where Viconia and I had set up our tent. Viconia was still asleep as far as I could tell and at that moment I felt more concerned about her reaction of what I was about to do than the act itself. |
"I still have to try at least." |
Wetting my lips with my tongue I nodded. "I can handle putting myself in danger, but not putting Viconia in harm’s way. Besides, I have a suspicion that this is something that one can only do so alone?" |
Avita nodded. "Many who have come had tried to go in together but the route to the grove is no simple path. Some who have entered together have emerged minutes later after being separated within the first dozen metres and only one of their number undertook the trial. It is clear though that whatever occurs, you must d... |
"Is there anything else you can tell me about it?" |
"The one thing that all of us here have been instructed through the generations of priests is that we are to remind everyone attempting the Trial to heed Kynareth’s teachings. Specifically, to "fear and respect Nature and all Her Creations." |
"Fear and respect?" |
"Indeed. Nature itself is Kynareth’s domain, all of its creatures are her wards. If you heed nothing else, then heed this." |
"Well then." I said as I rose to my feet, checked how secure Sunchild was to my hip and tried and failed not to grimace at the flaring pain in my leg as it bore my weight. "Might as well do this while the morning is still young." |
Together we moved towards the winding path leading through the forest and as we got closer I saw just exactly how thick the trees, vines, shrubs and creepers were together. There was barely enough space for anything larger than a rabbit to pass through and for that fact alone, even without the strange tingling in the ... |
"As soon as you step onto this path the test will begin." Avita said as I stood before it, looking down at how well-worn the dirt track was as it disappeared around a bend less than ten metres into the vegetation. "Kynareth may choose to guard you along the way; that is up to her. I wish you good luck Sir Desin. I hop... |
The tone in her voice was sad and I knew as well as she did that she didn’t expect me to survive, or if I did it would be in the same state as the two knights ripped to pieces in the priory house. The sights of how terribly maimed they were entered my mind as I looked between her and the path leading deeper into the f... |
Within metres I could feel the closeness of the air and the way that the vegetation hemmed in around me. there was no choice but to follow the path as to attempt to do otherwise would have required one to cut and hack their way through and potentially get themselves lost within metres of leaving the path. Birdcalls fo... |
Reaching the portion of the path where it snaked away to the right, I paused for a moment and turned to look back at the entrance and Avita only to find that behind me the path had utterly vanished. It simply stopped within two metres at my back as though it had never existed and I found myself suddenly covered in a c... |
"Okay... That’s a little concerning." I muttered to myself, moving closer to the portion where the path I had travelled had been only seconds before, pressing my fingers into a tree wide enough that I couldn’t put my arms around it. There was no sign of the clearing, of Avita or anything around me but the empty path t... |
Magicka swirled in the air around me, intangible and undefinable but I found myself remembering back to the night where I had met and assisted the Rangers. The way they had called upon the spriggans to claim the corrupted artefacts of Graithlan had the same ethereal quality to it as the forest I found myself in and I ... |
For several long minutes I continued through the track. Sometimes I was forced to shimmy my way through sideways where thick branches and vines as thick as my arm barred my way. Despite the urge to do so I didn’t draw Sunchild to ease my passage but rather wormed my way through the thickening vegetation. I was strange... |
There was no way for me to tell how long I limped and stumbled my way down the path, as I was certain that not only hours had passed but the sun had also somehow reversed its course several times while also not moving in the slightest. Several times I shook my head with frustration and the tingling that grew with ever... |
The clearing itself was completely at odds to the rest of the surrounding forest. Where the surrounding vegetation was so thick that one could not travel through it without the aid of wings or by hacking their way through a metre at a time the clearing was completely devoid of all trees and shrubs. The lush grass rose... |
Only the collection of moss-covered rocks in the direct centre filled the otherwise empty expanse. They were enormous boulders, seeming carved from the living ground and being slowly pried apart by the questing roots of a massive oak tree. If it was possible through magicka or through brute labour the rocks could have... |
It was quiet other than the cries of the forest birds watching my progress with some amusement from their perches. There was some strange feel to the clearing, almost as though Akatosh had simply forgotten to apply the laws of time to this place as it had a strange unearthly feel to it all. It was only when I started ... |
It was being affected by all four seasons at the same time. |
The ground underfoot was lush and green and in full springtime bloom but and the oak tree was mostly leafless except where they had turned the incredible golden-browns of autumn. The air itself was warm and comforting, with the smell of ripening wheat and storms building on the horizon as though summer had just arrive... |
"Of course it just has to be magicka..." My sigh was the loudest sound in the clearing until something metallic clinked on the armoured plate covering the toe of my boot. So drawn to the strangeness of the boulders and the other side of the clearing where the snow stopped as though cut with a knife, I had failed to no... |
The particular object I had inadvertently kicked was an old rusted helm, horribly crushed and bent almost to the point of being unrecognisable. As I knelt down to inspect it and pull it from where the rains had been washing it into the earth I saw how it had been once a full helm of considerable make, but the entire f... |
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