The Story of Trey- Chapter 11 Options

[treydog]

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Frank Herbert, Dune, "Litany Against Fear", 1965

Chapter 11

As I stared into the slowly moving waters of the Odai, thinking about fathers and sons, and the price we pay to be part of a family, I was reminded of a promise I had made seemingly long ago. When I had gone to Hassour Zainsubani to learn all I could of the customs and culture of the Ashlanders, he had mentioned his son, Hannat. He had asked me, if I saw Hannat, to remind him to send word that he was still well and to remember that his father worried about him. And he had told me that, the last he knew, his son intended to map the cavern complex known as Mamaea, west of Red Mountain. If I could not bring myself to speak with my own “family,” at least I could bring reassurance and comfort to someone else’s And I owed much to Hassour- without his guidance I might have made serious, perhaps fatal, mistakes when I first approached the Urshilaku. Although it had nothing to do with the path of prophecy, this was a debt of honor. If, as I believed, I was going to my death at Red Mountain, I would not leave this task undone. In truth, I should have done so long ago, and it troubled me that I had allowed my self-absorption to make me forgetful. As I packed up my possessions and cast a last pebble into the river, I thought what a wonderful thing it must be to have a father who was concerned for you. And then I thought what a great burden it is to have children, who must be allowed to go out into the world and risk their lives.

Despite their name, the Mamaea caverns were not particularly close to the Foyada Mamaea, which ran past Fort Moonmoth near Balmora. Instead, the caverns were in a hilly area about halfway between Gnisis and Caldera. Almost as soon as I had entered the water-smoothed passages, I was attacked by one of the Sixth House cultists known as a “Dreamer.” If these caverns were being used as a base by the Dagoth-worshippers, I feared greatly for Hannat’s safety. That initial attack had warned me, though, so I was able to make use of my bow and my stealth to wage a single-handed war on the Sixth House minions within the outer caverns. In one side chamber, I came upon a sight which almost caused me to despair- a skeletal corpse, with knife marks on the bones that made it clear that the unfortunate had become a meal for the insane cultists. Still, there was no proof that this was Hannat, and so I forged ahead. Besides the Sixth House madmen, I found little of interest in the outer cavern complex. One unexplained mystery did present itself and I will note what I saw, though I still have no explanation. In one chamber there rose a great stone column, surrounded by a pool of water. This edifice seemed to be entirely natural, without tool marks or inscriptions of any kind. Although I levitated to the top, I could not discern any purpose that it might serve. My only thought was that it had been intended to become a great sculpture of some god or demon, such as those that were still scattered about the island. If that were the case, something had prevented the builders from even beginning their work. Regardless, the solution to such mysteries was not the goal I sought in these dim passages, so I attached a fresh bow-string and moved on.

There is little to say of the remaining hours that I spent in those dark tunnels. I slew the followers of the Sixth House wherever I found them, without mercy and without remorse. They attempted to do the same to me, and I accumulated a number of new scars to go with the old ones. My arrows were running low as I picked the lock on one of the seemingly endless slatted gates that divided the passages and spied a figure moving in the shadows. I had nocked an arrow and drawn the bow when I paused. Although the half-naked Dunmer looked much like the Dreamers, there was something about the way he held himself that stayed my hand. Too, he was not armed, not even with one of the clubs those crazed fanatics seemed to prefer. Easing the tension on the bow-string, I called out to him,

“Step forward into the light, dark elf, and give me a reason that I should not kill you.”

He complied and said in a weary voice,

“Death would be a relief to me after having been captive here for so long. And it would be an end to the terrible dreams I have been having since those madmen grabbed me and stole my gear. But do me one favor- after you kill me, seek my father at the Ald Skar Inn in Ald’ruhn and tell him that Hannat died well.”

With a relieved laugh, I lowered the bow and replied,

“I would rather tell my good friend Hassour that his son lives, if it is all the same to you.”

I then explained that I had come to Mamaea specifically for this purpose, and that I would be glad to take Hannat wherever he wished to go. For his part, the young Dunmer explained that he would be satisfied if I could simply escort him safely from the caves. He could offer me no reward, having been robbed of all he owned, but he promised me that his father would honor the debt. We were soon breathing the fresh air of the West Gash and Hannat thanked me again and reminded me to see Hassour. He shook my hand and said,

“Tell him that I am well, and I will come to him as soon as I can. I have no token you might show him, but tell him that I ‘blossom anew beneath tomorrow’s sun’—he will know who has sent you.”

I suppose I could have left it at that- gone to Ald’ruhn and given Hassour the good news. That had been my intent, after all. But I had not checked every part of this Sixth House outpost and I could not leave without doing so. A part of me has always rebelled at the idea of leaving a job unfinished, even if it is unpleasant. Too, it seemed to me that part of my destiny was to cleanse these foul warrens and drive the minions of Dagoth Ur out from every hole in which they lurked. So it was that I turned back into Mamaea to finish the job. The worst encounter I had was with the “keeper” of the shrine deep inside the cave. Not worst because she was a fierce warrior, but because she was there voluntarily. Unlike the Dreamers and the ash slaves, Zula was a “normal” Dunmer. She was there not because of the Dreams, but because she had made a conscious decision to join the cause of Dagoth Ur. I searched the area of the shrine and found several interesting items, including a Daedric helm inscribed “The Face of Inspiration.” I wasn’t sure what the demonic visage was intended to inspire, other than nightmares, but it was a valuable piece of armor, so I packed it away. There were also some filthy boots that I almost let go; some fortunate impulse made me wipe away the grime- underneath it, they were made of ebony. Finally, there was a dagger which fairly vibrated with magicka. Recalling the seductive song of the sword Fury, I examined the dagger with great care before picking it up. At last, I knew that I would have to take the chance of touching the blade if I were to “read” the magicka. As I closed my fingers around the hilt, the weapon seemed to almost leap into my hand. For a long moment I seemed to be seeing through the eyes of others, who moved through shadows and struck in alleyways and audience chambers, then slipped away. As my vision cleared, I knew what I held. This was the legendary blade of assassins, the Fang of Haynekhtnamet. As I had done with Fury, I wrapped the Fang carefully and put it away securely. A weapon like that was a drug, the more one used it, the more he would want to. I had no desire to lose my soul in that way.

I cast Recall, leaving nothing in Mamaea but the corpses of the Sixth House minions and the sighing of the wind. When I reached Ald’ruhn, I walked with a light step, knowing that I carried good news. I soon found Hassour at his accustomed table in the Ald Skar, where I told him of my encounter with his son. When I quoted the bit of verse, he jumped up from his chair and grasped both my arms. Then he spoke with quiet emotion,

“You have spoken with my son? Indeed? He blossoms 'anew beneath tomorrow's sun'? That is my son. And you have rescued him from a terrible fate, if that is his message. He owes you a debt of gratitude, and I am proud to pay that debt. Who can place a value on life? But please accept these five pieces of raw ebony, rare and valuable. And from me personally, accept this, my own personal blade, and this, the ring from my own finger. May these gifts bless you, as you have blessed my son.”

It was then that I understood far more about what it was to be a father. And I knew that, no matter what might become of me, Athyn Sarethi would never turn his back on me. A true father loved his children, always.

This post has been edited by treydog: Aug 29 2010, 10:32 PM

[treydog]

The killing of Ulath-Pal and his supporters may have been necessary, but I did not much like it. As in so many recent events, need drove me- Manirai had told me plainly that the only chance I had to be named Erabenimsun Nerevarine was through those deaths. And the ashkhan and gulakhans had made it easy by attacking me as soon as they thought they saw a chance to take me by surprise. Still, it felt too much like being someone’s hired sword for my liking. If the so-called “peace-loving” Erabenimsun had wanted their oppressors dead so badly, they should have made an effort themselves. Instead, they waited for me and took advantage of my need for their support. I respected the strength of the Urshilaku, the courage of the Ahemmusa, and even the cunning of the Zainab. But I had great difficulty respecting these Ashlanders, who seemed to have given up. Still, I had done Manirai’s bidding- now I could see about collecting my “reward,” however distasteful I might find it. The wise-woman told me that I now had an even more difficult task- to persuade Han-Ammu that he should become ashkhan.

Han-Ammu had a sour face, as if nothing he saw pleased him. When I presented myself to him and informed him that Ulath-Pal and his supporters were dead, he simply looked at me for several moments, and then said,

“Well, I am sure that is a good thing, but I don’t see why you felt it was necessary to tell me about it.”

When I explained that Manirai had identified him as the next ashkhan, the sour look became an absolute scowl. He complained,

“Please! I don't WANT to be ashkhan. Don't you understand? I won't be any good at it. I am going to be a complete failure, and everyone will hate me even more than they do now. PLEASE! I just want to be left alone!”

Although I understood Han-Ammu’s resistance and even sympathized with it, I was not going to take “no” for an answer. After killing Ulath-Pal and his friends, I admit that I had “borrowed” any magical items they had been wearing. At the time, I had not had any clear purpose for doing so- just my usual attitude of “waste not, want not.” Now, I brought out the items and laid them on the floor of the tent. I point at each one and said to Han-Ammu,

“Here you see Sanit-Kil’s Heart of Fire, the Robe of Erur-Dan the Wise, and the War Axe of Airan-Ammu. Each one of these items is a symbol of the leadership of the Erabenimsun. The amulet enhances courage; the robe, wisdom; and the axe, strength. All of these attributes are necessary for the leader of a tribe. However, they are simply symbols- they are not leadership in themselves. Ulath-Pal was a terrible leader, because he thought that strength was enough. Worse still, he thought only of himself.”

I considered what Han-Ammu was feeling; it was no doubt very much like what I had felt when I was told that I was the Nerevarine. No one had asked me- they had simply TOLD me. I sympathized with the young Ashlander, but I also recognized that he would have to accept his responsibility. So I continued,

“You see that I wear the Moon-and-Star ring. The ring is a symbol, too- the symbol of the Nerevarine. But the ring does not MAKE me the Nerevarine; it only shows others that I am. I had to DECIDE that I would accept this ring, and all that went with it. I could have walked away from the responsibility- the gods know, I wanted to! But if I had done that, Dagoth Ur would have won, and Vvardenfell would have died. Perhaps all of Tamriel would have fallen. Believe me, I am no hero. I am just a former thief who would prefer to live out his life in peace and quiet. But I was chosen to do more than that, just as you were. You say that you will fail, that no one believes you can be ashkhan? You are mistaken. Take up the Heart of Fire, the Robe, and the Axe. Array yourself in these things as if they belong to you. Because they do. Take up these symbols and become the ashkhan of your people, for they NEED you. The enchantments of the items will provide you with assistance as you learn your duties. Manirai will also give you guidance and advice. The survival of the Erabenimsun is in your hands, Han-Ammu. They all have strength, wisdom, and courage. But they need YOU to be their symbol, their leader. Give them their lives, and they will give you their loyalty.”

Han-Ammu stood silent for some time, eying the symbols of leadership and considering my words. I held my breath, for I knew that he could still refuse and so doom my quest. At last, he bowed his head and said,

“It shall be as you say, Trey.”

Ceremoniously, I place the amulet around his neck, the robe over his shoulders, and the axe in his hands. He straightened his shoulders and his formerly sour look was replaced with one of determination. His look steady, Han-Ammu said,

“Your lesson is clear. It is the symbols that give courage in battle, wisdom in counsel, and strength in war; and it is the idea of symbols that gives confidence to the tribe, but it is the ashkhan who bears them, the ashkhan who accepts responsibility for the safety of the tribe, who holds the fate of the tribe in his hands. Now, with Ulath-Pal dead, I hold the fate of the tribe in my hands, and I must accept that responsibility. Thank you for your lesson. I shall be Ashkhan of the Erabenimsun. Thank you, Trey. I promise that, as ashkhan, I shall do my best to amend the dark reputation of the Erabenimsun. And as my first action as chief, I now name you Erabenimsun Nerevarine, Champion of the Erabenimsun, and Protector of the People. You must also go to wise woman Manirai and get from her the Seizing of the Erabenimsun, an enchanted heirloom of the tribe, which shall be a sign to all Dunmer that the Erabenimsun have named you Nerevarine.”

I bowed to Han-Ammu and sought Manirai to tell her that the Erabenimsun had a new ashkhan, and that he had named me Nerevarine. The wise woman thanked me gravely and gave me the belt known as the Seizing of the Erabenimsun, which granted the user the power of telekinesis. It, too, was a symbol, but an important one. Three of the four Ashlander tribes had named me Nerevarine and all that remained was to return to the Urshilaku to complete the fifth trial.