The Story of Trey- Chapter 13 Options

[treydog]

Chapter 13

As I made the slow trek to the Urshilaku camp, I thought about trust. Nothing in my youth had made me believe in the honor or the honesty of others. Mostly, they seemed to be interested in what they could get from you. And, with that philosophy, I had become a thief. But then, I was accepted by House Redoran and made a member of a family. Even though they expected me to perform services for them, they repaid me with loyalty and honor. And then, despite all my worries about their reactions to my role as the Nerevarine, they had continued to support me. The fact was, they trusted me- knew that I shared their code of honor. So much so that they had even sided with me against their Archmaster. And that meant that I should have trusted them to be honorable and fair, as well. Though I didn’t realize it, my musings on trust would be tested much sooner than I had anticipated.

The camp was as I had remembered it- a small cluster of tents in the Ashlands, huddled on the coast of the Sea of Ghosts. These were the people to whom I owed the most, the people whose lives had been made harsh and savage by the constant scheming of the Empire, Dagoth Ur, the Temple, even the Great Houses. If I were to see the path of prophecy to its bitter end, it would be for the Ashlanders that I did so. After greeting the Urshilaku working among the tents, I approached Nibani Maesa’s tent and asked permission to enter. The wise woman smiled to see me, overcoming her usual reserve just a bit. When she asked me, “What news, outlander,” I showed her the tokens of the Great Houses that proved that I had fulfilled the Fourth Prophecy. Then I told her of the attempt by the Temple to lure me to Vivec City, where they no doubt planned to imprison or do away with me. A strange look passed over her face at that, and then she said,

“I have thought long upon the Sixth Trial, Trey. I was blind, but Azura's star has guided me through my dreams. Vivec's high priest, Saryoni, has asked to see you when you are Hortator and Nerevarine. Go to him, and demand to speak with the false god Vivec. Vivec has tried to keep Kagrenac's Tools secret, but you will need these tools when you stand before Dagoth Ur. Get Kagrenac's Tools from Vivec. They are the keys to the riddle of the Sixth and Seventh Trials.”

Completely stunned, I could only stare at her in amazement. How could Nibani, of all people, send me to the very stronghold of our enemies? When I caught my breath, I asked her what Kagrenac’s Tools had to do with anything. She quoted a verse from the Lost Prophecy that I had brought from the Dissident Priests,

“ ‘Star-blessed hand wields thrice-cursed blade.' Gilvas Barelo has told you of Kagrenac's Tools, the enchanted devices the Tribunal use to steal power from Lorkhan's heart. One of these tools is the blade Keening. Your star-blessed hand must wield Keening. If Vivec has this blade, it is your fate to take this blade from him.”

So quickly was my new understanding of trust to be tested- one of my closest advisers counseled me to rely on the honor of one of my greatest opponents. Though my mind rebelled, my heart knew that she was right. If all Azura had wanted was my death, she would have no need to go to so much trouble. Nibani was my guide, appointed to help me find my destiny. I had no choice but to follow her guidance.
Knowing that the ultimate struggle against Dagoth Ur was growing near, I decided to scout the approaches to Red Mountain before I went to Vivec. And, in truth, I was delaying the meeting with Saryoni, for I feared imprisonment and torture above all things. Although I knew that I must go to Vivec, must suffer whatever consequences were to come, still I put it off, with the excuse that I needed to know more about Red Mountain. What I discovered was the presence of evil, but I don’t think it stemmed from Dagoth Ur, at least, not directly. Near the foyada Bani-Dad, I came upon a Velothi dome, which seemed a good place to shelter from the ash-storm which had plagued me almost from the moment I left the Urshilaku. The runes on the entrance marked the ancient dwelling as “Shishi,” a peculiar name that I wish I had never heard. As I emerged into the entry, I nearly stripped over the body of a Dunmer sprawled across the floor. A quick examination revealed her to be a Telvanni servitor, and that she had been cut down by swords. Worse yet, she was unarmed, and the wounds showed that she had been running away from her killer. As I ventured deeper into the dwelling, I found more Telvanni cut down in their tracks. Then in the lower part of the dome, I found the greatest horror of all.

A person dressed in the bonemold armor of House Redoran, my House, stood with bared sword, surveying the carnage and searching the room. When I asked what passed, she turned with a snarl and attacked me. I blocked as best I could, while shouting,

“Cease this madness, Redoran! Do you not recognize one of your own House Fathers?”

My identification of myself as a ranking member of the House only seemed to redouble her fury, and it became clear that I was going to have to do more than block. Since her actions had shown her to be an outlaw, her execution was no more than simple justice. Even so, it went hard for me to be the purveyor of that justice. I heard a voice calling from above, asking,

“Anise? What are you playing at down there? Did you find another Telvanni?”

So there were others involved in this murderous rampage- perhaps they would be more reasonable about explaining their actions. When I reached the top of the stairs, that proved to be a vain hope, as two more Redoran guards set upon me. An icy rage overwhelmed me and I showed those rogues no more pity than they had shown the unarmed Telvanni retainers they had butchered. On the body of the leader, I found a partial explanation, a report that had been written in great haste. The document read,

CODE

As instructed, a party of five entered the Velothi tower of Shishi. Five Telvanni sorcerers fell and the tower is now ours, but we have suffered heavy losses. We will hold Shishi as long as we can and await your orders.



Brerama Selas

So, in addition to the crimes of murder and attacking a senior member of his House, this Selas added the venal sin of lying. Only three Redorans had been present, all hale and hearty. And the “five Telvanni sorcerers”? No more than simple unarmed servants, slaughtered when they were trying to escape. Unfortunately, the report was not addressed to anyone, but I vowed that I would find out who had ordered this atrocity. Whether the Telvanni had a legitimate claim to Shishi, I neither knew nor cared. Whatever the case, there was no excuse for this mindless brutality.

Sometimes, trust has to be paid for in blood. Although it horrified me that someone in my House could do such a thing, I was satisfied that I had been the instrument of justice. For good or ill, House Redoran would take care of its own.

[treydog]

Acquiring Sunder brought me closer to my goal, but also presented me with a problem I had not anticipated. My experience with the legendary sword, Fury, had acquainted me with the “personality” that powerful magical artifacts possess. That personality is based in part upon the creator of the object, and in part on the purpose for which it was created. But the press of events had caused me to forget that until I picked up the hammer that had been fashioned by Kagrenac. Sunder was inextricably linked to the Heart of Lorkhan, for it had been made to tap into the Heart’s power. As I grasped its haft, the great hammer invaded my mind and soul with an overwhelming hunger to be used. Even when I dropped it and muffled it in cloth, I could hear it whispering in my mind. The “voice” of Sunder was akin in cadence and timbre to that of the only Dwemer I had ever met, Yagrum Bagarn. It was deep, persuasive, commanding.

“Wield me and I will give you power beyond your dreams. Use me and I will make you a god. With me you can best the Daedra princes and the foolish Tribunal. You can have your revenge- all that you desire.”

On and on went the litany of persuasion and command. No wonder Dagoth Ur had fallen to its seduction- no wonder the Tribunal had been convinced to betray Nerevar and the people of Morrowind. Each of them had already tasted power and acclaim and privilege. Most of all, each of them had already sampled the sweet nectar of devotion that attaches to all great leaders. How easy it must have been to convince them that it was their destiny, their responsibility, their duty, to become gods. And me? I, too, was tempted by that vision. What a wonderful irony- a honoured user stable-hand become a god! The Emperor, the Tribunal, even Azura- all would fear me. And what then…? Whether it was the spirit of Nerevar, the influence of Azura, or just my own stubborn Breton nature I do not know. But I knew who I was and I wanted no part of being a god. I wanted only to be done with this; to be left alone; to be Trey, a person of no particular importance. So I wrapped Sunder more securely in a spare cloak and growled my response to its whispering,

“Shut up, lest I cast you into the fires from which you were forged.”


The threat had no effect on Sunder’s promises, but it made me feel better as I contemplated another foray into the ash and heat that covered Red Mountain. I saw now that my previous attempt to reach Odrosal had been thwarted because I had used the path that Dagoth Ur expected. He had made sure that the route from the Ghostgate was heavily patrolled. But now, I would be coming from the opposite direction, using a path that was perhaps forgotten. It was time that I began to think like a thief instead of a warrior- stealth would serve me far better than strength. If my enemies could not see me, they could not stop me from reaching Odrosal. Also, Levitation would allow me to bypass the normal trails, which were no doubt closely watched. The ash storms that blanketed Red Mountain would help to conceal me, as well. Although the distance from Vemynal to Odrosal was not great, the terrain was terribly rugged. Even with Levitation to avoid the ridges and Shadow to hide from the beasts, it was a long, nerve-wracking journey. During the trip, I saw everything from cliff-racers to an Ascended Sleeper; Dagoth Ur was clearly intent on protecting the approaches to his stronghold. Fortunately, few of those guardians saw me, and I was able to reach the door to the Odrosal citadel in relatively good condition. When my feet touched the ground again, I could feel the heat even through my boots. It was as if Red Mountain itself sought to resist me. Shaking off that momentary fancy, I entered the citadel where Keening was supposed to be hidden, prepared to fight all manner of Sixth House creatures.

Unlike Vemynal, however, Odrosal seemed strangely empty. Beyond the eerie mechanical clanking of unknown Dwemer machines mindlessly spinning out their unfathomable purpose, it was also remarkably quiet. As I eased deeper into the ruin, I began to find the corpses of Sixth House dreamers scattered about. Although I was not sorry to see these enemies dead, I wondered how it might affect my mission. Was there some dissension in the Sixth House? Had some powerful warrior or sorcerer arrived before me, seeking Keening for some other purpose? The Golden Saint which attacked from the shadows of one central chamber was uncommunicative, like all of her kind. However, the presence of such a powerful summoning added to my worry. In fact, I was so preoccupied with who else might be stalking those corridors and for what purpose that I blundered through a door without paying adequate attention. It was thus that Dagoth Odros, ash vampire, had the chance to speak to me. The fact that he did so, rather than attacking immediately, so caught me by surprise that I listened to what he had to say:

“Well, Trey. Have you come to serve? Or to challenge my station? Or to try to win Keening?”

Although the sight of him filled me with dread and loathing, it seemed rude even to me to respond to his greeting with an attack, so I asked him to explain what he meant by his questions. As to the opportunity to serve the Sixth House, he told me,

“Many mortals serve their gods. Few are so fortunate to be invited to share their divine power with them. Lord Dagoth makes you a generous offer, Trey. Join him, and you can share the divine, eternal power of Lorkhan's heart. So far, all your struggles, your battling, your destructiveness... all these things might be understood as improving your bargaining position. Come now, we hold you no bitterness. You cannot truly harm us. We can afford to forgive.”

That sounded too much like the wolf inviting the hare to come over for dinner- no doubt the wolf would even offer to provide the wine. Also, I had seen what became of those who “served” House Dagoth- the corprus beasts, the Ascended Sleepers, misshapen monsters every one. More to the point, I had no desire to serve any man or god, so I bluntly declined. Dagoth Odros did not seem put off by my refusal- he simply said,

“You think to climb higher in Brother Dagoth's eyes by defeating me? Well, then, you might rise at that. None of us Heartwights can die. The power of the Heart will bring us all back in time. But, yes, you might win Lord Dagoth's favor by defeating his lieutenants. No hard feelings, Trey. I lose, I lose my rank. You lose, you lose all. You're playing for high stakes, Trey. Are you sure you want to play? Surely, there is no dishonor for a mortal to serve a god?”

Again, that seductive offer of power through service, this time with a not-so-subtle threat. It seemed to me that Dagoth Odros would only threaten if he feared, despite his assertion that he and his kind could not be killed. It certainly suited his purpose to claim immortality- it was an easy way to avoid a fight. Too, he had no inkling that my true purpose was to sever his link to the Heart, which link was the source of his eternal life. And that knowledge was an advantage I did not intend to give away.

So I asked, “Is there not some other way? Might I not have the use of Keening for a short time?”

I had no real hope that Dagoth Odros would agree, but I wanted to gauge his reaction. With a dusty laugh, the ash vampire replied,

“It is well hidden. Trey. Even if I should fall, you'll never find it. But if you choose to serve, perhaps Lord Dagoth might even consent to grant you the use of it. Surely, by coming so far, you have drawn his discerning eye, and earned his favor. Be reasonable, Trey. Why risk blood and life for that which might be won by words and service?”

Even though I had never intended to heed them, just listening to Dagoth Odros’ honeyed words had been a mistake, as I was about to discover.