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Arc 8 Chapter LXI: Of Death And CHIM
🕑 Added 2025-01-04 19:29:20 +0000 UTCMy steps were as childish skips as I stepped out of the Heart Chamber, or was it Tree Chamber now?
Not important.
As I was saying, I was feeling both literally and metaphorically reborn as I left the core of the mountain, that ephemeral childish glee we all lost upon growing old and cynical burning within my heart without the smallest indication of ever disappearing.
Truly, I felt like nothing could possibly bring my mood down.
Which is why when I stepped past a silent Akulakhan and came upon the scene of a carnage I felt my right eye twitching violently and my fingers curling into a by now instinctual spellcasting stance.
Savos was leaning against a wall, looking mostly fine but tired, Ulthis was unconscious but breathing, Massanor looked half burned to a crisp but still alive, Kralor was clutching at what looked to be a recently healed stomach wound, and Vayrin looked oddly untouched.
An unfamiliar elf was also present and while the well and truly brained corpse below him did draw some of my attention my gaze was focused elsewhere.
The bodies of Massour, Vemris, Azra, and Anondor neatly stacked next to each other, none of them breathing.
My slowly building fury was only increased a moment later by the sight of the souls of the fallen ascending into the afterlife the instant they saw me walk in, my newly formed connection to Azura clueing me in on the trio's feelings of goals accomplished and a life well given.
Anondor's soul still lingered though, his sworn duty and comparatively far stronger essence still keeping him bound to his... disgustingly poisoned body.
Without bothering to acknowledge the voices of those yet standing I summoned Surge in my right hand and created a bright golden runic circle under the Falmer's body, dumping the vast majority of my newly increased Magicka pool into the spell before metaphysically clutching at his fallen form and pulling.
The whole room was blinded with brilliant gold and for a moment I felt like the spell would fail but then Scorch decided to butt his head in and added his own new brand of healing magic into the process, practically overcharging the entire thing with a comparatively insignificant amount of energy.
A singular pulse of immense power passed through the tunnel, moving not a single grain of dust yet invigorating all the souls touched by it, leaving behind a silence so complete even the lavaflows felt as if they were holding their breaths.
The quiet was shattered by a sharp intake of breath as a reborn Falmer reflexively sat up, his temporarily golden eyes widening as they met with my own before he understandably lost consciousness.
[Restoration Expert => Ma-
Not now.
With an internal sigh I turned to the rest of the band, most of whom were looking at me like I had just grown a second head before then growing a third just to spite them, and a final figure I did not recognize staring at me with amusement.
He felt... off.
Savos approached me almost hesitantly, giving the now breathing Falmer a hesitant look before turning back to me "Reyvin."
Vayrin also ran up to us after checking on Kralor but he remained reverently silent.
"Gramps" I answered back, even as Scorch leapt from my shoulder and began healing everyone involved "What exactly happened here?"
"I believe I could explain that best, young Dagoth." The unknown elf cut in, his bulky form clad in enchanted Dwemer plate engraved with an aged Redoran emblem approaching me with confidence.
'Ayo hold up is that Sunder?!' My eyes briefly flickered to the hammer dangling off his belt before I met his eyes 'Let's see here... Mohawk, check. A tool of Kagrenac, check. Flesh that was alive yet not imbued with inactive Corprus, check. And finally enough potions in his belts and pouches to drown a city, check.
"Quite." I deadpan at the Mer, suddenly feeling a bit confrontational "Awfully convenient for you to show yourself now, isn't it oh Moon and Star?"
Naturally that little revelation had the rest of the Dunmer present catching their breaths. Vayrin looked like he was about to start foaming at the mouth as his eyes danced between him and me.
"Hm?" Nerevar reborn rose a curious eyebrow "What gave me away?"
"The potions" I deadpan.
He frowned in confusion for a moment before looking down at his kit and glancing back up with... was that embarrassment in his eyes? The emotion disappeared right after though as the big Mer chuckled "I did not think that part of my reputation still survived."
"It didn't" I smirk and refuse to elaborate "Now tell me what happened."
He frowned at my commanding tone and crossed his arms but did not protest it "My absence from Morrowind in the past two centuries wasn't on a whim. Lady Azura was not content with one of the Tribunal disappearing and I was tasked with chasing him down."
"Vivec" My eyes snapped to the corpse, its identity rather obvious now "So it was him watching us then?"
I would ignore the fact Azura found hunting down an enemy of hers more important than governing a recovering nation, that way lie massive headaches and I was already aware of her hypocrisy beforehand.
No point getting caught up in things I could not change easily.
He turns back to the body with a disgusted twitch on his upper lip "Yes. You have my apologies for using you as bait but when I was informed of your ploy I felt it best to lure the fool in and ambush him."
Without bothering to ask permission I turned to Akulakhan "Pack him up, the corpse might be useful."
Nerevar, or the Nerevarine, whichever really, merely stood there and watched, apparently unbothered by his loot being taken. Seeing my curious gaze he shrugged "I did use you as bait, it is only fair the families of the fallen be given the greatest spoils."
"You are making it very hard to remain pissed at you" I grumbled much to his amusement "Still, I can agree that it was a worthy sacrifice to catch the fucker in the open. A shame three of them died but he did catch us while I was busy."
"Speaking of busy." Savos cuts in, curiosity practically burning in his eyes "Did you succeed?"
"Gramps" I deadpan at him "If I failed, you'd know."
He chuckles at that "Indeed." Shaking his head he unclasps the lantern on his belt and tosses it at me, I place it on its rightful place without a word.
Dagoth Ur was seemed distinctly adamant about remaining silent and I wasn't about to force him to speak.
Nerevar's eyes followed the lantern but he did not comment and instead focused on the matter at hand "So you succeeded then, you removed the curse from the land?" At my nod he closed his eyes "Fitting that its creator ended with it then."
"Speaking of uncursing the land" I speak up with eyes slightly narrowed "I hope you aren't going to be making a scene about me taking your position, because trust me I am not about to bow and scrape just because you are an old fart."
He seemed nearly taken aback by my crass words and the poor Indoril priest looked halfway to a heart attack, but Nerevar just shook his head "Your house always was ambitious. Do not worry, I will not be stealing your hard work, even if some would prefer I did."
"Yes, which is why your identity will be remaining secret." I inform him while also directing a pointed look at the priest "I do not need traditionalists grumbling at me while I remove the idiocy from our culture."
A single raised eyebrow is his response "You sound awfully certain of yourself there, child." But before I can retort he raises a placating hand "Your hostility is unnecessary, I have neither the desire nor inclination to undermine you. My time has long since passed and you are right that our people need a new goal to strive for instead of clutching desperately at what once was."
Feeling a bit miffed with my own behavior I exhale "Apologies, part of me is furious at the very idea of my plans being derailed at this point. It isn't anything personal."
He chuckles good naturedly "The weight of responsibility is a great one to bear, both my lives have taught me this lesson well."
Thus satisfied with our initial meeting, I soon had the remnants of the group packing up and moving out, the unconscious forms of Ulthis, Anondor, and Massanor carried by Akulakhan and Kralor.
As we began our descent though, I stepped back a bit, allowing for all but Savos to pass me by and holding my grandfather back. Without a word I lay my hand on his shoulder and sent out a clear burst of my divine power.
Just as silently I left him standing there with a smirk, the archmage's eyes bulging to the point of nearly falling out of his face as he felt the distinct sensation of a blessing taking hold.
-----
Halfway on our trek to Kogoruhn, the old Hortator drew my attention with a subtle wave and the two of us found ourselves at the back of the column. He did not waste time on preambles and spoke "You did something to yourself while cleansing the land, did you not?"
My eyes narrowed almost instinctively but I quickly held that back "What of it?"
"I will not judge you for seeking power, the gods know I did much the same" He pats my shoulder lightly in assurance "I am merely curious... as you were drawing on such power did you" he pauses "Did you feel a pull? A greater power calling for you?"
Ah, so that is what he was on about "I did" I nod.
The intensity of his look increases to the point I thought he was trying to stare straight into my soul "Did you take it?" He nearly hisses.
"Of course not" I deadpan "I am ambitious, not stupid."
He nearly flinches at my dry condemnation of the idea before looking ahead and shaking his head "It is good that our descendants surpass us in wisdom." He sighs "I was not as wise as you when the time came, it was one of the reasons my reincarnation was made possible."
"CHIM." I voice for him.
"Indeed" He sighs "That accursed word."
We walk silently for a bit before I say "All I know of the power is that it bends reality to the whims of the wielder trough a rejection of said reality. A rather dangerous thing for one's sense of self."
"An accurate if incomplete description" He states "It is existing while being incapable of even imagining anything you do has consequence or meaning beyond the goal you have set for yourself."
I shiver at the mere thought of it "A terrifying way to live."
"You don't know the half of it." He nods with utter certainty "The day I was finally rid of it all was the day I lived for the first time in thousands of years. In fact, calling it a way to live is a falsehood, it is existence without substance."
"What kept you tied to it?" I ask after a silent moment.
"Azura" He pointedly does not add any bitterness into his tone "She felt my existence the greatest punishment for those that betrayed me, and tied my connection to CHIM to the goal of ousting them from power."
As cruel as one might expect "Which inevitably led you to going after Dagoth Ur." I add.
"Yes" He agrees "I hated your ancestor to the core you know?"
I feel the lantern on my belt vibrate.
"I could not complete my task without slaying him, but he was too powerful to easily slay." Nerevar admits "It was a cruel cycle I was placed in, reincarnating, training up, charging the mountain, only to be slain in an instant over and over again."
He chuckles bitterly "My emotions had completely disappeared by the fourth time. Meeting the same people, accomplishing the same deeds, arming myself with the same weapons, everything became so utterly meaningless..."
Well shit...
"You mentioned my reputation for abusing alchemy so you probably know of this" He smirks slightly "I would drown myself in cheap concoctions before every battle, so emotionless was I that I simply ignored my body's desire to expel what was by that point poison to the senses." He shakes his head "Instead I kept going, and kept consuming."
He stops, causing me to do the same "The day I slew your grandfather and retained the mortality of my existence, I spent weeping. Even as my patron looked down at me with disdain" His eyes narrow and his posture turns so command I almost felt like saluting on instinct, instinct I did not have "So, child" He speaks "No matter how tempted, no matter how necessary you may feel it, never" He pokes my chest "Never, synchronize with CHIM."
Raising my hands in mock surrender I assure him "I wasn't ever planning on it."
"Good" He nods and we both start walking like nothing happened "Now tell me of Alduin's coming and the Oblivion crisis. Azura's task left me little time to listen to tales and rumors."
I did so with pleasure.
-----
Our return to Kogoruhn was met with great fanfare, even if Dagoth Althis spent most of that time fretting over his slowly awakening son and the parents of the fallen came to take their children for burial.
None of them judged me for it but sorrow rarely left one in a celebratory mood. I did my best to show my appreciation and loudly announced the deeds of the fallen and my commendation of their lives.
Anondor awoke a bit after our arrival, and while the Falmer looked stoic on the outside as he offered thanks and reaffirmed his oaths to me, now adding 'to the death and beyond it' to his wording, he was too shaken by his fall to truly speak of it and I left him to recover his mind and soul.
Hours later, all that could be were healed up for the feast though and the night and following day were spent in grand merriment, my declaration of the land's revival effectively validating the faith of every subject of mine present and they wasted no time in bringing out every vintage they possessed to celebrate.
It was within such loud jubilation that I found my way to a silent Massanor, who sat at the edge of the square, atop one of the stairs leading up to Kogoruhn the fortress.
Wordlessly I sat next to him and offered him a bottle of Dagoth brandy.
He said nothing as he downed the whole damned thing and carefully placed the pot next to him.
We remained silent for a while longer, and he seemed almost surprised I even bothered 'wasting' time on his sorrow. I could practically taste his judgement of himself as he spoke up "Was it worth it?"
Instead of answering I placed a hand on his shoulder and shared with him a scried vision of Vvardenfell, clear of ash "What do you think?"
He was silent as he looked at the to him alien sight, merely nodding a full minute later and raising another drink to his dead brother.
---
The following dawn found us holding a short parade through the underground settlement, a full four hundred heavily armored volunteer warriors marching after me as I declared my intent in reaching Ald'ruhn and meeting with the Ashlander tribes.
One of the leaders sounded a horn and the gates to the outside world were opened before us.
And so, with certainty in our steps, and wonder in our eyes, House Dagoth marched across Vvardenfell restored.
