Challenges

Chapter 18: Orders

Eiryn tapped fingers on the wooden tabletop, taking note the entire piece of furniture wobbled dangerously to falling over. The spymaster sat watching her, still uncertain to her story of Saber’s return, let alone cure. How many times did he expect her to repeat her story? She was just glad to see him alive and well.
“I’m telling you Caius,” She told him again. “He looked fine. There was no sign of Corprus on him at all.”
”Neither blight nor age can harm him, The Curse-of-Flesh before him flies…” The spymaster murmured to himself. Eiryn caught her breath. That was part of the prophecy…and they stared at each other in staggered silence. The significance of the recent events loomed before them now, causing the young scout to wonder now more than ever of what Fate had in store for the thief.
A knock interrupted their thoughts as Saber entered, with Master Kendari in tow. “As you can see, the potion worked.” He told them. His manner was abrupt, almost tense to the point of appearing like a caged animal. Eiryn could see something had obviously unsettled him deeply, yet his manner indicated he wished to speak nothing about it. Merthisan also remained stiff and remote as if both of them simply wanted to finish up and leave. “Now what? I seek out these Lost Prophecies?”
The spymaster lifted eyebrows, seeing master Kendari for the first time. One only had to look at the noble warrior to know what side of justice he was on, if one could assume alignment by appearance alone. Standing beside the Dunmer thief, who wore his usual dark leathers and black silk, made for an odd comparison to the polished swordsman. While the dark elf carried an almost foreboding quality at times, this warrior clearly carried a level of honor and self-assurance in his very posture. Master Kendari donned a pale blue tunic, with soft breeches of suede leather, heavy leather boots, and a wide belt that carried an impressive long sword of elegant steel. Graying hair was pulled back from his aging face, but nothing was lost in the sharpness to his gaze or the proud stance the fighter took. His reputation alone often preceded him, of stories comprising heroism and fighting noble causes. Here was a man of legends.
“And no explanation on your guest?” Caius asked the Dunmer. “You failed to mention you knew him.”
“I wasn’t aware the Blades had to know who my friends are.” Saber retorted defensively. “And its not as though you’d believe me anyway.”
“The Blades?” Merthisan gasped upon hearing the elusive spywork mentioned. He turned to give the thief a stunned look. His gaze even passed over Eiryn who remained oddly silent through their meeting, only now discovering ‘what’ she was. “You mean the Emperor’s spies?”
“It wasn’t my idea.” The elf muttered in disgust. A sharp glare was directed towards Caius. “I was sort of pressed into service.”
The spymaster ignored him, keeping focused on their new arrival. “Master Kendari, Eiryn mentioned something about a threat to Saber-“
”False alarm.” Saber voice cut like a razor’s edge, another topic he obviously had no wish to discuss. His tone warned Merthisan off the subject as well. He had enough to deal with than worry about a rumored imposter in the lands of Morrowind. The providence of Vvardenfell was pretty tight when it came to who entered and left, leaving very little room for an assassin to sneak into the borders without the authorities knowing. Even if this ‘Nekros’ had, however, Saber felt certain this was only an imposter and no real threat, certainly not enough to concern the spymaster. Nekros and any of his imposter might have been formidable when he was a boy, but Saber was an experienced swordsman now, a skilled thief, and no fool when it came to being stalked. He’d handle this matter on his own when the time came.
Merthisan Kendari scowled back at him, and drew himself up to his full height. He was only slightly taller than Saber, but was still a daunting figure. “Where are your manners, boy? Are you going to introduce me or not?”
Both Eiryn and her father were stunned by the rigid authority the man seemed to have over the cocky thief. Resigned, Saber made formal introductions, opting to stand back against a wall to let them talk without him, or about him for that matter. He didn’t look happy at all.
“I am honored to meet a master of the Blades’ Guild.” Merthisan gave a polite bow. “As you should know, my skills and my sword are ever in service to his Imperial majesty.”
“That’s good to hear.” Caius smiled, satisfied the loyalty of the man was in the right place. Again, he wondered how, in the all that served Justice, did this thief befriend the world’s most famous swordsman? Did this man have any idea of Saber’s dark past and who trained him? “Your reputation is well known, even in Vvardenfell. I believe your duty will suffice in allowing me to explain Saber’s purpose here.”
Both men seemed entirely too smug for Saber’s tastes who made an audible sniff of distain. “You’re going to love this, Merth.” He snorted, quieting to give the spymaster the silence to relate the story of his coming to be the Incarnate.
Caius was a pretty good storyteller, Saber thought, except he didn’t embellish nor exaggerate details. The spymaster also didn’t have a clue of all the side quests he had to endure to gain the needed information for this mission. The story remained mostly facts, lacking the usual drama one might expect from this sort of tale, to the point of bluntness. He’d never carry himself a bard, the thief mused.
Saber had up until now assumed he was gathering this information on the prophesy for someone else, or the very least, by the Emperor’s whim. With the recent realization of Prophecy however, things were growing ever more clear that the Incarnate was to free Morrowind of the Sixth House’s curse. By the time Caius admitted to him the Emperor’s plans, Saber was furious, and though he’d never admit it, his anger stemmed from a deep-seated fear. He wanted his life to be his own, his fate to his decision.
Upon his arrival to Morrowind, the thief had an odd dream where Azura herself spoke words of encouragement. At the time, however, Saber had dismissed the visions as nothing more than seasickness on board the vessel bound to Morrowind. Now, however, the visions of ashstorms, and places he’d never seen before, haunted him with the inevitable Fate hanging over his head. Moreover, there were other dreams as well, and this recent development of the Sixth House priest calling him Lord Nerevar. This shook him to the core, yanking into the grim reality that things were not as they seemed. Each step seemed to take him further to a providence not of his own choosing, and this disturbed him greatly.
The Dunmer took wicked delight in seeing his mentor’s face contort through various emotions ranging from disbelief, to shock, to even a hint of pride. He had, after all, trained Saber in his skills as a fighter. He also wanted Saber to be more like a hero, which by the Prophecy, he would become. When Caius finished, an uneasy silence filled the small room.
“Feryl…? As the Nerevarine?” Merthisan had never even heard of the prophecy until now. In fact, knew little about Dark Elves as a whole save for the errant thief he tried to instill some values in. “And he’s some Dunmer general reborn?”
“I didn’t think so at first.” Caius admitted, with a shrug. “But in light of recent events…I’m not so sure now. We’ll know more once the Lost Prophecies are found and brought to the wisewoman of the Ashlander camp of the Urshilaku.” He turned to the Dunmer who remained with folded arms and disbelieving expression on his face. “I’ve been in touch with Mehres Milo in Vivec City. See if you can speak with her, but I warn you. She thinks she’s being watched by the Ordinators.”
Saber nodded slowly from his corner. The Ordinators were the guardsmen of the holy City of Vivec, ones he’d managed to keep a respectful distance from. By their reputation alone, he knew to stay clear of trouble in Vivec. Members of the thieves’ guild had warned him on more than one occasion of the dangers of crossing one of these holy guardsmen. He hardly wanted to face down zealot warrior-priests. Cross them, and you soon found yourself at the sharp end of every sword within their ranks. They tended to kill first, ask questions later.
“Yes, she mentioned her concerns the last time I spoke with her.” On gathering information about the Nerevarine, Saber had met this woman, Milo Mehres, in the Hall of Wisdom where she had access to all manner of information through the substantial Library there.
Mehres had extensive knowledge on the group known as the ‘dissendant priests’. They disputed Temple doctrine, spouting that the Tribunal received their divinity through sorcery and not, in fact, divine. Naturally, they were often hunted down and persecuted by the Temple. Mehres was taking bold chances speaking on this matter. If she was being watched, Saber considered to himself, it might only be a matter of time before she was arrested.
“If you discover something has gone wrong,“ Caius continued, “Find her quarters, she’ll leave you a message there under a code word ‘amaya’.”
“Understood.”
“Once you find her, she can help you find the lost prophecies, then return to Nibani at the Urshilaku camp.” Caius revealed another bag of coin to help in expenses. “I believe the wisewoman can test you further then.”
“To see if I am this Incarnate, do doubt.” Saber scoffed in obvious repugnance on the matter. “And if I’m not?”
It was a question Eiryn herself had often considered. What if he wasn’t the Nerevarine? It was said, there had been other False Incarnates, but none had come to fruition. If they discovered he was not to be the Incarnate, Morrowind would continue to face the onslaught of Blight and Corprus beasts, the horrible ash storms, and Dagoth Ur coming to power. The magical Ghostgate, built to cage the horrors of Red Mountain was failing. Morrowind did not have precious time to fend off the growing evil.
There was also the consideration of what happens to Saber should he prove to be the petty rogue who professed to be? Would he return to Cyrodil, or be released from his duties, or did they have something else in mind for him to do?
Caius waved a dismissive hand. “I assume you’d be free to do as you please then.” By his tone, Eiryn felt her father expected the Dunmer to do that very thing. “It’s for the Emperor to have the final say.”
“Of course.” The elf muttered. “And I suppose if I am, then I save all of Morrowind?”
The spymaster’s face settled into a scowl. “That’s the general idea.”
“Saber, enough.” Merthisan cut in. He could recognize the rise of insolence in the elf, knowing where it could lead to if left unchecked. “I suppose you’re not one to believe you could be the Incarnate?”
“Are you serious?” The elf gaped, “If, in fact, the whole prophecy is real at all, can you seriously consider that I could be the Nerevarine? Me? The Incarnate?”
“It would explain a great deal…” Merthisan smiled.
Saber tilted his head to one side, very perplexed that master Kendari would take such a stance on this matter. Wasn’t this the same man who lectured him on right and wrong, or pressured him to forego the life of crime? “Such as?”
Now Caius and Eiryn both were at attention, listening avidly to the Imperial. Apparently, here was a man who knew more about this elusive thief than anyone else in the world. “If you recall, you had a natural affinity to the sword. I’ve never seen anyone that came so natural to fighting and strategy.” He said, “You learn quickly, and rarely did I have to repeat myself-“
Something in Saber’s eyes seemed shadowed, as he grew restless under their combined scrutiny. “It means nothing.” He brushed off the swordsman’s words with a quick wave of his hand, his words sharpened and edged. “I had to learn in order to survive…that is all. If the Emperor wants me to play my role in this Prophecy, then I have little choice in the matter. I’m doing this because there is the threat of returning me to prison, Merth.” Red eyes flickered over to Caius and Eiryn, almost as if daring them to rebuke what he told them. “I’m no hero, and wouldn’t you think that if I were some ancient Dunmer general reborn, I’d have some idea that I was?”
Caius coughed to clear his throat. “You still have your orders, regardless of what is truth or superstition.” He scratched his chin showing a couple days’ growth of beard. “There is one more thing that needs to be discussed.”
Saber somehow expected a lecture or reprimand, being that was something Caius tended to do almost as much as Merthisan Kendari did. However, his next words startled him, leaving him speechless.
“I’ve been recalled to the Imperial City.”
Almost in unison, both Eiryn and Saber spoke at the same time, “What?”
The spymaster ran fingers through his thinning hair, looking suddenly ill at ease. “This morning I just received my orders to return post haste to the Imperial City in Cyrodil. Its internal politics, things I can’t really get into.”
Eiryn was stunned. “You’re leaving Morrowind?” How could he be recalled with what Saber had to discover, with the threat of the Sixth House looming at hand? Who was to lead the Blades in his absence? Why hadn’t he mentioned any ‘internal politics’ up to now?
“Not forever, Eiryn.” He replied softly. “But I have no idea when I will be returning. The Emperor’s health is declining. His succession is causing a stir among various factions where they are moving into advantage. Many believe civil war might be in the near future.”
Merthisan nodded with a grim look. “The city was growing restless when I left. Many nobles have already traveled abroad in order to escape the approaching conflicts.”
Caius splayed hands. “Either case, I’m to return to the Imperial City immediately.” He faced Saber, his featured softening. “And I’m promoting you to Operative, which makes you the ranking Blade here in Balmora.”
The Dunmer seemed to be waiting for the end of the joke. When Caius remained steadfast to his decision, Saber frowned. “Ranking Blade-?” He shrugged. “And that means?”
The spymaster folded arms across his chest, giving his most stern expression to let them know he was earnest. “That means you follow the Prophecy, and focus on that. I won’t be here to guide you further, but I’m confident you will land on your feet. So far, you’ve done marvelously well. You're promoted to Operative mostly to preserve your independence. That is the reason why I’m promoting you. I may be gone a while, and you'll have expenses. This house is yours to use while I’m gone as well.”
Saber still wasn’t sure to believe him, that Caius would no longer be giving orders. “I thought you didn’t trust me…”
Caius cocked an eyebrow, “I’m still not sure that I do, but truthfully, you have yet to let me down.” It was the closest thing to a compliment he’d given the brash thief. Before Saber could respond with a reply, the spymaster cut him off. “Frankly after taking some time to think on the matter, I believe I underestimated you all along. In all the duties set upon you, you’re actions have been nothing but exemplary. You’ve accomplished more in a short amount of time, than what I would find with any other Blade.” He paused to let a smile touch his mouth. “I can’t think of anyone more qualified for the job.”
Saber was literally struck dumb. Several times his mouth opened as if to speak then shut it. Unable to respond he opted to simply nod and look away. All he could think was there was some terrible mistake, some mix-up to why he was to fulfill this Prophecy. Surely, the real Nerevarine would come forth and claim the title.
“When are you leaving?” Eiryn asked the spymaster. Part of her wondered briefly if he expected her to join him, but now it seemed unlikely. The secrecy of their relationship hadn’t changed.
“Tomorrow.” Caius replied, “I’ve already contacted the other Blades, and told them what is going on. They know what is expected of them. They will offer their assistance if needed. Otherwise, the guild members will receive orders through courier in my absence.” He turned back to Saber. “For the time being, the Prophecy was taking precedence over all other quests.”
“Find the lost Prophecies, save all of Morrowind.” Saber muttered to himself, shaking his head at the words spoken out loud. “Seems simple enough.”
“Turn to your fellow Blades for help if you need it.” Caius told him, pointedly looking at both Eiryn and their newest member Merthisan. “I will be getting reports on your progress.”
Merthisan remained standing, with an odd smile on his face, almost admiring the elf’s quest. He had faced a number of his own near-impossible missions during his lifetime, having the scars to prove it, and for him, saving Morrowind from the evil Sixth House was a noble cause.
Saber’s face pinched at the look, “I need a drink.” He said, “Are we done here?”
Caius nodded slowly, “I’ll be gone tomorrow, so feel free to live here in my absence.”
All Saber could do is give a disgusted look around, and take his exit. He could care less for having a free place to stay. His entire time within Morrowind had never faced a problem of not having a bed to sleep in. He wasn’t that picky. But if Merthisan was staying, perhaps he could have more use for the single room apartment, or at least Eiryn-
His thoughts died, as he turned to see the young woman sitting with wide eyes and stiff mouth. She had said so little upon his return, though he knew she was happy to see him. “Are you coming?” He asked her, seeing her face brighten like the dawn. Ah, that was it. Perhaps she considered he was ignoring her. Her smile warmed him, lightening his mood as she moved to his side.
Merthisan grunted, also readying to leave. “You promised me an explanation, and a very large beer.” He reminded the elf, slapping him hard on the back.
“I think we all need one…” Saber replied, taking a brief moment in the doorway to look back at Caius. “Did you want to come along?”
Startled the spymaster stiffened his posture, and gray eyes widened. “Me?” For a second he lost composure, surprised that Saber was actually inviting him along as well. He considered refusing, but with three pairs of eyes staring back at him, and each one seeming to want his company, how could he refuse? “Sure, why not?”
The small band of ‘spies’ headed out into the night, opting to visit the Eight Plates tavern rather the South Wall filled with thieves, or the Council Club that would not likely welcome a band of rough characters. Saber was definitely spending his gold tonight to help drown his thoughts on the worries of today.