Chapter 3

Chapter 3:  Ghostfence

Daedric Ruin

Day 44

“I read the notes.”

“Huh?  Oh good morning, Anni,” Julan said in a stretch.  We had just landed in Ald-rhun a little after day break.  I had spent the time aboard the silt strider reading the notes on the Nerevarine Cult; Cassius had decided to let me keep them.  I wasn’t impressed with what I saw.  The Ashlanders who lived among the wastes believed that some warlord reborn would unite the Dunmer and drive out all other peoples from Vvardenfell.  Fools—little did they know the Septims.  The Empire would never let a conquered province go, and these Nerevarine Cultist sitting around in squalor, waiting for some incarnation come back and push out the Imperials seemed like a terrific waste of time.

“What did you think?” Julan asked enthusiastically.

“I think you Dunmer hate white people, black people, Orcs, Argonians and other elves….Come to think about, pretty much everyone else.”

“Last time I checked, your people weren’t oppressed,” he snapped bitterly. I had hit a nerve.

“Oh I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Jules.  Frankly, I’m no so sure what I am either—obviously half Breton, but who knows, I could be half dark elf…I could be you third cousin once removed.”  He laughed heartily at that, walking down the land strip.

“Anni, my people have been moved around.  They have lost their homes, history and sense of worth.  All joking aside, wouldn’t you be angry too?  Wouldn’t you want revenge?” he asked looking at me earnestly.

“I’ve wanted revenge all my life, little good its done me—wait…” I paused for a moment in the road, staring at something I had missed earlier. “Is that a Daedric ruin over there?  Jules, ya feeling brave?  Want some last minute training?”  These shrines were a monument to golden septims.  They were filled with cultists who were heavily—and often expensively—armed.  The alters were usually covered with offerings of gems and other valuables.  I had furnished my home from the loot scored of just one of those sites.  I had no intention of missing this one.  Though, there’s always risk involved.  Sometimes the cultists were possessed or other times they summoned their various Dremora lords.  No matter, if one was quick with a sword or spell there was money to be made.

“Bah, you’ll never learn…”

“And I’ll never stop,” I grinned.  Outside there were several people hanging around the shrine.  Witch hunters, or something to that affect.  Opportunists more like it.  They claimed they were there to stop the cultists, but never had I witnessed them help bystander when attacked, though I’m sure they took the armor off the dead.  To me they were almost worst than the people inside the shrine—those poor souls were just insane, the ones outside were predatory.  

Immediately, after entering the shrine whose name I have no hope of pronouncing or remembering, we were attacked by a bunch of cultist praying to some demigod I didn’t care about.  No matter what Julan said, I hated cults—though I didn’t hate rubies that were laid upon the alter and there were a whole plate of them left on this particular shrine.  Julan didn’t seem to take issue with lifting a few jewels..

“Anni, did you see those rubies?” His eyes were as big as the plate.

“Got ‘em,” I said quickly, nearly being bashed by a Dremora, the spiritual guardians of the shrines.  “Dremora Lord!” I saw Julan get hit with some kind of club. “Jules!” He didn’t answer as he was busy being attacked by Horner Home Wrecker (that was Nord cultist name, or at least it was the name tattooed across the chest.)  We both ended up taking several restorative portions after that.

“Anything else you want to do to get me killed?”

“No, Jules I think we’re done for the day.  Let’s head to Ghostgate so you can die proper.”

“Really, Anni, have you no faith?”

I paused for a moment, thinking of how to couch my response.  There was no need to goad him. “In you yes, in this mission—I’m not sure.  What exactly are you going to be doing?”

Frustrated, he sighed.  “I told you.  I can’t discuss it, and you wouldn’t understand anyway.”

Ghostfence

“Fine.”  I was tired of begging him for an explanation.  “Let’s get moving.” Two hours passed as we hiked towards Ghostgate.  I was tired and dusty. I looked back at Julan, “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” he said.  We walked through both gates and started up the mountain.  A storm was raging, particles of ash and dust found their way up my nose and mouth.  I could barely see two feet in front of me.

Apparently noticing my discomfort, Julan turned to me.  “Anni, you can stop.  We’re here.  Thank you for everything.  I hope to see you again someday.”

“Wait!” That response was guttural. “What are you planning to do here?” I shouted over the din of the storm.

“I’ve told you.  I can’t…”

“Bullshit!  I’m not just going to leave you here with no explanation!  Talk, Julan!”

“Why do you care, anyway?” he spat.  I could for a second I couldn’t answer him.  Why did I want to know?

“I….just please…tell me!”

“I’m swearing you to secrecy,” he shouted over the din of the storm.

“That’s fine.  We’re probably not making off this mountain anyways.”

‘Thanks for your vote of confidence, Anne…I’m going to Dagoth Ur.”

“What?  You’ve completely snapped on me, Jules!”

“To enter his citadel, hunt him down and kill him.”  I stared blankly for a moment.   He met my gaze unflinchingly.  “I’m going, Anni.”

“Are you serious?”

“I don’t know why you’re so worried.  What in Oblivion do you know about it anyways?  You barely paid attention to anything Hasphat or Sharn told you.”

“I’m not standing on the side of Red Mountain, in bloody ash storm for you to lecture me!  I gotten enough from the notes to know he’s a Devil and he’ll…he’ll…eat you on toast!”  I swear I could not come up with anything better at that point.  Perhaps it was the ash blowing in my face.

“Toast?  We’ll just see who has who on toast!  Look you have no idea what you’re talking about so shut up, ok?”

“I’m talking to a idiotic Ashlander who not so long ago needed help from Clannfears!”

“You’re never going to hear me are you?  Shenogorath, woman!  Well you think what you like, I’m going up there.  Are you coming?  Or are you scared?”  He really knew how to get at me.

“You’re an s'wit.  But I’ll come and laugh as you get eaten alive before you make it half-way.”  I was hoping he’d take a swing so I’d at least have something to tell the Ordinators as to why I was dragging an unconscious, dark-elf down the side of a mountain.

“See you at the top, Anni.”  We walked less than a mile when he stopped and turned to me, “What?”

Huh? “Jules, I didn’t say anything.”

“Oh, I could have sworn.  Nevermind then.”  He started back up the hill when he shouted, “ Look, I can’t hear what you’re saying when you whisper like that.”

“What? I didn’t say anything that time either!”  

“Just stop teasing me, Anni.  I’m trying to concentrate.”

“Uh…sure thing.”  He’s gone mad.  And I’m stuck on a mountain top with him.  Fantastic.

A few minutes later the same.  He spun around and shouted, “Stop doing that!”

“Doing what Julan?!  Doing what!?” I screamed.

“Shenogorath!  If you’re trying to make me paranoid, it’s not working.  Just stop it, ok?”

“I’m not making you paranoid, that silt strider’s already flew!”

“Just shut up!” he spat.  For once I was quiet. “Aaaaagh!  Shut up! Shut up!!! I’m not listening to you!”

He wasn’t even talking to me at this point.  “Julan! Can you hear me?  Gods what’s wrong with you?” He then started screaming that he was Indoril Nerevar reborn—who the hell’s that?  He kept begging “them” to get out of his head.

“Julan!  Listen to me!!!  Jules!”  He then collapsed. And so…I ended up carrying an unconscious, dark elf down the side of a mountain.

Day 47

“Ulmiso, it’s been days…”

“I’ve taken a look at Julan,” said the healer.  “What in Vivec’s name were you doing up there?

I just shook my head.  I had no idea how to answer this woman, what in gods name were we doing up there? “Is he going to be ok?”

“I’ve examined him and nothing’s wrong—physically.  He keeps muttering nonsense, but I think he’s just exhausted.  He should wake up soon.  Try not to worry.”

Staggering up Red Mountain

I had been beside this bed for days of worry. Julan had laid in the bed, shaking and calling out random names for days.  He had eaten nothing and only drank when I poured water down his throat. Finally, I heard him start.  I rushed to the side of the bed, taking his hand.

He turned to me. “Uhn...I’m in Ghostgate? How did…? Oh Gods, my head…Gah, my brain feels like it’s full of dust and ashes.  Anni, I dreamed we were climbing Red Mountain….Wait. You’re looking…We did climb it, didn’t we?” I nodded in ascent. “Oh, I remember now.  But it was like so many of my dreams.  Except that I could hear what the voices were saying this time.”

“What was it?”

“There were some I couldn’t recognize, but one.  It was Dagoth!  I don’t know how but I just know.  He was….he was mocking me.  I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised this happened.  But…what do you remember next?”

“You shouted at me…then at nothing and then fainted.”

“I fainted.  I thought that was part of the dream…Oh, it’s so mixed up in my head…” he then turned over in despair.  “What does it matter?  I’ve failed at my mission—again.  I’m still not ready.  Maybe I’ll never be ready.”

“Don’t say that, Jules.  You were brave.  It takes time to be a great warrior.  It just takes time.”

“Ai. I’m running out of time, my people are running out of time.  Maybe I should just go back home and heard guar.  Seems like its all I’m fit for.”

“No, you’re more than that,” somehow I knew those words were true and not just a comfort.

Attempting to smile he said, “Thanks, I’m glad one of us believes in me.  But what to do now?”

“Well, since you’re mother sent you on this “sacred mission” perhaps we should go talk to her.” I wanted a word with this woman.  How could she be so stupid as to send her son on a suicide mission that clearly, he wasn’t prepared for?

“I’ve been avoiding that option, but it appears I have no other choice.”

“We’ll go as soon as you’re up to it.”

“Right. We’re west of the Ahemmusa camp, along the coast.  She has skulls hanging outside—don’t worry.  Mashti’s idea of a joke—I think…but look, I don’t want you get the wrong impression of her.  She’s a good person.  She just cares about me and my mission and is…over protective.”

Oh boy.  Overbearing momma.  “But, hey…I just have one more thing I want to ask you.  When you were on the mountain, and you were yelling at the voices…”

“Um…yeah?”

Julan slightly wounded and depressed

“Well, you said you were Indoril Nerevar reborn.”

“Did I?”

“Yes.”  Julan shifted slightly avoiding my gaze.  I wasn’t letting this go, “Care to explain?”

“No.  Not right now.  I hurt, Anni…and I’m just tired.  Can we talk later?  I know you won’t drop it…”

“No Jules, I won’t.”

“I’m sure,” his lips curved in a smile.  “Let’s head to Vos, its quickest way there.  I want to stop by the trade house.  I was thinking we could pick up some kind of gift for Mother to sweeten her temper a bit.  She’s not going to like what I’ve been doing—at all.”

What, mommy doesn’t like Outlanders?  “Sure.  We’ll head there directly,” I smiled.  This should be enjoyable.

“Oh, and Anni...”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you…” Julan then held my hand. “Thank you for not letting go.  I think…well I don’t want to think what would have happened had you not….” He squeezed a little harder.

I put my finger to his lips.  “Let’s get going….Onward and upward.”

“But…” Julan says standing up, “Let’s go to a tavern first. Mephala, I really need a drink.”

“Yeah, me too.”