Late Merethic Era
More than 4,500 years before the birth of the Last Dragonborn
Falmereth / Skyrim
Feator
A Few Days Later
It took me half an hour to get used to the local…
mmm…
magical atmosphere again.
After somehow making my way down to the floor of the enormous valley, I immediately ran into a pack of sabre cats lounging among the countless columns and arches that, for some reason, stood empty today.
I suppose they’d cleared out all the pilgrims before the paladins’ trial began.
“Come on, then.
Come on.
Attack.” I grinned eagerly as I began circling the three massive cats.
They clearly weren’t in any hurry to attack either, their tiny brains recognizing the danger posed by my sharpened blade.
Considering how many elves had passed through this place over the centuries, their kind ought to have developed an instinctive fear of swords like this—and bladed weapons in general.
Not wasting any more time, I stepped forward to provoke them.
The moment they tensed to spring, I swept my left hand in an arc, unleashing a stream of magical fire.
As soon as the predators’ pained howls reached my ears and the flames began to dissipate, I charged forward and struck the leftmost sabre cat with a precise blow.
The finely honed blade sliced through hide, flesh, and bone like butter, splitting the beast’s brain cleanly in two.
I’d made the swing almost exactly by the book, so the brain wasn’t the only thing that came apart—a good portion of its skull followed.
Not dwelling on the smell or sight of the spilled blood—after all, I’d had to help slaughter chickens a few times during visits to our relatives in the village—I immediately turned my attention to the second beast.
Rolling across the frozen ground, it had managed to smother most of the flames, but it still couldn’t react in time.
Being so much faster than my former human self, I was honestly surprised by how effortlessly I finished off the second predator.
The last remaining cat managed to extinguish the fire as well and even lunged at me, but the pain and the stench of its own burned flesh ruined its leap.
So I…
didn’t overcomplicate things.
I simply jumped backward and drove a massive icicle straight into the airborne beast.
It let out a howl after receiving a very thorough—heh—impalement.
While it struggled to recover from the sudden freezing agony, I closed the distance and finished the poor creature off with a couple of quick swings.
“Heh…
Feator, Bane of Cats,” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood for myself.
My body was well-trained enough that a fight like that barely left me winded, so after doing a quick stretch to make sure my muscles were intact and nothing had been strained, I continued onward.
They aren’t giving us any food, so I’d better move faster.
Otherwise, I’ll end up having to roast sabre cat meat over a fire somehow.
And I don’t exactly know which parts of those things are edible.
Passing beneath the towering columns and arches, I headed northeast.
Toward the place where the pull of magic felt strongest, almost like following a scent.
Except there wasn’t actually any scent.
It’s hard to explain to someone who can’t sense magic.
Just before reaching the second great arch, I turned right, veering even farther to the northeast.
After crossing a small snow-covered grove, I found myself standing before the Wayshrine of Sight.
“Welcome, Initiate.” Another elven prelate accompanied his words with a brief nod of greeting, one that had clearly been practiced hundreds of times.
“This is the Wayshrine of Sight.
The second shrine you must pass through, future knight-paladin.
Are you prepared to honor Auri-El by reciting His mantra and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?”
“Without a doubt.” I answered with the same suitably inspired expression as I began recalling the second mantra from memory.
“Then behold Auri-El’s gift, my child.
May it hasten your journey to the Inner Sanctum.”
The vacant eyes of the incredibly old prelate—judging by the wrinkles and appearance, roughly equivalent to a human in middle age—made me shiver again.
These people’s faith was so utterly selfless that it was unsettling.
To spend centuries serving as guardians of the shrines…
Yeah…
Another mantra, and another portion of holy water.
This time, however, there was no portal.
Instead, the magic hit me right where I stood.
“Ugh-ho…” I made a strange sound, completely unable to control my own throat.
Forget speaking—I was more concerned with not collapsing flat on my backside.
And my head felt like it was splitting apart!
As if I hadn’t slept for an entire day!
I had to force myself to think clearly instead of focusing on the pain and that strange…
detached exhaustion.
Yeah…
Turns out Auri-El’s blessing is pretty damn heavy.
Another hour disappeared into the void.
I sweated like a pig, but I got through it!
I mean, I’m a reincarnator, aren’t I?
How could I not get through it?
Yeeeah…
Inhale.
Exhale.
Turning around, I headed southwest, toward the place where I sensed my next destination.
After climbing a hill more akin to a small mountain, I stopped at the edge of a ravine inhabited by a rather impressive number of spiders the size of enormous tigers.
Uh, no.
I’m not the Dragonborn.
I’m not about to chop my way through those things left and right.
Sure, I’m still awesome and powerful, but taking unnecessary risks halfway through the trial…
No thanks!
So come on, Feator…
nice and easy…
let’s just quietly sidle on past…
By the way…
here’s something I’ve been wondering.
How do they replenish all the local creatures for the next batch of pilgrim initiates?
Do they actually bring them back here on purpose or something?…
Taking the long way around, I reached a partially frozen river about ten minutes later.
I followed its bank for another twenty minutes before the Wayshrine of Learning finally came into view.
I had no idea what, exactly, “learning” was supposed to mean in this case, but I didn’t really care.
I’d made it here, so I’d passed the trial.
Or maybe bypassing those spiders had been the trial?
Sheogor—…
No.
Better not invoke his name lightly.
Anyway, only the Daedra know.
“You have reached the Wayshrine of Learning, Initiate.
Are you prepared to honor Auri-El by reciting His mantra and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?” The voice of yet another elderly Snow Elf was as measured and monotone as the last.
Now this was starting to feel like déjà vu.
“Without a doubt.” I answered with an expression of respectful enthusiasm plastered across my face.
Hopefully all this fake eagerness wasn’t for nothing…
“Auri-El blesses you, my child.
For you are one step closer to the Sanctum and to eternal wisdom…
But your journey is not yet complete.
Continue onward, should you wish to see it through,” he said slowly, seeming to lose all interest in me the moment he finished speaking.
All right… Judging by how thoroughly the previous blessings had knocked me flat, it was safe to assume this one would be even worse.
But what can you do?
I’ll make it through.
For several minutes I had to figure out how not to smash the ewer if the blessing suddenly slammed me into the ground again.
I tried different grips, mentally reenacting the effects of Auri-El’s blessing, which until now had only activated after passing through one of those gloomy portals…