56: Best Laid Plans

The Nerevarine laughed.

“Well done, I am glad you’re capable of simple associations.” He briefly fingered the ring that glowed on his finger. “Tell me, why did you come here?”

“To find you.” I said. I couldn’t say much else, really.

“Yes, yes. But why did you let the Blades make you their puppet?” His smile faded.

“I’m not…” I began.

“Oh but you are! They will pull your strings until you break.” His eyes shone with quiet fury. “You will give them everything, and they will take it all from you. Politicians!”

“What are you talking about?” I yelled.

He stopped, seeming to calm down. “I’m sorry, I haven’t quite gotten over an old grievance I have with the Blades. Just be aware. They will use you for their purposes and then discard you just when you begin to show promise.” He folded his hands in finality; we were done with that subject. “There are more important things now than old grudges. The Daedra advance towards Ald’Ruhn. Do not act surprised, you knew they would attack again after Balmora. We will now move to Gnisis in preparation for the battle there.”

“But what about Ald’ruhn?” I asked, feeling lost.

“There is little we can do for them. The Imperial fort there will be able to stand against the attack for a short while, but the Daedra will not stop until everything is crushed. The mistake they made by pulling out too early at Balmora will not be repeated. We must look ahead. The Daedra are targeting the great houses in succession, I believe. Hlaalu is finished in Vvardenfell with the destruction of Balmora; its council was in session there at the time of the attack. They were not much in the way of soldiers anyway. House Redoran is the next challenge for the Daedra. Gnisis is the next largest Redoran city after Ald’ruhn. We will move there and stem the tide.”

“What about the Telvanni?” I knew they were the only other House with a sizeable hold over Vvardenfell.

“They pose the greatest threat to the Daedra, and are most prepared for an invasion. They can take care of themselves. I believe their councilors may have foreseen this crisis, at least enough to prepare for danger. Whatever the reason for their strength, we will not concern ourselves with them at the moment. The attack on Gnisis will occur soon, of that we can be certain.”

“So what are we going to do exactly?” I asked, hoping to clarify the plans.

“You will return to Ghostgate and muster what you can of their remaining forces. They will move as quickly as possible to establish a new fortress at the heart of Red Mountain. The Dwemer fortress at Dagoth Ur will be their best option. I have seen to it that the guardians there will not harm our people while this crisis continues. Ghostgate is no longer defensible, and we will need a central base of operations on Vvardenfell from which we can manage the coming battles and accept any refugees. On that note, I will send word to the survivors at Balmora to make their way to Dagoth Ur. After you have informed the guards at Ghostgate of their role, you and your two companions will make your way with all due haste to Ald’ruhn. With any luck you will be able to catch a mage’s guild teleport to Gnisis before the Daedra strike. Do not attempt to help fend off the attackers, it will only mean your death. Should you fail to reach the teleport in time, make your way to Gnisis on foot. I hope you can make it there in time, you will be crucial to the success of that battle. Go now, I have matters to attend to of my own. Hurry, the invasion will not wait for you.” He smiled faintly at me, and then disappeared.

My head reeled from the orders I had just received. Still, my feet pushed off the ground with a will of their own, propelling me towards Ghostgate. I breathed easily as the wind died down and the ash settled back to the ground. I realized I was not far from Ghostgate at all, and the time I had spent lost in the ash storm had not carried me more than a few hundred feet from the tall structure.

I blew open the boarded-up door and burst into the captain’s base of operations. I demanded his attention and he gave it, though he eyed me curiously. I explained the orders that the Nerevarine had given me to deliver to him. He seemed reluctant at first, but then he rose and began issuing orders to others. Satisfied, I looked around for Kael, and I found him at Darkasha’s side. Darkasha was awake and sitting up, but he still looked like he was in pain.

“Come on,” I said, my voice strengthened by some sort of divine intervention. “We have to go, quickly.”

Kael glared at me. “Where have you been? We can’t go anywhere until we have found the Nerevarine.”

“That’s where I was, I found him. He told me we need to move now. I’ll explain when we start going.”

“Darkasha’s legs are broken! What are we supposed to do about that?” Kael growled at me, his eyes fierce.

I knelt by Darkasha’s legs. They were not in good shape, but I began healing them as best as I could. The Dark One coached me on my techniques as I poured healing magic into the furry limbs of Darkasha. A short while later, Darkasha was able to stand, and could hobble feebly. “I have survived worse. But I can’t really walk on my own without some support.” Darkasha said weakly.

“Here,” I said, hesitantly, “Take my staff.”