Playing with Fire, part 3

• Posted by Cinae March 13, 2016 - 738 views

                  Caelia Cassius was standing in the Arcanaeum, with her nose in a book. She was reading A History of Tamrielic Magick, however, her reasons for brushing up on such a subject were not entirely academic.

                Not much had been done for Aliette. Even between three Restoration mages, Collette Marence, Danica Puresprings, and herself, with the additional help of an enchanting expert, there hadn’t been much luck.

               Not much had been done, because they still weren’t entirely sure what could be done.

                 She was paging through the book to see if there had been any cases similar to Aliette’s, and what had been done in those cases.

          Surely, there must be something here. Surely, something like this must have been done before!

        Wait, if there hasn’t, does that mean I deserve a page in this book? If she were better, I think Aliette would be quite excited by the fact.

                She looked up as Drevis Neloren, the white-haired Dunmer Illusion mage began to slowly approach her.

                 He looked at her, then at his feet, and sputtered, ‘’ Okay. So. Look. I know as an Imperial you won’t like it, but I hope that as a mage you will consider it!’’

                What was going on here? What was she supposed to consider?

                ‘’Hermaeus Mora. His realm of Oblivion, Apocrypha. It’s the realm of hidden knowledge, so it’s where the missing parts of her soul must have gone. Bye!’’

                   Drevis Neloren ran out the Arcanaeum before she could say anything.

                 Hermaeus Mora, the daedric prince. Right. Now she understood, and so, apparently did Drevis Neloren. He was afraid that she was going to be offended, maybe even incensed, after his suggestion. 

              In Cyrodill, daedric worshippers lived at the shrine of the daedric prince they worshipped, and rarely left. This was because there was no other place for them. They would be shunned in any city.

             Whether it was most people whispering about daedra worship after dark, or the priest and priestesses preaching adamantly on its evils from the chapels, the attitude that came across was one of fear and moral outrage.

              The general message of any sermon on the subject of daedric princes was that their ways were diametrically opposed to the ways of the good and holy Divines. Also, they ought not to be worshipped, or dealt with in any manner.

          Her problem had always been that she was too curious, and eager to ask the hard questions, like, what about Meridia? One of the many reasons that she had become a mage was that back in Cyrodill, her profession allowed her to conduct certain ‘’research’’ without fear.

              She believed, and hoped, that she had a more nuanced view that the average Imperial, but still, old prejudices died hard, and sometimes for good reasons. Were the daedric princes evil? Maybe not. Could they cause terrible trouble and destruction? She was inclined to believe, from all she had read, that the answer was yes.

                Drevis Neloren was right. She didn’t like it. He was right about the other thing too. She was considering it.

                But before she did anything, she needed books, lots of books. She intended to know everything there was to know about Hermaeus Mora and his realm of Oblivion.

                  Luckily for her, she was in the Arcanaeum.

                  She put down A History of Tamrielic Magick, on the bookshelf behind her and walked up to Urag-gro Shub, the Orsimer librarian.

                  ‘’ Hi. I’d appreciate it, if you would give me everything you have on Hermaeus Mora, and on his plane of Oblivion.’’

                He walked around the room, picking up books here and there, unlocking the case where a few had been put away.
                He gathered the books back on his desk. The stack had to be at least half her height.
                ‘’ Don’t muck them up, or you sure will be payin.’ ‘’
                    ‘’Thank you, good sir.’’
                She picked up all the books. They leaned precariously. A loudly spoken word could tip them over.
                 ‘’ What was that you said, again?’’
                    He was messing with her. You shall be shown proper Imperial civility, Urag-gro Shub, whether you like it or not!
                   ‘’ Thank you,’’ she whispered, and made her way to her room, slowly.

                      At first, she hoped her studies into Hermaeus Mora, and the realm of Apocrypha, would show her that this could never be a possible solution. However, she became more and more convinced that it was, perhaps, the only solution. She also read of many dangers which lurked inside his realm.

                  The greatest danger would not be from anything inside, however, but from herself. The  irony was that those whom most wanted to visit his realm were the ones in the most danger from it. She read tales of the wise and scholars who stepped into Apocrypha, became enthralled with its many mysteries, and never again breathed the air of Nirn.

        That would not be her. She would not allow it. I will do whatever I can. I will keep my goal in mind. I will prepare myself, mind and body.
               And so she did. When she felt she was ready, the Imperial mage left the College to make a deal with the daedric prince.
           She was turning her back on so much of her upbringing, but as she went she prayed to gods she still worshiped.
               Lord Julianos, grant me your great wisdom, for I will have need of it. Lady Mara, understand that I do this for love’s sake, and forgive me for what I am about to do. Because, if you do not, you’re no gods worth having.