Chapter 8: The All-Maker Stones
"Strange flora native to Morrowind have sprouted up in the ash that blankets the southern reaches of Solstheim."
Chapter 8: The All-Maker Stones
Gajeel, Levy and Jose made their way out of Nchardak with the second Black Book in tow. A grim look appeared on both Gajeel and Levy's faces as they tried to figure out a way to tell August that the entire fate of all of Tamriel, rested on "The Secrets of the Skaal".
"This is a nightmare." Levy admitted.
"You're telling me." Gajeel gruffed "Fucking hate Daedra."
"Hermaeus Mora sure is making this difficult." she stopped in her tracks and looked at her husband "There has to be another way! Maybe the last Word of Power is in a different area of Solsthiem or another country! Maybe we can ask the Greybeards if they heard a Whisper-"
"By the time we find it, it would be too late." Gajeel pointed out "and I fucking hate saying this, but that tentacle bastard is our best hope. Besides, I doubt the old guys would have the ability to hear the Whisper of a Word Wall in another part of the fucking world." Levy thought for a minute and realized he was right, this wasn't going be easy if they went with the methods they were so used to. As they made their way to the staircase, they heard the flapping of wings in the air "The hell is that noise?" they searched the area and suddenly looked up to see a dragon, flying close by. The pupils in Gajeel's eyes shrunk in fear "Oh shit." the dragon landed in front of the Nord couple, a devilish grin on his lips and a look in his eye that showed he had a killing intent.
"God Serena has commanded your death." the dragon directed to Gajeel "So it shall be."
The dragon took to the skies and took a deep breath, releasing his fire breath and forcing Gajeel to grab his wife and push her out of the way with him.
"Joor...ZAH FRUL!" a blue aura came passed Gajeel's lips and hit the dragon that was in the skies. The dragon crash landed onto the stone floors of the decaying ruins which gave Gajeel the advantage to make this entire fight end quickly. He ran towards the beast and landed on top of it's head, holding on for dear life.
"Take this you over-grown Argonian!" Gajeel insulted. He began to stab maniacally at the dragon's head, stabbing it's brain until the dragon finally died. As he dragon collapsed to the ground, the couple watched as the flesh and dragon hide bursted into flames and soon, the soul was absorbed by Gajeel.
"At least he didn't take the soul this time." Levy smirked at her husband.
"He may not need it at this point." Gajeel gruffed as he jumped off the skeletal remains "Might be too powerful by now. Gods fucking forbid, we gotta speak with the old fart right away."Agreeing with her husband's wishes, Levy and Gajeel left for the Skaal village.
They arrived at the Skaal village an hour before the sun was meant to sink. They eyed the entire village before coming across August, who was sitting outside his home in a medative position.
"Hey! Old man!" Gajeel hollered, the ground shook slightly under the power of his voice "That fucking son of a bitch Hermaeus Mora wants 'The Secrets of the Skaal or whatever the fuck it's called." August looked at the Dragonborn and his wife solemnly before replying.
"Hermaeus Mora..." he sighed "old Herma-Mora himself. So he is the source of God Serena's power, of course. We have many tales of Herma-Mora trying to trick us into giving up our secrets to him; and now he comes again for what we have long kept from him." Levy and Gajeel exchanged glances at his words.
"You knew?" Levy cross examined.
"I was suspicious, but I wasn't sure until you told me just now." August explained.
"So what the fuck are these 'Secrets of the Skaal'?" Gajeel asked with air quotations "And why the hell does that tentacle lovin bastard want it?"
"Ancient lore, handed down from shaman to shaman since the All-Maker first gave Solstheim to the Skaal. How to talk to the wind, how to listen to the earth - these are our secrets. Nothing of power or mastery."
Maybe the elf was right, this does sound like a bargain.Gajeel thought to himself.
"Well I'm in doldrums to tell you that Hermaeus Mora has asked for the Secrets of the Skaal in exchange the last Word of Power for the Bend Will Shout." Levy explained.
"So it falls to me to be the one to give up the secrets to our ancient enemy." August respired "I do not know if I have the strength to face him. With God Serena's corruption of the Stones... the Oneness of the land is disrupted, and our connection to the All-Maker is broken."
Oh Gods, we were supposed to cleanse the stones. Levy remembered "We'll help you with that! In fact, we'll get right on it!"
"Hey Lev, what you getting a-ack!" his wife pulled him by the collar of his armor before dragging him out of the village and taking him to Ravenrock.
"You sure about this?" Gajeel questioned his wife uncertainly.
"It's the only way dear." Levy explained. They were in front of the Earth Stone, watching as the people continued to add to the unusual architecture "Besides, you're doing them a favor by doing this."
"You remember what happened last time right?"
"Yes I do. But as long as God Serena doesn't have control over the Earth Stone, his power will begin to weaken and you'll have a better chance at beating him." liking the sound of that, Gajeel took a deep breath.
"GOL!" he Shouted. A yellowish brown aura came from his lips and hit the Earth stone.
The moment the Shout's powers took effect, the odd structures around the stone cracked and fell under its own weight, destroying the structures and freed the people from God Serena's hold. As the people ran as far as they could from the stone, a lurker appeared out of the waters; ready to fight who dared break the hold he had on the Earth stone. With a swift move of his sword, Gajeel killed the lurker, freeing the stone once and for all.
"Two down, four to go." Levy sighed.
"Aww fuck." Gajeel grumbled. He wiped his sword into the dirt and then placed it back on his back "Let's go."
Hours passed and Gajeel was still clearing the All Maker stones. Each was difficult to it's own extent; but it eventually, every single one except the Tree stone was cleared.
"I guess it's time for that last stone." Gajeel admitted.
"I don't think that's a wise idea." Levy suddenly said.
"Why the hell not?"
"I can feel Hermaeus Mora's influence on all the Stones while we were clearing them. Now that most of the Stones are cleared, all the power have directly moved to the Tree Stone." his eyes widened when he realized what his wife was saying.
"You can feel his aura from here?!"
"It's a lot stronger than it was before. It was already bad enough his influence was on the Temple to begin with; but now that it isn't spreading all over the island and in one spot, it's too powerful to attempt to go near it."
"So, skip the Tree stone?"
"We don't have a choice at this point."
"I guess we better head back to the old man... by the fucking Nine."
They arrived back at the Skaal Village, later into the night and watched as August meditated outside his home, Gajeel and Levy walked over to the old Nord.
"Alright, all the Stones are fixed or whatever." Gajeel explained to August.
"The Tree Stone is still corrupted..." August sighed "the land is still out of balance. But with the other five restored... it may be enough. It will have to be." Levy realized right off the bat what he was saying.
"Y-you're going to give him what he wants?!" Levy squeaked.
"Yes. The Skaal also tell of the day when we must finally give up our secrets. When Herma-Mora finally wins. As shaman, it is my duty to guard these secrets, but also to decide when it is necessary to give them up. I believe that time is now. If I am wrong, may my ancestors forgive me. Give me the book. I will read it, and speak to old Herma-Mora myself. I will make sure he lives up to his part of the bargain."
"Just hope you know what the hell you're doing." Gajeel grumbled while handing him the first Black Book they found to the shaman.
"That is my hope as well."August admitted "I am trusting that you will make this sacrifice worthwhile." the old Shama stood up and carried the book to the center of the village. Brandish, who was sitting on a bench outside the house and watched the whole situation began to catch up with her father.
"Father, you must not do this!" Brandish reasoned "That book is... wrong., evil, against everything that you have taught me my whole life!"
"I must, Brandish." August explained "It is the only way to free Solstheim forever from God Serena's shadow. There comes a time when everything must change, nothing that lives remains the same forever! Do not fear for me, my daughter. This is the destiny that the All-Maker has laid out for me."
She was hesitant to reply at first; but when she realized her father was right, she solemnly nodded.
"I stand beside you, father." Brandish nodded "As always." August made his way to the center of town, stopped in his tracks and held the book out in front of him.
"I am ready for whatever the foul master of this book has in store for me." August determinedly said. The Black book suddenly flew out of his hands into the air, opened itself up and black tentacles appeared out of the book, stabbing the Shaman through every part of his body.
Rips through time and space began to appear before Gajeel, Levy and everyone around them, revealing a black mass with tentacles and multiple eyes: Hermaeus Mora.
"At last," opined the Daedric Prince in a slow tone "the Skaal yield up their secrets TO ME!"
"You... liar... gah!" August squawked "... I won't... not... for you..." the Outlanders watched this scene unfold in horror, Brandish's eyes became flooded with tears as she watched the life begin to drain from her father.
"Father no!" deplored Brandish, she looked to Gajeel with a pleading look in her eyes "What's happening? You must stop it!" Gajeel wasn't sure what to do at this point, if he hit the Daedric Prince with his weapon, it may cause issues with the deal or worse; it could hurt August.
"Dragonborn," Hermaeus Mora called out "you have delivered me the gift I requested. In return, I keep my promise, as befits a Prince of Oblivion: I give you the Word of Power that you need to challenge God Serena. You will be either a worthy opponent or his successor, as the tides of fate decree." Gajeel suddenly felt the power of the final Word enter his mind and the word "Dov" reverberated in his mind; Gajeel now knew all three Words of Power to the Bend Will Shout.
"Nooo!"August howled. At that moment, Hermaeus Mora released his grip on August, the book fell down onto the ground idle, Hermaus Mora returned to his realm and August fell onto the ground, dead. A green light omitted from the man's chest and when the Outlanders looked, they saw the Word Of Power was carved into his chest.
That sick son of a bitch! Gajeel thought to himself.
"Father!" Brandish cried. She ran over to her father's cadaver "What have you done?!" tears poured out of the Skaal woman's eyes as she cried over her father. Everyone surrounded Brandish during this traumatizing moment in her life and mourned over her father's sudden passing. Gajeel and Levy looked at the corpse of the man who helped them in their time of need and felt sadness in their hearts.
"He gave his life to help us..." Levy whispered. Brandish looked up to the Dragonborn and his wife and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Go." she sniffled in a serious tone to Gajeel "My father sacrificed himself so that you could destroy God Serena and lift his master's shadow from the land. Go, then! Kill God Serena! Do not fail!"
Realizing that now was the time, Gajeel grabbed the book that fell onto the floor and pried it open, a green light omitted from the paged and the black tentacles popped out and wrapped themselves around Gajeel, bringing him back into Hermaeus Mora's world.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone