Chương 468: The Truth Behind Everything
A Double Chapter! Next Chapter is available on P4tre0n.
Thanks to @Jack for joining on P4tre0n (different from "@jack .")
Also, this Chapter is a big revealing chapters. Don't hold back your Paragraph Comments!
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(Part 1)
"My name is Boethiah."
A girl so petite and childish declaring with a voice of a kid that she is the Daedric Prince of deceit, conspiracy, secret plots of murder, assassination, treason, and unlawful overthrow of authority. Despite the frightening atmosphere she had, Jon found her declaration adorable.
"You are not Boethiah." He said.
The girl tensed up and looked at him with eyes on the verge of tears.
"N- No! I am Boethiah." She said.
"You are not." He replied.
"I am!" She insisted stomping the ground hard.
"Hmmm... No." Jon said after taking a closer look.
"I… I… *sob* *sob* … but that's me."
The girl looked at him and started crying.
How the situation reached this point was incomprehensible to most of the people witnessing it but Jon removed his mask and showed a wide smile in front of the crying girl.
The people around started looking at him with judging eyes but he didn't even bother.
"Brat! Those puppy eyes will never ever work on me." He said taking pride in his immunity to the puppy eyes heresy.
"What… dammit! I forgot about that." All of a sudden, the girl dropped her act.
Jon didn't retreat his widening smile for he had the cat faith that protected him but the others were so taken aback not believing that a child would use such a technique to trick adults without them finding out.
"It can't be every single time someone uses the puppy eyes, it turns out to be a lie." Mirren himself admitted falling for it.
"That's why you should drink in Puppy Tears mug as well as Feminist Tears mug."
Jon held up his two favorite mugs each in a hand showing them around and making himself glow with magic.
"Perfectly balanced, as all things should be."
[A/n: I am getting a merch vibe here.]
His inspiring appearance gave birth to a new faith in this desolate part of the world but that's a story we are avoiding.
*Clapclapclapclapclap*
The young girl started clapping while completely enthralled by Jon's teachings.
"Amazing! I've seen you give those lessons multiple times but seeing it in reality is not like the visions. I now understand." She said.
"Haha! Good kid." Jon was wholeheartedly pleased but he noticed Isha's glare towards him for diverting the subject.
"Okey, ehem… So, brat. Who are you?"
She smiled calmly and introduced herself.
"I am Boethiah." She said.
"This again!" Isha was not taking this answer well.
"Wait!" Miranda seemed to have understood it. "You are the Prophetess of Boethiah, right?"
"Yes." the girl nodded.
"And you were named after Boethiah, right?"
"Indeed." The girl said with a cheeky smile.
"See?" Miranda looked at Jon and the others.
"""..."""
A strange silence took over for a while.
"""Ahaaa!"""
And they all understood it a bit later.
"Stinking brat, you were playing a trick on me all that time!" Jon didn't take it well.
"Tehehe!" The girl acted all cheeky and cute.
"More importantly, are you really the one Isha killed?" Mirren focused on the subject.
The girl stopped her foolish act and nodded with a natural face. She then showed a part of her abdomen with a scar on it.
"It was almost three years ago. That woman carrying a spear entered our cave in a frenzy and started killing. By Boethiah, I have never seen such a beautiful sight in my life!" She said the last part with the temperament of a bloodthirsty maniac rather than a child of her age.
"And how in the blazes did you come back?" Isha asked.
"Lord Boethiah sent me back… a Daedric Prince can revive his followers as long as they claim their souls. The situation wasn't easy, you know, since everyone I knew was killed but it was all worth it when I managed to take a glimpse of him." Boethiah said pointing at Jon.
"A glimpse… at me?" Jon asked.
"Yes. You see… death is not an end but rather an elevating experience. You go to places and see things not bound by physical realms or world laws. Some find their way to the Afterlife where things make more sense, others drift in an agony of their making when their souls know how corrupt they are. On the other hand, Children like me get a whole different experience.
We drift in the river of souls entwined with the river time. Past, present and future, we see things and relive moments, sometimes we take different shapes and experience other lives. All this and that was part of the experience of death… well, until Lord Boethiah claimed my soul and returned me back.
I may look like ten years old, I may have been revived only a few hours after my death but those few hours were years in different realities. I think someone here can relate to what I just said."
Her words were not that of a ten years old child as she revealed wisdom not that of worldly knowledge. Things untold and visions beyond the world. She is ten years of age but she can't count her real age if she included the time after her death and revival as it was an out of time experience.
She even looked at Jon claiming he can relate to her experience but he kept a tight mouth and didn't say a word.
Those things she said were about losing the "I" and experiencing the "All". Becoming one with everything through molding one's mind into the consciousness of the Aka, the Time. A selflessness of existence to surf within the dream.
The heavy mood caused by her words was shaken once Jon decided it was over.
"So that's it. Little Boethiah over here is someone who knows things, right? You came back from the unknown or whatever that mumbo jumbo was." Jon said.
"Call it whatever you like." She said.
"So, I hope you forgive Isha for killing you once…"
"No!" The girl stopped Jon, "I must thank her."
"Okay, that's not how she feels about killing a child." Jon sighed, "Anyway… why were you named Boethiah?"
"When I was a newborn, my parents were the heads of the cult and as their child, I was offered to Boethiah and blessed at infancy. My parents and our local cult prayed for Boethiah through me to the point where they forgot to give me a name and kept being prayed to instead. By time, I only responded to the name Boethiah as my own and so, I became Boethiah."
Jon didn't know how to respond to that. He only smiled wryly and gave a nod.
"Thankfully, the meeting passed smoother than I thought." Aranea said as she approached Boethiah.
"Aranea, long time no see. You look skinny." Boethiah said.
"Ugh!" Aranea rolled her eyes as Boethiah copied Jon's attitude from earlier this morning.
"Lady Azura's Champion and Labourer will be relying on your help, Priestess Boethiah. I hope you act for the best of our cause." Aranea said.
"Azura's Labourer is Boethiah's Champion. I know what I'm doing here." Boethiah said.
"Then please… by all means. Our Labourer…"
"Priestess Aranea, the standing of a Champion is higher than the standing of a Labourer. Please address the Champion accordingly."
"Humph! His vice is not fully redeemed so until then, he is our Labourer."
"I see… wait! If I remember correctly, Azura's Star was taken back by Azura. Shouldn't the holder of the Star be the Champion? That got me thinking… he holds the [Ebony Mail] so he is Boethiah's Champion, does this mean he is no longer Azura's Champion?"
"Blasphemous brat!"
"Saggy hag!"
And the two Priestess started fighting over Jon.
Daedra Cults may ally with one another but they are still different cults in the end of the day. Azura's cult is more of a natural and acceptable religion as their practices don't go further than praying to the magic of Dusk and Dawn, dressing fancy and acting like peacocks. On the other hand, Boethiah's cult is a bunch of assassins, mercenaries, politicians and all manner of people who take conspiracies and lies as means to ends.
The interests of the two cults may not cross one another but they still look down on anyone other than themselves.
"Let's just get down to business, shall we?" Jon spoke, "What is the situation?"
Boethiah and Aranea ceased their clash as Jon spoke. It was Boethiah's turn to clarify things.
"Undead, Worm Cult, Soul Snare… What exactly do you want to know?" She said.
Jon looked at Isha and nodded to her, she was in a bad mood after discovering that her Labour was because she killed a girl who can be revived but she let out a long sigh. The past is the past now, nothing can be done about it.
She looked at Boethiah and found it hard to speak to her but she spoke anyway.
"Tell me about Zain." She said.
Boethiah made an understanding face and pointed Isha to the fire brazier she was dancing around just now.
"It is a depressing story but you already know that." She said and threw something in the fire making it burn more.
"I have been on Divination for some time but as soon as we got an identity on the unknown Labourer, I managed to understand a lot. Let me show you." Boethiah said and the fire started to dance.
**********
(Part 2)
Zain hated Lycanthropy more than anything. Many creatures of the night met their demise to the pointy end of his spear.
His fame as a Battlelord outshined his peers and other generations of Battlelords guaranteeing him the position of the next War Chief of the Citadel of Ebonarm, but some were envious.
Those envious peers of his decided to lure him out to the heart of Alik'r by telling him that Isha went on a dangerous hunt alone. Once he reached her, he found her captured in the middle of an old ruins.
There, he was bound and cursed by what he hates the most, Lycanthropy.
Here is where the story they knew ends and a different story begins.
The magic Zain was cursed with is called [Hate], something that draws the thing one hates the most from the deepest parts of the Void, the Domain of Sithis. Whatever is taken from the void gets merged to the cursed making them inseparable.
That day Zain turned into a werewolf, went on a rampage and killed the ones who kidnapped Isha and cursed him.
But one survived.
That was the Mastermind behind Zain's Curse. Her name is Dalilah.
Dalilah is a Battlelord from the Citadel known to be a very beautiful woman but appearances can be deceiving.
She was a Sleeper Worm, an agent of the Worm Cult that gets planted in certain organizations from a young age to grow in ranks and provide intel and recruits to the Worm Cult.
This Dalilah was there when Jon entered the Tournament he sponsored to become the Grand Champion of the Imperial Arena. After she saw Jon there, she contacted Grand Champion Darius (by that time) and offered him a reward for the body of Jon Dare.
The Worm Cult was into such business to provide their Undead horde with the best corpses they can command. Darius was a supplier of strong fighters and has dealt with the cult for years without knowing.
Back to Zain's story. When Dalilah cursed Zain, she was at a safe distance from the curse manipulating the whole process. The important thing is that her actions had a reason and a purpose.
The reason why Zain was cursed was because of his great hatred towards Werewolves as he became one of them with the power of the Void. His type of transformation was exceptional among all the children of the night and his powers were grim.
He can't be easily killed, he can regenerate like a troll and even if his heart, spine, brain or anything was damaged, the curse would reform it once again.
Zain was aware of that as he tried to take his own life away from his wife and sister but to no avail.
At those times, Dalilah was watching her monster grow in both power and desperation. She wanted to give him even more power but also erase every shred of humanity within him and create a body fit for her ultimate goal.
She started to lure him towards very grim solutions for his curse. She used her agents to direct him as healers and mystics until he was led to the Daedric Prince of Wishes, Clavicus Vile.
A prior arrangement was sealed with Clavicus Vile so when he heard Zain's wish, he offered him something.
'What if you become a Vampire? You can't be a werewolf if you are a Vampire.' That's what Vile suggested.
It was common knowledge for a Battlelord such as Zain and he even tried it but no Vampire was strong enough to transform him. The only solution was a flask of blood retrieved from an Ancient Vampire from Skyrim, the Blood of the Ancient. Its cost was seven tasks Zain must do for Clavicus Vile called the Labours.
Zain accepted, he took the Ancient Vampire's blood and drank from it.
Did it work?
No, it killed Zain.
He was escorted back to his house dying and pale to the point of blue. This was the memory that Isha remembered vividly. The day her brother died.
And it was as she believed. The real Zain died that day.
What she doesn't remember was the time since she met Vile's dog, Barbas, that hypnotized her and messed with her memories.
She then went on the quest that led her to Labour for two years, retrieved the Spear of Bitter Mercy and killed the Priestess of Boethiah, Boethiah.
At that time, Dalilah has recovered Zain… or rather what is left of him, the body affected by both Lycanthropy and Vampirism.
A Hybrid!
Dalilah has managed to create a freak out of Zain's body that carried a Living Soul of a Werebeast and the Death Aptitude of a Vampire. Something with horrific powers, invulnerability, focus and intelligence.
That body's purpose was to be a vessel for Mannimarco's Reincarnation. It has risen from its grave so powerful and strong that no matter what, nothing can kill it.
But as expected of Clavicus Vile, most of his deals have something written in secret ink.
The deal between Clavicus Vile and Mannimarco was to provide Mannimarco a suitable body to send a Reincarnation of himself in, every few years. It happened with the Hero of Kvatch when he faced a Necromancer called Mannimarco while the real one was already a CHIM long ago.
It was the same case this time too but Clavicus Vile had a claim on Zain.
Zain's end of the bargain which was not yet fulfilled was to Labour else Mannimarco can never send a reincarnation of himself in the body. To solve that, Clavicus Vile has let back remnants of Zain's to act as the puppet strings.
Zain's brutality as a warrior, his skills, his powers, all under the full control of Clavicus Vile.
As everyone thought he was dead and Isha was trapped in a plot to Labour for two years, Clavicus Vile had all the fun time he wanted to play with the Hybrid he created, Zain.
Clavicus Vile had a list of Artifacts he sought after but also respected Mannimarco's wishes to gather his most three prized Artifacts; [The Bloodworm Helm], [The Staff of Worms] and [The Necromancer's Amulet].
Other than that, Zain First Labour was to retrieve [King Orgnum's Coffer] to Clavicus Vile, a coffer that can create gold from naught every day making its owners able to put the wealthiest of merchants to shame.
The Second Labour was to retrieve the last remaining [Dragon Horn], one of the legendary artifacts created primarily by the Dragonguard and used as weapons against the Dragons.
The Third Labour was to retrieve an Elder Scroll known as the [Elder Scroll of the Forgotten]. It contains information that is very crucial to the Empire to the point where they will kill for.
The Fourth Labour was to retrieve the [Deadland Hammer]. A Hammer associated with Mehrunes Dragon's Realm and capable of creating Iron Atronachs.
The Fifth Labour was to retrieve the [Flask of Lillandril], it is a magical flask that absorbs and reflects the magic of all kinds.
The Sixth Labour was the [Bloodworm Helm], the [Staff of Worms] and the [Necromancer's Amulet].
Until now, Zain has gathered two of the three but was interrupted by Jon and his team. Every plan Clavicus Vile and Mannimarco came up with was in jeopardy now as Azura, Boethiah, Mephala and Sheogorath started showing movements. It was wise to retreat to Hammerfell, harness the battlefield to their preferences and wait for the last Labourer of the opposite faction to come.
The Soul Snare was active and Hammerfell was thrown into chaos.
What waits is Zain, Dalilah, the Worm Cult, a Horde of Undead, Mannimarco, and finally, Clavicus Vile.
***
The dancing fire ceased its visions. Despite being around the fire, the weather dropped a few degrees around those who just watched what Boethiah just shown.
To sum it up, Zain's hate was used against him, turned into the first ever Werewolf-Vampire Hybrid and was controlled by Clavicus Vile to retrieve things for him until Mannimarco can send his reincarnation into Zain.
"... And that's how things happened. The mystery that made us go in circles all that time is no longer a mystery." Boethiah said and looked at the ones surrounding her.
All is revealed.
Mirren was horrified, Miranda was covering her gaping mouth in shock, Jon felt like a mountain collapsing on his head.
But there was Isha.
Isha has taken too much and suffered the most. First, it was her brother getting taken from her, then she was sent in Labours for two years going through whatever horrors she went through, then she returned to find her brother is dead, suffered a mental shock, found her brother still alive and tried to kill her, and now that.
She endured like a camel but the straw that broke her back was actually falling thunder. She collapsed on her knees crying and wailing.
It was finally there…
The emotion.
The reaction.
The scream of salvation.
She knew in her heart that it was the truth. She was set free from all the lies and secrets.
For the first time in two years and nine months, she was crying as she should have all along.
Not frozen in Denial.
Not raging in Anger.
Not gratified in Disbelief.
Not silent in Depression.
But free in Acceptance.
Her brother who heard her first words, who supported her first steps, who put in her hand the first spear, who healed her first training wound, who took from himself and put in her plate… He was in a great deal of injustice.
He was used like a tool and deprived of everything.
Now that is all clear, all the hatred found a target, all the pain found the purpose, all the blood found a vengeance.
She cut her hands letting her blood flow in the fire and she swore revenge by blood and fire. She would purge those who did that to her brother from the face of Nirn.
Then she passed out from exhaustion.
When she woke up, she saw the sky gloomy red as she was sleeping on the sand.
She looked to the side to see the others all there sitting and eating to retrieve their stamina for the coming grand battles.
"I've sent out Wrath, Jax and Nefertiti with 300 Wrathmen, Bonemen and Mistmen. Violent clashes are occurring everywhere but we have prisoners." Jon spoke to the young Boethiah while showing her a small Light Screen that viewed an image to Stros M'kai from above.
"Wow! Seeing you in action is a whole different thing than Divination. Please, teach me." Little Boethiah played around Jon like a child nothing compared to how she acted some time ago.
"The village is a safe place for operating in Stros M'kai, we still need to contact Port Hunding to gather the forces of the island behind us." Mirren suggested.
"Great idea."
Seeing her frien… Seeing her family already in action, she couldn't help but join in.
"Why is the sky this red?" She asked.
"... That's how the night looks like under the effect of the Soul Snare matrix." Jon replied as he walked towards her, "At day it is gloomy grey and at night it is gloomy red."
He walked to her offering a hand.
"How ominous!" She said as she was left up in one fast pull.
"Feeling better now?" Jon asked.
She nodded.
Mirren came closer to her and pushed Jon away.
"Love, it's okay at the moment, you can rest if you want." He said.
She smiled at him feeling the warmth of his words.
"I am starving. Let's eat together." she said.
Losing a family member makes some cherish the rest of the family they have. Isha was that kind of person.
She joined in and laughed at the little Boethiah as she kept stuck to Jon watching what he was doing with the Light Screen in full interest.
"Hey, midget. What's with you and Jon?" She spoke.
Hearing her, little Boethiah put back her haughty face.
"I am the Prophetess, he is the Champion. We should exchange guidance from time to time finally that I personally met him rather than just doing Divinations all day." Boethiah said.
"You scry about Jon all day?" Isha put a weird face.
"Indeed. I have seen him doing many amazing stuff. Punching people with thunder, riding firebirds, jumping from the sky and a lot more." Little Boethiah was excited talking about everything she knew about Jon from her Divinations.
Jon gave a helpless smile not knowing how to deal with such a kid.
"So you're watching everything, huh?" Isha thought, "But I think that in Jon's life, some parts a child shouldn't watch, you know!"
"Hm? What parts?" Boethiah tilted her head.
Isha smiled slyly and looked at Jon.
"Don't worry, sister. I have a wife who can do Divinations too. I learned a trick that involves [Greed] to keep me off their grid." Jon made a thumbs up.
Isha and Mirren laughed hard to that.
"What is it? I don't understand!" Little Boethiah kept nagging Jon to tell her.
As he kept a tight lip, she turned to Isha with a pouting face.
"You are just jealous I know so much about him." She said.
Isha smiled at the brat and replied.
"Why would I be? I have my honey boo right here. Bulky guys like Jon are not my type." She said while pulling Mirren closer. "The one who should be jealous is Miranda, by the way."
As she pointed at Miranda, everyone looked at the Altmer blonde who was abnormally silent even for the silent her.
"Mira! Mira… Nirn to Miranda, over!" Jon called.
"Hm?" She seemed to have recovered from some overthinking.
"Everything is alright up there, astronaut?" He asked.
"What?" She replied not following up with anything.
The rest couldn't help but laugh at her.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Isha asked.
Miranda seemed uncomfortable and hesitant but eventually she spoke.
"Something doesn't add up in the story we just heard." She said.
"..."
The air tensed all of a sudden. Mirren gave her a meaningful look that hints 'not now'.
"What is it?" Isha asked. "What doesn't add up?"
Miranda felt some guilt bringing up that matter. Before she passes away, Isha was in a sorry state of overflowing emotions but she turned very bright when she just woke up. It is best not to say anything but it felt important.
"What I don't feel good about is that woman called Dalilah. She went to such lengths making a curse and organizing everything but what I don't understand is how Isha's Labours are related to that." She said.
Now that she said that, it made sense.
"She could just trick Isha like everyone in the Citadel, right? Why send her on a fool's errand when she was just a devastated sister, nothing more?"
Miranda's question took things from a whole different perspective. Not "What Happened" but "Why it Happened".
There was only one person to answer that. Little Boethiah who was clinging to Jon.
She felt the gazes on her so she sat down beside Jon.
"I was going to get to that later but looks like I can't avoid now… Fine." She said.
The others listened carefully as she raised three fingers.
"You have only asked one question while you should have asked three. These are; Why Isha? Why kill me? And Why the Spear of Bitter Mercy?
To answer that, I must mention that the woman called Dalilah has managed to kill three birds with one stone.
First, Isha had to be disposed of. Kidnapping or killing her were available options but Necromancers know very well how tricky can souls be especially the ones with a blood bond like Isha and her brother. Isha's soul might have reacted and emerged as a ghost to warn the people if she was killed or her brother's soul would have reacted violently if she was in distress.
The Labours were perfect tool to just make her walk away.
Second, the reason why I was killed was not just to force Isha into Labours but to prevent me from seeing something. As you know, I am powerful when it comes to Divinations maybe the best out there only second to the Red-Eyed Queen of Winterhold.
However, that period I died in is a blind period to me.
Until a certain time, that vision was blocked from me. That was the very period they took Zain out of the Grave and sat him out. That's why Dalilah had me killed on Isha's hand.
Lastly and the most important thing is that spear, the [Spear of Bitter Mercy]. A powerful Daedric Weapon of Hircine that no one can get rid of or seal. It was the best action to send that weapon away with Isha.
After all… it is the only weapon out there that can threaten him.
The only weapon that can kill Zain."
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