As Mala is led to the doors of the meeting chamber, she closes her eyes and lifts her head to the heavens, “Lady Azura, please give me the courage I need to face the lies and falsehoods thrown at me. Allow me life so that I can bring joy and love to all, not just the Dunmer. May your Star guide me and may your Moon shelter me.” With that whispered prayer, she fixes her traditional chimeri garb that she had fashioned to have the same colors and patterns as Inodril Nerevar’s armor when he fell. She places the golden mask of Indoril Nerevar on her face and opens the doors of the chamber.
There were three thrones, each being filled by the Tribunal. On the leftmost throne was Almalexia; she wore her skimpy clothing and her long red hair seemed to flow even without the wind. This was the first time Mala has seen Mother Morrowind without her war mask, and she must admit that the goddess was as beautiful as the poems describe. On the rightmost throne was the Clockwork God himself, Sotha Sil. He wore white and gold robes and his left arm was replaced with a metal arm. His red eyes seemed to stare at Mala with disinterest. Sitting in the middle throne was Vivec. He was the only one to give Mala a kind smile.
Vivec waves his hand and the doors close behind Mala. “Welcome, Mala’Dashil of House Lalaith. Thank you for coming. We have not all been in one room in the flesh in hundreds of years…”
Sotha Sil shakes his head. “Let us get to the point. I am wasting time. Time waits for no one, not even for gods.”
“Agreed.” Almalexia growls softly.
“Very well. Mala’Dashil, we have brought you here to discuss your claims of being the Nerevarine. Show us your proof.” Vivec motions towards the Chimer.
Mala bows deeply to the three. “Thank you all for giving me this opportunity.” She shows them the Moon and Star ring on her left hand. “I am able to wear Indoril Nerevar’s ring. As you know, only an incarnate can wear it.”
“Lies. That is a false ring.” Almalexia growls and claps her hand. A priestess would gently open the chamber doors and walk towards the goddess. The golden goddess would continue to glare at Mala, “Have this priestess wear the ring.”
Mala gasps and shakes her head. “No! That will…”She is cut off by the goddess. “Do. IT!”The priestess would walk towards Mala and look curiously at the ring. Mala would stare at the goddess and stand her ground. “Do you even care about your people anymore?! She will DIE! I do not want to take her life. If you are so confident that this ring is false, why do you not want to wear it?!”
Almalexia frowns and responds, “You could have laced it with something that could kill me.”“Enough.” Vivec says firmly. “Sister,” he turns to the goddess, “This woman’s life is in your hands. Do not descend into madness. Are you not the mother of the Dunmeri race? Are you not supposed to protect your children from harm?”
“Hypocrite.” Almalexia hisses before addressing Mala, “False prophetess, give the ring to my priestess.”
Mala turns to the priestess and gives her a sympathetic look before taking off the Moon and Star ring and hands it to the woman. The woman examines it and marvels at its beauty before picking it up and moving it towards her finger. As soon as it touches the tip of her finger, her face contorts in pain and she drops it, instead, she grips her heart and falls to the ground dead.Mala immediately drops to her knees and checks for her pulse along with a cast of Healer’s Sight to see what damages the woman sustained. The woman’s heart seemed to stop beating. “She… she is dead. Are you happy now, Almalexia? She did not have to die.”
Almalexia frowns even more. “So it seems that my late husband’s ring is not a fake.”
As Mala retrieves the Moon and Star ring, Vivec responds, “I hope that you are satisfied, sister.” He turns back to Mala. “You already have my answer, Nerevarine. I will do what I can to help.”
“How can you just agree to follow?! You do know that the prophecy ends with our demise, do you?”
“I do, Almalexia. The prophecy also dictates that the Nerevarine will help restore our people to glory. I would like our people to survive this wretched disease that is killing our land and destroying their souls.”
“The Corprus?” Sotha Sil finally says, “Give me enough time and I can mass produce a vaccine for the people, though I would like to be left alone in my Clockwork City.” He would turn to Mala, his voice feeling more monotone and emotionless than Friva, “I would like to be left alone. I will not fight you, Nerevarine or no. The fabricants that were sent to attack you were not under my control. They were stolen and an investigation as to who was controlling them is underway. I do not care if you fulfill the prophecy, though I would ask that you personally never step foot into my world.”
Mala bows her head to the Clockwork God. “I accept your terms, oh great inventor.” She turns to Almalexia and asks, “And you, Mother Morrowind?”
Almalexia glares at the woman and responds, “I still do not believe. Other false incarnates have obtained the ring. Fulfill more of the prophecy and I will get out of your way.”
Mala sighs. “Almalexia, Sotha Sil, Vivec… ALMSIVI… I know the source of the Corprus, for the Ash Devil himself appeared to me in a dream. We need to combine our forces and use whomever we can to destroy him and his followers before he destroys Resdayn. He will not stop there. He is insane and wants to destroy the world to save it. I know that you three know this.” She turns to Vivec, “Please sustain the recently built Ghost Fence. We must contain what we can. If people obtain the Corprus, they must be quarantined and put down if their symptoms do not get better.” She turns to Sotha Sil. “Let me know if you require anything to make the vaccine a possibility. I would very much like to use your fabricants to fight against the Devil if they are immune to diseases.” Mala finally turns to Almalexia. “I am a mortal that is trying to save the people. I am no heroine. I don't even think that I am truly the Nerevarine. What I do know is that Dagoth Ur is the biggest threat. Please… I do not care if you hate me. Rally with me to stop this before the Devil becomes too powerful.”
Almalexia waves her hand dismissively at Mala. “I will protect my own. You, little girl, are not one of my own. This meeting has served no purpose.” She would stand and leave the room.
Sotha Sil sighs. “For once, I agree with Almalexia.” He seems to fade from reality as if he was never truly there to begin with, which he likely was not.
Vivec shakes his head. “I apologize, Mala’Dashil. I will do what I can to keep my sister at bay. Use what you can to unite the Houses to prove to her that you are the Nerevarine.”
Mala looks down at the ground. “I do not even feel like I am the Nerevarine. Did she not hear me?”
“Old friend, you once told the young Chimers that a hero is one who rises to the occasion to do the most good that they can.” He motions to the dead priestess. “That girl did what she thought was good and just, even if she was misguided. I would say that she is a heroine to someone. In truth, it matters not if you are not the Nerevarine; the only thing that matters is if this madness is stopped. Do not think that you can do this alone.” He would float over to Mala and rest a hand on her shoulder. “You will perish if you do this alone. Hmmm…” He closes his eyes and looks towards the door. “Let us go to your allies. I do not care that they are not Dunmer. I would like to see the people who will be the true heroes of this land.”
Mala nods and walks alongside Vivec as he leaves the Temple.