Others have already ninja'd me as far as my favorite quotes... I simply loved the depth you add to the Dissident Priests- Gilvas in particular.

The natural suspicion which forces Rales to recount his reluctant acceptance of prophecy.... Perfect.

And the relationship with Zerina is still wonderful.

The look he gave me told me I needed to be that miracle.
No pressure there!

It is good to see Rales and Zerina again, now learning the full story behind how the Tribunal got their power in the first place.

nits:
Maybe they are Temple spies, send to infiltrate our ranks under the pretences being your friend.
That should be sent and pretenses.

I think that part of the darker tone that the others recognize has grown from Rales decision to embody the identity of the Nerevarine. In doing so he places himself firmly at odds with the accepted view of the Temple. It is only natural that he would begin to question the faith, and the purveyors of it.

In the chapter before this last one you say that Mehra’s hair grows out after ‘several’ days, yet a few sentences later you say that Rales and Zerina have spent ‘two days at sea’. We know that they only spent at most a few hours in the Cult Shrine before boarding Blatta’s boat. That inconsistency is a little jarring.

The scene at Holomayan was great. Gilvas’ suspicion was perfectly rendered. And Rales acceptance as fact of his new identity is exactly what needed to happen to push events toward their inevitable conclusion. And that last line was the perfect thing for a librarian to say!

Thanks everyone for the kind words. It kind of flowed naturally this way.

@Destri: I don't understand what you mean. As far as a I know, 2 days is a couple of days so I see no inconsistency with it. However; I will have a look at it.

edit: You are referring to this part I assume?

Yep, that's the part. Several could mean two, I suppose. But then why not just say 'a couple'?

I used several because, well, I have no particular reason. But if you think the usage of "a couple" is less jarring than "several" I will change it into that. Thanks

A/N (most ) Spelling mistakes are on purpose in this part.
Day 415

‘You have returned to us. Have you found the Lost Prophecies?’
‘We have. Here they are,’ I said, while carefully taking the brittle ancient books from my bag and gave them to Nibeni. For several moments she stared at the books and then handed them back to me reverently.
‘You are going to have to read them to me untill I can memorise them.’
I blinked incredulously. The Wise Woman of the Urshilaku is an illiterate?
Nibeni picked up on my apprehension and explained.
‘We Ashlanders do not believe in the written word, ever since the tribes have settled here, legends, stories and prophecies have been passed on from generation to generation by the spoken word. It may not be the best way but books get lost or get burned. Words can never be stolen or destroyed.’
‘Well, let’s get started then,’ I enthusiastically said. Who was I to criticise a tradition sustained for millenia?

Hours later, she was confident she could memorise all that had gone lost to the tribes.
‘Leave me now, while I seek guidance from the ancestors and overthink the prophecies. Return to me when the moons have come and gone.’
‘What do you mean when the moons have come and gone? A day or a month?’ I asked but Nibeni had started humming an un-understandable chant and waved me away. I shrugged and quietly left her tent. I decided she likely meant a day, surely she wouldn’t need a month to consult the ancestors. To make sure I wouldn’t disturb her too early I stayed away for two days. That way Zerina and I also had some more time for ourselves, something we’ve had too little of in those last hectic few months of travelling back and fro everywhere.

Two days weren’t enough to return to Ald’ruhn or Balmora so Zerina and I lingered around the camp, thankful for the tent the Urshilaku had put up for us. We hunted, rested and socialised with the tribe, further reinforcing the bond we already had with the Urshilaku. The reservation they had towards Zerina had nearly dissipated and she had been accepted into the tribe almost as much as I was. They must have realised she was as much as a part of me as the prophecies, or even my limbs, were. Without her, I just didn’t feel complete.

‘Why won’t you shell me your shlave?’ Sul Matuul asked me the first night of our short holiday. ‘She’d be better off with me anyway. With a real man,’ he bragged.
The Ashkhan and I had gotten of on a bad start when we had first met but we spend many hours drinking and laughing into the small hours. It was my honour to call him my friend.
“I told ya before.. hic. She’sh no my prope- proppy- ,’ I sloshed. ‘I don’t own her.’
‘Yer no fun,’ he pouted. ‘Have another drink,’ he laughed and held out the bottle of saltrice-wine. By that time, I was too intoxicated to refuse and had him refill my cup.

And so it continued untill we both passed out and felt sorry for ourselves the next day after. Of course, the women had no sympathy for our poor state the following morning. In fact; some were complaining about our “singing” keeping them awake, which we had no recollection on. Sul Matuul and I had just looked at each other sullenly and had burst out in laughter. And both regretted that the very same moment when the smithy in both our head made its presence painfully clear.
‘Hair of the dog?’ Sul suggested. Since we hadn’t much else better to do I accepted.
Zerina actually joined us. I presumed to keep an eye out on us both so we wouldn’t misbehave again that night.

Rales better be careful! Sul might get him drunk and kidnap Zerina !!! I love this chapter!

Okay, the spelling queen that is me is going to raise her hand and object!

reverantly = reverently
iliterate = illiterate
traditon = tradition

But the writer in me says that un-understandable can stand as it is, since it is a 'Rales-ism', as is overthink (as opposed to 'think over'). Also the conversation between Rales and Sul Matuul is fine as is.

I enjoyed this little bit of a chapter as a nice interlude after the previous activity. Like Rales and Zerina, it is nice to slow down and kick back for a bit.

Thanks, I appreciate the kind words. I figured they could have done some random quest in the two days they had to spare but it wouldn't have added to the story in my opinion so they rested and had a little fun with the Urshilaku in stead.

I can explain the spelling errors on two accounts.
Illiterate: I rewrote that word four or five times. I just couldn't decide if it should be with one "L" or with two. I finally decided on only one "L" cause I thought it looked better.
Reverently: Same thing, is it with an "E" or an "A"? I decided wrong haha
Tradition was the only real typo.

Next installment the dynamic duo (sorry, couldn't resist ) will be trotting off towards "The cavern of the incarnate" but first Rales will need to prove himself one more time to Sul-Matuul. And it won't be a drinking contest Yup, you guessed it, time for Kogoruhn. I am not sure I should write Zerina into that because it's a test so I think Rales should do it on his own.

That ambiguity always bothered me, and Trey went off and wasted a month of game time. When I mentioned it to mrs. treydog, she immediately said, “Oh, that means one day.” (Grumble grumble)- must be a female thing.



That is just a heart-warming passage.

Kogoruhn! That is one of those places where Bethsoft got the creepiness exactly right. Be careful in there, Rales. If you get killed, Zerinna will have you reanimated just so she can kill you all over again herself.

The drunken conversation between Rales an Sul Matuul was great. The fact that the Ashkhan feels comfortable enough with Rales to give him [censored] over Zerina says a lot about how accepted he is by the tribe.

There were also some wonderfully ‘Ralesian’ turns of phrase in this:



I enjoyed all of these.

And I am eager to see how Rales tackles Kogoruhn alone. I am also eager to see how Zerina greets him upon his return. By then she will probably be the new Ashkhan!

Without her, I just didn’t feel complete.

Rales is such a sweetie. When he is not getting drunk off his boat (and probably staggering home and peeing all over Zerina in bed, because he thought he was in the bathroom).

A nice interlude.

I quite liked this!

Sorry guys that it is taking so long but I am working on an update.

Everyone is having a slowdown period lately, don't feel bad - BUT HURRY !!!! LOL!!! (Just kidding)

GAAAAH!!! Does this mean what I think it means? WOOOOOOOOT !!!!