Chapter 13: Lifting the Curse

"Judging by the symbol marked on you, it seems you were cursed in the name of a Daedric Prince," Brelyna muttered, her eyes glowing softly as she scanned Randjolf's body from head to toe.

Those words startled Randjolf, causing him to turn around. "What? But who—" he began, but Brelyna interrupted him.

"Hush!" she said, slapping the old man's back and yanking him back to his previous position. She didn't want to be disturbed as she tried to focus. "I see now why you are acting like this," she added, clicking her tongue as she realized something.

Randjolf tilted his head, thinking, "This woman loves to beat around the bush." He exhaled a big breath through his nose. "What do you mean?" he inquired.

"Were you always this aggressive? Do you find that you get easily angered by anything?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Were you always this aggressive? Do you find that you get easily angered by anything?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"I... don't remember," he admitted, confusion flickering in his eyes as he faced Brelyna.

Brelyna sighed heavily before answering, "That is part of the curse. Anyway, the Daedric marks on your back indicate you're being influenced by Mehrunes Dagon."

"The Daedric Prince who tried to bring Oblivion to Nirn?" Loydja said, imagining what they looked like when they tried coming here to the world of mortals. The Dunmer nodded as she confirmed her inquiry.

"But who could have done this?" Randjolf asked a mix of anger and desperation in his voice as he sat down on the ground.

"If you ask me, the only people who can cast a curse under the name of Mehrunes Dagon are the Mythic Dawn: a group of fanatics that worships Dagon. You haven't, by chance, pissed them off, have you?" Brelyna said, her tone edged with concern and suspicion.

"I know who they are and their banner, but I don't remember encountering any of them," Randjolf replied, frustration lacing his voice.

Brelyna nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I see, the curse doesn't allow you to remember them. This is new to me. I haven't heard anything about them in Skyrim in ages, but I do remember Lord Ysmir killed a lone member of the faction. The man had a museum in Dawnstar and was keeping items related to the Mythic Dawn faction," she explained, her voice filled with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Well, you need to get that curse lifted. Go pray to a shrine, and do it sincerely, else the curse won't be lifted," Brelyna added, extending her hand to the old man.

He accepted her hand, standing up and towering over Brelyna with his height. "The nearest shrines are located near the settlement center," he stated, his voice sounding like he was giving up, knowing that he was very tired, he wanted to laze around for rest.

"You don't have to go that far. There's already a shrine nearby," Brelyna smiled reassuringly.

"Ah, yes..." Loydja nodded in agreement, her eyes lighting up as she understood the Dunmer.

"Do you still believe that he truly ascended to godhood?" Randjolf questioned, feeling skeptical, he squinted his eyes as he noticed their implication.

"Why don't you believe and try, to see what happens," Loydja smiled encouragingly.

"Loydja, you should go with him... as you also worship Lord Ysmir better than any of us," Brelyna suggested, using a gentle yet firm voice.

"How about you?" Loydja asked as curiosity could be felt in her voice.

Brelyna smirked. "I want to study the markings on this wall so I can restore it," she said, pointing at the magic runes written all over the walls, her eyes gleaming with excitement as this triggered her love for magic, especially the mysterious ones.

"Kugh..." Randjolf moaned in pain, causing both women to turn towards him.

"The Grand Healing spell isn't omnipotent. You will need rest after you lift the curse," Brelyna advised.

"All right," Loydja responded, moving to offer her support to Randjolf.

"Let's meet later. Get cleaned up, and we'll discuss how to handle the boy," Brelyna reminded them, referring to the letter they had discussed earlier. Both Nords nodded in agreement as they exited through the hole in the wall.

"Oh, so you read books now? I thought you only trained your muscles," Randjolf said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

"You old fool, you want me to drop you here right now? Or should I use that technique on you again?" she shot back, her voice filled with irritation. Their argument became muffled and more inaudible as they left the war room going towards the statue.

Now only Brelyna remained in the war room. Once the others had left, she unleashed her inner beast. Her grin widened into a maniacal smile, and her eyes sparkled with uncontrollable joy and exhilaration. It wasn't just love for magic, it was obsession, that also made her a magic fanatic.

"Now, how did you create this, my lady? Kuhahaha!" she chuckled to herself, laughing wildly as she approached the magical runes etched into the walls of the war room.

...

A few hours later, Randjolf and Loydja finally managed to lift his curse. The process took some time, as Randjolf had initially doubted their Lord's ascension to godhood which explains why his prayer to the shrined didn't work for hours. However, when he made the effort to believe, he was astonished to find that it worked. He felt a divine power cleansing his body and bestowing new strength upon him. Though he couldn't yet uncover the full extent of its benefits, he was certain of its presence.

Tears burst from his eyes in confusion; his mind was filled with disbelief, but his heart, touched by the blessing, accepted it. Unsure of what to believe, he chose to embrace the possibility that their Lord Ysmir had indeed ascended to godhood. Overwhelmed by a mixture of joy and sorrow, he shed tears, as these emotions carried the weight of nearly a century's worth of shared adventures.

Meanwhile, Brelyna, who had spent hours in the war room, was drowned in immense pleasure from studying the wall engravings. Even after Randjolf and Loydja had finished, she continued her examination, having deciphered only half of the runes. She was confident that by the following night, she would complete the task with ease. This was an incredible achievement given her level of magical knowledge, as it would typically take a regular researcher months or even years to fully decode such runes. This is what makes the runes in this room very special which also tracks it to its creator "The Lady" a very special person.

As midnight approached, the eerie song of silence filled the air, accompanied by the crackling of a fire in the background, the three gathered in the dining hall, preparing for their discussion. Shortly after, Rayya arrived with the other two servants and the gatekeeper, and they all took their seats.

"Considering this is a very special meeting, how about we temporarily drop the act and speak as good old companions just for this night?" Randjolf suggested with a smirk, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the dining hall.

...