The Timely Lie
A/n: a 4K words chapter which is a double Chapter. Daily + 8k Votes extra
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As the threats were over around Mournhold, the city could take a breather for the coming few months. The opposition between the Government, the Temple and the People was turned down a tad by the uncovering of some plots regarding what House Dres tried to do in Narsis and how House Indoril was about to hinder the missions if the Labourers of Azura, Boethiah and Mephala. Of course, the Government and the Temple could put merely some pressure on the Great Houses and let bygones be bygones after some donations and contributions.
Politics was always like that at the end of the day. Religions create lines, Coins solve problems and Politicians keep a wide smile and hide agendas within agendas.
Regarding the Labourers, Mirren and Miranda, as well as Isha, seemed to have finished their seven Labours and paid the Daedra back. Jon, however, was sitting alone thinking while looking at Isha from afar.
He just received his Seventh Labour from Aranea.
"Follow the Spearmaiden and your Labour will be revealed." She said.
He could pretty much anticipate that. He was told once that Isha is a big player in his Final Labour but...
"You bastards, the girl has gone through Oblivion to finish her Labours and go home. What more do you want from her?" Jon roared at Aranea back then.
Not that he could expect an answer but all he was told was that she will need him whether he liked it or not. Somehow, he had to figure out an excuse to say that he will stick around with her or anything.
"... Goddammit..." Jon could only bury his face between his arms and hope this gets better somehow.
"So... the Martial Arts schools in Hammerfell should be more promising than Black March, right? We wanted to try the Dunmeri Martial Arts but sadly they are declining." Mirren spoke to Lanmas as the two were having a conversation at the bar area.
"I can help with that. I am from a renowned Martial Arts school myself and I have friends in various schools... but do you think it is a good idea being an Altmer and roaming around Hammerfell?" Isha joined the conversation.
"As long as there is a mutual base understanding to martial arts between those schools and mine, I don't mind going to Oblivion if it takes that." Mirren replied.
"Our Master wanted us to compete with other martial artists if possible." Even the quiet Miranda decided to join.
"What school are you from?" (Isha)
"Desert Wind." (Mirren)
"From Elsweyr? That's famous." (Isha)
"What about you?" (Miranda)
"Ebonarm Citadel, the Western Mosque." (Isha)
"The School of the Spear Battlelord?" (Miranda)
"That's a surprise." (Mirren)
"I am an instructor at my school. You can follow me back home if you wish, I'll show you around and introduce you to my brother." (Isha)
Jon's ear suddenly reacted like a cat's ear to that last thing.
"Can I tag along as well?" He said right away.
The rest looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"You are interested in Martial Arts?" Mirren asked.
"Do Nords have any Martial Traditions other than training their Battle-Spirits and swinging around their axes?" Even Isha wondered.
Jon felt a bit awkward. It was a common knowledge that Nords, Breton and Altmer don't practice Martial Arts the same way the other races do. Redguard, Khajiit, Argonians, Dunmer and sometimes Imperials are very enthusiastic about Martial Arts but it is a common misconception that other races don't do as well.
All races practiced martial arts someway or another else there would be no people known as warriors. Traditional Martial Arts weren't necessarily what everyone needed as common weapon technique and warfare teachings were already widespread. Most would associate the Technique to the Weapon rather than to a Style School. Nords had Axemen Berserkers who fight different than a Breton Axe Warband, some styles are suitable for groups while others are suitable for individuals but it was all about the weapon in the end.
Still, it was awkward not to name a single martial art in front of them.
".. We have Glima." Jon said. [A/n: Nordic Folk Wrestling]
"That's just wrestling. Everyone wrestle." Mirren retorted.
"Then I'll go with you. Maybe I'll gain some interest in something while I am at it." Jon slipped his agenda perfectly.
"Good, the more the merrier." Isha said.
"What about your last Labour? Won't you go slay one of those Dragons you don't shut up about?" Mirren aimed where it hurts.
"Ah... Well, Aranea met me this morning and had something interesting about my Labour..."
"Oh! What is it?" The three were interested right away.
"Well... it seems that... I have to roam the world and find out. Hahaha! Going with you is not that bad for a starter, isn't it?" Jon laughed it off.
"Hm... vague!" Miranda narrowed her eyes and didn't say anything further.
The talk about Martial Arts kept going on and on. As far as Jon is concerned, he knows a fairly good amount of sword techniques and the basics were hammered into him by Hilda. If it is about Unarmed fighting then he knows Boxing, Kickboxing, Wrestling and some MMA he picked from his memories.
Boarding his knowledge about Martial Arts... this became a good excuse to follow along indeed but he has to participate in every conversation with these three Martial Arts fanatics from now on.
What was making him busy right now was his book that got finished but kept him busy copying it by magic. He was struggling a bit with some finishes but it all came together at the end of the day.
By the second morning, Jon was wearing his crimson College Robe that had his badge as a teacher in Winterhold and took a few of his book's copies with him.
"I hope you are ready." The Old Woman waited for him in her carriage.
Jon sighed and nodded.
"I hoped my master could be here today but I hope you help me sent those copies back home to Winterhold."
"Without fail, my friend. I must say I have quite the number of questions but I'll leave them to the debate. Off we go, driver."
***
Shad Astula Academy was right to the North of Mournhold and the carriage ride took only a couple of hours to get there. Next thing Jon knew was being welcomed by the staff members of Shad Astula.
The Old Woman was a major donator to the Academy and she pulled a few strings for Jon to have a meeting in the main hall of the Academy with the Masters and the Arch Mage. Sadly, because of him being a Nord, some had an indifferent atmosphere towards what a Nord mage would come up with in a book so they just were here for the sake of formalities.
Prior to this day, Jon had to deliver a copy of his book to the Academy to at least have his examiners ready to roast him a little but somehow his examiners didn't show up until he was in the hall. Defying his expectations, there was a number of students from various races in the hall and the high member of the Academy took the first seats.
Jon stood on the stage behind a lectern and three old mages showed up and stood in front of him.
"Examinee Jon Dare, Expert Mystic from our friend and rival the College of Winterhold. That was quite a book you wrote." One of the examiners said.
"Thanks, sir."
"Don't thank me just yet. We are obliged to examine you about what you wrote and ask some questions. Let's start from the beginning... the Title... You called your book [The Timely Lie]."
"Indeed."
"Explain the title."
"The book contains some of my studies on the Teachings of the Prophet Veloth which caused the Chimer people to follow the Daedric Princes Mephala and Boethiah and denounce the faith of the Aldmer as well as the relationship between those Teachings and the God of Time. I also added some of my thoughts on the God of Time in all his forms and finally how to employ the Teachings of Prophet Veloth which are known as [The Psijic Endeavor]." Jon explained briefly.
The whole hall tensed in one go. This subject is 100% Dark Elf related. The Chimer are the ancestors of the Dunmer and this book goes around their very origin. For an outsider to come with such a book and demand it to be published in Morrowind... he is either a fool who wants to show off and embarrass himself or someone with a big theory in mind that will go headbutting many ideas and researches.
"Truth be told, the book is quite a dangerous subject. Jon Dare, as a researcher you should know that, right?"
"Absolutely."
"Then let's start..."
And the debate began. Three Master's from Shad Astula against Jon Dare questioning every little detail in his book, that includes the writing style and the language mistakes too.
"First off, I wrote an introduction about the Psijic Endeavor as one of the known six Walk Ways and a method of attaining divinity (achieving the Tower), becoming a Royalty (CHIM) and what to do after. It is known as a process of glorious apotheosis, where Time itself is bent inward and outward into 'a Shape that is always New'. The Shape that is always New is a metaphor for growth in my personal opinion.
The term 'Psijic' itself comes from PSJJJJ which is not a word to be read but rather a sigil from the Ehlnofex (Language of the Fallen Spirits) and it describes the Chaotic Motions of Sithis, the very Spirit of Padomay, the one Primal Chaos.
My research relies on the Monomyth of Creation regarding how by the Presence of the God of Time could the Chaos be resolved into Order and the Spirits came to be. The Psijic Endeavor, in my opinion, is the process where time is seen as a hindrance and the very reason behind Mortality, unlike the common belief for it as the fault of Lorkhan.
What I am trying to say is... Why did the Elven Ancestor Trinimac try to stop Prophet Veloth from spreading his teachings among the Aldmer and also trying to stop the Chimer migration to Morrowind only to get himself devoured by Boethiah and later exerted as the Daedric Prince Malacath? Boethiah claimed that many lies and rumors about Lorkhan were the fabrications of Trinimac as she spoke in his voice to reveal them.
This accident happened in the Merethic Era when creations were still struggling with Mortality. Due to the creation of the Mortal World, many Spirits lost their Immortality and became our ancestors. They tried hard to go back to Aetherius again and attain Immortality especially the Aldmer, ancestors of all Elves, but when Prophet Veloth came up with a method, he faced opposition.
Wasn't regaining immortality the big deal at that time and Trinimac actions are seriously unexplained regarding his unending Animosity to Lorkhan and the Humans? I am not sure about the schools of thoughts back then but I assume that some considered getting aid from the forces of Oblivion to be heresy. I took a few notes in that subject but that is not what the research is about.
The important thing comes when I mention the effects of the Mind on Reality. What we believe in becomes possible and take Sheogorath for example. In most parts of the world, he is the well dressed gentleman with a cane who has an ever so changing mood with the homicidal tendencies of making juice out of babies and creating musical instruments out of old ladies. In Elsweyr however, he is the Skooma Cat who appears as an Alfiq with the tendency to lick people into madness and use them as playthings. At the end of the day, it is the same Old Sheogorath either way but what is different is the way people perceive in him. He won't appear to Dunmer as a cat... only to a Khajiit and in Elsweyr.
As I mentioned, belief is a big part of the answer and that is not just limited to Sheogorath and the other Daedric Bunch but same goes for Aedra. We have Lorkhan who is Shezarr who is Sheor who is Shor who is Sep who is the Totem Fox. Shor appeared to Ysgramor as a fox back in the days of the Ancient Nordic Pantheon on Atmora but his avatars came afterwards as Men like Ysmir Wulfharth for example.
One of the interesting examples of change is with the God of Time himself as his aspects vary from one another as sperate entities all together and that's due to Belief. It changed a whole lot about the God of Time.
At first, he was Auri-El, the Patron of Aldmer, Altmer and Falmer as far as we know. Then Saint Alessia came and established a covenant with a form of the God of Time known as the Dragon Akatosh.
How did this Akatosh come to be?
In the early days of the First Empire, the Alessian Sect watered all the Gods of Elves and Men into new versions that suit its purposes and the most important mix was between Shezarr, a version of Lorkhan symbolized by the Snake, and Auriel of the Elves, symbolized by the Eagle. The Eagle and the Snake gave us Akatosh, the Dragon.
Now I know there are other researches to read about that point but what I want to highlight is the ability to change in the nature of the Original Spirits. Sheogorath himself once said "Everything changes even Daedric Princes... especially Daedric Princes."
This change is mostly based on belief but how can almighty beings as the Aedra and the Daedra be so easy to change?
The answer is always Beliefs and Thoughts but... is that it?
No one is interested in changing the Daedra or the Aedra. The Orcs and the Dunmer should know very well how these things turn into disasters in the end.
But what else is there that can change by belief or rather "Mass Belief"?
There is a term in Psychology known as the Placebo Effect. You are having mild dizziness then I give you a medicine which is not actually a medicine then you somehow become better. Its opposite is the Nocebo Effect where I give you a drug and say this will make you vomit while it actually doesn't but you vomit anyway.
Now keep that in mind.
The World works the same way. Our Beliefs has an effect on the Gods that may change something about them or even create an entirely new aspect. Our Minds create Reality.
We keep that in mind too and go back to the Prophet Veloth teachings about the Psijic Endeavor. In the Dunmer Pantheon which is based on these teachings, there is no existence for the God of Time whatsoever.
The Psijic Endeavor relies on twisting the Time to achieve immortality by denying Time itself.
Now we know that Reality relies on Belief and Beliefs can change almost anything. Then isn't the concept of Time is also just a belief that can be denied.
The Mind can create its own Reality and World Changing ideas need to be Viral. From the Dawn Era when Time was not stable or linear until it settled down in the days of the Merethic Era... how long did it take to make an agreeable concept of Time by the collective thoughts of people?
Is it possible... that we just live in a Timely Lie?
That Time itself is just one of the other Illusions that the Mundus forced on us?
If that's the case... what else is an illusion?
Age?
Getting Old?
Dying?
Reality has more riddles that complicate our lives more than Time and 'Belief can Change the World' is nothing but a worthy shot in my opinion.
The multiracial problem ever since Creation was to return from this Mortal World back to the Immortal World where our ancestors came from.
Wouldn't this mean that Robbing Time from the Dragon is a good way to do so?"
Jon finished the presentation and took a breath.
"If you are interested then by all means, read more details in my book."
***
The Examination Committee seemed to be taking its time considering the book and the wild ideas Jon came up with.
"Aging is an Illusion? Say that to my wrinkles." The Old Woman tapped on Jon's shoulder.
"Oh come on, you're beautiful beyond redemption." Jon turned to her with a smug joke.
"Didn't expect any less from your book. Now people say you are mad." She said.
"Blessed be the Mad..." Jon said but got interrupted.
"... For they hold the Key to the Secret Knowledge." A man continued for him.
Jon and the Old Woman turned to see a dark elf old man in a super fancy robe.
"Who said that?" The Old Woman asked.
"Sheogorath." The Old Man said.
"Divy, how marvelous to see you here, my dear. Come here." The Old Woman and exchanged a kiss with him.
"Don't mind us, my friend. This is an old friend of mine." The Old Woman coolly brushed her action off, she then lowered her tone and spoke.
"Let me introduce you, this is..."
"An honor to meet you once again, Great Grandmaster." Jon put a hand on his chest and slightly bowed for the Old Man.
"You know each other... Wait! Great Grandmaster?" The Old Woman looked between Jon and Divayth Fyr.
"Well well, looks like you have been busy writing a book, Jon my boy. Those were some nice ideas" Divayth Fyr said.
"Thank you very much."
"Loosen up a bit. And you, little girl, how come you know Alfe's Student's Student?" Divayth Fyr asked.
"I see... He is a business partner and currently exiled from Skyrim so he is staying at my place for some time." She said.
"Exiled? Is there someone bold enough to exile one of my line of students?" Divayth Fyr turned scary all of a sudden.
"It is just an arrangement for a couple of years until peace returns to the land. Killing ten Thalmor Arch Wizards and a battalion of two thousand while being a Demigod for ten minutes is bound to bring trouble to my people." Jon explained.
"I see. Fairly good job. Looks like I am missing the fun nowadays. Tell me you are going to get back on them anyway." Divayth Fyr said mischievously.
"Sure, I just need some time to not attract the attention of any Thalmor Ancestor or anything." Jon replied.
"Thalmor Ancestor? No, you don't need to worry about that woman. She saw her children getting slaughtered a couple of centuries ago and didn't raise a finger. Do as you wish with them, they just use the name of that Ancestor as a facade."
"Really?" Jon was taken aback.
"Truth be told, Skyrim has more Ancestors than Summerset." Divayth Fyr dropped another bomb.
"Impossible! Never came across any." Jon couldn't take that one even from Divayth Fyr himself.
"Don't you have that Temple on the Snow Throat mountain? High Hrothgar?"
"You mean... the Greybeards?"
"Exactly. They are the Ancestors of Skyrim and they can even Summon other Ancestors by their voices from that Sovngarde just like how the Dunmer summon Ancestors by Magic."
"..." Jon was having a hard time processing that one.
"Worry not, my friend. Ancestors are mostly peaceful in all countries. One can only imagine the damage they do when they start throwing spells around." The Old Woman comforted Jon.
"Yeah... one can only imagine..." Jon said with empty eyes.
He had a pretty good idea of what she talked about. Anyone who played the game must have tried to take the Greybeards on at least once. Long story short, this was one of those moments when players were abused to death by NPCs.
"Thank you for your advice, Great Grandmaster."
"It's okay. Here I was planning to pass some time with old colleagues and here I find a book for a good read. I'll be around, young Jon, little girl." Divayth Fyr kept a low key and disappeared away to not attract attention.
"You didn't tell me you're from Divy's line of students." The Old Woman remarked.
"Not really a thing that anyone can believe... And you never told me you're all chummy with him." Jon said.
"Old-timers like us tend to strike together. Also, Divy and I are just friends. His list of lovers and mine are just too loose if I may say." She said without no shame.
"Amazing. I may have just found my ideal grandparents. So proud of you, guys!"
"Oh, you big flirt." She said then looked around, "Will they take all day?"
"No idea. But getting late means they are arguing." Jon looked around and found a mage from the staff and asked. "Do they usually take this long?"
"Oh, not really but a Priest from the Temple has entered the Committee to verify the facts from the Teachings of Prophet Veloth. It's all in progress." The staff member comforted Jon.
"In progress." Jon said to the Old Woman.
"Progress? Ah! It's a bitch." She said with an annoyed face.
"Indeed."
"Don't worry, I have a feeling your book will strike it high... but I have questions."
"Ask away."
"In your book, you left some questions unanswered. Shouldn't a book be about enlightening the reader?"
"Indeed. But the only question I left unanswered is about Robbing the Dragon." He answered.
"Robbing Time you mean." She said, "You say that time is a Lie but at the same time, Time is a thing that can be robbed?"
"Is the Dragon is only about time?" He asked.
"... The Sun... I guess."
"Isn't that Magnus?"
"Don't think you can confuse me. The Worshipers of Auri-El symbolize him through the Sun which is the Source of Magic. Also, the Blessing of Akatosh is about Magicka Regeneration." She said.
"You are right. What more do you understand?" He asked.
"The Law of the Dragon God of Time comes through the Sun which also brings Light and Magicka. If that's the case then hoarding Magicka in one's constitution is the answer. Which means more Meditation to Magicka... but all mages meditate, no real result here."
"Indeed. But you needed to meditate stronger." Jon corrected her.
"Is it safe?"
"An Astral Damage might occur but one needs to perfect the method and find the paths between the flesh and the spirit. Then by certain Techniques, one can open the door for enhancing their Spirit, then their Flesh, then their Hearts as far as I could reach."
"Wait... you can do that?"
"This is as far as I can hold your hand, Old Cat. Figure out the rest and let's talk during the party tomorrow." Jon said with a wink as he noticed the examiners coming out.
"Wait! What exactly am I lacking then?" The Old Woman couldn't let go of the entertainment moment.
Jon pointed to his head and spoke.
"Imagination."
"Oh... I see... The Idea of the Possibility… in other words... The Belief..."
"Hehe... you sly old woman!"
Jon was fascinated by how an Old Woman was as enthusiastic as a young researcher. Geniuses are geniuses no matter the age.
However, it was time.
The score of Jon's book was being announced. Jon was seriously not knowing how the Dunmer will react to a book written based on their traditional beliefs by an outsider.
They may just deny it.
But the paper that was hung on the front wall of the hall put a smile on his face.
[The Timely Lie - Verified by the Temple of Reclamation, Accepted by the Academy of Shad Astula - Allowed for Public Release]
"I never tire of being correct." The Old Woman said.
~~~~~~~~~~
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