"Once the heroes finish their trials and complete all the labors…… the World turns on them and forces them to make a choice…… You read the stories…… you know how it ends."

  Alfe’s word kept ringing in Nurina’s head. She, who looked youthful despite her two hundred years of age, seemed to have grown old all of a sudden.

  Alfe still looked emotionless despite her disciple’s heartbreaking expressions. She then sighed and spoke.

  "That is why I asked you how strong he has become. To those who are Heroes, the stronger they get, the nearer the time of their trial starts."

  Nurina could barely hold her tears and cleared her shrugged throat.

  "Last year, he left Riften at the rank of ’Apprentice Mage’. Once he traveled through Skyrim, he had a fortuitous encounter and grasped some basics of the ways of the Psijics. He then started focusing his all on how to increase his power and learn how to control it but he faced a certain dilemma with his vitality, he found a way to cure himself and achieved a certain degree of balance and was recognized as an ’Expert Mage’ lately."

  "All that in one year! Well, as a disciple of yours, he indeed shows a good promise."

  "Still, he was very well versed in the Thu’um. His talent is shocking."

  "I don’t want to jump to conclusions but there is a chance that he may be a Dragonborn. If that’s the case then I won’t be able to answer as many questions as the people who are well versed in the Thu’um itself."

  Nurina understood what Alfe was trying to say as she was very aware of Jon’s reincarnation and the Dragonborn prophecy. However, she chose to keep such information from Alfe as they are not her secrets to reveal.

  "Hmmm! I understand but let’s focus on Jon’s power for now. You said that the faster it increases, the sooner his trails become. What does that mean?"

  "It is not that hard to understand. Think of it as the World knows when such a disaster shall strike, the World prepares the Heroes to face it so their increase in power is mostly dependant on how the World needs them to be. There is no limits or boundaries to tell how strong a Hero can reach as long as their trials require them to be that strong. But we can tell that the trial is drawing nearer as long as the young heroes are growing stronger."

  "But when Jon finishes the trials, won’t that mean that he will meet his demise?"

  "Probably."

  "Which means it is not a certain thing, right?"

  "Yes, he can find a way. You know that my Father has cured the Hero of Morrowind of the Corprus Disease by stopping the negative effects and allowing the positive effects of the Corprus to remain. Normally, immortality was one of the positive effects of the Corprus."

  "Are you saying that the Great Nerevarine is still alive until this day?"

  "Who knows? Just a few days before the Oblivion Crisis, he said he is going on some journey across the ocean to go and visit Akavir."

  "Akavir?!"

  "Point is that I don’t know if he is alive or not, you can try and ask my father but he will not answer it."

  "Figures…… Grandmaster always valued the privacy of his friends."

  "Another example was the late Champion of Cyrodiil or what people know as the Hero of Kvatch. He had three trials against the Daedric Prince Mehrune Dagon, the ancient Immortal Umaril the Unfeathered, and the Daedric Prince Jyggalag. During the last trial, the Hero was chosen to be Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness, to protect the Isles of Madness from Jyggalag, the Daedric Prince of Order. Sources say that the Sheogorath was actually the cursed form of Jyggalag and the Hero managed to remove the curse from Jyggalag and thus keeping him free from becoming Sheogorath again. Jyggalag, again free to wander Oblivion in his true form, disclosed his story to the Champion and named him the new Prince of Madness before departing."

  "…… You mean that the current day Sheogorath is……"

  "The Hero of Cyrodiil."

  "Wow!"

  The story was not known except to a select few, even a great character like Nurina didn’t know that such a thing happened. She would be really mad when she finds out that Jon knew such a story from before as he himself has seen it from the eyes of the player character during the even of the ’Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion’, but that’s a story for another time.

  "Point is…… the last known two Heroes managed to defy the world by an extreme action. I am not sure about the Nerevarine but the Hero of Kavach ascended to become the Mad God. Not a bad bargain in my opinion." Alfe said and waited for Nurina’s answer.

  Nurina fell into deep thinking and nodded.

  "So, you are saying that Jon’s alarming increase of strength may mean that his trial will start sooner but it also means that he needs to become much stronger to be able to resist the retaliation of the World when he finishes his trials."

  "I am glad you caught up."

  "And that means I need to put him on the toughest training course I can provide……"

  "Now now! You are completely looking at it the wrong way here." Alfe stopped Nurina before thinking about something weird.

  "What do you mean?"

  "If you tried to interfere, you may end up hindering his path."

  "What are you talking about? I have watched over him since he was less than a year old. I have taught him everything there is about Magic."

  "Sigh! Girl, you are deeply emotionally involved with him. Not only you see him as your disciple but as your son as well."

  "…… I don’t understand? Isn’t that the point?"

  "Of course not! Listen, you dumb fool. Heroes pass through nine stages in their lives. They are; the ’Call to the Adventure’ when Heros get the higher calling to stand up and fight the injustice, the ’Training’ when Heroes acquire a new mentor and gain a hold of their power, ’Crossing the Threshold’ when Heroes claim their first success and realize their fate, the ’Road to the Trials’ when Heroes start their long journey to harness their power for good, the ’Belly of the Whale’ is when Heroes face something up and beyond what they were prepared for like when people try to use them or when they face something undefeatable, the ’Seduction’ is when Heroes get lured to do something they regret later on and through it wisdom can be gained, the ’Atonement of the Father’ is when Heroes achieve something great and get ready for the final phases of their journey, the ’Apotheosis’ is when the Heroes finish their trials for good, and finally the ’Ultimate Boon’ and that’s when the tale ends about how the Heroes lived happily ever after."

  "So, where I come in is the second stage, the ’Training’, right? I am his Mentor."

  "You are an idiot through and through. The boy didn’t even get his Calling yet. What makes you think you are to be his mentor?"

  "Eh! But I……"

  "Didn’t I just say that your interference will hinder him? You raised him since he was less than a year old as you said. Don’t you see? That child is brave and all but he grew up while being protected by you. He became fairly decent in terms of power and normal dangers can’t affect him but he grew up safely."

  "Wait! Is that my fault now?"

  "Whose fault is it? If he doesn’t suffer, he won’t learn any life lesson that makes him stronger both in mentality and reality."

  "You don’t know Jon."

  "And you don’t know shit!"

  "……"

  Alfe and Nurina started a staring contest but it was Nurina who averted her eyes away at the end.

  "…… Dammit! What should I do?"

  "You just simply have to let him go? Order him to go on a journey to widen his knowledge and experience new things."

  Alfe suggested nonchalantly while looking away.

  Nurina, however, looked at Alfe and narrowed her eyes.

  "…… The same way you let me go?"

  Alfe closed her eyes and didn’t respond.

  "Why are you telling me this anyway? Of all people, I expected you to care the least about Jon. The things you’ve done to me in the past…… I’ve never forgotten them."

  Alfe shook her head helplessly. She looked at Nurina’s eyes.

  "You were five, right?"

  "Huh?"

  "When I took you in, you were five. It was in the red year when Vvanderfell erupted. If I remember correctly, you were drifted on this island and barely lived. Uupse insisted that she can save your life and nursed you back to health. Yet all you wanted was to go back to your family, both you and I remember how that ended up."

  It was Nurina’s turn to be silent.

  "Well, I appreciated the respect that you showed back then. You were not a bad talent yourself. It made me think of how it……"

  "Old Hag, I have heard that story like a thousand times already."

  "Really?"

  "Do I need to mention that I lived through it too?"

  "Oh! Well, I was about to mention the parts that annoyed me the most? Like your overflowing motherly instincts." Alfe said in an annoyed tone.

  Nurina seemed to have remembered something unpleasant.

  "And when you killed Darla, remember what you said?"

  "Dear, having a pet doesn’t make you its mother. You had to learn that."

  "By killing a pet…… of an eight years old kid?"

  Nurina’s eyes were glaring daggers at Alfe who was not affected even feeling bad.

  "You were always a cold-blooded hag!" Nurina said that and walked away to the door’s room.

  Once she reached it, she remembered where she was halted her pace. To get back to where she left Jon, she needs to teleport a distance that was beyond her power.

  She wanted to look back at Alfe and tell her to get her back but she just stopped without turning around.

  Alfe was grinning because of the situation and wanted to tease Nurina.

  "By the way, when I appeared before you and that kid, did you think I was going to kill him too? You are 196 this year, I allow you to take a son or whatever, you know." Alfe started mocking Nurina.

  "Cold Hearted bitch!" Nurina cursed without looking back.

  "Well, it is hard to catch up on any emotions when you are born as the eldest daughter and from a jar. If you want hugs, you can go find Uupse or Beyte. Delte went out on an errand."

  Nurina snorted at Alfe’s words.

  "I’ll go pay respect to them and to Grandmaster Divayth as well."

  "He’s busy!"

  Nurina didn’t reply and went out of the room.

  ***

  A while later, Nurina returned to Alfe who was waiting with a book in hand.

  "How was it?"

  "Good, Grandmaster gave me some candy."

  "Be careful, it may be some hundred years old sweet bar or something."

  "…… I’ll keep that in mind. Can I go back now?"

  "Winterhold?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, I have some business I need to do around the place so we will be going together. Why do you live their anyway?"

  "That cousin of mine, you remember him? Savos."

  "Ah! That unremarkable and untalented kid."

  "Well, he happens to be the Arch-Mage of Winterhold so he gave me a place if I give some classes per month?"

  "Wait! That Savos…… it the Arch-Mage of Winterhold?"

  "I know, right! Can you believe it?"

  "Damn! Who got kicked in the head by a donkey and allowed him to be an Arch-Mage?"

  "Don’t ask me. Let’s just go."

  Alfe nodded and was about to wave cast a spell but suddenly she stopped and opened her eyes wide.

  "Impressive!"

  Nurina was about to ask but she suddenly felt the changes in the space around the room.

  "Wait! Alfe, is someone teleporting here?"

  "Not just teleporting here. Someone actually managed to trace my magic and a reverse it to find their way to this room. Reverse a spell created by a 4000 years old sorcerer? How exciting!"

  Alfe was totally excited about whatever or whoever that was going to arrive. Nurina understood the meaning of Alfe’s words and hid behind her.

  ’This must be some other insane monster! I want no part into this.’ She thought.

  A few seconds later, a third figure appeared in the room.

  It was a well-armored person holding a strange cylinder object in his hand. He looked around and his eyes landed on Alfe!

  "Alfe Fyr! I know who you are and I am not afraid of you. Where is Nurina?"