Brelyna's POV:
'I often find myself thinking about our newest Arch-mage, Ko'Ari.' I thought as I wandered the halls of the college. 'He is very strange, but he is also very powerful. In fact, he is far more powerful and skilled with magic than any other khajiit I have ever met before. He also seems to prefer to be alone though from my few interactions with he has always been kind and helpful. He always seems eager to learn more about magic, particularly restoration. I would even say he has surpassed Colette in it.' As I walk I happen across the enigma who constantly dominates my thoughts.
"Hello, Brelyna. How are you." He asks face hidden behind that strange mask he had found while looking for the Staff of Magnus.
"I am fine." I answer.
"I have been looking for you." He says surprising me.
"Why would you be looking for me." I say.
"I was looking for someone accompany me. Tolfdir told of a new rift opening up just north of Bruma earlier today. I intend to go close it." He replies.
"Do you not usually go alone."
"Yes, I do, but the trip is long and I would appreciate the company."
"But could you not find someone more interesting to take with you."
"That implies that you are not interesting. Though if you do-"
"No. I would love to go." I blurted out. 'And maybe learn more about the enigma that is you.'
"Great then prepare your things. We have lost to much light to leave now, so we shall break our fast in the morning here and then leave. I shall retrieve you when it is time to eat." Ko'Ari said.
"Okay." I reply.
"See you in the morning then." He says as he walks away leaving me feeling a little excited.
'He just asked me to follow to Bruma for no other reason than to have someone to talk to. This is my chance to learn more about our mysterious Arch-mage who was only recently a student.' I thought. 'As far as I know no one here even knows his age, though his speech and his extraordinary skill with magic belies an older age, J'Zhargo says he looks quite young, or where he came from. Let's just hope he is willing to talk about himself there may be a reason no one knows anything about him but his name and race.'
In the morning
Morning came quite quickly once I had fallen asleep. though I had trouble doing so as the excitement of traveling with the mysterious Arch-mage stuck with me. I had thought of many questions that I would attempt to ask him to learn more about him.
I heard a knock on my door. I opened it to see Ko'Ari standing there.
"Good morning Brelyna." he said.
"Good morning Arch-mage." I replied.
"Please, call me Ko'Ari there is no need for such formality we are friends, and we were both students at the same time. I was only elevated to this position due to unusual circumstances." He said.
"But even had those circumstances not occurred you are still my better in magic and you had raised to master in less than a year, and you saved the college if not the world from the Eye." I told him astonished that he would diminish his deeds in such a way.
"Just because magic comes easier to me than most does not make me more skilled in it. I have the advantage of magic coming to me naturally, and that is not to be taken for granted. You however have worked very hard for your skill and have no small amount of it. As for saving the college I only did what any mage at the college would do." he said in a final but not unkind tone.
"I know that my view on this is not the same as most, but I do hope you'll be fine with it." he said in gentle and slightly hopeful voice.
"O-of course Arc- ah Ko'Ari." I reply somewhat stunned at his modesty.
"Now we must go eat then we will leave." he spoke with suprising, joy, I would say.
One week later
"Ko'Ari seems more clever than I thought. As we were traveling through Winterhold I noticed how the cold left him unaffected when I asked him about this he informed me he uses magic to circulate fire through his veins in order to keep warm. He also seems to rarely sleep which kind of worries me though he has informed me that he has never needed much sleep it can't be healthy for him." I finished the entry in the journal I had decided to use to hold all that I learn of Ko'Ari.
Ko'Ari was outside the tent keeping watch as he usually is whenever we make camp, and as always I felt a magical pull, most likely him putting down rune traps. I however, was tired so I didn't think to much on it before I fell asleep. When I awoke that morning I had noticed that as usual Ko'Ari had refrained from waking me and was preparing to cook breakfast. It was not unusual but rather frustrating that he would not awaken me for a watch more often. Not taking a turn on watch made me feel like a burden and the same went for how he usually cooked every meal. Though his cooking was good I wished to do so myself more often and I informed him of these things.
" Oh, I am sorry I did not think about that. I am just used to being alone while traveling." he replied voice full of sincerity.
I sighed "That's alright just let me help a bit so I don't feel like a such a burden."
"What would you like to do." he asked.
I thought about it for a minute if he didn't sleep much then taking watch would just be pointless so I decided to cook this time.
"I would like to cook breakfast." I answered
"Well I haven't actually gotten anything started yet so go ahead you can cook breakfast." he replied.
I got up and looked at what food we had so I knew what I could cook. I eventually decided on venison stew. I took out what I needed then noticed Ko'Ari going off into the woods.
"Ko'Ari what are you doing?" I asked already having an idea of what he was doing.
"I am going to disarm my rune traps." he answered.
"Okay." I replied.
After finishing breakfast we broke down the camp and continued on our way. As we were walking, in silence as usual, I noticed an influx of magic. Wondering what it could be I looked around seeing nothing out of the ordinary and it appeared that Ko'Ari did not appear disturbed by it so I assumed it wasn't a problem.
However, the presence continued for several hours and I could not stand it anymore. "Do you not feel that magic?" I asked him a little worried.
"Hmm. Oh, I am truly sorry I did not anticipate you would be bothered by it." he answered as though I had interrupted him in deep thought.
"So, you know what it is?" I answered a slight bit annoyed.
"Well…Yes, I am fine tuning a spell I have been working on." he answered confused likely about my tone.
"A spell what kind of spell?" I asked, attempting to hide my excitement about the possibilities of a spell the Archmage would be working on.
"This spell will allow one to comprehend his or her surroundings without using any other sense." he replied simply.
"What kind of fine tuning have you been doing to it?" I questioned him.
"Take a look at the side of the road." he told me.
Confused I look at him for a second before looking at the side of the road.
"You see where road stops and the grass begins, yes?"
I nod
"You see the difference between each blade of grass, do you not?"
"Barely." I nod again beginning to understand.
"My spell can currently see where the grass begins. I intend to have it where I can feel every individual blade of grass and even be able to distinguish between the hairs on your head."
I just stand there looking at him wondering why he decided to create such a spell and how powerful a mage he is. To aspire to such a goal is astonishing.
"Is something wrong." he asks concerned.
"No, no, nothings wrong it's just… Why make such a spell."I respond still stunned.
"Your eyes can be deceiving against much faster enemies, such as vampires this spell will not be. Also, if the user is ever blinded for one reason or another." he answered as if it were so simple.
"What if your opponent uses magic."
"Well that's the best part. Because it is a spell it can detect disturbances within its field meaning I can also feel the magic in their spells."
I just start walking again. Thinking on how I am to open up a new line of questioning that is more personal. We spend several hours in silence before one of us speaks up.
"I know you must have questions about me and you have obviously had trouble attempting to bring them up so what do you want to know?" he answered offering me a sudden and suprising window into him.
"Uh- I- how do you know I have questions about you?" I answer dumbly.
"I know you have questions about me because no one at the college knows anything about me. So I ask again. What do you wish to know?" he chuckled.
I have a million thoughts running through my head wondering what I should ask him first, I eventually decide on his age.
"Umm, how old are you?" I ask almost inaudibly.
"So that is your first question. Not surprising really most people who are not khajiit have trouble telling the age of one just by face." he pauses and looks at me. By the look in his eyes behind his mask he appears to be a little sheepish. "I am only sixteen years of age."
I nearly fall over stunned as I am by this knowledge. He's only sixteen and he is already more skilled in magic then most of the teachers and he's only been at the college for three years.
He pats me on the shoulder snapping me out of my stupor.
"Do you have anymore questions for me?"he asks seeming amused."Or are you still in shock of that knowledge Brelyna?" he continues.
"How did you learn so much magic at such a young age?" I qurieied.
"Well, I have told you I don't need much sleep right?" he asks.
"Yes." I told him.
"Well I have always been that way, so I used the extra time to study and learn more about magic." he said.
"Oh." I replied wondering why I hadn't thought of that.
After that silence reigned again.
Eventually he looked at me and said. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but aren't you missing your lessons at the college bring out here with me?"
"Yes I am." I reply.
"Would you like me to teach while we're out here?" he questioned.
"I would love to be taught by you." I blurted out a little too excitedly.
"Tell me what school of magic you wish to learn and I shall teach you what I know."
I tell him what I would like to learn conjuration and he says we will start when we make camp.
North of Bruma
Three and a half weeks later
We have arrived at the location that we were told the rift was. However there does not seem to be a rift.
"Perhaps it simply disappeared on its own." I say still looking around confused.
"Perhaps." Ko'Ari replies seeming unconvinced.
Ko'Ari then uses a spell that I have never seen before, then again with him I'm almost certain there should be nothing that can suprise me, it seems to create a solid clump of rock from the loose dirt and gravel. He creates three of these rocks, each one taller than the last, then he steps on them and sends out a powerful pulse of magika. In fact, the blast is so powerful I am forced back a step, though it did no harm to me.
"There was never a rift here or anywhere near here." he says as he comes down from his rocks each one crumbling as he steps off.
"How can you tell Ko'Ari?" I inquire.
"If there was a rift here there would be some evidence that in the magika surrounding where it was. There is no such evidence." he states grimly.
"But, why would anyone lie about that?"
"There is only one reason to lie about that and it would be to lure us out here. The only question is why."
"Do you think someone intends to attack us Ko'Ari?" I ask frightfully.
"I think it would be best to head back to the college and hope that I am mistaken."
"And just how often are you wrong Ko'Ari?" I inquire still on edge at the thought of being ambushed.
"I'm afraid that it does not happen often." he replies with a grimace visable in his eyes.
We start on our way back to the college immediately and, perhaps, with a bit more haste to our step than before. We watch our surroundings very closely as prepared as we could be.
Three days later
It has been three days since we started toward the college again and as of yet nothing has even hinted at an ambush. The continued much like the previous ones until midday when I spot a bird flying towards us. When it reaches us Ko'Ari sticks his arm out and the bird lands on it.
"Is that a messenger bird?" I ask, having heard of using birds for such but never seeing one.
"Indeed it is Brelyna." he nods petting the bird.
He pulls a letter out of a bag, that appears far to small, on the birds leg.
"How did that letter fit in there?" I inquire incredulously.
"The bag is enchanted to send things to a different plane as created by the enchanter." he replies as if it were a normal thing. As he says this he reaches into the bag once more.
I open my mouth intending to say something but I'm too shocked to reply.
Once Ko'Ari gets a look at what else is in the bag, some sort of amulet, he freezes and the air around him becomes charged with magika. He then rips open the letter and reads it frantically.
"I have to go." he says almost fearfully cold.
'What… leave why would he just leave me here.' His words snap me out of my daze."Wh-why do you have to leave?" I question him.
"I was wrong about there being an amush on us this was merely meant to keep me away. There is trouble in the north that involves a personal matter." he says with fear, regret, and sorrow plain in his voice. "I would not leave if I didn't need to but if I travel with you I cannot make full haste which for this journey I will need."
He begins scrounging in that bag of his and pulls out two things. One is a scroll and the other is a staff that, makes it obvious his bag is enchanted like the bag on the bird was.
"This scroll has a dremora Lord bound to it, and this is a staff of storm thrall you can use to protect you on your way back to the college." he states giving me the scroll and staff before reaching behind his back. "I also want you to take the Staff of Magnus back to the college."
"I'm sorry and I really don't want to leave you here, but I must go quickly. The Dremora and storm thrall will provide protection throughout your return journey."
"What am I to tell the teachers at the college when I return without you?" I ask my head spinning by the realization I would have to return alone to the college.
"You will tell them the truth. That I had something I had to do in the north. I will return to the college when I can but I don't know when that will be."
"It was nice traveling with a friend for once I thank for your company on this journey." he says with the upmost sincerity.
I realize that whether I want to or not I will be returning to the college alone.
"How long after I summon him will the dremora last?" I ask.
"The dremora will last until his defeat, which is unlikely to occur given that one's strength. Took me quite a while to bind him to that scroll." he states off handedly while making ready to go.
"Alright then I think I should summon both him and the antronach now." I say making ready to do so.
"That would be a good idea because there may still be an ambush." he says.
'What! There might still be an ambush and he's still going to leave me.'
"Do not worry the dremora and the antronach will be able to handle nearly any situation on there own. Then there is you, you can help them defeat any ambush or if the situation is too dire you can run. They should be able to distract whoever is attacking long enough for you to get away." he says obviously having seen the fear in my eyes.
"Now I must go and hope I don't face any delays."
I watch as takes off to the north in a measured but brisk pace wondering when I will see the great enigma of the college again. When I can no longer see him I summon the dremora and antronach then start towards the college.