They went out into a small square room. There was an old table in the center and no way further. No door, no secret passageway, only three strange-looking black stone boxes. But as she went to the room's center everything turned blue and she felt shivers running down her spine. She froze in a very bad feeling. Magdalene stood in the other end of the room, her hand was halfway to the stone box. Celeste wanted to scream her name, but then right in front of her, like from nowhere appeared an Altmer in a long colored robes on which were embroidered strange patterns. A hood hid half of his face. Why does everyone like hoods so much?
«Listen very well, mage and know that you set in motion a chain of events that cannot be stopped," his voice sounded like it came from the bottom of a well. Celeste felt the chilling hands of magic creeping under her clothes. As a mage, she was used to the sense of magic around her, but this one was different. Too powerful, it made her tremble.
"Judgment has not been passed as you had no way of knowing," mysterious mage continued his speech. "Judgement will be passed on your actions to come."
"What judgment? What are you talking about? Who are you?"
The questions came one after another because Celeste didn't know what was bothering her the most.
«I'm from the Psijic Order and I came to warn you. You, mage, and you alone have the potential to prevent disaster."
"Disaster? I'm but a first year student! How can I prevent something?"
"Psijic Order believes in you, mage. And we will be watching you, but this is what you must to do. Your questions will be answered when time comes."
«Who are you? What does it mean?" She made a step to him, but he disappeared. Strange magic disappeared with him and everything came back to normal. Magdalene twitched and frowned.
"Did you saw that?!" Celeste looked at her, pointing at the place where an Altmer recently stood.
"Saw what?"
"You didn't felt it?"
"I think I felt something strange," she frowned even more. "What did you see?"
"Time froze and then some Altmer mage appeared, right from the air! He said that I set in motion something bad, and now I need to prevent a disaster. Me!"
Celeste couldn't see woman's face, but she didn't look impressed with her story.
"Did he say anything else?"
"That he's a part of something called Psijic Order."
"Re-eally?" Now Magdalene is interested. "Psijic? They haven't shown up for daedra knows how long. Why now?"
Celeste doubted that those questions were for her, but anyway.
«You know them?"
Magdalene nodded.
"I heard about them. They were advisors to the mighty ones, but they haven't shown up for a very long time. Can you remember exactly what he said?"
"He said that my actions caused some kind of disaster. And now I need to stop it. That judgment has not been passed for what I did, but will be passed on what I'll do. And that my questions will be answered when time come, ant then he just vanished. I wonder, what did I do that was so bad?"
"I think he may have talked about that," she pointed on her chest.
Celeste didn't understand at the beginning, but then she touched the rough wooden surface of the amulet, that still was on her.
"This?" She lifted the amulet with her fingers. "I don't understand."
Magdalene opened her mouth, but suddenly the rumble shook the room and the covers of the stone boxes fell on the ground. They weren't just boxes, they were coffins! Three dead bodies, dried up by time, stepped from the coffins. Their eyes glowed with a menace as they shook their rusty weapons. They didn't talk, just uttered a guttural hissing sounds. Celeste was paralyzed with fear. All she could do - stand there as an idiot and look how monster swung his axe at her. She shut her eyes.
She was waiting pain from the hit, but nothing happened. She opened her eyes. Monster that was about to kill her was lying near the wall now, leftovers of his skin on fire. Other two were trying to get Magdalene, but with fascinating speed, she threw one spell after another. First monster was struck down with a lightning and crumbled to ash. Second swung his sword but before he could get his victim, Magdalene threw his off with fireball.
It was over within seconds. Celeste still stood still, shocked with what happened. However, Magdalene did not seem to be even out of breath. She glanced at two bodies and one pile of ashes.
"I should have known," she said with dissatisfaction. "It's over. You can stop shaking."
"What were they?" Celeste's gaze was fixed on the dead.
"Draugrs," she said as if it was something self-evident.
"Very understandable, thanks."
"Do I look like a book to you?" she said with annoyance in her voice. "You the one from the College, for daedra's sake!"
"It's my first day!" Celeste was near hysteria.
This was all too much for her! First this amulet, then that Psijic mage with his stupid riddles and now zombies! If she knew what studying in the College would look like, she'd stayed home!
"Didn't you complain about this ruins being boring?" Magdalene said sharply. "Have your fun now."
«You think this is fun?" she screamed, her eyes began to sting from the approaching tears.
With a rush movement Magdalene pulled off the hood. Anger in her gleaming red eyes made Celeste forget how to breathe.
"If you don't shut up and get yourself together it's not the draugrs you'll need to be afraid of!"
She was afraid to move. Magdalene looked so terrifying that everything that was before seemed to be no more than children's games.
"You... You're a vampire," she said in a weak voice, shocked with her own thought. It's understandable now, why she wear a hood all the time.
Woman didn't answer, just gave her a cold threatening gaze. Celeste regrets she didn't stay with the others. Magdalene's eyes were bloody red, intimidatingly glowing in the dim light. She was pretty, but this was cold beauty. Her face was pale and sharp, high cheekbones and dry lips. This kind of person, who made your legs shake. Now Celeste understood why she had this feeling of danger when she first saw her.
"I'm sorry, my Lady," she forced herself to speak.
"You should be," Magdalene gave her a contemptuous, arrogant look. "Psijics seems to think that you're important. Otherwise, they wouldn't spoke to you. You'll stay alive, for now. Be useful or I'll change my mind."
Celeste nodded. Though she was afraid of her, still it was offensive. In any other time Celeste would have been angry, but now she was more close to crying. She turned away and saw that one of the coffins held a secret way.
"Look," she pointed at the passage.
Magdalene immediately turned. She stepped inside and grunted.
"See, you can be useful after all. Let's go."
She lit a small ball of light in her palm and tossed it in the air. Candlelight spell, Celeste understood. She cast the same herself. Magdalene noticed it.
"Is this everything you can?"
"No, my Lady."
"I thought we've agreed on Magdalene."
"It was before you planned to kill me," she said and immediately regretted it. Her tongue is her greatest enemy. But Magdalene only chuckled.
"I said I wouldn't kill you. Unless you'll make some troubles."
"That's reassurance," she answered sarcastically.
"So simply don't make troubles."
Again Celeste was struck down with Magdalene's behavior. She didn't understand what this woman really wanted and what was on her mind. First she scares the hell out of her, then laughs and asks to call her by name. Celeste didn't take her threats lightly, how could she? Magdalene is a vampire and a skilled mage. She had no chance again her and she knows it. And still she was appealing. Celeste was afraid and at the same time calm. Somehow, she knew Magdalene wouldn't kill her. Stupid, right?
The tunnel ended and they were in a large rounded hall. Right in the middle, there was a huge hole in the floor, covered with bars and a bridge was thrown over it. More coffins against the walls. The same moment she saw it, she lit a fire on her hand, ready to strike. She wanted to prove Magdalene that she wasn't useless and can stand for herself. And help. Magdalene didn't say anything, but there was a satisfied smile on her lips.
As she was expecting, coffins opened and more draugrs came out. Fire broke from her hand instantly, more from the fear than from preparation. Draugr, who was hit by her flame, fell to the ground dead. More dead, apparently. The joy of victory gave her strength. She cast another fireball and threw it in the next undead. She was just starting to enjoy it. It was good to hit something after everything today. Like she let all her feelings out through the battle. Then Magdalene made a pass with both of her hands and lighting jumped from one target to other, turning them to ashes. It was over. Celeste brushed spell off her hands.
She looked at the woman as she bent over one of the bodies. She definitely was strong. You need a lot of power to turn someone to ash with lightning magic. Celeste herself couldn't do it. Magdalene stood up and moved to the other end of the room.
"Come here," she called.
There was a door behind the bars. Magdalene pointed at the chain near them.
"Pull it."
They pulled two chains at the same time and the granting came down with a screech. Celeste hesitated before entering the next room. They faced a lot, who knows what they'll face next? But Magdalene was already in, so Celeste had no choice.