Jump Chain Gothic 7 - Skyrim 2 - Winterhold
Part 4
The College of Winterhold. Skyrim
While under the light of candles and lanterns I used an old fashioned quill to write. It reacquired a slow pace from me, yet there was something oddly appealing about recording information in such a primitive way. Plus this was good practice for when I'd have to use a quill while attending Hogwarts, which seemed likely to happen.
Ancient Ayleids recognised not the four elements of modern natural philosophy - earth, water, air, and fire - but the four elements of Altmer religion - earth, water, air, and light.
Well they weren't the modern elements to me, but this was a magic school.
The Ayleids considered fire to be but a weak and corrupt form of light, which Ayleid philosophers identified with primary magical principles. Thus their ancient subterranean temples and sanctuaries were lit by lamps, globes, pools, and fountains of purest magic.
I finishing copying the text and while the ink dried I thought about why I had just written down those words.
Glories and Laments, a book that by Alexandre Hetrard seemed to support my idea that Welkynd Stones had not been played in Ayleid cities as a way of allowing their mages to quickly recharge their powers as many scholars thought, they were in fact nothing more than fancy light bulbs.
Of course I couldn't just say they were light bulbs as I needed to prove it and also explain the concept wouldn't mean anything to people on this planet, as such I had to introduce the idea of the light bulb as part of my thesis.
Once I'd gotten the idea of light bulbs across it wouldn't be hard to prove that Welkynd stones were just fancy light bulbs as the stones were often found on top of pedestals high up which didn't make sense if they were meant to allow a mage easy access. However being placed so high did allow the stones to provide greater illumination with their light.
I was going to mention that Varla Stones could serve the same purpose as they were sometimes kept in cages and those cages could be moved with switches which allowed the Varla Stones to light up room.
This was similar to using a lantern in that it allowed people to control how much light there was in a room. Granted this was overly complex, but given that the Ayleids were found of setting complex traps it meant that they enjoy having very elaborate light sources in their cities.
Also because they revered light it also made sense that they went to the trouble of placing the stones on stylish pedestals. The stones were practical in how they worked as well as decorative in design showing that they were cared for.
While in my own view this subject was pretty dull, I thought it sound enough and no had ever said my research had to be interesting. Besides I didn't have a lot of time to work on this project. However this project would involve a bit more work and I might even visit one of the ruins to in order to recover some stones so I could demonstrate why I thought they were just light sources.
I would need to obtain a Varla Stone, a term which translated as star stone, and according to my research they were enchanted shards of cut meteoric glass, that came from Aetherius, spirit-plane, which was the source of magic, a meteorite in this dimension were bits of that plane that got dislodged somehow and fall onto Nirn.
The stones were created by the Ayleids. The luminescent white crystals were remarkably powerful, enabling even untrained magic users to restore magical energy to any number of enchanted items. Welkynd Stones were much the same only they recharged a person's magic rather than an items.
Because of their great value and utility, many of these artefacts were looted from Ayleid ruins after the disappearance of their creators. As such, intact Varla Stones were also extremely rare, but since they are small and easily concealed there could still be some hidden away in the ruins of the Ayleid civilisation even after all these centuries.
When used, a Varla Stone would crumble to dust, and there is no known way of recharging or preserving the stone, although scholars believe that their magical power may have originally been maintained by the Great Welkynd Stone of an Ayleid city.
Which made me realise that I might need to seek out a Great Welkynd Stone and try to find out if there was some sort of power transfer between them and the lesser stones. If so the Great Welkynd Stone could be some sort of massive magical battery.
I then heard a sigh and looked up to see Onmund pacing the library. He was still trying to find a subject that he could become passionate about.
"If you don't mind a suggestion I have an idea of what you could write about" I said to the Nord.
I couldn't of gotten his attention faster without being a naked Nord woman who wanted to serve him mead.
"Oh?" he asked.
I put down my quill.
"When we met you told me all about why the Nords distrust magic" I said "But you don't think badly of magic so perhaps you could write about how magic helps the people of Skyrim".
Onmund walked over and sat down next to me. He was so big that she looked like he had just taken a seat at the kiddy table. But I didn't comment on that.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
I thought it over a bit more before answering him.
"Well magic can help people. Priests use magic to heal people and Skyrim is a rough place without those spells many people around here would have died of sickness rather than in battle" I said to the massive man "The Jarls have Court Mages to advise them on important issues, and there are weapons enchanted with fire spells that are good when fighting trolls so a few people must like them".
Onmund was hanging on my every word so I kept going.
"If you don't want to read through all these books to find some examples you could ask people, you know interview them and take down what they say" I advised "Then you could say how you agree with what other people are saying and add your own opinions on why magic isn't so bad".
Onmund wasn't stupid he was just a little out of his depth here, but with a little help I believed he could become a proper Mage.
"That might just work" the Nord agreed "and I wouldn't need to spend all my time with my nose in a book".
I'd pretty much given an excuse to go and hang out with his people, which would involve drinking and fighting while gathering his evidence.
"If I were you I'd start here" I then advised "The College has to support itself somehow so maybe someone is paying the college to do something for them. This could be helping people which shows Nords benefiting from having magic users like us around".
Thinking on it I realised that I could have done that to, just from the perspective of an outsider rather then a Nord, and it actually sounded far more interesting that what I was doing but I'd given away the idea now.
"Like how we used magic to kill those bandits" Onmund realised.
"Yeah that is a good example" I replied "You could speak to the Jarl and ask him how us getting rid of those bandits effected the people of Winterhold for the better".
I had to wonder if I'd ever settle down and become a teacher once I had my Planeswalker Spark, maybe I'd teach at this college.
"Thank you, my friend!" said Onmund before getting up and leaving the library "I will start right away!".
As for me I had to see if I could purchase a Welkynd Stone from somewhere, because while I could travel to the Imperial City easily enough everyone would expect me to be gone for weeks if not months, so if I couldn't just buy one I'd have to find something to occupy my time.
(Line Break)
The College of Winterhold. Skyrim.
"You can read Daedric?!" Onmund said in surprise.
That subject of discussion had come about due to the morning's lecture on Daedra Summoning. The lesson had ended but we were all still in hall expressing our opinions.
"Sure. I've always found the Oblivion and the many varied realms and entities that inhabit it absolutely fascinating. Why do you think I got into Conjuration?" replied Brelyna the Dark Elf "We know so very little about them even after studying them for centuries. There's still much to learn about Oblivion I'd love to visit one of the planes".
Onmund continued to stare at her, fearful concern for his friend now present in his eyes.
"Summoning lesser Daedra is one thing" the Nord said "but to actually travel to those evil places you'd have to be mad!".
Well I'd go, but I was strong enough to mess with demonic like creatures in their own realm. Of course I had energy weapons, advanced armour, shields, phase tech and a cyborg bodyguard.
"I'm not foolhardy enough to actually go" Brelyna told her Nord friend" I am well aware Oblivion is dangerous, but to call it 'evil' is far too simplistic. The Daedra, particularly the Princes, are very different from us and given to extremes, with motivations we mortals can rarely grasp".
Still I would avoid contact with them if possible.
"They certainly are capable of evil, yes, but they aren't inherently bad" the Dark Elf was now saying "You have to remember that they aren't different from the Aedra, what humans call the Divines, except that they refused to help create our world. Isn't that what "Daedra" means in Aldmeris? 'Not our ancestors', while Aedra means 'our ancestors'".
That was actually true. The Nine Divines, or eight while the Thalmor were around, were really not that different form the Princes. Talos had been human at one point so he wasn't truly an Aedra but he was still a god, which could be confusing for some.
"Some people would call that heresy" Onmund said in a tone which suggested he did.
Thankfully Nords only got really upset about religious matters when other people told them who and what to worship. Which was why Ulfric Stormclock had been able to issue of Talos worship to rally so many Nords to his side.
"This is isn't about religion, this is about coming closer to understanding the nature of entities that, for better or worse, exist alongside our world. Isn't pushing the boundaries to see what's beyond what being a Mage is really all about?" Brelyna said before turning to me "You agree with me, don't you?"
Carefully I thought about my answer as I didn't want to alienate any of my peers at this college.
"I don't see them all as inherently evil, and Oblivion isn't necessarily as a place of evil either" I started by saying "The Princes like Dagon, Vile and Bol should be avoided. They are dangerous and cruel, but Azura shouldn't be tarred with the same brush as some of the others. They are different and should be judged on their actions alone not on those of their race".
Judging any people due to their race, be they mortal or immortal, wasn't a good idea.
"Well, said friend" praised the cat man.
Like Morgana he had been listening to our debate but not saying much.
"Ah good you're all here" Savos Aren the Arch-Mage said upon seeing that were still in the hall "Urag recently reminded me of certain volumes that he would like back in the library, and I think you should fetch them for him".
All of us mere apprentices exchanged a meaningful glances, and it was Onmund who asked a question
"Have they been lost?" he asked.
The Arch-Mage shook his head.
"No a couple of years ago a few of our members were involved in research that went beyond what is allowed here" Aren answered "When they wouldn't desist, they were...persuaded to leave, but not before one of them stole a number of books and supplies from the College".
I had to wonder what they were up given that mages performed Necromancy and conjured Daedra done in the Midden. Then upon thinking about it I decided that I likely didn't wish to know what they'd been doing.
"Now that isn't the real issue" Aren went on to say "what really matters is that they are still active and recently they have started causing enough trouble to get the attention of some of the local villages. If they are allow to keep harassing people then the College's already dubious reputation will suffer even further, but your priority is those books".
It was clear to me that we were being offered the chance to aid the College and since we'd dealt with those bandits easily enough then it was possible that we could solve this little problem too.
I imagined that if the dragons weren't an issue, and if not for the war that the staff of the College would have dealt with these rogue mages sometime ago. However these days it wouldn't be wise to leave the College undefended.
"Last I heard, they'd taken up residence inside an old abandoned fort northeast of Whiterun called Fellglow Keep" we were informed "I'm told your combined talents will be useful for a venture like this, which is why I am entrusting it into your hands".
This seemed a risky to send students, but I was sure the Arch Mage had his reasons.
"Sir" asked Brelyna "What did they do?".
Savos Aren gave her a sharp look before answering.
"All you need to know, Apprentice, is that they endangered the safety and well-being of this College and its residents, which is something I will not tolerate" the Arch-Mage said in a harsh tone of voice that soon softened "I'd like this solved peacefully, if possible, but do not let your guard down. Their leader, Aranaea, is particularly dangerous".
This time none of us spoke.
"Now this is a volunteer only task" said the Dark Elf Arch Mage "No one will think less of you if as a group you decided you are not ready".
None of us even considered backing down, and the old spell caster directed us to go speak with the librarian before we left on our mission.
(Line Break)
The College of Winterhold. Skyrim.
"So, the Arch-Mage has finally decided to sort this out!" Urag commented with a certain amount of sarcasm when we finally located him among the stacks "Although it looks like you'll be doing the sorting. Good luck with that".
We would need more than this to go on.
"What can you tell us about these mages?" Brelyna asked "And which books did they take?".
It made sense for the Dark Elf woman to gather the information as while the grizzly old librarian while he at least tolerated my existence, he had a soft spot for the Dumner woman.
"Most of them were apprentices here like yourselves, nothing out of the ordinary, although one or two were quite skilled, so be careful" we were warned "The one you really need to watch out for is Aranaea she a good Conjurer"
Well so was Brelyna, and I wasn't too bad myself.
"The books you'll be looking for are Night of Tears, The Last King of the Ayleids and Fragment: On Artaeum" we were informed me "They are rare, otherwise I'd wouldn't bother to send you out for them".
Technically he wasn't the one sending us.
"They took some others too, but I have copies of those tomes so getting them back would just be a bonus for us".
Morgana wrote the titles of the books down so we wouldn't forget them.
"Let's get a plan together" I suggested "I have a few ideas of how we can get there quickly".
(Line Break)
Fellglow Keep. Skyrim.
Rather than walk all the way here I'd decided to expose the existence of my MAKO to my fellow students as it just made sense to drive around Skyrim in a tank rather than walk and have to camp out in the wilderness.
This cut down on our travel time by quite a bit, by days, so I planned for us to hang out in Whiterun for a day or two, and then I'd drive us all back to the College. No one would need to know how we had traversed the dangerous countryside.
"Stop right there! Don't take another step!" a voice shouted out as we got close to the fort.
We College Mages did as instructed and we all saw another Mage up on the battlements looking down at us.
"We want no trouble!" Onmund shouted back "We just want to talk!"
There was a bit of pause before there was a reply.
"Talk about what? Who are you?" we were asked.
Since diplomacy could win through here it would be wise to talk. I did have some diplomatic skills thanks to practical experience and Perks.
"It would be easier to explain if we didn't have to shout at each other like this!" I said "May we approach?".
So far these renegade mages didn't seem very violent, but that didn't mean that we should drop our guard.
"All right!" came the response after what felt like an eternity. "Approach, but slowly and keep your hands at your sides. if we see any weapons being drawn or if you cast even one spells then you die".
We made our way to a door and met a different mage once here. This one was no happier to see us than the last had been.
"Speak, then, and be quick about it!" demanded the dangerous magic user.
I spoke for the group.
"We're from the College of Winterhold, and we wish to talk to your leader, Aranaea about some books" I said truthfully "And we are willing to pay to get them back".
There was no sense lying, and I had enough gold to buy any book I wished so I might as well try to buy them back.
"Let me guess" the rogue magic user said with a snort "Aren got you to run this errand for him".
I saw no reason to confirm or deny it.
"Are you going to take us to Aranaea or not?" I then asked.
I would have greatly preferred a smooth transaction, but that didn't seem likely to happen.
"No I don't think so. If Aren has anything to say, he can come say it himself. You four can go back and tell him that" was what we were told.
I sighed. I didn't want this to turn into a violet situation as while I could slaughter everyone here I'd rather not expose my powers, nor would Morgana, and if things did get out of hand Cameron, who was with us while out of phase, would also clue people into her true nature. I'd have to open up the Cosmic Warehouse and grab the tech I used to mess with memories it would be hassle.
"We came to talk to her, not you" I pointed out "Unless you speak for her".
That did the trick.
"I'll take you to her, but she might just kill you" warned the rogue mage "it depends on her mood".
After some walking we reached an open circular area which was mostly empty save for a sole golden-skinned Elf who was sitting on a stool with his nose in a book.
"Who are they?" he asked.
He seemed mildly curious at best.
"They're here to see her" our guide explained "Watch them for me while I go tell her, will you?"
Then the guide turned to us.
"You four wait here, and don't make a move" he ordered.
We intended to do just that, but of course something happened, something always happened.
"H-Hello? Is anyone there?" a new voice soon called out.
We apprentices turned our heads towards the source of the call and found that it came from behind a door.
"Whose that?" I asked while sounding casual.
"Yes! You! You out there, help me! Please!" said the voice.
The Altmer with the book, rather than answer just banged on the door and told who ever was the other side to shut up.
"They'll never let you leave here alive!" the voice shouted out "You've got to get me out of here before they experiment on all of us".
Now I knew that there would be bloodshed. If these mages were taking captives for experimenting then they wouldn't pass up a chance to acquire five more healthy bodies.
"I said, shut up!" the criminal mage shouted almost as loudly as the locked up person.
The five of us looked at each and an unspoken understanding passed between us, and then five magical attacks struck the rogue mage. Killing him before he even knew he was in any sort of danger.
"The key!" yelled the man behind the door. "He has it! Quickly, before the rest of them get here!"
Then we liberated the wrongly imprisoned person who turned out to be High Elf, who was staring hopefully at his would-be rescuers. There were two more cages next to his; these contained a couple of half-starved wolves who bared their teeth and growled at us.
There were three control levers jutted from a pedestal in the middle of the room, each obviously corresponding to one of the cages. And there was something else: another door, I had no idea where it went.
I killed the wolves quickly, to put the poor things out of their misery before pushing any of the leavers. The creatures had been starved and judging by the foam coating their mouths they were rabid as well.
"Oh, thank Julianos!" the elf exclaimed as I released him from his prison. "You're from the College, aren't you? Aren sent you to rescue me!"
Again we all looked at each other and the group let me answer for everyone.
"Yeah sure let's go with that" I said.
The captive didn't much care what I had to say he was just eager to get of this hell hole, and I didn't blame him for that one bit.
"We need to deal with Aranaea" I reminded everyone before addressing the captive "and we are not leaving until we do. So if you want to get out of here you better help us".
The man we'd just saved looked like he was going to protest, but then changed his mind.
"Follow me! Trust me, this way is better!" the High Elf said.
My Dark Elf friend conjured a Flame Atronach and gave it two simple commands: "Stay. Guard".
Smart we would need to keep the exit cleared.
"Stendarr's mercy" Onmund whispered as moved into another set of rooms, having gone through the door I'd noticed before when entering the jail.
We were now in some kind of laboratory, judging by the tool cabinets and bookshelves lining the walls, although it could just as easily be labelled as a torture chamber. Splayed on a long wooden table was the body of a woman who was human, or at least had been at some point.
What was left could only be called a travesty. Blood was everywhere, and it all stank to high heaven.
"One of her experiments" I heard someone mutter.
More horrors greeted us in the next room. Iron cages that were suspended over fire pits contained the blackened remains of unlucky prisoners and those still alive were kept in rags. Also they had red eyes and sets of sharp looking teeth.
They were clearly vampires.
"Release us!" said one of the blood drinkers. "We can help you! Quickly, while there's still time!"
That was not going to happen. I loathed the undead. The whole blood drinking thing freaked me out. Serana had grown on me, but she'd helped me save the world, even a vampire could earn my respect doing something that important.
"Yeah, release a bunch of hungry vampires, what a wonderful idea" I said with great sarcasm.
"J'zargo thinks that unwise" said J'zargo.
Clearly he didn't get sarcasm, not that it mattered as we soon incinerated the vamps. Vampires that didn't feed became more vulnerable to fire attacks.
"Orthorn" I said, having learned the name of the dark elf "Do you know what happened to the books you stole from the College when you left? There were three volumes: Fragment: On Artaeum, The Last King of the Ayleids, and Night of Tears".
The young Altmer's brow furrowed as he searched his memory for clues.
"There in her chambers" he guessed "Probably, I don't know; I haven't seen them since I gave them to her, but she seemed particularly interested in one of the volumes".
I'd like to know which book had her attention because it had to have something to do with what was going on here.
"You mean Aranaea?" Brelyna clarified.
It was pretty clear that he did mean her, but we never got conformation as the elf we had risked our lives to save had already changed the subject.
"Wait...did you come here for the books? Th-the Arch-Mage didn't send you to rescue me?" he asked.
Our silence told him everything he needed to know.
"I see. Well...if you do decide to confront her, I'll stand with you" Orthorn promised "She lied to me, pretended to be my friend, then she threw me in a cage when she was done using me. The rest of them too; they would all have stood and watched while she turned me inside out and not lifted a finger. So, yes...I'll stand with you".
He was not the smartest man I'd ever met, but he was brave and he soon proved his worth by showing us the keep's treasure trove. Shimmering like jewels on top of a cabinet to the right were at least a dozen soul gems, those crystalline constructs mages used to trap the essence of living beings and used them to power enchantments. They were quite rare and highly sought after by Mages.
I had a version of Asura's Star so a lack of Soul Gems was never a problem for me as long there were people around. I just had trouble harvesting souls as I disliked killing people unless they were a threat to myself or to people I cared about.
Still there were other valuables in the room, including books, not the books we'd been sent after but since I hadn't gotten around to introducing the printing press to Skyrim then all books were copied by hand making them expensive so we took them all.
Thinking on I really should create diagram for the printing press and give it to some local inventor who could claim credit for it. If I had the time I'd build one myself, but I had important things to and places to explore.
After our looting Orthorn guided us through some back passages, this allowed us to avoid the enemy, who were no doubt looking for us. Sure we still had to deal with two rogue mages but they fell quickly to our superior numbers.
Then we found Aranaea and she was as evil as her actions suggested. I could feel it in the Force, really bad vibes were coming off her.
"So, you're the ones who barged into my home" Aranaea said upon seeing us enter her chambers.
She sounded surprisingly calm about the whole thing, but there was real madness in her eyes. I'd seen it before. This was proven when the Altmer did not so much as flinch even as we prepared to fight her. She remained standing in the centre of the room, regarding us with detached interest.
"It's over, Aranaea" I said "Give us the books".
Everyone tensed up, expecting spells to start flying any moment but my words didn't have the desired effect.
"Was that an attempt to threaten me?" Aranaea asked "After I've been so hospitable? You come here, kill my assistants, and disrupt my work. I'd like to know why".
She seemed offended rather than worried.
"We've seen the kind of 'work' you were doing here," Onmund said.
He more than any of us had been disgusted by what we'd seen the labs. No doubt right now he felt his people's inherit distrust of magic was well deserved.
"You're just like Aren, wilfully blind to..."
That was when I hit her with a firebolt and so did everyone else. They'd just been waiting for someone to make the first move and I'd been the one to make it. I'd know that the villain monologue would be the perfect time to strike as they always let their guard down when they make their bullshit speeches.
"I didn't want to stand around listening to her all day" I told everyone "Now let's grab those books and get out of here".
As we did that I made a mental note to let Orthorn make his own way home. He betrayed the college once so I didn't trust him with my advanced technology.
We quickly found the stolen books and before long the High Elf was guiding us out of the bad lady's lair.
(Line Break)
Winterhold. Skyrim.
"When I found this forge and the recipes, I worked relentlessly to create more summon-related recipes that anyone can learn. If you like, I can make you a staff".
Tempting but there was something else I needed.
"I need a Sigil Stone. Do you know how to get one?" I asked.
While I had ways of reaching other realities that didn't involve starting new Jumps, such as Matter Bridge technology, I wanted a Sigil Stone because they could be used to access this plane of existence from the realms of Oblivion, were as Matter Bridge tech only took you to alternate versions of the reality you were already in.
If for some reason I failed to obtain the Planeswalker Spark and ended up back in home dimension I wanted methods of leaving that world as it would be far too small for me. I'd never be able to go back to living a normal life, not after all the things I'd seen and done.
Even if I could tolerate such an existence it wouldn't last long as people would notice things, and wonder stuff like: why Summer Glau was living at my house. Also if any of my advanced technology was discovered, people from the government would come for it.
Then I'd have to fight in order to avoid getting locked up and used as a science experiment, which end up with me becoming hunted, it would be clusterfuck and I'd rather avoid by being able to move to other worlds as needed.
"A Sigil Stone?" Phinis asked in a surprised way "Why do you need one of those?".
"Research" was all I said on that subject.
Which wasn't a lie, I would need to research the stone before I tried using it.
"Well I have been preparing a ritual that can summon an Unbound Dremora to obtain a stone" Phinis told me "If you summon a Dremora Lord while it is bound, it won't work because your control ends when it returns to Oblivion. But if you summon an Unbound Dremora and get it under your control, then you can command it to retrieve the Sigil Stone for you".
That could work.
"Okay, so what do I need to do?" I asked.
I was eager to start.
"Once I teach you the spell, go to the top of the Hall of Attainment and there you will summon the Unbound Dremora, how you bring it in under your control is up to you" I was instructed "And when you have the stone, bring it to me, and I will teach you more".
Phinis taught me the spell by placing it into my mind.
"Thanks, I will be back with the stone" I promised.
First I'd get his and then I'd get one for me.
(Line Break)
College of Winterhold. Skyrim.
I used the spell and in the centre of the summoning circle here on the roof, a sort of purple vortex appeared and an Unbound Dremora appeared before me.
"You insect! How dare you summon me! For that, you will pay!" it roared.
I blasted the demon like creature with magical lightning, which it did not enjoy. I didn't care much since I just saw this thing as a monster. With its blood red armour and horns it looked too much like what I thought of as a demon for me to care about its feelings.
Which was wise because it wouldn't care at all about mine. If given the chance the Dremora would happily torture me to death, dragging out the torment for as long as possible. Although this might no be the case for all types of daedra, some were more reasonable while others were really just dangerous animals.
"You puny mortal! You cannot control me!" it yelled.
I blasted it again and again, and when it died I summoned up the same daedra as when it died it was only banished back to Oblivion, which was also another reason not to feel bad about this as nothing I was doing would really harm the creature in any long term way.
Well that wasn't totally true. I could soul trap the Dremora, or use Caliburn to destroy the creature, in theory, but that was something to test once I had mastered the art of conjuration.
"Never!" the Dremora cried out.
It soon regretted saying that as it gave me a chance to train in Destruction magic, there was something so right about being able to shooting lightning from your finger tips, it felt natural to me. I resisted the urge to scream about 'unlimited power'.
"That is enough!" the creature shouted "Have mercy".
Well I did have some mercy so I stopped.
"Do I have to shock your ass again?" I asked "Or will you do as I command?".
The Dremora hesitated, but gave in before long due to more torture.
"Very well, what are your demands?" it enquired.
There was only one thing I wanted from this monster.
"I want you to bring me a Sigil Stone" I said.
The Dremora growled.
"As you wish, summon me again and I will have your stone" it told me
With that, the Unbound Dremora disappeared. After a minute I summoned the Dremora once more. Somehow it already had the stone, perhaps time didn't flow the same way in the realms of Oblivion.
"I have brought you the Sigil Stone" said the creature, just before I banished it "Lord Dagon will be very unhappy when out that one of his stones is missing".
Well I'd be gone from this part of the multiverse very soon so I didn't care about that. What I did care about was Phinis who as it turned out didn't want the stone he'd just wanted someone else to test out the spell.
I should have been mad about that, but I had the stone I wanted, and as a bonus I could a spell book for the spell Unbound Dark Seducer.
"Don't be gentle with them. They like pain" Phinis told me.
I'd practice my summoning a lot more before I brought one of those creatures to the mortal realm for some fun.