Chapter 4

Zul Ko Faal Vul

"Voice in the Dark"

...Bjorn fought against the ghost's grip, writhing in pain as the freezing hand tightened...

"I think he's waking up! C'mon Bjorn..."

… The ghost hissed, mist seeping from it's skeletal mouth. Bjorn's hands burned as he pulled the arm away...

"I'm doing my best, Drenyir!"

...Bjorn felt warmth return to him, pushing the ghost away. It howled like the arctic wind...

"He's coming to. Stand back."

… The spirit staggered backwards and evaporated into the fog. Bjorn stood up, his strength returning...

Bjorn gasped, righting himself. He looked up, seeing the faces of the research team around him. Mariah's hands were glowing with a radiant light, but when Bjorn sat up the light vanished. The hole in the ceiling showered a faint blue light on the group, and Bjorn could see Mariah smiling. Bjorn tried to stand, almost collapsing from a spiraling pain in his leg. Mariah and Drenyir caught him, hoisting him onto his feet.

"You were out cold for a while, Bjorn," Drenyir said, "but luckily, Mariah fixed your leg up as best she could."

Mariah was still smiling. "It took a lot out of me, to keep that healing spell going," she said proudly, "I'm just glad you're up again."

Bjorn thanked them both and found his footing. He winced a little, but Nords are known to be tough. He look upwards, noticing the gaping hole that was once a floor in the Great Hall. About 30 feet up was Orendali's body, not that Bjorn really cared anyway. Upon further investigation, he noticed Gharza was missing. Drenyir informed him that the fall dropped them into a tunnel. Gharza left about half an hour ago to scout ahead.

"Have you tried climbing up the sides?" Bjorn asked.

Drenyir just laughed, "Of course I have. That's smooth ice there. Couldn't climb that if you had spiked feet."

The group gathered around Bjorn as he began to walk, keeping an eye on him so that he didn't fall. Gharza came back shortly after, telling them the tunnel stretched onwards for quite a ways. Bjorn didn't like it, but came to the realization that spending a night in the tunnel might be necessary. The tunnel was rounded, carved by wind and running water. The ice along the edges was smooth to the touch, and the ground was a mix of slush, stone, and rubble. Vallund's Candlelight spell proved very effective; the cave was jet black. The group walked in silence for almost an hour, listening for any signs of life. For any signs of anything. The only noise that met their ears was the trickle of water, but they couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from.

The crunch of boots on gravel and snow was soon a familiar sound, the tunnel curving every which way, but ultimately going in one direction. Not once did they see an alternate path. Then Bjorn found something. He leaned into one of the walls, getting a closer look at something he saw behind the ice. He strained to see through the thick layer of ice, but he stumbled backwards when he confirmed his belief. "Sweet breath of Arkay..." Drenyir whispered. It was a body, like the ones in the Great Hall, frozen in the wall, it's face contorted in a deathly wail that was silenced in seconds. Bjorn continued to scan the walls. They were everywhere. Some corpses, some just skeletons, but all were forever poised in a terrifying state, running from some unknown enemy or writhing in pain. The group was immediately discomforted by the fact that the very tunnel they walked was walled with bodies of the deceased.

They kept walking, following the tunnel. It seemed to go on forever. Bjorn noticed his feet starting to drag. He was tired, and he knew it. And a quick glance at all the others made him realize he wasn't the only one. "Alright, I suppose we could rest here. We can't keep walking forever," Bjorn panted, suddenly realizing just how exhausted he was. Everyone's satchel kept basic supplies, things like firewood, bedrolls, and salted meats. Finding a spot in the tunnel where the ground was mostly stone and not snow, they threw down their bedrolls and lit up a small fire for warmth. Bjorn paid no attention to the cold in the tunnel, but Vallund and Mariah began to shiver, drawing their coats higher up on their shoulders. Besides the crackle of the fire and the whistle of an unknown breeze, the tunnel was deathly quiet.

Finally, Vallund broke the silence. All eyes turned to him as he stood up. "So... what do we do now? Are we really heading to Khartagyllum?" he questioned, eyeing Gharza worriedly. "I mean... I have the maps but-"

Gharza gro-Lorgan was up in an instant, grabbing the Redguard by the throat, smashing him against the wall of the tunnel. Gharza pushed his face in close, hissing his response. "Look Remis. I've had just about enough of your whining. We're going to the capital. After I get those artifacts, I don't give a damn about what happens to any of you."

Bjorn pulled Gharza away from Vallund while Drenyir and Mariah helped him sit. "I don't care much for your attitude, Gharza," Bjorn asserted, pushing the Orc a few paces back. "Just what in Oblivion is your problem?"

Gharza growled, his face showing a building rage. But he huffed out a few angry breaths before speaking civil again. "You want to know why I'm angry? Especially at that damn Redguard over there?" he replied, sitting down on a stone. "I used to be a mighty warrior back in Orsimar. General of the Guard at Lorgan fortress. The fortress my family kept for generations. One night, when the moons were covered by clouds, a damn invasion force from Hammerfell swarmed into my Hold, slaughtering everyone in my fortress and burning it to the ground." Gharza shot an angry glare at Vallund, who only tucked himself deeper into his coat. Gharza continued, "My father, my sister, and myself were the only ones that survived. Upon seeing them again, my father stripped me of my title and exiled me. I wouldn't dare travel south into Hammerfell, so I went north into Skyrim. I kept my hammer, and work as a merc. Yeah, I pulled some crimes, killed some people. But it's what I do." Gharza had had enough, and laid down on his bedroll. "That night," he concluded, "I never trusted a Redguard again. So watch yourself, Remis."

Bjorn listened to the end, wondering how many people Gharza had told that to. Drenyir laid his bow to the side and laid down to rest too, saying that they'd better make it out of the cave tomorrow. Vallund also went to sleep, laying his bedroll completely opposite of Gharza's. Soon, only Bjorn and Mariah were still up, sitting in silence. A few times, she'd send out a small firebolt, reigniting the fire. She sighed, and looked up at Bjorn with a small smile.

"I guess I'll have to stay up all night to keep this going, huh?" she joked, crossing her legs.

Bjorn smiled back, "You might. I could always wake up Vallund and make him summon a flame atronach."

They both laughed. It seemed so unreal, to be stuck in a tunnel deep underneath a continent miles away from their homeland, but they were actually laughing. Mariah stood up and walked towards him, gesturing towards the rock he was sitting on. "May I?"

Bjorn nodded and made room. Suddenly, he remembered something. He reached into his satchel and found the items he took from Orendali's bag. Not only did it contain the Aldmeri Dominion instructions, but it also contained a letter for Mariah. Bjorn took it out and handed it to her.

"I was supposed to let you know this came, but it kind of slipped my mind on the boat," he admitted, slightly flushed. "That traitorous Altmer was supposed to give it to you, but I guess she can't do that now."

Mariah took the note and unfolded it. "It's... it's a letter, dated a few days before we left for Atmora. From my parents in Ivarstead... but how?" She scanned the entirety of the note, and Bjorn noticed a tear slide down her cheek. She leaned against him, sobbing quietly. Bjorn picked up the note:

My dearest Mariah,

I know it has been some time since you heard from us, but we knew you'd be busy at the College. To reassure you, we have been getting your letters, but the College requested we do not reply to them. Looking back now, I understand we should've tried to contact you. A few days ago, there was a bandit raid on our little town. They swept in from the pass at dawn. Your father was out tilling the garden. Mariah, your father was killed. The guards stopped them from hurting anyone else, but your father was unlucky enough to be one of the two deaths. I've been informed that you're going on a journey, away from Skyrim. I wish you luck, darling. Don't worry about me, however much I wish you were here to see his burial.

Love, Mom

Bjorn was shocked. But he should've guessed that the lapdog Orendali wouldn't deliver this when they were boarding. She needed her "team" focused. Bjorn wrapped his arm around her shoulder, holding her close. She cried into his shoulder for what seemed like forever. Her arms wrapped around his waist. Bjorn didn't have anything to say, and did what he could to comfort her. After what felt like hours, she calmed down a bit and stood up. Her eyes were red, her face streaked with tears. "Thank you, Bjorn..." she managed to choke out. She returned to her bedroll and pulled up the blanket. Bjorn watched her, making sure she fell asleep uninterrupted. He looked over his group. They all slept soundly, except Gharza, who was constantly tossing, as if in pain. He'd heard stories about waking a sleeping Orc, and decided to leave him be. Before laying down on his own bedroll, he put more wood in the fire and made sure it caught. It would be a cold night...

Bjorn could hear voices, but couldn't make out words. The world was still black, and he could not move. Someone was shouting, while the other hissed coldly. He could hear swords ringing, some close by, some in the distance. There was thunder, and sounds of battle. Bjorn's mind raced. Was he dead? Where was he? The sounds of battle began to fade, replaced with the sound of sobbing amongst singing. It was a funeral song. The world remained black, but Bjorn could smell smoke from a fire, and burning flesh. It lasted for hours, and Bjorn's sense of smell was becoming overwhelmed. Bjorn's mind burned, partly from the smell, the other part wondering if a dead man could smell. He felt himself being lifted, and then heard the grinding of stone on stone, followed by a loud slam. Suddenly, Bjorn heard nothing, nothing but the whistle of a breeze, like wind in a cave. He could not move, he could not see. He tried to scream, but no sound left his being. Then there was a brilliant flash of light, and he was blinded by it, and deafened by the ringing in his ears...

Bjorn rose first. Another nightmare, but not one he'd had before. This one was a mystery to him. He couldn't figure it out. He stood up and gathered his things. Observing his surroundings, he became slightly irritated. No way to tell the time, no way to see where the sun stood in the sky. Nothing but the sound of trickling water and the howl of the wind through the tunnel. How long had he slept? He roused the others, who rose sleepily. Drenyir rolled up his bedroll and slung his bow over his shoulder. Vallund was startled awake, fully convinced it was Gharza making an attempt at his life. "Hmph," Gharza snorted, rolling his eyes. "You're just a waste of a hammer swing."

When everyone was ready, they started walking once more. While Bjorn adjusted his pack, Mariah tapped him on the shoulder. She looked innocent, almost embarrassed. "I'm sorry about last night..." she whispered, lowering her head. "I should've been stronger. But thank you."

Bjorn nodded his head. "If you all...are going to be following me now, you need to trust me, and I all of you," he said, trying to sound understanding, "if you need to talk, I will listen."

Mariah looked back up at him, wearing a small, almost hidden, smile. She pulled her coat up and started walking.

Like the day before, the tunnel twisted, but never branched off. They walked for hours, Bjorn and Drenyir leading the way with the others in tow. Vallund, as usual, lit the way, but remained as far away as he could from entire walk, Bjorn and Drenyir talked about their homelands, laughing and joking about old stories.

"... so there I was, against an old standing stone," laughed Drenyir as he recalled the event, "and the draugr were closing in. My mother always told me not to go near those ruins, but I was young. I had dropped my bow, and thought for sure I was dead when-" he stopped to laugh, remembering the event, "then this boar came outta nowhere and bull-rushed them. I swear, if you could see fear in a draugr's face, then that was it. I turned tail and ran, but that boar was relentless! I hear these Skyrim draugr can Shout at you; these two couldn't stand up to a pig!"

Both Bjorn and Drenyir laughed louder. Bjorn, for once, enjoyed his company. Drenyir was the closest thing to a friend he'd ever had.

"When this is all over, if you ever find yourself in Solitude, meet me at the Winking Skeever," Bjorn joked. "I'll even get the owner to mount a boar's head!"

The two laughed again, but fell silent when they realized that there was light. Not a bright light, but light. They turned to see if Vallund still had a Candlelight going, which he didn't. The group exchanged looks before taking off at a full sprint towards the light. The ice and snow crunched beneath their feet, and the light kept getting brighter. They rounded a corner and cheered in excitement. They were at the tunnel mouth, and light from Atmora's clouded sky poured into the cave. They stepped out of the tunnel and basked in the open air. The wind bit at their faces, but they paid no mind. It was wind, and not a breeze that had twisted its way through an ice tunnel. The celebration was short-lived, however, when two large animals skulked their way back to the cave mouth.

They were about the size of a sabre cat, and looked very similar, mind the icy blue eyes and twisted horns growing from their heads. They snarled at the group, gnashing their jaws revealing ghastly razor teeth. They lunged at the group, but they were ready. Bjorn's sword was out in a flash, as was Drenyir's bow. Vallund soon commanded a Storm Atronach, and Mariah's hands crackled with lightning. Bjorn side-stepped the first lunge, swinging his sword as the monstrosity roared past. The blade slashed the creature's flank, but it turned swiftly and renewed its attack. Drenyir peppered its other flank with arrows, which did nothing but irritate it. Drenyir rolled away from another lunge, and the creature immediately spun to attack Bjorn. It's claws lashed out, carving gashes into his armor, but not reaching his skin. Bjorn shouted his battle cry, and brought his blade down on the creature's head. It roared in pain and fell to the ground, staining the snow a deep purple. He turned to see about the other, which had become nearly hairless from its burns, yet it did not relent. Bjorn hurried to Mariah and Vallund's aid. The Atronach began to pummel the creature, but the beast merely rolled away and came back. It's jaw opened and came down to bite, sinking its teeth into Vallund's leg. He screamed in pain, repeatedly stabbing the creature in the face with his spare dagger. Drenyir timed a shot, and loosed his arrow, sending it deep into the eye of the creature. It groaned, and collapsed on the ground.

Bjorn pried the jaws from Vallund's leg, who was breathing hard, but making no other noise. He had fallen into shock. The Atronach evaporated, and Mariah attempted to heal the leg. Then Bjorn noticed something. Gharza had disappeared again. Drenyir and Bjorn stood up to look around to find Gharza stumbling out of the cave, wildly flailing his arms, as if swatting away flies the others couldn't see. He pushed past Drenyir and Bjorn, and he noticed that Gharza's eyes were tinted with an icy blue. He uttered noises and grunts, but no cohesive words as he walked by. He eventually stood over Vallund and pushed Mariah out of the way. He slowly pulled Bloodcleave from his back, his utterings getting louder. Vallund's wild eyes settled on Gharza, but he could not move. Gharza raised the hammer above his head, his utterings becoming words. "Not again... never again! My home!" he screamed, bringing down Bloodcleave on Vallund. The rest of the group turned away, but the sickening crack and splatter of blood told them all they needed to know.
"No!" shouted Bjorn, rushing towards the crazed Orc, sword in hand.

"You... you ally with him? Lorgan kill you too!"

Gharza swung his hammer wildly, but Bjorn dodged the swing and drove his sword into Gharza. The Orc dropped his hammer and looked down at the sword in his gut. His eyes were now completely blue, his pupils rolling into his head. A deep purple blood seeped out of his wound, and he collapsed. Bjorn staggered back, dropping his sword. "What... what was that? What happened?" he stammered.

Mariah looked at the creatures, and then at the pool of blood around Gharza's corpse. She took a breath, trying to find the words. "It's... it's a condition called Mindfrost..." she quivered, kneeling down to examine the wound. "It's a condition, very few recorded cases, where the brain, under extremely cold and stressful conditions, may 'snap', causing the afflicted to... see things. Visualize old memories. Make the infected go crazy. The dark blood signifies oxygen loss but the eyes..." she turned to Bjorn, "I've never heard of that before. You did what you needed to Bjorn."

Bjorn stood up, still staring at the two corpses in front of him. When he focused on the world again, he noticed the snow began to fall harder. "Mariah, can you cast clairvoyance?" he asked, "we need to know which way is north."

The misty trail of the spell ran north, and Bjorn looked off into the distance. "We're too close now. We can't turn back to Jylkurfyk, not in this weather," he gazed across the expanse, nothing but flat white until he could see no further. "We need to reach Khartagyllum."