Morthal, Hjaalmarch Hold
Skyrim, Nirn
The 12
th of Heartfire, 4E201

Lucien was not quite what Belinda was expecting. He was a black lynx with piercing blue eyes and an interestingly long, swishing tail. He wore a platinum amulet in the shape of a dragon with amethyst eyes on a woven cord of purple, silvery-grey, and black satin. His eyes shone of wisdom and knowing with millennia behind them. He sat on the bed at Belinda's feet, staring at her. Belinda stared back. Belinda admitted though, there was something strangely familiar about the lynx. Something that she couldn't place. It was like she was supposed to know him.

"Have we met?" Belinda asked.

"In a sense," Lucien answered. "We met in your past life. Spirits are such complicated things you know."

Belinda nodded, understanding that much.

"You're the reincarnation of Amanisa Dragon-Speaker, an ancient and powerful Elven Planeswalker," Lucien explained. "I can see why she chose you. Human and of the Dragon blood. She was always fond of both. Had a habit of studying dragons and their kin back home." He looked at her, seeming to smile, but it was a sad one. "You don't remember. It was too much to hope that there would be something of your old life in there. Of course, Karr did not remember who he was before, so I shouldn't be surprised."

Belinda reached out and petted his head. She moved her fingers behind his ears and scratched, making the lynx purr in delight. He came and cuddled against her, giving her warmth and enjoying the attention. Ancient though he was, he was a cat at heart. Belinda loved cats.

"You must miss her," Belinda sighed. "I know how that can be…I miss Karr all the time, even though he left when I was still so young and had much more to learn."

Lucien nodded. "What became of him?" he questioned.

"He had to guide a spirit back home and I haven't seen him since," Belinda answered. "I hope to see him again someday." She looked at Lucien. "So, you're obvious here for more than just reminiscing. Amanisa was an Astralamancer like I am, and you and her were bonded. So you must know enough of her secrets to help get better at the Astralamancy thing."

Lucien smiled again. "I do. She taught me all I know of it to teach her next life. Soon, you won't need physical contact to tap another mage's power. Just being near them will be enough. As you get stronger, you'll be able to reach greater distances until you're able to just reach into the land itself and find the magical imprint of another mage."

"That sounds totally awesome," Belinda commented.


Labyrinthian, Whiterun Hold
Skyrim, Nirn
The 14
th of Heartfire, 4E201

Belinda was on the other side of the Mask Chamber in the exterior ruins of Labyrinthian, trying to reach out into Dione's soul. The Dunmer sat, not resisting and being patient as Belinda honed her power. She brushed against Dione's skin. Belinda pushed again and managed to brush her soul. When she did, she gasped and collapsed to her knees. She needed a break. She had been at this all morning.

They had arrived once more at the exterior ruins of Labyrinthian last night, Belinda still fighting a fever. Calista travelled with them, intending to make it to Whiterun. When they awoke this morning, a blizzard came in and they were stuck there until the blizzard blew over. In the odd chamber was a skeleton, an iron dagger in its ribcage, a wooden mask in its hand, and notes left by a mercenary describing what happened here. Dione burned the skeleton and bagged the dagger. Sell it for some pocket money. Belinda, however, was more interested in the mask and the notes. She tried it on and found herself in another time, back when the busts were whole. She understood what needed to be done: Find the masks that matched each bust. Made sense. She removed the wooden mask and returned to her time.

Since they were currently snowed in, Lucien decided that it would be an excellent time for Belinda to start working on her talents. Getting a little bit further from Dione was hard, but she expected it to be. She didn't think it would be this hard though. Lucien watched her patiently. Belinda had asked if she could sit down, but the lynx had told her it was important that she remain standing, that way the physical strain would remind her to stay grounded and she would not lose herself to the spirit world. Of course it was something. It was always something.

"How did I ever?" Belinda asked him.

"You had more time and power before," Lucien answered. "Now, you do not. If the others had listened to you before, you would have all the time and power you need. Now, you have to work on it."

"It just occurred to me…How are you even a Planeswalker?" Belinda asked. "Clearly you weren't always fully sentient and beasts do not typically have the Spark. Not to mention the fact that you are still alive. Half the surviving Old 'Walkers have died."

"Like others, I am an exception," Lucien answered. "I was born with sentience. When you rescued me as a cub, you expanded my knowledge. When I tasted the blood of Kanesa, your daughter, it ignited my Spark and I was on a much younger Ravnica. I was scared and quickly returned to you. She knew what I was and told me not to be scared. After your friend Narmeleth passed, I decided to reside in Valinor for a time and enjoy the peace. When you finally came to me at the end of the Third Age, I could tell you were different, that after keeping your own Spark from igniting, you finally let it take you away. Then we travelled together."

The others had been listening. Calista felt a slight bit overwhelmed, Sieghard absorbed the information, and Dione learned.

"How…Did I die before?" Belinda asked.

"It was Nathiel's fault," Lucien answered. "Or maybe it was Karr's. Or yours."

"So you knew Nathiel?"

"Once, when he was young and I younger."

"What happened?"

"Nathiel was a powerful and talented alchemist once upon a time," Lucien explained. "He came to Amanisa's academy in his youth to study. He wanted to create a true Philosopher's Stone without the mass murder. Naturally, Amanisa tried to steer him away from such a course. She was the wisest of us Old 'Walkers after all. She knew what objects of such power were capable of. She had seen it happen many times. However, Nathiel pursued his course and found a way. While it would not kill humanoids, it would kill many beasts, magical animals, and nature on a vast scale. Amanisa learned of this and sent Karr to prevent its creation and to destroy Nathiel's notes. Needless to say, he succeeded. Nathiel was left devastated and his Spark ignited. We don't know what became of him. For a few hundred years, we heard nothing from him and assumed he had been destroyed in the Blind Eternities.

"We were wrong."

"Why? What happened?" Dione asked.

"A thousand years ago, Nathiel returned a changed man," Lucien answered. "He promised to make Amanisa pay for destroying his work and became a Dark Mage, one who steals magic for personal gain. He taught others and they turned on Amanisa. Karr and I were ready to defend, but Amanisa would not let us suffer fates worse than death. She destroyed her library. That which she deemed too valuable to destroy were sent by her messengers across the multiverse. She had prepared for Nathiel's return apparently and had a tomb waiting for her body in Valinor. She transferred her soul and Spark to a star that travelled the Multiverse and Karr and I escaped with her body. Of course, we made sure Nathiel saw her body before we 'walked away to safety. Better for him to believe she was dead and not able to be reborn."

"I don't blame my past life for destroying Nathiel's work," Belinda pointed out. "It would always be mass murder to create such an item."

Lucien nodded.


Nathiel's Lair, USA
Earth
The 14
th of Heartfire 4E201/September 14th, 2008

Nathiel smashed a beaker against a wall and sat in a chair. It just wasn't possible! Amanisa Dragon-Speaker was dead! He saw her in Karr's arms a thousand years ago! Yet that was her face! HOW?! She was alive! All these thoughts assaulted him at once, distracting him from the sinister red glow. It only drew his attention when a growl came from the glow.

"My lord!" Nathiel exclaimed, standing, and then kneeling. "My apologies. I was distracted by her…"

"Her? Amanisa?" a voice snarled.

"She's alive," Nathiel pointed out. "I can't understand it. I saw her die." He went to his work table and slammed his hands down on the surface. "I saw her corpse in that filthy Angel's arms!"

"The Ivory-Wing…" the voice growled.

"The one who destroyed my research," Nathiel groaned. "What is he plotting..?" He had spent years trying to find the Half-Angel Karrin Ivory-Wing, know more commonly as Karr Ivorring. Yet, the Half-Angel eluded him. But now here was Amanisa, back from the grave. How was she alive? What did Karr do to make her so? "I must find her again."

"Find her, destroy her," the voice urged, "and make sure she perishes for good, this time."


"Yes, Lord Skorn."

Riverwood, Whiterun Hold
Skyrim, Nirn
The 16
th of Heartfire, 4E201

The group arrived in the village of Riverwood a couple days later, minus Calista who remained in Whiterun. The day was bright and sunny, the tempters mild. Lucien stretched and yawned. It had been an exhausting couple of days. Between travelling through the mountains, battling snow trolls, and training Belinda, he was eager to sleep on a decent bed. Belinda looked to him and chuckling lightly.

"Sleepy kitty?" she chimed.

"Shaddup," Lucien responded lightly.

Belinda smiled to him. She really enjoyed his company. He was light-hearted and patient, which made him a tolerable mentor. As they crossed the bridge, she noticed he was hobbling a bit. Something appeared to be wrong with his left hind leg. Had he been injured? She knew that last troll out of the mountains had been a brute, but she didn't recall seeing it hit Lucien once. It hadn't even known the lynx was there until Lucien bit into its shoulder.

"Lucien, are you okay?" Belinda asked. "You're limping."

"So I am," Lucien answered. "I'm not as young or as powerful as I once was. Old scars sometimes bother me. A wretched Morroval cut me good here."

"What the Hell is a Morroval?" Sieghard asked.

"A vampire," Lucien answered. "These ones are a bit different in appearance to the vampires one would find here on Nirn. Vampire was the Human named, a more modernized edition to what they were once called. Morroval is not as commonly used anymore."

"I can tell you why: Vampire is easier," Sieghard pointed out.

"Indeed. Because the plural of Morroval is spelt different," Lucien chuckled.

"The just grates my nerves," Sieghard groaned. "Why must some plural words be spelt differently from the singular word?"

"Don't ask me; I didn't invent the common tongue," Lucien stated. "Seriously, Mouse and Mice. WHY?!"

Belinda and Dione laughed. "To annoy all of existence!" Belinda laughed. People started staring. What a bunch of weirdos, right? The group entered The Sleeping Giant Inn. The local "bard" Sven was there, playing his lute. And badly, one might add. The town drunk was at his favorite table. Orgnar was at the bar, wiping it down. A tall, blond Breton woman was sweeping the floor, minding her own business.

"That's the innkeeper, Delphine," Sieghard pointed out to Belinda. "She was with Farengar when we deliver the Dragonstone. The one you mouthed off to."

"Then she knows who left the note," Belinda plainly said. She had read while in the Mask Chamber back at Labyrinthian:

Dragonborn –

I need to speak to you. Urgently.

Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn
in Riverwood and I'll meet you.

-A friend

It was brief and said everything it needed to. Belinda looked up. There was no attic, and she was going to feel stupid for even asking after it. Especially if Delphine wasn't the person who left that note. Belinda had a strong feeling it was her, especially after Sieghard reminded her that Delphine had been there when they handed Farengar the Dragonstone. With a sigh, the Dragonborn walked up to Delphine and said, "I'd like to rent the attic room."

Delphine looked at her, eyes scrutinizing. It was the same kid who had retrieved the Dragonstone.

"And before you say anything, yes I'm well aware that there's no attic," Belinda pointed out. "So let's just cut the crap and you take me to either your lair or whoever the Hell you're working for and get on with it."

"Rude as ever, I see," Delphine said coolly.

"Yeah, well, I've had a long, painful, and lousy week," Belinda told her. "So, shall we?"

'Will you handle this with a bit more tact?" Delphine asked.

"We'll see," Belinda answered.

Delphine felt an impending sense of doom, yet knew not why. Okay, that was a lie. She knew exactly why. This kid was trouble…