Chapter 10

"Are you sure you can leave Miraak for so long? The most you've left him before was a few days." Lydia stated as she watched the Dragonborn lead her horse to a pile of belongings. It had been a long time since she had been called upon to travel with her Thane. The housecarl knew about Miraak, of his past and his current state. When her Thane was visiting Whiterun, Miraak would stay in Breezehome so Lydia had seen him a fair number of times. The man was odd but he was generally well behaved.

"He's been pretty good. Valis is here too, and Miraak seems to like him." The Dragonborn responded as she began to fill her horse's saddlebags. Valis was another friend that the warrior had know for several years. He owed her a few favors and she was calling on one now.

"Why aren't you taking him along, by the way?" Lydia asked, a little puzzled. That man was always with her.

"I have a bad feeling about bringing him back there." The Dragonborn had felt a sense of dread since learning she would have to return to Solstheim. A damned merchant refused to tell her the location of an ancient ruin until she helped him acquire some goods. The female warrior hated dealing with merchants, finding them to be some of the most infuriating people. Most seemed unable to do something out of the kindness of their hearts and always wanted some sort of payment.

The Last Dragonborn had been tasked with going to Solstheim and gathering several hides from the rare white wolves. She didn't want Miraak there however. The woman was worried something might jog Miraak's memory, as he was now in a much better state of mind than he had been when she first found him. Maybe she was being paranoid but the revelation that she wanted him around was making her a little cautious.

The female warrior also knew that many might consider it wrong to keep Miraak in that state if there was a chance of him regaining all of his mental faculties. But the man was happy and healthy. And she would protect him from any who would try and take advantage of him while trying her best to make sure he could take care of himself in his state. The warrior believed she had succeeded, as Miraak was much more self-sufficient. And if Miraak ever returned to his former state, all she could do was kill him. Wasn't it better he stay this way then? Alive, happy and safe? At least, that was what she tried to tell herself. Tried to make herself wholeheartedly, without the flicker of guilt and shame.

"Well, this means I will finally be able to enjoy the wilds once more. It's quite dull staying in Breezehome with little to do."

"Ah, I must apologize for that Lydia." The Dragonborn said a little sheepishly.

"It is nothing, my Thane. I will serve you whenever you have need of me, even if it is not often." The woman smiled at her Thane. The sight warmed the Last Dragonborn's heart. She was glad she had friends like her.

"Thank you Lydia. I'm glad I have you at my side."

Within the hour, both woman were ready to leave. The Dragonborn said goodbye to Miraak, who was lazing about in his room. Valis assured her everything would be alright and so she departed with her housecarl.

The strange connection to Miraak slowly dissipated the farther she traveled away from her home, leaving the Dragonborn feeling a little bereft.

In Solstheim, their task did not end up taking as long as anticipated. The Last Dragonborn and Lydia found that a trader was selling the white wolf hides right there at Raven Rock. Both women laughed at their fortune. Buying them was far easier than having to hunt them down themselves. They could even leave for home within an hour of arriving.

They could… But there was a tavern nearby and a quick little detour would not hurt anyone.

After the Dragonborn and Lydia ordered their drinks, they began to talk to the other patrons. Taverns were some of the best places to learn information. It was there that the women learned of some interesting rumors. It seemed as if a Dark Elf named Drullis had been looking for a feral man matching Miraak's description up until a few months ago.

Alarmed, the Dragonborn decided to find this Drullis. Maybe he could shed a light on how Miraak had returned to Nirn. Or if she deemed him a threat to her companion, take care of him before he had a chance to go after Miraak.

"So Miraak made you build him some sort of crypt? The Dragonborn asked, a little confused. Lydia stood behind her, watching the Elf in case he tried anything. The women had quickly found Drullis working near the docks. He was very willing to talk.

"Sort of? It wasn't just me but I remember us filling it with a fair bit materials. Soul gems, dragon bones, dragon scales, weapons. I also recall engraving many strange things on the walls." The man remembered going from place to place, picking up things that made no sense. He had chipped off a darkened piece of wall from a large temple where it looked like a battle had taken place, he had picked up ashes from an old metal chest in a bedroom, he had taken old rusted but still elegant weapons and tattered clothing. Some of the others had dragged some old stone coffin and placed it against one of the walls.

Drullis hadn't really been in control of himself, neither had the others. He learned that had been common thing among the people of Solstheim at the time. This Miraak had been using them for some sinister plan. After the Dragonborn had freed them, Drullis could not stop thinking about what he had been made to do. Eventually he alone had returned to that place, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Seared into his brain was whatever plan Miraak had devised. Drullis followed it, placing everything the way it needed to be. He filled the coffin with blood, it should have been human, but the Dark Elf figured animal blood would work too. He had added a bit of his own blood too, just in case. In the coffin also went some soul gems and the dragon bones and scales. After everything was in place, all Drullis had to do was activate the enchantment by shattering one of the soul gems.

The Dark Eld did so and the room had erupted in light. Once it had faded, a blood soaked figure had emerged from the gore in the coffin. It had been a terrifying sight to behold.

"So you said you have Miraak?" The Drullis asked then, snapping out of his memories.

"Yes. I've taken him to Skyrim." The Dragonborn replied while mulling over what she learned. The Dragonborn could guess what Miraak had been trying to do. Maybe this had been the man's failsafe in case he was unable to enact his first plan? It looked like it had worked, but not in any way he would have wanted.

"Really? I bet it's been real fun with him snarling and trying to attack everything on sight."

"Not really. I've been able to teach him to be more civilized. He doesn't talk but he's doing a lot better."

"You must one hell of a teacher then. I had that guy for a month and I couldn't teach him a thing. And I tried."

"Maybe." The Dragonborn replied but then paused, asking. "You had him for that long? Where did you keep him?"

"Oh... In a cage?" The man responded, a little defensively, as if knowing he would get an unpleasant reaction. When Miraak first appeared in that crypt he had immediately tried to attack Drullis. The Dark Elf had tried reasoning with him but the man had acted like a rabid beast. The feral man must have been weak from whatever magic brought him back as he had fainted rather quickly after being subdued.

The only thing the Drullis could do was drag him to someplace that could contain him. He knew of an abandoned fort nearby that had been used to trap large animals. He put Miraak in one of the cages that had been built for bears. It had been pretty spacious so it's not like it was as bad as it sounded. The Dark Elf had thrown in some bedding and a blanket. The man hadn't known what to do with him and it had been better than killing him. He had felt a little responsible for him after bringing him to Solstheim.

"What!" The Dragonborn yelled in indignation on Miraak's behalf. A cage? Like an animal?

"What did you expect me to do! He kept trying to attack me!" The man retorted. "I fed him, gave him clothes and even tried to train him. I was going to let him go after he regained his senses, but he never did. The only reason he's alive thanks to my generosity!"

This Dark Elf might be the reason Miraak disliked being locked inside anything, the Dragonborn thought. He might be the reason he hated having anyone touch him. He may also be the reason he attacked the stable hand so long ago. That Dark Elf looked similar to this Drullis.

"How did he get out then?" The Dragonborn demanded, the anger in her voice obvious.

"He kept bashing at the door and I think the lock weakened until it just broke one day. You must have found him some time after that."

"This crypt. Where is it."

The Dark Elf seemed to realize he might be in trouble and hurriedly gave her the location. He was glad when she left, taking his Nord companion with her.

The crypt was only about two hours walk away from Raven Rock. They followed the man's directions and entered an old ruin, heading into the first room on the right.

There they found what Drullis and the others, under the influence of Miraak, had done. Lydia whistled in awe while the Dragonborn ventured further inside to investigate.

The walls were entirely covered in runes that someone would have had to engrave painstakingly slowly. The runes themselves were somehow glowing, resonating magic. On the floor were more engravings, fabric, weapons and even more soul gems in patterns she did not recognize. The soul gems also glowed, as if their work was not complete.

Dried gore was splattered around the room, both on the floors and the walls. A stone coffin placed near a wall was full of congealed blood. Possibly that is where the blood on the walls and floor originated from. It seemed as if someone had panicked and splashed the rest of the room while trying to get out of there.

The remains of the concoction in the tub still stank though some of it looked quite dry and ashy. The female warrior poked it with her sword and was disgusted when she realized it was still slightly jelly-like. The entire room stank of decay and blood.

Curious about the soul gems, the woman picked one up. There was an odd marking on the gem, a rune written in some type of ink. She could feel a soul inside of it still. The Dragonborn briefly wondered what kind it was before moving on. Taking the gem with her, she went back to the runes. The mark on the gem matched one of the runes on the wall. Curious, she touched them, pressed her palm flat against the stone.

The Dragonborn instantly felt searing agony flare inside her body. She screamed, both in surprise and pain. Her instinctive reaction was to pull her hand away but she found she was unable to move. The warrior's knees buckled and she fell to the ground, her hand sliding down but still pressed against the wall.

The female warrior screamed louder as the runes began to glow brighter. She only had a moment to notice Lydia running towards her before she felt as if something was ripped out of her. Then everything went dark.

The Last Dragonborn woke some time later, sweating and shivering. Lydia's worried face was the first thing she saw. Her housecarl immediately offered her a healing potion and she took it gratefully. It helped a little.

Both women noticed all the soul gems had shattered and the runes no longer glowed. It was rather disturbing. Lydia helped her Thane stand and the both quickly left the ruin.

"Are you alright, my Thane?" Lydia asked as she watched her Thane stumble as she walked for the third time in as many minutes.

"Yes." The Dragonborn replied. Then sighed after a moment."No… Let's just rest for a few moments and I will take another potion. Then we can head home. I don't think I want to stay here any longer."

Lydia nodded, worry still etched on her face.

One short chapter left after this!