Hello everyone! I'm back with a new... Umm... "exciting" chapter, after a long break. This chapter has a lot of talking, hence the quotes. But the next chapter will have a lot of action. I've noticed a lot of weird typos while proofreading. I write these on my Ipad, because its easier for me and I type faster with a Ipad than with a PC. But sometimes I type something wrong and it'll autocorrect and make it... Weird. Anyways, were coming to a close with Thaumaturge, at least for now. I've already started working on some future projects as well as some other stories I've already posted that I may or may not continue. Also, I changed the title. But enough talking. Enjoy this chapter of Thaumaturge! Read on!
"This way..." Tanz said, leading the other two mages. They'd searched every chamber they'd come across for Paratus, whoever he was. Tanz guessed he was already dead, but though he could find the Staff's location even if he was dead. They walked down the passageway and reached a large metal door. It was the same bronze color as everything else in the ruins. Tanz placed a hand on one of the double doors and pushed. The door creaked, but refused to move. Tanz groaned as he stepped away from the door.
"Locked... Damn." Tanz said, examining the door. A voice spoke up from behind the door.
"G...Gavros is that you?" The voice said, "I'd almost given up hope! Just let me get the door." There was click and the metal door swung open. A Redguard stood in the doorway. "What... Who are you? Where's Gavros?" He asked angrily, readying a spell in his right hand.
"Paratus?" Alana asked. The Synod nodded, looking at the mages warily. He was a Redguard with very dark skin, and he wore the robes that the other Synod corpses had been wearing.
"What have you done with Gavros?" He asked. The three mages looked between each other.
"I'm afraid he's dead." Tanz answered. Paratus scowled and lowered his hand.
"It was the damned Falmer wasn't it?" He asked, earning a nod from Tanz. "Curse them! They've ruined everything!" He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his hand and sighed. "If Gavros is gone, there is no hope. He was supposed to return with the crystal... Without that, we might as well give up."
"Give up on what? What are the Synod doing here?" Alana asked. The Redguard turned to look at the mages with a frustrated expression.
"I could ask you the same..." He muttered.
"We're from the College of Winterhold, we came in search of the Staff of Magnus. We thought the Synod might know where it is." Tanz said. The sound of footsteps echoed from down the hall and Paratus quickly gestured for them to get inside.
"Quickly, get in. I'll lock the door." He said. The three rushed in and the Redguard pushed the doors into place. He inserted a key into a slot and locked the door. "There..." He stepped back and put the key into his pocket. The room was littered with items. Empty bottles sat on the floor, along with boxes and barrels, presumably filled with food. A few bed rolls lay on the other side of the room. "Damned Falmer will be the death of us all! I knew this would be too dangerous! I told them, but did they listen? No-" He raved.
"What's this about a crystal?" Varain's asked, stopping the man's incessant ramblings. The man looked up at Varain with wide eyes.
"Haven't you been listening?" He asked angrily.
"You haven't told us anything!" Tanz shouted, experiencing an ever growing annoyance by the half-sane man's antics. The Redguard looked at Tanz, then to the ground, in deep thought.
"Oh, yes... Yes your right." He said after a moment, realizing his mistake. "The crystal didnt work the first time. I tried to tell Gavros, but he wouldn't listen. 'No it won't be to cold' he said. But I was right! The cold had warped it! It was focused completely wrong by the time we got here. Gavros had to bring it all the back to Cyrodiil, leaving us to fend off the damnable Falmer!"
"I think I have the crystal you're talking about." Tanz said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled the fist-sized crystal out and held out for the man to see. A surprised look came across Paratus' face, along with the other mages, and he reached out to take it. Tanz quickly pulled it out of his reach and scowled. "What about the staff?"
"I... I'm afraid I can't help you... Not without that crystal anyways." Paratus said, holding out his hand. Tanz held the crystal close to his side. The crystal was his bargaining chip. If he game him the crystal, he could refuse to help, and Paratus knew that. But he couldn't help without the crystal.
"If I give you the crystal, you have to help us find the staff." Tanz said. The Redguard nodded in silent agreement. Tanz looked down at the crystal and held it out to the Redguard. The Synod took the crystal and smirked.
"Smart move." He said.
"Now, how do we find the staff?" Varain asked.
"Right, follow me..." Paratus said. He turned around and started to walk down the hall. The three followed after as the man rambled. "No matter what Gavros said, this was my idea. The council will know that when I get back. *I* was the one who thought to use this... Oculary... I don't know what the dwarves called it, something unpronounceable I'm sure. From our research, it seems they were intent on discerning the nature of the divine."
The group walked into a large room that mostly occupied by a massive bronze sphere, and a walkway led up to another level. Paratus turned and walked up the ramp along with the other mages. "This machinery, all of it, was designed to collect starlight, and then... I'm not sure. Split it somehow. Let's just hope this works." He said.
They reached the top of the ramp and walked out onto a platform. Another ramp led up to a few pedestals and a group of refractory lenses hung from the ceiling above the sphere. The ceiling was curved and circular with more lenses on tracks. Paratus walked up to the lenses and placed the focusing crystal into a slot by the lenses. A beam of light shot through the ceiling and bounced of one of the lenses. It connected with another lens, and then another, until three beams of light shot out toward the ceiling.
Tanz guessed the lights were supposed to connect with lenses on the ceiling, but they wouldn't hit the lenses in their current state. Hey were offset, aiming to high or too low to hit the lenses.
"Now, as I said before, the cold had warped the crystal. You'll have to refocus the crystal with spells, and that will change where the beams land. I assume you already know them, unless your training is even more sub-standard than I've heard." Paratus said with a smirk. Tanz approached the crystal and aimed a hand at it. He cast a flame spell at the crystal and the beams began to move. They moved away from the tracks however, and Tanz stopped casting when he noticed this. He switched to a ice spell, and sprayed particles of ice onto the crystal the beams moved the opposite direction, towards the tracks. After a few seconds the beams were on the tracks, in the direct paths of the lenses.
"Now those buttons up there should move the lenses." Paratus said, pointing up to the higher level. A loud crash sounded from back the way they had come and the mages looked to each other. "Its the damned Falmer. We'd better hurry before they break down the door."
"How could they break down the door?" Alana asked, "They aren't strong enough to break through." Another crash reverberating through the room.
"This is a dwarven ruin, maybe its one of the machines." Varain guessed.
"Possibly, there was another way out besides the way you came in, but it was locked from the other side." Paratus said. Tanz walked up the ramp and looked over the pedestals in front of him. There were three buttons, with no indication of which lenses it would move. Tanz pressed the farthest button to his left and the top lens moved along the track toward a beam. He continued to press it until the lens hit the beam, and repeated the action with the other lenses. After a few minutes the beams were connected with all the lenses and a projection appeared on a wall. Tanz walked down the ramp and the four mages gathered around it.
"This... These aren't the results I had expected. This projection should be lit up like the night sky." Paratus said.
"This looks like a map of Tamriel..." Tanz said. The projection wasn't complete, A few of the provinces were either missing or incomplete.
"Something is creating an incredible amount of interference. Something in Winterhold it looks like..." Paratus said as he examined the map. He turned to Tanz and glared at him accusingly. "What are you playing at? Is this some sort of attempt to stall my work?" He paused for a second and after a moment, he spoke up again. "You have something at your college don't you?"
"Uh... We may have something..." Tanz answered. The Synod clearly had been here too long. His eyes were wild and threatening, as was his stance. He wasn't about to attack, Tanz knew that much, but he didn't want to provoke him.
"Well, that would explain these results..." Paratus said.
"Can you help us find the Staff of Magnus or not?" Alana asked impatiently.
"Possibly... This map may provide its location, though it is unlikely." Paratus said, moving over to the map. He pointed up to Skyrim with one hand and held out his other to Tanz. "A map, if you will." Tanz reached into his pocket and pulled out a tattered piece of paper.
"Here." Tanz said as he handed him the map. Paratus looked over the map in his hand and on the wall for a moment and then held it up for Tanz to see. He pointed at the northern half of Skyrim, near Morthal.
"See this?" This is the Labyrinthian. This is where your 'Staff of Magnus' is." Paratus said.
"Are you sure?" Tanz asked.
"Oh, most definitely." Paratus assured him. "I won't bother explaining how I came to this conclusion, you probably wouldn't understand anyways. But its most likely that the staff is either here, or... Here..." He moved his finger up out into the ocean.
"Lets hope its the Labyrinthian..." Tanz said. Another crash sounded from below, and the sound of creaking metal filled the room.
"I don't think that's the Falmer." Varain said.
"Conduit, prepare yourself. I fear the Dwemer constructs may be more than you can handle." Bros advised.
"Then what's the point in preparing myself..." Tanz muttered angrily.
"We got what we came for, now lets get out of here." Alana said. The other two mages nodded in agreement and started for the ramp when Paratus spoke up.
"What about me? What about my work?" Paratus exclaimed.
"Come with us if you want," Tanz said "but there's nothing we can do about your project." Another clang came from below, louder this time.
"But..." Paratus begun to argue, when another crash shook the room.
"Are you coming or not?" Varain asked. The Synod looked conflicted for a moment but then shook his head as if to clear it.
"Lead the way." He answered with finality. The four hurried down the ramp down the hall to the locked door they had entered through. Over to their right was another hallway. The door to that hallway was bent and nearly broken down. Something on the other side wanted in.
Another crash sounded from beyond the doorway. Tanz slowly approached the doorway as the crashing increased. Suddenly, a chunk of metal burst through the door. A massive sword stuck out from the other side of the door. Tanz raised his hands and readied ice spells. They seemed to work best against the other Dwemer automatons. The sword vanished from view, obviously pulled out from the other side. Another clang sounded, and one of the double doors flew off its hinges. A cloud of dust rose and the other door was knocked off its hinges.
The dust settled back onto the ground and large bronze automaton stood on the other side of the doorway. It was the size of a giant, with a sword for a right arm and a crossbow on the left. Tanz started to slowly back away when it raised its crossbow arm and fired. Tanz raised his hands and cast a barrier. The arrow slammed into the shield and bounced off.
"Its a Centurion!" Paratus shouted. "It can release a poison gas! Watch yourself!"
"Use ice spells! They're the only thing that will damage it." Tanz said. Tanz aimed for the Centurion's chest and fired a volley of ice shards. The shards slammed into its chest and dug into the metal, but did little to stop it. Alana and Varain did the same, and got similar results. The Centurion ambled over toward Tanz and raised its sword. The Centurion begun to swing at Tanz in a vertical attack. Tanz quickly readied and ice atronach spell and cast it directly in front of him. The atronach appeared, and the sword cut into its 'shoulder'. The sword had cut into the atronach, but did very little damage overall.
The atronach, as big as it was, was dwarfed by the monstrous automaton. The atronach raised one of its spear like arms and rammed it into the Centurions chest. Tanz quickly summoned a sword and ran over to Centurion's right leg. He jabbed it into its leg joint and released the sword. He cast a barrier and discharged it, breaking the leg. The Centurion fell onto its side and Tanz looked to the atronach.
"Smash it!" He commanded. Tanz had no idea how intelligent atronach's were, if they had any at all. He figured simple commands would be enough. The atronach seemed to understand and moved to fulfill its summoner's commands. It raised its club-arm and brought it down on its head, and repeated the action until it was sure it wouldn't get up.
"By the nine, your a terror!" Paratus said, astounded. "I thought we were dead for sure!"
"Well done Conduit, I wouldn't have done it better myself." Bros commended him. The group walked into another room and spotted an exit.
"Lets get out of here." Tanz said.
"What happened?" Tanz asked. Tanz and the others had just arrived back at the college, only to find a particularly troublesome situation. The Hall of the Elements had been blocked off by a magical barrier. Savos and Mirabelle stood outside the lecture hall examining the barrier.
"Its Ancano, damnable elf. He's doing something to the orb, and he put up this barrier to keep us out." Mirabelle said. "What happened at Mzulft? Do you know the staff's location?"
"Yes." Tanz answered.
"Excellent, I'd suggest you go retrieve it immediately, but right now we have more pressing matters." Savos said, "Ancano has somehow locked himself in the hall, and we need to get in there. Help us get through this will you?" The two mages raised their hands and begun casting spells at it, and Tanz followed suit. He cast a continuous lightning spell and after a moment the ward fell. The three rushed into the room, and spotted Ancano, hands outstretched. His hands were held up to the Eye of Magnus, and a power was being transferred to him.
"Ancano! Stop this at once! I command you!" Savos shouted. The Altmer didn't seem to notice, and kept siphoning energy from the orb. Savos took a few steps forward, spell ready.
"Don't go near him!" Mirabelle warned. Tanz scowled as Ancano began to glow. A power began to gather around the elf. Savos reached out and laid a hand on Ancano's shoulder, there was a flash and the three mages were flung in all directions.
Tanz hit something solid, and fell onto the ground. After a moment he heard a voice, two voices a male and female.
"Conduit, are you alright?" Bros asked in a worried tone.
"I'm fine." Tanz lied, he had a splitting headache, probably a concussion.
"Apprentice, are you alright? Can you walk?" Someone said. He looked up to see Mirabelle, leaning against a pillar.
"Yes... What happened." Tanz answered. Mirabelle's ankle was bent at an odd angle.
"Ancano is doing something to the Eye. I haven't seen Savos since the explosion. He must have been blown clear. I need you to find him! Quickly!" She said.
"What about you?" Tanz asked. She looked over at Ancano, who was still siphoning energy from the orb. Another ward had gathered around him. But it was closer, just large enough to protect him and the eye.
"I'll be fine." She answered. "Go find the Arch-Mage!" Tanz nodded and began searching the area. After searching the Hall of the Elements he rushed outside. There on the ground, was Savos, dead in front of the statue that sat in the center of the courtyard. A few of the mages had gathered around his corpse. Tolfdir stood among them, and upon noticing Tanz rushed over.
"What happened in there? Are you alright?" He asked frantically.
"Its Ancano, he's doing something to the Eye." Tanz answered solemnly.
"By the nine... Did he kill the Arch-Mage?" Tolfdir said. Tanz was about to answer when the Elder spoke up again. "Something's happened to Winterhold, you need to get down there. I'll find Mirabelle and see if we can put a stop to this."
"Where are all the students?" Tanz asked, the mages gathered around Savos's body were all instructors, not a single student was in sight.
"We told them to stay in their dorms. Please hurry and get to Winterhold."
"Alright." Tanz said. He rushed over to the bridge and began to cross over to Winterhold. Halfway across he saw lights, flying through the air around Winterhold. A few guards desperately swung at the object with swords and weapons, but the objects stayed out of reach, dive bombing the guards every now and then. A stream of fire was being sprayed into the air by a mage, but he couldn't tell who.
Tanz rushed across the bridge and into Winterhold. Out of the corner of his eye he saw one of the lights speeding toward him. He turned charged a lightning spell and released it. The spell hit its target and the light exploded. He looked over to see a guard get thrown to the ground by one of the objects. Tanz charged another spell and launched a lightning bolt into the anomaly. The light seemed to collapse in on itself, but at the same time explode. The guard looked to him and nodded somewhat respectfully.
Tanz continued to dispatch the anomalies alongside the guards and the mage. The other mage was Faralda, a master of destruction magic and one of the instructors at the college. Tanz launched a bolt into another light and another swooped down at him. He cast a barrier to block the attack and the anomaly bounced off, flying up into the air. Tanz quickly destroyed it with a lightning spell. After a few moments of fighting, the group finished off the remaining anomalies. Faralda finished of the last of the lights with a fireball and turned to Tanz.
"We have things under control here, go report back to the college." She commanded. Tanz sighed and ran back across the bridge to the college and through the courtyard. He rushed into Hall of the Elements and hurried to Mirabelle. Tolfdir and Colette stood by Mirabelle. Colette was casting a healing spell on her ankle, which was now its its proper place.
"What happened? Is Winterhold safe?" Tolfdir asked.
"Winterhold is safe." Tanz assure him.
"I wish I could say the same for us. Tolfdir and I can keep this contained for now, but you need to find the Staff of Magnus." Mirabelle said.
"Why me?" Tanz asked defensively. "Why not an instructor, like Phinis?"
"Because we have to stay here and keep this contained. And I need someone I can trust. Besides your the one who's been having these 'visions' aren't you?" She said.
"Then I'm off to the Labyrinthian." Tanz conceded. Mirabelle scowled at the word 'Labyrinthian', as if shocked by the word.
"What? Are you sure its there?" She asked. "That can't be a coincidence..."
"What are you talking about? What coincidence?" Tanz asked.
"The Arch-Mage..." She pulled out a black torc and held it up for Tanz to see. "He gave me this some time ago. I think he meant that this was for you but..."
"What?" Tanz asked.
"Nothing... Here, take these tomes and the torc and go get the staff. Be careful." She said. "Good luck, and may the Nine watch over you." Tanz took the items from Mirabelle and put them in his pocket.
"I'll be back with the staff." Tanz assured her. He turned and hurried out the door. He rushed through the courtyard and stopped at the gate, where Trebon and the others were waiting for him.
"Tanz. What is Ancano doing?" Onmund asked.
"I'm not sure, he's doing something to the Eye. I have to go to the Labyrinthian to get the Staff of Magnus."
"The staff... What?" Trebon asked angrily.
"They're sending you to the Labyrinthian?" Brelyna asked. "That's insane! You won't be able to make it through there!"
"If I don't, Ancano could use the Eye to destroy the college... Or worse." Tanz said.
"Let us come with you then. We can help!"
"J'zargo doubts the lizard can make it though without assistance... I will come with you."
"No. Stay here. If I die, I die. But I won't lead you to your own deaths." Tanz argued.
"They won't take no for an answer Conduit." Bros said. "Best to take as few as you can, minimize the losses."
"You can't stop us Tanz, we're coming with you." Brelyna said. Tanz looked at them all. They were determined, that was obvious. Tanz doubted they would survive if they came along. They didn't have any experience fighting like he had, Varain and Alana proved that point. But they would follow him anyway, no matter how much he protested.
"Fine... But only two of you, I'm not risking all of your lives." Tanz said, looking over all of them. "Trebon, Brelyna. Your coming with me then."
"Alright." Trebon said.
Tanz looked them in the eyes and sighed. "There's no promise that you'll come back..." Trebon smirked.
"You think we hadn't thought of that?" He said. "This is bigger than us, if Ancano gains control of the eye, I don't think anyone will be able to stop him." Tanz nodded to them in agreement.
"Alright then, we're off to the Labyrinthian. Lets go get the Staff of Magnus."