LYDIA: DREAMSTRIDER

Lydia looked around the room. She was inside the lower chamber next to the Skull of Corruption. A Dunmer with a mohawk and a Nord with a long beard stood next to her. She looked down at herself. Her skin was dark like a Dunmer's skin and she was wearing the purple robes of Vaermina priests. I must be inside one of the priest's bodies, she thought in amazement. The two other priests next to her were arguing whether or not to release the miasma.

"We have to release the miasma, Thorek!" The Dunmer told the Nord.

"But, brother Veren….." Thorek started.

"We have no choice. It is the will of Vaermina." Veren stated. He looked at Lydia. "What do you say, Brother Casimir?" That must be whose body I'm in, Lydia realized.

"I have made my peace, Brother Veren." a voice that sounded very similar to Erandur's said.

"Then go. Don't let anything stop you from releasing the miasma." Veren told Casimir. He turned back to Thorek. "We must remain here and guard the skull with our lives if necessary."

"Agreed! To the death." Thorek commented.

Lydia found that while she couldn't control what the body said she could indeed control the legs and arms. This potion she took was amazed and scared her at the same time. She began running through the halls of the tower. Sounds of fighting and screams filled the hallways. She ran past the Orcs and priests fighting. The Orcs swung their large weapons while the priests used magic. Bodies of priests and Orcs were scattered along the path. Two priests were fighting an Orc at the top of a flight of stairs Lydia had to cross. She didn't know what to do. She was inside the body of a mage but she didn't know how to use magic. Lydia waited for the fight to move so she could run past them. She felt so cowardly running like this but she didn't know what else to do.

Lydia continued to run through the curving halls and rooms. She ran past the bodies of fallen orcs and priests and avoided the ones that were still fighting. All these priests and orcs. Are we going to have to push our way through them again when I open the barrier? She wondered. She finally made it to where the door with the barrier was. She pulled the chain that released the miasma and felt her body change. She looked down and saw her pale Nord skin again. I'm back.

"Stop whatever it is that is causing the barrier," She heard Erandur say. Lydia looked over at the doorway and saw Erandur and Rhew standing there. Lydia looked around and found a soul gem that the power was flowing from. She grabbed the gem and tossed it aside. The barrier disappeared. "It worked! Mara be praised!"

"You disappeared in front of us and when we made it here you were on the other side." Rhew said astonished.

"Are you mad?! I could have died!" Lydia yelled. Rhew looked hurt at the outburst. Lydia suddenly felt bad for that.

Erandur looked shocked. "I thought I was pretty blunt with the dangers of going into the Dreamstride. But you have made it back unscathed. Oh, how I wish I could see what it's like to be in the Dreamstride."

"We can talk about it later." Lydia said folding her arms across her chest.

"Right. Let's continue. We must get to the skull and destroy it." They ran through the winding halls Lydia had just passed through. The dead bodies littered the floors. It seems most of the fighters had died before the miasma had been released. They ran to the inner sanctum.

"Wait…." Veren and Thorek appeared before them. "Veren! Thorek! You're alive!"

"No thanks to you, Casimir." Veren said bitterly. Lydia was shocked. It was Erandur's past I was seeing, she realized.

"You abandoned us!" Thorek exclaimed, "You are a traitor."

"No! I was scared! I wasn't ready to sleep!" Erandur protested.

"No priest of Mara is going to destroy the skull!" Veren declared. Veren and Thorek charged at them and cast lightning. Rhew conjured a frost atronach. It bounded toward Thorek. Lydia charged for Veren blocking his magic with her shield. Her sword plunged into his gut. Blood trickled from his mouth. She pushed him off her sword. He crumpled to the ground. Lydia turned to charge Thorek to see the frost atronach punch him. He flew into the wall. Erandur threw a fireball at him. He caught fire and began to scream.

"Iiss slen nus!" Rhew shouted. The fire went out and Thorek was encased in ice. "Death by fire is a horrible way to go." She said sadly.

"They….. were my friends. I knew them from long ago." Erandur said sadly. He looked as if he was being tortured inside. He walked up the small flight of stairs to the force field that protected the skull. "Give me a moment to destroy the skull." He began to recite an incantation to remove the barrier. It slowly disappeared revealing a staff.

"He's deceiving you." A voice filled Lydia's head. She looked around but neither Rhew nor Erandur seemed to be able to hear the voice. What is happening? "When the ritual is complete the skull will be free and Erandur will turn on you." Lydia's eyes widened in surprise. Could this voice be telling the truth? She had to protect Rhew. "Quickly! Kill him! KIll him now! Kill him and claim the skull for your own! Vaermina commands you!" Lydia placed her hands over her ears and sunk to the floor. The voice continued to command her to kill Erandur.

"Lydia?" Rhew rushed over to Lydia and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Lydia?"

"The voice." She said through gritted teeth, "Can't you hear it? It wants me to kill Erandur." Rhew looked shocked. "He's going to turn against us."

Rhew looked at Erandur who was busy working on destroying the skull. "I don't think so, Lydia. I think whatever is talking to you is trying to deceive you." Rhew pulled Lydia into her arms to try and comfort her. She looked back up at Erandur hoping the ritual would be over soon. Lydia was shaking. Her hand was wrapped around the hilt of her sword. If the ritual lasted any longer she was going to plunge the sword into Erandur's back.

The skull disintegrated into dust. "Forgive me if I don't appear to be relieved." He said as he turned to look at the women. He studied the scene before him. "Um, what is going on?"

The voice in Lydia's head disappeared. Her shaking stopped. "It's….. it's nothing. I'm fine now." She said as she stood up. "Thank you, Rhew."

"Vaermina tried to deceive you, huh?" Erandur asked figuring out what was happening. "Thank you for not believing her. Dawnstar can sleep easy now." Lydia looked uncomfortable.

"Are you going to be alright?" Rhew asked Erandur.

"In time, I believe I will. My intentions was to stay here the rest of my life and pray for forgiveness to Mara but….." He looked at Rhew and Lydia, "I am curious what brought you here. I'm not the only one keeping secrets."

Rhew and Lydia looked at each other deciding whether to tell him or not. "We're…. we are looking for the Dark Brotherhood." Rhew finally said.

"The Dark Brotherhood!" Erandur exclaimed. "Why would you ever want to look for that foul group?"

Rhew began to tear up. Lydia spoke up, "A being claiming to be Sithis took her…." Lydia paused. What would you call Rhew and Faendal? "her…. significant other. It said she wouldn't get him back unless she contact the Dark Brotherhood."

"It said I might get him back." Rhew whispered. "And it didn't say what I was supposed to do once I did find them."

Erandur felt compassion for the two women. "What a darkness that has befallen on you." He said, "I would like to join you and help if you wouldn't mind. You could use the loving embrace of Mara in times like this."

Rhew smiled sadly, "Sure. Thank you. But we still don't know where to find the Dark Brotherhood."

"There are whispers of the Dark Brotherhood all the time, my daughter. You just have to know where to listen."