A/N- Alright everyone, the next chapter is here! And it's present day- finally worked out all the kinks in this chapter to where I'm satisfied with it an confident to post it.
I also want to thank everyone that has favored and/or followed this story and has been enjoying the read! I know I don't always write the greatest and there has been times where I've gone back and read the story and wondered if I did the scene/chapter correctly, based on my style of writing... but it has been great to continue with this story nevertheless! Enjoy guys!
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Tala had only visited Leyawiin two other times in her life. The last time had been to gather aid for Bruma- she had slept in a bed at the Guild for the night, and then she went on her way. And the first time was when she started her journey in collecting recommendations for the Arcane University. With every Mages Guild she had gone to, she could remember every task given to her by each of the Head Mages in order to receive their recommendations. But out of all seven assignments, the one that stood out from the rest was her task for Dagail. When the task had been completed, the Bosmer- capable of seeing visions of the future- had given her some words of advice: "It will be up to you to decide the fate of many. Life and death are strange things, easily manipulated... and both will be altered by your hands." Those words made no sense to her back then, but it seemed all so clear now.
She felt rather awkward walking into the Leyawiin Mages Guild after so long and asking for a place to stay while she was in town... again. She thought that they would find her plea rather abusive of their hospitality. But Agata welcomed her in with open arms once more and set her mind at ease. After what Tala had done for Dagail, no one at the Guild had any concerns with her. The young Breton knew she wouldn't spend too much time in the Guild hall, so she made sure she greeted every member whilst she was there as a way to remain friendly during her stay. She had managed to speak with everyone after the first two days... except for Dagail herself. The head Mage never seemed to be in the room whenever Tala was there to fraternize with the other members. It was odd, but she brushed the thought aside and figured it would only be a matter of time before she would see Dagail and be able to say hello.
For the most part, Tala practically lived in the marshlands of Blackwood during her stay in Leyawiin. It was relaxing wandering through the scenery and treading along the waterline while water droplets fell from the leaves of the larger trees and into the puddles. It sounded like soft rain falling on a quiet evening. If she had been quiet enough, she could actually hear the song of the Nirnroot echoing throughout the woods. On one of those rainy days, she went back out to the swamps and sat underneath a rock formation just to listen to the sound of the marsh. It felt so serene. She was able to doze off for a few minutes listening to the nature like a lullaby, but she didn't let herself truly sleep. She didn't want to get so comfortable that she drifted into her dreams. So she took her brief naps before getting up and continuing her search.
It would be until nightfall and returning to her bed at the Guild that Tala allowed herself to sleep. She would've liked to sleep until after sunrise, but that wouldn't happen; the nightmare wouldn't let her. While she was away from home, her nightmare revered to the same old dream it started out as. The memories would still keep playing in flashes, but the moment of silence for Martin to try and calm her down ceased to happen. Instead, the final fight of that day would return and her memories would flash in and out again. She couldn't figure out why all of a sudden, just when it would start to change, it would start over from scratch. It made the nights seem longer now.
Nothing else really changed for the next four days. She had developed this daily routine of search, sleep, and repeat with no interruptions from anything. Until the fifth day.
Tala decided that morning to take a different path on her way out of the city just to get some new sights in. And as she walked past a particular house, she caught a whiff of a foul scent that left her mind no time to stop her body's reaction. In response to the smell, she immediately sent herself over the bushes up against the wall of the house and unwillingly proceeded to empty her breakfast onto them. The woman living there heard the commotion through the window and came outside to watch as this strange young girl in Glass armor violently regurgitated on her delicate hedges. Tala initially worried that the woman was going to yell at her for this. Instead she left for a moment and came back outside, carrying a cup of water and a napkin for her to use. Tala noticed she was of Imperial race, as well as noticed a staff wrapped in cloth strapped to her back. That was kind of strange; most mages took pride in the staffs they wielded, not covered them up.
"I'm so sorry." The woman sheepishly greeted as Tala graciously took the offering. "I was hoping the smell wouldn't leak outside of the house. These stupid scamps are driving me crazy!"
"Scamps?" Tala asked as she wiped her mouth with one corner of the cloth. "What scamps?"
The woman stood rigid with uncertainty for a short moment before silently motioning Tala to come inside and see for herself.
Standing in this woman's living room were four docile scamps. Two were asleep on her floor, one was rummaging through items on her shelf before it would knock them onto the floor, and the last one saw the humans come in and curiously approached like a nervous puppy. Tala gave the scamp a quick pat on the head with her free hand, while the other hand pressed a clean corner of the napkin tight to her face in the attempt to not throw up again. Tala had never seen scamps as friendly as these... but the scent they emitted was horrific.
I can't believe how repugnant this scent is. She thought to herself. Nor can I believe I was able to smell it through a sealed up house.
"A few weeks ago, a spellsword was passing through Leyawiin and heard that I like to buy curiosities." The woman drearily began to explain. "He wanted to sell this staff you see me carrying." She then pulled the staff off of her back and undid its cloth to reveal that its design was of shiny metal with four small scamps facing their backs to each other acting as the head. "I eagerly bought it, knowing the value of Daedric relics. In fact, I was a bit suspicious when he sold it so cheap. His loss, my gain I figured. After examining it for a bit I noticed a small word carved on it in runes. Using a book from my library, I translated it. The word was nonsense. However, when I spoke it and held the staff, four scamps suddenly appeared! I thought I was done for! Strangely, they all just stood there. It didn't take long before I realized they were following me! I couldn't be seen in town with scamps following, so I decided to discard the staff." She paused to look at the staff with utter disgust. "I can't explain it... but somehow I can't compel myself to actually let it go. This staff is obviously cursed! Now I'm stuck with it! I'm so sorry you had to be caught in this, but I didn't know who else to tell and considering you... well, vomited in my bushes because of the smell... I feel like you at least deserve an explanation."
As the woman moved the staff around, Tala watched as the other three scamps had snapped to attention and decided to slowly advance over to them. Now with all four of them being in close proximity of her, the young Breton felt deep sympathy for this woman... and it was about as deep as her feeling of nausea over the nasty scamp stench.
"Well... they seem docile enough..." Tala said, trying to make light of a bad situation.
It didn't help. "The beastly little creatures are nasty, smelly, noisy and wrecking my beautiful house!" The Imperial woman scoffed. "I must be rid of them! I can't let people know I have scamps in here, or they'll think I've taken to Daedra worship. Try explaining that to the town guard. I had a feeling buying that Daedric staff would be trouble. Now I'm paying for it with more than just some gold. I just don't know what to do..."
Tala thought about it for a moment before coming to that selfless decision she's known for making. "Can you stand to have these things running around your house for one more afternoon?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I was planning on leaving the day after tomorrow, but for this I'll cut my time in Leyawiin short. I'll take the staff off your hands and sneak the scamps out in the middle of the night. That way, no one sees them leaving your house."
The woman initially was shocked to see this stranger just up and help her out of the blue like that, but she was elated nevertheless. "Really? Oh thank you!"
"You're welcome. And next time, make sure you do your research before buying artifacts, okay? The Daedra really take pleasure in toying with the lives and sanity of mortals. In fact, just looking at all of this madness... I have an idea as to which Daedric Prince this handiwork belongs to. But I am going ask someone over at the Mages Guild what they think of the staff to see what I can do to get rid of it myself. I don't think I could get used to this smell, no matter how hard I would try."
"You are so kind! Alves should be able to help. We play cards at the Three Sisters often and are old friends. Seek her advice!" The woman went quiet for a moment before adding, "You promise you'll come for the staff tonight? You won't forget about me? Or sleep through the night and leave me with these things until morning?"
"Oh no. I don't sleep through the night. I won't forget." Tala then cheerlessly thought to herself, I haven't slept soundly for almost three months now. Why should tonight be any different?
By the end of the day she had gone back to her bed at the Mages Guild to count up her collection of Nirnroot. Sadly, she only had twenty samples, but it would have to suffice for now. As much as she would've liked to keep looking, she made a promise to Rosentia about the staff... and she made a promise to Eyja about seeking advice for her health. Her lack of sleep was affecting her physically, whether she liked it or not. She hardly ate due to the previous bout of nausea, and yet she felt bloated. She needed to just go home and get it over with.
She had also asked around the guild to find Alves so she could talk to her about the staff, and was lead to the dining room in the back of the guild. When Tala approached her and sat down at the table, the Dunmer mage blinked rapidly and resisted the urge to cover her nose.
"Poor Rosentia, she's been trapped in her house for days." Was Alves's first response.
Now it was Tala's turn to rapidly blink. "Eh? H-how did you know I was there?"
"Frankly, the smell gave you away. You must have stepped in... well, let's just say something that isn't pleasant."
Tala's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. She had no idea the scent still lingered on her despite being out in the marshes all day. Tala knew elves had better senses of smell than humans, but she wondered if other people smelled her as she came in. "Yes I agree, the aroma is atrocious. That's why I'm here. Rosentia asked me to seek you out first, so I was wondering if you knew what kind of staff she possessed."
Alves set down her fork and pushed her plate back from the edge of the table so she could place her arms down and lean in closer. "Just be sure and keep this quiet." She said softly. "If the other mages even knew that I was involved with Rosentia's new guests... I could get kicked out of the guild!"
Tala nodded. "Of course."
"Doing a bit of digging, I'm afraid Rosentia's been stuck with the Staff of the Everscamp. Nasty bit of 'fun' by Sheogorath, I'd say."
"That's who I was guessing was the creator of that artifact." Tala remarked.
"Well the only way she can be rid of it is if someone willingly accepts it. It can't be discarded in any other manner. No one would buy that thing once it's activated like it's been."
Tala frowned. "Well that doesn't sound good for me. I told Rosentia that I'd take it away from her. I'm to pick it up in the middle of the night so no one notices the scamps and that they came from her home."
Alves blinked with wide eyes. "Really? How very kind of you, Tala."
"So I've been told my many. But I don't want to be stuck with it either. If I were to get rid of it, how would I do that without burdening someone else?"
The Dunmer leaned back in her seat and thought about it for a moment before replying, "The only chance is to return it to its original resting place... Darkfathom Cave. Inside the cave, there's rumored to be a shrine to Sheogorath. That's where the staff can finally be dropped and the scamps should remain behind. I also learned that the staff makes the owner move much slower than normal. I suppose it's another way the creator upped the annoyance factor. Oh, and don't bother trying to kill one of them. As soon as you do, another will take its place. It's endless. Quite the curse, eh? Sheogorath certainly has a sick sense of humor."
"Indeed he does. As does Sanguine. You should hear some of the things he's made mortals do to possess his daedric artifact." She chuckled after that before adding, "In terms of being sluggish, I came here on a horse, so it really won't bother me. The poor animal might be annoyed with me though." As she pulled out her map so Alves could show her where Darkfathom Cave was located, she made a point to say aloud, "Thank you for your help."
"It should be I thanking you for helping Rosentia." The mage replied. "I think she's about to crack under the pressure, poor thing."
"I agree. She seemed pretty desperate when she showed me the scamps."
"So what exactly made her decide to let you in the house?" Alves bewilderingly asked.
"She felt like she needed to tell me... since I smelled them from outside the house and... er... expelled the contents of my stomach onto her bushes."
"... Oh my."
After awaking in the middle of the night from her dreams, Tala guessed that she was up at a decent time where there would be little activity going on outside. Which was perfect timing to get the Staff of the Everscamp from Rosentia. She gathered up her things and slowly headed down the stairs to depart out of the city. Luckily, she let Agata know that she'd be leaving very early in the morning, and she made a point to say her goodbyes before she had retired for the night. But she still hadn't seen Dagail, which was both odd and disappointing.
But it seemed like divine timing as she stepped down from the stairs and made her way to the main door, because she heard the wise old voice of the Bosmer softly call out to her from the West Wing, "I hope you haven't been ignoring me, child. You have said hello to everyone here but me."
Tala was given a fright by Dagail's sudden appearance so late at night, but she happily stopped and turned to face her superior. "I'm sorry. It must've been bad timing all week. I hadn't seen you whenever I've returned to the Guild, otherwise I would've said hello. I've been busy during the day collecting specimens for an alchemist friend of mine in Skingrad and only returning here to sleep at night."
"Yes... and those specimens are rather noisy, aren't they?"
Tala's cheeks reddened a little as she tried to clutch her alchemic knapsack tighter to her chest. As if that was going to make close-to-two-dozen Nirnroot stop singing all at once. "My apologies. I know they're rather loud when there's more than one of them. I'm leaving now, so everyone can finally get some peace and quiet around here."
The Guildmaster flashed her a gentle smile before her face went slack again. "Something about you has changed. Are you alright, child?"
Tala's eyes widened for only a heartbeat before she forced her face to show no emotion. "A lot as happened to me since we first met. You could say... that I have experienced the forewarning you gave me. It hasn't been easy, living with the after effects. It has taken time to recover from it all. But enough about me. How have you been? I trust you are doing well?"
Dagail stood there silently for a moment before deciding to walk closer to Tala. "I am much better, thanks to you, child. However, it pains me to hear that my visions for you came to fruition." When she stopped so that she was inches away from the young Breton, she held out her hand. "I see that you are not well, even before you had said anything. And I know that this will be your last time you visit Leyawiin for a very long time. Before you leave... may I see your future, one last time?"
A part of her didn't really want to know, but another part wondered if maybe it was worth it to hear what the head Mage had to say. Maybe it'd even help her get some clarity and be able to sleep at night. She slowly nodded and carefully placed her hand onto Dagail's.
The second she felt her touch, she watched a sorrowful frown spread across Dagail's lips. "Your prophecy has only begun, Tala." She said quietly. When the young warrior let the surprise remain in her shimmering blue eyes, the Bosmer continued, "I have seen what you endured... and I see what you will endure. You still cling to what has been, while ignoring what will be. If you open your mind and your heart, you will see that love stills holds life within. You have a chance to be happy again... but only if you listen to the people to choose to walk your path of life beside you. If you continue to walk your path alone... you will never get a piece of that happiness you've lost."
That seemed rather vague. Again. "Okay..." Tala softly began. "I... don't understand. Can you please tell me what you saw, so I can follow?"
Dagail just smiled and patted Tala's hand. "I cannot tell you something you need to discover on your own. I only hope you choose not to walk alone. Like I had told you before, life and death are strange things, so easily manipulated. Take whatever help is offered to you. Pay attention when others seek to silence your fears. You do not need to continue your journey in this life on your own. Good luck, child."
Dagail let go of Tala's hand after that and walked up the stairs to her chambers, leaving the blue-haired Breton in the middle of the main hall feeling dumbfounded. She wanted Dagail to straightforwardly say what she saw, but she knew she would never get the old mer to do that. So she would leave the Mages Guild contemplating Dagail's words. Again.
Aside from dim lights from the torches of the guards up against walls in the distance, there wasn't a single soul on the streets except her. The setting was perfect for her to sneak that horrible staff out of the woman's home and no one would suspect a thing. Tala had quickly wandered the streets and up to Rosentia's house and strongly knocked on her door to alert the woman of her presence.
"I'm so glad you're here!" Rosentia bubbly greeted. "Are you ready to accept the staff?"
Tala nodded. "Yes. I willingly accept the staff."
Once she took it from Rosentia, the Imperial let out a loud and relieved sigh. "You have no idea how happy I am to be rid of these things! Thank you, my dear. Before you go, I want you to take this as a reward. A token of my appreciation, as you will." She then held out her hand to offer Tala a ring garnished in black and silver with small talons clutching a strange gem.
"Thank you." Tala said as she took the ring. "Is it another artifact?"
"No. It's known as the Ring of Eidolon's Edge. It is said to give warriors an advantage in battle. I don't need it. But maybe it will serve you well."
After leading the scamps away from the house and heading to the stables, she made an excuse about the staff to the only person that saw her: the guard at the gate. She told him that she had this staff when she got here and it went haywire on her at the Mages Guild, so she was leaving to dispose of it before the scamps caused any harm. A boldfaced lie, but he bought it. Now no one would suspect Rosentia Gallenus of possessing this staff if he shared this story with his fellow guards.
As she rode off the path of the Yellow Road on Prior Maborel's painted horse- staff strapped to her back and four scamps bounding down the road after her- she decided to let her thoughts trail back to Dagail's cryptic insight. "Love still holds life within." Tala murmured to herself. "If I walk my path alone, I'll never be happy again... How could I ever be happy again when I feel like I've lost everything..."
She couldn't figure it out by the time she reached Darkfathom Cave, so she brushed all of those thoughts aside for the moment and headed inside on foot. There were a few creatures to fight off before she reached the shrine of Sheogorath, but considering she was pretty tough, a few lowly daedra hiding in a cave weren't a big deal. She was actually surprised that daedra were even running around; she thought for sure after the Oblivion Crisis, that wouldn't be a problem anymore. But she was aware that Daedric Princes still had some level of power in the mortal realm. It just wasn't as powerful anymore now that the Gates to their world have been solidly sealed.
Once she was at the shrine and placed the Staff of the Everscamp at its sacrificial altar, she didn't feel compelled to hold onto it and it was very easy to let the staff go. And when she stepped back from the shrine, the scamps did not follow. Pretty simple and easy. She was out of the cave by the time day began to break, and she was back on the Yellow Road by true sunrise.
She tried not to think about her foretelling anymore and just kept her mind void of thought for the remainder of the trip. It wasn't easy to do; Dagail had that mind-numbing effect on Tala the last time she talked about visions, so why should this one be any different?
