Day Thirty-eight

Lydia was in a good mood in the morning and urged me to get up so we can eat and get moving. I waved her away to go get the food and sat on the edge of the bed. My head felt bloated, like my eyes were about to pop out. My mouth was drier than a draugr's heel and my hands were swollen and shaky. I had forgotten just what skooma could do to ruin your mornings. Perhaps taking that one bottle was not such a good idea. It did help restore my energy. But, no more. It was just not worth waking up like this. I found the other bottle I had bought and nearly threw it out the window, but instead I opened it and took a whiff of the sugary liquid. I could not let someone walking by find it and allow them to get hooked. I doubted they possessed my iron will power. I drank just half to get my hands to stop shaking. I restoppered the top and put it back in case half wore off too quickly. Once that was gone, I was done. By the time I was dressed, I thought I could keep a little food down. I went out to find Lydia had ordered a huge platter of food. My stomach rolled but steadied after a moment. I knew she would be eating most of it anyway.

We left the inn and straightaway found a some wayward pass through the mountains. It looked to save us a few hours of climbing at least. The pass must have been used by someone for a camp or hideout because there was a burial alter set up with a tribute to Arkay. I touched the statue and felt the boost to my hardiness. I also grabbed an amulet with the Arkay symbol that was laying nearby.

Just as we left the pass I could hear the sounds of battle in front of us. I saw four men, most likely bandits, trying to fend of two nasty ice wraiths. I was tempted to just let them fight and pick off the losers, but the skooma I had taken had me anxious to get my sword cleaving into something, or someone. I charged towards the nearest bandit.

While I was battling with a well-armored Nord, I heard Lydia summon something then her daedra warrior, Kynval, pushed past me.

"Stand aside, Dragonchump," he rasped, "Let me show you how to wet a blade!"

I finished off my fight with a clean beheading. "How's that, Hornhead? From now on you will address me as Dragonborn or my Lord."

"Bah!" Kynval spat out then ran without hesitation towards the ongoing fray.

I stopped Lydia as she ran by, "I know I said to use the staff, but is there any way to temper the mouth of your summons?"

"He's a product of Sanguine himself, and you remember how he was. What do you think the chances of quieting him are?"

She ran off to fight. She had a point. I assumed the daedra would just always be as irreverent as Sam, eh, Sanguine. At least he was useful in a fight. He and Lydia had already taken out all of the combatants except for one ice wraith and the daedra's sword seemed to be setting it on fire with each shot. Perhaps he would get better once he witnessed more of my fighting prowess. I was not going to hold my breath, however.

I joined them as they walked among the bodies making sure the bandits were dead. Kynval seems to relish the task, plunging his sword through all of their chests before he finally growled and vanished.

"Your guy's efficient," I said to Lydia, "I'll give him that."

"He's more powerful than my wolf summons, but I don't think I'd like him walking behind me, though he did compliment me on my fighting."

"He gave you a compliment? I'll have to have a word with him next time. I demonstrated just as much skill in front of him and all he did was scoff. Anyway, lets go see if we can find our way into this Alftand, then to Blackreach."

We found a camp nearby outside of a partially buried dwarven ruin but it looked to have been abandoned long ago. The camp members were merely frozen shapes in the snow. I found what presumably the bandits were after - a locked chest that when opened revealed a nice collection of gems and jewelry. While I was picking the lock, Lydia scouted around and found a bridge leading down into the ruin. We had a quick bite to eat and a rest inside one of the tents then followed the narrow walkway to the interior of Alftand.

The inside of the ruins was choked with snow and ice. Rubble from previous dwellers littered the floor. Carts, lanterns, and digging implements were everywhere. There were torches still burning that were laid down on the ground like markers, or perhaps dropped in haste during a fight. Maybe those bandits were lookouts and there were more down here delving. I warned Lydia to be ready.

It was not long before we saw some action but not in the form of bandits. We turned a corner and I could feel us being watched. I slowed to a crouch and readied my sword. Suddenly a golden, metal creature dropped down off the wall and skittered on four spindly legs towards us. I crushed my sword into it and that stopped and dented it but did not kill it. It rebounded by leaping at my face, trying to claw at my eyes with its metal talons. Lydia swatted it aside with her battleaxe. It crashed against a wall and fell to pieces. I examined it, and found the source of its power, a soul gem. I removed it and used it on my bow. The weapon's frostiness returned. With any luck we would run into a few more and be all set for our recharging.

It appeared we had turned very lucky because we encountered a slew of the spidery machines and even some larger ones that rolled on huge spheres instead of legs. They were stronger but dented just as easily.
Around one corner I could hear a voice, Khajiit, if I was not mistaken. He was arguing with his brother but I only heard him talking. He was yelling about finding where the skooma was hidden. My heart began to race for some reason. I got my bow out and tried once again to be sneaky and try to hit him before he could see us. I caught a glimpse of a tail so I was right about him being a cat-man, but again I was wrong thinking I could be sneaky. He heard me before I could line up a shot. He ran at me with a dagger.

"You must have stolen my skooma, hairless dogs!" he yelled as he attacked.

My arrow went wide and he managed to cut into my less covered midsection. I bashed him with my bow then dropped it and swing my sword out. "You obviously failed to notice my finely trimmed beard and mustache, Cat," I said. "Lydia, let him see your upper lip..." I felt a bang against the back of my helmet then Lydia pushed me aside and attacked the Khajiit with a new ferocity.

"J'darr knows you stole it," the Khajiit squealed, his voice strained from lack of skooma and food. "My brother gave it to you but it's mine."

"I've got your intervention right here, Khajiit," Lydia said, laying into him with her axe.

I shook off Lydia's accidental bump, or so I assumed it was, and finished off J'darr with a stab through his unarmored stomach. His thick fur cleaned the blade on its way back out.

"That cat must have had a fever," I said, "Look how he scratched me."

"Take a good look," Lydia said, "That could have been you in a few weeks the way you were going."

"Eh, yeah, ancient history, girl. Check over by that bed and see if he left a map or something."

Lydia went to the other side of the room and I inspected a knapsack I saw him standing by when he first attacked. Inside I found it is full of empty skooma bottles. The smell was strong and sweet enough to make my throat tighten and my head swim. The bottles clattered as I swayed slightly.

"Find anything?" Lydia asked.

"Nothing," I said quickly, "He was definitely an addict and was definitely out." As subtly as I could, I opened my pack and fished out the two empty bottles of skooma. I tossed them into the Khajiit's pack and closed it up. "Well, I'd say hitching his next ride on the moonsugar carriage is the least of his worries now."

"That's true," Lydia said, coming over to me, "If he had gotten out he might have gotten cleaned up with a lot of help but then there was always a chance for a relapse."

I simply nodded in agreement, trusting in my silence more than my words.

"He probably wouldn't even realize he was hurting those who helped him just as much as himself. But you're right, now he doesn't have to worry about losing everyone who cares about him. Right?"

"Oh, right," I agreed, "I didn't mean to make it personal or anything. I was just talking."

"I know. You're too smart and strong for that, right?"

"You forgot handsome and modest, as well. Must I always remind you? Finally, you're thinking like a real follower," I said with false bravado. "Ready to move on?"

"If you are."

I quickly got us moving and after many more twists and turns and clickety spiders we came to a more open chamber with a raised dais in the middle. The ruins had come alive with sound since we encountered the Khajiit. Gears and turbines were huffing and pounding all over the place. I put a foot on the dais to cross it and instantly two dwarven spheres dropped from walls on either side. They were obviously sentries waiting to pounce. I squared off against one while Lydia summons Kynval to help handle the other. These metal monstrosities packed quite a punch but together we took them down.

"There could be no other end," Kynval announced then disappears.

"Why can't he do that every time?" I asked, "Fight for us then leave when it's over."

"You sound like a typical man," Lydia said, "Thanks, that was a big help and great fun. Gotta go now."

"Wow, where did that come from? You don't see me bringing up my personal issues, do you?"

"You're one big personal issue, Thane. Nevermind, forget I said anything."

Lydia left and I hastened after her. We found a bank of machines behind a golden gate, but this time there was a door and it was open. I took a look inside and saw a large splash of blood on the floor. I investigated further and around the corner I saw the body of a Bosmer with an arrow jutting from his back. I picked up a journal that was laying in his lap and read it. Apparently this fellow, Endrast, was adventuring with a female companion and they were captured by 'the eyeless ones'. They escaped but not successfully, as his corpse would attest to.

"What do you think he means by 'the eyeless ones'?" I asked Lydia.

Lydia shivered, "He must mean the Falmer. I thought I saw some of their weapons and armor back there in a room."

"Why would farmers be down here capturing people? And what do they make their weapons out of? Cow hide and pigs knuckles?"

"Not farmers, you dolt. Falmers, nasty little snow elves that we tried to wipe out long ago. They went underground, losing their sight in the process, though some say they sacrificed it to the Dwemer for their protection from the Nords. If they are down here, we must be careful of poison. They are fond of lacing their weapons with it."

"That figures," I said, "Killing machines and blind poisonous elves. What's next, giant insects?"

"Actually, now that you mention it, I believe the Falmer also raised chaurus. They're like big bugs that spit poison and bite you with infected pinchers."

"You're full of good news, aren't you?"

"Want to know what you're full of?"

"Let me guess, myself?"

"Exactly."

"You can be too." Wink. Grin.

Lydia rolled her eyes, "Pig."

We continued on through more hazardous halls and passageways to a door labeled 'Cathedral'. It seemed out of place for such a dangerous ruin, but we pushed on regardless.

Inside the Cathedral, it looked more like a large cave with a dwarven structure built in the middle. It was definitely a lot darker but I still spotted two creatures skulking around in front of the gate of the structure.

"Are those the falmer?" I asked Lydia.

She nodded. "Disgusting, huh? I think they're even uglier than hagravens."

"Why bring up hagravens?"

"I was just saying. No need to be so sensitive."

"Fine, sorry. You were saying?"

"Just that if you sweet talk them, maybe one will let you kiss... All right, all right, I'll stop. Look, they truly are blind so we can get the jump on them pretty easily, just watch out for their arrows."

We both got our bows out and singled one of them out first. Our arrows caught the falmer in the head but he remained alive. He and his fellow guard somehow located us and slowly advance on us, shooting their arrows. Two more of our arrows take out the first hideous elf and I force shouted the other back up a flight of stairs. We rushed in and disposed of him before he could recover enough to attack.
We circled around the structure but it seemed the only entrance was the locked gate. I saw steps leading up to a platform so I went up to look for a key. I found two chests with some useful items, but no key. On the way back down I noticed a large crossbow, wondering why that would be right there. Next to it, I saw a lever. I could not tell what it is for, but I moved it anyway. Luckily, it opened the gate below. I was tempted to try out the crossbow but I did not want to attract anymore attention so I left it alone and went down to the opened gate.

Inside, two flights of steps led up to an open area where I saw one of the dwarven machines, bigger than the others, lying in a heap on the floor. I inspected it and find a large soul gem. I took one step upon the landing and I heard a hiss of steam from the other side. Another machine, similar to the one at my feet, came to life and wheeled towards me, arms out ready to strike. I backed up to give myself room to fight while Lydia summons her daedra warrior. The summons met the machine at the edge of the stairs and they began exchanging blows. I saw an opportunity and ran around to the other stairs. While the centaurian was fighting Kynval, I landed my most powerful blow onto its back. It did not even stagger it. These machines were built sturdy, I would say that. The three of us kept it occupied and just as Kynval vanished, I landed the final strike to the machine and it fell down on top of its twin. Distraction seemed to be a great fighting method. I did not get hit once. I could get used to that. I found another soul gem in the centaurian and we left it behind to find another locked gate.

Inside I spotted some Dwarven mechanism in the center of the room but the real action was going on behind it. Two people, a man and a woman were arguing. Lovers' quarrel, no doubt. The woman, a Redguard holding a sword and a nasty looking shield with a cluster of spikes in the center wanted to leave but the Imperial, a man named Sulla did not.

"You just want the treasure for yourself, Umana," Sulla accused. "And to think I brought you here. You are my companion and bodyguard and this is how you repay me? With treachery?"

"This place is cursed I tell you and there is no treasure, only death," Umana inched towards Sulla, her shield up and her sword waving in slow circles. "The rest of our party has perished and I do not intend to be next. I'm leaving, with or without you."

"If you won't stay and help me, then you will die!"

The Imperial unleashed a torrent of fire at Umana. She blocked most of it with her shield and rushed towards him to attack. They squared off and seemed on equal ground at first but Umana's shield seemed to be getting the better of the Imperial as his magic reserves dwindled. She could keep jabbing with those spikes but his flames quickly faded to mere flickers on his fingertips. She was finally forced to finish off her companion who undoubtedly was driven insane by this place. I stepped forward to congratulate her on surviving but she did not take the compliment well. She instantly attacked me, and I had no choice but to shout her into the far wall. Lydia ran in and with two chops of her axe, the Redguard perished.

"That's a shame," I said, taking her shield from her, "I was hoping they had some information we could use."

"I think they were out of clues since they were arguing about going back." Lydia checked Sulla and took his sword and some gold for herself.

"Probably because they needed this," I produced the sphere Septimus had given me. "If she had waited a minute I think she could have accompanied us and been of some help."

"I don't know. She had that trapped animal look in her eye, same as her friend there. She probably would have freaked out or left us first chance she got."

"Anyway, let's see if this is for what I think it is," I said and stepped up to the mechanism. The only thing I could see that was obvious was the small indentation in the top. I checked it against the sphere and it looked like it would fit so I dropped it in. A moment later the blocks around the sphere shifted and slid downwards, revealing a staircase.

"Good old crazy Septimus," I said, "Guess I won't have to kill him after all."

I took the sphere back and followed the stairs which lead to a door. A plaque on the door read, 'Blackreach'. So far everything looked normal, then I step through the door and into another world.