***Chapter 53***
*Feeling dizzy the pair rub their foreheads waiting to regain sight to fully take in their surroundings, a room made up of books from the floor to the ceiling, to their immediate right on the floor was a pool of black sludge, pages swirled in the hallway in front of them and littered the floor, a small light above them slowly moved forward providing the little amount of light in these otherwise pitch black halls, Lilina could smell something rotten like it had been decaying for years*
Lilina: "Gods it smells like shit in here."
*Adonato looks down at his faded hands and groans*
Adonato: "Why does this keep happening?"
Lilina: "It's probably due to you having a split soul."
Adonato: "That makes sense-"
*Before he could finish his sentence they both feel a searing pain enveloping their entire bodies. When they notice that they are no longer in the light they begin feeling drained as they step quickly into the light, realising it is a refuge*
Adonato: "Guess we have to stick to the light, a new concept for me."
Lilina: "You should try the concept of being a good husband."
Adonato: "Ouch, that was uncalled for."
*The pair continue on their path following the spot of light to avoid being burned until Lilina walks over to a pool of sludge peering into it's dark waters, suddenly a tentacle springs out thrashing around barely missing Lilina as she jumps out of the way before it could make contact. A little ways later, after walking through some flying papers, the same thing happens again but this time the monster exposes its eye and Lilina kicks it, the thing retreating. They come across a room and see some of the strange tentacle creatures they fought earlier, now knowing more about their biology Lilina easily puts the creatures down with lightning strikes. Following the lights they see what looks like a tall fish man as they make their way across the precarious looking bridges. Adonato runs straight through the creature which makes it look down and not notice as Lilina crouches in front of it, swinging her axe horizontally, severing the leg at the knee cap. Lilina then looks up and uses Unrelenting force to make it fly off the ledge, after throwing the severed limb off after the creature Lilina rushes to an awaiting Adonato under a light, both of them recuperating. Adonato tells Lilina to stay there as he sneaks ahead, pushing through the pain until he gets up a ramp reaching another light source to his right from which he sees a large fish man, even bigger than the last and judging by the scars had been in more fights. He returns to Lilina and they begin to devise a plan. When they're ready they work their way up to the same light source as where Adonato went before. The fish man has his back to the couple Adonato looses an arrow so that it phases through the creature's head, it jumps back in surprise at the blur it sees suddenly. It looks at the strange transparent arrow stuck in the ground as it fades into nothingness, the fish man sees Adonato as he runs across and stands on the side of one of the book pillars. It swings at him over and over, spitting strange balls of tentacles and goop at Adonato while he yells profanity at the creature. The fish man doesn't realise as Lilina eats away at the other two pillars with her axe and fire magic. When the support Adonato is standing on creaks and gives way Lilina uses Fire Breath to finish off the other two and retreats to a lit platform followed closely by Adonato. They both collapse feeling drained as the large amounts of books falls onto the monster, it lays there only its head exposed as it screams almost dead. Lilina feels recharged and saunters over, finishing it off with her axe. When Lilina has looted what she could Adonato holds her shoulder as she opens the book on the pedestal, they are surprised as three glowing orbs project from the book's page*
Adonato: "What are they?"
Lilina: "I don't know, let's see."
Adonato: "What do they say in the circles?"
Lilina: "Combat skills increase, magic skills increase, or increase stealth, I like the sound of the magic one."
*Lilina touches the green orb of magic and a blue mist is absorbed into Lilina filling her with her new power, then as their vision blurs they close their eyes and when they open them again they are back in White Ridge Barrow*
Lilina: "I'm going to be sick."
*Lilina runs to a corner quickly and proceeds to vomit profusely, Adonato rushes over and rubs her back*
Adonato: "Maybe we need a good bed."
Lilina: "Thanks and yeah let's get out of here."
*Adonato leads Lilina out the cave, carrying the Black Book to show the Skaal village. They make their way to the village with the trio tailing them, the trio getting jealous as they see Lilina and Adonato settling in for a good night's sleep*
[The universe and characters of Skyrim belong to Bethesda and associate corporations, the only things owned by my girlfriend and I are the non-lore friendly characters, equipment, and actions that are required for the story to make sense.]
