Chapter 13
It only takes an hour by horse back to reach the shrine. I leave Lydia (not without some arguing) to stay with Sunstar at the foot of the mountain. Walking the mountain stairs its not long before I realise the true size of the Daedric statue, and I don't see the priestess at first. "Azura has seen your coming, traveller. It was not curiosity, but fate, that has led you here."
I'm startled by her words as I was distracted, "maybe but I like to think curiosity played a major role." "Believe it all you wish, Azura's prophecies always come to pass in one way or another." "Yeah, anyway I'm the new Arch-Mage of Winterhold if you haven't heard and I found some notes left by my predecessor." "The notes telling you to come see me about mysterious deaths." She reveals. "I know, Savos occasionally visited to find out about the future after his return from Labyrinthian. But Azura stopped gifting him visions nearly a decade ago. Around the same time as the letter was made."
"Unfortunately if you wish to know more I am not the one you must speak with. You must go to a fortress, endangered by water, yet untouched by it. Inside, you will find an elven mage who can turn the brightest star as black as night. It is cryptic, I know, but Azura's signs are never wrong. I believe the fortress may refer to Winterhold. Ask if they know this elven enchanter." "Seriously, that's all you're going to give me?" she nods her head without a word before turning back to the statue.
"Damn Daedra" I whisper to myself. "Anything interesting?" Lydia asks as I make my way back down. "Back to Winterhold." I say in frustration. "I have to find an elven enchanter according to the priestess. Oh yeah, Savos also used to come here after the whole Labyrinthian incident. Azura grants visions of the future to her followers, and he thought he could use that to his advantage. It worked for a time, up until ten years ago when Azura wouldn't send him anymore. That's when those deaths at the college happened." "Wow, maybe he didn't want another Labyrinthian incident to happen again?" She wonders.
"It's entirely possible. Whatever the case, I need to find an elven enchanter and I know there's no elven enchanter at the college." But then a thought pops into my head to go see Nelacar, the Altmer mage living in the inn. I urge Sunstar to move faster. We arrive back at the inn, and I ask Lydia to go find Master Tolfdir and tell him "Change of plans, I might be away longer than planned. Then get back out here." "Got it." She races back up as I walk into the inn, and I find Nelacar sitting at a table eating a midday meal.
"Nelacar, might I have a word, in private?" He's startled at me addressing him but regains his composure near instantly. "Of course, Arch-Mage." He gets up and shows me to his room. I enter first, he closes the door and casts muffle. "You asked for privacy. Now what can I do for you Arch-Mage?" "I'm looking for an elven mage who studies stars." The look of surprise and his face turning three shades paler are what confirm it for me that he's the one I'm looking for. "Who sent you? Was it the College? The Jarl? We agreed there would be no more questions." "Nope, it was a priestess of Azura." "Azura? By the gods, it's all finally coming back to haunt me. So then, what do you know about soul gems?" He asks, regaining his composure. "They're used for enchanting, right?"
"They are. Except the gem is always consumed. They're frail. Except for one." "Oh yeah, what's the one?" "Azura's Star. A Daedric artifact that allows any number of souls to pass through it. Some of us wanted to find out how. I was working under Malyn Varen, then. If only we knew what he was really planning." "What was he planning?" Nelacar takes a shaky breath, as he starts to recount the past. "Malyn wanted to alter the Star. He was dying. Disease. He thought he could store his own soul inside. Become immortal. It started to drive him mad. Students started dying. Eventually, Savos exiled him from the College and forbade anyone to speak of it. Last I heard he took a few loyal disciples to somewhere called Ilinalta's Deep and vanished. Look, I don't care who asked you to find the Star, but don't take it back to Azura. The Daedra are evil. They're the reason Malyn went insane."
"How did Azura dive him insane?" "Azura is no ordinary Daedra. She commands an entire realm inside of Oblivion. The more Malyn worked on the Star, the more she was able to toy with him. It started slowly at first. Malyn would see things that weren't there. Then he would yell at students over words they hadn't said. Then one day I walked in and Malyn had... killed a student, and in a horrific moment of inspiration, he started using her soul for his work." "How does Azura's star work?" "I mentioned how the Star is a soul gem, correct, only it never breaks like other soul gems? There's another rule the artifact follows. You can only store white souls in the Star, belonging to lesser creatures, animals in a sense. Azura's magic won't allow black souls to enter it, the souls of Man or Mer or even the beast races such as the Khajiit or Argonians. As a mortal, Malyn's soul was black, so part of his work was breaking past Azura's rules. He was close before... well, I already told you."
I stand there in thought for a few moments before I say "It sounds like Malyn got what was coming to him. Messing with the Daedra." "The College would agree with you, but do you have any idea how many innocent lives were cut short, just so Azura could have revenge? We're nothing to them. Pawns to move around, praise, and punish as they see fit. Please, don't return it." "I don't think I will, but I also don't like it out in the wild. If Malyn still has it or not it needs to be sealed away somewhere. So Ilinalta's deep is the last heard location?" "Yes, just be careful." I spend a couple more minutes confirming the location on Nelacar's map.
I take my leave and head back out to find Lydia standing back outside. "Wait long?" "Only a couple minutes." Good, mount up. First we head to Alftand for the scroll then we'll go to Ilinalta's deep." "Why there?" "I'll explain on the way."
"You're not going to return the star, are you?" Lydia asks worriedly after I give her the rundown. "You've already served one Daedra and while I'm not a fan of them, Meridia seemed fine. But Azura, apart from driving Malyn insane, I dunno something about her throws me off." "I'll weigh my options at the end. And Meridia seems fine but I still wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw that orb of hers. The moment that sword becomes useless I'm getting rid of it." We travel in silence the rest of the way to Alftand. Not long after we stopped to eat lunch we come upon Alftand. Ancient Dwemer towers rising from the ice and snow, old camps left behind from adventurers of the past. Hopping off Sunstar I slap his rump and say "Winterhold." Neighing in recognition he takes off back home.
"Why'd you send him off?" "Because I've done my research on Blackreach and apparently it's huge down there so I'm not sure how long we will be. Plus didn't want him waiting out in the cold with predators around." We find a journal written by someone named Sulla Trebatius near some catwalks that tell of an expedition force looking for anything magical related.
We eventually find a way in, walking over recently built and snowed over catwalks and broken Dwemer buildings. The old ruins are different from others I've been through as those were further from the snow and ice and filled instead with dirt and dust. These ruins however are wet and cold, ice crystals forming on the roof and walls from cracks formed long ago. We find another journal further in by Sulla that tells of a snowstorm that forced them to take shelter in the old ruins and some of his party swept to a frozen death. "He's not concerned by their loss, only that he's the one to be named if he finds anything of value. Scumbag."
Dwarvern metal is scattered around the place, taking some larger pieces I place them in the rift, unsure of if I'd like to make a full set of Dwarvern armour in the future or just hang the metal pieces around. Further in we come upon the body of someone in scholar clothes and ruined Dwemer machines. "Must be from Sulla's party?" Lydia questions. "Yeah, and he's still fresh so at most a couple days. Let's see how many more he lost along the way."
We find some more research notes not long after getting into a fight with six Dwarvern Spiders, all but one detonated the soul gem that was sticking out of it but too bad for them we weren't weaker opponents. The notes detail Sulla's interest in researching the Dwemer machines and show little concern of helping the expedition party stay alive. further down we starting hearing voices arguing with each other. We manage to get close enough to identify the voices as Khajiit, and make the conversion out to be one demanding to know where the other hid some Skooma.
"Where is it?" One demands. "I know you were trying to keep it for yourself J'zhar… You always try to keep it for yourself! No! There's got to be more Skooma… shut up! Shut up! Don't lie to me J'zhar! You hid it! You always try to steal it from me!" We tread carefully, using Muffle to not spook the Skooma addicted cat but we fail as he screams out "I smell you but not hear you. Come out."
We turn the corner to a crime scene, One Khajiit dead, laying in a pool of his own blood and guts and the other crouched over his body ready to pounce on us. "What? Who is this brother? Another of the smooth skins looking for food. But they weren't trapped with us…" Almost instantly the living Khajiit lunges toward us, I'm about to raise my hand for a spell but Lydia is quicker. A lightning bolt rips through his chest and sends him flying back into the icy wall, he's dead before his body touches the ground. "Thanks Lyd…" I'm about to say but as I've turned around I notice her silently shed some tears. "Hey, you okay?" I ask with concern. "Yeah, yes Thane. I'm sorry, I've lost friends to that Skooma shit. Just hits a bit close is all." "Yeah, I know what you mean." I give her a small one-armed hug and we move on deeper after looking through the left behind journal of the Khajiit that wanted to rid his brother of his addiction.
Dwemer spiders and even some sphere guardians pop out and try to make our adventure short, but we end them instead with flame, ethereal and glass blades. We find another journal titled by Umana. It's been about a week since Valie went missing and now Endrast is gone too. We found blood leading over to the barred off doorway, but Sulla seems to think that they found a way through and that they are trying to cut him out of the discovery.
He keeps saying that we need to press on. We've managed to break through into another section of the ruins, an "Animonculory", where the dwarves would produce their automatons. We learned the hard way that the metal creatures are still alive in there and it hasn't improved Yag's mood at all. She holds that the Khajiit brothers aren't involved with the disappearances and has been keeping a hard eye on Sulla.
The rations have all but run out and we are going to have to decide soon whether to brave the storm or try to push further into the ruins. I don't know if the echoes of screams I've heard in my sleep are those of our missing comrades, or my own nightmares.
The loot we find is mediocre, a few gold pieces, some magicka and stamina potions, and low-quality gems. We run into some traps and while some are easy to navigate and avoid, others like spike traps end up being more dangerous with their trip wires. Even with Nordic Carved Armour enchanted with a health enhancement and Ironflesh, Lydia still manages to get a hole in her side and needs a few minutes to heal.
We eventually find ourselves in a large area that seem to be where the Dwemer created their metal constructs. Another of Sulla's party is found here, dead unfortunately. Poor Endrast, tried to save himself and another one of the expeditionists but both Falmer and Dwemer construct sent him the afterlife. Not long after we start coming across Chaurus eggs. I cast bound armour and I'm enveloped by ethereal Nordic Carved Armour. "Cool" Lydia comments before an arrow embeds itself in the ethereal armour set. Lydia quickly summons a bound bow and sends an arrow back, taking out the lone Falmer.
We eventually come to a point where the only way to go is down as whatever ramp was here was lost long ago. I take one of the metal Dwarvern pieces from the rift and drop it down to gauge the distance. It takes a few seconds till we hear a loud bang and growling from down below. "How do we get down there? "Grab on, I want to try something." I say with a grin. She rolls her eyes and wraps her arms around me from behind before saying "what now?" "Now this. Shouting "FEIM" I drop of the ledge and land soundlessly with Lydia still hanging on, eyes shut tight and looking just as ethereal as I. "We've made it" I say as we both return to normal. She opens her eyes and looks at me angrily before pushing me back and casting a Ward to deflect some ice spikes sent our way. I send some fire balls in return. We make our way slowly and find two Falmer with burned holes in their chest.
We make it into a multi levelled area with more Falmer patrolling and Dwemer machine parts laying around. We both conjure Bound Bows and manage to take half a dozen out before they realise somethings happening. The remaining Falmer sniff at the air and send their arrows and magic way to close for comfort. I summon a Flame Atronach to help out and it's not long before the others are silenced.
More chambers and the same result, dead Falmer and deconstructed machines. One of the ancient chambers seems like it used to be a forge room, but the Falmer and time weren't kind and now it's a ruin of its once glorious past. Further on is another multi levelled area with more Falmer but two of them are more advanced spell casters. These ones notice us quick and bark out orders in an unknown language. A dozen warriors charge at us while the spell casters use powerful frost magic from both hand and staff to try and slow us down.
Slow us down they do. Even with Ebonyflesh and the Bound Armour active I'm still slowed down enough for the Falmer warriors to be a problem. I try to shoot the spellcasters with lightning, but they switch to wards and block it. I summon a Storm Atronach, but they banish it as it's summoned. Lydia isn't fairing any better as she's surrounded, still she whirls around as best she can with her glass and ethereal sword. Whatever injuries she sustains are nearly healed from the glass blades enchantment.
I use a ward to block another column of frost sent my way and take out a Falmer that got to close by using Transmute and turning him to gold, as he tips over and shatters into gold dust I shout "TIID." With time slowed to a crawl I get away from my crowd and rush over to the spell casters. Drawing Dragonbane I slice the heads off both and use one of the staves to freeze over my slowed attackers. Once time resumes I send some lightning bolts Lydia's way to help her. Once she's fine I send more lightning bolts to towards my frozen victims and watch them crumble.
We take a small break to heal and rest before continuing on. We eventually find the body of an Altmer woman. Chained up and dead, tortured by the looks of her injuries. Lydia unshackles her, catching the body and setting her down gently. I hold a ball of fire and look to Lydia for permission. She nods and steps back bringing forth fire as well. The combined effort reduces the deceased to ash within a minute. We make the sign of Akatosh and continue on.
Not too far away was an alcove with an elevator. Stepping onto the platform I look up to see sunlight shining through. "That's back to the surface, the opposite of where we want to go." Searching for a way down we come across another with more Falmer warriors and a spell caster. I take out the elven mage quickly and then we both deal with the warriors, they don't last long against both of us. We walk up a few flights of stairs, finding more abandoned loot along the way until we find a lever. Pulling it and continuing through a once blocked off area and more stairs going down then back up. At the top of the stairs is a sight that I hoped to never see again.
Two Dwemer Centurions, one is at least deactivated, the other is still very much active and is already making it's way toward us. "What in Oblivion is that?" Lydia yells as she sends a firebolt directly into the metal behemoth. "Centurion" I call out, dodging its steam attack. I summon two Flame Atronachs and send a Fire Ball straight for it. It walks straight through our attacks and swings a massive metal fist into both my summons, blinking them out of existence. "YOL." The stream of dragon fire blows forth as a blast of flame from the downed Atronachs explodes outwards and heats up the metal giant, but it still continues to chase me. Lydia throws some more balls of flame only to have them be ignored.
The metal giant tries to run me down as it probably perceives me as more of a threat. It stops to release another blast of super-heated steam only to be blocked by a ward. I summon another Flame Atronach, and have it attack from a distance as I move away from another crushing blow of its metal fist. "Lydia, frost magic at the ready. NOW." As my summon throws a volley of flame and Lydia brings frost into her waiting hands, I take a deep breath and use the fire breath shout again. Once the Centurion is engulfed in flame, Lydia throws a wave of frost at it and me not long after. The massive change in temperature causes it to buckle and break apart, its legs give out and the massive chest piece cracks apart as it crashes to the ground. I throw a bolt of lightning into the chest cavity hitting its core and causing it to explode and melt the inside.
I take a second to catch my breath before looting the giant that fell before we got here. Taking out its intact core, some loose bits of metal and a key. We then loot the rest of the area and find some high-quality gems, gold, orichalcum and ebony ore stones and even some enchanted weapons in the bigger Dwarvern chests. As we finish looting we start hearing the sound of blade clashing against blade further in. opening the massive gate we sneak around to see an Imperial man and Redguard woman fighting. "Sulla let's just get out of here. Hasn't there been enough death?" begs the Redguard woman.
"Oh, of course Umana. You're just waiting for me to turn my back so you can have all the glory for yourself!" Sulla accuses as he thrusts forward and strikes her shield. Lydia and I watch from a distance, watching each fighter land a savage blow till Sulla pierces her armour and runs his sword through her heart. Umana gets lucky as well, her ebony war axe strikes his neck as she's run through. Her war axe cleaves through his neck, both warriors stay standing for a moment before collapsing, weapons still buried deep in their bodies.
We move forward and unlock the gate, looting the rest of the area including Umana's shield and ebony war axe and Sulla's Imperial short sword with a stamina drain enchantment. I walk over to the massive Dwemer doors and use the key to unlock them to find another elevator, no light is at the top, but I feel cold night air flow down. Turning back over to the podium I look at it for a few moments before I let the Attunement sphere out of the rift and place it on the receptacle. Lights begin to flash on and off for a few moments as the whirring of machines goes on till everything goes silent for a moment. Just as quickly, the noise of machines start back up again and stone floor around the podium drop down into levelled stairs leading to a door. "Blackreach?" Lydia questions with a hint of nervousness. "Yeah, we can do this" is all I say as we walk down and enter the legendary city of the Dwarves.
Blackreach stretches further then we ever imagined, instead of as dark as a normal cave system this one is lit up with bioluminescent fungi and stones glowing a weirdly soft blue hue. We don't walk for long before we become surrounded by Falmer warriors and spellcasters. The battles are intense, arrows and spells striking from a distance while the warriors strike whenever we let our guard down or make a mistake. Lydia's Nord Berserker rage activates during the battle, the green aura surrounds her, and a feral grin spreads across her face, her muscles seem to expand and become bigger, she suddenly lets her sword drop and then rushes. As my summons provide backup, Lydia doesn't even use magic. She instead uses her fists, caving skulls and breaking the Chitin armour apart. I have to regularly look back and shoot off healing spells as she ignores any damage done to her. "Lydia, retreat now." Ignoring me I call out again to no avail. I look back and see her tear a Falmer archers arm off and then slam the beast into the ground over and over again till it's a pool of blood and gore.
I manage to make my way over too her only to be knocked back by a rouge fist. Getting back up and dodging an arrow I rush over and hold her as I shout "FEIM." As we become intangible Lydia tries to hit me, but it phases through. The few seconds out of battle is all that's needed as Lydia grows calmer and quieter before her berserker rage subsides. "We're retreating for now, let's go.""We can take them Thane" Lydia wheezes out in exhaustion. "I said retreat, NOW. That is an order." We suddenly become part of the material world once more but lucky for me I can shout again. "FUS ROH DAH" I clear a path through the Falmer horde and push back to where we entered Blackreach, once at the top of the stairs I collapse in exhaustion and pain. As Lydia does the same I pull some potions out to restore us both.
"I'm sorry Thane, I didn't mean to lose control." "It's alright, happens to the best of us" I reassure her. We sit in silence for a few minutes before I look over to see her staring blankly at the wall. "Hey, Nirn to Lyds. You okay?" I ask concernedly. She shakes her head before answering. "Yeah, like I said before when we fought Movarth. My rage power, it just feels wrong and weird. I do like the power it brings but I prefer being in control of myself. When that power activates, it's like I'm trapped in my own mind but I'm still aware of everything. I could hear you call for a retreat and I wanted to, but my body was only interested in battle."
"Tell you what, once we get the scroll and can head back to the college, I'll start research on ways to be able to keep your mind at the forefront while your berserker rage is active" "Thank you." "Don't mention it. Anything for my favourite servant" I say with a wide grin. She punches me in the arm before rising and giving me her hand to help me up. "Round two?" "Round two."
We summon some bows before re-entering Blackreach and take pot shots at the remaining Falmer that are dragging their deceased brethren. The remaining Falmer try to search for us but don't get as far as our ethereal arrows find their marks. After that we cast muffle and invisibility to silently move through the underground city. We find ourselves at some intact building, searching it we find a skeleton sitting in a chair by an alchemy lab, still fresh ingredients in a sack, some minor loot that would buy three iron swords and the most notable thing there, a crimson coloured Nirnroot twice the size of the regular pale green ones. Unfortunately it still makes the same annoying noise.
"That's different" Lydia says, examining the plant. "Different but still annoying" I pull the plant out of the pot, and it shuts it up as normally as the waterside plant. Looking at the skeleton I find a leather-bound journal still held tightly, taking it gently I give it a read.
4E 58 Second Seed, Middas
I've spent a large portion of my life unravelling the mystery of the Nirnroot and yet I still feel unfulfilled. The trilling sound this strange herb emits seems to taunt me, to push me even harder to discover its secrets. Even after a generous and indomitable traveller became a field collector in my stead, and provided me with five score of the Nirnroot, I was only able to muster what I consider a mediocre alchemical creation at best. This only served to strengthen my hunger and whet my appetite for the solution.
It wasn't until over fifty years later that the answer to my prayers was carried into my basement workshop at the West Weald Inn. The first thing I heard was the familiar tone - that unmistakable warble unique to the Nirnroot. But when I turned around, my heart leapt, and a chill ran down my spine. This was indeed a Nirnroot, but of a variety the likes of which I have never seen. The herb was awash in a spectacular array of red hues, each leaf seemingly emblazoned with innumerable variations of crimson. I couldn't move - I was completely transfixed. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined a species of Nirnroot with such a unique property.
After an awkward silence, I finally managed to stammer out a few questions to the traveller who'd brought me this treasure. He told me his name was Obeth Arnesian, a treasure-seeker from Skyrim. Apparently, he'd been exploring a vast subterranean network of grand caverns called Blackreach and had stumbled across what he dismissed as "a noisy red weed." His expedition was largely unsuccessful, and he didn't want to leave the caves empty-handed, so Obeth picked one of the crimson Nirnroot to bring home. He said that it took some time, but eventually he was pointed my way and that perhaps I'd pay a fair price for it.
Before I could gather my wits and ask anything else, Obeth offered to sell me the crimson Nirnroot sample, a map showing me how to find Blackreach and the strange key needed to breach its outer defences. It took me mere moments to decide. Obeth left Skingrad a thousand septims richer, but I would have easily paid ten times that amount to obtain the sample alone.
It took a year of planning, but I was able to pack up and sell my workshop and make my way into Skyrim. Before delving headfirst into Blackreach, I knew I needed to set up a new laboratory, but wished to do so in seclusion. After making inquiries at the College of Winterhold, of which I was an honorary member, I was directed to speak to a Dunmer by the name of Avrusa Sarethi, a student of botanical alchemy who had a small farm near the city of Riften. By bartering my knowledge of Nirnroot cultivation, I was able to secure Sarethi Farm as a launching point for my field research. I kept the knowledge of the crimson Nirnroot, a secret from Avrusa, but imparted everything else I knew to her in exchange for her hospitality.
A few months passed, but I was finally ready to enter Blackreach. I used the Attunement Sphere that Obeth had provided and descended into the depths. My goal was to gather enough crimson Nirnroot to produce my greatest alchemical creation to date - I was certain it would take at least thirty of them to provide the necessary catalyst.
This brings me to the present. My initial research seems to indicate that the crimson Nirnroot has a similar affinity for moisture as the garden variety, but also maintains some sort of symbiotic relationship with the enormous fungi that inhabits Blackreach. It's my guess that the fungi itself is a source of water, absorbing it from the moist subterranean air like a sponge. This provides the ideal environment for the Nirnroot to grow. Unfortunately, the crimson Nirnroot appears to have a vastly shortened lifespan, and they are in no way plentiful down here. Gathering thirty of them will be quite the challenge, but hopefully the denizens of Blackreach will allow me to gather my samples unhindered.
"Unfortunately for you, they didn't." I say quietly. We move on through the ancient city, silent and unseen past scores more Falmer. Some we have to fight as they have pet Chaurus that sniff us out. I send Flame Atronachs after the bugs while we deal with their Elven handlers, doesn't take long for the giant insects to be burned and have our summons turn their attention to new opponents. With added help it doesn't take as long. We find and follow a loose cobblestone road that takes us to holding station for another centurion, this time we finish it off easily before it makes it halfway towards us with another combination of flame and frost.
Continuing on I follow the Clairvoyance spell to a large central complex, with a massive lantern somehow hanging from the roof of the cavern system. It that may as well be the sun, down here. We make our way towards the closest tower only to be accosted by more Falmer and their pet bugs. Taking advantage of them being on a ledge I blow them off using Unrelenting Force. As the shout knocks them off it also passes through the lantern, which pushes the shout to reverberate across the entire cavern and not long after, a bell like sound starts tolling.
"Uh Thane, what was that?" Lydia asks, turning her head to look around. "Hopeful…" My words are cut short as an all too familiar roar splits the cavern. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. How the fuck did one get in here?" I complain. The red dragon flies past and lands on the ground, roaring a challenge once more. "Zu'u los Vulthuryol. Luft zu'u Dovahkiin ahrk test un Thu'um." Lydia throws down a lightning and fire bolt only for Vul to dig up the ground with a talon and block the spells with a boulder. I summon a bow and send arrows down, but they plink off the rock and land on the ground harmlessly before disappearing. Vul decides to get rid of his shield and tosses it towards us.
"Lydia, hold on." She grabs me and we drop off the platform just before the boulder crashes into where we were standing. I use become ethereal a moment later and land softly. As the shout fades we run in different directions. Lydia summons a Storm Atronach and a bow while I shoot off lightning and frost spikes. The arrows sink into its soft underside as the lightning breaks against its scales. My lightning doesn't fair well either, but my frost spikes pierce the dragons throat as its about to shout, causing it to choke on its words. I draw my Akaviri blade and use Telekinesis to send it into the dragons temple causing it to become lose balance and become confused before falling and not getting up.
The dragon lights up and its soul flows forth. I open my eyes when the euphoria ends and we loot the dragon of its loose bones, scales, some gems and gold. Using clairvoyance again we hopefully make our way over to Tower Mzark, using the towers lift we ascend for a few seconds before stopping. We exit the lift and finally come upon a large Dwarvern construction. We find a skeleton with a journal that reads.
I weren't never one for writing about my life. The king-priests of old deserve their stories told, but Drokt is a simple man. So this isn't no journal and I'm not telling any stories here. But this infernal machine done worked its way into my brainspace and I won't leave till it's figured out.
The whole contraption just sets like a dead horker if it doesn't have the box. Putting the box in the hole made it all come to life.
Five rings, but only four buttons? Most of 'em don't work most of the time anyhows. When the lights line up, more open, but they don't seem to help. Just make another damned thing move.
The old fleabag Khajiit what sold me this cube said something about "the light through the knowledge through the machine rests on the cube." I remember because he made me say it back at him till I wanted to throttle him.
So I did.
Tried to leave, but wolves to the top and them eyeless freaks outside the tower. Gotta stay here till I get it right.
And I will get it right.
"Every time we get it wrong it resets, we might be here for a while" I tell Lydia. And right I am as three hours go by before we hit the right combination. Once the combination is set the crystal appendages move around a final time and lower a crystal to the centre of the device. A moment later it opens up and reveals the scroll. The moment the scroll is freed, a blast of magical aura erupts forth, bringing both Lydia and I to our knees. I get to my knees first, sweating from the power the scroll radiated and cast Grand Ward around both Lydia and I. I reach for the scroll and open the rift and as I grab it, my whole world goes white.
"What the?" I try and say aloud but it comes through like a thought. "Hello son." I try to turn towards the ethereal voice, but I'm stuck in place. "It's fine, you're safe" the voice says again. A moment later, a golden aura enters my vision and forms into a dragon. "Oh, it's you. Am I in trouble?" I ask jokingly but with a twinge of fear in case I am. "No, far from it. I have come to tell you to forget about Azura's star at the moment. Your main priority is Alduin. That burst of magical power you felt from the scroll, all the dovah felt its touch. Alduin most of all. Hurry back to the time-wound my son. This may be the toughest battle you will face." "Right then, back to the throat of the world. Seeya dad." I jokingly yell as I'm sent back.
I'm pushed back into reality as fast as I was pulled out, I pull the lighter than I thought scroll from its crystal container and place it in the rift, closing it. "Now to Ilinalta's Deep" Lydia comments happily as she pulls the lexicon out of its receptacle and throws it back to me. "Nope, throat of the world. Alduin felt that burst of power from the scroll, he's onto us." I tell her, using telekinesis to catch the lexicon and rift it as well. I then start moving towards the elevator that'll take us back up to Skyrim's surface. "Wait, how do you know that?" she asks confused.
"Akatosh told me, when I touched the scroll my mind must have been summoned to a pocket dimension or something. He told me that all the dovah felt the scrolls presence, Alduin most of all. Probably because the scroll was used to banish him." We stand on the lift and rise back up. Once we make it to the surface and open the gate I look around and see Dragonsreach in the distance. "By the gods!" Lydia exclaims. "We travelled from Winterhold to basically Whiterun hold." "We were rushing through down there." I remind her before we keep moving.
We make it to High Hrothgar within a day and a half after using magic to increase our running speed. Once at the throat of the world I take the scroll from the rift. "You have it. Parrthurnax says with satisfaction. The Kel - the Elder Scroll. Tiid kreh... qalos. Time shudders at its touch. There is no question. You are doom-driven. Kogaan Akatosh. The very bones of the earth are at your disposal. Go then. Fulfill your destiny. Take the Scroll to the Time-Wound. Do not delay. Alduin will be coming. He cannot miss the signs." Lydia draws her glass blade, summons two Storm Atronachs and a Bound Blade. "Ready Lydia?" "Always, Thane." I draw in a deep breath and open the scroll. I expected words but instead I find, drawings, diagrams and other symbols. I understand nothing that I see, all of it an alien concept. My peripheral vision starts to swim, and darkness surrounds me but then it lights up again. It does that over and over again, getting faster and faster before the centre of the scroll comes into focus. I look deeper into the centre, ignoring my peripheral vision that's swirling this way and that and turns to a blood red colour.
My vision clears and I see the throat of the world again. The same as it is now but with someone I don't recognise standing in front of me. "Gormlaith!" cries a man in armour that reminds me of what the Draugr wear. "We're running out of time! The battle..." His words are cut short as a dragon lands heavily in front of us, sneering at the men.
"Daar sul thur se Alduin vakrii." The dragon taunts in both dovah and common tongue. "Today Alduin's lordship will be restored. But I honor your courage. Krif voth ahkrin. Die now, in vain."
"For Skyrim!" the ancient Nord cries bravely.
He draws his Battle Axe and attacks the beast, not long later he's joined by a woman in steel plate armour, the dragon douses him in flame, but I notice his armour is enchanted and he comes out unscathed. The woman draws her sword and manages to get under the dragon and slit its throat and in an unnecessary move, she mounts its head and runs her sword through its skull, bringing it down.
"Hyah! Know that Gormlaith sent you down to death! Hakon! A glorious day is it not?" the woman known as Gormlaith cheers.
"Have you no thought beyond the blooding of your blade?" Hakon asks with some sourness.
"What else is there?" She cheers before turning serious.
"The battle below goes ill." Hakon explains. "If Alduin does not rise to our challenge, I fear all may be lost."
"You worry too much, brother. Victory will be ours." She reassures him by pounding him on the back.
"Why does Alduin hang back?" Hakon demands, staring directly at me. "We've staked everything on this plan of yours, old man."
"He will come." An older voice answers. He passes through me, and I see the same scroll that I have in my possession strapped to his back with a Greatsword next to it. I also notice with some surprise that he wears a greybeards robe. "He cannot ignore our defiance. And why should he fear us, even now?"
"We've bloodied him well. Four of his kin have fallen to my blade alone this day." Gormlaith brags.
"But none have yet stood against Alduin himself. Galthor, Sorri, Birkir..."
"They did not have Dragonrend." She boasts. "Once we bring him down, I promise I will have his head."
Shaking his head the old man interrupts what she was about to say next. "You do not understand. Alduin cannot be slain like a lesser dragon. He is beyond our strength. Which is why I brought the Elder Scroll."
He pulls out the Elder Scroll to show it to them. Hakon looks shocked.
"Felldir! We agreed not to use it."
"I never agreed." Felldir reminds them. "And if you are right, I will not need it."
"No. We will deal with Alduin ourselves, here and now."
"We shall see soon enough. Alduin approaches!" Gormlaith announces, pointing her sword in the World Eater's direction.
"So be it." Hakon says quietly.
Alduin arrives at the summit, beating wings sending snow flying as he turns and lands down on the Word Wall, like Parrthurnax, to confront the three ancient Nord heroes.
"Meyye!" he announces in a mocking tone. "Tahrodiis aanne! Him hinde pah liiv! Zu'u hin daan!"
Alduin unleashes a stream of fire which they all dodge. He launches himself from the wall and does a strafing run before hovering over them again.
"Let those that watch from Sovngarde, envy us this day!" Gormlaith cries before all three of them shout. "Joor... Zah...Frul!"
The three heroes unleash the Dragonrend shout, managing to hit Alduin in the air, forcing him to land. As they use the shout I feel the words penetrate and flow into me. Blessing me with the meaning. Mortal. Finite. Temporary
"Nivahriin joorre!" he rages out, feeling mortality pierce his immoral form. He tries to use his wings, but the power of the shout keeps him grounded. "What have you done? What twisted Words have you created?! Tahrodiis Paarthurnax! My teeth to his neck! But first... dir ko maar. You will die in terror, knowing your final fate... To feed my power when I come for you in Sovngarde!"
"If I die today, it will not be in terror! You feel fear for the first time, worm. I see it in your eyes." She rushes Alduin with her sword drawn.
Felldir surprisingly uses another shout. "Fo Krah Diin!" a wall of frost blows forth and hits Alduin. He roars in rage once again
"Skyrim will be free!" Hakon announces and rushes Alduin as well.
They swing their blades, slicing into Alduin all the while dodging jaws, claws and wings. Despite their best efforts to damage Alduin with their Ancient Nord Weapons, Alduin is able to trip Gormlaith with his tail then as she falls, snaps her up with his jaws, crushing and flails her about in his mouth before tossing her broken and lifeless body away, towards the Word Wall
"NOOOOO, SISTER. damn you! It's no use! Use the Scroll, Felldir! Now!"
Felldir retreats to a safe distance, takes the scroll from his back and prepares to read it as Hakon continues to attack Alduin but with Dragonrend's effect lifting no damage is appearing on the god of destruction.
"Hold." Felldir begins. "Alduin on the Wing! Sister Hawk, grant us your sacred breath to make this contract heard! Begone, World-Eater! By words with older bones than your own we break your perch on this age and send you out! You are banished! Alduin, we shout you out from all our endings unto the last!"
Alduin manages to knock Hakon down but looks toward the source of magical energy and sees what Felldir is doing. Alduin tries to engulf Felldir in flame to stop him, but a sphere of magic surrounds the World Eater and his flame breaks against it. A portal opens and tendrils of ancient magic latch onto Alduin, wrapping around his wings, legs, body and neck before they drag him into the maelstrom of time itself.
"Faal Kel...?!" Alduin roars out in disbelief "Nikriinne..."
"You are banished!" Felldir falls to his knees in exhaustion and rolls closed the scroll.
Alduin is finally pulled into the time stream, the portal and sphere that surrounded him close, leaving Hakon and Felldir alone on the Throat of the World.
"It worked... you did it..." Hakon says with a mix of emotions in his voice.
"Yes, the World-Eater is gone... may the spirits have mercy on our souls." Felldir says this with immense sadness. Sadness of the knowledge of potentially sacrificing the future for peace in his time. He looks in my direction and I get chills because I feel like he can see me, or possibly seen me when he opened the scroll.
A sound fills my ears, like rushing water, my vision blurs and suddenly I'm back on the throat of the world in my own time, Lydia with her Atronachs still in the same spot as when she summoned them.
"Thane?" Lydia asks with some concern. I'm about to answer her but a deep roar fills the sky chilling me to the bone in fear. I throw the scroll into the rift and summon my bound armour, two Flame Atronachs a sword and then draw my Akaviri blade.
Alduin flies from the same direction as he did in the past. He hovers directly above us, taunting. "Bahloki nahkip sillesejoor. My belly is full of the souls of your fellow mortals, Dovahkiin. Die now and await your fate in Sovngarde!"
"Lost funt." Parrthurnax calls out. "You are too late, Alduin! Dovahkiin, use Dragonrend, if you know it. Our Atronachs start lobbing their elemental attacks, but they have no effect at all. I breathe in deeply and use Dragonrend. "JOOR ZAH FRUL." The Thu'um flows forth and scores a direct hit on the black dragon. A purple aura that wasn't shown when I was in the scroll surrounds Alduin and forces him to the ground once more. He lets loose a roar and shouts "Strun bah yol." The sky darkens and small meteorites fall from the sky, I summon a Grand Ward above to protect me until I can shout again. I use clear skies as a desperate play, and I'm surprised to see it work as the sky clears and lightens up.
Alduin tries to snap at me but gets a mouthful of lightning from one of Lydia's Atronachs. I move back and send some lightning of my own towards him. It bounces off his scales and the purple aura from Dragonrend fades, giving Alduin the ability to take to the skies once more. Before he can take advantage though I send Dragonrend to tear through Alduin once more, forcing him to stay on the ground. He roars in rage once more and stalks towards me, stopping and returning a stream of fire towards Parrthurnax after he hit Alduin with his own.
I take the advantage and get close, using Akaviri steel and ethereal magic to cut the dragon god. Lydia does the same and enrages Alduin more as her glass sword burns him. I use Dragonrend twice more in the fight as the shout fades and each time it does Alduin's injuries heal near instantly. "Zu'u lost had enough." Alduin calls out in rage. He whips his tail towards me, not hitting me but using it as a distraction. His real attack was a lunge, grabbing me with his deadly teeth, they pierce the ethereal armour and sink into my chest and back, I try to scream out, but the pain is too much for even that. He rag dolls me like Gormlaith, I'm then dropped but launched into a massive boulder as Alduin's tail connects this time.
My head is reeling, and my vision darkens as blood loss takes hold, with the last of my strength I summon a lesser ward to protect myself from a fully powered fire breath, it holds for a moment before breaking and my ethereal armour fades. I pass out while being engulfed in flame.
Lydia's perspective.
The battle is taking its toll, my magicka is getting exhausted even with Shalidor's necklace and I'm getting tired. I notice Moric is getting exhausted as well and as Alduin says he's had enough I watch as Moric dodges the strike of Alduin's tail. Everything seems to stand still as he dodges the fake strike of the tail and is instead grabbed with teeth as long as my glass blade and probably sharper. I recall later the sound of those teeth ripping through magical armour. He's then dropped and sent flying into a boulder before being engulfed in dragon fire.
Something inside me snaps, something familiar. My berserker rage kicks in, I don't care how I'll feel later, all I care about is getting rid of the dragon and helping my Thane. My best friend. I launch towards Alduin, fist connecting with the back of his left leg. I feel something small break, unsure if it's in my fist or Alduin's leg I keep striking. Punches connect rapidly, thunder cracking at the speed and force of each hit. Alduin growls and turns his head to grab me like he did with my Thane, but I launch myself into the air and grab hold of his back. I climb onto his spine and land more savage blows, feeling the toughness of the back give way. Suddenly the purple aura of Dragonrend ends, Alduin's injuries heal. The spot where I was just punching becomes as hard as ebony, but I still keep going, desperate for revenge.
Alduin bucks me off, sending me flying towards the word wall. I land hard but stand back up to fight again, barely noticing my leg twisted in a different direction, I push forward, getting angrier and more desperate. "I am Al-du-in, firstborn of Akatosh! The dragon god calls out. "Mulaagi zok lot! I cannot be slain here, by you or anyone else. I will outlast you all." He takes flight and dodges Paarthurnax who comes in to tackle him back to the ground, wheeling around he does the same thing but manage to hit the grey dragon, pushing him to the ground. Alduin takes flight once more and vanishes into the distance. I'm left standing there for who knows how long before I'm finally calm. Once the power runs out I collapse in pain from my twisted leg, I manage to heal it using before I stand once more and run over to Moric.
"Thane, Moric. Please answer." I look over my Thane's broken and burned body. Arms and legs twisted in different ways, flesh burned black, puncture wounds from his teeth deep enough I can see muscle and bone. I pour healing magic and the few potions I have on my person into him, seeing some flesh come back to life and wounds barely closing. "By the gods." A voice behind me says. I turn and see Master Arngeir and the other greybeards approach us. "Master Parrthurnax will you be alright?" He asks the old dragon as the greybeards rush over to us. "Zu'u fen kos yuvon. Help the Dovahkiin."
The greybeards kneel around Moric and pour their own healing magic. "Borri go find some leather, fashion it into a stretcher." Nodding his head Borri rushes back down the mountain, using a shoutto move faster. "Will he be alright?" I ask the greybeards desperately. "I make no promises." Arngeir answers. Borri comes racing back up with stretcher made from a piece of leather the size of Moric and some wooden sticks put through. Master Einarth uses telekinesis to raise my Thane off the ground gently and place him in the stretcher, they take him back down the mountain healing him until we're back in the monastery.
"Can you heal him?" I ask again. "I can try" is all he says as he pours more magic into the broken body. "Please, wake up." I plead silently.
Author notes
Ooof that ending is rough, will he be okay or is this where the story ends. Now that would suck but don't worry I'm not ending here. I'll be working on the next chapter right away, so you don't have to wait long.