Author's note:
My dear readers, the special shout-outs of the week go to Valtieri, LadyBugLissa, BAddogs, Elspeth and all my new followers/favoriters. You really do spoil me with your lovely comments and support! In particular, the last line of LadyBugLissa's review had me melt like an ice cube in the desert. Speaking of which, I'd like to take this chance to point out a thing or two about my storytelling. First, this fic still has a long way to go, as it will end in about 30 chapters. Second, over the last few months I've begun writing an Oblivion-centered fic. It is pretty much on hiatus, but if you're interested in fluffy romances with a lot of drama you can take a look at it on my profile page (*shameless self-promotion ends*). As for Valtieri's review, I absolutely adore the name they've chosen for poor Stein. That Imperial has been called many things ("goofy golden-retriever" and "smug face" are among my favourites) and Perenially Confused perfectly fits the list. As for Adaeze, I'm glad Valtieri noticed how fierce and oblivious to danger she is. Oh, and I did find out about Aren's missing apprentices, although that happened entirely by chance. The story behind them is so interesting, I'm sad they eventually chose not to make a quest out of it! On to BAddogs' review, I'm glad I got you hooked to the story. Also, I'm happy to announce that from now on we'll see quite a lot of action on Steinarius' side: we still haven't seen him fight and that's something I definitely want to change. As for Elspeth, I'm very glad that you found the time to read some chapters of my story and tell me what you think about them. It's so good that you caught up! (and yes, it's mean of me to publish another chapter just after you achieved this goal)
Anyway, on to the story: my life has been rather hectic over the last few weeks, so from now the updates may become less frequent. That being said, this instalment shows us a part of Steinarius and Adaeze's adventure in Mzulft. I found that quest to be rather boring, so I directly moved to the interesting part: our two warriors are in the oculory of the dungeon and are desperately trying to get the Dwemer machinery to work.
Enjoy!
18th of Hearthfire, 4E 202
Steinarius looked at the weird Dwemer machinery above his head. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, the Imperial sighed: he couldn't remember the last time he slept, just like he couldn't remember the last time he breathed the fresh air of Skyrim. In addition, his throat was hurting because of all the Shouts he'd used over the previous hours. Nonetheless, before getting some rest the Dragonborn was set on making the oculory of Mzulft work: Winterhold was in danger, so he had no time to lose.
"Yool", Steinarius hissed despite the pain. As a column of fire escaped his lips, the Imperial had to fight back the tears: after that Thu'um-overdose, he feared that his throat would never be the same again.
When the Dwemer machinery produced a weird creaking sound, Steinarius snorted in defeat: for the umpteenth time in that long day, the damned thing had moved in the wrong direction. As he realized that, the Dragonborn cursed the dwarves for their complicated inventions; a moment later, he insulted himself for being utterly unable to cast any spell. Right then some magic skills would have definitely come in handy.
"It looks like you're working really hard, honey".
As Adaeze made her appearance in the wide room where he was standing, Steinarius eventually gave in to tiredness: he sat down on the floor, then he ran his hand through his sweaty hair.
"Are you really that warm?", Adaeze asked him. The woman was wrapped in a warm fur, whereas Steinarius was wearing only an unbuttoned shirt and light breeches.
"You'd be warm too, had you spent the last few hours of your life shouting fire at a cursed machine".
Adaeze chuckled, then took place near Steinarius.
"The mighty Dragonborn is afraid of the Dwemer", she joked while singing to a childish tune.
Annoyed by that behavior, Steinarius snorted.
"I'm not afraid of the Dwemer: I'm just irritated by this whole situation", he pointed out. With a sigh, the Imperial then proceeded to resume everything he and Adaeze had been through over the previous three days. "We got here more almost a week ago, we met a dying mage from the Synod in the very first room of these ruins, we discovered that the unlucky fellow was here with many other wizards", Steinarius quickly recalled. "We later made our way through ungodly dangers in order to find the last survivor from the Imperial expedition, all while walking past rotting corpses and fighting those stinky Falmer; during our leisure stroll I was almost boiled to death by a Dwemer centurion, whereas you were poisoned by a chaurus; yet, we didn't slow down our pace because we hoped to save the last wizard from the Synod from certain death - and now that we've found him, that stupid Paratus guy simply tells me that this machinery is called 'oculory' and immediately falls asleep, thus ignoring that I can't cast any spell, that our focusing crystal is not working and that Winterhold is in danger. You're completely wrong about me, Adaeze: I'm not scared by the Dwemer - I'm downright mad at that arrogant mage and this stupid machinery".
Confronted with Steinarius' complaints, Adaeze chuckled.
"Where do I fit in your tale?", she said while mischevously winking at the Imperial. "You did say that I was poisoned, but you didn't mention that you had to carry me throughout the last few chambers of this place".
"You didn't get poisoned willingly", Steinarius scoffed in reply. "That's why I can't get mad at you"
Adaeze laughed at the regret in the Imperial's voice, then she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you for your patience, Steinarius of Kvatch: you really are a darling".
Steinarius scoffed, but didn't pull away. He had to admit that he and Adaeze formed a very good team: during their adventure the woman had covered his back thanks to her perfect aim, whereas the Imperial had used his sheer force to dispatch enemies in close combact. Thanks to their different fighting styles, while venturing into Mzulft the two warriors hadn't encountered any problem – at least, that was until Adaeze had got poisoned by a Chaurus. Luckily enough, Steinarius had been quick to give her a healing potion and carry her towards Paratus' den, which was located in the last chamber of the dungeon. Once there, the Redguard had immediately fallen asleep, whereas the Dragonborn had started working on the focusing crystal he'd found during his adventure. Paratus, on the other hand, had burst into tears of joy.
"You were really good to me, Steinarius", Adaeze said, thus snapping the Imperial out of his memories. "It was my first time inside a Dwemer ruin, but you went comfortably easy on me. You even asked me to look away every time we met a corpse, which was incredibly chivalrous".
Steinarius didn't reply: he'd got used to Adaeze's provocations, so he was now completely immune to them. When the man ignored her, the Redguard chuckled.
"You know what you'd need right now? Agda. I'm sure that she could bring a happy wide smile on that depressed pretty face of yours".
Steinarius rolled his eyes in annoyance: he hated it when Adaeze made those references to his past relationship with Agda. Also, he hated to see just how relaxed the Redguard was.
"Adaeze, I know that you only care about sex and that you believe the rest of Tamriel to behave in the same way as you, but you should know that I…"
"Steinarius, what is your naughty mind thinking of?", the woman said while pulling a surprised face. "Agda isn't just your former lover - she is also a rather good mage; as a consequence, she would help you with that machinery in no time, thus putting you out of your misery. By the way, Imperial, I really am surprised: from what you've just told me, I take it that you think about sex almost as much as I do; also, I take it that you and Agda definitely had a wonderful time in her little cozy bedroom in Riverwood".
"As if you didn't know that already".
Confronted with that confession, Adaeze grinned.
"I did suspect you to be much naughtier than you look, but I'd never thought you could reach such levels of..."
As he heard those words, Steinarius let out a tired sigh.
"Adaeze, I was talking about my feelings for Agda", he pointed out. "You perfectly know that she isn't just one of many to me - that's why I came here on her behalf and that's why I remained by her bedside until she finally regained consciousness. Believe me, I wouldn't do that just for everyone".
"So you still do care about my friend!"
Before Steinarius could cut her off, Adaeze spoke again.
"Too bad that Agda isn't here to hear you, Steinarius", the woman said with a mischievous grin. "You know, until a couple of days ago I couldn't get why a clever girl like her had fallen for a brainless guy like you. Now, however, I think I understand. You are a very good fighter, Crepusculus, and sometimes you are incredibly sweet and romantic. Also, with that unbuttoned shirt and that blonde stubble, you are a sight for sore eyes".
"Adaeze, you're objectifying me".
"I'll show you the meaning of objectifying in a second, love", the Redguard said with an amused smile. A moment later, the woman did something Steinarius wasn't expecting: she cupped his face, then she placed a playfully loud kiss on his lips.
The Imperial immediately freed himself from that undesired contact, then wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. As Adaeze met his shocked expression, she immediately burst into laughter.
"Don't be such a whiner", she joked after poking the man in the ribs. "I'm some kind of Hargraven! And then, I should be the one to complain: I expected the Dragonborn to feel like ash and fire and power, but you only taste of sweat. Also, your lips seem covered in blood. If I'm to tell the truth, kissing you was surprisingly disappointing".
"Well, thank you, Adaeze", Steinarius snorted. "You really are a darling. By the way, it is my throat that is covered in blood, not my lips: I've been shouting myself raw over the previous few hours. Unlike you, I haven't forgotten that Winterhold is in danger".
Reminded about the threat to her city, the Redguard rolled her eyes.
"We were having a moment here, you skeever-brain!", she protested. "Agda is definitely right: you have a special talent for ruining occasions like this".
Before Steinarius could reply, Adaeze stood up from the floor and hushed him.
"I've slept for most of the afternoon, or night, or whatever time it is", she announced. "Now it's your turn to rest while I look for a way to make this damned machinery work".
Under Steinarius' confused gaze, Adaeze started patrolling the oculory of Mzulft. When she found what she was looking for, she gave a pleased squeal.
"Spell tomes!", she proudly told the Imperial. "Flames and ice, if I see correctly".
Steinarius was quick to tame the girl's enthusiasm.
"I've already read them", he sighed, disappointment well evident in his voice. "Couldn't make out a single sentence of it, that's why they're still there".
Adaeze welcomed the news with a shrug.
"That's because you have the same magical skills as a horker. Luckily for you, I happen to know a spell or two".
When Adaeze produced a tiny column of flames in order to prove her words, Steinarius' eyes widened in shock.
"Let me understand: I spent the last five hours of my life shouting my lungs out at that horrible machinery, while you perfectly knew how to…"
Adaeze chuckled at the outraged expression the Dragonborn was wearing at that moment.
"That's because you always go for the difficult path, love. Now relax and let me fix this thing, will ya?"
Steinarius shook his head in disbelief: he could have slept for the whole day just like Paratus and Adaeze, instead he'd used the power of the Thu'um more times than he could actually remember. If Arngeir could see him at that moment, the Greybeard would surely forget his traditional calm and use the whole strength of his voice to tell the Imperial off. That episode, however, taught Steinarius one important lesson: sometimes it was good to rely on other people.
Despite Adaeze's confidence, not even her spells could make the Dwemer oculory work properly. As a consequence, the Redguard soon lost her temper and reached Paratus Decimius in the small room right beneath the complicated machine she'd been working on for an hour. The old mage from the Synod was the only one of his colleagues who had survived the exploration of Mzulft. He'd looked downright scared when Steinarius first reached him, then he'd burst into a desperate cry at the discovery that all his friends had died. A moment later, however, Paratus had done something completely unexpected: he'd shown the Dragonborn the oculory, then he'd fallen asleep on a bedroll.
Now that I know that all the Falmer around here are dead, I can finally get some rest!, the man had sighed in relief shortly before drowsiness took him over.
Steinarius had actually been happy at the way Paratus had drifted into Vaermina's embrace: just like most of the Companions, he didn't trust any mage except for Mirabelle Ervine and Agda. Now, however, the Dragonborn was tired of fighting with that stupid Dwemer oculory; as a consequence, when a livid Adaeze went to rise Paratus, he met her decision with a pleased nod.
When the girl woke him with a powerful kick in the ribs, Paratus let out a shrill scream. As the Redguard started shouting insults at that old mage, Steinarius rubbed his weary eyes: his werewolf blood allowed him to avoid sleeping for a few days in a row, but that didn't mean that he never felt tired. Lulled by Adaeze's rageful shouts, the man eventually laid on his back and closed his eyes.
For a long moment, Steinarius still saw the focusing crystal he'd tried to modify with his Shouts. A moment later, the man found himself thinking of the beautiful Orrey of the Imperial City – the very same Orrey the Heroine of Kvatch had fixed during one of her many adventures.
Yawning, Steinarius recalled observing that wonderful structure when he was a kid, he recalled asking his father for a toy depicting the stars of Nirn, he recalled the way his mother had eventually provided him with a little instrument that could mirror the summer moonlight, thus projecting every constellation of Tamriel on the tall ceiling of her son's bedroom. At that point, Steinarius' eyes snapped open: he'd finally understood what he was supposed to do with the oculory of Mzulft.
Adaeze and Paratus watched in disbelief as the Dragonborn produced a rapid series of Shouts aimed at the focusing crystal in the middle of the weird Dwemer machinery above his head. Steinarius was covered in sweat and was now wearing a tiny Talos amulet around his neck.
"It helps me shout more often", he revealed once confronted with Adaeze' surprised stare. "I usually keep it hidden under my armor, but this isn't the time to be discreet".
As soon as he was done talking, Steinarius produced the umpteenth column of ice of the day, then immediately ran to the levers controlling the Dwemer machines inside the room. He fiddled with those complicated gears for a few minutes, all while keeping his grey eyes fixed on a ray of moonlight that was entering the oculory through the ceiling. At last, the Dragonborn grinned – and a second later, the whole chamber was overrun by the dim light of the stars of Skyrim.
Adaeze gaped in awe at the beautiful pattern the moonlight formed in the upper part of the oculory. When said light produced a perfect map of Tamriel on a nearby wall, the Redguard couldn't believe her eyes: she'd never seen anything that beautiful. Also, she'd never believed Steinarius Crepusculus could be even smarter than an experienced mage from the Synod.
After Steinarius pushed open the doors leading outside Mzulft, he closed his eyes and finally breathed in the cold air of Skyrim. Despite the relief that immediately washed over him, the Imperial knew that he couldn't rest – the oculory had shown him that Winterhold was in great danger, therefore he couldn't allow himself any moment of hesitation.
By Steinarius' side, Adaeze looked equally determined. She'd watched in awe as the Imperial'd found the way to use the oculory, then she'd listened to Paratus' worrying speech about the College of Winterhold being in danger. When that mage had dared accuse her and Steinarius to steal his discovery, however, the Redguard had lost it: she'd punched him in the face, then she'd helped Steinarius put on his cuirass. The man hadn't complained – actually, she'd thanked her for the help and for the way she'd kicked out that pompous Paratus guy.
"I hope our horses haven't escaped", Steinarius frowned as he began walking towards the paved road that connected Windhelm to Riften. "We need to get to Winterhold as soon as possible".
"I picked the most loyal steeds of Winterhold, so we will find them exactly where we left them", Adaeze reassured him. "Also, I've got you some food: you look in need of something to eat, love".
As Steinarius saw the apple-pie Adaeze was offering him, his eyes widened in surprise.
"How…"
"I was a thief, remember? And this pie happened to be in Paratus' knapsack. I also got you a bottle of mead and used an old hammer to repair your damaged gauntlets. That Blade armor looks great, but it's probably as old as Oblivion itself".
Steinarius smiled, then he heartily thanked Adaeze.
"Without you, I would have died of hunger during my ride towards Winterhold", he admitted.
"Without me, you wouldn't have ridden to Winterhold at all", the Redguard replied. "You would have walked".
Steinarius laughed at Adaeze's remark. It was good to go adventuring with her: the Redguard was strong and swift and clever, she was fun and careful and observant, she was good with a bow and with daggers and with her bare hands. Also, she'd reassured Steinarius by telling him that nope, that Psijic Monk outside the oculory hadn't been a figment of his imagination.
"That guy seemed surprised at meeting us", the Imperial pointed out. By now he and Adaeze had reached the lower entrance to Mzulft. "Do you think he was talking about Agda when he said that our helper pointed us towards the right path?"
Adaeze nodded.
"Agda did tell me about meeting a weird monk in Saarthal. Now I feel sorry for not believing her: that girl would never make up lies about something so important as…"
"HAND OVER YOUR VALUABLES OR I'LL GUT YOU LIKE A FISH!"
When that shrill shout reached his ears, Steinarius immediately went for his sword. Adaeze, nonetheless, was quick to lay a hand over his, thus preventing the Dragonborn from unsheating his weapon. The Redguard gave him a very eloquent look, then she raised her hands and walked towards the young Argonian thief who'd just appeared from behind a Dwemer column. Steinarius had been too deep in conversation to notice his scent, a fact that he was sincerely regretting.
"Easy, brother", Adaeze said with a calm smile. "I'm from the Guild myself. How's good old Delvin doing?"
The Argonian thief produced a hissing sound.
"I don't know who that Delvin guy is, but one thing I know: I've never seen you before".
Despite the danger coming from that clearly distressed criminal, Adaeze kept on smiling.
"That's because I left the Guild a few months ago; nonetheless, you can clearly see that my armor…"
The Redguard never got to finish that sentence: as her opponent swiftly stabbed her in the ribs, she could only bend forward and widen her eyes in shock.
Steinarius watched the scene unfold at very low speed: he saw the Argonian thief make a rapid move, he saw his dagger shine in the dim moonlight, then he saw Adaeze bend forward; he heard the whooshing sound the enemy's weapon produced after being unsheathed, he heard the way it cut through the woman's armor, he heard the Redguard' surprised cry; then, Steinarius saw Adaeze fall to the ground, her eyes huge with surprise and pain and fear. Right then, the Dragonborn felt his body respond to instinct – and before he could even realize it, his sword had swiftly beheaded the Argonian who'd dared stab his friend.
Steinarius wasn't bothered by the way the criminal's blood sprayed his face, just like he wasn't bothered by the way his headless body fell to the ground; right then, all he could think of was Adaeze.
When he slowly turned her on her back, the Redguard whimpered in pain. Her usual confidence had vanished from her face, which was now pale and covered in tears.
"I… I thought…"
"Sssh", Steinarius hushed her. "I got you, Adaeze".
As he spoke, the Dragonborn looked at the wide gash in the woman's armor. Adaeze's been stabbed just below the ribs and was losing an impressive amount of blood. Fighting the urge to curse, Steinarius pressed a hand against her wound and gathered the woman in his arms. When Adaeze didn't make any naughty comment about that intimate contact, the Dragonborn realized that she was doing even worse than he thought.
Spurred by urgency, Steinarius used a Shout to move faster along his path. When he reached the paved road towards Winterhold, however, the man realized he had no idea what to do. As he noticed that Adaeze had just lost consciousness, Steinarius loudly cursed: in those days, it looked like everyone he cared about was doomed to have a close-encounter with death – and whereas Agda was now out of danger, the man feared that Adaeze wouldn't be that lucky.
As he looked around in confusion, Steinarius felt powerless: he was the mighty Dragonborn, but he seemed unable to find a way to prevent Adaeze from dying in his arms.
"Don't you dare do this to me", he hissed at the unconscious woman. "Don't you dare die on me, otherwise I'll…"
When he caught the glimpse of a steel weapon amidst the tall trees at the side of the road, Steinarius stopped talking. A moment later, he bid his usual indecision goodbye and asked for help.
"I've seen your sword, so there's no point in hiding!", he shouted while looking at the point where the weapon had shone in the darkness for a very brief moment. "I don't care who you are, or what you do for a living: just know that I'll pay you more money than you can count if you help me save my friend!"
There was a moment of silence, during which Steinarius feared he'd just talked to a bunch of angry bandits or Daedra worshippers. When a young soldier stepped out of the trees, however, the Dragonborn couldn't believe his luck.
He'd just come across the Imperial Camp of the Rift.
As Steinarius followed that young recruit towards their goal, he couldn't help but notice all the details that had once been as familiar to him as the chirping of birds in the mornings – he noticed the smell of stew inside the camp, he heard someone complain about the forced inactivity, he even saw the uncomfortable tents where the youngest soldiers lived and slept. Eventually, the Dragonborn reached the area where injured people were usually tended to.
"There's a wounded woman here", the recruit who'd helped Steinarius shouted while approaching the healers' tent. "She's been stabbed and she's losing a lot of blood! We need help!"
Frowning, a healer with a very long beard stood up from a stool outside his tent and walked up to Adaeze. When he noticed that she wasn't a member of the Legion, the man scoffed.
"I don't do strangers", he mumbled without even looking Steinarius in the eyes. "If you want to heal this woman, you must get to Riften: I can't waste potions on someone I don't even know".
Steinarius protested with the raw force of desperation.
"I can't get her to Riften! She'll die before I even make it back to the main road!"
The healer seemed unbothered by the pain in Steinarius' voice.
"Not my problem", he simply shrugged.
Angered, Steinarius felt his irises slowly change color. At the same time, he saw the boy who had led him to the camp disappear behind an old tent. Coward, the Dragonborn mentally insulted him.
"If not for this woman, do it for me", the Dragonborn begged that old healer who was toying with Adaeze's life in such an irresponsible way. "My name is Steinarius Crepusculus and I'm a former Captain of the Legion. My father is Legate Cornelius Crepusculus, whereas my grandfather…"
"I don't care who you are, boy: I won't do anything unless my superior orders me to. And if my superior doesn't order me to heal this woman, then I'll..."
"What is going on here?"
Surprised by the arrival of a newcomer, Steinarius and the healer turned their heads to the right. At that point, the older mage visibly paled.
"Sergeant Haroldson, I can explain!"
"There's nothing to explain: you won't cure this woman just because you're a stupid asshole", the recruit who'd led Steinarius to the camp suddenly stepped in. Apparently, that young boy had gotten away from the Dragonborn not because he was scared, but because he was looking for someone who could help him with that stubborn healer. Now that he'd reached his aim, that brave recruit had immediately come back to the Dragonborn. Steinarius was deeply thankful for that.
"Enough, Lucillius", the sergeant broke the young boy off.
As the mysterious officer spoke, Steinarius furrowed his brow - for some reason, that voice was strangely familiar. Amoment later, when the Dragonborn gave the sergeant a closer look and noticed a pair of big calm eyes beneath a mane of brown hair, his jaw suddenly dropped open.
"Hadvar?!"
The Nord looked confused for a second, then took a step closer to Steinarius. The lantern he was holding immediately cast its light on the Imperial's upset face.
"By Talos, it's you!", Hadvar screamed as he recognized his former superior. A moment later, the Nord looked at the unconscious woman the Dragonborn was holding in his arms.
When he realized who that poor Redguard was, Hadvar felt on the brink of fainting; nonetheless, he was quick to summon the best healers of the camp and ask them to cure the woman he'd once been madly in love with.
There was no way Adaeze could pass away on his watch.