The visions started as soon as they set foot inside Saarthal. "Ghosts?" yelped Minerva, as six figures appeared all wearing mage robes. "Hey!" she yelled, waving. "Who are you?" They didn't respond, but instead began talking amongst themselves.

"Are we truly sure this is a good idea?" one of them said. They looked like an Argonian.

"We'll be back before anyone knows we're gone," assured another shade, who appeared to be a Redguard, or maybe an Imperial. It was hard to tell with the diluted colors.

"Don't forget, this was your idea, Atmah," said a third, a familiar-looking Dunmer.

Onmund's eyes widened. "Wait...is that...?"

Minerva walked up to the shades as they continued talking, and passed her hand through them. No response. They simply finished their conversation and faded away. "What's going on? These aren't regular ghosts, are they?"

Onmund shook his head. "No...I think one of them was the Archmage, though. Remember what Mirabelle said? How he and a couple of other students went to Labyrinthian, but only Savos came back?"

"So she did tell you about that," said a sad voice.

Both mages jumped, and Minerva pulled out her axe. "Who's there?" she yelled.

"No need to be so panicked," the voice came again, and Onmund realized that he knew who was talking. "It's just me."

Onmund reached into his shirt and pulled out the amulet. "Archmage Aren?"

The amulet was humming, a voice coming from it. "Indeed. Hello Onmund. And is that Minerva I hear?"

Minerva put a hand to her chest and lowered her axe. "Yeah, it's me. What in Oblivion, you scared the crap out of me!" She blinked. "Um...not to be blunt but...aren't you...how are you...um...?"

"How am I here? I'm not, really. It's a long story, involving some experimentation and a modified soul gem."

Onmund's eyes widened. "A soul...wait, you soul-trapped yourself?"

"Temporarily. At least, I'm hoping it's temporary." Onmund simply shook his head in disbelief. "It's less of a trap and more of an anchor. Hopefully one that will hold long enough to let me guide you."

"What was that we just saw, by the way?" asked MInerva. "Those weren't regular ghosts. They weren't responding to me at all."

"No, they weren't. I believe they were memories, of a sort. Impressions left behind due to this place being filled with magic. It's no surprise. Trauma like that always leaves a mark."

Onmund looked down at the amulet. "If...if you wanted to guide us, then why..." He swallowed. "Why did you wait? Why did you have to..." He cut himself off. Minerva squeezed his arm.

A heavy sigh came from the amulet. "After what happened, I hoped no one would ever have to return here. I hoped it could stay locked away, that we didn't really need the staff to fix things. But...I was wrong." There was a pause. "I'm sorry. I know I ignored your concerns until it was too late for me. But I hope that even if you can't forgive me, you can at least understand my actions."

Onmund's vision blurred, and he wiped his eyes. "I...I'll try."

Minerva sighed and squeezed Onmund's arm again. "Come on. We can't waste any time."

It only took a few chambers for Onmund to start to understand Savos' reasoning. It started when they entered a large chamber, empty save for a floor made of dirt. "What is the place?"

Onmund shrugged, but both of them heard a hitch of breath coming from the amulet. "This is...no! You need to get out of here, now!"

"What?" yelped Onmund. He turned back around, but the way back to the entrance was blocked by a gate that shot out of the ground.

The ground underneath their feet began to rumble. "There's a door on the other side!" yelled Savos. "Hurry! Before-"

The dust and dirt under their feet exploded upwards, and both Onmund and Minerva were thrown off their feet, coughing. "Are you okay?" Onmund yelled.

"I'm fine!" Minerva yelled back.

There was a roar that echoed through the chamber. Onmund felt his stomach squeeze as he recognized it. "That sound...it's a-"

The skeletal dragon roared again as the dust cleared. "Oh no...no no no..." muttered Savos. "Not again...please! Please not again!"

The skeleton swiveled its head around, searching before finally facing the two mages. Two pinpricks of light showed the magical power keeping it together. Minerva staggered to her feet. "Hold on! Hold on!"

The skeleton reared back, air being sucked through its useless nostrils. Onmund saw the telltale glow of ice magic building in its throat. "Oh shi-"

"Saraan! Ni hin nos!"

The dragon skeleton suddenly stopped charging, looking around. "Wo los tinvaak?"

"Zu'u!" The dragon's glowing eyes fixed on the dark-haired Breton.

Onmund stared at Minerva. "Since when can you-"

Minerva shushed him and made a waving motion with her hand. "Go! Go! I'll handle this!" she hissed.

Yeah, like that was going to happen. Onmund readied a ward spell in his hands.

Well, well, well. The dragon sounded surprised, and a bit amused. What have we here?

My name is Minerva. Minerva put her hands up in a "look, no weapons" gesture. We did not mean to disturb you, we were just passing through. We did not know this was your...home?

The dragon snorted. Don't flatter me. In any case, this isn't my home.

Minerva cocked her head. What do you mean? Actually, how are you even still moving. Without muscles or anything?

This isn't me. To make a long story extremely short, my true body is in the Soul Cairn. However, thanks to my knowledge of necromancy, I am still able to reach out and communicate with the outside. Allowing me to guard this tomb from intruders such as yourself.

We're not intruding! We need to find something!

Were you not the ones who disturbed the slumber of these bones?

You could've stayed asleep! You just said this wasn't even your body!

Enough talk! Why should I let you pass?

Minerva groaned. They didn't have time for this! Because there's an evil stupid elf who's going to try and destroy the world with this thing called the Eye of Magnus and the only thing that can stop him is in this tomb!

That made the dragon rear back a bit. I...I see...so those disturbances I've felt were real... He seemed to think. Very well. Swear to me two things, on your honor, and I will let you pass.

Minerva nodded. Okay, this was getting somewhere. What two things?

First, promise me you will find a way to reach the Soul Cairn.

To help you escape?

In a way, perhaps. I must think on this more.

Minerva bit her lip. Okay, okay. She had no idea how to reach the Soul Cairn but...she could find a way, right? Alright. And the second?

This foolish and arrogant mortal who usurps the duty of the Eldest...promise me you will destroy him.

Oh. Minerva gave Durnehviir her widest, toothiest grin. "Hehe. Now that I can certainly manage. I swear I'll kill him. Or just make sure he dies, in general.

On your honor?

On my honor.

The lights in the skeleton's eyes dimmed, and it fell to the floor. Minerva breathed a sigh of relief. "OhthanktheDivines," gasped a voice to her left.

Minerva wheeled around. "Onmund! I told you to get out, didn't I?"

Onmund dropped the ward and shook his head. "I wasn't going to leave you alone! Dragon or no dragon!"

"Well, for what it's worth, that wasn't a dragon. Not really. Just a necromantic puppet."

"That explains the lack of a soul, I guess," sighed Onmund. "So it's fine I stuck around, right?"

"Am I missing something here?" came the voice from the amulet. "Since when did you learn to speak to dragons?"

Minerva grinned sheepishly. "Uh...so you know how I was away from the college for a while cause of family matters?"

Can Durnehviir possess skeletons and use them to talk? I don't know, but I do know he's a necromancer so yeah.

Also, fun fact: there was apparently something in development where Savos' ghost would lead you through Labrynthian instead of you just seeing visions. So I decided to go with both.