Star Sixteen: (Armialin)

Heem-Tei was not unlike other Argonians Armialin had met in his time; at least, not to the naked eye. It was in his behaviours that he differed. His claws were stained with oil, and he moved without his Nirn-born brethren's natural fluidity, hurrying from one set of conveyer-belt bookshelves to another, with such a focus that he could have put even the most renown of Mages Guild members to shame. Around his neck he wore a pendant of tarnished metal, which he occasionally plucked and rolled between his fingers while in deep thought. It was no surprise that a researcher with such steadfast concentration had climbed so high in the Apostles' esteem.

"You, there," said Divayth as he strode inside the Archivox proper. The sudden disturbance of his voice in the still, silent air startled the engineer, who almost dropped the metal book-plate he held. Lizard-like eyes widened, and Heem-Tei's voice responded as a faint croak.

"Ma-Master Fyr?!"

"Your veneration, while well-placed, will have to wait," the wizard replied. In amongst the rows of scrolls and metallic books, Divayth reminded his companion of a particularly harsh tutor, and Heem-Tei his quivering student. "There are more pressing matters at hand right now. I assume you're familiar with Aem'uvus, yes?"

The engineer's reaction was almost instant. Spines straightened, feathers puffed, and he regarded them with a shocked – and touch suspicious – new air.

"I—what? Aem'uvus? I'm—I'm afraid you're mistaken, Master Fyr. There's no Aem'uvus among the Apostles."

Divayth waved his hand as if in disgust. "Do you think I of all people wouldn't know about the boy? Insinuating that I'd be in the dark about something so banal is almost insulting. But as we're in a hurry, I'll forgive your little transgression, in exchange for whatever information you have about Aem'uvus' classroom."

There was a pause. Heem-Tei's gaze shifted rapidly from the wizard to his companion, over and over until Armialin was uncertain he would ever respond. Hesitation was scrawled in his tensed shoulders and stiff tail, while a silence settled between them that stretched on far longer than necessary.

"Please, Master Fyr, you must understand," he soon pleaded. "Lord Seht gave us very specific orders. Orders that prohibit us from even speaking of Lord Uvus, let alone revealing the location of his private classroom. If I broke my lord's confidence—!" There was a shake-that-was-not-quite-a-shake, and the feathers dusting his head fluttered. "Losing my position as one of Lord Uvus' tutors would be the least of my troubles."

Heem-Tei wrung his hands together as he spoke, as if it would strengthen his appeal in Divayth's eyes. Perhaps the old mage's reputation did not precede him as much as he thought, Armialin mused. Even in the face of clear distress, he remained unmoved, his brow low and eyes narrowed, scanning the engineer's face with the cold calculations of one who had spent their life risking death for knowledge.

"Heem-Tei," said the adventurer, and the sound of his voice drew Heem-Tei's gaze from Divayth. "He's in danger. He tried to send a message – that's how we even know he's in the classroom. He was trying to reach you."

That seemed to spur some reaction from the Argonian. His lipless mouth eased closed, and the arch of his brow slackened, his eyes softening – or, at least, what Armialin surmised as 'softening' – and growing concerned.

"Danger? Im…impossible. Lord Uvus is inside the Cogitum Centralis. The Centralis is impenetrable. If it were compromised, Lord Seht would have to be compromised as well; and that's just ridiculous."

Armialin looked over at Divayth, but the wizard's face revealed little. Uncertain if Heem-Tei would offer them more than incredulous stuttering, the adventurer made to turn back out of the Archivox door, a snort of derision on his lips – but the sudden squeeze of a clawed hand on his forearm stopped him, and he turned once more to see the engineer's eyes fixed squarely on his own.

"Wait," he commanded. It was a strange sound, unfamiliar on Heem-Tei's tongue, and his voice did not muster much conviction. But Armialin did not rebuke him, and he saw a slight relief at that. "What did it say? This message?"

Before he could reply, Divayth cut in. "Enough to know that something isn't right in the Clockwork City. The boy may have information we can use to discover what's at the heart of the trouble. Regardless, I don't imagine leaving him locked up without any protection would inspire much enthusiasm from Sotha Sil, hm?"

Gears appeared to turn in Heem-Tei's head, and soon his fingers eased from Armialin's forearm and he offered them an apprehensive nod. His hands returned to their wringing, this time accompanied with a slight hop from foot to foot, as if his feet were urging him to flee.

"A few cycles ago," he started, "something…unusual happened. I was called in last minute, you see, to cover Aem'uvus' alchemy lesson for a colleague. It went as normal for the most part – he was listening, answering questions, laughing – but then…" a pause, as if the engineer needed to compose himself. "Then, Lord Seht withdrew him early from the lecture, with no real explanation. I haven't heard from either of them since." Heem-Tei's scaled throat bobbed as he gulped, wrenching his stare from his claws to the men in front of him. "There's no logical reason you would know to seek me out; unless what you're saying is true. That thought terrifies me beyond words. But I'll take you to the classroom. To Aem'uvus."

Armialin glanced at Divayth, who, with confirmation in hand, had turned towards the door before the engineer had even finished speaking. The door opened for him, but when he set foot over the threshold and into the false sunlight outside, the wizard cast them a fierce, impatient look over his shoulder.

"Well?" he demanded. "You're coming, yes? I can't be expected to wait all day."

The others hurried after him. As the sound of footsteps on metal faded into the distance, the air of the Archivox was filled with the clack, clack, clack of moving shelves, and the occasional whirr of a gear.


Star Seventeen: (Aem'uvus)

Floors made of brass and copper were cold to lay one's head upon, but Aem'uvus had been so exhausted that he hardly noticed – or cared. In truth, he had not meant to fall asleep at all. A simple rest, and before he realised what had happened his eyes inched open to a far later hour, and Vennu crouched in standby beside him. Blinking sleep-bleared eyes, the boy looked about himself, confused about his surroundings; and then his gaze fell upon the tattered, torn-apart factotum, the wreckage that was once his classroom, and memories of what had transpired flooded his mind.

He hauled himself from the floor as though his bones were heavy and ancient. As he did, Vennu rose to life, shaking dust from its brass flank and clacking its legs against the floor in greeting. Aem'uvus reached down to give its hide an absent-minded scratch.

"Heem-Tei still isn't here?" he questioned. There was a slight exasperation in his voice; a hopeless quiver that verged on a sigh. "What if he didn't hear us? What if we can't open the door? I don't want to go back inside the Cogitum. Father…"

His thoughts drifted close to despair, but Aem'uvus shook his head as if to banish them. A child was so often spurred on by even the smallest of encouragements, and even the faint trill of Vennu's circuits were enough to lift his spirits.

"If Heem-Tei's not coming," he declared as he approached the few shelves still left standing, "then I'll figure a way out myself. I'm going to find out what's wrong with Father, even if I have to do it all alone!"

Ingredients for potions were scattered here and there, and spare scrap enough that he could perhaps build some precious few small devices – but whether or not those would be of any use, he could not say. He wished his enchanting table had not been removed for improvements.

Just as he accepted that he would need to craft a potion or two to aid his escape, a strange noise caught his attention. A clunk, followed by creaks and squeals similar to old gears being coaxed into movement. Aem'uvus turned to the door, dropping the chaurus eggs he clutched so tightly to the floor.

It eased open, and the light was so bright that it blinded him.


Star Eighteen: (Armialin)

Heem-Tei had approached the area with a sort of reverence – not uncommon, Armialin thought, in a sanctuary.

Reliefs of the Tribunal adorned the walls, and small shrines had been erected here and there, but rather than stone these were cast in brass and copper, and offering bowls were filled with tools and scrolls rather than gold and flowers. The smell of incense and oil mingled in the air and the lights were dimmed, while three bronze statues stood vigil within; Almalexia, the Merciful Mother; Vivec, the Warrior-Poet; and Sotha Sil, the Clockwork God.

"This is a strange place to put a secret entrance," Armialin remarked. "High foot-traffic."

"All in the city runs on a schedule," the engineer explained as he approached Vivec's statue. When he looked upon it, Heem-Tei stood for a moment in quiet contemplation, fear tinging his eyes, before he touched the necklace draped around his neck. "This place – it's quiet around this time. No one to realise a locked door, or see what should remain hidden. But we mustn't linger. If what you say is true, Lord Uvus needs to be removed to a safe place before someone can see him."

The adventurer had not known what he expected, but what happened next was not it. Heem-Tei pulled the pendant from his neck, snapping the chain, and held it up to the statue before them. Brass eyes started to glow, and the pendant itself burned with a rune that had not been there before; a rune Armialin did not recognise, despite his time researching them in his travels. Even Divayth seemed intrigued by it, though it was a fleeting look he offered that vanished almost as soon as it appeared.

An incantation, whispered in a dead language, opened the door. Vivec's statue gave a shuddering jolt, and a loud crack echoed through the empty sanctuary, ringing in Armialin's ears. It yawned open, and like children, he, Divayth, and their companion crowded inside the slowly-widening entrance to see what laid behind it.

The mess the classroom was in was unexpected, but that was not what caught Armialin's attention. In amongst the scattered shelves, the broken constructs, the scorched brass and copper, there stood a small child; an elf, his ears pointed and slender, rubbing at his eyes with the sleeves of the emerald green tunic he wore. When his arms fell away from his face, however, the adventurer sucked in a breath through his teeth, and for a moment he could not will his limbs to move.

He was beautiful.

In a childish fashion, yes, but beautiful all the same. Aem'uvus' eyes were wide and golden, his face lean, and his nose was a gentle slope above a mouth shaped like an archer's bow. His skin was the pale gold of the Chimer. When Armialin looked upon him, he felt transported to a time long forgotten, shrouded in myth and legend.

"Heem-Tei?" came his small, uncertain voice. It held a slight echo; a sign of burgeoning power, not yet fully realised. Beside him a beetle fabricant puttered, its legs uneven and its flank scratched in places. "You heard me! I knew it – I knew you'd come! But…" Aem'uvus looked at Divayth and the adventurer each, hesitant, perhaps even slightly afraid. "Who are they?"

The engineer, who had paused in shock to observe the chaos of the classroom, seemed to snap out of his trance when Aem'uvus spoke. Reaching out towards him, Heem-Tei crouched and beckoned him closer; but the boy lingered, holding his hands close to his chest as he watched the unknown pair with a wary eye.

"They are friends, Lord Uvus," he soothed. "But we must leave quickly – before someone sees us."

"There's something wrong with Father," replied Aem'uvus. "He's—he's sick, I think. He feels all wrong. He tried…He tried to…!" his voice hitched, and his eyes grew wet. "There are monsters down there. Please – we need to help Father."

Heem-Tei cast a sideways glance at his companions, but quickly returned his attention to the child. "We will; after we've taken you somewhere safe. Come with us and I promise you, we will help Lord Seht."

Once more there was a pause, a hesitation, as the child looked at his tutor's outstretched hand, and gazed upon the light spilling in from a world he had never seen before. But for all the trepidation in his eyes, Aem'uvus had no other choice. Armialin watched as he looked down at the puttering beetle beside him, then at them. When he approached, he did so slowly and with caution. His lip trembled as he reached out to take Heem-Tei's hand.

"I'll come with you. As long as we come back for Father," he said. The engineer's claws clasped around his shining skin, and Armialin saw a soft squeeze pass between them.

"As touching as this all is," interrupted Divayth, whose voice caused Aem'uvus to start and almost shrink back, "we need to leave. Uvus, put this on, and don't take it off until I tell you to. Quickly, now."

A black hood was thrust into the boy's hands, and as he raised it to the light Armialin saw a mask had been attached to it; rather reminiscent of the Morag Tong, he thought, though the patterns he had seen on Naryu's uniform were not present. Had he time, the adventurer may have questioned its necessity. But a knock at the sanctuary door snapped up their attention, and he found himself hurrying Aem'uvus out into the open and helping to fasten the hood in place, while Heem-Tei rushed to close the entrance.

"One moment!" exclaimed the Argonian to more irritable raps against the door. Perhaps it was the sudden action around him, but when Armialin put his hand on the now-masked Aem'uvus' shoulder, the child did not flinch from him.

There was a long road ahead, he realised, as the sanctuary was sent back into place and Heem-Tei moved to unlock the door. The adventurer only hoped that no more complications arose.