Forging the Past part 4
Serana woke up. Her eyes felt like they were glued shut and she quickly felt the soft bed and covers around her. It still seemed to be dark outside, and she had half a mind of turning around and sleep some more. She stretched and yawned, and she felt how her skin glided over the soft matrass. She regretted it immediately for it woke her up and she stared at the arced sealing.
Today would be their last day at the College before they would return to Falkreath. Part of her looked forward to it. The prospect of being in a comfortable wooden house again, with nice food, a nice smell, a large bath and a far less chilling view made her long for Lakeview Manor. On the other hand she had started to like the College, and had become friends with Brelyna, who proved to be pleasant company. What was more, is that Serana had persuaded her to give up the spell she had used on Tarrion while the potential victim was tending to important College affairs. She smiled when she thought about it, and about how Tarrion would react if he found out. She wasn't sure if he would like it, but there had yet to be anything he could refuse her, and she doubted this would be the first.
When she thought of him she turned her head, and saw how he was still fast asleep. He moved slightly, like he was dreaming and she wondered what things he would dream about, and what the nature of those dreams were. Were they filled with dangerous beasts and dragons he was fighting? Or were they a land of dreams were only the two of them were. Were they of a hostile nature, filled with battles worthy of songs, like most Nords would probably dream? Or were they of a more erotic nature, where it would only be him, her and a sturdy and comfortable bed? Or perhaps even no bed at all.
She smiled when she saw how he moved and he even mumbled a bit in his sleep, but they were only mumbles and she couldn't make out what he said. But after a few more, impossible to understand mumbles, she kept hearing the same. And unless she was mistaken, he was saying a name…. and it wasn't hers.
"…aria…" she first heard vaguely, but then clearer. "ka…. Katria…."
It was now unmistakable. He was saying a name. 'Katria'. She had never heard that name before, and she started to wonder why that was, and more importantly, why Tarrion was dreaming about her. The feeling of euphoria disappeared and she looked at him. Who is Katria?
A part of her warned her. This… Katria…. Whoever it may be, was apparently someone that meant something to Tarrion. And for her to appear in his dreams…. That must mean she still means a lot to him. Her female instincts kicked in and she immediately felt jealousy toward this woman.
A different part of her told her not to worry. Whoever this Katria may be, she knew that there was no other woman Tarrion would want to be with, but her. She knew she was his one and only, and if he had never mentioned a 'Katria', that could also mean he had already forgotten about her. No…. Tarrion would never hide something like this from her. Serana knew this, and she knew that she meant everything to him….
And yet…
Slowly Tarrion opened his eyes. He blinked a few times before he could see, and he quickly noticed how Serana sat up straight and looked at him.
"Good morning." he slowly said and he stroked her arm with his finger.
"Hmmm… that remains to be seen." Serana responded, and she looked with a half-serious, half-amused suspicion at him.
"What do you mean?"
"Well…." and she proceeded to sit on his lap and squinted her eyes. "It depends on whether or not you will answer my question truthfully."
She had her fingernail placed on the centre of his chest, half seductively and half intimidating.
"Oh?" Tarrion responded and he gave her a sly smirk. "And what if I don't?"
"I will turn you into a whole array of barn-animals."
Serana's sultry voice was still half serious and half amused, and she knew it was more of a playful threat, rather than a real one.
"Wait… How do you even….." Tarrion said, and then he looked to the entrance to his quarters. "Brelyna…. She taught you the spell?"
"Don't change the subject, Tarrion." Serana said quickly and she pressed her finger harder on his chest. "I will be the one asking the questions."
"Very well." Tarrion said and he saw that he did something wrong, although he did not know what it was.
"You see…" Serana started. "I woke up before you… and it was clear you were having a dream. You were moving and mumbling things."
"I was talking in my sleep?"
"No…" Serana said, and she moved her finger down to his abdomen. "No questions from you… only answers. So when you were mumbling…. You were saying a name…"
She saw how Tarrion widened his eyes a bit, and then he understandingly nodded.
"And… it wasn't your name." he finished her sentence.
"Mhm…" Serana nodded. "So I have only one question for you." and she moved her finger even lower until it was placed right above his manhood.
"Who is Katria?"
Tarrion gave her a confused look.
"Katria?" and he seemed to ask himself the same question. "I was dreaming about her?"
"Apparently…." Serana said and she moved her finger in circles on Tarrion's loins. "So you can understand why I want to know. You were in bed with me, and then you dream of another woman? Tsk, tsk. Bad idea, Tarrion. So I naturally want to know about her. Who is she?... where I can find her?….who do I need to kill?….. should I be worried?….. you know? Just routine questions."
"I see." Tarrion smiled, and he saw how she also relaxed. "Well… you don't need to worry though… she is dead."
Serana's smirk disappeared. "Oh…. I… I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"That's alright." Tarrion calmed her. "She was already dead when I met her."
"What do you mean by that? Wait….. was she a Vampire too?" and Serana felt her smirk reappear. "Do you have a thing for Vampires by any change? A secret desire for us? A wanton lust after the seductiveness of someone like me?"
And while she teased him she leaned over him, until her face was only a few inches away from his. Her hair almost reached the tip of his nose and she gave him an almost lustful smirk, and she bit her lip.
"No…. just you." Tarrion smiled at her. "As for Katria… she had already died before I met her….. I met her ghost."
"Her ghost?"
Serana sat up straight again and looked puzzled. "I read that sometimes someone's ghost can stay behind on this world… but then there has to be something keeping them here. A spell or curse or some such. "
"That's right." Tarrion nodded. "In her case it was her life's work. She died before completing it… and she was not able to rest until she did."
"What was her life's work then?"
"Do you want to know the whole story?"
She thought about it for a moment, and then nodded.
"Yes… I want to know why she was apparently so special that you dreamt about her…. I want to know why she is special."
Tarrion chuckled and sighed deeply. That adventure now came back to him, and how much he had enjoyed it. Serana climbed off him and leaned against the headboard, and Tarrion sat up straight. He took a few breaths before he started to tell her about what was one of his greatest adventures.
Where do I even start? I guess I can start right after I had become the thane of the Reach a few years ago. I helped the people there and eventually I was made thane. I was given a house, a housecarl and of course the title and its privileges. After a few days in Markarth, resting, I was reading a book called 'The Aetherium Wars'. It seemed to be about a strange mineral called Aetherium and how the Dwemer of Skyrim were vanquished because of it. After reading it thoroughly, I saw that the book mentioned the Dwemer ruins of Arkngthamz several times, and how that used to be a place of study and research for the Dwemer. And so, you know me, I set out to take a closer look. I read it was located in the mountains in the southeast of the Reach, and after asking at one of the nearby Orc strongholds, I found the place.
After what seemed like ages, Tarrion finally found the first lead. A stone that was cut with extreme precision, the way only the Dwemer were able to cut it.
"Hmm… it seems to have been crumbled of a building." he said to himself. "I'm getting closer."
A massive rumble made the earth quake and tremble. In the distance above him he could see how the earthquake caused a small avalanche and huge amounts of snow had started moving. He remembered what the Orc had told him and he followed the ravine further eastward and toward the ever growing mountains. When he looked at the floor as he walked, he saw more carved stones and ruined stonework. He was getting closer for sure. After a small while he stepped out into an open area and felt how his jaw dropped.
A large open area had appeared before him. At the other end he saw a massive staircase leading up to a large building with a dome made of gold-like metal. On both sides of the main building he saw towers reach high into the skies, each of them with domes made from the same gold-like metal. Another large amount of towers were made even higher upon the mountain side, but most of them were ruined and seemed to have crumbled many years ago. The enormous set of stairs that lead to the main building were gilded with metal and seemed mostly intact.
Another large rumble caused the ground to tremble again, and with a deafening roar, one of the lower towers collapsed. Massive stones and debris fell down on the lower buildings and rocks, and splintered into pieces. Tarrion quickly shouted.
FEIM
Most of the pieces came to a standstill several meters away from him, but some now flew right through him. The huge metal dome slammed and warped on the rocks and the sound of metal on rock echoed through the area and the chasm behind Tarrion.
When everything had calmed down again, and the dust started to settle, Tarrion carefully walked toward the main staircase. It had been intact a few minutes ago, but now large parts of it lay broken and cracked. He kicked a few rocks away and climbed to the top of the stairs where he found two of the biggest doors he had ever seen.
At least six meters high and three metres wide, made from solid Dwarven Metal, these doors seemed impenetrable. Tarrion almost felt how they stood there taunting at him, as if they were made to tell any visitor to turn back, for they would never open.
Tarrion saw no handle, and by all indications, these doors indeed could not be opened from the outside. But Tarrion had a few tricks up his sleeve. He was exceptionally strong, and he grabbed the doors and pushed as hard as he could. The doors gave in only a little. He pulled with all his might. The doors stayed silent.
"Fine…. Have it your way." he panted and he took a few steps back.
FUS RO DAH
The shout had such power that the doors gave in and broke from their hinges. They slammed into the hall behind them and a deafening echo went through the entire area.
With a smirk Tarrion walked in the old ruins and saw how the hallway went down a little. Just like every Dwarven ruin he has ever been in, this one was also filled with broken rocks, dimly lit hallways, strange inscriptions on the walls and doors and an abandoned look.
Suddenly Tarrion felt a cold chill crawling down his spine, and in a reflex he drew his sword. A cold voice came from the hallway before him.
"Turn back."
The voice was haunting, yet it didn't really sounded like a threat… only a warning. Tarrion had stopped moving as soon as the voice sounded, but now he started to walk forward again, but with his sword at the ready.
Again the voice echoed through the abandoned and empty hallways, but this time, it sounded almost desperate.
"Please turn back…. Before it is too late."
This time Tarrion did not stop, but only steeled himself. The voice sounded human to him, and yet not. It had unsettled him at first, yet now it felt different.
After a few turns and a staircase downward, Tarrion entered another massive area.
From where Tarrion stood, he could hardly see the other end, and rows of columns stood strong and held up a massive, yet broken ceiling. The stones that made up the ground were broken, and in the middle of the area there was a massive chasm. An abyss with a strong flowing river at the bottom. A few slight rumbles were heard, but nothing crumbled and nothing fell from the ceiling.
Yet.
Behind him Tarrion heard a deep sigh, and he quickly turned around, but he lowered his sword when he saw what, or rather 'who', was behind him.
At first he only saw a pale, blue mist. But after a few seconds it started to take form, and from the mist a woman stepped forth. It was difficult to tell how old she was, but Tarrion had a feeling she was in her early forties. He could tell that she was wearing a standard set of steel armour, yet without a helmet and she wielded a bow on her back. Her hair was not very long and it seemed she had a strong physique.
Tarrion saw that she was a ghost, and she illuminated the area around her with a blueish glow. Her entire body was almost transparent, yet he could see how her eyes looked at him. She frowned and sighed at him.
"What are you still doing here?" she asked him. "Oh, let me guess… you're here for the treasure, aren't you? Just like the others."
For a few moments Tarrion stood there looking at her, unable to speak. The last time he had met a ghost, he had to fight for his life because those ghosts kept attacking while yelling apologies and claiming they were forced to do it.
"What?" she asked him. "Are you just going to stand there staring?"
"Sorry…" Tarrion said. "It's not like I see a ghost every single day."
"I guess I can't blame you…."
Tarrion looked at her. "Who are you?"
"The name's Katria. I am…. 'was'… an adventurer, just like you it seems. I raided ruins like these for nigh on twenty years."
"Katria?" Tarrion asked. "Wait…. Weren't you that colleague to Taron Dreth… the one with that Aetherium theory?"
As soon as she heard that name, Katria's face changed so fast it was scary.
"His 'colleague'?" and she spat on the ground. "I was not his colleague… he was my apprentice! And he stole my life's work! All of it…. Years of hard work and dangerous research lost! Stolen by my own damn apprentice."
"You were? But in his book it says…"
"I KNOW WHAT THE DAMN BOOK SAYS!" Katria shouted. "But it was my theory! I did all the research, and then he steals all of it. Later I find out he wrote a book about it and I get a stupid dedication? A footnote? That little worm! He writes it like I am his 'friend'…. friend my ass! He is just mocking me."
She sighed and her face was still radiating anger. "At first I tried to find him and wring his arrogant little neck… but I knew I had no proof. I knew I needed to find the actual Forge to prove that it was my theory. Mine, not his! And that is how I ended up here. I finally found this city and I knew I was on the right path…. But I failed. And now my anger towards Taron and my will to prove that I did it all keeps me here."
She looked at Tarrion and her anger faded a bit. "So, please turn back. I died trying to reach the summit of this place, and it has claimed the lives of dozens of others. Turn back, or you will be the next victim.
Tarrion gave her a small smile. "I'd like to think I can take care of myself."
"So did I." Katria responded and she sighed. "I'm not going to talk you out of it am I? Well, if you want to reach the summit… you might need my help. You… want a hand?"
"If this place is as dangerous as you say, I think I am going to need all the help I can get."
"Alright then… lead on."
They proceeded through the massive hall, and Katria lead him to a massive, broken pipe that once served as some form of plumbing. It now lay broken and warped, with one end leaning on the edge of the chasm, and one end on a large stone pillar that stuck in the river below. On the pillar, Tarrion saw a body.
"Yes…. That's me." Katria answered his thoughts. "This is where I died… it was quite the fall."
The two balanced their way over the pipe to the pillar, and to Katria's body. Tarrion saw that she was indeed wearing steel armour, with plated gauntlets and boots. Her hair was long and brown, and her eyes were closed. Her leg was twisted and broken, and around her the pillar was blackened by her dried up blood.
"It feels like ages ago now… yet it wasn't that long ago."
"How long ago was it then?" Tarrion asked, but she shook her head.
"I don't know…. I keep losing track of time, but judging by the fact that my body hasn't decayed yet… I know it was more recently than it feels."
Tarrion took a last look at her body and then wanted to walk forward, to the next pipe that lead down to an underground corridor.
"Wait!" Katria said. "My journal… I wrote down my research in it.. we're going to need it. Could you… grab it for me?"
As Tarrion walked back, he saw no satchel. "Where did you put it?"
"I, ehh…. I don't remember exactly." she answered, and she immediately stepped between him and herself. "Don't search everywhere, alright! I didn't shove it between my breasts or legs so don't search there. Treat me with a little dignity."
Tarrion laughed before he could stop himself. "What do you take me for? Fondling a dead woman's body isn't exactly my hobby."
Serana started laughing. "And now look at you! You say it's not your hobby, but a few years later… here you are in bed with a Vampire."
Tarrion felt himself blushing. "Hey… you are not dead… just a bit…. Eh."
"I'm a bit what?"
"Moving on!"
Tarrion found a small tattered journal underneath Katria's body. It was tattered and smudged, but still legible.
They continued through the remains of the Dwemer ruins. They found several doors that only opened after striking a strange piece of machinery. Katria explained that the Dwarves called them 'Kinetic Resonators'.
"Just hit them and they'll…. Do whatever it is they're supposed to do."
It wasn't before too long that they also encountered the current residents of the ruins. Falmer. The blind creatures roamed the corridors and halls, yet not in great numbers. Only small groups of four or five, and Tarrion made quick work of them. Katria could not help with the fighting, but she was able to distract them by appearing somewhere else and drawing their attention.
"Hey… I'm a ghost. I'm not exactly corporeal enough to touch anything."
"Really?" Tarrion asked. "Strange… the last time I met ghosts they attacked me, and they were very corporeal."
Katria nodded. "A curse does that. I am not affected by any curse… only the curse of my own obsession."
Distracting the Falmer, and leading Tarrion further through the dungeon, Katria started explaining what happened to her, and about the city through which they now walked.
"Impressive isn't it. This place. Best preserved Dwarven city I had ever seen… until the earthquake hit. It reduced this strong city to the ruin it is today, and now you'll be lucky to find even a single room intact."
"So you know this place well?" Tarrion asked. "I mean… you must have explored this place."
"I have." Katria answered with a sigh. "Being dead gives you a lot of time and little risk. So yea… I looked around so much I can walk here with my eyes closed. I know enough of the dangers here, like massive earthquakes, deep chasms, unstable grounds, deadly rapids, lethal falls…. And then I'm not even talking about the real danger, but we'll discuss that when the time comes…. If it comes."
After climbing away from the ruined corridors and hallways, they found themselves above the lower levels and even here, there was little that was still intact. The rocky pathways were littered with loose stones and everywhere they looked the walls seemed like they were about to crumble. They even arrived at a massive hole in the ground with the remains of a few trees standing around it, and one hung over the edge.
"HEY! There is my bow! Out there on the log!"
Tarrion saw Katria pointing at the remains of the tree that now reached over the massive hole in the ground and the massive drop below. He indeed saw something glimmer and after he got a bit closer he indeed saw a bow made from Dwarven Metal.
"I had always wondered what happened to it. I mean… I have it on my back here, but it wasn't anywhere near my body."
Tarrion saw how the log looked unstable, but he also knew he would be able to use a Shout in case he fell.
"Wait… what are you doing?"
Katria gasped for breath when she saw Tarrion climb on the fallen tree and slowly make his way to her bow.
"Be careful…. Don't die on my account."
With a quick and agile hand, Tarrion managed to free Katria's bow from the branches and safely made it back to solid ground… or as solid as it could be in this place.
"Take good care of it for me." Tarrion heard Katria say, and for the first time, her voice sounded grateful. He saw how she smiled at him, and he nodded back, before wrapping the bow around his chest.
After a few more caverns the two arrived at an area that was even larger than the main hall where Tarrion had met Katria. The ceiling had a huge crack and through it the light of the sun illuminated the entire hall. Tarrion saw plants and even a few trees grow, but amongst the foliage, he also saw man skeletons and half decayed bodies. Some of them were impaled by massive ballista bolts, and at the end of the area, there stood a massive construction made out of stone and metal. Dwarven runes covered the with steel reinforced gates, and ballista after ballista was aimed at the exact place where Tarrion now stood. In the middle of the construction he saw five more of those 'kinetic resonators' he had seen earlier, three next to each other and two more above them.
"Stop." Katria said and she appeared right in front of him. "I mentioned that there was another danger in this place, remember? Well… here it is. Do you know what this is? It is a lock. A Tonal Lock."
"A what?"
"See it as a vault. An incredibly well protected one at that. See those resonators up there. You have to activate them in the right order. Get it wrong and…. Well, you'll end up like me."
Tarrion looked at the massive construction. It stood there intimidating and his eyes widened.
"You mean the earthquake? You're telling me this thing can cause an earthquake?"
"Yes, and that is just one trap. Look around… who knows what else this thing is capable of. We just need to stay calm and try to figure out the correct order. I already made start. In my journal I wrote down a few things…. As for the rest, well, maybe one of our predecessors has a clue."
Tarrion was not happy about this at all. He was able to take down dragons, and all manner of enemies… but a machine that can cause an earthquake at the slightest mistake?
Thank the gods, the clues he found in Katria's journal, plus a few clues from the dead that lay around him, made him confident he was able to uncover the right order. He tried it, and every time he hit the correct resonator, he felt his heart skip a beat, and Katria seemed more exited. The bottom left one…. The bottom right one…. The upper left one…. The upper right one…. And finally the bottom central one.
After every hit the ground shook and a sound like a gong echoed through the ruins, and after he hit the final resonator, a valve opened… steam was released, a rumble echoed through the hall and the three layered doors opened.
"…you did it…" Katria said and her eyes widened in disbelief. "You did it! Come on! Let's find out what is behind those gates."
Tarrion ran after her, and he could see her excitement and he felt the same. He forgot about the possibility of even more danger and followed Katria through the gates and down a small corridor into a small room. There he saw no chests, or weaponry. Only a small table with a small pedestal on it. On the pedestal he saw something shine, but as he walked closer he could not tell what it was.
It seemed to be made from glass, yet it did not look like glass. It was no metal, and it was blue and almost transparent. It had the shape of a crescent, with a part of a crest or emblem in the middle. Tarrion had never seen anything like it, but it almost seemed to glow.
"What is this?" he asked himself, more to himself than to Katria.
"Let me see that." Katria said and she tried to grab it from his hands, but her hands went right through it. "Dammit… I almost forgot."
Tarrion held it up so Katria could take a good look at it. Her bright, luminescent eyes stared at the object in front of her.
"So… it is real…"
"What is?" Tarrion asked. "What is this?"
"Look here," she answered and she pointed at the edge of the central crest. "This here has been cut… precisely cut. If you would have another piece, about the same size it… it would snap right in! I remember a drawing of this… it is part of a key! A key made out of pure Aetherium."
Katria let out a long sigh, like she could hardly believe it. "The key to the Forge."
"And this is a part of it?"
"Yes… there were four cities that worked on the Forge. Arkngthamz, this place, was in charge of the research and study of Aetherium. Then there was a smaller site… what was it?... Bthar-Zel? Yes. And two other places, but I had a lead on all three of them. My journal has the locations I thought had anything to do with the Forge."
Despite that she was a ghost, Katria was beyond exited and she spoke rapid. Tarrion could even see the excitement in her transparent eyes, and she had started pacing around the small room.
"I drew a map in my journal… with the locations… that is where we should start." and suddenly she started laughing. "For the first time in a long while, I think I might….. sorry.. 'we' might actually be able to do this."
She stopped walking and looked at Tarrion and her face radiated hope. "Thank you… Thank you for helping me with this."
Tarrion smiled back. "My pleasure… I am an adventurer for a reason, so I am glad to help. But what is next?"
"Hmmm… we should first go to Bthar-Zel. I am fairly sure that is one of the places that also worked on the Forge, and it is also the closest. It lies just a bit north of Bthardamz."
"Alright then…. Shall we go?"
Katria nodded. "I'll meet you there. I can't really travel in the open…. I'll see you there."
Tarrion nodded to her and she disappeared with a smile, leaving Tarrion alone in the dungeon.
=End of Chapter=
=Author's Notes=
And there is the first part of the quest 'Lost to the Ages'. Personally it is one of my favourite quests. I hope you liked reading it, and I'll do my best to wrap up this arc ASAP.
Also; i know Katria can fight in the game since she is still corporeal, but i thought it would be fun to give it a small twist. Normal ghosts are not corporeal, cursed ones are. Katria is not under the effect of any curse, so she cannot touch or be touched.
Dragon Language Used:
Feim: Fade (Become Ethereal Shout)
Fus Ro Dah: Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)