Chapter Fifteen
The next month went by quickly, Dar' shaking herself in Ysgramor's Tomb after slaying her beast spirit. Being a Lycan had not sat well with her. Inigo eyed her. "I think Kodlak would be proud of your choice." He said quietly, watching her turn to him. "I know Inigo-that just never agreed with me. Come on-let's get out of here."
The pair left, heading off to get the books Urag wanted, the female Khajiit feeling cleaner. They reached Fellglow Keep, the two Khajiit nailing the necromancers there from long range before heading inside. When they got to the prison they felt hungry eyes on them. "Vampires," Dar' said, killing the mage nearby before freeing them, stepping back. One moved closer to her, eyeing her. "Why not kill us?" he asked, watching her square her shoulders. "What they have done to you, and what I can smell they did to those in the next room..." she shook her head. "You do not deserve that." She watched the vampire back up, surprised at her words. "We will take our vengeance out on those ahead, then depart." He said, looking at the other two. "You are different...should we meet again, we will remember what you did for us."
"Might I...ask your name?" came the question, watching him eye her. "I am known as Zane." He said after a moment. "This is Lyllith and Zaleria." Zane looked around. "Maybe we'll stay here-just needs to be cleaned of filth. There is another vampire around-Keir. If you find him, let him know we're waiting here."
"I am Dar'Mora," came the reply. "This is Inigo. We will clear this place for you." She blinked as he bared his fangs in a grin. "We'll capture those down here for our own use. You and your companion we name suman-'ally'."
"Allies then." She said, feeling Inigo stare at her as they moved off. "Allies?" he asked. "With vampires?"
"It's like how I perceive dragons," she explained. "Plus, I'm not going to use them like this lot." She found the final vampire being blasted at and took the mages down, hopping over the ledge and opening the cage, the male lunging at her. "Keir wait." She called, watching him stop and glare. "Zane and the others, they're back farther. I'm clearing this place for you to have as your own."
Keir looked down at her, noticing she had holstered her bow. "Zane, Lyllith and Zaleria-they live?" he asked, snarling slightly.
"They are free-Zane named me 'suman'." She looked up, seeing another necromancer coming at them. The vampire lunged, biting into the mage and feeding before directing the fool towards the others. "It is...odd to have someone see us as something other than what we are..." he intoned, watching her smile gently. "I understand this is...difficult for you," she said, keeping her gaze downward. "But I do not believe you deserve what happened to you." She moved off, finding the mage that had taken the books and freeing him before directing him to head out the front, heading up the stairs and dealing with the woman known as The Caller.
"Why are they always bloody Altmer?" the female Khajiit asked, her companion shaking his head. "I don't know Dar', but we should go." He spotted the vampires coming into the main hall as they came from above, watching them nod before leaving the keep. Dar' looked at the sky before heading towards Whiterun, thinking about what she did. They took the carriage up to Winterhold, heading for the College. Urag blinked at them as they entered watching her take the books from her pack and set them carefully on the desk. "Here you are Urag," she said, watching him get up and look at them. "Well, well. And you seem to be in one piece!" he said. "Thank you. I'll look these over, and inform Mirabelle if I find anything relevant." He noticed the name on one of them. "Night of Tears, eh? I remember this one. Well, isn't that interesting. Did you read it yourself? If I recall it correctly, that has some interesting implications. You should mention that to Tolfdir. And...here. I suppose you've earned these."
The Khajiit shook her head. "Keep them Urag," she said, smiling as she headed out, talking to Tolfdir before Ancano burst into their conversation, dragging her up to the Arch-Mage's quarters. She spoke with the Psijic Monk, nodding to him before heading down to speak with the old mage, heading for the Midden. They made it to an area, looking around before heading a voice on the other side of a locked door. "Your perseverance will only lead you to disappointment," it said, falling silent for a few moments before continuing. "Still you persist? Very well, you may enter."
The door swung open, a bright light coming from a well. "Are you...the Auger of Dunlain?" Dar' asked cautiously, her fur standing on end from the energy.
"I am that which you have been seeking." Was the reply. "Your efforts are in vain. It has already begun. But those who have sent you have not told you what they seek. What you seek."
"I was told to find you."
"Indeed. And so you have come looking, though you do not know why. Like others before you, you blindly follow a path to your own destruction. The Thalmor came seeking answers as well, unaware they will be his undoing. Your path now follows his, though you will arrive too late."
"So I'm not the first to come see you?"
"No, though you may be the last. The one who calls himself Ancano has sought my knowledge as well, through very different questions. Your path differs from most. You are being guided, pushed towards something. It is a good path, one untraveled by many. It is a path that can save your College. I will tell you what you need to know to follow it further."
"And what is it I need?"
"You, and those aiding you, wish to know more about the Eye of Magnus. You wish to avoid the disaster of which you are not yet aware. To see through Magnus' Eye without being blinded, you require his staff. Events now spiral quickly towards the inevitable center, so you must act with haste. Take this knowledge to your Arch-Mage."
"Thank you Auger," the female Khajiit said politely, bowing a little before leaving.
"That was...unexpected," Inigo said as they headed back the way they came.
"No kidding-something about energy that was being given off...my fur was on end."
They reached the Arch-Mage's Quarters, heading up and speaking with Savos Aren, getting sent to talk to Mirabelle. When they found her and brought it up, she stared at them strangely. "The only time I've heard it mentioned was when those Synod characters showed up some months ago looking for it."
"Who are they?"
"Mages based out of Cyrodiil. They fancy themselves the Imperial Authority on magic these last few hundred years. My understanding is that all they really do is make noise in an attempt to curry favor from the Emperor. Lots of politics, little magic. I was quite surprised to find them on our doorstep. They seemed amiable enough, but their line of questioning made me...uneasy. It became clear they're trying to hoard powerful artifacts, looking to consolidate power."
"So no one knows where the staff is?"
"No one here does. The Synod seemed convinced it was somewhere in Skyrim. They inquired about the ruins of Mzulft, but that's all I remember. It sounded like they were heading there, though they were rather secretive about why. I suppose if you're intent on looking for the staff, there's a chance they might be in Mzulft yet. Just don't expect them to be cooperative."
"I'm good at dealing with people like that." The female Khajiit grinned, thanking her before heading off. "More dungeon delving...seems like we've been doing that a lot lately."
"Just means we're getting good," the blue-furred male replied, smiling at her.
They headed down the road, managing to get to Windhelm before heading into her home there for the night.
-*Timeskip*-
They headed out the next morning, reaching Mzulft and heading inside, a man looking up at her weakly. "Crystal... gone," he managed to say, gesturing weakly to the key and journal next to him. "Find...Paratus...in Oculory..."
Dar' watched him pass, taking the two items and reading the journal, shaking her head. "Looks like these Synod went in unprepared," she said, unlocking the door and heading through, sniffing before baring her fangs. "Falmer...great..."
They battled through, finding a strange crystal and a key before going through a door, another one stopping them. She knocked, a male voice answering her. "G-Gavros?" the male behind the door asked. "Is that you? I'd almost given up hope-let me get the door."
The doors opened, a dark-skinned Imperial glaring at them. "What are you doing here?" he snarled. "What have you done with Gavros?"
"Your friend is dead Paratus." The female Khajiit explained.
"It was the Falmer, wasn't it? Curse them-they've ruined everything! If Gavros is gone, there's no hope. He was supposed to return with the crystal...without it, all our efforts are wasted."
Dar' took out the crystal she found. "Is this what you need?"
The man stared, his eyes turning hard when he found out she was from the College before leading the way. She focused the crystal, solving the puzzle as Paratus came over. "Years of work, finally going to pay off..." he stared at the projection. "This can't be right...it should be lit up like the night sky. Something is creating an incredible amount of interference-something in Winterhold it looks like."
He turned to her. "What did you do?!" he screamed, Inigo tensing slightly as his companion asked a few questions, getting the location she needed before calling the man insane. "Am I? Am I?!" came the shriek as she turned away, hearing him draw go to cast a spell before there was a gurgle. Dar' turned back, the other Khajiit pulling out his blade. "Magic abuser!" he spat, wiping his weapon on the mage's robe. "We should go," he said, watching her nod as they headed back to Winterhold after grabbing the carriage at Windhelm. "Thank you Inigo," she said quietly. "That man was unstable..."
Inigo nodded. "Always Dar'." he replied with a smile, leaning back and relaxing for a time.
(A.N.: I need to get some more chapters typed up before I post again-so it may be a bit. The word suman is going to be Vampiric for 'ally'-wanted to do something a little more formal for that scene)