Chapter Sixteen
The pair reached Winterhold, heading up to the college and going inside, only to find Mirabelle and Savos Aren standing in front of a barrier. "What's going on?" Dar' asked, the Arch-Mage looking at her. "You've returned."
"I have the location of the staff." She explained.
"Excellent-I'd suggest that we go retrieve it immediately, but right now we have more pressing matters. Ancano has somehow locked himself in the hall-he's up to something and I intend to put a stop to it."
"When are the Thalmor ever NOT power-hungry Arch-Mage?" she intoned. "What do you need me to do?"
"Help us get through this, will you?" he asked, his lips quirking slightly at what she had said as she nodded, the three of them blasting the barrier and taking it down before running in. "What's going on?!" Mirabelle asked, staring at Ancano firing magic into the orb.
"Ancano!" Savos yelled. "Stop this at once! I command you!"
He began to move forward. "Don't go near him!" The other mage yelled as there was an explosion, the two Khajiit going flying. "Dar'..." she heard through what sounded like a fog, shaking her head. "Are you all right?" Mirabelle asked, watching her look up. "Can you walk? I need you on your feet-we're in trouble here."
"I think...I am well-my ears have stopped ringing." Came the reply as Inigo helped his friend up. "Ancano is doing something with that thing...the Eye. We can't stop him!" the mage said. "I haven't seen Savos since the explosion-he must have been blown clear and he may be injured. I need you to find the Arch-Mage and I need you to do it quickly. Get moving!"
The Khajiit nodded, heading outside and finding the Arch-Mage dead in the snow, Tolfdir running over. "Are you all right?" he asked. "What happened in there?"
"It's Ancano." She said. "He's done something with the Eye!"
"By the Nine..." he breathed. "Is he responsible for this? The Arch-Mage dead?" he shook his head. "There's more-something's happened to Winterhold. It must be whatever Ancano did. You need to get out there and make sure it's safe. Quickly now, quickly! I'll find Mirabelle and see if we can't put a stop to this!"
Dar' nodded, heading off and meeting up with Faralda and Arniel Gane. The second mage grumbling as they headed off. "Do we have to?" he griped. "They'd never lift a finger to help us."
The other mage glared at him as they headed off, taking out the strange wisp-like creatures before returning, Mirabelle looking at her. "Well? Is everything out there all right?" she asked.
"Winterhold is safe." The Khajiit replied.
"Wish I could say the same for us. Tolfdir and I can try and keep this contained. You need to get your hands on the Staff of Magnus-now."
"I'll head for Labyrinthian then."
"What?" the mage gasped. "Are you...are you sure? The staff is there? That can't be a coincidence."
"What are you talking about Mirabelle?" Dar' asked in confusion.
"The Arch-Mage. He...he gave me something just a little while ago. He told me it was from Labyrinthian-and that I would know what to do with it when the time came. I think...I think he meant this for you then. I'm not sure why, but there was something very personal about it for him." She handed over a nearly perfect circle of braided metal along with an amulet. "Also, I think you should take that-it belonged to Savos, but I think it would do you the most good now. You need to get out of here-bring back that staff before Ancano brings the whole College down around us."
The female Khajiit fastened the amulet around her neck, letting it rest against her other pendant. "Keep everyone safe Mirabelle." She said, touching her shoulder. "I'll be back as soon as I can-I promise."
The other woman nodded as the pair left, Inigo growling slightly. "Thalmor always screw things up." He muttered, his companion nodding. "And they wonder why people have issues with them. Come on, let's get to Morthal-it's the closest place to it."
-*Timeskip*-
They reached Morthal, heading up towards Labyrinthian and stopping as they saw something outside the door, several ghosts appearing in front of them and one looked like a much younger Savos. "What in the twin moons?" Dar' breathed, listening to them.
"Come on, we're finally here!" Savos was saying. "Let's not waste any more time!"
"Are we truly sure this is a good idea?" The Argonian female asked that was with them.
"We'll be back at the College before anyone even knows were gone." The Redguard woman replied.
"You would care about that-since you're the Arch-Mage's favorite!" the Bosmer male snapped.
"Don't forget, this whole idea was Atmah's to begin with." Savos said finally.
"Let's just get inside, see what's in there." The Nord male intoned.
The spirits faded, Dar' staring at her companion. "I think that was a memory of some kind." She said, taking the braided metal and inserting it into the door before opening it and going inside. They moved on, listening to the conversation before coming upon a skeletal dragon, taking it down along with several skeletons. "I think the one was a mage." Inigo said as they went through a door, his companion staggering as they heard something. "Wo meyz wah dii vul junaar?" A voice growled, the female Khajiit panting. "It...was like that drained me." She said, blasting open a door and taking out the draugr behind it before moving on. As they entered a chasm, it happened again. "Nivahriin muz fent siiv nid aaz het."
"What is it saying?" The blue-furred feline asked as they took out the undead in the area. "The first was 'who enters my dark kingdom' and the second was 'cowardly men shall find no mercy here' I believe." Was the reply.
"We are not 'men'-we are Khajiit."
Dar' grinned, moving to the next part of the place and ignoring the voice, coming across a word wall and killing the draugr nearby before copying it down in her book. They kept going, finding what looked like a Dragon Priest surrounded by a spell, noticing two spirits powering it. She took them out, the creature attacking them before being killed, Dar' grabbing the staff and his mask before healing them both. As they headed behind the area, they saw Savos appear. "...I'm sorry friends. I'm so sorry!" he said. "I had no choice! It was the only way to make sure that monster never escaped! I promise you-I'll never let this happen again! I'll seal this whole place away!"
"That must have haunted him all these years..." Inigo said as they unbarred a door, a Thalmor coming from the one ahead. "So, you made it out of there alive." He said. "Ancano was right, you are dangerous."
"Keep pushing me Thalmor scum and you'll see how dangerous I am!" The female Khajiit snapped, palming her Dragonbone dagger.
"You fool-you don't stand a..." the Thalmor's rant was cut off as she threw the blade, nailing him in the throat before the other feline cut him down, retrieving the dagger for her and wiping it on the robes the now dead body was wearing before handing it to her. "Nicely done," he intoned, watching her put it away.
Dar' wiped her forehead. "I really, really hate Thalmor." She grumbled, climbing the ladder out. They climbed down and headed for Solitude and the nearest carriage.
-Timeskip-
During the trip, Dar' thought about what they had seen and heard from the spirits. "To live so long with such guilt..." she said. "It boggles the mind."
They reached Winterhold, getting out and seeing the College surrounded by a barrier, running for the bridge and taking out a couple anomalies as they reached Tolfdir, the old mage turning to them. "You survived!" he said. "You have it then? Let's hope it's as powerful as the Psijics believe it to be."
"Why are we out here?" The female Khajiit asked. "Can we not enter the College?"
"See for yourself." Came the reply. "Ancano's power is growing. We can't crack whatever magic he's using to shield himself. I hope your trip to Labyrinthian was worth it."
Inigo looked at the group. "Where might we find Mirabelle?" he asked, Tolfdir looking down for a moment. "She...she didn't make it," he explained. "When it was clear we were going to have to fall back, she stayed behind and made sure the rest of us were all right."
Dar' took out the staff, firing a beam at the shield and watching it melt away. "Come," she said. "Our fates await us inside."
She led the way across the bridge and into the Hall of the Elements, Ancano spotting them. "You've come for me, have you?" he sneered. "You think I don't know what you're up to? You think I can't destroy you? The power to unmake the world at my fingertips, and you think you can do anything about it?"
"Typical Thalmor rant." Inigo muttered as the old mage threw a firebolt at the Altmer. "Spells have no effect!" he called, Ancano laughing. "I am beyond your pathetic attempts at magic. You cannot touch me!"
"The staff!" Tolfdir yelled. "Use it on the eye!"
"Enough!" The Thalmor said as Dar' fired the staff at the eye. "Still you persist? Very well-come and see what I can do!"
The eye began to open as there was a small explosion, Ancano going to blast the female Khajiit only to be blocked by Inigo's shield, the blue-furred feline ramming him into the wall before cutting him down and spitting on his robe. Dar' hurried over to Tolfdir, helping him up. "Are you all right?" she asked him. "What must we do now?"
"I have no idea," came the reply. "Whatever Ancano did to the Eye doesn't seem to have stopped."
The air began to shimmer behind him, three figures appearing and the Khajiit recognized Quaranir. "We knew you would succeed." He said. "Your victory here justifies our belief in you. You have proven yourself more than worthy to guide the College of Winterhold."
The Khajiit blinked at his words. "What made you certain I would defeat Ancano?" she asked, confused.
"A great many things obscured to you are quite clear to us." Was the reply. "We have long believed you would prevail. The Eye has grown unstable. It cannot remain here, or else it may destroy your College-and this world. It must be secured-Ancano's actions prove the world is not ready for such a thing."
"What do you expect from the Thalmor, Quaranir?" she intoned. "Every single one I've ever met was nothing but power-hungry. It is good to see there are Altmer that understand the value of restraint."
He chuckled at her words, the other two Monks smirking as he spoke. "Indeed," he said. "We shall safeguard this for now. You now have the opportunity to maintain your College, and carry on with your lives-you have our gratitude, Arch-Mage."
"Will I see you again?"
"It is likely-you have a long life ahead of you Dar'Mora-take care."
The three Monks surrounded the Eye, disappearing with it as Tolfdir cam over. "You've done it!" he said. "The College is safe again, thanks to your work. I knew you had it in you-I daresay the Psijics are right-there's no one more deserving of being Arch-Mage, in my opinion." He handed her a key. "The Arch-Mage's quarters are yours-your robes are up there. I shall be here for advice should you need me."
"Tolfdir," Dar' began. "As I travel often, could you handle the day-to-day operations like Mirabelle did for Savos?" she watched him smile and nod at her before she went upstairs, finding the robes and slipping them on as well as the gloves and boots, Inigo staring at her in wonder. "You'll make a good Arch-Mage Dar'," he said, "And if anyone here crosses you, you could always turn them into a troll's bottom-you do know the spell for that, don't you?"
She laughed, smiling at him before sitting down. "Take a rest Inigo-I should write my parents."
Turdas, 6 Sun's Dusk, 4E 201
Dear Mother and Father,
Greetings from Winterhold! I write you from the College there, where I have just become the Arch-Mage. I apologize for not writing sooner-only just managed about a month ago to fulfill my destiny and take out Alduin the World-Eater plus a few other things. There's always people to help and I enjoy doing so-that will never change. As for me being Arch-Mage, I honestly have Inigo to thank for that-had he not pushed me into developing my magic, I would not be here. I'm not feeling as drained after casting spells and have become quite adept at healing him and myself after battles. The former Arch-Mage, Savos Aren, was a Dunmer and a good man-he will be missed. I'll probably stay here for a while-I have a feeling the Jarl of Winterhold will want to speak to me-hopefully my status as Dragonborn will lend the College some credibility. I have some scrolls in front of that I should probably look through, plus I should probably go see how old Urag is doing-he's the College librarian and a cantankerous old Orc, but he's good at what he does-protective of the books there. I will close now, and know I pray you are well.
Raj ahziss shal
Your Clever Shadow
(A.N.: Sorry about not posting for a while-my muse was not cooperating and I was really run-down-also had a bit of, well, not exactly like writer's block, but I just couldn't get myself to want to work on the chapter. Also, my old graphics card decided to crap out on me-luckily a friend had sent me two new ones, so I'm back up and running the game. I took some liberties with this one again-I've always seen Thalmor as power-hungry so Dar' sees them that way too. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long!
Ta'agra translations:
Raj ahziss shal=All my love)