A wounded leg and sore lungs from simply just running too long was beggining to slow June down. She had been fighting and running for her life the moment she touched that book. Not a moment went by that she didn't run into some kind of creature. Not only that, if she ever got too close to the edge near the black ooze a whipping tentacle would fly out and try to either strike her or grab her and pull her in. Just the thought of that made her want to be sick.
She fell to the ground dodging some kind of spell that was coming from the seekers. She quickly got back on her feet and continued to run. She quickly turned a corner where the halls were shifting and changing right in front of her. Many times had she almost fallen because of it, it had become an obstacle. Luckily this time it was an advantage, the shifting book cases allowed her to loose the seekers behind her. June breathed heavily as she limped down the long hallway, she found a small room that broke from it. She limped into it and fell to the ground.
She looked down at the cold ground and saw drops of blood fall by her hands. It was coming from her forehead, earlier when she was first trying to flee the enemy they sent a shock wave at her causing her to fall and hit her head hard on a step. Apparently the wound was still open. She slowly wiped the blood off of her forehead and slowly laid down on her back on the ground. The coolness from it was welcoming against her hot sweaty skin.
June could feel her heart thumping hard against her chest as she continued to breath hard. She felt like she was never going to be able to catch her breath. She looked up at the strange ceiling, if you could even call it that. It had a strange design to it and was decorated with many holes and gaps. You could see the sky above it, the strange green smokey sky. She slowly slid her hand down to her wounded leg, once she hit the gash on it she winced in pain. One of the seekers knocked her down near the edge of the ground and before she could get away a tentacle came out and got her.
Her breathing had finally slowed down and the bleeding on her head stopped. But the bleeding on her leg didn't, she was starting to feel light headed and knew that she needed to get something over the wound fast or she wouldn't make it. June took in a deep breath and slowly sat up, as she did she winced holding her leg tightly. "Dammit.." She groaned in pain. She pulled her bag off and went through it. She pulled out her cloth shirt and started ripping it apart. She took a piece of it and tied it around her wound tightly, it would at least stop the bleeding.
She ripped the shirt up some more in case she needed more later. She placed the pieces back in her bag and pulled out her water canteen. She opened it and drank down the last of it. "Great.." She mumbled as she looked inside it. It was enough to contain her now but gods only knew how much longer she would be in this place and as far as she knew there was no water around...At least clean water. June put her canteen away and fell back down on the ground.
She needed rest, at least for a little bit. June had no idea how long she had been in this place. Time seemed to be different in here than in Tameriel. It could of been days and she would have no idea. She wondered if Neloth would of waited for her if it truly was that long, would Vilkas have come looking for her? The thought of Vilkas made her heart ache, being alone here really made her miss him. It made her wish that he could be here with her. June let out a sigh as she quickly forced the thoughts out of her mind. Now was not the time for her to feel bad for herself.
She placed both of her hands on her forehead and closed her eyes. She needed rest, she needed sleep. At least for a little while. She felt like she was safe enough in this location and if she wasn't..Well..She didn't have much hope that she was going to get out of here alive anyways. She just had to keep trying, she had people counting on her. She had Vilkas waiting for her.
A small groan came from June's lips as she slowly opened her eyes. Her head felt heavy and her vision was blurry. She blinked hard trying to blink away the blurry vision. 'I'm still alive..' She slowly thought to herself as she stared at the familiar ceiling and sky. She was in the same spot she had fallen down on. June had no idea how long she had been asleep, it wasn't the best sleep she ever had. She slept on a hard cold floor with an injure leg but at least it was something.
She winced as she slowly sat up, she looked at her leg and saw that the cloth was now soaked in blood but it seemed the wound finally stopped bleeding. She took the cloth off and tied on a clean one, her mouth was already dry and begging for water but she didn't have any left and had to go on. Hopefully there wasn't much left of this realm, she prayed to the gods that there wasn't much left. June took in a deep breath as she got up, once she got up to her feet a cry of pain slipped out as she clutched her leg.
She had to stand here for a moment to wait for the pain to dim down. It didn't dim down much but it was enough to allow her to keep going. She picked her bag back up and slowly limped out of the room. She looked around carefully making sure there was no creatures around and there didn't seem to be any in sight. She sighed in relief and started to limp down the long hallway.
Unlike the other hallways that she walked down this one didn't move anymore. She hoped that that meant she was on the right path, the hallway was narrow and that ment that there was no ambushes waiting for her yet and it was easy to spot enemies if there were any. She had about two dozen arrows left, she would have to use them wisely. Once they were gone she was left with her sword. The thought of close combat with the creatures did not sit well with June but she would do what ever she had to do to survive this place.
June finally reached the end of the long hallway but where it led to seemed like a dead end. It led off to a small island surrounded by black ooze, she made sure to stand in the middle so she wouldn't get struck again by those tentacle. She looked around carefully and off in the distance she saw something coming her way. It looked another hallway of book cases but it moved like some kind of tube swaying in the sea of black ooze.
She knew that it was her way forward so she waited patiently for it, when it finally reached her two seekers and a lurker was waiting for her. 'Oh great..' Her stomach clenched as the lurker leaped from the platform of the swaying hall and to the island. June quickly dodged it's flying limps and drew an arrow back. She remembered that she had to be careful with her arrows and that this creature only had one weak spot. She twirled around it and shot an arrow out at it hitting it right in its soft spot behind its head.
The Lurker screeched in pain and fell back into the ooze, she watched tentacle swirl around it pulling it under as if it were just food for some giant creature down there in the darkness. The swaying hall made its way back to June and when it did she quickly shot two arrows one at time hitting both of the seekers right in the head. They both screeched in pain and than fell to the ground dead. Luckily this time June had the advantage against them so it was easier than her other encounters with the horrific creatures. She let out a sigh of relief and put her bow back in its place while she waited for the swaying hall to make its way back to her.
It only took a few minutes for the hall to come back, when it did June leaped on it quickly gathering her balance back. The thought of falling into the sea of ooze made her want to be sick. Gods only knew what rested down there in that black slimy pit. June walked down the long hallway almost falling over several times from the movement of it. She actually almost got motion sick from it but she was able to hold it back.
June reached the end of the hallway and had to wait for another platform to come around. She leaped from the swaying hall and onto the still platform. She was thankful that this one seemed normal...Well normal for this kind of place. The platform led to a giant open room, she looked around seeing that there were black cases around and a large stair case leading to a giant door. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to see what was behind it but she had no choice.
June slowly walked up the steps, the closer she got to the door the larger it seemed. It towered over her like some kind of demonic structure. She stood in front of it and sighed. She slowly put her hands on the door and pushed it open. Before her was a larger area, the platform that she was on loomed over the black ooze and led to another large stair case. But these stairs were not as wide and led straight up into the air with no floor underneath it. She clenched her jaw as she looked up it and than looked down at the sea of ooze.
She stared at the swimming tentacle and than looked back up to the top of the stairs. She saw a pedestal with what looked like a large black book. June than quickly took off up the stairs, had she finally reached the end? Gods she hoped so. She was done with this place.
By the time she reached the top of the stairs she was out of breath and her wounded leg throbbed from the climb. But when she saw the black book in front of her she felt relieved and let out a large sigh. She slowly walked up to it and opened it. Once it came open a portal appeared in front of her almost blowing her back but she held on tight to the pedestal. When the wind finally disappeared she saw before her was Hermaeus Mora once again.
She clenched her jaw as she slowly stood up and stared at him. "Congratulations mortal, you you have passed through my realm alive and deserve your reward." He spoke slowly. "Look into the pages of my book and you shall get the power you seek." His eyes slowly moved down towards the book in front of her.
June stared at him for a moment and than slowly looked down at the book. A word on the page started to glow, a word that looked familiar. It was written in dragon tongue. As she stared at the word it absorbed inside her and burned into her soul. 'Hah' The word echoed in her mind. 'Mind.' Is what the word ment. June's eyes glowed as she gained the knowledge but it still wasn't enough. There was one more that she needed.
"That's only two.." She slowly spoke as she looked up at Hermaeus Mora. "I need the other one in order to be a match for Miraak." She slowly walked closer to the edge to get a better look at Mora. "Yes I know." Was all he spoke as his eyes slowly blinked. June furrowed her eyebrows down at him. "Well..How do I get it?" She sounded impatient. "The only way to get it is to get it from me. The only way to get it from me is..to do something for me.." He sounded amused knowing that that was the only way.
June let out a frustrated sigh as she looked down and rubbed the back of her neck. "Should've seen this coming..." She mumbled to herself. "What do you want!?" She quickly looked back up at him. "You know of the Skaal yes?" He asked. June nodded. "They have something I want, knowledge that they have kept from me for thousands of years. Get it for me and I shall give you the last word to the Bend Will shout. Than you will be able to defeat Miraak." He spoke plainly.
June opened her mouth to speak but she wasn't sure what to say. She knew that the Skaal would probably not want to help her but there seemed to be no other way. Before she could speak Mora quickly cut her off. "I shall return you to your realm now mortal. Seek me out in the book that you gathered from Nchardak when you have what I want." With nothing else to be said the book started glowing and sucked June right in.
"Ah!" Neloth yelled as the black book he was holding started shake and glow. He quickly dropped it and stepped back from it. Vilkas hurried over, the glow became so bright it made them cover their eyes and than suddenly June dropped right out of it and onto the floor hard. "June!" Vilkas ran over when the light disappeared. He lifted her in his arms, she was knocked out and bloody. She looked horrible. "Well..She survived..I think.." Neloth walked over casually as he examined her.
Vilkas placed his ear on her chest and sighed in relief when he heard her heart beat. "Yes she is.." He placed his hand on her face to look at it. It had been two days since she disappeared into the book but it looked like she had been gone for weeks. Vilkas's stomach twisted as he started to imagine all of the things that happened to her in where ever it took her. "You best get her to a healer soon or she might not make it." Neloth started packing up his things including the book. "You better heal her!" Vilkas yelled at him in anger.
"What makes you think I can?" Neloth raised an eyebrow up at him. "What kind of wizard doesn't know healing magic?" Vilkas glared at him. "Good point." Neloth shrugged. Neloth looked at Vilkas and stared at him for a bit he than let out a loud annoyed sigh and turned around beginning to walk. "Come along then! We better hurry and get back to my home if we want her to survive!" Neloth called back to him as he walked towards the door.
Vilkas smiled in relief as he quickly picked June up and followed after Neloth. When they walked outside a gush of wind almost blew them all over. Vilkas regained himself and looked up seeing that it was a dragon. "Dammit!" Vilkas yelled. It seemed like it was one thing after another with them. Were they ever going to get a break? "Miraak sends his regards." The dragon spoke in a deep voice. It took in a huff air but before it could shout at them Neloth quickly zapped it with a huge bolt of lightening.
The dragon roared in pain and fell to the ground. "D-did you kill it?!" Vilkas spoke out of confusion and surprise. It was only one hit! "No of course not I just knocked it out. Let's get a move on before my spell wares off." Neloth quickly began to walk. Vilkas blinked as he watched him for a moment and than quickly followed after him. Vilkas than knew that it was wise to never piss this old wizard off.
