Raven was helping Darys while he constructed the portal that would carry them to Nirn.
"It was certainly a lot simpler when I created the portal that you came through." she said to Darys, her statement a question in itself.
"That is because I had everything prepared beforehand, young sorceress." Darys smiled. "It took several hours for all the Masters of the College together to get everything ready. The two of us should finish by late tomorrow."
Raven looked at him, head slightly cocked to the side. "I do have a name, you know."
Darys flashed her a grin. "Sorry. As Archmage I sometimes have to give lectures to new students. Bad habit. But you are a sorceress, and you are young."
"And you are old enough to be my –" she caught herself, her hand going to her mouth, aghast at what she was about to say.
Darys looked at her from the floor, where he was sitting cross-legged, writing intricate runes into the conjuring circle. He spoke softly.
"You are what you make of yourself. No matter who or what created you."
Raven stared at him. "You know, then?"
"Of course. When I learned that you could help us, I also learned why."
She continued to look at him silently.
He rose from the floor and stood before her, putting his hands on her shoulders. He was at least a head taller than she was. "One's heritage is just a signpost on the crossroads of life. Whether the person will follow the signpost or choose another way, it is entirely his or her choice. Your choices have made you who and what you are, Raven. Not the one who created you."
He turned away from her and again sat cross-legged on the floor to continue inscribing the runes.
"Just as you do not have a father, I am not able to have children." He glanced at her from the floor. "But I have adopted two girls. They are about your age now." He returned his gaze to the inscriptions and sighed. "By Azura, do I miss them."
"Thank you." Raven said simply.
The Portal was ready. Darys stood in front of it, the Titans gathered around.
"This is what we will do. I will release a sending so that they may open the Portal on the other side. Once it is opened I will cross it, and you will follow. Then the warding runes will secure it, because it will have to stay open until you return. Any questions?"
There were none. Darys concentrated. The Titans could not see anything, and yet suddenly Darys spoke.
"Tolfdir, is that you? Are you awaiting us?" A pause. "We are coming."
His eyes snapped open. "Let us go" he said, and stepped through the portal. The Titans followed.
College of Winterhold, Province of Skyrim, Tamriel
Year 4E 408, 24th Last Seed, 1910 hours
They exited the Portal, one by one, onto the flat roof of a tall building and into the teeth of a blizzard. The wind was howling and carrying so much snow that it was difficult to see. They were received by several shadowy figures, whose faces were obscured by the snow. Darys herded them towards a door. He had to shout to make himself heard above the roaring gale. "Let us get out of this foul weather as soon as possible!"
They stepped through the door onto a spiral staircase. At the bottom, the staircase opened onto a vast, circular library. Soft light from many candles filled it, leaving only the domed roof in shadows. As they gathered in the foyer of the library. The shadowy figures that received them followed them, and Robin noticed that they looked a lot less mysterious and a lot plainer in the calm candlelight that illuminated the library.
If you can call that 'plain'. The woman is also a Dunmer, like Darys, and that huge guy looks more like a blonde lumberjack than a mage. And is that a… bipedal… cat?
"Welcome to the College of Winterhold!" Darys said. "If you will allow me –"
"Who have you brought into my library, Archmage Othrelas?" a figure interrupted in a gravelly voice as it approached. "Have you made it clear to them what will happen if there is a single stain on one of my books? Or should I release a swarm of angry atronachs to feast upon their flesh?"
"Young heroes, meet Urag gro-Shub, Lord, Master and Protector of this Library." Darys said, rolling his eyes and smiling. He turned to Urag and said "Do not be concerned, Urag. We will not stay here."
"See that you don't." the gruff old Orc grumbled, turning back into his realm.
Cyborg looked at the fierce, green face, with pronounced tusks, and elbowed Beast Boy. "Yo, BB, you didn't tell us your grandpa lived here!"
"Please, follow me!" Darys said. "Tomorrow we must leave for Windhelm to discuss our strategy with other participants. You will be housed for tonight in the Hall of Attainment. Our three Journeymen – Brelyna Maryon, Onmund and J'zargo –" he introduced the Dunmer woman, the large mage and the cat-like creature "– will see to your needs. This way."
As everybody filed slowly out, Darys took hold of J'zargo's arm and whispered. "These are important guests. I will take it as a personal favor that their possessions remain in their power during their stay in our realm." J'zargo grinned and nodded his head.
The rest of the evening was spent chatting with Darys and the apprentices. Their hosts told them much about the land, its customs and the races that inhabited it. Soon, however, their heads were nodding and one by one they went to bed. All except Raven, whose conversation with Brelyna was too interesting for her to allow any thought of sleep.
"From what you have told me," Brelyna was going on, "your magic appears to be an intrinsic power, while for us it takes form of controlling extrinsic forces – like the four elements, the force of life, the barriers between planes, and in the case of the School of Illusion, control of the Mind. Your magic comes from within you, it is not an external force that one can capture, form and use."
"That is so. When I perform my magic, I have to use a part of my soul to do it. But you can tap into the energies of the cosmos – it gives you a much larger potential, correct?"
"Yes and no. As you said, we have at our disposal everything around us – earth, fire, air, water, life and unlife itself – but every one of us is limited in how much of that we can tap from Mundus. As we call on these forces – say, a conjuring of the element of fire for a fireball spell – part of our energy is consumed, and once it is used up, we have to wait until it is replenished. But your powers come from within yourself, and the only limits are ones that you place yourself."
"What do you mean?"
Brelyna thought for a moment. "Imagine a rock, a huge one. You can easily convince yourself that you can lift it with your magic, and you will then succeed. But imagine now that you want to crush this rock into pebbles – it is very difficult, and you may have troubles accepting the idea that you can. After a while, you may succeed, and the rock will burst. But now you want to put it back together – an absolutely impossible task. You would need to find and place every single pebble, grain of sand and dust mote. You will fail. Not because you cannot do it, but because you do not see – you cannot comprehend that you can."
"So that means that my power –"
"Is, for all intents and purposes, limitless." Brelyna cast a penetrating gaze into Raven's eyes. "I would not like to have that kind of power. I cannot imagine the price that you have paid – that you are still paying – for it."
Raven's gaze dropped. "I never asked for it" she said, lifting her eyes and meeting Brelyna's red eyes. "I never asked for it, but I have it, and I will make the best use I can of it. I owe it to myself and my friends."
Brelyna placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am not in the Archmage's confidence, so I do not know why he brought you here across the planes. But whatever it is, I cannot find any fault with his choice."
As Raven was pondering the reply, Darys approached and softly reminded them that they should sleep. The sorceresses rose and went to bed.
Darys turned to Tolfdir. "I have to speak to Paarthunax. I will be back by dawn. Guard them with your life."
The old wizard nodded. Darys hurried out.
Throat of the World, Province of Skyrim, Tamriel
Year 4E 408, 24th Last Seed, 2321 hours
Darys approached the dragon. It was sitting still, its slate-gray scales making it appear as if it was a stone statue, not a living being.
"Greetings, Paarthunax."
Drem yol lok, Dovakhiin. You have come for wisdom? Krosis. I have none these days.
"I come for strength, Paarthunax."
I know. Many of my zeymah will fight for you. But many more will fight against. Mu los dur. Our pride will be our own undoing.
"Not everything is lost, Paarthunax. There is always hope."
Yes. I have sensed it. Hi lost aan zun. And yet, many dovah will not see the sun set tomorrow.
"Neither will many men, or mer."
They will come from the North, Dovakhiin. Through Dunmeth Pass, and down the White River. Await them there. Dii fron – my kin – will meet you there.
"I know. We are already marshalling our forces there."
Then nothing more is to be said. Daan kos wahl.
The dragon returned to its statue-like immobility. With a heavy heart, Darys started the journey back.