Kyra gasps as her head breaks water and her left hand breaks the surface, a cube gripped in her fingers. Another rumble is heard as the water level rises another few inches, Kyra swims over to the edge of the platform.

She tosses the cube over the edge and reaches up hauling herself out of the water and onto the stone platform rolling onto her back, a puddle of water forming around her as she catches her breath looking up at the ceiling. A loud clanging sound makes her sit up, looking around at the empty chamber.

Seeing nothing she falls back, her water soaked armor making a squishing sound against the stone. Why couldn't she ever go someplace nice? Her head falls to the side as something moving catches her eye.

She sits up again, as a large bronze ball rolls around a pillar towards her, her eyes slowly following it. The ball stops and an automaton rises from the ball, a crossbow attached to its left arm.

Kyra curses as she scrambles to her feet crossbow bolts pounding into the wall where she had been, four more bolts following her as she sprints along it. Another bolt whizzes past her ear as she turns the corner her boot skidding on the wet stone.

She shrugs off her leather pack and pulls her shield from it sliding it over her arm as she tosses the bag against the wall and leans around the corner.

Her eyes widen and she curses again ducking back behind the corner when a crossbow bolt hits the corner she was peeking around and takes a chunk out of it. Raising her shield she turns the corner as a bolt hits it and she charges the sphere guardian. She bashes the upper body with her shield using it to deflect its crossbow away.

Kyra ducks its free hand as it swings at her and she kicks it backwards as she pulls her sword from its scabbard, thrusting it into its bronze chestplate.

The ancient soldier warbles as the sword damages its steam engine and Kyra yanks the dagger from the small of her back and ducks its swinging free arm again before she pries open the chest plate jamming her fist inside and yanking out the soul gem that powers it. The sphere guardian collapses in a heap onto the stone floor as Kyra idly tosses the soul gem into the water.

She puts her boot to the now harmless pile of metal and pulls her sword from it, scooping up her pack and walking back to where she had left the cube. Kneeling in the puddle of water and picking it up, she walks back to the door leading to the main steam pumps and control room.

Still dripping wet, Kyra plods up the stairs and approaches the central platform looking down at the four boilers as she tosses Neloth down the last cube.

"Last one, put it on the control plate and let's get this show on the road."

"Since when did I become your servant?" Neloth mutters as he drops the last cube into the claw.

"Since I did all the swimming." Kyra turns on her heel walks back up to the central chamber near the lift they came from, and looks down at the long control panel.

Her lips move silently with her thoughts as she moves down the long console until she finds the key set she was looking for. Neloth approaches her as she flicks her hair to one side and depresses the switch, looking sideways down the platform at the towering steam pumps as they hiss to life.

"Good, let's hope that did it." The pair walk back to the lift, and Kyra kicks the lever back to its original position with her boot.

"It worked."

The lift grinds to a halt making Kyra wince, these ancient lifts always brought on a little trepidation. As they approach, the glass guarding the book slides apart with a snap and the platform the book rests on springs up to waist height.

"You did it Kyra, I can't believe you did it." Neloth claps her on the shoulder as he picks up the book, hesitating to open it.

"You better give that to me Neloth." He looks down at the book, if he had to be honest the book scared him, he reluctantly hands it over to her.

"You're right of course, well...be careful and uh, say hello to Hermaeus Mora for me." She gives him a look as she flips the eerie black book in her hand and exhales, opening it to the first page.

Dark tentacles burst from the pages making her cry out in surprise, dropping the book. The tentacles whip through the air growing in length and number, one circles around Kyra's wrists as she tries to step back and draw her sword.

One of the thicker tentacles wrap around her throat as she grits her teeth struggling to free herself, letting out one last cry of defiance before the tentacles flex and drag her into the book, disappearing before Neloth's eyes.