Phinis Gestor stood outside the Hall of Elements, making a formal declaration to the Student body at that time: "Projects are underway to discern the origin and nature of the College's recent find in Saarthal. Any and all theories are currently being considered. Those with ideas should please speak with Mirabelle. At this time, there is no indication that, as has been rumored, the object is in fact a physical part of Magnus, the god of magic. It has been suggested that the object is a gateway to the realm of Aetherius, but nothing has proven that idea one way or the other. It has been proposed that the object is in fact the entirety of Aurbis in one physical space. This would of course mean that Tamriel, indeed all of Mundus, is actually contained within the sphere. It further suggests that we are somehow then outside our own existence while looking in at it. While the idea seems dubious at best, it has not, at present, been entirely ruled out."

"Will we be using it eventually?" Nirya proposed. "I am certain that this artifact is just the sort of thing Winterhold needs to regain its credibility."

Faralda, Sergius, and Arniel all nodded in agreement.

After all, what's the harm?

"That is entirely up to the Arch-Mage." Phinis stated before returning to his station. "Thank you."


After a bumpy Fast Travel to the city of Windhelm, Cura and her allies headed west through the cold mountains. They sought Mzulft, the ancient Dwemer Ruin.

Cura was excited to show it to Lucien, considering his enthusiasm on the subject of the Dwemer, but at the same time she wondered how deadly this one would be. After all, if the Staff of Magnus was hidden therein, there would most likely be a whole host of mechanical monstrosities at the ready, armed with heavy bolts, electric charges, and probably a few of her personal favourites: the Ballistae. For good measure, of course.

Nchaund-Zel was an early wake-up call for these sorts of ruins, as Lydia could attest to on Cura's part, were she still here.

After all, it wouldn't be a day in Skyrim if Cura could escape it without at least one new hole in her side.

Negativity wasn't going to help her now.

She was on the cusp of History, and she knew it. What she and her friends did now would affect the world going forward, and the mere weight of such a sudden fate weighed heavily on her shoulders.

By the Gods, how many enemies did Skyrim have?

First, there was Alduin. Then there was Harkon. Cultists here and there moving to and fro, killing innocents. The Dragons, of course, though they've begun to feel like the least of her personal problems currently. The Thalmor could not be ignored, either. And of course, the Civil War. And now this Eye of Magnus.

Azura warned her of it; she should have known sooner.

Either way, she was going to solve this issue, and she knew it. She had the capabilities to do so. She could handle anything fate could throw her way, especially with the aid of her friends, who walked at her side.

Inigo and Lucien were performing an on-the-road comedy routine, lightening the mood.

"Hey, Inigo, what do you call a miserable Horker without fangs?" Lucien posed the question.

"I do not know, Lucien. What do you call a miserable Horker without fangs?" Inigo ushered to him.

"Ancano."

The group snorted and chuckled in response.

That wasn't entirely wrong.

"That was a good one, Lucien!" Cura laughed and clapped her hands together. "When did you come up with that?"

"Oh, a while ago. A few months, maybe? We were all just too busy with out studies for me to belt that one out publicly." Lucien admitted. "Though, I may have whispered it to Nirya at one point."

"Then half the college has probably heard it by now." Serana rolled her eyes as she climbed a ledge and gave Lucien a hand.

"Most likely." the blonde Imperial admitted. "Though, I haven't heard any of them defending him, so I take it as a sign of hope for the future."

Inigo burst out laughing as he followed Cura up the nearby slope. "Lucien, my friend. You can be brutal when you want to!'

As the group reached the upper hillside, the makings of a Dwarven ruin lay before them. Mzulft had three main structures protruding out of the snow: a wall with an extending archway, as Lucien pointed out of the large structure southwest of it; a Dwarven Storeroom, and the main entrance to the ruins between them, standing erect, made of stone with a golden metallic roof.

"This is incredible! Truly astounding! I've only ever seen these in books!" Lucien clapped his hands together excitedly.

Near an iron ore vein lay an adventurer carrying a copy of a book titled The Aetherium Wars in a pool of blood.

"I suppose this poor fellow didn't make it." Serana pointed out as she picked up the book. "Well, I guess he won't be needing this."

Cura clicked her tongue and approached the entry door. She pushed it open with a mighty 'creak', which resounded into the open fields around herself and her allies. The warm air from within pulled her inside with a forceful gale, and snowflakes followed suit, mingling with the dust floating through the damp interior.

She had already been through many places like this. It was a miracle in and of itself that she hadn't developed any respiratory ailments from all the dungeon-dwelling.

Lucien was enthralled. "Wow! I can't believe it! I am actually setting foot inside of a Dwemer Ruin! Gosh, this is so exciting! Where do i even begin...?" He quickly meandered around Inigo, who stood in his path, and twirled around Serana to examine the stonework along the walls. "Gosh, they really were masters of their craft! I really can't believe it! The Dwemer!"

"Uh..." Inigo extended a hand forward, pointing to a dainty figure at the other side of the room that had just collapsed, sliding down the wall and leaving a blood trail.

An Imperial Mage in dark blue hooded robes lay against a wall in the corner, wheezing, having lost his balance after using the wall for support for so long. He was now nearing his end, his torment drawing to a close as the air finally fled his lungs. A large, bleeding gash drew itself across his abdomen and his entrails were spilling out, feebly held in place by his weakening grasp. Cura covered her mouth in empathic horror as she saw the light leaving his eyes before she could reach him.

"Crystal... gone... :hack!: :cough!: Find... Paratus... in Oculory." he reached a desperate hand out towards Lucien and Cura, in particular, before grunting painfully one final time and losing his grip on life and sliding down the stone wall and slumping along the floor in a pool of his own blood.

"A charming introduction, to be sure." Serana mused sarcastically.

"Poor fellow... may Stendarr grant him peace..." Cura expressed as she gently closed the deceased's eyes. Her healing magic would do him no good now, but she would certainly afford him the dignity of presence in his death, laying him on his back and crossing his arms over his cleaved stomach.

"I think it is a little too late, my friend. Mercy normally is needed before death." Inigo pondered the man's sufferings as he examined the now lifeless corpse.

"No; mercy is needed even more once the soul reaches the Divines for their judgment. I hope he will rest in Aetherius, for his sake." Cura said as she moved on to the door leading within, stained with a bloody handprint. She tried to open the door, but it was locked.

Inigo picked the dead Mage's pocket and found a key, and what appeared to be a research log. He handed the two items to Cura and Lucien, respectively.

Lucien opened the Research Log and began to read:

"Research Log

by First Adjunct Oronrel

Attendant Gavros,

The Council has become aware of the lack of progress in your group's efforts. They are particularly displeased to learn that your specifications for the focusing crystal were completely incorrect.

The entire Binder's Conclave has worked tirelessly, and the Council is quite sure this new crystal will suit your needs. You are herewith entrusted with delivering the crystal to the site, completing your work, and delivering a full report to the Council with all possible haste.

The Council trusts you will deliver the crystal to the Oculory personally, and that there will be no further complications.

- First Adjunct Oronrel"

"The First Adjunct?" Lucien marveled at the letter and began to look it over again, and examine the signature at the bottom, stamped with the trademark seal of the Empire - the Dragon Standard shaped like the diamond that was the Amulet of Kings. "This... this really is the Synod! Oh, boy... I hope if we cause them any grief, that I won't be reported to the Arcane University for obstruction... I can't lose my place!"

"Well, if we kill them all, then they wouldn't be able to report you, now would they?" Serana reminded him of the fact that it may just end up coming to that.

"Wait... kill members of the Synod?" Lucien's eyes widened. "No... no, I - I couldn't... it wouldn't be right!"

"We'll just have to try and be diplomatic." Cura reassured him. "I'm certain the Synod can be reasoned with. They're men, not beasts."

"Which also means they can double-cross us, so we should be careful." Inigo reminded her of that factor, as well.

Cura opened the door, leading to the interior. "Noted, Inigo. Let's advance with caution, but not come out with weapons swinging."

Cura recalled what Ulfric had requested of her, as well. She was to align herself with Imperial interests in the broader sense, to make herself a worthy successor to Windhelm should Ulfric perish in the war.

If she assisted the Imperial Synod, they would certainly take a fonder view of her.

Was she even in control of her own destiny, at all?

Everything seemed to be pushing her in a certain direction, Cura couldn't help but notice. Were the Gods controlling her life, down to the finer details?

The thought comforted and worried her symbiotically.

How much of it was the Aedra, and how much of it was the Daedra?

She would have to walk this path very carefully. The Augur was very clear concerning the Eye and the Staff, and Azura herself warned Cura in the past. She had the information she needed to save Winterhold, potentially, from whatever was coming. She just had to do it correctly.

Stendarr guide my hand, Mara guide my heart, Arkay guide my spirit, Kynareth guide my tongue. Cura thought to herself.

Stepping onto an ornate metal grate that expanded the floor's length and width and surrounded with steam-spewing pipes on either side of them, the group traversed the long-abandoned house of the Dwemer for hours, exiting and entering the labyrinth of hallways and nooks, both stone and cold metal, winding and turning, and picking locks along the way, thanks to Inigo's nimble fingers.

The walls were sprayed with deep, red, thick blood, and the floors matched quite well.

Machinations were strewn across the ground in many places, remains ripe for looting, and other Synod mages lay dead along the floors, under the flickering greenlit electric lamps.

"I think they may all be dead..." Inigo remarked. "Well, at least we will have one less obstacle in our path."

"Gosh, I hope not." Lucien fretted. "They do a service to the Empire. It would be a bloody shame."

Cura bit her lip. "Well, Serana, you can Detect Life, right? I'm putting you on spotting duty."

Serana complied without argument. "Very well."

The group continued to walk over the remains of broken Dwarven Spheres and Dwarven Spiders as they traversed the ruins.

Lucien slowed the group down with exposition about the Dwemer as he began to illustrate the large, Dwarven face busts mounted on the walls and the general design of the pipes and chests they came across, as well as liberally pocketing dinnerware found in some of the enclaves, which he surmised to have been kitchens and dining areas once upon a time.

For an advanced race, they lived like poor villagers in their rich, underground societies, huddled in their corners.

Serana kept an eye out for any sign of life; any at all that could be sensed, and so far she was coming up short, until she perceived a faint heartbeat further down the abandoned metallic catacombs. "Cura, down there! Be careful of any traps." She pointed down a slanted floor where there appeared to be two long slits in the ground, parallel to one another, with flamethrowers to either side, and what appeared to be pressure plates on the floor.

Inigo stepped in front of the girls and picked up a large, hefty stone on the floor, and proceeded to toss it forward onto one of the pressure plates for a test. As soon as the stone made contact with the plate, fire erupted from the walls horizontally, and two bladed propellors emerged from the slits on the floor and began to spin violently as they rode the floor's rails.

"Oh, no. We do not need a shave, thank you very much." Lucien rubbed his neck nervously.

Cura swallowed nervously. They could have been diced if they wandered further.

"Good thinking, kitty cat." Serana complimented Inigo as the trap ran its course and then subsided.

"Hey, a broken clock is right twice a day, they say." Inigo shrugged. "Now, how do we get across...?"

"I have an idea, but it will be a bit shocking. Would you care to help me try it, Inigo?" Cura asked her Khajiit friend, who was more than happy to oblige.

"Of course, my friend. What would you have me do?"

Cura pointed to the floor before her and she held up her shield. "Stand in front of me, and brace yourself, all right?"

Inigo was perplexed, but he did as she requested. He then felt her shield push against his back. "Er... isn't a metal shield more effective than a meat shield, my friend? I do not think I can stop those spinny things or the fire."

Cura shook her head. "Oh, no. We're not touching the pressure plates. Brace yourself!" She made sure to push firmly on his back and she angled herself safely. With a quick inhale, she released. "WULD NA!"

No sooner did the blue Khajiit's eyes widen than he found himself flying through the air, being pushed forward by a shield wall behind him. Excitedly, he threw up his arms. "WA-HOOOOO!"

The two of them fumbled on the landing, bypassing the traps altogether, but rolling across the floor and into the wall below.

Serana grabbed Lucien and merely flew over the booby traps below, so as to avoid setting them off entirely.

Cura and Inigo pulled themselves up off the floor.

"Ooh... are you okay, Inigo?" Cura asked as she cast a healing spell on him.

The Khajiit merely laughed it off. "That was a fun way to wipe out! Can we do it again?"

"That would mean setting off the traps, which was what we were trying to avoid." Cura reminded him.

"Oh... yes. And we do not want a shave." Inigo parroted Lucien's sentiments.

"You lot are crazy." Lucien shook his head in the presence of such moronity.

Serana scoffed. "Crazy, but the best."

The group continued onwards, where they came across a large chamver packed to the brim with Chaurus eggs.

"Oh, come on! Not these things again!" Cura whined upon seeing the future infestation before them.

"Oh, I can handle this." Lucien immediately cast Unbound Fire onto the nests and egg sacs, causing them to burn up. As the layer of eggs and sediment began to wear away, the half-eaten corpse of a Synod researcher plummeted from higher up, landing on the floor beside Cura, causing the Breton to squeal in surprise.

Immediately, the scuttling sounds of Chaurus made themselves known and the giant insects did not take kindly to the assault on their nest.

Inigo let them know how he felt, firing an enchanted flame arrow onto one of them, while Serana taught them the fear of Lightning as the Lightning Cloak she surrounded herself with kept them at bay.

Lucien taught them some humility with his Bound Battleaxe, which he used to cleave them with his left hand and a sword in his right. Spending time with the Dawnguard had taught him how to wield axes effectively, and it was finally bearing fruit.

Cura casted Horrid Wilting on a couple of Chaurus before her and watched as the Restoration magicks wore their life away, drying them like raisins as their fluids exited their exoskeletons like a mist.

Eventually, the Chaurus were no more, and their nests were obliterated.

"Well, if I ever retire from being a Scholar and adventurer... do you think there would be work for me as a Chaurus Exterminator?" Lucien asked as he dusted off his Novice Robes.

"I'm sure it would be quite lucrative." Serana admitted. "Just make sure not to do it in Falmer cities; they sort of farm these things... for some reason."

"Was that the life you were detecting, Serana?" Cura asked for confirmation.

Serana shook her head and drew herself into a focus once more. "No... no, I sense something, getting stronger, not far away."

"Is it more Chaurus?" Lucien preemptively whined.

"No... I think it's human." Serana mused as she led the group forward. "No... there are more! Several! I feel them further down. Come on!" She ran ahead.

Cura, Lucien, and Inigo looked at one another as they followed Serana ahead. Could there still be living Synod researchers down here, after all?

They passed through a massive boiler room, careful to avoid the harsh steam blowing out from the pipes surrounding them. Falmer seemed to be relaxing in the room, lying down, and some were dancing around a small bonfire.

"Cura, you're the Falmer whisperer." Serana ushered her forward.

"O-okay..." Cura slowly descended the stairs, and as if on cue, the Falmer immediately readied their weapons to attack the group upon hearing their voices and footsteps.

Cura quickly held up Auriels' Bow. "I am the herald of Auri-El!" She exclaimed to the lesser Elves. "I mean no harm - we must pass. Continue doing what you were doing."

One of the Falmer approached her with weapons drawn and caught a slight glimpse of the light shining off of Auriel's sacred weapon, and the warped snow elf quickly cried out to the others in its raspy voice before bowing down before the Breton.

"We just want to pass." Cura restated, unsure as to whether or not they could even understand her to begin with.

It seemed that they did, as they all lowered their weapons and moved out of the group's way, and proceeded to prostrate themselves on the floor as she passed through. One of the Falmer extended a hand forward to the aspect of Auri-El, and handed her what appeared to be a dark green oval-shaped gemstone.

"The focusing crystal?" Cura wondered as she examined the strange Dwarven crystal object she now held in both hands.

The Falmer were quite generous when they weren't trying to kill people, it seemed.

At least some bloodshed was avoided. Even if man and mer were eternally at enmity with one another, Cura would rather not see the Snow Elves disappear from Nirn entirely.

Heck, if she met a Dwemer, even if she disagreed with them fundamentally, she would still be happy to see that at least one, or hopefully, some still existed in the world.

The corridor they passed ended at a large, tattered banner draping over the wall flanked left and right by Dwemer face busts. Lucien quickly began to sketch out the details on the banner crudely. "You know, Candle, being with you has been a blessing. I've been getting to see so much! SO much more than I ever expected! My research will blow the University away when I return!"

"You're welcome, Lucien." Cura smiled. "But that won't be for a while, right?"

"Oh, of course! I don't intend to leave without seeing Dumzbthar!" the Imperial expressed his earnest desire to see that ruin in particular. "It was the whole reason why I came to Skyrim, after all."

"Even though you're in a Dwemer ruin now?" Serana mused. "I think you get the general idea now."

"Pssshaw. You just want to be rid of me, isn't that it?" Lucien brushed Serana off.

The vampiress shook her head. "No, of course not! I just think you should keep an open mind. After all, if you focused only on these types of ruins, you never would have gone inside of Auri-El's Chantry, or Darkfall Passage."

"Fair enough." Lucien admitted. "I shall keep my mind open to future incredible findings."

The paths branched both to the left and right, but both paths lead to the same large room, which Cura and her allies laughingly discovered when they decided to take both and met up on the other side.

Serana pointed ahead as they passed more steam pipes and heavy grates. "There! Past the door below!" She led them down a ramp, which led to a large, metal door. Cura pushed the door open, and immediately, the group came across a Synod Researcher, who seemed to be at an impasse.

Lucien stepped forward. "Ah, hello, fellow Imperial Mage!"

The wizard frantically spun around, revealing himself to be covered in blood and worrying greatly. It was clear he had been through many battles since arriving, and was barely conscient. He shook his head to wake himself up. "G…Gavros? Is that you? I'd almost given up hope. Let me get the door…"

He quickly realized that the group had already entered by the door.

"W-what...? How? I locked... did I lock it? Huh... hoof..." the mage attempted to catch his breath, as his adrenaline continued to overpower his senses. He wiped some sweat off his forehead and gathered himself. "What the… Who are you? Where's Gavros? What are you doing here? What've you done with Gavros?"

"Please, take it easy." Cura gently laid her hands on his shoulders in attempt to help him regain his composure; casting Calm on him for good measure. "I'm sorry, but your friend has died."

"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 that, all our efforts are wasted." the mage pulled himself away before addressing the group as they were. "And you. If you're here for treasure, or wisdom, or anything, I'm afraid you've wasted your time."

"What do you mean?" Lucien asked. "You're with the Synod, aren't you? We've been looking for you!"

"And just why would you be doing that? Oh, it doesn't matter now. Gavros is never coming back, and he was supposed to have the crystal. Without that, we're lost. It's all been for nothing. So congratulations, whoever you are, you've found the Synod. Just me, alone, surrounded by angry machines and angrier Falmer." the wizard threw up his arms and took a few steps back before turning his back to them in a disrespectful huff. "We're all going to die here, I guess."

Serana scoffed in irritation. "Will you quite being a drama queen? We're going to be fine. She's the Dragonborn, for Mara's sake!" She pointed at Cura.

This seemed to stir something in the wizard, who quickly spun around again to look at Cura. "Wait... did you say... Dragonborn? There hasn't been a Dragonborn since Emperor Martin Septim!"

Cura looked at Serana. "Really, Serana? We're just going to tell everybody that?"

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, everybody is going to know it sooner or later." Serana admitted.

The wizard began to reevaluate things in his head. "So... if you're Dragonborn, then perhaps the Gods have decided to ensure our success! They favour the Empire once more! That's why you've come here to help me in my most desperate hour! Oh, Stendarr be praised!"

Cura nodded. "Well, I think our goals align pretty well. Perhaps we can settle this diplomatically. I am the Dragonborn, Vigilant Cura. This is the Imperial Scholar and member of the Arcane University Lucien Flavius, Inigo the Brave, and Serana of the Volkihar. We're also with the College of Winterhold."

"Charmed." the Synod mage half-bowed. "I am Paratus Decimius, an esteemed member of the Imperial Synod."

Lucien stepped forward. "I know it must be something important, otherwise the Synod would never be here, but out of curiosity; what's the crystal for?"

Inigo bumped Cura in the ribs with his elbows. "Maybe he needs it to make his esteem rise a bit."

Cura snorted with amusement and gave him a light tap for his disrespect.

"It was a brilliant idea, really. Mostly mine, though Gavros took the credit. Secret, though. Official Synod business. Can't talk about it." Paratus spoke regrettably.

"What brings the Synod to Mzulft?" Lucien asked.

"I am on official business of the Grand Council of the Synod. That's all you need to know. I might well ask the same of you, running around by yourselves in this dangerous place." Paratus gestured towards the lot of them. "I get that you're with the College of Winterhold. Did Mirabelle Ervine send you here? Savos wouldn't even grant us an audience when we came to you, but now you come here expecting something from me? I don't much like this, I'll tell you. But you've saved my skin, so maybe I can overlook the past for now. Come on, I'll explain on the way." He headed down the dismal hallway, certain that Cura and her allies were keeping the Falmer at bay for the moment, or have defeated the menaces.

Cura followed him closely and decided to confess her presence. "I'm looking for the Staff of Magnus. It's a matter of life and death."

"Are you? Well. I'm afraid I can't help you with that. I need the crystal to do anything useful, and I don't have it." Paratus' tone lilted and descended to pseudo-regret.

He pushed open the door to the next area, which seemed to be a massive aerodome of sorts with a winding ramp that circled upwards through the circular room. As the group headed up, they were greeted with something incredibly breathtaking; a large machine spanned the room, gilded with gold and decorated with jade stones all throughout its glassy surface while a mechanical arm with three mirrors hung above like a mobile. Behind the machine was a ramp that led up onto a standing arch with a few switch pillars on it.

Inigo decided to stay further behind the small group to block any exit should this Synod wizard betray them. He did not like the vibes he was feeling from him, but neglected to say so aloud. He instead looked at Serana, who nodded in understanding by mere gesture towards the mage. She stood at the other side of the room where she had a clear vantage point of the mage.

As they walked up, Paratus gave the group a small expository angle into his research. "No matter what Gavros said, this was my idea first. The Council is going to know that when I get back. I was the one who thought of using this… this Oculory. I don't know what the dwarves called it. Something unpronounceable, I'm sure. From all our research, it seems they were intent on discerning the nature of the divine. This machinery, all of it, was designed to collect starlight, and then... I'm not sure. Split it, somehow? It was my idea to replace one of the key elements with our focusing crystal. Months of enchantments went into it. Let's just hope they got it right this time."

Cura and Lucien accompanied him atop the working station, where they all marveled at the incredible artistry before them.

Discern the nature of the divine? Such blasphemy. Cura thought. The Dwemer really were an arrogant civilization, at the end of the day. Their technological advancements were incredible, but their hubris was their undoing.

Lucien was rendered speechless by the incredible mechanism before him, and he could not help but create lively sketches of it piece by piece in his journal, discerning it to be the Oculory.

Paratus pointed to part of the mechanism, where there was a metal stump; it looked as though something was to be placed upon it. "See this, here? This is where the Focusing Crystal is supposed to go. Magnificent, isn't it? Took an incredible amount of work to get it running again. Now I'm hoping it'll all be worth it. If only that fool would have given it to me like I asked..."

"Do you mean this crystal?" Cura asked as she took it out of her satchel, holding it up like a plate and causing the Imperial to nearly jump.

"Yes! Yes, that's it!" Paratus jumped for joy. "Place the crystal in the central apparatus, and we can start the process for focusing it."

Cura nodded and did as instructed, sliding the crystal onto the central pillar, fitting it onto the metal piece as intended. In that instant, the ceiling mobile dropped down and began to shift itself into working position.

"Oh. My. Gods." Lucien nearly fainted from excitement. "I cannot for the life of me believe that I am seeing this right now! It... it feels like something you shouldn't be allowed to see, you know?"

"I... suppose I just push the buttons until something happens?" Cura mused. Panic quickly set in. "Oh! Wait, this thing won't explode if I press the buttons in the wrong sequence, will it?" She needed to be certain first.

"No, it's all trial and error, yes, but there shouldn't be any lethal consequences to it, in theory." Paratus relied on his good information.

Serana and Inigo both looked up at the Oculory from their stations in awe and Lucien was hard at work fitting notes into every corner of his page while simultaneously trying to keep it organized and legible.

After pushing a few of the buttons, Cura got the Oculory to fall into its correct positions, but it did nothing, and would move no longer.

"Is that it? Did I do something wrong? Is that supposed to happen?" Cura's heart raced within her ribcage. She didn't just doom them on a technicality, did she?

"No, all is well." Paratus reassured her. "Now the crystal needs to be focused. It was created so far away, we knew that some adjustments would have to be made. Heating and cooling the crystal will cause it to expand or contract, which will change how the light passes through it. You'll need to use spells to do that. Being from the College, I assume you know them already. There should be a few basic tomes around here somewhere in case your training is even more sub-standard than I've heard." He chuckled mockingly, to which Cura took offense.

"No, we know the spells. Our training is not as bad as you would think." Cura defended Winterhold. "It may not be perfect, but it is more than sufficient!" She angrily charged a Fireball and an Ice Spike in her left and right hands, respectively, and fired one after the next, causing the machine to absorb the heat and the cold, drinking them in and then beginning to shine before their very eyes with a bright, white light.

"You tell him, Cura!" Lucien agreed. "They aren't as advanced as the University, but the College of Winterhold has adequate spell teaching." He said as he took note of the fire and ice's effects on the crystal.

Suddenly, in the air above, a projection began to take shape, forming a Map of Skyrim itself.

"Wow... would you look at that..." Cura expressed as she stared at the spectacle before them.

The map slowly began to distort around the Winterhold region, and the corruption spread through the Northeastern board on the digital display.

"Years of work, finally going to pay off… …but what's this? These results… They're not at all what they should be. This projection should be lit up like the night sky… Something is creating an incredible amount of interference. Something in Winterhold, it looks like. What are you playing at? Is this some attempt to stall my work?!" Paratus' excitment quickly devolved into accusatory anger.

"Eh?" Cura and Lucien were both taken aback.

"So, what is it? What have you done? Did you know what we were attempting? Are you here to make sure your plan worked, that our efforts have been for nothing? Well, explain yourself!" Paratus snapped at the students.

Oh, no. Interferance?

Was she too late?

Has calamity struck the College?

No, it couldn't be.

"I... think it must be the Eye... it's nothing we're doing, Paratus." Cura informed him. "I believe it's related to the reason why we've come here."

"You have something at your College, don't you? Something immensely powerful. Beyond anything I'd anticipated. What is it?" Paratus demanded information.

"The Eye of Magnus." Cura explained. "That's why we need the Staff. We think... no... we know that it's an ill omen."

Lucien walked to Cura and stood at her side. The two looked at one another in understanding that this could quickly fall south.

"The Eye of Magnus? Well, I suppose if that means what I think it does… Well, that's interesting." Paratus scratched his chin as he descended the upper platform and stepped down onto the gizmo itself.

Cura followed him down with Lucien behind, and addressed the Synod agent once more. "Can you help me find the Staff of Magnus or not?" the Psijic Monks placed this onto her shoulders, and she was not going to fail. At any cost, she would get that Staff.

"Yes, the staff. Interesting…" Paratus pondered something for a second before going into a lecture. "I can't explain the details. That would be giving away many secrets the Synod have learned over the years. Also, I doubt you'd be able to comprehend the details. Have you ever seen the Orrery in the Imperial City? It was the inspiration for this idea."

"Ah, yes." Lucien recalled such, and deigned to elaborate for Cura. "The Orrery is an old, magnificent machination we have at the Arcane University. It does share some similarities with this, but it is used to examine and harness the powers of the celestial bodies. Similar, I suppose, but vastly different to this."

"Wow, how fascinating!" Cura marveled.

Paratus continued on the immediate machination before them. "...Instead of projecting the sky, we project all of Tamriel, and then harness the latent energies to overlay the positions of… What's important is that all of this work was designed to reveal to us sources of great magical power. Purely to help safeguard the Empire, of course. And yet, in the end, only two locations have been revealed to us. One is your College. The other… Well, that can only be Labyrinthian."

"Labyrinthian." Lucien emphasized the word and it hung in the air.

Cura had heard of it before, as well, and she took in a deep breath.

"So, mage from Winterhold, despite your intentions I've beaten your little game. Even if all you said here is lies, I know you have something in Winterhold the Synod Council will be very interested in. So fine, trudge off to Labyrinthian in search of your Staff. I shall return to Cyrodiil and deliver my full report to the Council. This is not over, I assure you." Paratus jabbed a long finger in Cura's direction.

"Everything I've told you was the truth." Cura reinforced her point. "I've made no attempt at deception - I've been transparent with you from the beginning. "

"I doubt that." Paratus rolled his eyes.

Serana and Inigo approached him from both corners, and Inigo pointed down the ramp. "You are going down there and you are leaving us. Now."

"Oh, I was just going to." Paratus sneered as he began to walk. "And your College is going to hear it. And this 'Dragonborn' of yours is a complete mockery of the bloodlines of old, if she truly is one."

Cura had enough. She leaned forward. "FUS!"

With a mighty gale, she pushed up dust beside the mage, causing both of his eyes to shoot open wide. "Wait..."

"Tell the Emperor we say 'hello'." Inigo waved sarcastically.

Serana chuckled. "And good luck getting past the Stormcloaks' Dominion over all of Eastern Skyrim if you intend on returning to Winterhold. I'm sure they would really appreciate seeing an entire squadron of Legion Mages on their turf."

"Also, please send the Arch-Mage my regards." Lucien requested of the perplexed Synod agent.

Paratus took one last look at Cura with a mixture of disbelief and bewilderment before disappearing from view.

Cura and her allies spoke amongst themselves.

"Now we know the Staff is in Labyrinthian. We've got to tell the Arch-Mage." Lucien insisted. "It won't be easy to get in there, but if anyone should know the way it would be him."

"Wow... Labyrinthian... there's a name I haven't heard in centuries." Serana expressed her surprise. "The powerful mage, Shalidor, created it as a private place of study. Why wouldn't he have the Staff of Magnus, honestly? I can't believe we needed to go through all this to figure that out."

"Then let us not waste any time! To the College!" Inigo yelled as he thrust a fist upward and dashed for the exit below.


The air at the College was particularly cold on this day, and Brelyna, Onmund, and J'zargo felt the chill in the air even as they studied inside the Arcanaeum.

"Do you think that Eye of Magnus, or whatever it's called, might be affecting the atmosphere?" Brelyna proposed. "It's never this cold in here! It's almost as if... as if the warmth of the world itself has been taken out..."

"J'zargo can feel it, too." J'zargo remarked. "Where are Inigo and Khajiit's friends? It is unusual for them to just disappear like that."

"In Winterhold that kind of thing is commonplace, it seems." Onmund scoffed. "Students go missing all the time. Outlandish things are the order of the day here."

Drevis Neloren, the Illusion professor, walked up to the students. "Excuse me, have any of you seen my Mystic Tuning Gloves? They appear to have vanished."

"I'm sorry, professor, but I haven't." Onmund apologized meekly.

J'zargo shook his head, and Brelyna shugged.

"Odd... I was using them to cleanse the magicka pools earlier, and I put them down for one minute, and they disappeared. No, I hadn't cast any Illusion spells on them, before you ask." Drevis stated dryly before moving on to ask Urag.

"That was weird." Brelyna raised an eyebrow before returning to her book.

"BY AZURA! NO, YOU MUSTN'T! DON'T DO IT! HEEEEEELP!" they heard a loud wail from the floor below, followed by a loud explosion. Brelyna, Onmund, and J'zargo looked at one another in shock upon hearing this and slowly lifted themselves up off their seats to investigate, and, with other students, they hurried downstairs to see what happened.

In the stairway, Aranea Ienith, the seer, lay deceased and steaming on the bottom of the steps from a virulent strike of lightning, and the students collectively gasped.

"What in Oblivion is happening here? I thought I heard a..." Mirabelle Ervine asked as she pushed past the crowd, having to squeeze through the student body to reach the source of the noise.

She went down on one knee and lifted Aranea's wrist to check for a pulse, finding none. The older Breton's eyes widened. "Who did this? Who?"

Colette, Drevis, and Phinis pushed through the students as well, and each reacted with disgust; Colette cupping her hands over her mouth in horror, Drevis looking away and cringing, and Phinis shaking his head.

Mirabelle hurried past the deceased former Priestess and turned back to the other professors. "Colette, Phinis, Drevis. I want the Hall of Elements, the Arcanaeum, and the Study Hall evacuated, at once! Get the students outside! And get the other staff members outside, as well. I'm going to investigate this."

The professors confirmed with her and began to organize students outside through the upper exits onto the rooftops above the Courtyard.

Mirabelle stormed out towards the Hall of Elements, where she could feel the tangible might of magic itself pouring through her. It nearly knocked her frail body down, but the Breton pushed on, soldiering through the powerful waves of energy, directly to the source.

"This magic is extraordinary... but what is it..." Mirabelle staggered as she felt something solid in the air before the entrance to the main classroom.

Ancano stood there, in the Hall of Elements, wearing Mystic Tuning Gloves.

"It's like a ward, but who's casting it? Ancano? How?" Mirabelle shouted as she realized what she had walked into. The ward took a greater shape now, and even shocked the Breton backwards. "Wah!" Mirabelle exclaimed as her left hand was scorched greatly on impact. She looked down at her palm, which was seared down to the bone and her heart began to race as the pain registered at last. Tears welled up in her eyes from the strain, but she forced them back, and roared. "ANCANO! You BASTARD! What on Nirn do you think you're doing?! You were to leave the Grounds!"

"I was, wasn't I?" came Ancano's smug voice from the other side of the barrier. "Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, you filthy half-bred witch, but I'm not going anywhere. This power is mine, and mine alone!"

The Arch-Mage hurried down the stairs and rushed to his assistant's side. "Mirabelle! Are you all right?" He examined her burnt hand and quickly attempted to cast a Healing Spell on it, but the wound would not close.

Mirabelle's eyes widened with terror at the sight of it, and Savos attempted to stand in front of her. "No... I'm not going to stand by ever again..." he shuddered as he stood between her and the force of nature before them.


As soon as Cura reached the outside of Mzulft, the world slowed down around her, and she was visited again by a Psijic monk.

"Er... hello." Cura greeted him politely, recognizing him from their first encounter in Saarthal.

"You have done well thus far, but trying times are ahead. It is imperative that you return to your college at once. You will be called on to take swift action. Rise to the challenge, and discover what you are capable of. You are on the right path, and you will prevail." the Psijic monk comforted her with powerful words before vanishing and allowing the world to resume.

Cura wasted no time. She grabbed hold of her friends and quickly Fast Traveled to the College grounds.

Something was happening. She knew it.

"INIGO! SERANA! CURA! LUCIEN! UP HERE!" Onmund shouted to the group in the courtyard, waving.

"What's going on?" Cura asked the group of students on the upper balcony.

"A MURDER!" Colette cried out among the crowd. "THERE'S BEEN A MURDER ON COLLEGE GROUNDS! ARANEA WAS KILLED!"

Cura and Lucien's eyes shot open wide, and Inigo's jaw dropped.

A sudden anger overcame her. Cura pushed Inigo, Lucien, and Serana back from the door. "Wait outside. If anything happens, I don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay, Candle. Please be careful." Lucien shuddered, knowing that, at this point, it would be better to trust the Dragonborn's intuition on these things.

"Yes, my friend. You have eight less lives than I do." Inigo shuddered. He could feel something very bad brewing in the air. Being a feline, he was hypersensitive to the smell of evil in the air.

Serana couldn't help herself but to steal a peek inside when Cura hurriedly thrust open the door to the Hall of Elements. She knew Cura would be all right. She was the Dragonborn, after all. She had faith in her abilities.

"I don't care what it is, I want it down now! I want to know what he's doing in there!" Savos Aren shouted over the loud sputtering noise that consumed the lower half of the College.

Cura entered and immediately witnessed the horrific spectacle. She looked at Mirabelle, who was gripping her left hand and breathing heavily, and at Savos.

"Oh.. oh, no..." Cura could only mutter as she felt the chill in the air. As she approached the barrier, Mirabelle quickly yanked her backwards with her good hand.

"No! Don't touch it! By Julianos, stay away from it!" She showed Cura her disintegrated palm, and Cura immediately got the hint.

"Oh, Mirabelle..." Cura expressed sadly at the sight of such a grievous injury.

"Forget about me. We need to find out what Ancano's up to." Mirabelle spoke through gritted teeth as her face began to redden.

The Arch-Mage growled furiously. It was obvious that Ancano must have read his plans with Colette concerning a Ward to protect the College, but he entirely bastardized it.

It was often said that Savos would lift the College up into the sky if it meant keeping it safe from harm.

But now, at this point, the Arch-Mage fought every fiber of his being that begged him to run. Anger consumed him, overriding his natural instinct. The magickal embers peeled back some of his own flesh, but he stood forward.

He was not going to run.

He was not going to hide.

Never again.

Without consideration for his safety, the Arch-Mage began to blast the barrier with Fire Storms. "Ancano! Stop this at once! I command you!"

Mirabelle tried to caution him. "Don't go near him!"

"Arch-Mage! Don't-" before Cura could pull him back, they exchanged one final glance. Savos' eyes were filled with regret, and with sorrow.

All he could mutter was 'I'm sorry' before a violent wave of energy burst forth from the Eye of Magnus and exploded, destroying the Hall of Elements and causing the front doors to explode off their hinges and smash through the grand statue in the courtyard, causing the rubble to fly all over the place.

Cura's allies were thankfully far enough away to miss the destruction by a hair.

The students on the upper balcony and professors all cried out in horror.

"CURA!' Lucien screamed at the top of his lungs.

Inigo felt his heart sink and the Khajiit clenched his chest. "No, no, no, no, no..."

Serana gasped and covered her mouth as fear ravaged her from within. Tears began to bead in her eyes as she feared the worst.

The students screamed even harder when the smoke in the courtyard cleared and the Arch-Mage could be seen laying on the courtyard, his entire body decimated and his bones stripped of their flesh and his robes in tatters.

Serana choked down a loud sob upon seeing this.

If that happened to Savos, what became of Cura?

Brelyna, Onmund, and J'zargo looked on in horror, and the student body hurried down, casting Drop Zones onto the courtyard so they could safely land.

The Professors hurried onto the scene quickly and corralling the students into an organized placement further away from the open door.


Cura lay on the floor in the Hall of Elements, her face planted on the ground. She felt limp, and exhausted.

This can't be happening.

Mirabelle rushed over to her side and offered her her uninjured hand. The Master Wizard could barely stand up, herself. "Are you all right? Can you walk? I need you on your feet. We're in trouble here." As soon as she helped Cura up, she nearly collapsed from the shock her body was experiencing.

"Mirabelle!" Cura held her up, leaning the older Breton against her right shoulder. "No, no, no..."

Cura was plagued with great distress. She and Mirabelle hadn't always seen eye to eye, but she never would have wished this on her. She did not want her to die. Not here, not like this.

It brought back terrible memories.

Cura could feel her emotions welling up. "You're... you're going to be okay, Mirabelle! I promise! I'll...I... I can..."

"Ancano is doing something with that thing... the Eye. We can't stop him! I haven't seen Savos since the explosion..." Mirabelle spoke with labouring breath. "He... he must've been blown clear, and he may be injured."

"No kidding!" Cura exclaimed, highlighting the obvious.

"He... he jumped... in front of me. Protected me." Mirabelle expressed with horror written all over her exhausted face before slowly pushing herself away from Cura and lying down against one of the ruined pillars within the Hall. "I... I need you to find the Arch-Mage, and I need you to do it quickly. Get moving!" she barked as pain consumed her.

Cura looked at her sadly. "But... your hand. I can heal you..."

"The Arch-Mage already tried. It doesn't work..." Mirabelle mused as she looked at the skeletal palm of her left hand. "I'll... wrap it for now... I'll be fine. I just need a minute to catch my breath. Find Savos..." she pleaded.

Cura reached into her satchel and sympathetically gave Mirabelle an Ambrosia for pain relief before running outside.

"She's alive! SHE'S ALIVE! AH, CAME THE DAWN!" came Inigo's cry from outside, as all student and faculty eyes turned to the Dragonborn. The Khajiit was the first to embrace her when she came outside.

"The Arch-Mage!" Cura cut to the chase. "Where... where is he...?"

Her eyes began to blur with tears as she got her answer. The crowd moved aside to reveal the charred, fleshless remains on the ground in the Arch-Mage's robes. "No..." Cura squeaked as she fell to her knees before him. "No... this can't be happening!"

"Oh, you poor dear!" Colette hurried through the crowd and squatted down beside Cura and gently embraced her student for comfort.

Tolfdir walked around the crowd and approached Cura. "Are you all right? What happened in there?"

"It's Ancano. He's done something with the Eye!" Cura explained. "He killed Aranea... she must have tried to stop him..."

"I knew that rotten thing was bad news! Now do you all believe me?" Colette turned to the rest of her fellow faculty, who all seemed to look away in shame.

Drevis, the bitterest of them all. "Do you think we wanted this to happen, Colette?"

"By the Nine... Is he responsible for this? The Arch-Mage, dead?" Tolfdir shuddered as he called attention to a strange phenomenon occurring over the nearby city. A large, green light shone from the skies above and down over the ruined town. "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!"

"No, leave her alone!" Cura snapped at Tolfdir. "She's badly wounded! She needs rest!"

"Nobody has time to rest!" Sergius shouted from among the crowd. "This is a crisis!"

"But.." before Cura could make a point, another loud noise was heard from the skies above.

"HRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRR!"

A large, orange-hued Dragon was attracted by the explosion's power, and flew over to the College.

Cura, now looking upwards, could see Ancano there, hovering over the main building, far above, and he appeared to be laughing.

"Bastard." Serana grit her teeth as she stood by her friend.

"DRAGON!" Onmund cried out in terror.

"Ancano must have called it over." Brelyna fretted. "Oh, dear... the city, and now this?"

The Dragon swooped down and Shouted fire over the Courtyard, causing students to cry in terror and scatter in various directions.

Lucien, Inigo, Serana, J'zargo, Brelyna, and Onmund all grouped together with Cura.

"Come on, Dragonborn!" J'zargo goaded her. "It is time to prove yourself!"

The dragon flew around the College building and stopped in the air before the group, and hovered there, its violent wings blowing snow in all directions with each beat.

Cura wiped some spit from her lips and inhaled deeply.

There was no rest during a crisis.