Practice of Magic: Memories of a Very Stupid Orc, 5th Entry

  • Well, this is it.

     

    Can't make another step, not even one last drop of strength is left in me. I ran out of water, out of piss and even the tusking camels died under me. I drank their blood, the only liquid I was able to get my hands on. Do you have any idea how fast blood dries in this gods forgotten wasteland? Damn fast.

     

    I found myself a shade under the rock, with my eyes constantly looking the way I came. The way you are coming. Drawing closer. I could swear I see three bright dots on the horizon. Is that you? How in the name of Trinimac's third tusk can you still keep up? What are you made of?

     

    Well, I guess I'll find out soon, as you'll probably catch up with me by the nightfall. I hope you have some water with you, because I'm dying here. And I want to live, though why I'm not entirely sure. This whole life is worth shit. But surviving...that's what I do.

     

    You ever heard that phrase? Old habits die hard? This is the case. I will do anything to survive, though there isn't exactly a reason to live. That's what I’ve always done, so why stop now?

     

    You might have heard people say something like…”People change,” or some similar bullshit. But that ain't true, not exactly. The so called changes...it's fake. Over the time I came to realise there are two changes when it comes to people. The first is pretence. You start acting like someone else, to please others, or to convince yourself you can be someone else. But it's still you, in your head, fighting over with that pretender trying to take over your body. And it never lasts long before you take the control back.

     

    The other change...that would be suppression. You lock yourself into a prison of your own making and throw away the key. Becoming just a poor shadow of your true self, believing that it might eventually create a new persona - create a space and something will eventually fill it, right? Well, might be true, but deep down, it's still you. Looking through the bars of a prison you locked yourself into, violently pulling on the chain you put around your neck, trying to claw your way out on the surface. And in one moment...the bars, the chain...will break.

     

    I think I was trying to do that back in College, trying to suppress what I really was. And what is that? Well, I've been a thief most of my life. And old habits die hard. But this time I was after a much bigger prize than I would be able to steal under normal circumstances. I was about to steal a power.

     

    When the argument between me and Urag took place, I got an idea how to do it. I started putting a plan together. If one could increase his magickal potential with potions or spells for a limited period of time there surely must have been a way how to make it permanent. I theorized that in order to do that, one would need big source of power. Or multiple ones. And so I started putting together a ritual on how to do it.

     

    I spent next few weeks studying a magic script, runes written by Shalidor himself, to give the ritual more power. Shalidor's Insights also played a big role in understanding the language, the runes.

     

    When I felt like I had it covered, there came a time to put my thieving skills to use.

     

    First I needed Daedric essence, and the thought of a Soul Gem filled with a  Dremora's soul or some other strong Daedra crossed my mind, but ultimately I wasn't sure if that would have enough power. So...I needed a more powerful morpholith. A Sigil Stone. Luckily, a new teacher of Conjuration moved to College, more studied than the old Phinis Gestor. And Falion had one of these Sigil Stones. So it was just matter of sneaking into his room and stealing it while he slept.

     

    Piece of cake. Even little Agni hadn’t noticed me sneaking around their room.

     

    The other items I needed were sadly in possession of Arch-Mage Broody. And he didn't keep them in his quarters because I've already searched them. No, there was his private treasure room. And Urag was using that stone in his room to get there. But where was it precisely? It took me a week until I figured it out. The top of the main building. Nobody was ever there, no stairs were leading to the top, yet clearly, there was something up there. It must have been the treasure room.

     

    So how does one get up there? Especially when he's afraid of heights… That's actually where my new skills could be applied. I went through my things I put aside when I arrived at the College those seven months ago and found a grappling hook and rope. I wasn't sure if the rope would be long enough so I stopped by the shop in Winterhold to get more.

     

    Then came the climbing itself. First off, I had to get the grappling hook up there. And Telekinesis was precisely the thing that allowed me to do that. During the night I sneaked up onto the roof,  I drew on the magicka and pushed against hook, shooting it upwards. I wasn't able to do it on the first try, the hook didn't fly high enough and then I had to catch it with Telekinesis in the air, so that the ringing of metal wouldn't wake up anyone. And on the second try it worked. And rope was long enough.

     

    There was also the matter of my fear of heights. I always get dizzy, get problems with balance. And I couldn't get any of that while climbing up the College walls, right? So that's where Illusion came in. If I could bring out fears in people's minds, I could suppress them too, right? And it actually worked. So under the duration of the spell my fear was gone, but I had to be careful, because if I would have made the spell too potent, I might not be afraid even of falling down, afraid of death. So it took some tweaking to get it right.

     

    So I started climbing. Took me long enough to get up to the top, the muscle excercises Vex thought me were put to good use during that. And when I got there...I saw all kinds of weird artifacts through the bars that served as windows. It was damn cold up there, so I had to move fast.

     

    First thing I needed was the Shalidor's book, the one that held the spells of converting one's life force into pure Magicka used to power spells. With Telekinesis I pulled the book through the bars and put it into my sack. And then the last thing I needed for the ritual.

     

    Staff of Magnus. I pulled that one from the pedestal too and the moment I grasped my hands on its shaft I felt the power surging through the staff. I didn't know if the staff was really the property of Magnus or just powerful artifact but the point was...it was powerful.

     

    With all the items I needed I headed to Midden. Just so we understand each other, I planned that thing for some time. The goal was to snatch all the items during one night, do the ritual and return them back before anyone wakes up. And the first part definitely went without a problem.

     

    Then I had to do the ritual.

     

    Ah, my mind and hands wandered off. I see you closing. Was I really writing all this for so long? Most likely. You certainly look like shit, all three of you.

     

    I guess this is the last entry then. I wonder if you're going to read it after what's going to happen now.

     

    Let me just write the last words here.


    Nothing ever goes as planned....

     

Comments

4 Comments   |   Meli and 7 others like this.
  • Caladran
    Caladran   ·  January 15, 2018
    Oh noo...
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  January 28, 2017
    Oh the sneaky so and so.... 
    I think I had a near Rincewind experience... 
  • The Sunflower Manual
    The Sunflower Manual   ·  January 23, 2017
    This bodes ill.
    • The Long-Chapper
      The Long-Chapper
      The Sunflower Manual
      The Sunflower Manual
      The Sunflower Manual
      This bodes ill.
        ·  January 23, 2017
      Oh Hell yeah. One thing's for certain, I see those bars being reinforced with glass later. Lol, I will say this though, Grulmar was able to do what the Thalmor couldn't HAHAHA! Go' Orcs!