The Last Holy-Scale:Book One: Part Eight
I'm No Expert
So we had a bit of a skirmish in the last story, and almost a death. We are deep in this Dwemer Ruin/Holy-Scale Sanctuary. Semkil did tell us all about what it was, about it being the "first" Holy-Scale Sanctuary. He told us that the An-Xileel that branched off couldn't do all to well by themselves. So they looked for a Dwemer ruin to make their Sanctuary to "attempt" to learn how to use the technology they used to possess...and it seems they succeeded.
We are delving into the ruin beneath the Inner Sanctum and Semkil is giving us all the information he knows about the place. He said that it was called Dchuka in its early days a Dwarven city built to filter the mud that occasionally rolled in from time to time. The dwarves tried to build their city to where the mud would stop coming in, but they could never find a way to do so.
In the end, they gave up trying to do it themselves and decided to come to the surface and, very fortunately, some Argonians told them the secrets of the mud Black Marsh possesses. The Dwarves even brought them back down to Dchuka to have them teach the others. But no matter what the Argonians taught them, the Dwarves could never understand how to stop the mud.
The Argonians kept telling them, "One with mud will never be dirty." Somehow, the Dwemer couldn't understand that. We all knew it just meant, "Let the mud come in, it'll stop eventually." The Dwarves were too smart for their own good he said. We continued to wonder at all the Dwarves did manage to do whilst we were down there.
Semkil: (while walking with the others) This place is more empty than I would've predicted, just look at how barren it is down here.
Jumps: Probably because we can't see yet, cast a Mage- or Candlelight.
Delaki, Rezmor, Stands, and Semkil: (cast Candlelights)
Jumps: Now we can see, thank the Hist.
Shavra: Semkil, what are we looking for now that you're here to guide us?
Semkil: Shavra my dear, we're looking for a dead body.
Rezmor: Excuse me.
Semkil: You heard me Rezmor, a dead body, the still preserved remains of Filgrachaz, a Holy-Scale mage who gave himself a Dwemer name, who was very adept at preservation magic. We seek his body to see how he preserved his body. I intend to use such magic to coat the Sanctuary, keeping her in good shape.
Shavra: I see now, smart.
Semkil: Thank you, now let's focus. Everyone! Gather 'round! (everyone gathers) I intend to find Filgrachaz's body quickly and with no injuries. so we'll split into groups of three. Rekuuk, go with Rezmor and Shavra. Stands, accompany me as well as you Jumps.
Delaki: What about me Hist Master?
Semkil: Hmm...you can go with Rezmor's group, they might need it.
Delaki: Xhu. (leaves for Rezmor's group)
Semkil: (to Stands) What say you on us going to the western section of this ruin?
Stands: How would we know what direction we're going down here?
Semkil: Up there, (points to the ceiling) that will tell us.
Jumps: (looking up, seeing a large, blue dial with four points on it, seemingly in place where the cardinal directions are) A compass?
Semkil: Precisely.
Stands: Well a sense of direction is well and good, but how do you expect for us to find a body buried in mud.
Semkil: Detect Dead.
Stands: (facepalms) Then why...are we in groups?
Semkil: *very straightforward* I have no idea.
Jumps: Is there ever a time you're not clueless Hist Master?
Semkil: Watch your tongue Berserker! I'm old and decrepit, what would you expect of my memory or sense of judgement while I'm doing physically or magically strenuous activity!
Jumps: Ok Ok...you have a point. Find this body quickly, I have a bad feeling about leaving the Sanctuary back home unattended for so long.
Stands: Fear not Jumps, the rest of our brothers and sisters can handle themselves.
Jumps: (sighs) It's just a feeling...and I don't like it.
Semkil: (casting Detect Dead)...I...don't...see any aura. Stands, do you?
Stands: (also casting Detect Dead) Not yet...you said he'd be down here correct?
Semkil: I know he's here...I wonder how the others are doing?
Meanwhile, Shavra, Delaki, Rekuuk, and I were sweeping the next room, looking for a body to, in my eyes, desecrate...not my forte. Delaki and I are the only ones using Detect Dead while Shavra and Rekuuk are digging in the mud we weren't searching. We did come across something of some value during that time...
Delaki: (to Rezmor) Any luck?
Rezmor: None...(looks around momentarily) on your part?
Delaki: Not a damn thing. Where are Shavra and Rekuuk?
Rezmor: Last I saw they went in (points to a room on their right) there.
Delaki: It's been 45 minutes, surely, even for their level of intellect, couldn't've found something to preoccupy them for so long.
Rezmor: Then you go in there.
Delaki: You go in there.
Rezmor: Ok (heads for the room)
Delaki: Really.
Rezmor: (still walking) Yep.
Out of nowhere, Shavra falls from the ceiling where Delaki was standing. Rekuuk later emerges from the room I was about to enter and said to me, "Bad news Rezmor, three giant metal men are headed this way!" "What!' I say, "What did you do in there!?"
Rekuuk only replied with, "All I did was pull a lever, and those giants, whom I thought were statues of metal, started to walk. One even bashed Shavra into a small hole on the wall, I fear the worst for her."
Delaki says immediately, "She's over here!" We then rush in and she's badly wounded. Blood is trickling out of her chest, now battered and mangled. She is groaning in pain, and is death gripping Delaki's arm.
I kneel up to her and prepare a healing spell, but the three automatons barge in the room and break most of the doorway. Rekuuk stands up at the ready, "What do I do against these things Rezmor?!" he says. As I'm healing Shavra, I say, "Their big red cores in their chests, that's their weak spot!"
Rekuuk taakes out two of his normal shields and puts himself in a position to sacrifice himself. One machine brings down his hammer arm, but Rekuuk swipes it away and returns with a shield thrust to its core. The machine staggers, and Another one tries to hit Rekuuk from behind.
Delaki uses his un-deathgripped hand to shoot an Incinerate spell at the colossus's core. This strikes at it with enough force to send it to the ground. The third one was already at my position ready to beat the shit out of me. It raised its axe hand and swung down, but when the axe came down, it missed about an inch from my face.
It was Semkil, he used Mass Telekinesis to literally grab hold of the machine and he crushed it with his sheer magical power. Rekuuk was on top of the fallen automaton, bashing its core, eventually it shattered. The one still up and running was doing nothing.
Stands peered out from behind it, he was using a Pacifist's Touch spell to keep it under wraps. Jumps leaped out from over it and brought both his axes down on its core, slicing it in three. The Centurions were now dead, and Shavra's deathgrip on Delaki has gotten weaker, meaning she's getting better.
When I laid her down, she managed to utter out, "Found...him."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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