PoTM: Chapter 32, High Point

• Posted by Karver the Lorc December 8, 2017 - Filed in TSC: Mixed - #Straag Rod  #Lissette  #Karver  #Practice of Magic  #Grulmar  #Telvanni  - 1,547 views

  

  Ildari’s Journal

  Volume I.

   

  The fools have taken me in. Weak, pathetic men intent on looting this ancient fortress with their crude mining. Niyya is pleasant enough. I may choose to spare her when the time comes.

   

  I'm still weak from Neloth's betrayal. He promised me power and glory. He failed to mention the constant pain. And the voices. By the three, I would do anything to not hear the voices.

   

  When my strength returns, I will have my vengeance upon my former master. I can feel the power of the heart stone beating inside me. I need to find a way to tap into its power. Then he shall pay in blood and fire and ash.

   

  Volume II.

   

  I am stronger now. The heart stone kept me alive after Neloth's butchery. I can feel the bones in the ash calling to me. I can call back to them too. With the heart stone I can bind the spirits to bone and ash and raise a servant to do my bidding.

   

  Tonight I will seize control. These miners and fortune seekers are pawns of Neloth. I can feel them staring at me. I'm sure they are sending him messages, reporting on my every move. The only ones I can trust are the voices. They've never lied to me. They've shown me that these fools plan to betray me, just like Neloth.

   

  When they are all asleep, I will raise my ash spawn. Their brute of a leader will die first. I can see the lust in his heart. He may act all kind and generous, but I know what he wants, what they all want. They want the heart stone.

   

  I'll keep a few prisoners. I need test subjects for my experiments. There is more that the heart stone can do. I just need to try out a few ideas.

   

  Volume III.

   

  These warrens are well suited to me. I can plot my vengeance undisturbed. I've created many ash spawn and summoned atronachs to do my bidding. Yet I know it isn't enough. Neloth is a wily old wizard. I need more power.

   

  I'm out of test subjects, except for Niyya. I saved her for last. She pretended to be my friend when I first came here. But now I know the truth. The voices have told me all about her lies and betrayal. She works with Neloth to bring me down. I've saved a special experiment just for her. It will take quite a while to complete.

   

  I can't attack Neloth directly, he's too powerful. But I can make his life uncomfortable. I've killed his steward. I've withered his home. Maybe I should poison his precious tea. I'll need a more capable servant for that. The ash spawn are too clumsy for such delicate work.

  
  
  

  Day 32

   

  It's been almost a month since unearthing the crypt at Fort Frostmoth, and I haven't seen a single spark of life in the general's remains. Grafting the heartstone to the subject is proving much more difficult than I originally anticipated. I've used almost every method I can think of, and still there's no sign of reanimation. At this rate, it could be years before I make any progress... which is time that I just can't afford right now. If my vengeance is to come to fruition, I need results. If not, I may need to resort to more drastic measures.

   

  Day 47

   

  It finally appears that I'm making some progress. After my latest experiment, General Carius's eyes briefly opened and he moved his arms. It lasted for less than a few moments, but it's the first sign of progress I've seen since I arrived here. A few of my assistants were insisting that I was imagining things, but I dismissed them for their insolence. They won't be bothering anyone ever again.

   

  Day 55

   

  General Carius awoke fully today. He bolted upright after my incantations and began staggering around like a blind man. He seemed to ignore my commands... in fact, hearing my voice seemed to increase his hostility. I was able to remove the heartstone before he became violent, but this isn't a result that I expected. Even though he's able to be awakened, I feel as though the real work has just begun.

   

  Day 59

   

  The general is still unable or unwilling to listen to my commands. He's acting increasingly paranoid, and appears to have his own free will. He's convinced that I am a "spy" or the "enemy," and I've had to restrain him to prevent him from outright attacking me. This is becoming intolerable. I'm beginning to wonder if someone with a heartstone can be commanded at all. If my experiments with General Carius fail, I may have to resort to self-experimentation... something I've been avoiding for a long time.

  
  
  

  9th of Sun’s Dusk, 4E 204

   

  “Ya sure this is the right place?” Grulmar grimaced when he looked at the ruined tower in front of them. It was half collapsed, with no visible entrance to it, but Talvas was leading him around the structure and that's where they encountered sets of ramshackle stairs protruding from the ash.

   

  Talvas pointed at the steps, frowning. “Yes.” A simple answer, no explanation why he was so sure. The Dunmer had been silent for the past several days, as if he was torn to pieces by some inner turmoil, and Grulmar heard him whisper a word more than once. ‘Ildari.’ It wasn't just a random word, though, it was a name, but Talvas wasn't exactly cooperative in explaining what that meant. All the apprentice was willing to say was that he figured out who was behind the attacks, but that they had to wait for Neloth to wake up to be sure.

   

  And when Neloth woke up, he and Talvas had some alone time in the laboratory. Alone time that involved a lot of shouting, from both Talvas and Master Neloth.

   

  So Grulmar had asked Elynea what was all that business about Ildari and if he had to be honest with himself, he didn't like the answer at all. Ildari used to be an apprentice of Neloth, even before Talvas had come to Tel Mithryn. Ildari and Talvas had become lovers, but then Ildari volunteered for one of Neloth’s experiments and she died. The experiment had involved heart stones.

   

  So now she’s back, Grulmar thought. Back from the tuskin’ dead and can anyone blame her for bein’ pissed at Neloth for bunglin’ up the experiment? I’d be pissed too. Probably. Well, maybe not, if I’d stayed dead, that is.

   

  So when Talvas emerged from the tower and told Grulmar to pack his things, that Neloth did some divination and found Ildari’s location, the Orc decided not to pry because the Dunmer looked like he was to jump out of his skin.

   

  And now they were standing near their destination, with two piles of ash and precious metals behind them - the remains of two Ash Spawn. If the steps weren’t a good enough inclination they were at the right place, the Ash Spawn certainly were. But better to be sure than sorry.

   

  They walked up the steps in silence, reaching the foot of the tower and a narrow tunnel leading inside. Talvas stopped there and stared into the darkness, a grim expression on his face. Grulmar watched him quietly, the seconds stretching into infinity, and then the Orc finally sighed. “Alright. What's the matter?” he asked.

   

  “Nothing,” the Dunmer murmured, shaking his head, his body starting to move towards the corridor.

   

  Grulmar grabbed him by his arm. “Talvas,” he growled. The Dunmer was hiding something and Grulmar didn't like that, not when they were about to walk down into the dark bowels of a ruined tower crawling with Ash Spawn and whatever else. He needed the Dunmer focused, not distracted, if he was to rely on him. “I’ll have yer back but will ya have mine? Ya seem lost in yer own head and that’s goin’ to get us both killed!” Damn, that really sounded like Decimus. How many times I’ve heard that shit from him when it was me who was distracted, ready to run at the first sign of trouble?

   

  “She wouldn't do any of this!” the apprentice snarled, shaking off Grulmar’s hand. “I know her,” he added, a mere whisper. And Grulmar could see the pain in his expression, the feelings tearing him apart. He thought he had lost Ildari. He had lost Varona. And now Ildari’s back. That’s gotta be tusked up.

   

  “Maybe,” the Orc shrugged, narrowing his eyes. “Maybe not. Only one way we’ll find out.” He pointed at the entrance to the tower. “And ya have to keep yer shit together, alright?”

   

  The Dunmer bared his teeth at Grulmar, ready to snap at him, but then he loudly exhaled, shaking his head. “You’re right. Yes, we don't know anything for sure.” Talvas sighed. “Thanks. For having my back.”

   

  “Yeah, just don't get all teary on me now,” the Orc snorted and pointed down the corridor. “Ladies first.” It was Talvas’ turn to snort, casting a magelight above his head as he headed towards the door, Grulmar close behind him. The Dunmer stopped by the door, taking a deep breath and then he pushed it open.

   

  A cone of light flashed into the room in front of them, revealing a simple wooden table with a chair and Talvas walked in, closely followed by the Orc who looked up. The stairs leading up into the tower were collapsed, blocking their way. But to their left were steps leading down, under the ground’s level and Grulmar shook his head.

   

  “What’s the point of a tower if goin’ up isn’t an option?” he muttered and the Dunmer shrugged, beginning his descent down the stairs. Into the darkness.

   

  Grulmar shuddered. Beware the things livin’ in the dark, for they are the same as ya. Rats. Beasts. Monsters. To live in the dark, ankle-deep in piss and shit, embracin’ the humiliation, makes ya free. He shook his head, trying to dismiss the words from his dreams. Now was not the time for that. He followed Talvas down the stairs, watching his every step. And they kept descending.

   

  So many stairs, Grulmar thought, scrutinizing the narrow holes in the walls. Those had been windows once, but now they were constantly weeping trails of ash. The Orc frowned and then raised his eyebrows. Slap my arse and call me an Orc princess, he muttered in his mind. He had gotten it all wrong. When they entered the tower...they entered its top. They were now descending to the tower’s bottom, that maybe two centuries back was at the same level as the landscape, but now, two hundred years later, it was all but buried by the ash spewed by Red Mountain.

   

  They finally reached the bottom, marked by a still burning torch on the wall, illuminating the room and the corridor leading onwards. Talvas dispelled the magelight and they continued on with only the light provided by the torches. Grulmar’s skin was crawling with suppressed fear, because the corridors were completely silent, the only sounds were their muffled footsteps, the crackling of the fire of the torches, and the louder crackling of a brazier burning ahead of them at the end of the corridor. The tunnel then merged with a large room, with most of it drowning in darkness.

   

  Grulmar could see another similar corridor to their right and to the left...darkness, but there were strange flecks of white in it. And he heard it, the scuttle of too many steps on the ground to be made by human feet. He summoned a light in his hand and increased its intensity.

   

  “Oh shit!” he cursed when the light revealed the left side of the room. It was more of a natural cave then anything, but to their left, the wall and floor were covered with white pods that could only have been spider eggs, with a tunnel deeper into the ground right behind them. Suddenly something emerged from the tunnel and Grulmar froze. A spider, not bigger than a dog, but red orange with a trail of fire blazing behind it.

   

  “Stay back!” Talvas hissed a warning. With a flick of his hand, the Dunmer summoned a wave of cold wind and ice shards that headed for the spider and the pods. One of the shards cut the spider’s left legs off and it suddenly grew in size, like bubble ready to burst.

   

  When it burst, the room exploded in a flash of fire, catching the other pods in its radius and those suddenly exploded too. Grulmar covered his eyes against the sudden flash of light, feeling the heat on his face. His nose wrinkled when the smoke assaulted his nostrils and he coughed, waving his hand in front of his face. “I mean, seriously, what the shit?!” he cursed. “Since when spiders burn and explode?”

   

  “They’re imbued with magic,” Talvas explained, calmly walking into the room. “They have been on Solstheim for some now. Neloth theorized it has to do something with the heart-”

   

  Lightning suddenly crackled through the air and hit Talvas, catching him completely unaware. The Dunmer gasped in pain, falling to his knees, and Grulmar looked in the direction the lightning came from. There was a column next to the entrance to the next corridor, barely as tall as Grulmar, with a soul gem hovering above its top. Grulmar had seen those in Skyrim, mostly in Nordic crypts, and he grimaced. He summoned the magic, reaching for the soul gem with his invisible hand and snatched it from the top of the column, pulling it into his hand. “Nasty shit,” he murmured when the soul gem’s light faded and then crouched next to the kneeling Talvas. “Ya still breathin’?”

   

  The Dunmer nodded, gritting his teeth. “I think I'm bleeding into my joints,” he hissed as he stiffly got up and his hand began glowing with a warm gold-orange light that spread over his body and he released a sigh of relief. “Better now. We have to keep an eye for those,” he pointed at the column.

   

  “No shit,” Grulmar murmured, as they continued into the next corridor.

  

  Talvas lead the way through the tower’s tunnels, Grulmar walking behind him and the Dunmer had to glance over his shoulders here and there, just to make sure the Orc was still there, because he couldn't hear his steps. Probably muffled with magic. Every time he looked back, though, he could see the shadow that was the Orc, walking at the edge of Talvas’ magelight. In between the light and the dark.

   

  They had encountered several Ash Spawn and Talvas expected he would have to deal with them himself, with Grulmar hiding behind him. And the Orc had been hiding behind him, indeed, but everytime a spawn got too close, Grulmar’s knives and telekinesis tricks took care of them.

   

  They were making a good team. Talvas up front, unleashing Oblivion and elements and Grulmar in the shadows, waiting for opportunities to strike. Supporting Talvas.

   

  It felt good to have someone watch his back again. Which only made it to hurt more, because the last time someone had his back...it had been Ildari. Everything was suddenly coming back to him, all their moments together, the memories. He thought he had put it past him, but he was wrong. The wounds were still as fresh as the day they were inflicted. The day he had to carry Ildari into that sarcophagus and push the lid over her dead body, burying his love.

   

  He had wondered why they didn't burn her and send her ashes to her family, as was the custom, but now he understood. Neloth didn’t want the body to be burned, destroyed. Because even if the experiment had apparently failed, Neloth was still hoping it could somehow work. A backdoor.

   

  And it worked. She was alive. But he couldn't let himself believe she was capable of doing these things. Poisoning the tower and Neloth. Well, he actually quite understood that part, but how could she unleash the Ash Spawn on all the residents of Tel Mithryn, getting them killed? They had nothing to do with Neloth’s experiments. It wasn't the Ildari he used to know.

   

  They reached an intersection, with one tunnel leading to the left and one to the right. Opposite to their position, on the wall, was carved a glowing rune and Talvas stopped.

   

  “Care to do yer thing?” Grulmar behind him murmured and the Dunmer nodded. He waved his hand, casting a quick dispel and the rune disappeared with a crackle of energy. Talvas looked to the right and then to the left, casting a spell detecting magic. From the tunnel to the left, he could feel a massive accumulation of magicka and he was sure that was the way they needed to go.

   

  He started to head there, but Grulmar stopped him, pointing in the other direction. “Let's check that first.”

   

  “But whatever we are looking for is that way,” Talvas protested, but the Orc was already heading in the opposite direction. Talvas sighed and followed the Orc.

   

  Talvas could see a room with iron bars right in front of him, lit by candles and when he entered, he realized the room must have been a jail a long time ago. Most likely, this whole complex was a part of Fort Frostmoth back in the day, before the halls collapsed when Red Year hit.

   

  “You!” someone whispered and Talvas’ attention snapped towards one of the cells. There was a Redguard woman leaning against the bars, dressed in rags, her hair a tangled mess. It was like she had not seen the light of day for weeks, her face bruised. “You are alive. Not one of them. You must help me, please! Before the witch returns!”

   

  “Witch?” Grulmar repeated, running towards the cell door, pulling out a picklock from his pocket, already working on the lock.

   

  “Yes, a witch,” the Redguard woman continued, spitting on the ground. “We were digging in these mines when she found us. She was hurt so bad. We took pity on her and nursed her back to health. She repaid our kindness by attacking us in the middle of the night. Those of us that didn't die were made prisoners.”

   

  The lock clicked, opening the door and Grulmar motioned for the woman to walk out.

   

  “Prisoners?” Talvas asked, confused. Why would you need prisoners, Ildari?

   

  “Yes, prisoners.” The Redguard answered, stretching her stiff muscles. “She did...things to them. Horrible things. Experiments...and worse. I'm the last one. The others are all dead now. If you find her, don't make her end quick,” the woman grimaced, her face twisting in fear and disgust. “That witch was going to kill me soon, I know it. I need to get out of here.”

   

  “The way back should be more or less clear,” Grulmar said, pointing in the way they came from. “More or less, so...yeah, be careful.”

   

  “Thank you,” she murmured and then shook her head, putting a hand on Grulmar’s shoulder. “I mean it. Thank you. I'm getting off this damned island.” She gave the Orc’s shoulder a final squeeze and then bolted down the corridor and turned left, disappearing from their line of sight.

   

  “That can't be right,” Talvas mumbled when she was gone. “That doesn't sound like Ildari. I just don't believe it.”

   

  He heard the Orc snort and Talvas’ head snapped in his direction. “Death can change yer perspective,” Grulmar murmured, lifting something from the table in the room. It looked like a book, or an old journal, and he opened it, narrowing his eyes as he read.

   

  “I know her, alright? I know what she’s like. This just can't be her. Maybe she’s controlled or-”

   

  “Or she’s nuts,” the Orc interrupted him, tossing the book in Talvas’s direction. “That’s her journal. Read it.” He didn’t like the look in the Orc’s red eyes, the matter-of-fact coldness.

   

  And so Talvas did, his teeth gritting with every word he read. Voices. She's hearing voices now. Those voices made her do all those things, poisoning her thoughts. She’s still in there, I know it!

   

  “She killed the miners who helped her,” Grulmar said, summarizing the content of the journal. “She tried to kill Varona, by sending the Ash Spawn after her. She even created most of the Ash Spawn on the island for tusk's sake! She poisoned the tower the first time. She set the Ash Spawn upon Tel Mithryn, after she got someone to poison the tower a second…” the Orc’s voice suddenly trailed off, his eyes narrowing. “Tusk! She needed someone to poison Neloth. Who showed up in Tel Mithryn not long before the tower was poisoned for the second time?”

   

  “You?” Talvas offered absently.

   

  “No, ya idiot.” Grulmar growled. “Drovas Relvi, the damn rat who was the only one willin' to work for Neloth in the first place.”

   

  “That doesn't explain the first poisoning.”

   

  Grulmar snorted. “No, it doesn't, but that was just a mild thing, wasn't it? Could have been done by water or somethin’.”

   

  “We have to find Ildari,” Talvas reminded, looking at the corridor leading to the powerful convergence of magicka.

   

  “And stop her,” the Orc said, baring his tusks.

   

  Talvas was silent.

  

  The Orc followed a few steps behind Talvas as they were continuing deeper into the earth. The worked stone of man-made corridors slowly turned into larger caves that seemed like they were dug up not so long ago. “This must be the excavation the Redguard was talking about,” Grulmar murmured, almost to himself. He addressed Talvas. “What do ya think they were excavatin’ down here?”

   

  The Dunmer didn't answer. The apprentice was clearly shaken by the words of the Redguard and by the journal Grulmar now carried with him. How do ya cope with a reality ya didn't expect? All yer illusions, shattered. All yer hopes, crushed. Nothing but a cold reflection of the reality in front of ya, like a mirror showin’ ya what ya didn’t expect to see, what ya don’t want to see. How do ya cope with that?

   

  There was no clear answer to that. Everyone did what they could and Talvas was, no doubt, doing the same. The only thing that was making Grulmar worried more than anything else was that the Dunmer would do something stupid, geting them both killed. And Grulmar wasn't sure he was prepared to die because of someone else’s stupid decision. My own stupidity? Idiocy? Yeah, sure, I could live with that. I mean, die because of that. But someone’s else stupidity? Nah, not ready to die for that.

   

  He caught up with Talvas and stepped into his path, forcing him to stop. The Dunmer looked up with a confused expression, as if he has just woken up from a deep slumber.

   

  “We need to talk,” Grulmar said, clicking his tongue. “We need to figure out what we’re goin’ to do.”

   

  “What do you mean?” Talvas frowned, uncertainty written over his face. But he wasn't fooling Grulmar with that, because he saw momentary panic flash in Talvas’ eyes. The Dunmer knew very well what Grulmar meant, he just didn't want to face it.

   

  The Orc bared his tusks at the Dunmer. “Ya know damn too well what I mean. Ya heard what the Redguard woman said. Ya read the journal. What are we goin’ to do about Ildari?”

   

  “I’ll handle her,” Talvas murmured quickly. “I’ll do what I have to do. Happy?”

   

  “No, I’m not happy,” Grulmar snorted, shaking his head. “Y’are bein’ vague on purpose. What do ya mean by ‘handle her’, hmm? Does that mean ya will try to talk her out of it? Give her a hug? That’s not goin’ to work, matey. That one’s missin’ few cogs in her head.”

   

  “What do you want me to say, Grulmar? That I will kill her without hesitation?” Talvas asked.

   

  “Oh, bloody tusk, nobody said anythin’ about killin’ her!” the Orc hissed, knocking the side of his head. “I'm just makin’ sure that ya understand she has to be stopped.”

   

  “I will do what needs to be done,” Talvas grunted, shoving Grulmar aside to continue down the corridor.

   

  This is not goin’ to end up well, Grulmar thought as he watched the Dunmer walk away, the light following, and soon Grulmar was shrouded in darkness, with the shadows of his own thoughts. Killin’. Everyone immediately jumps to that conclusion. Killin’ fixes everythin’. It never sit well with me. Killin’ is easy and with every life taken it becomes only easier. There is always another solution.

   

  But was it really? Grulmar wondered about that as he followed Talvas. A part of him missed the easier days, when all he had to worry about were thugs, thieves, assassins and all that bunch. They could all be outsmarted, outmaneuvered, leadin’ to their defeat. While I was never a big fan of the law, the law can prove useful when y’are tryin’ to put someone out of the way. All of them could be dealt with without killin’. Extortion. Puttin’ the blame on them which lead to them endin’ up in prison. Cuttin’ off their resources by stealin’ their wealth. Turnin’ their friends against them. Tusk, ya have even shaken the tuskin’ Thalmor off yer trail after that stupid crown business. That little gem is still deep in the sewers, hidden away. Secure, if ya can only find a buyer. Thing is hotter than dragon’s fire. He suddenly shook his head. Focus, matey, don’t think about that and focus.

   

  What were they supposed to do with Ildari? Talvas wasn't willing to see it, but what other choice but killing her did they have? They couldn't send her to Raven Rock’s prison, because with the power she displayed so far, she would escape one way or another. Maybe Neloth could come up with some crazy Telvanni dimensional prison, but why would he bother? Why would the magister risk keeping his nemesis alive?

   

  Maybe we won't have any other choice but to put her down. How do ya feel about that, matey? Huh? More blood on yer hands, makin’ it little bit easier. Maybe the next time, ya won’t have any another choice. Again.

   

  Talvas suddenly stopped and it took Grulmar only a few seconds to catch up with him, to see why the sudden hesitation. Right in front of them was large natural cavern, with several wooden scaffoldings leaning against the walls. In between those scaffoldings was a platform of black stone, with unknown symbols carved upon it. Around the platform were three columns, each three steps high and each with a soul gem on top.

   

  “I have a bad feelin’ ‘bout this,” Grulmar murmured, feeling his skin crawl. But Talvas ignored him and stepped into the cavern, heading towards the stone circle. Grulmar could see there was a tunnel at the top of the scaffolding right above the platform, the remains of something that seemed like a tower, and for a moment he could have sworn that he saw a shadow move up there, near the entrance to the tunnel.

   

  "You've gone far enough!” A woman’s voice suddenly sounded from there and Grulmar’s eyes struggled to penetrate the shadows. All he could make out was a figure, seemingly a mer.  “Neloth is a fool to think he could send some low life to finish me off."

   

  “Ildari!” Talvas shouted, rushing forward and Grulmar’s eyes widened in shock.

   

  “Talvas!” he yelled at him, but the Dunmer was already levitating to the top of the scaffolding.

   

  Then, all of a sudden, the soul gems on top of the columns around the stone circle began glowing and crackling with magicka. Lightning began surging from them, drawn to the middle of the platform.

   

  Grulmar saw Talvas reach the top and then he vanished in the tunnel, leaving Grulmar all alone.  

   

  The ash around the platform then swirled, drawn to the middle and with one more surge of energy, it morphed into an Ash Guardian.

   

  “Talvas! Ya tuskin’ idiot!” he cursed, taking a step back.

  

  Talvas was rushing through the tunnel, chasing the figure who seemed to be clad in a tattered set of Telvanni robes. It had to be her! “Ildari!” he shouted at her, hoping she would stop, but it was like she wasn't paying attention to him.

   

  From somewhere behind, he could make out Grulmar’s loud shouts and curses, but he didn’t allow himself to think about that. The Orc was resourceful, Talvas was sure he would be fine. The Dunmer only needed some time with Ildari, alone, because he was worried Grulmar would do something stupid, chase her off, or worse. Talvas just needed to talk with her.

   

  The ash ahead of him began shifting and two Ash Spawn started crawling out of it, blocking his path. He didn't stop though. With one hand, he quickly cast a protection spell on himself, while the other released a lightning bolt, hitting the Ash Spawn on the left.

   

  Its body shook for a few seconds, and then Talvas sent a massive ice spear through its chest, destroying the heart stone. By the time he reached the second Ash Spawn, it was already out of the ground, its sword poised to strike, and Talvas raised a ward, blocking its blow.

   

  The sword of molten rock clashed against the ward, but Talvas wasn't stopping, he rammed the Ash Spawn with the raised ward as if it was a shield, forcing the creature to take several steps back to regain its balance. The Dunmer then cast another ice spear, but the Ash Spawn deflected it with its sword and Talvas growled.

   

  He summoned a cold gust of wind, freezing the Spawn’s legs and when it fell to the ground, he created a sword of ice in his hand, driving it down through the Spawn’s chest. The creature crumbled into dust and Talvas continued through the tunnel with a growl of frustration.

   

  Delays. She’s just delaying me. Preparing her defenses. Wearing me down. That's how would I do it if I knew every corner of these tunnels. But why was she doing that? She knew him, they were lovers. Why was she doing this to him?

   

  Another Ash Spawn blocked his way and Talvas summoned an ice storm, the shards of ice swirling in a self-contained tornado of bone-chilling wind, which tore the Ash Spawn into pieces.

   

  The tunnel around him changed again, shifting from a dug up tunnel to the stone walls of an imperial fort. He appeared in a large room, which looked like an entrance hall to a fort and he noticed a light coming from above, from the second level of the room.

   

  Someone stepped towards the handrail there and Talvas squinted against the light, trying to discern any features. He intensified his own light and it revealed her face. “Ildari,” he whispered when he could finally see her.

   

  Her features were wrinkled and weary, as if she hadn't slept in years. Her hair was a tangled mess, white now when before it had been black. She looked as if she had aged beyond her years, no longer the beautiful young mer he used to know. But it was her, he had no doubt about that. “Ildari,” he repeated. “It's me. Talvas.”

   

  “Talvas?” she asked, as if she had no idea what the word meant. She seemed confused, her tired red eyes narrowing into thin lines. “Talvas,” she repeated, a faint whisper. She then turned away from him. “Go away! Don’t look at me!” she sobbed, disappearing from his sight.

   

  Talvas clenched his jaws and levitated to the second level of the hall. He immediately noticed that it was repurposed into some sort of a living area. There were cupboards with books and ingredients in front of him and an alchemy table. To the left, was a table with one chair and a bed behind it. Talvas saw that Ildari was hiding under the table and he felt his facial muscles give up, sorrow overwhelming him. It was breaking his heart to see Ildari like that.

   

  “Ildari,” he whispered as he crouched next to the table, looking at the Dunmer woman holding her knees. “It’s alright, Ildari. I'm here.”

   

  “You shouldn't be here,” she moaned pitifully, looking away. “I will hurt you. Please, go. I don't want to hurt you.”

   

  “You won’t,” he replied, extending his arm, trying to touch her. She twitched and shrank away from his reach.

   

  “The voices. It were the voices, Talvas,” she mumbled. “They’re whispering to me. They’re whispering about revenge.”

   

  “Shhh. It’s alright. Let me help you.”

   

  “It’s all Neloth’s fault, they keep repeating that. The experiment...he killed me. He put this thing inside me!” she suddenly screamed at him, showing him the hole in her robes, the heart stone protruding from her flesh, glowing. “He did this to me!”

   

  Talvas felt his heart sag after those words. “It is all my fault,” he mumbled, collapsing on the floor. “You were never meant to go through that experiment. It was supposed to be me. I was scared. I was weak. When you volunteered, I didn't have the strength to stop you. I'm...sorry. Ildari. I'm sorry.”

   

  “What did you say?” she suddenly turned to him, her eyes narrowed. “The voices...they’re whispering your name.” She nodded. “Yes. They remember. I remember now. It is your fault, you did this to me!”

   

  “Yes,” Talvas hung his head, tears on his cheeks. “I did this.”

   

  The table suddenly exploded in a shower of splinters and fire, as Ildari unleashed her wrath.

  

  Grulmar watched the ash guardian head in his direction with wide eyes and bared teeth, cursing under his breath. “Shit shit shit!” The guardian released a stream of ash in his direction and Grulmar quickly raised a ward, blocking it while he cast a shield spell on himself, the strongest he could muster. “Bloody tuskin’ shit!” he kept cursing.

   

  He noticed several Ash Spawn on the top of the scaffolding, heading down, towards him and he knew he was ankle-deep in shit. Waist-deep in shit, matey. Waist-deep! He reached for his forearm where he kept the last reserves of his elemental darts and he picked one, throwing it at the guardian.

   

  It exploded with fire, taking big chunks off the guardian’s body, but the creature barely noticed it. Shit tusk fuck! No heart stone, it doesn't have a heart stone! How do ya destroy it?! It floated through the air towards him and it swung its massive arm at his head. He ducked under it and quickly ran forward, trying to get behind the guardian. It spun around, much faster than he expected, and he felt a blow against his back. His feet left the ground and he flew through the air several steps forward, before hitting the edge of the platform.

   

  He hissed in pain, his back hurting like Oblivion, but the shield spell held, absorbing most of the blow. For now. He crawled onto the platform, rolling on his back, trying to catch his breath, when he suddenly heard a crackling of energy. He looked up and saw all three of the soul gems on top of the columns, charging up. “Oh, come on!” he yelped and rolled again.

   

  The lightning hit the spot he just rolled away from and he kept rolling until he fell off the platform, getting back to his feet with a growl. Now he had the platform between himself and the ash guardian, also between himself and the coming Ash Spawn - he counted four of them.

   

  The guardian then lifted itself into the air, levitating, and Grulmar cursed yet again. He reached for another dart, using telekinesis to throw it into the middle of the guardian’s chest and it exploded with shock magicks, sending the creature back to the ground where it thrashed with lightning surging through its body.

   

  Then the Ash Spawn reached him. A sword of molten rock hit the edge of the platform where Grulmar’s hands were a moment ago and the ash spawn then followed him down from the platform, its ‘friends’ close behind.

   

  Grulmar threw a knife at its chest, but the blade must have missed the heart stone because the Ash Spawn didn’t even notice it. He dodged a nasty swing from another spawn to his right and then rolled under another blade of molten rock, putting himself right in the middle of the four creatures.

   

  The Ash Spawn with the knife in its chest brought its sword on Grulmar’s head and the Orc raised his hands, reaching out with magic, reaching for the blade with his invisible hands. And it stopped.

   

  Grulmar suddenly smirked. “Oh yes.” He pushed against the blade, ripping it from the spawn’s hand and sending it flying right at the next one, cleanly cutting its head off. The spawn to his right swung its sword, aiming for his hands, and Grulmar quickly retreated, only to realise he was retreating into the waiting arms of the spawn he had just disarmed.

   

  The creature clenched him in a very weird hug, pinning both his hands to his chest and lifting him off the ground. He kicked with his legs against the coming spawn, sending it to the ground, and he managed to open his right hand, focusing the magic through it, pushing against the sword of the headless spawn, sending it flying away. He felt the clench tightening and he growled, saliva flying from his mouth. His left hand managed to touch the spawn’s left arm and as he began releasing the magic, he cast a quick protection against cold on himself.

   

  He pumped as much cold as he could into the spawn’s forearm, until it just fell off, completely turned into ice. He freed himself just in time to dodge a cut from the fourth Ash Spawn, and the blade was instead buried into the shoulder of the spawn whose arm was just frozen off.

   

  Alright. One headless, one without an arm, two more or less intact. Ya doin’ good, Grulmar, doin’ good. It was then that the ash guardian decided to return, flying now over the platform and the Orc cursed. He pulled another knife, stabbing at the headless spawn, piercing its chest, but missing the heart stone. And so he repeatedly stabbed, always feeling the blade scratching against something solid. Not enough force, damn it!

   

  Something hit his side and he released a yell of pain, turning around only to see the spawn he kicked now preparing itself for another swing. The blade came down and Grulmar used telekinesis to redirect its path. The sword missed him and he jumped forward, rolling over his shoulder in the ash, growling in pain. The sword had hit him good, but didn't penetrate the magic shield. Though he definitely could feel a big bruise popping up within next few days. If ya live that long.

   

  The guardian was now in the middle of the platform and it released a gust of ash in his direction and he had to block it with a ward yet again, feeling his magicka burning away. “Tusk damn it!” he spat. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. I’m runnin’ out of juice and options here.

   

  The Ash Spawn just weren’t going down and he gritted his teeth. “Keep hitting a wall with your head and only thing you’ll get is a nasty headache,” he suddenly recalled one of Decimus’ stupid lectures, but it kind of fit his current situation. Use yer head. Not to headbutt though. He took a few steps back, the Ash Spawn slowly following him and he raised his hand. “Can’t we talk about this? Ya know, like reasonable people? Well, an Orc, four Ash Spawn and a mothertuskin’ Ash Guardian. No? Alright.” The Orc suddenly grinned, recalling another favourite line Decimus always loved to use. “Let’s dance, mothertuskers!”

   

  He used telekinesis to send the last elemental dart into the ash guardian’s face, the explosion ripping the creature’s head apart, sending ice shards in every direction. One of the shards hit the headless spawn and Grulmar was already moving forward. He tossed a knife at the closest Ash Spawn, burying it into its chest, but not deep enough. Grulmar pushed with magic against the knife, driving it into the heart stone, destroying the spawn.

   

  The next one swung its sword and Grulmar ducked under it, getting past that spawn to the headless one, focusing his magic on the ice shard in its shoulder, pulling it towards himself and then quickly pushing, sending it right into the heart stone.

   

  The armless spawn swung its remaining fist and the Orc got down on his knees, touching the spawn’s leg, releasing a quick surge of shock magicks into its body, stunning it for a second and he pulled another knife from his boot, stabbing the Ash Spawn’s chest, using the momentum of getting back on his feet to power his strike. And as he stabbed, he pushed against the blade with magic, driving it through the chest into the heart stone.

   

  The last spawn came after him again, but he was already on the platform, running straight at the ash guardian. He could feel the soul gems charging up above him and he gritted his teeth. The guardian must have felt him approach somehow, because without its head it should have lost its senses - in theory. Maybe it’s usin’ yer soul to detect ya. Stop polemizin’ damn it! Speed up!

   

  The ash guardian swung its arm and Grulmar fell to the floor, sliding right under the guardian the moment the soul gems released their energy. It hit the guardian instead of Grulmar, the sheer energy of it disintegrating the creature into dust and the Orc got back to his feet, noticing the last Ash Spawn crawling onto the platform, its eyes blazing. And the soul gems began charging up again.

   

  “Oh, no, you don’t,” Grulmar snarled and reached for the stones with his magic, pulling two to himself and then pushing them into the Ash Spawn’s eyes. It stumbled and Grulmar pulled the last soul gem, just a second before it could release the magic, and drove it through the spawn’s heart stone with his magic.

   

  He then sat on the ground, breathing heavily. “I need a damn drink,” he murmured, reaching for two vials on his belt. One blue and one red. He looked at the ash piles on the ground and drank the first round, closely followed by the second. He wiped his mouth and sighed, crawling back to his feet. “Thanks for the chat by the way. It was very educational, but I win. Ya could say my arguments had more...impact,” he chuckled to himself, looking up at the scaffolding. “Now where’s that bloody idiot?”

  

  Talvas deflected a thunderbolt thrown his way and retreated back to the wall. “Ildari!” he shouted, but she wasn't listening any more. She was consumed by rage, and rage was a deafening emotion.

   

  Talvas knew she had all the right to be angry, every right to kill him. He deserved it. He wanted it. To end his suffering. And yet every time she threw a spell at him, he deflected or absorbed it, his self-preservation instincts kicking in. But he didn't strike back, he just couldn't bring himself to harm her. He loved her, he had always loved her. “Ildari!” he shouted again, but she ignored him, conjuring up a storm of lightnings between her hands, releasing it against him.

   

  The cone of lightnings completely overtook the whole upper level of the hall, shattering vials, burning the ingredients and the books in the shelves, setting the wood on fire. Talvas raised a ward and yet the force still threw him against the wall. He hit the back of his head and everything went black for a moment.

   

  When he opened his eyes, he looked up into Ildari’s face, twisted in rage, looking down on him. Her once lovely eyes completely black now. “You will suffer as I have suffered!” she hissed, pure venom dripping from her voice.

   

  This is not the Ildari I remember, Talvas suddenly realized. He was stupid, he allowed himself to hope that it would be different, that they could be together again. He closed his eyes to the reality and now it hurt even more. “You didn’t deserve it, Ildari. You don't deserve this. I am truly sorry,” he said, his voice trembling.

   

  She growled, magic gathering in her hands, ready to end Talvas’ existence. And he would accept it. But not like this. Not leaving her to continue suffering like this. She deserved better.

   

  He opened his hand and a spike of ice headed for her chest. She raised her ward, the ice breaking against it, but Talvas was already on his knees, touching the floor and he released a surge of shock magic into it.

   

  Ildari screamed in pain as the lightning surged through her feet and lifted her from the ground, sending her on her back, but her fall stopped mid-way to the ground, her body now levitating in the air.

   

  Talvas felt her reaching into Oblivion, pulling something out of that darkness, and the next second, there was a massive Storm Atronach standing between her and Talvas, its head covered with a crown of lightning. It emanated crackling energy that was seeping into Talvas’s skin, his bones becoming conduits for burning agony.

   

  Something shattered against the atronach’s head and it snapped its attention to the lower level.

   

  “Hey, ya piece of...stone!” Talvas heard the Orc shout and he couldn’t help but shake his head. “Why don’t ya come down here?”

   

  “Kill them!” Ildari screamed and the atronach released a wave of destructive shock magic. Talvas barely raised his protection against that type of magic in time and yet the force of it still lifted him off the ground, sending him flying to the lower level. He quickly cast a levitation spell, touching the ground next to Grulmar who seemed undamaged by the Atronach’s blast.

   

  And the Orc was quite surprised about that himself. He frowned and then touched the dragon priest mask strapped to his shoulder. “Oh, yeah. This thing seems to have more tricks stored in there.”

   

  The atronach loudly hit the ground and Talvas looked at the three steps high colossal thing of stone and lightning. Grulmar spat on the ground. “I'll take care of this rockbrain,” the Orc growled, looking him right in the eye. “Ya just do what ya have to do.”

   

  Talvas stared at him for a second and then nodded. He headed towards the stairs in the back of the hall and Grulmar, in the meantime, got the attention of the atronach. It was strange, but Talvas wasn't worried about the Orc at all. The dragon priest mask he was using as a shoulderpad? It was making him almost invulnerable to shock magicks and all he had to do now was avoid the brute force of the atronach. How difficult could that be for Grulmar?

   

  He ran up the stairs and the moment he appeared on the upper level a fireball hit the ground under his feet. He conjured a ward, but the explosion lifted him from the ground, smacking him against the ceiling, pushing all the breath from his lungs. He hit the ground in silence, trying to catch his breath. But even though he couldn't breathe, his mind was already reaching into the planes of Oblivion and he summoned a flame atronach right behind Ildari, who was standing near her bed.

   

  She spun around when the atronach reached for her with its hands of liquid fire and the Dunmer groaned when the atronach grabbed her by forearm. Talvas could sense how she quickly raised protection against fire, making herself invulnerable against it and she released a torrent of lightning into the atronach’s body.

   

  Talvas rose to his knees, gasping for breath, knowing he didn't have much time. The protection Ildari cast was strong, that meant short-lived, and it only protected her against one element. He conjured a spear of ice and sent it flying towards Ildari. She couldn't see it.

   

  She almost managed to spin around, and instead of her chest, the spear went right through her shoulder, making her growl in pain. She grabbed the spear and ripped it out, burying it into the atronach’s face, hissing steam rising into the air before the atronach disappeared. Another spear hit her stomach, throwing her against the wall, where the ice shattered.

   

  Yet she was still standing. She had two holes of a size of a fist in her body and she was still standing. She snarled in pain, yes, but Talvas saw that no blood poured from those wounds. He then finally took a deep breath, getting air into his lungs, and bared his teeth in anger. She is not alive. Not anymore. She doesn’t deserve this.

   

  She conjured flames between her fingers and before Talvas could react, those flames turned into two snakes that whirled through the air, heading for him. He waved a hand around himself, freezing the air, creating a barrier of ice around him. And when the snakes hit the barrier, he pushed against the magic and the ice exploded, sending shards everywhere. He immediately covered the snakes with torrents of blue lightning, draining all the magicka from them, disintegrating them into nothingness.

   

  She was throwing one wave of fire after another against him and he raised a ward, pushing against the waves. He could see Ildari’s body covered with nasty cuts, the shards of ice buried in her body. One was even protruding from her throat, but she didn’t even notice it. She is gone, Talvas. It's not the woman you loved anymore. She doesn't deserve this.

   

  He pushed against the magic, growling with exhaustion as it took everything from him. He wasn't just pushing against the magic. He was pushing against love itself. Against hope. And all he was leaving behind were ash and sorrow. But he had no other choice.

   

  Talvas was now close enough to touch Ildari, the inferno around him raging with renewed energy and he gritted his teeth. “You don't deserve this!” he shouted and broke the ward, the fires engulfing him. He reached forward with his hand, reaching for her heart, just like he did a long time ago.

   

  And she gave it to him.

   

  The inferno disappeared and Ildari stared at him, at the heart stone in his hand and then she collapsed to the ground like a doll. Talvas caught her, ignoring his burns and laid her slowly on the cold floor. “I am so sorry,” he mumbled, feeling tears roll down his cheeks, the sobs making his shoulders shake.

   

  Grulmar appeared next to him and watched in silence. Because he didn't understand. He didn't know what it meant to be completely and utterly broken. Ripped apart by grief and sorrow.

   

  “Go,” Talvas murmured suddenly, stroking Ildari’s hair.

   

  “What?”

   

  “Go. Tell Neloth it’s done.”

   

  “But what about ya?”

   

  “I’m not going back.”

   

  “Wha-” the Orc started, but Talvas then turned around, casting a spell on Grulmar and the Orc disappeared within a pink smoke. He knew the Orc would be angry, being Recalled to Talvas’ Mark back in Tel Mithryn, but it was better this way. Talvas didn't want to say goodbye.

   

  It was better this way.

   

  He continued to stroke her hair, such pretty hair, black and soft...

   

  He just wanted to be with Ildari.