Ancano's secret

C6 Don't go

I fought the anomalies and raced up to the college, I opened the doors to the hall and there was a magical force field that I couldn't pass. ''Ancano! Please stop!'' My heart stung as he ignored me and continued to use magic on the eye. ''You stupid fool!'' I screamed at the top of my lungs. The archmage placed his hand on my shoulder. ''You need to find the staff of Magnus. Look in Mzulft. You'll find the Snyod there. Then after you do that, you'll find the location for the staff. Then head back here as fast as you can." With one last glance back at Ancano, I took off.

I traveled to Mzulft, fought lots of Falmer, in the Oculory were a few more Falmer, after getting rid of them I headed for the big doors but they were locked! I need the key! I searched the bodies but no key, I did find a focusing crystal. I traveled down a corridor til I ran into a dwarven machine, after taking it out I searched the room and found the key! I really needed to hurry. I took off back down the long corridor, past the piles of Snow elves that now littered the room. Gavros Plinius told me when I first entered to find someone in the Oculory, which I'm assuming is what lies behind those large doors. I unlocked the doors and ran up the long hall to another set of doors. It was locked and the key I had didn't work. "Gavros, is that you? I had almost given up hope. Here, let me get the door."

I stepped back and the man eyed me, in a defensive stance his fists held fire within them. "Who are you? What did you do with Gavros."

"I'm with the college of Winterhold and I'm afraid your friend is dead." He dropped his fists, the fire going out. "It was the Falmer, wasn't it? Damn elves!"

I didn't have time for him to mourn. "I'm afraid whatever you've come here searching for is at a loss, without the crystal..." I held up the focusing crystal I had taken off one of the elves earlier and his face lit up. "Where did you... never mind! Savos wouldn't even grant us an audience when we came to the college but since you've saved my skin I'll help you. Follow me." He turned and started walking forward. There was a giant dwarven platform in front of us. "This machine was built by the dwarves to collect starlight and then somehow split it. It had been my idea to use the crystal..." but I stopped listening to his ramblings. We reached the top and it was beautiful. It was a giant machine with crystals. "Magnificent isn't it? Took a lot of work to get it running again. Now I'm hoping it will have been worth it. Place the crystal in the central apparatus and we can start the process of focusing it." I placed it where it needed to go. The single beam turned into three after I pushed the middle button to start it up and then I saw it, I had to align the beams to the crystals on the walls. An easy process. Then I also had to use the ice and fire spells to make the beams move into the correct place. Also easy enough. When they all aligned properly the beams turned into a map on the wall below the buttons. "Finally! Years of hard work paid 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?! So what is it? What have you done? Did you know what we were attempting? Well, explain yourself?"

My brows furrowed. "You'd better calm down." The man threw his arms up. "You and your college have ruined years of my work. How did you do it?" I sighed. "I haven't done anything, I swear!" I backed away. "But it must be something you're doing! There's no other explanation unless... You have something at your college, don't you?" I took another step back. "You mean the eye of Magnus?"

He looked bewildered. "The eye of Magnus?" I nodded. "Can you help me find the staff of Magnus or not?" He crossed his arms. "Yes, the staff... Interesting.. I can't explain the details that would be giving away many secrets the Snyod have learned over the years. Also, I doubt you'd be able to comprehend the details. Have you seen the orrery in the imperial city? It's the inspiration for this idea. 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 the Labyrinthian. So, mage from Winterhold. Despite your intentions, I've figured out your little game. Even if all you said here were lies, so fine trudge off to Labyrinthian to find the staff but this is not over!"

I took a few more steps back. "I think you've been here too long, you're crazy!" He scoffed. "Am I? Am I?! Your trickery won't confuse me!"

"So the staff is in Labyrinthian?" He pondered. "Well probably yes but that doesn't matter now the council will be informed of what the college possesses." I should probably put him out of his misery.  ''Well, you got what you came for so leave!" I took aim and pierced his heart with an arrow. "Now.. to head back to the college." I took off running, around the machine and then down the hall, I turned right to another pair of doors but Nerien appeared. "You have done well thus far but trying times are ahead. It is imperative that you return to the 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." He disappeared and I continued on. I got back to the college as quickly as I could. I entered the hall of the elements, out of breath and exhausted I breathed in. I looked forward into the room where the eye was and there was Savos and Mirabelle standing outside while a giant barrier swirled around. "Oh my..." I let out. "I know where to find the staff!" The archmage turned around. "Excellent, I'd say go find it but right now we need to get into the room. Ancano has somehow locked himself in with the eye. Help us get through this won't you?" I nodded and helped them attack the barrier. I ran straight for Ancano who was shooting the orb with lightning strikes. "Ancano, please stop this!" I yelled and his Amber eyes looked into mine but he was not there. Mirabelle grabbed me, pulling me away. The archmage ran up. "Ancano stop this! I command you!" He got closer and Mirabelle sighed. "Don't go near him!" But the archmage persisted, the orb pulsated magic and everything went White.

When I opened my eyes again they were blurry until I blinked a few times. "Are you alright?" Mirabelle asked. "I nodded slowly. She was on the ground hurt. "I need you on your feet, we're in trouble." I got up. "Ancano is doing something with that thing! The eye... I haven't seen Savos. I need you to find the archmage." I took off, but not before looking past a smaller ward around Ancano and the eye. My heart tore as I turned back to the door, heading out of the hall and into the bitter cold. The archmage lay on the ground outside, dead. Had Ancano blasted him out here? Why did he spare me and Mirabelle? I took off down to the bridge and saw some creatures that didn't look normal. "Great." I rolled my eyes. As if the people of Winterhold didn't hate the college enough. Some of the teachers helped take them out, they reminded me of ice wraiths and whisps only larger.

I took off back up the bridge and into the hall of elements to find Mirabelle. She now stood, watching Ancano. "Well, is everything out there alright?"

"Winterhold is safe for now." She nodded. "Wish I could say the same for us." Toldfir and I can try to keep this contained while you get the staff." I sighed. "Then I'm off to Labyrinthian." She gave me a confused look. "What? Are you sure?.. the staff is there. That can't be a coincidence." I nodded furiously. "What are you talking about?" She eyed me. "The archmage. He told me you would need this ." She gave me an amulet and a torc. "Hurry and get the staff before he brings the college down all around us. "I'll be back as fast I can!"

I hoped to be able to stop him. I hoped to be able to save him. I hoped it wasn't too late.