Each of them stepped through the portal into the near pitch-black cave. Slowly their eyes adjusted to the dim light provided by the glowing lichens and tubeworms. Alastar reached over and gently took Sirius' wrist before he could cast a Candlelight spell. "That may not be the best idea," he murmured. "It's likely these caves are filled with Falmer and chaurus. Even if they can't see the light, they'll hear the magic." Sirius nodded and put his hand down.
Cautiously they made their way through the dark. Just as the Knight expected, there were many of the Falmer and their giant insectoid pets in the caves. Eventually they came across a Falmer village that had been built out of enormous chaurus carapaces. Mayhem shuddered at the way the dead insects' eyes still glowed green. Beyond it, the tunnels started to change. Giant crystal deposits glowed brightly, and surrounding them were strange plants the likes of which none of them had ever seen before. The flowers looked like blue and purple bells, the pollen on their stamens giving off an oddly bright glow. May picked a few and stashed them in a belt pouch to give to Watevra when they returned.
Eventually they reached the end of the passage of strange flora and crystals, and found the first ghostly Prelate guarding a Wayshrine.
"Welcome, Initiate. This the Wayshrine of Illumination. Are you prepared to honor the mantras of Auri-El and fill your vessel with his enlightenment?"
"Yes," Sirius answered.
"Then behold Auri-El's gift, my child. May it light your path as you seek tranquility within the Inner Sanctum."
They watched as he cast the same spell Gelebor had, causing the Wayshrine to rise up from the ground. Sirius was the first to step in, dipping the ewer into the basin in the center to draw water from it. A new portal opened on one of the walls. Without even glancing back at his companions, Sirius walked right through it.
The other side of the portal opened into a cave of ice, but it was brightly lit. A glance up showed open sky above, and a path to climb. He didn't even wait for the others, hurrying up and out into the open. What he saw stole his breath away.
The Vale stretched out before him, split in half by the mountain range. Below was partially veiled in mist and patches of snow, the dim blue glow of the flowers from the caves piercing through the mist in spots. Far off to his right he could just barely make out the sun symbol atop another Wayshrine.
"It's a good thing it's so overcast," May's voice startled him out of his reverie. "All this white would make me go blind otherwise."
"It's beautiful though," the Knight said. "Peaceful."
"Almost too quiet," Balthazar murmured. "Like the sound is muffled. It almost hurts my ears."
"Sirius?" He glanced up at Alastar. "Are you ready to go?"
He nodded. "Yes. And I've already seen where the next Wayshrine is." He led them on through the Vale. They made no comment or complaint when he paused to marvel or explore, letting him have his fun- it was not likely they would ever venture that way again.
Unlike the Wayshrines in the caverns, the Wayshrines in the Vale only connected backwards; they had to walk long distances between each to reach the next one. As Gelebor had warned, each Prelate gave a rehearsed speech, treating them as though they were Initiates and not answering any questions Sirius tried to ask. He soon gave up trying, in favor of hurrying along to the next. The ewer was starting to get heavy.
They'd spent the better part of the day traversing the Vale, fighting off Falmer all along the way. "What I wouldn't give to see what this place was like at the peak of their civilization," Sirius sighed. "It must have been amazing."
"Well their architecture was certainly impressive," Mayhem said, and pointed ahead. "Considering it's been more than four thousand years and the Inner Sanctum still looks like new."
"Oh, wow!" Sirius made his way across the bridge as quickly as he could manage without spilling any of the water in the ewer. Standing before the Inner Sanctum was a bronze statue of Auri-El standing easily three times Sirius' own height, his sun symbol suspended over his head. To either side of the statue was a staircase leading up to the entry. There was a basin at the top, much like those in the Wayshrines, though it had a drain in it that emptied into a channel at the base. Sirius poured the water into it and watched as it flowed down the channel to fill yet another sun symbol etched into the ground before the doors. Once it was full, the protective enchantment that kept the doors sealed shut released, and the doors swung open to grant them entry.
There were frozen Falmer and chaurus everywhere inside. "I can see why the paladins lost the fight for the Sanctum," Balthazar said, shivering from more than just the cold. Many of the Falmer had been frozen mid-attack, or cowering away.
"They almost look like they might burst out of the ice and continue the fight," Mayhem murmured.
"Let's not be giving them ideas," Sirius huffed. No sooner had the words left his mouth than they heard the sound of something shattering, and the now-familiar hissing snarl of a Falmer on the attack. Sirius barely managed to draw his sword and block the attack in time. More shattering sounds followed as reinforcements awakened. "That was supposed to be sarcasm!" he shrieked in outrage, summoning flame to his free hand.
"Yol Toor Shul!" Alastar Shouted, coming to the same conclusion as Sirius and using flame to combat the frozen creatures. The Falmer in the fire ball's path melted in its intensity. They fought onward until they reached Auriel's Chapel. There were more frozen Falmer, and at the far end of the chamber they could see Vyrthur sitting on his throne, protected by icy spikes jutting outward from the dais.
They weren't expecting to be greeted by the Arch-Curate's laughter.
YOU ARE READING
Murphy's Law
Fanfiction[Skyrim Crossover] As if Skyrim wasn't already hectic enough, with its inhabitants fighting both the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire. Now there's dragons, too, and Emmet finds himself unwittingly roped into the whole mess. What else could go wrong?
