Eclipse

Eclipse: Chapter 14

Eclipse: Chapter 14

by Dracanoth Dereal and Spottedleaf9

(Valisilwen)

When Michael took Jordis, he disappeared into the room with her. Being left out in the common alone, I didn't quite know what to do. It had been a long time since I had time alone to do...whatever I may think of. So I sat there at the table; idly munching on the cheesy bread the innkeeper made each morning and set out for his guests. A split vision you have been given. I jolted before realizing it was a wasted effort. The noise was nothing more than an unfamiliar thought flying through my head.

"A split vision?" As soon as I said it aloud; pain shot through my skull; a dull throbbing affair accompanied by a low moan from my own lips. My view of the table before me faded me away. This was a vision from the gods I had forsaken.

I was back in the place from my nightmares and this time, I was aware enough to pay attention to what was going on. I could see that the beating sound was from a massive heart; set into the ground and protected by grand marble columns in a circular pattern around the outside. Around me, creatures were milling restlessly; some of them looking to me as if for guidance. I sat upon a rather large orange lizard; a creature I could not remember ever seeing before. I raised my arm and yelled a furious cry; a sound of deep, unyielding rage that I hoped would see me through whatever was coming. The creatures around me charged forward. Far away; at the edge of my vision, a figure riding a similar mount appeared; swords at his side appearing as deadly as the bow on my back. His black orbs flashed at me and in them; I felt my death approaching.

When I jolted awake; my face marked with the pattern of the wood grains on one side, I remembered the nightmare. For some reason, in my nightmares, Dracanoth had been killing me over and over every night; in a land I had never before seen.

(Michael)

I looked Jordis into the eyes, letting her absorb the words that had left my lips. She looked right back at me, her face unreadable. After that spoken word that was shared only between me and her, she simply nodded and stated "I will help you in your quest." I looked deep into her eyes trying to see if she was telling the truth, and a face of all my warriors whom could not let their emotions betray them looked back at me. She was already wearing a warrior's face and did not intend to let me find out what her true motives might be.

When I brought her to speak to Dracanoth he seemed to be phasing in and out of sanity, so I thought it best to have a word with her personally and that we would speak to Dracanoth later.

After studying the corpse of the daedra we revealed the spells within spells that were related to the summoning and reclaiming of daedra personnel. The magic was imbedded into the very flesh of the daedra. This magical essence is what linked him to the conjuration magic that brought and took him from this world. Through our studies we found that the spell could be used to open a portal, and suspend it in time, to allow multiple people to pass into that realm. Unfortunately, he came from the plain of oblivion, a different plain of existence than that of Hermaeus Mora. To venture to his realm, an object from that area would have to be used, imbued with the very same magic. Which brought us to Jordis.

Jordis looked at me for a moment before she spoke, the emotion in her voice unreadable; her words permeated the momentary silence of the small hallway next to the room we'd been staying in. Mugs tapping one another rang throughout the inn, and the smell of sweet foods and stews mixed with the strong smell of stout ale, brought the place to a feeling of joyous occasions. I felt as though I should be sitting with my best warriors sharing a drink and the stories of our homes. Imps would run to get us whatever we needed, and we would sit in joy that we had lived through our last war, at last being able to return to our families if only for moments. Instead, I sat in a hearty inn in the homeland of the Nords, negotiating with a woman about a topic that would change the fate of all of Skyrim.