Eye of Magnus (a Skyrim fanfiction)

Chapter Nine: Containment

Something is very, very wrong at the College. 

When Onmund and myself arrive back at Winterhold there is a dark cloud hanging over the College and a few of the other students and professors are running amok, shouting something about Ancano and the eye. When we push through the crowd and finally reach the Hall of the Elements, there's some sort of barrier surrounding Ancano and the eye and we can't get through it. 

Arch-Mage Savos Aren and Mirabelle are shouting over the chaos. 

"What's going on!?" I exclaim when I reach them. 

"Ancano," the Arch-Mage's face is grim. "He's in there doing...something. We don't know what, we're trying to get in now. I will have his head for this, I assure you. Help take this down, will you? We're throwing everything we can at it,"

I conjure some fireballs in my hand and Onmund makes ice spikes. We throw them at the barrier and it finally gives in. 

"We  need to find out what Ancano's up to in there!" Mirabelle urges us as the four of us race into the Hall. 

Ancano is casting a spell at the Eye of Magnus and looks absolutely transfixed by it. It's haunting and terrifying to look at. 

"Ancano!" Savos Aren bellows. "Stop this at once! I command you!"

"Don't go near him!" Mirabelle shrieks. 

Everything happens all at once, but slowly at the same time. 

Savos Aren approaches Ancano and Mirabelle rushes forward to stop him - then I notice Ancano directing his magicka away from the Eye and in the direction of Savos and Mirabelle. Some sort of protective instinct takes over me and I leap forward to try and push Mirabelle out of the way. Savos Aren counters Ancano's spell with a powerful one of his own - and the world explodes. 

***

Everything slowly comes back into focus. I shake my leg. I can still move it, which is a good sign. There's a loud ringing sound in my ear. I put one hand to that ear and blood comes away with my hand. My heart starts pounding and I try to get myself together. I start a small restoration spell in my hand and that eases some of the pain, but I feel so incredibly drained. 

I sit up slowly. Everything is still a bit blurry and chaotic. I can't see the Eye of Magnus anymore. Instead there's some sort of barrier or magical field surrounding the Eye that crackles with magicka and lightning and Ancano is completely immersed in it. I catch a few glimpses of him through it. 

"Blaise? Blaise, oh thank gods you're okay!" someone is calling my name. I look up and Onmund is above me, touching my shoulder and gently shaking me. "Blaise? Can you hear me?"

I just keeping looking at him. He's nice to look at. Seeing him makes me smile. 

"I'm okay," I say slowly and touch his hand that's resting on my shoulder. Onmund moves his hand around and crouches next to me. We're holding hands. "I'm okay now,"

"You absorbed a lot of the explosion," he tucks one of my curls behind my ear. "Let me use a healing spell on you,"

"Okay," I smile at him, still feeling strange and out of sorts. 

I'm still trying to piece together what I saw when the world exploded around me. The island of darkness, the ground opening up and Oblivion rising from beneath it and Lucia surrounded by fourteen Daedric Princes. Then my Uncle Marco and my grandfather Kodlak, speaking to me. What did it all mean?

"You're okay," Onmund says after he finishes the restoration spell. "Drink this stamina potion," he gently coaxes the green liquid down my throat