Ch. 7 Ancient One
With the use of Detect Life and Detect Undead, I was able to thoroughly search the entire manor. I combed over every inch, cleansing the place of all unwanted inhabitants. I didn't run into any more poltergeists or ghosts, but I did find a few other creatures.
I killed a nest of spiders the size of a dinner plate in the basement. I had to use a few flame spells to burn through some of the cobwebs. I have no idea what species of spiders they were, and I don't care. Any arachnid that large is not welcome in my home.
There was a ghoul in the attic that I left alive. It's slimy green skin, and buck-teeth remind me of an ogre from some video games. The ghoul appears to be dim-witted but harmless. I figure I can use it as a teaching aid at Hogwarts.
Finding a boggart in the kitchen pantry nearly ended in disaster. After it had taken the form of Other Me, I had to restrain myself from destroying the entire pantry.
Trixie came to the pantry's rescue and locked the boggart into an old wooden toolbox.
I was still tempted to destroy the thing but ultimately decided to take it to Hogwarts as well.
Seeing Other Me forced me to admit that with my hatred for the being, there is still plenty to fear. Acknowledging that fear made me hate Other Me even more.
I am the Dragonborn and youngest recorded Archmage of the College of Winterhold! My victory over Alduin saved all of Nirn!
I am...
Oh, wow. I've fully accepted my memories from Skyrim as real. This will get confusing.
Regardless of which set of memories is real, my situation hasn't changed. My very soul is on the line for the entertainment of a powerful being.
I'll do whatever it takes to protect my life and soul. I'm aiming to be the D.A.D.A. Professor, but I have no problems banishing the ghost that teaches history. He lived a long life. I'm not risking the destruction of my soul on being morally fair to an apparition.
An hour into the hunt, I felt the dremora lord return to his own realm. That left a unique tingling in the back of my head. I wasn't able to tell what he did, I just knew he was gone.
Once I saw it was two in the morning, I called it a day. The Healing Hands and Rejuvenation spells fend off all forms of exhaustion, making it easy to lose track of time. If I'm not wrong, I can use this to fend off aging... Possibly.
Returning to the second floor, I found the master suite at the end of the hall in the west wing. The sight of dust where her master intends to sleep, put Trixie into a cleaning frenzy.
While she was busy restoring my room to pristine condition, I checked out the bedroom next door. It was a modestly sized bedroom with a very distinct woman's touch. This is perfect for my servant's bedroom.
There's no need for Trixie to stay in a cupboard. There is plenty of bedrooms, and her hard work and loyalty should be rewarded.
I stood in the doorway to my suite, waiting for Trixie to finish cleaning. Once she arrived to tell me my room was ready, I showed her to her new bedroom.
As expected, she attempted to turn it down. After I pretended to be hurt, she would refuse my gift, she was desperate to accept it. She was nearly hysterical once she realized she had her very own bedroom.
Seeing her start to whimper, I simply scooped her up and placed her on the queen-sized bed. Once done, I made a quick retreat from that train wreck.
Alone in my room, I cast a few of the hygiene spells I learned from '1001 Common Household Spells'. I change into just a pair of pajama bottoms and climb into bed. It was odd laying there, like trying to sleep in a strange hotel room.
I was nearly asleep when I suddenly got a bad feeling. Like a snap, I was fully awake and alert. I quickly escape the bed and stand ready on the balls of my feet.
Something is not right.
As I'm about to cast Detect Life, the cooling sensation of my wards runs through my body. All the subtle sounds of the house ceased to exist. An unnerving silence hangs in the air.
It looks like I didn't clear everything out of the house.
Reaching in my subspace, I drop a trunk on my bedroom floor. I make a mental note to create a spell to instantly don my armor. I can't always be wearing my armor, but having a spell to quickly put it on would be invaluable.
Flipping the lid open, I immediately begin putting on my enchanted armor. I don't know what's in the house, but I'm not taking chances.
It takes me only a moment to get dressed, but the tingling of my wards tells me I'm not moving fast enough. Whatever is happening is not to be taken lightly.
Once fully armored, I quickly place my trunk back in my subspace.
I think of a few spells to prepare to cast and quietly move towards the door. A few feet from the door, I cast Detect Life.
Three red outlines spring up in my vision. I watch the red-outlines slowly creeping down the hall to my door.
As I watch the human outlines approaching my door, my anger spikes. These are either, local thieves or those damn goblins sent mercenaries after me! Whoever they are, they done fucked up!
As the three intruders near my door, I draw in a deep breath, "FUS RO DAH!"
With the sound of shattered metal, the bedroom door is ripped from its hinges and launched down the hall.
The thick wooden door collided with an unlucky intruder during its short flight. The other two intruders somehow avoided being hit by the door.
Stepping into the hallway, I take in the sight of two startled intruders. The red outline of Detect Life is slightly blurring my view of their faces, but that doesn't stop me from launching a barrage of Stunners at them.
I don't want to kill them. At least, not until I find out who sent them.
The moment they took to look at the third intruder laying under my bedroom door was all the time I needed. Both intruders drop to the floor, unconscious after they each take a Stunner.
As I'm walking over to check on the intruder struck by the door, Trixie pops in beside me.
"Trixie, watch the two men. If they stir, stun them again." I order my faithful little servant. I barely catch her mumbled response before she runs towards the downed men.
With a wave of my hand, my bedroom door lifts off the injured intruder.
Seeing his blood-covered face, I can't help but cringe at the sight of his twisted nose. It looks like he took the full brunt of the impact on his face.
Not taking any chances, I hit him with a Stunner.
I don't want him to die before I get my answers, so I cast an overpowered Heal Other on the bloody figure. As the spell effects are finishing, the man begins stirring. Another Stunner to his chest fixes that.
Interesting. A healing spell will lift the effects of a Stunner. I'll have to remember that.
Dispelling Detect Life, I bend down to search the recently healed man. Looking over the man's face, he seems like a perfectly average thirty years old man, excluding the blood, of course.
Casting Candlelight to get a better view, I finally notice the Asian style crimson robes. I briefly pat the man down before I spot something on his hand.
A closer look reveals a two-fingered gold ring with a rectangle bar over the top of the knuckles. I can't recall exactly where, but I've seen this before.
"Trixie, bring me all the jewelry the two men have." Waiting for Trixie to search the men, I returned to my inspection of the ring. I feel like I should know this.
Trixie running over pulls me from my thoughts on the ring. "Master Dragon Sir. These be the only things on them!" In each of her long-fingered hands, is a ring matching the one I recovered.
Like a flip of a switch, I recognize where I've seen the rings before! "Son of a bitch! Sling rings! But Why would Masters of the Mystic Arts try to attack me?"
"Perhaps due to you calling upon demons from another dimension," asks a feminine voice.
My attention snaps to a grim-faced Tilda Swinton stepping through a shower of gold sparks from a sizable portal.
Before I can make sense of that response, I see Trixie raising her arms towards the Ancient One! "No, Trixie!"
With a look of utter confusion, "But Master..."
"They are friends, Trixie. Well, friends may be a bit premature. Let's just say they're not enemies at least," I calmly answer her unasked question.
The Ancient One tilts her head to the side at that comment. Before I can explain myself, Trixie speaks up.
"But Master! They break into our home, then try to attack the Great Master Dragon Sir! They are BAD friends!" Trixie purposely raised her voice on that last part, allowing the Ancient One to hear. With her arms crossed, she raises her pointed nose in the air.
Despite being the potential target of the Ancient One's wraith, I can't help but laugh at Trixie's reaction!
Making sure the Ancient One hasn't moved closer while I was distracted, I catch a very pointed look from her.
Addressing both Trixie and the Ancient One, "This is one big misunderstanding. From the three sorcerers' attempted assault to my preemptive attack. No one is injured, anymore. These three are just knocked out."
Looking both calm and ready to attack, the Ancient One asks, "And what of the demon you summoned?"
"That was not a demon. It was a Dremora Lord. And that was more conjuration than summoning." Even I think that was a horrible explanation. Before she can question it, "When you summon something, you are bringing it forth from another place or dimension. What I did is a conjuration. I tap into the realm of Oblivion and create a copy to bring forth. The original creature never leaves their own realm, nor is the copy permanent."
I think that's how it works. It would explain why there's never a body left behind when a summon dies.
"While your conjuration may not be real, the connection you opened between Earth and this Oblivion realm has created a link between both realms." The Ancient One's pose hasn't changed at all.
"But aren't the Sanctums supposed to prevent any invasions from other dimensions?" I'm getting confused by this entire conversation.
It's like she doesn't know anything about me. With the Time Stone, she should have already seen this conversation happen multiple times.
For a split second, the Ancient One looks startled. "You are very well informed."
"And you are not informed at all. Why is that? With the Time Stone, you should have already seen all of our conversations." I had to voice my confusion. She should know this!
"How do you now all of this?" The Ancient One still looks a bit rattled, but ready for battle at a moment's notice.
Dropping my defensive posture to stand-up straight, I slowly levitate the three Sling Rings and their owners towards her. "You are not the only one to see possible versions of the future.
"We have two options before us. The two of us can sit down and talk, like civilized beings, or we can fight. It will not be an easy battle, I assure you, and with a great calamity on the horizon, you're going to need my help."