Chapter XXXVIII: Saarthal (Part 3)

Just as I was about to open the ancient gate I heard the sound of jogging coming from behind us and Tolfdir yelling out "Hold on my boy!" The old mage ran up to us and greeted us with his signature smile "I believe it is high time I rejoined the two of you."

"Is everything behind us secured?" I cannot help but ask, my paranoia had been growing more rampant with each and every second I spent down here, as even the tiniest mistake could spell our end.

One might ask oneself why take such a great risk when a path to victory already exists?

True, I could have simply followed the original story and allowed Minthara to go on a wild chase around the province in hopes of saving the college and likely the world but I was not about to follow a damn script like some puppet and my lack of interference would result in the death of Savos and most likely many others.

So nuts to all that! I am going to make this entire situation my bitch and it is going to love it.

"Everything is as we have planned" Tolfdir's answer brings me out of my internal ravings "The wards should hold for months at this point, that is unless they are placed under greater strain."

I nod a couple of times and say offhandedly "If you find that maintaining them is too expensive do not fear to use my own resources, this is far too important to remain stingy about."

As I turn back to the door a sudden prompt interrupts me

[Quest issued: Contain the Eye of Magnus and save the life of Savos Aren]

[Reward: Summon Ancestral Guardian racial power]

Kowabunga it is!

With newfound determination, I push the great door aside and step forth into the chamber thrumming with azure magic.

(General POV)

An ancient Draugr sat completely still, his rotten robes still carrying a hint of power while his father's amulet, as pristine as the day he ripped it from his cold dead hands, hung from his neck. A gnarled staff with a round crystal was lain upon his shoulder, creating the image of an ancient sorcerer.

Unlike most of his 'kind', he was not just a shadow of an ancient warrior, his soul was still very much present within his embalmed body, sealed there for his crimes by the Battlemage Geirmund, forever barred from Sovengarde, cursed to stand eternal vigil over an artifact both sacred and dangerous.

The air of the ancient chamber shifted suddenly, the presence of powerful beings making itself known to the bound guardian. A sudden thrum of power pushed against the walls of the tomb as the amulet fragment connected to the vast orb levitating behind the undead mage's throne.

Its eyes snapped open, revealing two pale blue embers of power.

Jyrik Gauldurson had awoken.

(Minthara's POV)

A sudden feeling of danger sends shivers down my spine as both Reyvin and Tolfdir tense, even the old man suddenly looking unusually serious.

Before we even have the time to plan our moves both of the mages summon the most potent wards they can, layering them to near perfection as a massive bolt of lightning slams onto our position.

Reyvin lets out a snarl of frustration as his ward is broken "Shit, I did not expect him to be this strong."

Just as I am about to question who he is talking about my eyes land upon a figure standing proudly at the center of the chamber, his silhouette made all the more menacing by the large orb of what I can only describe as pure magic floating behind him.

Reyvin's eyes glow for a moment before he immediately blurts out "Shit, he is drawing power from the eye, Tolfdir you go and cut him off, Minthara and I will keep him busy."

"Very well" The old man nods and sinks into the ground like it was air.

Reyvin flicks his hand, his glaive appearing from thin air as he turns to me with a cheerful grin "Shall we?"

I shoulder-tackle him out of the way of a lightning bolt as he cackles like a madman.

(General POV)

The Draugr guardian keeps barraging spells at the now-hidden invaders, uncaring in the least about exhausting his reserves, he was forever bound to protect the great chamber and what it held but that did not mean he wouldn't do his best to rend his prison apart whenever he got the chance.

His foes were, however, occupied with other things as Minthara glared at the mad Dunmer "What by Shor do you think you are doing?" She hisses and ducks back into cover as another bolt of lightning whizzes by.

"Distracting him" Reyvin answers with a drawl and with a snap of his fingers summons his familiar, the flaming bird immediately flying out and starting to annoy the Draugr by launching bolts of sunlight from every possible direction.

A second later the Dunmer seemingly notices something and rushes out of his cover, his student following after him moments later.

The undead guardian had turned to target Scorch and Reyvin wasted no time in aiming behind him, shouting "WULD!" And impaling him with his glaive, channeling a downright massive amount of fire down his staff.

Jyrik turns to his new attacker, completely untouched by the sudden attack, and growls "Dir volaan!" Before whipping his war axe toward Reyvin's head.

Having already expected this Reyvin dodges backward and summons a massive axe-wielding shade and orders it to attack the undead, all the while hitting it with solar magic and doing absolutely nothing, much to his frustration.

The Draugr goes to smack the shade out of existence, only for a warhammer to deflect his blow as Minthara joins the fight with a battle cry, she strikes the undead with all her strength a couple of times but this too does nothing.

Realizing that her options were dwindling Minthara took a deep breath and shouted out "YOL TOR SHUL!" bathing the ancient sorcerer in draconic fire, which to Reyvin's great surprise actually manages to hurt the damn thing.

Quickly understanding the implication of such a result Reyvin summons the Ebony Blade and shadow-walks behind Jyrik, delivering a stab to his spine as the Reachman shade held him in place by sacrificing itself.

The Draugr growls in either pain or frustration as a portion of its dwindled life force is yanked away from him and releases a downright massive torrent of Magicka, rapidly breaking through Reyvin's defenses and launching both of his attackers away from him.

Scorch dives in to distract him but he is too late as Jyrik launches an overcharged wind blade that looks powerful enough to rip Reyvin's legs off at the knees, however just as the spell is about to connect his robes flash in power and he turns into a ghost-like state letting the spell pass through harmlessly.

Minthara was far less fortunate, however, as the sudden explosion of power flung her against a nearby wall causing multiple bones to crack from the impact and knocking her unconscious.

Things start turning dangerous as Jyrik points his staff toward Reyvin, multiple spell circles surrounding it in less than a second and looking potent enough to wipe half the damned room, but just as he is about to launch his attack and obliterate his target a sudden thrum of power shudders from the giant orb and the spells lose power as the Draugr staggers, utterly cut off from his source of strength.

He has very little time to consider his newfound weakness, however, as a massive form shrouds him in its shadow and a massive hand grasps his head, turning it into mush immediately.

*Flashback to Tolfdir*

As the sounds of battle resound throughout the massive chamber, the old Master of Winterhold takes his time leisurely examining the great construct of magic Reyvin hinted as 'The Eye of Magnus'

Such an auspicious name required all of his caution after all.

He took his time looking over it, recognizing none of the runes inscribed upon the great orb, and then started meticulously inscribing a circle around it, slowly forming it into a ward.

A wave of fire explodes on the other side of the chamber as Tolfdir mutters to himself "Can't have it emitting anything, so no simple shielding... a shroud ward?" He questions aloud before shaking his head "No, no, that won't do."

He ponders for a moment before he is struck with a stray thought "A self-contained feedback loop?" His eyebrows rise at his own words "That could also power the spatial wards..." His course of action decided, he gets to work and quickly creates the beginnings of a grand ward, his patient scribbling only interrupted by the sounds of battle.

It takes him three minutes to finish his work but then a sense of alarm flares within his honed instincts as he abruptly stands up and turns toward the battlefield. He watches almost in slow motion as both of his students are placed in great danger of losing their lives.

He activates the ward just in time as his Magicka bubbles onto the surface and he rushes at the damned undead thing in a rage.

(Reyvin's POV, after the fight)

"Well, that was close" I mutter as I take deep, calming breaths.

Tolfdir sends me a quick glance but I shake my head in response and jerk my chin at Minthara.

We both quickly get to work on healing her and moments later her eyes snap open and immediately start scanning us, after she seemingly calms down she tiredly asks "Did we win?"

"That we did" I answer cheerfully "Never expected him to be that strong but I guess he was practically just cheating with whatever that invulnerability spell was."

"I believe the undead was merely reconstructing itself faster than you could damage it, with access to all that Magicka it doesn't seem too far out of the realm of possibility" Tolfdir helpfully explains and I find myself agreeing.

"Far easier than merely stopping such ridiculous amounts of damage" I nod "Shame it only works on bound undead though."

"So we are not about to die?" Minthara snarks and we both nod "Good" She sighs and practically melts into the ground as the relief hits her and she falls asleep on the spot.

While Tolfdir remains to make sure Minthara is in peak condition with his considerable restoration magic I walk up to Jyrik's corpse and yank the amulet off his neck. Second fragment get!

---

It takes us about an hour to rest up after all the excitement but after that Tolfdir and I get to work while Minthara goes to explore the word wall at the end of the chamber, learning the ice form shout in the process.

The wards we create are of immense complexity but after another three hours of hard work what stands before us could contain the eye for literal centuries without any issue.

I share a proud smile with the old man before both of our senses are tingled by the ward system, informing us of someone attempting to tamper with them.

Our eyes meet as we both realize what just happened... and we break out into a fit of laughter as the fact that the ward had just ripped apart a Psijik Monk finally hits us.

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