Black Books

I'll admit my patience was starting to wear thin. Any time I needed help, someone seemed to always want a favour in return. Never a case of 'You need help? Sure, here's what you need or where you need to go.' Sometimes it was a small favour and, I'll be honest, it didn't really both me. At other times, though, the request in return was getting beyond a joke.

So, obviously, my conversation with Neloth went about as expected. I'd met a few Dunmer in my time and, while I knew they were mer, they were far different to their Altmer brethren, but they still carried themselves with an air of superiority, reflected in the way they spoke to you. While he didn't exactly call me an idiot, there was a condescension in his tone that I recognised well. But realising I needed his help, I swallowed down any retort I had whenever I noticed it and simply moved the conversation on.

Adding to the annoyance factor was the fact we would have to descend into another godforsaken Dwemer ruin. Nchardak. The 'City of a Hundred Towers'. I didn't understand much about these Black Books and, if I wasn't of the understanding that I needed another one to help find Miraak, I would have walked away. That's how fed up I was feeling about the whole thing.

And, of course, it wasn't a simple job. It never is.

As Neloth was a talented mage, the first thing I did was send people back to Raven Rock, those being Serana, Lydia and Aela. None of them were happy but I said, after all the Dwemer ruins I'd been through, we needed brute force, which is why I wanted Mjoll and the twins at my back. Thankfully they understood my reasoning and while, still unhappy, departed, Lydia grumbling more than most. As usual…

The outskirts of the ruin were infested with the usual assortment of bandits which we handled with relative ease. Neloth stated he'd travelled to the ruins before and had cleared them out previously, wondering why bandits always seemed to return to where they'd been wiped out before. 'Didn't they find the bodies left behind?' he mused as we pretty much slaughtered those who had returned.

"Why don't we just smash the glass?" Vilkas asked once we'd gathered around the gold ring, behind which lay the Black Book I wanted.

Neloth scoffed. "Do you think if I required brute force I wouldn't have suggested it?" He gestured. "Give it a go, by all means. But that is no ordinary glass. Your weapon will simply rebound off it."

"What about magic?" Mjoll wondered.

"No. I tried that. Trust me, every spell in my arsenal was flung at it but I nearly ended up injuring myself rather than the glass. No, we must descend into the ruins and find the mechanism that would allow us to open the seal and retrieve the book."

I couldn't help the groan. "Why is it never easy?"

"It shouldn't be too hard, particularly with the four of you here to help. If we can restore the steam supply to this room, I'm certain I can open it."

He made it sound easy. But, of course, it wasn't. As I asked, why is it never easy? Because it never bloody is, I'd learned since the day I walked into Skyrim. And this Dwarven ruin was like all the others I'd travelled through. Full of traps and puzzles ready to catch out the unwary or stupid, and with a plethora of enemies promising to give any adventurer a bloody and painful death. It was nothing I hadn't expected, nor Neloth or any of my colleagues. But, still, the annoyance factor…

What didn't help our progress was the fact the ruin, while in relatively good conditions, was flooded. That meant spending far too much time having to go from room to room trying to empty the water. Neloth mentioned a story that the Dwemer had originally caused the entire city to sink into the sea eons ago upon a Nord invasion, though whether there was any truth to the story, no-one could be sure. But he mentioned Nchardak may have been one of the great workshops of the Dwemer, and where much of the Dwemer Army that fought at the Battle of Red Mountain may have originated. I found one or two of the details he was willing to share interesting as I was always fascinated by stories of this disappeared race.

Just when I thought we were done, as the water had mostly drained and the boilers had restarted, a trio of enormous Dwarven Centurions figured now would be the best time to wake up. I know I groaned, hearing the twins do the same thing, to the amusement of Mjoll, as we all readied weapons

"You mean to fight these things?" Neloth asked, exasperated at the idea.

"Not exactly," I replied with a smirk, letting the Centurions close in on us, sensing Neloth slowly retreat before I used my Voice. Two of them went flying while the third didn't take the full brunt of my force and remained on its feet. The twins got to work on the one still standing, hacking away with their great swords, while Mjoll and I headed towards the two who had fallen, though they were quickly regaining their feet.

"One each?" Mjoll asked.

"Aye."

Killing them didn't take too long as we'd finally learned the easiest thing to try and do, though sounding easier than actually doing it, was to decapitate the massive machines. Even while trying to regain its feet, a Centurion could still be a dangerous machine, so we had to approach with an element of caution, shields at the ready just in case. But once there was a glimpse of an opening, you had to move quickly. Our two Centurions were soon without heads, turning to see the twins toying with their own enemy. I was ready to give them lip but held back upon hearing their laughter.

"Alright, just finish the damned thing off now," I called.

We returned through the new unflooded ruin to the reading room. Neloth gestured for me to open the protective case, pressing the lone button, causing four beams of light to focus on a large crystal above our heads. The room then began to shake, causing most of us to stumble and on the verge of losing our footing, hearing one or two shouts of concern before everything stabilised and the lid covering the Black Book removed itself.

"Are we sure this is safe?" Mjoll wondered as I crouched down to grab the Black Book.

"It'll be fine," I stated, taking the book across to a nearby pedestal. It then looked at Neloth, unsure as to what I should do.

"Please... be my guest. You deserve the first look. Besides, it could be very dangerous. These books are known to drive many people insane."

"Definitely not safe," Mjoll muttered under her breath.

"Your wife is going to go nuts, Harbinger," Farkas stated, chuckling away.

I sighed. "I know. But I have to know what's in here. I need to defeat Miraak." I turned towards the twins. "You'd better go get all of them. If what I think is going to happen when I open this book, I'm going to need all your help."

"At once, Harbinger."

I then looked at Mjoll. "Don't be concerned. I think I should remain here but… I won't. I know that doesn't make much sense. But I'll be fine, no matter what happens."

Upon opening the book, the last thing I heard was Neloth cheerfully stating "Be sure to say hello to Hermaeus Mora for me, if you see him."

*****

'Well, I'm definitely not longer in Solstheim. Or Skyrim. Probably not anywhere in Tamriel either. Yep, definitely somewhere in Oblivion.' I groaned to myself. 'Great… Why always me? What have I done to deserve this? Besides being the Last Dragonborn and all the other titles I have nowadays, I guess...' I groaned again, feeling at my wits end.

I looked around, finding it difficult to describe what I could see. It was just… strange. The liquid surrounding us, I don't think it was water, appeared to be jet black. I dread to think what horrors may have lurked below the surface. Otherwise, there was nothing else that I'd ever seen before. It was… unusual. If not downright weird.

I'd barely taken a half dozen steps forward before there was a flash of light and a large eyeball appeared, hovering just above head heights, surrounded by what looked like tentacles and other… things. I couldn't help the step backwards I took, nor the automatic movement of my hand to my sword, thankful that was still sheathed at my hip.

"So, another seeker after knowledge enters my realm."

"Where in Oblivion am I?"

"This is Apocrypha, where all knowledge is hoarded. Perhaps you will prove clever enough to uncover the secrets hidden here. If so, welcome. Perhaps you are a fool or a coward. If so, you are in peril. Read your book again and escape before Apocrypha claims you forever."

What I figured was a representation of Hermaeus Mora then disappeared, leaving me alone to figure out what to do and where to go next. Approaching the edge of the platform I was standing on wasn't a good idea as enormous tentacles quickly ascended out of the water, striking towards me. I managed to roll out of the way as the tentacle slapped into the vacated ground before submerging below the dark water. 'Okay, stay clear of the edges.'

There was little else on the platform except some strange looking pedestal, which I approached, pulling on the single lever, opening a walkway that would allow me to move on. There was little else for me to do except the same thing two more times, the walkways I required to move on stating to swing from side to side, making sure I leapt at the right time, figuring if I fell into the dark water, I'd be dead in a second.

I eventually arrived on another platform with no other walkways ahead. There was a lone pedestal with a large book laying on it. Shrugging to myself, I approached the book, somewhat cautiously, noticing no title or name on the book. 'Guess I'll have to open this one too…'

Another flash of light and I was somewhere else. And that's who the rest of my day… Or, at least, I think it was daylight. I had no real idea. Everything I'd been involved in so far was just so strange and, I'll admit, a little outside my comfort zone. Wandering forward, sword now in hand, I continued down the bizarre walkways, noticing the enormous libraries with a never ending series of books within. Add to that were the what I could only describe as tornadoes of loose paper. I tried grabbing one or two of them but most of the writing was gobbledygook.

Any ideas of getting through wherever I was without having to use my sword was soon ended with the appearance of one of those monsters I had fought near the Stones. I managed to kill that without too much hassle, a swipe and thrust of my sword and the monster bled out. But it was the creatures I found a little later which brought me to a halt, thinking to myself 'What in Oblivion are those things?' Creepy was the one word I found in my limited vocabulary to describe them.

Whatever they were, they used magic, firing spells in my direction, leaving me with little option but to roll out of the way and close in on them as quickly as possible. The closer I got to them, the uglier they appeared, appearing to float in their air, lacking arms and legs, instead they appeared to have tentacles. As I said, ugly. But they died just like any other monster or creature I'd faced before, I just had to be careful, like always.

I journeyed through at least two or three more sections like this, finding a book waiting for me on a pedestal, each area full of monsters waiting for me to arrive. Their numbers were never overwhelming so I was never too worried about meeting my match. I just had to be careful, taking my time either when fighting enemies or making my way through the bizarre landscape. I did feel my heart beat that little bit faster each time I reached a book on its pedestal, but nothing untoward happened until I finally made it to the Black Book. I had little idea what was going to happen when I opened that one…

Hermaeus Mora appeared once again, an ugly black blend of tentacles and eyes. There was also something chilling about his voice and his tone that matched the void that was his appearance.

"All seekers of knowledge come to me, sooner or later."

"I know who you are. What do you want?"

"You know of Hermaeus Mora, the Gardener of Men, knower of the unknown, master of fates? Very well. What brings you to my realm, mortal?"

"What is this place exactly? And what do you have to offer?"

"This is my realm, Apocrypha, where all knowledge I have gathered is kept. And you are here, having sought out the forbidden knowledge that only one other has obtained. You are Dragonborn, like Miraak before you. A seeker of knowledge and power."

'Should have figured he'd know I was Dragonborn. And that I'm after Miraak.' "Listen, I just want to defeat Miraak."

He laughed. "I know exactly what you want: to use your power as Dragonborn to bend the world to your will. Here then is the knowledge you need, although you did not know you needed it. The second Word of Power. Use it to bend the will of mortals to your purpose. But this is not enough. Miraak knows the final Word of Power. Without that, you cannot hope to surpass him. Miraak served me well, and was rewarded. I can grant you the same power as he wields, but all knowledge has its price."

'As long as it's not a blood price. I'm tired of hearing, reading or being involved in blood rituals.' "What's the price for the final word?"

"Knowledge for knowledge."

Now I laughed. "If you think I know anything important, you're sadly mistaken. I'm not an idiot but there are plenty of people out there smarter than me."

"Not you, Dragonborn. The Skaal."

"The Skaal?" I asked, already feeling my stomach drop. 'I'm not going to like this.'

"The Skaal have withheld their secrets from me for many long years. The time has come for this knowledge to be added to my library."

"You think the Skaal will just willingly oblige? What makes you think they or I will simply roll over and give you what you want?"

"I'm sure you will find a way to gain their confidence. And, as for what I want, I think you'll find I always get what I want eventually."

I hate dealing with daedra. Thankfully I didn't do it too often. But I had a feeling that I needed this final word to defeat Miraak. And, if that meant having to deal with a daedra, then so be it. "Very well. Release me from here and I'll do what I can."

"Send the Skaal shaman to me. He holds the secrets that will be mine. But, as promised, before you go, here is the second word you will require to defeat him."

*****

"That was weird, Ragnar," my wife stated, looking up at her from the stone chair I was sitting on.

"How so?"

"Because you were here, for want of a better word, while you were… wherever you were. But you also weren't here, if you see what I mean."

"Did you get what was needed?" Mjoll asked.

I nodded. "Learned a second word for the Shout I'll need to defeat Miraak. But…"

"But… But what, Ragnar?" Serana prodded.

"Well, there's the whole dealing with a daedra thing. I don't trust him… it… whatever a daedra actually is. And I'm concerned about asking the Skaal about their knowledge. There are obvious reasons as to why they have protected it for so long. And I don't feel comfortable jut asking them to hand it over."

"I guess we should go speak with Frea then," Aela suggested.

"We'd better. I think this may take some negotiation on my part."

That's where Neloth decided to give his two Septims worth. "Hmph. What secrets could they have worth keeping from old Mora? Sounds like a bargain to me. Hermaeus Mora learns some fascinating new ways to skin a horker, and you become the second most powerful Dragonborn that ever lived. Well, that gives me a lot to think about. I need to get back to Tel Mithryn."

"We can travel part of the way together."

"Are you interested in any more of those Black Books, Dragonborn?"

"Honestly, not really."

"Well, if you're ever interested, you'll find me in Tel Mithryn."

We wandered out of the ruins together and, to be honest, wasn't all that surprised to find something waiting for us. A dragon was sat on one of the broken towers, obviously waiting for our appearance. I gestured for my colleagues to break ranks and prepare for the onslaught though the eyes of the dragon were only for me.

"I have heard of you, Dovahkiin. They claim your Thu'um is powerful."

"So I've been told."

"Miraak has commanded your death."

"You don't have to fight me. If you know me, then you know of my opinion of my relations between dovah and man."

The dragon grumbled. "That may be so, but I answer to Miraak. When he returns, all shall bow before him. Including you."

I unsheathed my sword and pointed it towards the dragon. "I will give you one warning, dragon. Leave now or you will die."

The dragon chose to ignore my warning, a flap of his wings lifting him into the sky. I wasn't going to waste time fighting this dragon for too long, so used the Dragonrend Shout to immediately bring him to the ground. Once his feet touched the ground, all of us, even Neloth, descended upon the beast and it wasn't long before we drew plenty of blood. The dragon tried Shouting in return, but a good couple of swings of my sword put the kibosh to that idea, then I Shouted again, sheathing the dragon in flames.

I then yelled for everyone to stop attacking, at least for a moment, blood flowing from numerous wounds of the dragon. The giant beast backed up slightly and made to Shout. I simply shook my head and, to my surprise, he didn't. "You don't have to do this. You can live. You know I'll let you live," I yelled.

The dragon didn't Shout, instead starting to say, "But Miraak…"

"Will be dealt with if you choose to fly away now. Go in peace. You have my word."

The dragon was quiet for a moment, obviously contemplating my word. "Miraak has killed many of my kind. I know others of the dragon blood who have done the same. How can I be sure you will honour your word?"

"You have heard of Paarthurnax?"

"I have."

"Seek him out and speak to him. He will tell you of the agreement I have reached with your kind." I then sheathed my sword, seeing widening eyes from colleagues at such a move, gesturing into the distance. "Go now and live in peace. My quarrel is not with you or your kind. It is with Miraak only."

The dragon waited a few more seconds before he finally dipped his head. "You have thanks for my life, Dovahkiin. I will not forget this."

My colleagues and I took a few more steps back as the dragon, still bleeding heavily, regained his feet completely and, somewhat slowly, started to flap his wings and eventually ascended into the air. He circled above us a few times, letting out one or two roars, before he finally turned and headed away into the distance.

"I must say that was… unusual, Ragnar," Mjoll finally stated after more silence.

"But I've told you all about Paarthurnax and the other dragons I've let live."

"It's one thing hearing about it. It's another thing seeing it. I had no idea dragons could be so… honourable."

"They've proven far more honourable than man or mer at times."

"So what do you think that dragon will do?"

"He may seek out Paarthurnax. Or he will simply find a mountaintop and choose to live in peace and solitude. I'm not sure. Anyway, we should head back to the village. Neloth, we'll escort you home before that."

"My thanks, Dragonborn," he stated graciously.

It was dusk by the time we'd parted with Neloth and started the long, cold climb to the Skaal village. Night-time had fallen by the time we walked into the village, snow also starting to fall, the wind ripping even through our thick fur coats. We found Storn and Frea in the village hall, keeping out of the cold with a few of the others. Their conversation ceased as I walked towards them.

"What news do you bring, Dragonborn?"

I took a seat on the other side of the table, my colleagues spreading out around the room, some pouring themselves a tankard of mead, others grabbing themselves a plate of food. Storn and Frea only had eyes for me. I guess my face spoke volumes about what I was about to say. "I won't go into too much detail about where I've been. I'm not sure you'll understand. I still don't either. But what I do know is that I spoke to Hermaeus Mora."

"And what did old Herma-Mora want?" Storn wondered.

"He's asked for the 'secrets of the Skaal.'"

Storn sighed and I figured he knew exactly what I was talking about. "I should have known that he would have been the source of Miraak's power. We have many tales of Herma-Mora trying to trick us into giving up our secrets to him. And now he comes again for what we have long kept from him."

"I'm afraid I don't really understand what he wants. What secrets do you have?"

"Ancient lore, handed down from shaman to shaman since the All-Maker first gave Solstheim to the Skaal. How to talk to the wind, how to listen to the earth. These are our secrets. Nothing of power or mastery."

I scratched my beard, now utterly confused. "Then why would a Daedric Prince of Knowledge want your secrets?"

"We know him as Herma-Mora, the Demon of Knowledge. It is in his nature to hoard secrets for himself. Their value to him is of no consequence. The very fact that the Skaal have kept knowledge from him has merely increased his desire to have it."

"So what will you do? I'll be honest, this isn't my decision. It's yours. I need your help. And I need the help of this daedra to defeat Miraak. I won't ask. I can't ask. But you know what I need to do. And I'm hoping you will help."

Storn was quiet, looking at me and nodding to himself. Frea looked between he and myself. "Father, what are you thinking? You can't possibly be thinking…" She turned towards me. "Is this really necessary? Is there no other way?"

Storn finally met my eyes and nodded. "Dragonborn, the Skaal tell of the day when we must finally give up our secrets. When old Herma-Mora finally wins. As shaman, it is my duty to guard these secrets, but also to decide when it is necessary to give them up. I believe that time is now. If I am wrong, may my ancestors forgive me. Give me the book. I will read it, and speak to old Herma-Mora myself. I will make sure he lives up to his part of the bargain."

"You want to do this now?"

"No. We will meet in the middle of the village just after dawn. I will need to rest and prepare my mind for what is to come. You had best prepare for whatever is to come afterwards."

"I hope you know what you're doing," I stated, hoping not to sound too judgemental.

"That is my hope as well. I am trusting that you will make this sacrifice worthwhile."

We were dealing with daedra and the Skaal were an innocent people, still pure in their beliefs, in how they lived their lives and their connection with the lands. I just hoped my arrival wouldn't eventually lead to their destruction.

I did not sleep well that night.