Through the Veil

Michael carries the drunk Megumin through the College while making his way to her room, wishing to put her to bed before she does something stupid. He, fortunately, doesn't meet any obstacles and reaches the girl's room before tossing her onto the bed like a sack of potatoes. "Alright, you sleep off the alcohol. Don't leave the room and make sure to drink plenty of water. Got it?"

"Yyyeeeeeaaah..."

"I'll take that as a yes... Sleep tight, Megumin." he says, closing the door behind him as he leaves... Only to find himself standing face to face with the Arch-Mage.

"Having fun, Apprentice?" Savos asks with a slight smile, "I hope you haven't been corrupting our young friend with the terrors of alcohol."

Michael shrugs, "She drank some strong mead before I could stop her... It happens. Did you need something?"

The Arch-Mage nods, "I did and still do. That deal we made, I require your assistance now, if you have the time to spare?"

"Sure, what're we doing?" he asks, wanting to repay his debt as soon as physically possible.

The Arch-Mage nods, "Come, this is a private matter I'd rather not have others hear." he gives a smirk, "The walls have ears, and some of our guests are particularly large ones." he says with a chuckle.

"Guests you won't remove."

"For reasons we both know, Michael... Anyway, come inside, we have much to discuss." Savos says, directing Michael into the Arch-Mage quarters before shutting the door behind them, a faint *click!* wringing out signifying that the door is locked.

"Alright, what are we actually doing then?"

The Arch-Mage walks over and sits in a chair at the side of the room, "Well, we need to take a little trip to Oblivion, I trust you don't have any objections?"

...

"You want me to come to Oblivion with you... This is for a Sigil Stone or something, right? We're not going to an actual Prince's domain, right?" Michael questions, feeling as if he was getting punked.

The Arch-Mage shakes his head, "We aren't going to collect a Sigil Stone, nor are we going to one of the Prince's domains. You see, I've run afoul with one of my contracted Dremora, who managed to break my control over him after a botched experiment. He tossed my Alchemy table onto the floor, flooding my quarters with toxic gasses, preventing me from apprehending him as quickly as I would have liked."

"And? What did he steal?" Michael asks, continuing upon receiving Savos' surprised hum, "He obviously stole something, otherwise you'd just summon him back. Him taking something is the only reason I can see for us to go to him."

The Arch-Mage nods, "An accurate deduction, Apprentice. Yes, he did indeed steal something, not of mine, but of the College. Shalidor's trinket, something every Arch-Mage of this college is entrusted with. For it to be stolen due to my own errors is bad enough, let alone being unable to retrieve it... I ask you, both as a friend and as someone indebted to me, help me recover this artifact."

Michael chews his in thought for a moment before nodding, "I'll help, just promise not to leave me in Oblivion." he says, knowing full well that he could use the Dimension Gate spell to leave if such a thing occurred... He'd not be nice to Savos afterwards if the man left him, not nice at all.

Savos stands with a smile, patting Michael on the shoulder as he retrieves a staff sitting against a nearby wall, "Shall we get going then? You don't need to grab anything before we leave?"

"No, I think I've got everything..." Michael says, checking his equipment and inventory over. Darth was hiding within a shadow in the crook of his neck, and Derflinger was in his sheath on his hip. There wasn't anything else he could think of that'd be useful, barring the Daedric Artifacts that were hidden in his inventory that he still refused to use. "Let's go."

"Very well." Savos says as he conjures a purple spell in his palm and lets it slowly drop to the floor in front of him like a magical snowflake.

*Thwoom!*

A portal to Oblivion tears itself into existence once the spell hits the floor, "Come, let's not waste any more time." he says, stepping through as Michael follows him.

On the other side, the duo are greeted with a sight that only the unfortunate would ever see in their lifetimes. A purple chaotic sky devoid of any sunlight that provides only an eerie dark glow to encompass everything. It was dim, but not dark, visible but not without difficulties making things out.

The ground was rocky and composed of a grey material that flaked like brittle glass but had the texture of stone. Some trees and other foliage grew around the place, but all of it looked to be dead or dying. That wasn't the worst of it however, as the landmass they were standing on wasn't a consistent thing like it was in Mundus... It was like a small island floating atop the abyss, with nothing underneath it but the void.

Other islands were floating around as well, some with structures built atop them and some without. The thing Michael immediately notices though is the many creatures inhabiting the land... Despite how lifeless and inhospitable the place seemed, it wasn't dead... Indeed, it looked more populace than Skyrim.

The creatures were too numerous and too varied to count, each looking unique in its own way, but all having some similar traits to one another. They either had pale purple scales and leather or pale skin with black veins decorating them like spiders webs or lightning bolt scars. Fortunately, none had noticed Michael or the Arch-Mage yet.