Foretold
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The last strike cost Jon a lot of power that he almost felt his innards revolting against him.
If not for the Dragon Soul flowing from the dead body of Vulthuryol to Jon, he would at least need five days of hibernation to regain his stamina.
As he held Nefertiti in his arms, he looked around him and whistled. A minute later, the sound of footsteps started to surround him as the place was getting invaded by Dare Troopers.
"The Clean-up shall be handled by the sergeants. I want a band of warriors to clear the way to the southern location of this cavern. I also want the scouts to find the passages that lead to the other parts of Blackreach. According to historians, these caves extend all around Skyrim's holds, not just the north. Be on your guard since we don't know what is outside the space of the Lost City of Blackreach."
As Jon delegated his commands to the officers of his troopers who started taking action, he was in a state where he needed rest more than anything but he was too close to rest now.
"Let's go…" He spoke faintly and started walking as he leaned against his polearm.
"You alright?" Alina walked to him and asked.
"Hardly. But I can feel it now that we have come this far." He replied with a wide smile.
"Alright. Let's go."
Rather than convincing him to stay, she would rather make him do what he wants fast and then convince him to rest later. He is stubborn after all.
Wulfur and Jullanar tagged along and the five started heading southward to the Tower of Mzark, one of the few known access points of Blackreach. In there, Jon didn't take action at all as Wulfur started sweeping any Dwarven Animunculi or Falmer on sight. It didn't take long after that to arrive in a room which nothing could even match its size or even the size of the Dwarven Machine dormant within.
The moment they entered, they walked in a narrow passage that was blocked by a Dwarven Metal wall. This wall made Jon smile upon seeing it and he advanced forward to reveal that there are two passageways to the left and right before it.
He touched the wall and made a clink with his armor against it before closing his eyes for a few seconds and opening them again.
"What is that, brother?" Wulfur asked.
"The closest thing the Dwemer could achieve to a functioning computing machine." Jon replied.
"Didn't they make things like that before?" Alina asked.
"Not of this scale." Jon replied, "Come on, let me show you how it's done."
The group proceeded to the left passage and headed upward with the stairs to arrive at a different part of the machine below. The appearance of the parts above was a complete marvel to the beholder and it felt like looking at a very complicated clockwork astrolabe.
"Welcome to the Oculory." Jon stated as he walked ahead on his own.
The machine was indeed massive and a stationary machine that has a certain function. The Oculory of Mzark is used to store and contain some of the most powerful artifacts the Dwarves came by.
"So… how many treasures does this one hold?" Jullanar asked.
"I have no idea." Jon replied while thinking as he looked up at the ceiling.
The ceiling was part of the Oculory which was designed to show segments of the celestial bodies spread around Mundus. These segments were circles made of Dwarven Metal and Aetherium and it was connected to an array of hidden circuits that goes around the heart of the mountains above the Caves of Blackreach.
"Each of these circles is a celestial body. What we need to do is to align them with the current locations of their corresponding real versions before advancing to the next stage." Jon said and found a control panel on a high enough platform.
"First, we insert the Lexicon here." He said, "This lexicon is a key to get a certain item from the Oculory. If you want a different item, find its corresponding lexicon."
The other four looked at him with interest as he inserted the Lexicon on its socket. Strange sounds were heard afterward from the socket and the Lexicon was trapped in it. Parts of the Lexicon started to open up in response to the socket and blue active Aetherium was seen within it.
"Look at all that Aetherium." Wulfur exclaimed.
"It is one of the few materials that no mortal has access to aside from the Dwarves." Jon said.
"It is just unknowable how to refine it let alone exploit it with a method that is not Dwarven." Wulfur said in vexation.
"Good! Now that's something to keep you busy." Jon replied and then turned to Alina.
"Where are the Celestial Bodies at the moment?" He asked.
Alina looked upward and her eyes turned to glow before waiting for a few minutes and calculating something in her mind.
"We're in the season of the Thief so… Akatosh should be in this direction… Mara in that one… and the moons in this way." She said.
Jon started to press the buttons of the Oculory control panel (the ones on the left) up to four times before
Once that happened, all the Celestial Bodies started to shed light on the Oculory.
Jon moved to the other side of the panel as a third button emerged and he pressed it twice which caused various arms of the Oculory to move around while carrying some Aetherium Lens that redirected the beams on the lower body of the Oculory. After that, a fourth button emerged.
"Now… the moment of truth." Jon said and pressed the fourth button.
It was then when one last Oculory arm descended from the centermost part of the ceiling carrying a large case of Aetherium which came down to eye level and opened up for an item to emerge inside it.
"No way!"
Almost everyone in the room couldn't believe what they saw except Jon. They were all promised a surprise but Jon wasn't the one to spoil a good surprise.
He walked down to the Oculary and grabbed the item from within the Aetherium case offering it to his crew.
"Ladies… I offer you the second of the three items I was prophesied to hold." Jon said, "The Elder Scroll of the Dragon."
***
*Falkreath, 28th of Evening Star, 201 4E*
It has been quiet for almost two months now and the new year is about to come.
Serana Volkihar was now a member of the Dark Brotherhood and spent a lot of time assimilating into the new life of an assassin.
In a way, it was a better distraction than most now that she was independent of both her father and Jon… or not too independent from Jon since he was the one who set her here. Still, she felt independent for the first time in a long while.
"Serana, Babette, I want the two of you to be very careful when taking contracts, especially these days. Those crazed Vampire Hunters of the Dawnguard seemed to have taken the blessing of all the Jarls in order to operate freely after the fall of the Vigilantes of Stendarr." Nazir, the Quartermaster of the Sanctuary of Falkreath, said as he laid down the new contracts on the table.
"All the holds? Even Winterhold?" Asked Serana as she started going through the contracts.
"If it is Winterhold, it is a place where we can hardly pick anything." Babette said, "The situation there can get extremely dire if one of us was caught even patrolling their borders."
"Why is that?" Serana asked.
"Let's just say we have a case of bad blood with the Dare people." Nazir replied.
"You mean Jon Dare? I've heard of him." Serana said as she showed interest.
"Yes. He's a bold one. Before he became the famous Thane of Winterhold, he was a participant in the High King's Tournament about six years ago. We took a contract on his head and let's just say it ended in a disaster."
"How so?"
"Just don't tell Veezara that I told you this but we lost two young recruits and even the employer who was the son of Maven Black-Briar all to the hands of bloody Jon Dare. To make things worse, he was also a member of the Thieves Guild and we almost smoked one of their operatives. It took us a year to recover from the damage we took that night." Nazir said.
"It seems he's a sworn enemy to you guys." Serana smiled.
"Just don't think about going after him. Not just yet anyway." Babette said.
Serana wasn't interested in knowing more but this is the first time she managed to know anything about Jon Dare that is not related to Vampirism and blood.
He is someone who knows how to awaken her and on top of that, his blood can cause a sugar rush sensation and a strong intoxication. To normal Vampires, his blood would act as a parasite that can control them. This is the most ridiculous ability a vampire can ever face.
But aside from controlling Greed, having the gall to go against both her father and his patron Molag Bal as well as Dragons and such, Jon as a person was a mystery to Serana. That's why she would gather intel about him whenever she's out on a contract.
Speaking of which, she was already taking her share of the contracts and about to see what to do until she and the others heard an argument from the main hall.
"Until there is a Listener, my word is the final say. I don't know what kind of nonsense you've been feeding the others, Clown, but until you get your Listener, no one here is listening to you." Astrid's voice was heard loud and clear across the sanctuary.
"Looks like she's giving the clown an earful again." Nazir said as he smiled slyly ear to ear.
"Did you tell her anything?" Babette asked.
"Nothing she wouldn't believe." Nazir almost laughed but he just sat back and immersed himself in Astrid's tantrum.
He seemed to be the one pulling the strings behind the brotherhood after all. Serana was quick to take note of that since evil little societies like the Dark Brotherhood and Castle Volkihar were always following the same route of politics.
Astrid seemed to have been told that Cicero was trying to convince some of the assassins to revert back to the old ways of the Dark Brotherhood and search for a Listener to lead the brotherhood. The act which is a defiance to the current leader of the brotherhood, Astrid.
A moment later, Astrid walked into the lobby fuming with rage and the moment she saw Serana, her eyes locked on.
"Serana, a word."
Seeing Astrid pick Serana from all the crowd, the assassins were all alerted since the new kid in the house seemed to be the one taking the most attention from mommy Astrid.
Serana followed Astrid to a place where the others can't see or hear and there, their conversation began.
"Serana, despite being a newcomer, you've been doing well. It makes me proud to be the one who recruited you." Astrid said as she was smoothing the air with Serana.
"Thanks." Serana replied in her usual coldness.
"How was your last contract?" Astrid asked.
"I did what had to be done, nothing more." Serana replied.
"Of course, dear. Of course. And, from what my little ravens tell me, you handled yourself quite well. Now, I need your assistance with a matter of more... personal nature." Astrid said.
"Is something wrong?"
"As you know, Winter is about to end and we'll all be busy with our New Year's contracts but a house divided cannot stand." Serana initiated her talk and continued, "It's Cicero. Ever since he arrived, his behavior's been... Well, erratic would be an understatement. I do believe he is truly mad. But it's worse than that. He's taken to locking himself in the Night Mother's chamber, and talking. To someone. In hushed, but frantic tones. Who is he speaking with? What are they planning? I fear treachery."
Serana heard what Astrid said and her head started to remember Jon's words when he told her that she has to wait until she gets involved between Astrid and Cicero. Thus she remained silent.
"You must understand. If Cicero is turning the others against me... against us... Our Family would not survive such a division." Astrid said, trying to convince Serana to help.
"What should I do then?" Serana finally seemed to comply with Astrid and asked what to do.
"Dear Sister, I need you to steal into that chamber, and eavesdrop on their meeting. It'll be no use clinging to the shadows. They'll see you for sure. No, you need a hiding place. Somewhere they'd never think to look. Like… inside the Night Mother's coffin." Astrid said.
"But that seems so… I don't know… disrespectful?" Serana said as she seemed against the idea of being trapped in a coffin again.
"Be that as it may, we have no other choice. You need to remain unseen! Now go! Before they meet. And report back to me with whatever you learn." Astrid said and urged Serana, "Go. Quickly. Hide in the coffin before Cicero and the traitor meet."
Serana nodded and retreated from Astrid before walking away and trying to pass unseen.
Jon told her such a thing shall happen. No matter what, she never expected Jon to predict the future so accurately.
Moreover, he passed her an item that he told her that it is vital to use when the time comes.
From her pocket, Serana took out a small glass tube that was sealed from its two ends by fire. The only way to open this thing is to break the glass and Serana did it so quietly that no one would even hear it.
But what she didn't expect was inside the tube. The thing that tormented her for so long was just there staring at her.
It was a piece of flesh, red and bloodless yet alive and moving as if it was a creature of its own.
This piece of living flesh suddenly started to get agitated and moved from the inside out revealing an eye on its body, a very healthy and responsive eye that looked at Serana right away and recognized her.
"What is going on?"
Serana recognized that this piece of flesh is actually a part of Gluttony that Jon seemed to have passed on her for a reason that she…
But before she could even attempt to read her situation, the piece of flesh jumped from her palm straight to her face and immediately penetrated her eye socket.
Serana freaked out and held her face but she was no longer able to find any trace of Gluttony. Nothing felt as horrible as the feeling she just went through and now she felt terrified that Gluttony is back in her system.
What she failed to notice, however, is that her left eye was as its usual vampiric yellow but her right eye was a completely different story.
It was clear blue like the sky… the same color as Jon's eyes.
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