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"The Skaal told us to… what? Break the corrupted stone's hold on their people? Shouldn't be too difficult." Teldryn Sero said confidently as he and Meren Litdur trudged through knee-deep snow towards a tall stone pillar where Skaal-people worked.
"Just be ready to fight."
"Why?"
"I don't think whatever's corrupting the stones will be too happy that I broke it's hold." Meren told him. He glanced up at the stone. "Gol!" He Shouted, hitting the stone. It glowed yellow, and the rocks surrounding it shattered. Meren readied a fire spell, and as a lurker appeared, roaring angrily, he shot it. The firebolt hit it square in the face, and the lurker charged him, trying to claw him. He held up the iron shield he carried, blocking most of the damage, and threw another firebolt at the monster.
Teldryn sent a steady stream of fire along its back, causing it to turn and belch stinging black tentacles at him. The two forced it down the steep hill towards the coast, until Meren charged forward, bashing it in the face with his shield. The lurker collapsed, dead, and Meren straightened up.
"What now?" Teldryn asked.
"We're heading for Tel Mithryn." Meren said.
--
As they approached the giant mushrooms, three ash spawn rose from the ground. Meren instinctively held up his shield in defence, leaving Teldryn to drive them back into the ground.
"Could you not have helped?" He asked loudly as the last one turned to dust.
"I'm out of magicka."
"Take a potion."
"I'm out of potions." Teldryn sighed, following the high elf towards the mushrooms.
--
As the two used the magic elevator, a bald Dunmer man approached them.
"And who exactly are you?" He asked.
"My name is Meren Litdur, sir. I was told to see you. Master Neloth, yes?"
"That's my name. Are you also calling yourself 'Dragonborn'?"
"Yes sir." Meren said meekly. Teldryn smirked under his helmet.
"You're after Black Books, aren't you?"
"That's right. Do you know where I can find any?" The Dunmer laughed harshly.
"Oh yes. They're not hard to locate once you know how to look for them. I have one here that I have been using to locate more."
"The one you have can't help me?" There was a desperate tone in his voice.
"No, it is not related to this madness that's overtaking the island. However, I know where one that might help you is."
"Where?" Meren asked.
"Nchardak. A submerged Dwemer city."
"What do the dwarves have to do with this?" He asked.
"Forbidden knowledge was somewhat a specialty of the dwarves-- you don't think they would just leave it alone, do you? It seems the ancient Dwemer discovered this book and took it to study." Meren nodded slowly. "I have found their "reading room" in the ruins of Nchardak. The book is there, but it's sealed in a protective case which I wasn't able to open. But perhaps the two of us together will be able to get the book."
"Lead the way." Meren shrugged.
"To Nchardak, then. Follow me." Neloth said, brushing past the two.
--
The water was rushing in, and Meren couldn't reach the control pedestal to stop it. Neloth was in the main hall, waiting for the two to return, but they were three levels down and about to drown.
"Good job, high elf." Teldryn snapped. "You did it."
"Shut up, I'm trying to fix this!" Meren replied, reaching for the pedestal again. He slid through a gap in piping, the cube in his hand inches from the pedestal. He tried to slide forward more as the foul water reached his neck.
"I'm stuck." He said simply, and his hireling let off a long string of insults and swearing in Dunmeri. "Sorry."
"'Sorry' isn't going to keep us from drowning! Boethiah help me, why did I follow you?"
"I pay well. Help me out here, would you? I'm wedged in between these pipes." Meren told him.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Grab my legs and lift." Teldryn sighed as he grabbed the Altmer's legs, trying to get the leverage needed to free the man. As the water level rose towards the ceiling, Teldryn felt the metal body of a Centurion under his feet, and he stood on it, pushing upwards. Meren slipped free, and slammed the cube onto the pedestal. With a loud roar, the water level dropped, and the two were carried back to the floor.
"Let's never do that again." Teldryn said.
"We have three cubes to go." Meren said helpfully.
--
As the two elves, soaking wet and smelling like sewage, emerged from the lower levels, Neloth took the cubes impatiently.
"Good, that took you long enough. I'll put these into place, and the boilers will be reactivated." He told them.
As they raised the Black Book from its case, Neloth gestured to Meren.
"Why don't you take the first look, Dragonborn? After all, you're the one that wanted to find it." The Altmer nodded hesitantly, picking up the book and opening it, his entire body freezing up as the disturbing tentacles wrapped themselves around him.
He was in Apocrypha once more, but this time there wasn't a strange man there to knock him down and rant at him. Meren began walking.
As he neared what appeared to be the end of the dark, silent maze, a mass of tentacles and eyes materialised, staring directly at him.
"And who might you be?" Meren was fairly sure he was staring at Hermaeus Mora.
"I--they--my name is Meren Litdur." His hands were shaking again.
"Meren Litdur. The second Dragonborn, are you not?"
"Miraak called me Dragonborn, sir, but I--I've never even seen a--a dragon." He looked up at this dark, writhing…thing, trying to figure out whether he should be bowing or not.
"And so you are. I expected the other, one who has done much more than you. However, I can adjust to this…change. I will be watching you, Meren Litdur." The Daedra faded away, leaving Meren with an open Black Book and more questions.