Chapter Text
Amethyst eyes narrowed, the white sclera almost disappearing between lines of thick red kohl. She clutched the front of her robes closed; fighting a losing battle against the Northern cold and wishing she thought to bring some furs along. Because apparently no one else can investigate this.
Ahead of her, the anomaly hovered above a small patch of land in the middle of a babbling creek; a collection of pebbles and stones piled up over the decades that gave sparse weeds a foothold to grow. She hesitated to cross the water, the snowmelt only ankle high, but the warnings from the professors at Winterhold echoed in her head. Nobody was certain of its purpose or origin, although there were theories it may be the beginnings of an Oblivion Gate. She camped for a few days to monitor any progress; the distortion in space-time like peering through warped glass, but so far, no changes.
The waiting wore at her patience, and her rations were running low. She’d have to take care of this sooner than later. Long fingers tightened around the Staff of Magnus as she stepped into the water, her leather boots arching along the smooth stones that covered the bottom of the creek. She activated the staff; the foci gleaming a brilliant blue.
She paused for a moment before gritting her teeth and jabbing the staff towards the anomaly, a visible stream of magic pulling from its center. The moment it connected, she knew she’d made a mistake. The anomaly twisted and swirled, darkening to grey and then pitch black. She pulled at it, trying to disengage, but it tugged back and seemed to suck her in. The ground rumbled, and ripples erupted over the water as the anomaly grew larger. In a desperate bid to pull away, she flooded her Magicka into the staff, hoping to overload it and force the opposing energy to release.
Toxic green tendrils erupted from the anomaly and overtook Magnus’ blue stream. It latched onto the Magicka she was pouring into the Staff and pulled until it felt like sand between fingers. Fatigue encompassed her as green swallowed her vision and she fell into that swirling vortex. Tumbling head over heels, down, down, and down still.
I should have hit the ground by now…